Synergy Housing launches OPENHousing as part of 3 Star Rating Objective

Synergy Housing Group has launched our OPENHousing system after identifying a need to build a single database to serve its member organisations.

Until recently, East Dorset Housing Association, Purbeck Housing Trust and Weymouth and Portland Housing ran their operations through separate IT packages.

However, in a bid to standardise and improve its services, the company set about developing the new group wide system. And following its launch the integrated OPENHousing system has proved a huge hit with both staff and tenants alike.

Derek Wilkes, Synergy's IT Development Manager: "Operating three separate databases was proving difficult for many reasons. Obviously it created significant duplication of effort in areas such as maintenance and upgrading, while it also meant the three organisations were working out of sync and operating differently to each other...

...as Synergy grows and develops, it is vital that everyone works together, allowing performance to be monitored and improved across the group. The benefits to staff are enormous and with that comes an improved service...the savings made are then passed directly on to our tenants. We have delivered the project on time and within budget, and the scope for improvements in the future are huge with things such as text messaging, on-line bidding for Choice Based Lettings and much more planned for the months ahead. The cost of the new system ...would have been a least double had the vast majority of the work not been done in-house."

Graeme Stanley, Chief Executive, welcomed the new system as "an excellent project from which both staff and tenants will benefit. Synergy is determined to provide a three star housing service by 2012. Having a state of the art IT system, accessible to staff across the organisation, will ensure we are able to maximise the efficiencies of the group structure for the benefit of our tenants."

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For further details about our OPENHousing system and how it can help your organisation please contact our Account Management team on 01635 550088 or click here to request a call back.

Conrgatulations Wrekin HT: Customer Service Award!

Congratulations to all involved at OPENHousing customer Wrekin Housing Trust - winners of the Shropshire Business Awards Customer Service Award!

Jane Brookes, Director of Housing at The Wrekin Housing Trust said: "We are thrilled and honoured to receive the Customer Service Award. In our tenth anniversary, this is a great recognition. We will continue to work hard to ensure our customers, staff and partners all receive the same great standard of customer care."

In addition to evidence of great customer service, the judges were also impressed with the Trust's emphasis on customer involvement and feedback, a host of dedicated shops and contact centre and a commitment to interact with young tenants through devices such as Twitter and a mobi site.

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CLG Pulls Plug on Improved Energy Efficiency

Inside Housing Magazine is reporting that the government has put the brakes on plans to improve energy efficiency in existing buildings, but promised to look at the issue again in the future.

The Communities and Local Government department had dropped its requirement for extra eco-work to be carried out on any house that was refurbished or extended. That principle of ‘consequential improvements’ has been cut from its consultation on changes to part L of building regulations.

John Fiennes, the director for sustainable buildings and climate change at the CLG, insisted that it has been taken out to allow new housing minister John Healey to consider the proposals. Speaking at a conference on Wednesday, Mr Fiennes said: ‘We can see the part that consequential improvements have to play. It is not off the agenda but it is a question of how. It is about making the transition of the minister smooth: we needed to get part L out.’

However, the government needs to act quickly, if it is to stay in line with European policy in the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. Europe is moving ahead with consequential improvements and aims to bring them in by the end of this year.

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OPENHousing Customer Congratulated by No. 10

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has written a letter to Worcester Community Housing (WCH) to congratulate them on their success of being one of the first 100 organisations in the country to achieve the government's new Customer Service Excellence (CSE) standard.

In a letter to Customer Experience Champion Gemma Mundy from 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown said: "Please pass on my congratulations to everyone involved - to be recognised for this challenging standard is a tribute to your organisations customer service culture."

"Your achievement demonstrates that you have recognised the importance of developing an in-depth understanding of your customers' needs. Consultation and customer insight is vitally important if we are to continue to make the improvement we all want to see in public services."

Head of Customer Services and Involvement Di Smith (shown in picture with PM letter) said: "We really do deserve to be rewarded with the CSE standard as we have worked very hard over the last few years to deliver and sustain a high-quality, customer-focused service. It is very pleasing to know that the enthusiasm and dedication of staff has been justly recognised by the Prime Minister."

Di added: "The assessor had some amazing things to say about us and the work we do for our customers, which is great, but there is still more to come! We will continue to work to do all we can to make sure we give them all they expect and more."

Two OPENHousing Customers Win Prestigious Awards

Two IBS OPENHousing customers have been recognised with prestigious awards this week:

Sandwell Homes receives Housing Excellence Award
Sandwell Homes were one of only seven RSLs to be recognised with a Housing Excellence Award sponsored by the Audit Commission and announced at the CIH Annual Conference this week.

The winning organisations have all demonstrated that, in the areas inspected, they provide services where strengths significantly outweigh any weaknesses. Since 2000, only four per cent of housing inspections have achieved this score.

This year the Awards were presented by Housing Minister John Healey.He said: These awards are well-earned. They are testament to the practical housing help these organisations offer day in day out, that makes such a difference to people's lives.

Audit Commission chief executive, Steve Bundred said: The organisations that are receiving their awards today are delivering excellent housing services to their tenants and residents..they make a real difference to the lives of people that live in their communities.

Wrekin Housing Trust CIH IT Team of the Year
Wrekin Housing Trust was the winner of the IT Team of the Year in the 2009 Housing Heroes awards. The Trusts IT team was nominated because of the innovative IT systems currently being used for the benefit of Tenants.

The awards were organised by the Chartered Institute of Housing and the ceremony hosted by Michael Portillo - Congratulations to everyone involved.

Tribal Report Rates IBS OPENSystems "Quality Software"

A report into the "Current use of systems and technology by Housing Associations" by Housemark and Tribal consulting has given the OPENHousing team and customers a boost just before CIH Annual Conference by stating that:

“ IBS OPENSystems has a reputation for good quality professional services and good support, combined with good quality software…”

If you are visiting the Harrogate CIH Conference this week visit our stand in Hall A and meet some of the OPENHousing team - you might even get a piece of our 30 year Anniversary cake - or win a Kindle e-reader! - please see posting below for details.

Follow our OPENHousing team at CIH2009 on Twitter!

For those of you who can't make it to Harrogate this year there is no need to miss out on the action! You can now follow our OPENHousing team via our new Twitter site!

Just click the link below and follow our tweets and keep up to date! If you are interested sign up to follow us - we are aiming for 50 followers before the end of the Conference!

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