Stockton

August 2019

You said: Accent's Independent Living service is not well-known in the wider community.

We did: We attended the Norton Grange summer fete to promote our Independent Living service and, in particular, Argyll Court. Our friendly and professional Scheme Manager supports residents to maintain independent lifestyles, whilst keeping an eye on their health and wellbeing. 

August 2020

You said: In 2020, we took the decision to close communal lounges in all schemes across the country. The aim was to minimise contact between residents and to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading. As the country began to emerge from lockdown, some residents wanted the communal lounges to reopen.

We did: We consulted with residents to determine whether they would be in favour of reopening the communal lounge and what safety measures they would like to see in place if the communal lounge were to reopen.

June 2021

You said: Residents at this Independent Living scheme were concerned about the increasing cost of gritting and snow clearance, which is covered by their service charges.

We did: We explained the current specification to residents and consulted with them about proposals to help lower the costs. We asked whether they would be in favour of reducing visits from the contractor to days on which the weather was forecast to drop below 0 degrees rather than 1 degree, and whether the whole scheme needed to be gritted or just particular areas. We invited residents for other suggestions about how the specification could be tailored to help ensure that the scheme is a safe and attractive place to live, whilst keeping service charges affordable.

June 2022

You said: Residents were concerned about rising levels of anti-social behaviour.

We did: Accent is working in partnership with the local authority and the police to improve residents' confidence in reporting anti-social behaviour. We held a session with the local Police Community Support Officer in the communal area to explain what anti-social behaviour is and to describe the measures that residents can take if they are experiencing it. We reminded customers about the ways in which they could report anti-social behaviour through the website, using MyAccount or anonymously through Crimestoppers.

August 2020

You said: In 2020, we took the decision to close communal lounges in all schemes across the country. The aim was to minimise contact between residents and to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading. As the country began to emerge from lockdown, some residents wanted the communal lounges to reopen.

We did: We consulted with residents to determine whether they would be in favour of reopening the communal lounge and what safety measures they would like to see in place if the communal lounge were to reopen.

November 2020

You said: Residents would like better laundry facilities.

We did: We fitted new washers and dryers in the communal laundry area. We have also had the block paved drying areas cleaned which not only looks a lot smarter but is also much safer to use.

June 2021

You said: Residents at this Independent Living scheme were concerned about the increasing cost of gritting and snow clearance, which is covered by their service charges.

We did: We explained the current specification to residents and consulted with them about proposals to help lower the costs. We asked whether they would be in favour of reducing visits from the contractor to days on which the weather was forecast to drop below 0 degrees rather than 1 degree, and whether the whole scheme needed to be gritted or just particular areas. We invited residents for other suggestions about how the specification could be tailored to help ensure that the scheme is a safe and attractive place to live, whilst keeping service charges affordable.

November 2021

You said: Residents would like more choice in how their communal areas are decorated.

We did: We presented residents with various mood boards suggesting different options for decoration to the communal areas and invited residents to vote on their favourites.

March 2022

You said: Residents were concerned about the impact of the rising cost of living.

We did: With shortages of labour and materials driving up the costs of repairs and maintenance, rents and some service charges were set to increase in April. We held a residents' meeting to hear residents' concerns and offer them any assistance we could. We invited our partners at Age UK to offer customers further suggestions on how to save money and maximise their incomes. Most residents had expected the rents to increase and had no major concerns, but were grateful for the explanation and the offer of support.

June 2022

You said: Residents were concerned about rising levels of litter and fly-tipping.

We did: In partnership with Thirteen Group, whose residents share the estate, we held a community clean-up day. We provided a skip for residents to dispose of their bulky, unwanted household items including broken furniture, non-recyclable plastics and electrical appliances and reminded customers about how to dispose of their refuse responsibly. 

June 2022

You said: Residents were concerned about rising levels of litter and fly-tipping.

We did: In partnership with Thirteen Group, whose residents share the estate, we held a community clean-up day. We provided a skip for residents to dispose of their bulky, unwanted household items including broken furniture, non-recyclable plastics and electrical appliances and reminded customers about how to dispose of their refuse responsibly. 

October 2021

You said: Residents were concerned about the cleanliness of the bin store.

We did: We consulted with customers about increasing the frequency of bin store cleans to include an additional quarterly clean.

June 2022

You said: Residents expressed concerns about litter and fly-tipping.

We did: Working closely with the local authority, we visited residents across the estate to hear their views on how the appearance of the neighbourhood could be improved. We inspected the communal areas and encouraged residents to get involved with litter-picking, and to mark their bins with their property numbers to prevent them from going missing.

June 2022

You said: Residents expressed concerns about litter and fly-tipping.

We did: Working closely with the local authority, we visited residents across the estate to hear their views on how the appearance of the neighbourhood could be improved. We inspected the communal areas and encouraged residents to get involved with litter-picking, and to mark their bins with their property numbers to prevent them from going missing.

August 2020

You said: In 2020, we took the decision to close communal lounges in all schemes across the country. The aim was to minimise contact between residents and to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading. As the country began to emerge from lockdown, some residents wanted the communal lounges to reopen.

We did: We consulted with residents to determine whether they would be in favour of reopening the communal lounge and what safety measures they would like to see in place if the communal lounge were to reopen.

June 2021

You said: Residents at this Independent Living scheme were concerned about the increasing cost of gritting and snow clearance, which is covered by their service charges.

