Update from our gas servicing and heating repairs contractor, Sureserve

As it’s been three months since Sureserve took over all gas servicing and heating repairs.  They came to talk about how it’s been going. Alan Isted, the manager, and Maggie Bunday, the customer service manager, acknowledged that there have been some issues, particularly around communication with residents about appointments. As a result, Sureserve say they have:

• Fixed a problem with texts.
• Resolved the issue with appointment letters so they are now going out as they should.
• Ensured engineers should now phone when they are on their way or running late.
• Recruited more engineers.

The number of instances where a job is completed during the first visit is increasing. Sureserve say they are grateful for feedback from residents and the engagement panel, as it helps them to make these alterations and improvements as they settle into the contract.

Housing update

Head of Housing, Sara Bennett, then talked to the panel about three areas where Brighter Places are reviewing how they do things:

1. Internal Moves, which is when somebody moves from one Brighter Places property into another (also called a Management Transfer). This is for residents who are at high risk in their current home, from severe antisocial behaviour, domestic abuse, serious welfare or health issues, or specific property conditions (for example, where so much work is needed on a home that the resident needs to move out, or needs a permanent move due to severe damp and mould). Sara explained that:

• Any resident can apply – they will be asked to fill out a form and BP will do a risk assessment.
• If you’re deemed high risk, you’ll go on a priority list.
• There is no guarantee of a move, but if a suitable home comes up, you could be matched to it.

Between February and June, 21 people applied, 10 were approved, 11 weren’t, and so far 4 of those who were approved have been rehoused. If someone isn’t approved, Brighter Places will help them explore other options. If you want to downsize or relocate for other reasons, you’d use HomeSwapper or HomeChoice instead. There is an appeal process, and BP are always looking for feedback from residents about their experience of applying for an internal move.

2. Antisocial behaviour policy. All resident reports of antisocial behaviour (ASB) now go directly to the ASB Team, which now has one part-time and two full-time officers.

• Urgent cases (like domestic abuse, hate crime, serious assault or serious crime) they will respond within 1 working day.
• Less urgent cases (like neighbour disputes or drug use) are responded to within 5 working days.
• Other issues (like car parking rows or noisy appliances) usually go to housing officers – unless they’re ongoing, unresolved problems or involve vulnerable residents, in which case they could be scaled up to ASB.

The Engagement Panel pointed out that ASB can be really nuanced. Sara explained that they always look at the whole picture and impact on the resident, not just the category of behaviour.

3. Domestic Abuse Policy. This policy covers all types of abuse – physical, verbal, coercive and controlling, psychological, sexual, financial or online.

• The ASB team leads on these cases but other teams support too.
• All staff are trained to spot the signs and raise concerns.
• The aim is to keep victims in their own homes wherever possible, so they don’t lose their support networks.
• Brighter Places are now part of several local partnerships in Bristol focused on tackling domestic abuse.

Coming up: ‘Kitchen Table’ virtual event – Wednesday 17 September

The engagement panel is here to provide a voice for all residents. On Wednesday 17 September from 7pm – 7.45pm, we’re having a virtual ‘chat’ so you can come and tell us what you want to see sorted out.

It’s easy to join: just register for free on Eventbrite.

We’d love to see you there, but if you can’t attend, you can email your thoughts to us at panel.chair@brighterplaces.co.uk