United House - Resident Liason

To date, we have undertaken social housing projects that have involved working with over 1 million residents in occupation. We have, therefore, both considerable experience and an acute awareness of the challenges involved in such schemes. Our approach is always to take this general experience and the apply it to the individual project, recognising that no two schemes are ever the same…

Having pioneered the employment of Resident Liaison Officers, United House has gained unrivalled experience of working with Residents in occupation before and during work being carried out. This experience has led to a strictly enforced, effective and much copied for Resident Liaison Policy with the following key points

24 hour helpline offering a swift, direct response to problems or questions
Active consultation and communication with the Residents throughout the project
Residents kept informed through RLOs, newsletters and meetings
RLOs recruited from Estates
Residents given real choices in internal finishes and external priorities wherever practical
Respect for cultural and religious differences

THE RESIDENT LIAISON OFFICER
HEALTH AND SAFETY
MONITORING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
METHODS OF COMMUNICATION
SECURITY

THE RESIDENT LIAISON OFFICER

The Resident Liaison Role (RLO) has a significant impact on how smoothly a contract proceeds and can help minimise considerably the disruption to residents and other parties involved on the site.

We therefore appoint RLOs with specific experience and understanding of similar projects. The RLO is generally available outside working hours to keep residents fully informed and clarify problems. In our experience, being able to respond swiftly to Residents' questions is vital to maintaining positive and effective communication with the residents.

Often, we will seek to recruit a trainee from the local community to work alongside the RLO as part of our commitment to local employment. It must be said, however, that it is not always sensible, or indeed fair, to expect a RLO to live and work on the same estate

The key functions of our site-based RLOs include:

Introduce and manage the system for monitoring residents' opinions and contractors performance
Organise resident open days and exhibitions
Liase with appropriate client staff
Welcome residents to the Project Office, look at plans and make comments and suggestions
Answer questions on behalf of the residents
Make appointments to visit residents at home and to ensure that all residents are visited prior to any work starting on that resident's home. This visit will include an explanation of our 'Considerate Contractors Charter' so that residents understand what we, and therefore they, should expect from the people working in their home.
Make appointments for works to be carried out.
Arrange meetings with local groups
Co-ordinate newsletters and ensure they are distributed
Ensure resident feedback is passed to the development team
Organise satisfaction surveys following completion of works
Agree protection arrangements specific to each unit when organising access to that property.

RLOs work on site from either the site office or a suitable alternative location (i.e. local shop unit, void unit, local neighbourhood housing office, etc.) The office is accessible to all residents and open to the public during normal working hours and at other agreed times. Key information on works is displayed on a central notice board, on the blocks/estates and is updated regularly by the RLO during the project .

Where residents wish to discuss aspects of the works in private, then individual one to one meetings are arranged in their own home or in the RLO office. We liase with the client over appropriate special needs facilities for residents (e.g. sign language) as well as seeking assistance with appropriate translation services.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

We take the issue of health and safety seriously, especially with residents in occupation. We consider all likely risks and all project stakeholders, including: the public, residents and, particularly, children, elderly and other vulnerable people.

At the start of the Programme, in accordance with our Management Instructions, we undertake a formal health and Safety Assessment. This Assessment helps us identify potential risks, define the controls we must use to work safety and to communicate these risks and controls to all stakeholders - not just our staff.

We designate and equip a 'safe area' for residents in each property for when work is being carried out around their home. This approach helps: ensure that all are aware of potential risks; control work effectively and maintain health and safety as a key issue throughout the Programme.

United House Limited operate a 24 hour emergency contact number manned by United House Limited staff. This facility is available to all residents.

MONITORING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Once work in their home is complete, Residents are given a postage paid questionnaire card asking for answers to specific questions about our performance and for any other comments. The cards are addressed to our head office and we guarantee that the resident will receive a response within 5 working days. Any problems are immediately referred to the relevant site personnel for prompt action.

Complaints are logged in writing by the complainants themselves in a duplicate book held in the site office. The complainant retains a copy of the complaint. If the complaint is made by telephone then the RLO enters it into the duplicate book and a copy is sent to the complainant's home. A response to each complaint is made within 12 hours and a note made of the action taken. If the Complainant is not satisfied with our response, then the matter is passed on to the Contracts Manager for resolution. The complaint book is made available for inspection at residents and project team meetings. Unresolved issues are dealt with at the Project Team meeting.

METHODS OF COMMUNICATION

Newsletters
In liaison with the client and the Residents as appropriate, updates on the progress of the building works are communicated through regular newsletters.

Translations
The newsletter and all other communications are published in English and any other language for which there is sufficient demand.

Post Box
We welcome comments from the residents on our progress, proposals and performance. While we would expect this to be undertaken at meetings, we recognise that some people may wish to submit their own opinions in writing, and these would be via a post box at the neighbourhood and/or site offices.

Telephone 'help desk'
There is a 24-hour freephone service from a telephone, with an answer-phone attachment together with a mobile phone

SECURITY

To mitigate "bogus callers" and to safeguard the residents, United House Limited operate the following policies:

An introduction pack containing photographs of all the site team will be posted to all tenants prior to works commencing in their block.
All United House Limited staff carry photo identity cards.
No visits will be made without an appointment. In the case of an emergency, the United House staff member will be accompanied by the RLO or other person known to the resident.
All workmen entering properties will carry photo identity cards, wear corporate clothing and be accompanied by a member of staff on the first day of work in that unit.