Wokingham

Collaborative working between Wokingham District Council’s tenant services and members of the community safety team has brought a New Year’s gift to all council tenants in the district this month. New tenants’ handbooks, packed with information and advice about their how to make the most of the services provided by the council, have been prepared for all residents of council-owned properties.

“The first batch of handbooks went out on January 8 to a fabulous response - the tenants were thrilled to have a new handbook and the fact that the team were out in the rain wishing them a Happy New Year seemed to have even more impact!” said head of tenant services John Everett.

The new handbook has been developed by Wokingham District Council’s tenant services in collaboration with tenant representatives, so that it is comprehensive and contains the kind of useful information and detail that tenants really like to have. It is designed to help residents of council-owned properties make the most of the council’s tenant services – for example it explains what to do and who to contact about various possible maintenance issues, and gives drawings and information to help tenants if they face a problem in their home.

All Wokingham council tenants and residents of sheltered housing will receive the new book, which is being distributed to more than 2,800 homes during January by a team that included community wardens and housing officers. The distribution has also been an opportunity for officers to talk to residents about the new book.

“I am delighted with the new handbook and pleased that it has had the input of tenants themselves. With their assistance we can be sure that we are offering tenants the help they really want,” said Cllr Pauline Helliar Symons, executive member for social care and housing. “We would like to make Wokingham District Council the best social landlord in the UK by December 2008, and with that in mind I think the message to tenants during this project has been two-fold. Firstly, that the district council cares about helping them, and secondly, that we wish them a Happy New Year!”

Wokingham District Council