Update from the Chief Executive 27/07/20

Posted on the 27th July 2020

I hope you are well at this unusual and challenging time in all our lives. As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, we are writing to all Keniston residents with an update about our services.

You will be aware that since the national lockdown on 23^rd March, our office has been closed. Our priority throughout this period has been to provide as good a landlord service as possible, while respecting the safety of our residents, our staff and our contractors.

To this end, we have maintained our essential work and services, with Keniston staff mainly working from home and through contact via telephone, email, online and via text. Our repairs service has continued to operate, initially restricted to just emergency and essential repairs, but since July 1^st we have expanded the service to all repairs. Do please contact us if you have any outstanding repairs in your home. In addition, we have opened up dedicated phone lines for different services and these are shown at the end of this letter as a reminder.

Please note that the legal requirement for landlords to ensure all our homes are safe continues. Electrical testing and Gas Safety checks remain as important as ever. We will continue to work with residents to ensure we meet our legal obligations wherever possible, while recognising that some people are wary about visitors to their homes.

As the lockdown is being eased, while we appreciate ‘normality’ is still some way away, we are now able to offer our residents a wider range of services:

• We are planning to start this year’s programme of planned repairs, such as renewing boilers, kitchens and bathrooms. If your home is in the programme you will be contacted directly about this, and how the work will be organised to be carried out safely.
• We are letting empty homes, with arrangements to ensure social distancing.
• We have re-started being able to arrange mutual exchanges, although this is dependent on the exchange partner’s landlord. Please contact your housing officer if you would like more information about this.

Keniston’s office has been configured to allow a small number of staff to return to work there, following government guidance about safe working. At this time, we are not able to have visitors, so we are not open to residents. Going forward, we will plan to be able to have visits, but this will be strictly by appointment only, and only where we are otherwise unable to provide an effective service. Please contact your housing officer by phone or email if you need to reach us.

Keniston staff are normally available Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. The exception is that we are currently only able to take non-urgent repair calls in the morning between 9am and 12:30. If you cannot get through for any reason, please email enquiries@kenistonha.co.uk and we will be able to help you.

If you know of anyone who is vulnerable and in need of assistance or you are concerned about someone’s welfare, please contact us. We will be able to arrange for a colleague to phone to check on their wellbeing.

For more information, please refer to our website where there are info leaflets with helpful advice. We also share all updates on our social media pages.

www.kenistonha.co.uk

www.facebook.com/keniston.housing

www.twitter.com/kenistonha

I hope this letter has given you useful information. Please contact us if you have any comments or further queries.

Best wishes!

Jonathan Card

 

Keniston repairs

☎ 01689 889702 ⏰ 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday

Emergency or urgent only – An emergency repair is where the defect is likely to cause damage to the property or is a threat to the health and safety of the occupants

☎ 01689 889704 ⏰ 9am to 12:30pm Monday to Friday

Routine, non-urgent – non-emergency works such as a minor leak

Housing Officers

☎ Sharon Hobbs & Diane Thompson 01689 889706 (Housing Officers)

☎ Andrea Spittle & Susan Rimmer 01689 889705 (Housing Officers)