Halton Housing Trust pledges to make further improvements in future

HALTON Housing Trust has made a new set of promises to further improve the lives of its customers in Runcorn and Widnes.

The Trust’s Local Offers will be launched on October 1st and will focus on the delivery of further pledges to customers in relation to its services for repairs and maintenance, estate services, anti-social behaviour as well as involvement and empowerment.

“By talking to our customers we have been able to produce Local Offers that get to the heart of local need,” said Noel Sharpe, Executive Director of Customer Services.
“The promises clearly set out what customers can expect from us and are part of our ongoing commitment to improving lives and communities.”

The Local Offers standards have been designed in conjunction with customers so they reflect the issues that matter most to local people.  They will form an agreement between the Trust and its customers about the level of improved services they can expect.

Among the promises being made are the introduction of good neighbour agreements and extra work with the Trust Youth Forum to organise more diversionary activities. As part of The Trust’s Local Offer on anti Social Behaviour  Probationary 12-month tenancies are used as are increased patrols with local PCSOs in identified hot spot areas .

Local Offers will also see more frequent graffiti removal and extended grounds maintenance works. Targets will be set for improving response times for repairs. Customers will be encouraged to have a greater say on what happens at the Trust and in their neighbourhoods.

The Local Offers have been launched alongside Halton Housing Trust’s Annual Report, which showed 87% of customers were satisfied with their neighbourhood as a place to live.

A further 82 % felt the way the Trust dealt with anti-social behaviour had improved in the past year.
Also encouraging was that 83.2 % of customers who responded were satisfied their rent represented value for money; up from 80 % last year.

“All the signs from our customers are good, but the Local Offers we have agreed ensure that we will continue to make improvements in future,” said Noel Sharpe.