Camberley

December 2020

You said: Due to the circumstances surrounding the coronavirus, we were unable to hold the usual AGM and pre-budget meetings face-to-face with residents on this leasehold scheme.

We did: Instead of cancelling or postponing the meeting, we held it online. In advance of the meeting, the local Homeownership Specialist recorded a presentation of the annual accounts, explaining any variations in charges. A recording of the meeting was posted online for the benefit of residents who had not been able to attend.

August 2019

You said: We should be doing more to serve the needs of older people in the local community.

We did: We held a Community Fun Day which was open to the general public. We asked those who attended about the services currently available for older people in the local community, and whether Accent could fill any gaps. We asked people whether they would benefit from a 'community hub' and what services the would expect it to offer (for instance; physical and emotional health and wellbeing, digital skills and getting online etc.).

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.

May 2022

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

We did: The Scheme Manager, the local Customer Partner and the Estates Services Officer attend on a quarterly basis to hear customers' ideas, suggestions and concerns, especially with regard to grounds maintenance and communal cleaning. The aim is to give customer greater influence over the way that their communal areas are landscaped and maintained.

June 2022

You said: Residents would like more interaction with one another, the staff who deliver their services and the local community.

We did: We helped to arrange a party to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Many residents attended as well as some invited guests from the local community. With help on the day from the local Customer Partner and members of the local police, the day was filled with laughter and joy. Live entertainment had many residents dancing, which was followed by a quiz about the Queen and ended with a raffle, raising money for Ballard Court Social Club.

November 2021

You said: Residents missed seeing our staff and contractors out on-site, due to the coronavirus restrictions, and were starting to feel disenfranchised.

We did: As restrictions began to lift, our thoughts turned once again to how we could safely meet with customers face-to-face once again and deliver a 'personal' customer experience. Our staff visited the estate to catch-up with residents (new and existing), to find out how they'd been coping with the restrictions and provide any support they could. The restrictions had led to a backlog of repairs in some areas. Our staff were on hand to take reports of repairs and chase up any repairs which were outstanding.

Fly-tipping became a big problem for Accent and its customers following the closure of council tips during last year’s lockdowns. As one-off favour to customers who are struggling to dispose of unwanted bulky waste, Accent arranged for a van to collect these items.

March 2022

You said: Residents had some suggestions about how to improve the appearance and layout of the estate.

We did: As part of the Accent Partnership, Accent is committed to contacting each household once a year to make sure that everyone is safe, happy and comfortable in their homes. Sometimes, it is more effective to do this by means of a residents' meeting. At this particular residents' meeting, residents raised a number of suggestions about how the layout and appearance of their scheme could be improved; including greater provision for bin storage, greater provision for bike storage and changes to the way the communal grounds are landscaped. We will be taking their suggestions forward for formal consultation.

You said: Residents reported problems with anti-social behaviour.

We did: We consulted with residents about increasing the height of the fencing surrounding the estate to prevent would-be criminals from getting in and making an easy escape.

February 2022

You said: Residents were concerned about the safety and misuse of bin chutes. 

We did: We consulted with residents about proposals to replace the bin chutes with smart new bin stores. External bin stores are thought to be safer because combustible rubbish is stored away from the building, mitigating the risk of fire spreading. This would also prevent the problems previously seen in some areas with people rough-sleeping or using drugs in the chute rooms. It is also hoped that an external bin store would improve recycling rates, promoting a cleaner, greener environment for everyone.

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.

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 2021

You said: Residents missed seeing our staff and contractors out on-site, due to the coronavirus restrictions, and were starting to feel disenfranchised.

We did: As restrictions began to lift, our thoughts turned once again to how we could safely meet with customers face-to-face once again and deliver a 'personal' customer experience. Our staff visited the estate to catch-up with residents (new and existing), to find out how they'd been coping with the restrictions and provide any support they could. The restrictions had led to a backlog of repairs in some areas. Our staff were on hand to take reports of repairs and chase up any repairs which were outstanding.

Fly-tipping became a big problem for Accent and its customers following the closure of council tips during last year’s lockdowns. As one-off favour to customers who are struggling to dispose of unwanted bulky waste, Accent arranged for a van to collect these items.

February 2022

You said: Residents were concerned about the safety and misuse of bin chutes. 

We did: We consulted with residents about proposals to replace the bin chutes with smart new bin stores. External bin stores are thought to be safer because combustible rubbish is stored away from the building, mitigating the risk of fire spreading. This would also prevent the problems previously seen in some areas with people rough-sleeping or using drugs in the chute rooms. It is also hoped that an external bin store would improve recycling rates, promoting a cleaner, greener environment for everyone.

February 2022

You said: Residents would like a closer relationship with local staff and would like to be able to manage their tenancies online.

We did: The local Customer Partner visited the area to explain Accent's services and how we could support them. We provided details on how customers could manage their tenancies online via MyAccount, with links to an instructional video to help them create an account (available here). Residents who created an account were entered into a prize draw, in which they could win one week's rent credit. The initiative yielded 15 new account registrations and customers can now contact their local Customer Partner directly for queries about their tenancies, their rent accounts or the management of the estate.

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.

May 2022

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

We did: The Scheme Manager, the local Customer Partner and the Estates Services Officer attend on a quarterly basis to hear customers' ideas, suggestions and concerns, especially with regard to grounds maintenance and communal cleaning. The aim is to give customer greater influence over the way that their communal areas are landscaped and maintained.

February 2022

You said: Residents were concerned about the safety and misuse of bin chutes. 

