We're excited to share the newest edition of our Resident Newsletter, Pioneer Press.
This edition shares service improvements, updates from management, engagement opportunities, and so much more.
Pioneer Press is designed to keep you informed and involved, so take a few minutes to explore our Spring Edition.
Click below to read the full newsletter.
As we reflect on International Women’s Day this year, we must consider the theme “Accelerate Action” and ensure we respond to this call for dedicated and intentional action with bold steps to achieve gender equality.
Through our mission to ensure access to safe, affordable, and high-quality homes for single women across London, we are committed to empowering women and lay the foundation to achieve a more equitable society.
Our commitment to “Accelerate Action” this International Women’s Day is evident within several key initiatives:
We pledge to continue to “Accelerate Action” towards systematic barriers, gender equality, and the needs of women within the housing sector.
Stock Condition Surveys
Women's Pioneer Housing will be carrying out a stock condition survey of your property.
We will begin conducting these surveys from March 2025. Our program of works is expected to take around 12 weeks to complete.
The following information discusses how we will carry out the stock condition survey, what it involves, and how we will work with you to ensure your safety during the survey.
What is a stock condition survey?
A Stock Condition Survey collects information about the condition of fixtures and fittings within individual properties and buildings. The survey gathers information so we can understand repair needs, health and safety issues and whether the overall condition of a property meets set standards. We may also refer to this as a “homes condition survey” as the information we gather assesses the condition of certain fixtures within your home.
Why is this important?
The survey will provide WPH with valuable data and insights to support informed decision making. The survey will help us understand the current condition of your home, identify opportunities for improvements and any potential concerns.
The survey results will provide vital knowledge of our properties helping us to deliver decent, safe and compliant homes which is a regulatory requirement. With this data, WPH will be able financially plan over the longer term to create a program of improvements which will include kitchen, bathroom, and window upgrades ensuring your homes have features and fixtures that are fit for purpose.
Who will be carrying out the surveys?
Through a thorough procurement process supported via specialist consultants, WPH has appointed a company called Ridge Partners LLP to conduct these surveys. Ridge are specialist contractors experienced in carrying out these surveys. They will work together with you and WPH ensuring all inspections are carried out with respect, minimising disruption to you.
All Ridge operatives will be dressed in uniform and will have visible ID badges to provide you with assurance of who they are. If the operative does not have an ID badge or a uniform, do not provide access, and let us know that someone has tried to access your home. Each survey is expected to take no longer than 1 hour.
What will Ridge be surveying?
The survey will be assessing the age and condition of components in your home. Components includes fixtures, fitting and appliances and surveys will include rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms. We will also look at structural and external elements of your building such as windows, rood and guttering. Ridge will look at the condition of these items to assess their age and condition to evaluate when they may need to be renewed.
Pictures will be taken of these components, and these will be uploaded onto a database to help is maintain accurate records. This database will form the basis of planned future programs to ensure these elements of you home meet certain conditions and helps us to budget for repair works to components which fall below the required standard. No pictures will be taken of any personal belonging
When will this be going ahead?
The surveys will start from 10 March 2025 and are expected to take up to 12 weeks to complete across all our homes.
We will do our best to work around you. If you are not home when the surveyor calls, they will leave a calling card asking you to make an appointment.
What support we need from you?
The success of this project will rely heavily on the data that is captured, and for this it is crucial we are granted access into your property. We will try our best to arrange appointments that are convenient and will endeavor to carry out the surveys as quickly as possible. If you are not home when the surveyor calls, they will leave you a card with their contact details inviting you to make a follow up appointment. The surveyor will attempt to visit on two further occasions.
Please contact us if you have any concerns or queries. We thank you in advance for your patience and support with this project. You can contact us by phone on 020 8749 7112 or by email customerservices@womenspioneer.co.uk
The following leaflet provides information on Damp and Mould and will advise on the causes, how to manage and prevent Damp and Mould.
The publication of the final report from the public inquiry into the fire at Grenfell Tower in which 72 people died, over 70 others were injured, and hundreds lost their homes was published on 4 September 2024.
The report reached the conclusion that deaths were avoidable.
It chronicled multiple failures in the construction industry, the council, regulators, and central government over many years which led to the tragedy.
In the years since the fire at Grenfell, a raft of new fire safety regulations has been introduced. The safety and wellbeing of residents remains our priority.
At Women’s Pioneer we remember those who lost their lives and the “long-lasting trauma” of the bereaved, survivors and those from nearby homes in the community who evacuated as the tragic events that night unfolded.
Women’s Pioneer is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents. This commitment is known as safeguarding and together we want to support you in understanding what safeguarding means and the process to follow.
Safeguarding means protecting a resident’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect.
There are different types of abuse that can take place against individuals. These include:
Physical Abuse: causing physical harm such as hitting or restraining.
Emotional Abuse: Causing psychological distress through insults or threats.
Sexual Abuse: Any non-consensual sexual contact or behaviours.
Financial Abuse: Illegally using someone’s money or assets.
Neglect: Failing to provide proper care and assistance.
What to do if you are concerned about your neighbour?
If you are worried about your neighbour, you can contact your local authority’s safeguarding team to report your concern.
You can also contact a member of the Women’s Pioneer staff who will ensure that your concern is treated seriously and confidentially and will contact appropriate agencies on your behalf.
You can contact us via email to customerservices@womenspioneer.co.uk or call us on 020 8749 7112
We will usually carry out a welfare check first so we have a good and accurate information to share with the local authority.
If you think your neighbor is in immediate danger e.g. you can hear noises that suggest she is physically assaulted, you should contact the emergency services – usually the ambulance or Police by calling 999.
What Happens Next?
Once the referral has been made to social services, they will carry out an assessment of the resident, this is known as a Needs Assessment.
A social worker will visit the resident to do this, the assessment will allow social services to identify the correct care package for the resident. This may take a short time to arrange so that the correct support can be put in place.
Sometimes social services will admit someone into short or long term care. We will usually be informed of this. In cases like this your neighbours flat may remain empty.
Will I be kept informed of the status of concern I raised?
Once your referral has been received by social services, they will take over responsibility for the management of the case.
While Women’s Pioneer staff can provide you with some updates on the residents’ well-being, they cannot discuss specific details of the case with you due to confidentiality reasons.
If you raised your concern with social services, then you can contact them for more information. However, it is important to understand that they are also bound by confidentiality and maybe not be able to answer all your questions.
In conclusion, safeguarding is about respecting and caring for every resident, no matter their age. Let’s work together to protect and empower everyone, ensuring they live their later years happily and securely.
Every six months we survey around 150 residents to see how well we are delivering our services.
You may receive a phone call from the Acuity Research team to ask you a series of questions.
Please try and make the time to answer these questions as we use the responses to make improvements to our service.
For example many residents requested a regular home visit to discuss any issues and meet their Housing Officer. We have now started to complete routine home visits and aim to see 50% of tenants this year, and everyone else next year.
If you have any questions please contact us via:
You can now watch the full Rent and Service Charge Presentation Director of Resources, Mark Cole.
Please click below to watch the full presentation.
In this edition of Pioneer Press we are bringing you important information about our office move, the new Wood Lane development and vital information about fire safety among other useful articles.
You can access and download this new edition as a PDF by clicking here: Pioneer Press Spring 2024
