We work very hard to provide the best service possible.  To help us check how we are doing we have agreed service standards for each of our services.

If you would like to see the service standards for any of our services please use the links below:
            Sheltered Housing
            Community Care Alarm and Mobile Warden

How we’re performing

This is the information contained in our annual report.  It shows you how we are performing against the service standards and targets we set for April 2007 to the end of March 2008.  These standards and targets were set after consultation with the customers of both the Community Care Alarm Service and the Sheltered Housing Service (part of CCAS).  They are designed to be challenging so that we can push for the highest levels of customer service possible.

Performance against Community Care Alarm Service Standards

1.   We will answer 98.5% of calls within one minute. 

• Last year (April 07 to end of March 08)
  • We answered 98.1% of calls within one minute, narrowly missing our target by 0.4%.
  • We answered an impressive 94.6% of all calls within just 30 seconds.
• So far this year (April 08 to end of August 08)
  • We have answered 98.8% of calls within one minute, exceeding our target and improving on last year’s result by 0.7%.
  • We have answered 95.9% of all calls within just 30 seconds, a big improvement of 1.2% on last year’s result.
  • We exceeded our target in 4 out of 5 months so far this year.

2.    In an emergency, if you need a mobile warden, they will reach you within 30 minutes of receiving the call.     Please note: The national standard required for TSA accreditation is 60 minutes.  We have set our own target of 30 mintues.

• Last year (April 07 to end of March 08)
  • Our mobile wardens reached 75% of call outs within 30 minutes.
  • Our mobile wardens reached 97% of call outs within 60 minutes (the national standard).
• So far this year (April 08 to end of August 08)
  • Our mobile wardens reached 73% of call outs within 30 minutes.
  • Our mobile wardens reached 96% of call outs within 60 minutes (the national standard).
  • These percentages are lower than last year, but our mobile wardens have responded to 10% more call outs from April to August than in the same period last year.

3.     We will visit you once a year to complete a support plan

• Last year (April 07 to end of March 08)
  • We reviewed support plans with 2021 customers.  We left cards for a further 240 customers to prompt them to contact us about their support plans.
• So far this year (April 08 to end of August 08)
  • We have reviewed support plans with 630 customers so far, and left cards for a further 166 customers

Performance against Sheltered Housing Service Standards

1.   We will answer 98.5% of calls within one minute.

• Last year (April 07 to end of March 08)
  • We answered 98.1% of calls within one minute.  The data for sheltered housing is included in the data recorded for the Community Care Alarm Service Standards.
• So far this year (April 08 to end of August 08)
  • We have answered 98.8% of calls within one minute.

2.    Your sheltered housing officer will complete a support plan with you once a year, and will review your support plan after six months.

• Last year (April 07 to end of March 08)
  • We reviewed support plans with 1638 customers.  We left cards for a further 31 customers to prompt them to contact us about their support plans.
• So far this year (April 08 to end of August 08)
  • We have reviewed support plans with 429 customers so far, and left cards for a further 75 customers.

3.   We will reduce the number of empty properties in sheltered housing schemes by 10% every year.

• Last year (April 07 to end of March 08)
  • We reduced the number of empty properties from 112 to 58.  This is a big reduction of 48%, exceeding our target.
• So far this year (April 08 to end of August 08)
  • We have reduced the number of empty properties from 58 to 53.  This is a 9% reduction after just 5 months.

4.    We will reduce missed rent payments for current tenancies in our sheltered schemes by 5% every year.

• Last year (April 07 to end of March 08)
  • We reduced rent arrears from £25,556 to £20,755.  This is a 19% reduction, exceeding our target.
• So far this year (April 08 to end of August 08)
  • Rent arrears have increased by 18% to £24,419.  However, as a result of reducing the number of empty properties we now have more tenants, and many of those tenants are currently awaiting a decision on their Housing Benefit entitlement before beginning to pay the full amount of rent they have been assessed.

Compliments, Complaints and Comments

We use compliments, complaints and comments to improve our service.  This might be giving our staff more guidance, updating our work procedures or improving service delivery.  Last year we received 8 formal compliments and 14 complaints.

If you want to make a compliment, complaint or comment, please contact us.

You Said, We Did

After we sent you our last newsletter, we collected the survey responses and set up a discussion group of customers to find out what you wanted from our service.  Here’s what you said, and how we responded to each request:

Budget spent 2007/08

Community Care Alarm Service (including mobile wardens, CCAS office and sheltered housing):

The total budget spent was £2,694,026.  This includes central recharges of -£57,832.

£1,751,117 of this (64%) was spent on staffing costs.
£646,566 of this (24%) was spent on premises.
£296,343 of this (11%) was spent on supplies and services.
£26,940 of this (1%) was spent on transport.
 

Sheltered housing furnishings:

The total budget spent was £72, 622.

£39,216 of this (54%) was spent on carpets.
£22,513 of this (31%) was spent on chairs.
£7262 of this (10%) was spent on curtains/blinds.
£2905 of this (4%) was spent on tables.
 

Have your say

Contact us if you would like to find out other information, or if you want to suggest other ways we could present the information to you.

Community Care Alarm Compact

The Community Care Alarm Service has developed a compact or agreement between itself and its customers. 

This service specific agreement focuses on helping us to be accountable to our customers through a formal ‘promise’ and by making agreements about standards of services, priorities and how we involve customers.

The service specific agreement tells customers;

• What services they can expect
• What the performance standards are
• How we will involve them in helping to improve our services
• How to contact relevant staff
• The Compact meets on a quarterly basis and gives everyone a chance to be involved and participate in service provision and service performance.

Attendees are paid pocket expenses for attending the meetings.

If you are interested in joining our Compact please contact us.