New Housing Management System
We are delighted to be able to share the news that we are consolidating our two historical, pre-merger, housing management systems to create one new transformative Housing Management system.
While these important IT consolidation and improvement works are being implemented, between 4.30pm on Thursday 16 May and 8.30am on Thursday 23 May, we have endeavoured to keep any disruption to our services to an absolute minimum.
This essential work will ensure that Platform can continue to enhance, develop and improve services and have a long-term, positive impact on our customer service delivery.
During this period, you will still be able to report emergencies in the normal way by calling 0333 200 7304.
You can also continue to report any ASB issues, let us know you want to end your tenancy, along with accessing our successful tenancies and wellbeing support services, by completing our online web forms.
Below we have put together some frequently asked questions and answers, which will help you understand more about what services will be available and what it will mean for you.
General
Consolidating our existing two historical, pre-merger, housing management systems to create one new transformative Housing Management system, will lead to increased customer, colleague and stakeholder satisfaction, as:
- One set of processes, in one system, will streamline operations and offer you, our customers, an improved and consistent service delivery.
- Mapping customer journeys in one housing management system, will enable our colleagues to quickly provide accurate and up-to-date information when customers’ contact us, no matter what team you have been dealing with.
- It will enable us to improve the quality and accuracy of customer data and keep it secure.
- It will support our customer digital inclusion and transformation initiatives.
- Our colleagues will find it easier to navigate and the new, simplified workflows will help reduce workload and increase productivity.
- Improved regulatory information gathering and monitoring will ensure that we can provide well maintained homes and help us to keep you, your family and neighbours safe.
- It will deliver better value for money by reducing colleague resourcing and IT running costs. As we are not-for-profit, any cost savings will enable us to improve services and deliver more home improvements.
- It will help us to improve and develop our reporting processes and shape service improvements.
This work will be completed between 4.30pm on Thursday 16 May and 8.30am on Thursday 23rd May.
During the upgrade works we will be delivering limited services. Our Customer Hub will only take emergency calls, to report an emergency housing issue or repair.
The Your Platform Customer Portal will also not be available.
As explained above, it’s important that we carry out these IT improvement and upgrade works to secure long term benefits for our customers, colleagues and stakeholders.
No, while the upgrade works are being completed you will not be able to log on to the Your Platform customer portal.
Information about our Wellbeing Fund and eligibility, along with an online application form, can be found here.
Information about the support our Successful Tenancies team can offer including budgeting and benefits advice, along with an online application form, can be found here.
Repairs and maintenance
You can report an emergency repair or emergency housing issue to us in the normal way by calling 0333 200 7304.
An emergency repair is classed as something that is a threat to life or property and includes the following:
- A complete loss of water supply
- Major leaks which cannot be contained
- A blocked toilet where there is only one toilet in your home
- A complete power failure
- An unsecured home, for example, external doors or windows broken or damage to the actual structure of the house
- Failed smoke or CO alarms
- A complete loss of heating between 1 November and 1 April.
You can find out more here.
You cannot report non-urgent routine repairs during the upgrade works.
When our services return to normal on Thursday 23 May, you will need to either call us on 0333 200 7304 or complete our online website form.
Yes, any repairs or other appointments already arranged during the upgrade works will still go ahead.
Should anything change or we need to rearrange your appointment, we will contact you.
Yes, any safety check appointments already arranged during the upgrade works will still go ahead.
Should anything change or we need to rearrange your appointment, we will contact you.
If your repair appointment is due to take place during the upgrade works, you can still call us in the normal way on 0333 200 7304 to rearrange it.
If your appointment is due to take place after the upgrade works have finished, you can call us after 8.30am on Thursday 23 May when our services return to normal.
No, during this time our automated repair appointment reminders will not work in the normal way.
Yes, any planned improvement works scheduled to take place during the upgrade works will still go ahead.
Paying my rent
Yes, you can still pay your rent in the normal way, although it will not be automatically posted to your tenancy account.
It will be posted to your account when our systems are back up and running and by Friday 31 May, at the latest.
You can find out more about the different ways you can pay your rent here.
Any Universal Credit or Housing Benefit rent payments will still be made, although, as explained above, they will not automatically be posted to your account.
These rent payments will be posted to your account when our systems are back up and running and by Friday 31 May, at the latest.
No, during the upgrade works we will be placing a temporary two week hold on our automated rent arrears process so no rent arrears letters will be sent out.
Yes, refunds will still be made during the upgrade works although, as explained above, they will not automatically post to your account.
No, as already mentioned above, during the upgrade works you will not be able to log on to the Your Platform customer portal.
Specialist Housing
Yes, you can still report any repairs to your scheme manager. However, only emergency repairs will be carried out during the upgrade works.
Yes, your alarm system is provided by a third-party supplier who will still deliver this service to you in the normal way.
Yes, the delivery of service charge services will not be affected during the upgrade works.