Caerphilly County Borough Council’s housing service has approved a new charter which sets out rules on how tenants should be treated.
The charter for the housing service sets out a series of rules, which the council workers and contractors should stick to when carrying out work on tenants and leaseholders properties.
These include general courteous practice, common sense rules and guidelines for both the workforce and tenant.
Cllr Gerald Jones, deputy leader and cabinet member for housing said: “The Charter for Trust has been established to engender mutual trust and respect between the council, tenants, leaseholders and contractors.
“We are committed to providing good quality, well managed houses, and meeting the needs and aspirations of tenants. These protocols ensure that we have listened and responded to the needs of tenants, placing them at the heart of the process.”
Since then, a Repairs and Improvement Group has been established and more than £20 million has been spent on initial works to bring the housing stock up to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.
Sandra Jones, who is the lead tenant on the Repairs and Improvement Group, welcomed the new charter.
She said: “The tenants have taken the lead in establishing a charter for trust in partnership with council officers within Caerphilly County Borough Council’s housing department.
“When the charter was being created the tenants decided to focus on mutual respect. Looking at both what the tenants can expect from our service providers and what those carrying out the work can expect in return. The charter for trust sets out the working arrangements from the start to finish.
“This could not have been achieved without the dedication of tenant representatives, who have taken on board concerns raised by other tenants across the Caerphilly Borough and acted on them. The representatives that meet on the Repairs and Improvements Group wanted to ensure that the issues raised were not repeated in future.
“The charter covers working hours and arrangement and all communication between tenants, the council and contractors. Tenants can expect that they themselves, their family, their homes and their belongings will be treated with respect and that in return respect will be shown by the tenants to those working in their homes.”
The council plans to spend more than £200m on by 2020 on upgrading all of its housing.