Our representatives have picked up two top awards!
At the TPAS Cymru Participation Awards in Cardiff, we took home the top prize in the ‘improving services’ category. This is for the work of the ‘customer and digital services task and finish group’, which was set up to help us develop customer-focused service standards that ensure residents are at the heart of our services and activities.
The group went on to help directly influence the way in which we provide some of the services and worked with us on far more than just setting our service standards.
Head of housing and customer services Sharon Wilkins said: “We are thrilled that our project to improve customer services for our residents has been recognised nationally.
“The group we recruited involved a mix of previously involved residents and some who had never previously been involved. We also recruited a mix of residents from different areas of the city.
“The group had contributors from seven different communities from across the city aged between 23 and 76. It involved some residents with mobility issues and sight impairments, as it was important to get the perspective of the various diverse sections of our communities and their specific needs.
“The TPAS awards, because they are from a tenant’s perspective, are a wonderful acknowledgement of our principle of always putting the resident at the heart of what we do.”
Meanwhile, plastering apprentice David Kerr took home the gold award in the plastering category at the Welsh Skills Build competition in Carmarthen.
Run by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), SkillBuild is the largest multi-trade competition in the country for construction trainees and apprentices.
David has been an apprentice with us since September, as part of a partnership with Coleg Gwent and CITB: “I did another job for ten years and then had a career change. I’ve found it really good and I’m really enjoying it.
“I’ve had a lot of support from Kevin [Hargreaves], who I have been working with. He has taught me a lot.
“We knew that we did well, but it was still a nice surprise. I’m really happy.”
David now goes through to the Great Britain final and, once David has finished his apprenticeship, he is hoping to be taken on fulltime.