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Whitefriars spreads a little star quality.

23/02/07

More than 600 staff at Whitefriars Housing Group were recognised for their hard work at the association's Stardust staff conference yesterday (Thursday Feb 22).

From getting homeless people off the streets, to rescuing a victim of domestic violence languishing in an empty house, staff at Coventry's largest housing association has proved they are prepared to shine. Amongst the finalists nominated by their colleagues, were Christine Stacey, a member of the Specialist Anti-Social Behaviour Unit, who helped free a disabled tenant from abuse from a neighbour, Neeraj Gupta who uses her extensive language skills to translate for elderly and vulnerable tenants at Frank Walsh House, and Lisa Ward who used her time to find and hand over furniture, cooking facilities, cleaning products and clothes to a mum in Willenhall Wood who had fled a violent relationship.

Others recognised for their work were the Whitefriars House Band who, as well as performing at the conference, raised more than £1,000 to buy music therapy lessons for local children with special needs and the Homeworks repairs boys whose calendar generated some £900 for Leukaemia research.

Almost 200 nominations were received from across the organisation. The awards were handed out by David Orr, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation, which campaigns for better housing and neighbourhoods.

As well as the awards ceremony the event, held at the Ricoh Arena, also saw the staff split into teams to discuss the impact of different generations view the world. The event was by chairman of the Coventry Branch of the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and former radio presenter Stuart Linnell MBE.

Judy Ryder, Director of Organisational Development at Whitefriars, said: "These awards really brought it home to me just how many staff we have that always go that extra mile for residents.

"We strive to offer customers what we call the stardust effect. We expect all staff to turn ordinary experiences into extra-ordinary ones for residents. Today has demonstrated how successful this work has been and also the amount of dedication and effort our employees put into their work.

"Thank you to all those who attended and congratulations to all our nominees and winners."

The winners in the categories were:

Going the extra mile

There's nothing beneath the first winner, or indeed too high. Brian Heyes, a building surveyor with Whitefriars, went that extra mile for residents when carrying out the final inspection of re-roofing works to a block of flats in Quinton Road. When he noticed that a small amount of cementing needing completing to some of the windows on the third floor, he decided that, with the scaffolding still up, he'd get two jobs done in one. Despite the repair team being unavailable, Brian, who used to be a bricklayer by trade, decided the only option left was to get his own tools, scrounge some sand and cement from the roofing contractor, and do the repair himself.

Terry McDonnell who nominated him said: "Brian went the extra mile when he recognised a problem that required resolving in a very tight timescale. Despite being unable to resolve it using the usual channels, he took matters into his own hands to ensure the repair work was resolved first time. Brian's quick actions improved customer satisfaction and avoided additional expense."

Changing people's lives

When Claire Platt and Caren Devaney noticed an elderly homeless man sleeping rough in the city centre they decided they could not just walk on by. After stopping to talk to him, they persuaded him to talk to Whitefriars about a flat. It took several visits over a number of weeks to encourage him to take up a tenancy- the first time he was made an appointment to sign-up he didn't show. Back they went and found him in the doorway and persuaded him again.

The usual Whitefriars team work then kicked in - an appeal was made to staff for everything from furniture and bedding to toilet rolls and toiletries. The Response Team delivered everything to his new home, and his only request was to turn the bed to face the window, so he could see the stars at night.

He has been in his tenancy for nearly a year now, and has made the difficult transition from rough sleeper to tenant with the support of regular visits from a Whitefriars support officer.

Colleague of the year

An unsung hero is how one nominee described Darren Wood, a member of Whitefriars' communications team. The graphic designer is tasked with producing easy-to-read documents for tenants across the city. According to staff, when he takes on a piece of work he almost lives it and always surpasses expectation.

Manager of the year

With 11 sheltered housing supervisors under her wing, Alex Rees has a heavy burden of responsibility. As Sheltered Housing Manager she is tasked with ensuring the 300 older people living in Whitefriars' sheltered accommodation have all the services they need to enjoy independent lives. One of her biggest achievements this year is to help the team achieve the Code of Practice for sheltered housing - meaning a seal of approval so residents know they are receiving high-quality services.

Sandra Buckley, just one of the many who nominated Alex said: "The most important thing to me is the way Alex conducts herself as our manager. She is understanding, always there to support us, treats us with respect and her manner is always professional. I always want to give Alex 100 per cent in everything I do - she brings the best out of me".

Team of the year

While the city sleeps, a dedicated team of 28 are working hard to ensure residents' safety. The Whitefriars' response team works across nine high-rise blocks to tackle anti-social behaviour and act as the fourth emergency service.

From catching vandals in the act, calling ambulances with medical emergencies, stopping suicides and dealing with fires, floods and bomb scares, the team has a busy job throughout the day and night.

They play a vital role in witnessing, reporting and dealing with anti-social behaviour across the city, including compiling accurate reports and regularly attend court as witnesses assisting in dealing with residents that are causing a nuisance on estates and in tower blocks. Brian Tidman, Operations Manager, said: "My team deal with anything and everything. We often respond to calls from residents late at night and pick up problems, sometimes in the face of abuse and occasionally physical attack.

"Over the last full financial year they carried out some 672 patrols and removed trespassers on 43 occasions. As well as this role, they often keep an eye out for more vulnerable tenants. They do a fantastic job all year round and I am really delighted they have picked up this award today."

Recently the team were awarded a Blue Lamp Certificate by the police in recognition of their willingness and enthusiasm in providing assistance, often out of hours and on leave days, without hesitation.

All-in-all getting together with colleagues and sharing success stories is a fantastic way to spend the day.

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