We did: We explained the current specification to residents and consulted with them about proposals to help lower the costs. We asked whether they would be in favour of reducing visits from the contractor to days on which the weather was forecast to drop below 0 degrees rather than 1 degree, and whether the whole scheme needed to be gritted or just particular areas. We invited residents for other suggestions about how the specification could be tailored to help ensure that the scheme is a safe and attractive place to live, whilst keeping service charges affordable. 

June 2022

You said: Residents were concerned about rising levels of litter and fly-tipping.

We did: In partnership with Thirteen Group, whose residents share the estate, we held a community clean-up day. We provided a skip for residents to dispose of their bulky, unwanted household items including broken furniture, non-recyclable plastics and electrical appliances and reminded customers about how to dispose of their refuse responsibly. 

June 2022

You said: Residents were concerned about rising levels of litter and fly-tipping.

We did: In partnership with Thirteen Group, whose residents share the estate, we held a community clean-up day. We provided a skip for residents to dispose of their bulky, unwanted household items including broken furniture, non-recyclable plastics and electrical appliances and reminded customers about how to dispose of their refuse responsibly. 

June 2022

You said: Residents expressed concerns about litter and fly-tipping.

We did: Working closely with the local authority, we visited residents across the estate to hear their views on how the appearance of the neighbourhood could be improved. We inspected the communal areas and encouraged residents to get involved with litter-picking, and to mark their bins with their property numbers to prevent them from going missing.

June 2022

You said: Residents were concerned about rising levels of litter and fly-tipping.

We did: In partnership with Thirteen Group, whose residents share the estate, we held a community clean-up day. We provided a skip for residents to dispose of their bulky, unwanted household items including broken furniture, non-recyclable plastics and electrical appliances and reminded customers about how to dispose of their refuse responsibly. 

June 2022

You said: Residents were concerned about rising levels of litter and fly-tipping.

We did: In partnership with Thirteen Group, whose residents share the estate, we held a community clean-up day. We provided a skip for residents to dispose of their bulky, unwanted household items including broken furniture, non-recyclable plastics and electrical appliances and reminded customers about how to dispose of their refuse responsibly. 

June 2022

You said: Residents expressed concerns about litter and fly-tipping.

We did: Working closely with the local authority, we visited residents across the estate to hear their views on how the appearance of the neighbourhood could be improved. We inspected the communal areas and encouraged residents to get involved with litter-picking, and to mark their bins with their property numbers to prevent them from going missing.

October 2021

You said: Residents were concerned about the cleanliness of the bin store.

We did: We consulted with customers about increasing the frequency of bin store cleans to include an additional quarterly clean.

June 2022

You said: Residents were concerned about rising levels of litter and fly-tipping.

We did: In partnership with Thirteen Group, whose residents share the estate, we held a community clean-up day. We provided a skip for residents to dispose of their bulky, unwanted household items including broken furniture, non-recyclable plastics and electrical appliances and reminded customers about how to dispose of their refuse responsibly. 

October 2021

You said: Residents were concerned about the cleanliness of the bin store.

We did: We consulted with customers about increasing the frequency of bin store cleans to include an additional quarterly clean.

June 2022

You said: Residents expressed concerns about litter and fly-tipping.

We did: Working closely with the local authority, we visited residents across the estate to hear their views on how the appearance of the neighbourhood could be improved. We inspected the communal areas and encouraged residents to get involved with litter-picking, and to mark their bins with their property numbers to prevent them from going missing.

July 2021

You said: Residents raised concerns about anti-social behaviour.

We did: The local Customer Partner met with the police and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council Civic Enforcement Service and requested extra patrols of the estate. The local Customer Partner requested to be kept informed of any anti-social behaviour incidents to build a clear picture of the problems that residents are facing. We reminded customers about the ways in which they could report anti-social behaviour through the website, using MyAccount or anonymously through Crimestoppers.

Trevor Watson, Chair for Crimestoppers in Cleveland, said:

'Both Accent Housing and Crimestoppers believe that everyone has the right to feel safe from crime, wherever they live. As a large housing association, Accent will be able to reach to more customers/residents who may need to use our unique and long-trusted service'.

'We hope this partnership will help make a difference to local residents who may not be aware that they have options when reporting crime, such as using our charity to say what they know, in a safe and completely anonymous way'.

May 2022

You said: Residents would like more regular contact with the staff who deliver their services.

We did: Customer Partners, Estates Services, Homes Marketing and the Income Team met with residents on-site to offer support and advice on a range of different issues. We heard about some of the problems residents had with disposing unwanted bulky items and arranged for a skip to be delivered. We enjoyed getting to know our residents and are planning similar events throughout the summer.

June 2022

You said: Residents were concerned about rising levels of anti-social behaviour.

We did: Accent is working in partnership with the local authority and the police to improve residents' confidence in reporting anti-social behaviour. We reminded customers about the ways in which they could report anti-social behaviour through the website, using MyAccount or anonymously through Crimestoppers. CCTV had been suggested as a means of identifying perpetrators of crime and anti-social behaviour, but the installation and upkeep of CCTV has an impact on residents' service charges. We are consulting with customers to outline the costs and benefits to determine whether they were in favour of installing CCTV. 

June 2022

You said: Residents were concerned about rising levels of litter and fly-tipping.

We did: We provided a skip for residents to dispose of their bulky, unwanted household items including broken furniture, non-recyclable plastics and electrical appliances and reminded customers about how to dispose of their refuse responsibly. For just £20, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council can remove up to six items. The cost of removing fly-tipping is typically much higher and, unless a perpetrator is identified, is added to residents' service charges - so it's in everyone's best interests to prevent it.