Outstanding feedback has been given by residents about our customer care following completion of a project involving some of the most invasive and difficult decarbonisation improvements of ‘Airey’ non-traditional homes.
The project, funded by the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and North East Derbyshire District Council, in partnership with their housing partner Rykneld Homes Ltd, saw the properties stripped back to their barest parts to accommodate structural repairs and energy efficiency improvements.
All houses required a new blockwork skin to be built to create a solid substrate, requiring cleats to transfer the first-floor joist loadings, as well as new openings with concrete lintels, and packing up to the rafters. Once the original concrete panels had been stripped back, exposing the frame and internal plaster leaf, any repairs could be made, new substrate constructed, and energy efficiency measures installed.
Despite this, we found a way to complete our works without having to ask any of the residents to vacate for any amount of time, allowing them to stay in own homes while construction carried on with minimal disruption to their lives and comfort.
In case of any queries or issues, they were managed by our locally employed and experienced customer liaison team, led by Patricia Rogers, this meant that throughout all phases of the project delivery, we had an open and flowing line of communication with those directly affected by the works, as well as neighbours, and the wider community as a whole.
Speaking about the project, Patricia said: “Improving the energy efficiency of our country’s housing stock is important, but it’s equally important to ensure the resident of each property we work on is comfortable while we’re in their home. For us, the work we do may seem innovative and exciting, but for them it more likely seems daunting, being potentially disruptive and stressful.
“We have a responsibility to provide them with communication and co-operation at every touch point. Whether it’s before, during, or after we’ve completed the work and are seeing the results of what we’ve done – that’s what we do.”
With the homes originally being built in the 1940s and left undisturbed since, it is estimated our work is the first significant renovation to the houses in more than 70 years.
One tenant’s feedback noted their extreme satisfaction with all aspects of our work, saying: “We couldn’t be more pleased with the work carried out. The installers were a credit to the project with how they went about improving our homes, and our resident liaison officer Patricia was particularly responsive and helpful.
“Throughout the project we were visited regularly and kept informed of the progress and decision making. Now finished, the works look amazing, and we are already feeling the benefits.”
