News

We’re currently developing a wide range of roles that will provide our customers with the opportunity to get involved; whether that’s a quick, short or long-term commitment, in person or digitally from the comfort from your own home. Whether you want to contribute and influence our strategic direction as a business, or get involved on a more local level in your own neighbourhood, we hope you’ll join us and make your voice heard.
To find out which roles are available and how to apply please click here.

Read Want to have your say on how we do things?…

Mutual Exchanges

Due to Covid-19, and following Government advice, Mutual exchanges have been paused since March 2020. Following further guidance from the Government on 13th May, viewings of potential new homes and subsequent moves could recommence, providing that social distancing and safe working practices were followed. From the 1st June we will recommence Mutual Exchanges.

The health and safety of our customers and our employees remains the utmost priority so the process going forward will feel a little different. 

You may apply for a mutual exchange using our online form and arrange for payment of Gas and Electric checks as previously.  However, each applicant will now need to photograph each room of their current home from at least two angles, also including any outdoor areas if you do not live in a flat with communal areas.  This is to record the condition of the property and any items not supplied or maintained by Platform Housing Group. These photographs will be shared, with your permission, to all parties involved in the mutual exchange by your Communities and Neighbourhoods team. All parties will be required to confirm via email that they accept the condition of the property that they wish to move to as detailed in the photographs supplied.

If you wish to view the home you are moving to or allow the other party to view your home – you must follow the Government guidance for viewing and moving.

You must be willing to have an electric check by one of our contractors and your home must pass the check before approval to move will be given.  All our contractors will have appropriate personal protective equipment and will follow the Government Safe Working practices

Once all relevant checks have been completed and you have been given approval to exchange, you will receive all documentation via email to sign and return to us electronically. An appointment will be made for Platform Property Care to complete a Gas ‘turn on and test’. 

The Communities and Neighbourhoods team will contact each party to confirm individual tenancy particulars and answer any other questions that you may have. 

We have 42 days from receiving an application for a mutual exchange to make a decision and advise you. You should not make any arrangements to move until approval to mutual exchange has been given.

Lettings and Non-emergency Repairs

We are now resuming non-urgent lettings with appropriate social distancing measures in place. To find out more about this and our other services, please see section 1 of our news article "The latest Information about Coronavirus and our Services" here: https://www.platformhg.com/news/the-latest-information-about-coronavirus-and-our-services-2002

You can also now report any non-emergency repairs via the Platform Housing Group website using the following link: https://www.platformhg.com/post-lockdown-repairs. Please note, these repairs will not be carried out straight away, but they will be recorded and scheduled to help Platform Housing Group plan for the future when circumstances change and we are able to complete non-emergency repairs again. If you have an emergency repair, please call us on 0333 200 7304 - for a full list of repairs that we are carrying our during lockdown, you can download our Urgent and Emergency Repairs during COVID-19 Lockdown - Platform Housing Group.pdf [pdf] 175KB

We will shortly be making announcements regarding more of our suspended services and how we are hoping to start rolling these out again in a way that ensures that safety of our customers and colleagues.

We will update our website and social media as soon as we have any new information relating to services, and/or timelines for a return to normal service.

Read Our lockdown services: latest update 1/06/2020…

In addition to section 7 of this article, further domestic abuse advice and guidance has been published by the Home Office. This can be found here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-abuse-how-to-get-help if you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse and needs help. Remember: "The household isolation instruction as a result of coronavirus does not apply if you need to leave your home to escape domestic abuse."

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Due to the current government guidelines (https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus), many of our services are restricted or have been changed. We are also aiming wherever possible to provide relevant help, support and signposting to our customers in relation to coronavirus and its impact. We have divided this information into numbered sections below:

1. OUR LETTINGS SERVICES: non-urgent lettings now resumed with social distancing measures in place

Following the Governments announcement to kick start the housing market on 12th May 2020, Platform Housing Group are now in a position to resume all non-urgent lettings.

If you have been allocated a property we will soon be in touch with you to arrange for you to sign for your new tenancy, however please bear with us as we are working through a backlog at this current time.

Our intention will be to carry out your sign-up virtually to ensure not only your safety but also that of our staff. This means you will be asked to sign your tenancy agreement online via Adobe Signature and you will receive a telephone call from either a Lettings or Neighbourhoods Officer who will talk you through the process and answer any questions you may have.

You will then be issued a key safe code number to access the keys to your new property.