We did: We consulted with residents about proposals to replace the bin chutes with smart new bin stores. External bin stores are thought to be safer because combustible rubbish is stored away from the building, mitigating the risk of fire spreading. This would also prevent the problems previously seen in some areas with people rough-sleeping or using drugs in the chute rooms. It is also hoped that an external bin store would improve recycling rates, promoting a cleaner, greener environment for everyone.

February 2022

You said: Residents would like a closer relationship with local staff and would like to be able to manage their tenancies online.

We did: The local Customer Partner visited the area to explain Accent's services and how we could support them. We provided details on how customers could manage their tenancies online via MyAccount, with links to an instructional video to help them create an account (available here). Residents who created an account were entered into a prize draw, in which they could win one week's rent credit. The initiative yielded 15 new account registrations and customers can now contact their local Customer Partner directly for queries about their tenancies, their rent accounts or the management of the estate.

October 2021

You said: Residents missed seeing our staff and contractors out on-site, due to the coronavirus restrictions, and were starting to feel disenfranchised.

We did: As restrictions began to lift, our thoughts turned once again to how we could safely meet with customers face-to-face once again and deliver a 'personal' customer experience. Our staff visited the estate to catch-up with residents (new and existing), to find out how they'd been coping with the restrictions and provide any support they could. The restrictions had led to a backlog of repairs in some areas. Our staff were on hand to take reports of repairs and chase up any repairs which were outstanding. We were also pleased to promote our partnership with Appliances Online - offering customers the opportunity to rent quality whitegoods from a trusted provider at just £2.00 per week. More details here.

March 2022

You said: Residents had difficulty maintaining their gardens.

We did: On this estate, many properties have individual outdoor spaces. However, these outdoor spaces are not necessarily adjacent to the properties they belong to. They are often underused and can be hard to maintain. It is not easy to access electricity from some of the outdoor spaces, so cutting grass can be difficult. As such, we consulted with residents about whether the individual, private outdoor spaces should be converted into a large, communal garden which our grounds maintenance team would keep tidy.

January 2020

You said: Residents at this Independent Living Scheme were concerned about fraud perpetrated in the local area, particularly targeted at older people.

We did: The Scheme Manager invited the local Police Community Support Officers to speak to residents about the dangers of identity fraud, courier fraud, holiday fraud, mass-marketing fraud, investment scams, door-to-door scams, banking and payment card scams, mobile phone scams, ticketing scams, online shopping fraud and auction fraud. Residents benefited from handy leaflets as well as first-hand advice.

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 2021

You said: Residents missed seeing our staff and contractors out on-site, due to the coronavirus restrictions, and were starting to feel disenfranchised.

We did: As restrictions began to lift, our thoughts turned once again to how we could safely meet with customers face-to-face once again and deliver a 'personal' customer experience. Our staff visited the estate to catch-up with residents (new and existing), to find out how they'd been coping with the restrictions and provide any support they could. The restrictions had led to a backlog of repairs in some areas. Our staff were on hand to take reports of repairs and chase up any repairs which were outstanding.

We also heard residents' suggestions as to how their communal areas could be improved before more formal consultations about future investments are made.

May 2022

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

We did: The Scheme Manager, the local Customer Partner and the Estates Services Officer attend on a quarterly basis to hear customers' ideas, suggestions and concerns, especially with regard to grounds maintenance and communal cleaning. The aim is to give customer greater influence over the way that their communal areas are landscaped and maintained.

February 2022

You said: Residents were concerned about the safety and misuse of bin chutes. 

We did: We consulted with residents about proposals to replace the bin chutes with smart new bin stores. External bin stores are thought to be safer because combustible rubbish is stored away from the building, mitigating the risk of fire spreading. This would also prevent the problems previously seen in some areas with people rough-sleeping or using drugs in the chute rooms. It is also hoped that an external bin store would improve recycling rates, promoting a cleaner, greener environment for everyone.

November 2021

You said: Residents missed seeing our staff and contractors out on-site, due to the coronavirus restrictions, and were starting to feel disenfranchised.

We did: As restrictions began to lift, our thoughts turned once again to how we could safely meet with customers face-to-face once again and deliver a 'personal' customer experience. Our staff visited the estate to catch-up with residents (new and existing), to find out how they'd been coping with the restrictions and provide any support they could. The restrictions had led to a backlog of repairs in some areas. Our staff were on hand to take reports of repairs and chase up any repairs which were outstanding.

Many properties in this area are remodelled on the former army barracks. They are surrounded by woodland. Fly-tipping became a big problem for Accent and its customers following the closure of council tips during last year’s lockdowns. As one-off favour to customers who are struggling to dispose of unwanted bulky waste, Accent arranged for a van to collect these items.

December 2020

You said: Due to the circumstances surrounding the coronavirus, we were unable to hold the usual AGM and pre-budget meetings face-to-face with residents on this leasehold scheme.

We did: Instead of cancelling or postponing the meeting, we held it online. In advance of the meeting, the local Homeownership Specialist recorded a presentation of the annual accounts, explaining any variations in charges. A recording of the meeting was posted online for the benefit of residents who had not been able to attend.

October 2021

You said: Residents missed seeing our staff and contractors out on-site, due to the coronavirus restrictions, and were starting to feel disenfranchised.

We did: As restrictions began to lift, our thoughts turned once again to how we could safely meet with customers face-to-face once again and deliver a 'personal' customer experience. Our staff visited the estate to catch-up with residents (new and existing), to find out how they'd been coping with the restrictions and provide any support they could. The restrictions had led to a backlog of repairs in some areas. Our staff were on hand to take reports of repairs and chase up any repairs which were outstanding. We were also pleased to promote our partnership with Appliances Online - offering customers the opportunity to rent quality whitegoods from a trusted provider at just £2.00 per week. More details here.