Sandwell Council has been shortlisted for Team of the Year and a hard-working Sandwell Council tenant has been nominated for the Tenant of the Year award at this year’s Inside Housing awards.
The Council's Income Management Team has been shortlisted for Team of the Year. The nomination
acknowledges the team’s achievements in delivering customer focused service which has made a real difference in helping tenants keep their tenancy and reducing the negative impact debt creates for customers.
The team’s 'Collecting with Care Pledge' has also transformed the relationship the council has with its customers. The team has embraced a supportive, ‘we want to help you’ approach which has taken away the stigma of being in debt and increased contact from customers.
Local resident and council tenant, Sue Smith, has been shortlisted for the Tenant of the Year award. Since moving onto her estate in Sandwell, Sue has worked hard to improve the quality of life for tenants and residents in the area. Supported by Sandwell Council's Community Partnerships team, Sue’s role sees her not only organising meetings and producing regular newsletters to keep residents updated, but also acting as the driving force behind organising events to bring the community together. These events include fun days, coffee mornings and festive parties to regular bingo sessions for older residents.
She also champions the cause of tenants liaising with council officers to deal with issues that arise. Sandwell Council Leader, Councillor Kerrie Carmichael, said: “I want to congratulate Sue on being shortlisted for this prestigious award. It is great to see her hard work and dedication to the local community being acknowledged. I am also very proud of our Income Management team colleagues for their innovative new approach, which is clearly working well, as this nomination shows. “Being shortlisted for these national awards reflect the council’s continued work to improve our housing for all our residents and our desire for local tenants and all those in the community to get involved and work together with the council to help change people’s lives for the better.” The Inside
Housing award winners will be announced on Monday 24 June.