NIFHA Press Room
HELM HOUSING BECOMES FIRST HOUSING ASSOCIATION IN NI TO ACHIEVE CUSTOMER SERVICE EXCELLENCE STANDARD
Thursday 4 March 2010
Helm Housing, Northern Ireland’s largest housing association, was presented with its Customer Service Excellence Standard by Minister for Social Development, Margaret Ritchie.The organisation is the first housing association in Northern Ireland to achieve this prestigious accolade.
 | Congratulating Helm Housing on their latest award for customer care Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie said: “The aim of Customer Service Excellence is to encourage, enable and reward public organisations that are delivering services based on a genuine understanding of the needs of their customers and communities. “Helm had held the former Charter Mark since 1996 and this Customer Service Excellence Award is formal recognition of the latest stage in Helm’s quality journey. It demonstrates strong customer focus from strategic leadership level to front line staff and is very well deserved.” |
Jean Fulton, Group Chief Executive, Helm Housing (previously BIH Housing), discusses the achievement:
“We are absolutely delighted to have received this award. Helm Housing’s commitment to customer service excellence was first formally accredited in 1996, when we achieved the government’s Charter Mark Award. At the time, this was also a first for housing associations in Northern Ireland.
“Charter Mark was presented to public and voluntary sector organisations that could prove they delivered excellence in customer services. Helm Housing became a champion of the prestigious award and achieved it on four separate occasions. The Customer Service Excellence standard replaces the Charter Mark Award and reflects government’s drive for efficient, effective, empowering services.”
Jean continues:
“The standard aims to put customers at the heart of public services. It focuses on areas that are recognised as a priority for customers, including: delivery, timeliness, information, professionalism and staff attitude. Emphasis is also placed on developing customer insight, understanding the user’s experience and implementing robust measurement systems to determine levels of service satisfaction. I’m delighted to say that Helm Housing scored highly in all of these different aspects.”
The two-day assessment against the Customer Service Excellence standard took place in December 2009. As well as undertaking a desktop exercise with members of the Performance and Standards Team, the assessor met with staff throughout the organisation, visited Helm tenants in their homes and witnessed Housing Management and Development staff going about their daily business engaging with customers.
The assessment also included a visit to Helm Housing’s Supported Living scheme at Ardaveen in Bessbrook, Newry which is managed in partnership with Southern Health & Social Care Trust. This scheme provides care and support to residents in a homely environment through the provision of high quality accommodation.
Official recognition to the Customer Service Excellence Standard was awarded in January 2010. In his feedback report Assessor John Thurgood concluded:
“Helm is visibly customer focused with high levels of satisfaction from its tenants for both the quality of accommodation provided and the levels of customer service delivered by staff.”
The Customer Service Excellence Standard marks the latest stage of Helm Housing’s quality journey, which is detailed below:
- 1993 – first recognition to ISO 9001:2000 (assessment annually);
- 1996 – first recognition to Charter Mark Award (assessment 3-yearly);
- 1996 – first recognition to Investors in People standard (assessment 3-yearly);
- 2008 – recognition under the Northern Ireland Best Practice scheme for Consultation and Customer Focus initiatives;
- 2009 – Northern Ireland Quality Award Winner;
- Member of the Centre for Competitiveness, which promotes Innovation, Productivity and Quality Excellence.
Helm Housing is dedicated to the provision of affordable housing and associated support services.
The organisation currently manages and maintains over 5500 properties across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, including rented accommodation for single people, families and elderly, and supported housing for people with special needs.
For further information on Helm Housing log onto www.helmhousing.org
Ends
Notes to Editors:
Key statistics about Helm Housing (previously BIH Housing):
- Established: 1975
- Tenants: Approx 5,000
- Staff: 132 staff for Northern Ireland and 10 in Republic of Ireland.
- Accreditations: NI Quality Award, Charter Mark, Investors in People, ISO 2001, Centre for Housing & Support (CHS) Code of Practice
