On 2 March, Customer Partner Lizzie Robinson arranged a partnership day at Raglan Court and Baker Fold in Halifax, where we have 60 one and two bed flats.
Her idea for the day was improve customer relations and engagement by talking with residents and involving some of our partners in various activities on the estate.
Our repairs contractor Ian Williams joined us to carry out a number of repairs and remove unwanted items and we welcomed Calderdale Council for some welcome tips on recycling and better disposing of rubbish. Vital Element, who provide our estate services, asked residents what could be improved and Green Doctor, a money saving fuel specialist, provided advice on increasing energy prices. Also present was the local PCSO and local councillor Jenny Lynne who spoke of local improvement plans and Halifax Opportunities Trust who help with loneliness and social isolation.
The weather wasn't great that day but even so, with the help of other members of our Yorkshire team, we met with most customers. The responses to a prize draw showed how customers feel about living in their homes. They all said they’d recommend Accent to their friends, which was great to hear and we also received some other nice feedback. “Accent have been helpful since day one and have always been there.” "It's a Good friendly service.” “I see the guys around here fortnightly and they keep the grounds neat and tidy.” “I like how the estate is very secure for my young family.” “I like how Accent are easy to contact.”
Ian Williams completed around 15 repairs reported on the day and took away three vans full of items to dispose of. From Vital Element’s estate walk, Lizzie is developing new plans to consult customers over proposed improvements.
We also received some really nice feedback from Councillor Jenny Lynn. “I just wanted to say a big thank you for putting so much effort into your partnership day. It was great that you got to speak to a lot of your residents despite the rain. Having helped with clearing up unwanted furniture, I can see that responding to repair requests would have been very welcome. The feedback about isolation and loneliness by some residents is also very useful and I'd ask anyone who needs support to get in touch with Halifax Opportunities Trust. Keep up the good work!”
