Improving Lives June 2023: An update from Longhurst Group
Longhurst Group
We provide much-needed homes and support services with a vision to improve the lives of our customers and communities.
Welcome to our Improving Lives e-zine
Welcome to the summer?edition of our stakeholder newsletter.
It remains a tough time for our sector, and we continue to navigate a series of challenges as we do everything we can to improve the repairs service we provide to customers and enhance their experience.
To address these issues, we've introduced a second support tier of contactors to help us reduce the backlog of outstanding work and respond to new enquiries more quickly. You can find out more about this new approach below.
In this update, we also bring news of some of our latest development activity, a transformative new project we've launched to improve energy efficiency and you can hear how our Independent Living Service has made a positive difference for one of our customers.??
Our customers remain our priority and we’re determined to improve the service they receive as soon as we possibly can.??
As always, thank you for reading and for your ongoing support.?
Julie Doyle, Longhurst Group Chief Executive
We'll be at Housing 2023!?
Marcus Keys, our Executive Director of Growth, Development and Assets will be speaking at Housing 23, Europe’s largest housing festival.
Later today, (Tuesday, 27 June) Marcus will be explaining how the housing sector can respond to the increasing demand for accessible homes, a crucial commitment of the?Harry's Pledge campaign, which we're a founding member of.??
If you're at the conference, and would like to see Marcus discuss this crucial topic with other panelists, more information can be found below. We hope to see you there!?
Date: Tuesday,?27 June 2023??????
Time:?11:30 - 12:10
Session title:??Specialist Housing Stream: Designing and delivering homes for those with specialist housing needs
Theatre:?Future of Living, Charter 2
Venue: Manchester Central Convention Centre, Windmill Street, M2 3GX.
Additional contractors appointed
We’ve appointed six additional tier two support contractors to help us reduce our backlog of repairs.
Although we’ve worked incredibly hard with our three main contractors to improve the service our customers receive, we’ve continued to face significant challenges as we try to turn things around as quickly as possible.?
We’ve now boosted our supply chain of contractors by appointing a second tier of six additional maintenance contractors.
They’ll work on more complex jobs such as dealing with damp and mould, carrying out aids and adaptations and completing outstanding repairs, as well as working on disrepair claims and dealing with things that have been referred to us by the Housing Ombudsman, MPs and local authorities.?
Inspiring blogs from Longhurst Group colleagues?
Two Longhurst Group colleagues have recently written blogs for Inside Housing.??
Craig Taylor, our Director of Housing, wrote a piece titled 'The collaboration between income recovery and advice services to?ensure?our customers sustain their tenancies'. We know that the pressure on income?has never been greater and with rising food bills, high energy prices and a rent increase, Craig explains how the support services we offer have played?a vital role in reducing rent arrears.?
Mairead Wright, our Employment Skills and Enterprise Manager, highlights the need?for a functioning social security system to support the cost of living crisis as part of our support of?PlaceShapers' Our Essentials campaign. Residents are left without the ability to weather life’s changes and in this article, Mairead calls for political leaders to take action.
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Independent Living Service makes life 'much easier'
Nine years ago, Peter Hensman’s life changed forever.
A diagnosis of the debilitating eye condition Keratoconus meant the former bouncer, 48, had to give up work and could never drive again.
His everyday life would never be the same and even the simplest of tasks around the home suddenly became more difficult.
However, thanks to the support of our Independent Living Service, life is now that bit easier for Peter.?
New homes coming to Lincoln
Plans have been approved for 18 affordable homes near Lincoln.
We’ve teamed up with local construction firm Lindum Group to deliver the homes in Bassingham.
Our plans have now received approval from North Kesteven District Council at the second attempt and work could begin later this summer.
Fully affordable Sleaford development completes?
More than 60 new affordable homes have been completed as part of the Handley Chase development in Sleaford.
We’ve teamed up with local construction firm Lindum Group to build 64 two, three and four-bedroom homes as part of the wider development.
Work has now been completed on the homes and keys to the final properties have been handed over, ready for new residents to move in.
The latest Development Update is now live
Our quarterly Growth and Development newsletter is now live!?
This edition looks back on the success of 2022/ 2023, highlights the strength of our longstanding partnerships and shares our latest development news and growth aspirations. Click here to read and sign up to receive it.?
Successful bid for Government funding
After a successful bid for Government funding,?we’ve launched a project to improve the energy efficiency of hundreds of homes.
We’re among the latest wave of organisations that will receive a grant from the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF).?
Working with?Morgan Sindall, we'll be using the ￡6.3m grant to help upgrade?the energy efficiency of 581 homes located throughout the East Midlands, North Lincolnshire and West Norfolk over the next two years.