Winter residents meeting 2022/3

Summary

Winter residents meeting
Wednesday 25th January 2023

Attended by:

George Downing residents:

Rich Holman (Chair), Amanda, Tina, John (Keats Estate), Nat, Johnny, Brian, Jo, Max, Isabelle, Marleen, Abby, Yves, Nell, Will, Thomas, Lucy, Sasha, Gordanda, Lousie

Representing Southern Housing:

Billy Blankson - Home Services Officer


Norma - Estate Caretaker

Review and Updates since last meeting

Talked about an estate website, intended to be a resource for all residents to access useful information and interact with current issues around the estate. More on this soon.

Issues list review and discussion - issues raised:

Keats estate issues (e.g. gate) should be represented in updates list

Residents indicated a renewed interest in bike storage as well as more secure bike storage that we currently have

Moped usage on estate especially down the ramp has become a serious issue Block 68 & 69 blocked gutters again leading to water pouring down building - when is the next clearance scheduled

United living / Southern housing contact / repair issues discussion

Discussed the issue of United Living being unresponsive to calls and emails. The focus of this part of the meeting was to gather evidence about issues with the aim of escalating the issues higher up in Southern Housing as the maintenance system has fundamentally failed. We mentioned that Norma (Caretaker) also has to use the same UL system to report issues and is also experiencing the same issues as residents with support centre not answering.

The group gave feedback on their recent experience of reporting issues. Everyone at the meeting (aside for three residents who had not recently tried to report anything) had serious complaints they wanted to raise on this matter.

We went around the room and people gave examples of the problems they’ve experienced. See the section below (Residents experiences)

Main issues can be summarised as lights / lifts / leaks / locks these are the priorities residents wish and expect to be dealt with

Thanks everyone that attended and contributed

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(*) Collecting residents experiences

Amanda, 2 hours on phone trying to raise broken lights on the estate - UL disconnect call. 1 hour report broken lift, also disconnected. Call back functionality did not work. Eventually got through after multiple attempts. She said there were many more examples of this happening to her recently.

Tina, three calls to UL, 51 minutes (disconnected), 44 minutes (disconnected), 34 minutes (connected) to report a blocked sink. As well as to report broken lights after returning home at 2:30am where she was approached by a person outside her home which has been in pitch darkness for months now.

Nat, multiple calls, multiple cut offs. Regularly 45 minutes to 1 hr before disconnection to report broken lift, lights broken in communal area on floors 10 and 12 of Alkham Tower block. Not able to raise jobs. He’s lodged a formal complaint about SH/UL’s conduct

Johnny - 45 minutes on phone trying to report broken lights on estate, disconnected. Tried to report stairwell flooded. Not able to

Isabelle - a dozen calls most disconnected, broken lifts (broken from 22/12 - 18/01), communal lights broken on floor 10 of Alkham Tower block (only 1 works) she is scared if the other one goes she won’t be able to safely leave her home.

Jo and Max - reported issue using online portal. 5 days later received response to ring United Living.

Yves - tried to report lift and water damaged pump room door Alkham Tower block - no answer. Tried to call out of hours phone number - which did not work. When she did get through UL was unable to find her account even though she has been a resident for years. Emailed CEO out of frustration and some movement happened. Shouldn’t have to go to the CEO to get things like leaks and lifts fixed. Noted the comms team were contactable ‘at all times’. She’s lodged a formal complaint about SH/UL’s conduct

Nell - tried repeatedly to report a leak into floor 12 (top) from the roof of Cazenove Tower block 30 minutes before being disconnected. Email resulted in SH trying to get UL to get in contact. They did not. Still waiting after initial report in October.

Lucy - new resident and can’t get registered with system, after multiple attempts - as such jobs can’t be raised.

Gordana - 67 door was broken and forced entry. People gained access to the property on several occasions. Police had to intervene and felt door lock was not appropriate for an outside door. SH sent people to fix the issue 4 times, in one instance sending a carpenter rather than a locksmith. Each time an inappropriate handle was replaced to be broken again. Eventually residents took it upon themselves to contract a local locksmith to do a proper job. Will be claiming back the cost from SH.

Louise - multiple calls about 67 door same experience as most others

Rich - has raised formal complaint (Stage 1) with SH an d after that was not progressing raised with Housing Ombudsman about lack of ability to contact SH and receive any meaningful information about issue with intercom being broken since 03/22