For any applicants who require further support and guidance, please speak to your Lettings Officer who will be able to assist you further and make the necessary arrangements.

2. OUR REPAIRS SERVICE

Our repairs service is currently reduced in order to minimise the spread of Covid-19, and until further notice only covers urgent and emergeny repairs as shown in this document:  Urgent and Emergency Repairs during COVID-19 Lockdown - Platform Housing Group.pdf [pdf] 175KB

To report any emergency repairs call: 0333 200 7304

If your home is under warranty, your developer will only carry out emergency repairs, non-urent repairs will be picked up at a later date. All 12 month end of defect visits are postponed until further notice.

Non-emergency repairs already booked may have been cancelled and will be rearranged at a later date. Over the coming weeks we will be working to resume our home repairs service. To ensure the safety of our customers and staff we have done a COVID-19 Generic Risk Assessments for our repairs work.

There are some services which we are now in a position to recommence, whilst still following Government Guidance on social distancing and ensuring the safety of both our customers and our operatives, as follows:-

GROUNDS MAINTENANCE SERVICES:

• Property Care will commence full grounds maintenance services out of its Worcestershire based hubs, providing full contract coverage (Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and South Birmingham)
• Our subcontractor Ide Verde will re-commence grounds maintenance services in the Lincolnshire area on Monday 20th April
• Derbyshire Dales Grounds maintenance is under review and we hope to have this back on line in the next few weeks

NON-EMERGENCY REPAIRS:

You can now report any non-emergency repairs via the Platform Housing Group website using the following link: https://www.platformhg.com/post-lockdown-repairs. Please note, these repairs will not be carried out straight away, but they will be recorded and scheduled to help Platform Housing Group plan for the future when circumstances change and we are able to complete non-emergency repairs again. If you have an emergency repair, please call us on 0333 200 7304 - for a full list of repairs that we are carrying our during lockdown, you can download our Urgent and Emergency Repairs during COVID-19 Lockdown - Platform Housing Group.pdf [pdf] 175KB

 

3. INDEPENDENT LIVING AND SUPPORTED HOUSING SERVICES that safeguard the ongoing safety and well-being of our more vulnerable customers.

We will be in touch with customers by phone and will give a written update about our revised services and how we can continue to support you.

 

4. OUR OFFICES

All our offices are currently closed, and will remain closed for the foreseeable future.  The easiest way to access our services is via our website, or call us on 0333 200 7304 or email info@platformhg.com. Please do not contact us by letter as our offices are closed.

If you are about to move into your new Platform Housing Group home, we will be in touch to explain what happens now.

 

5. GARAGES

Following the closure of our offices due to the Covid-19 outbreak, it will not be possible for Platform Housing Group to let garages at the present time.  Applications for garage site waiting lists will continue to be accepted.  If you have an e-mail address please include this with your enquiry. 

When we are in a position to commence letting garages in the future, for customers in Worcestershire we will update our website to advise customers to apply via the Choice Based Lettings System and bid on available advertised garages or in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire applicants will be contacted direct.  Please direct all enquires to info@platformhg.com.

 

6. COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Platform Housing Group has amended the existing timescales within our Complaints Procedure and also the methods available to customers to make complaints.

Investigations may take longer than our revised timescales due to the availability of staff in the business.

All of our offices are currently closed so due to this we will only be able to receive feedback made on our website, by e-mail or by phone. We will be providing all written responses via e-mail until further notice. We will of course review these temporary amendments when government guidance changes.

For more information please download our latest  Customer Feedback Brochure [pdf] 579KB.

 

7. CORONAVIRUS AND DOMESTIC ABUSE SUPPORT

A full list of resources, published by the Home Office, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-abuse-how-to-get-help. This includes multilingual advice, and organisations who specialise in specific forms of abuse. Below is Platform's statement and links for our key operating areas.

We know that this is a difficult and challenging time for everyone – but particularly so for adults and children living with domestic abuse and the professionals working hard to support them. Avoiding public spaces and working remotely can help to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but for many survivors, staying home may not be the safest option. We know that any external factors that add stress and financial strain can negatively impact survivors and create circumstances where their safety is further compromised.

As always, if you or someone else is in immediate danger please call 999 and ask for the police. If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic abuse and are under quarantine amid the coronavirus outbreak, local and national organisation’s want you to know: You are not alone, and help is still available.

Regional/National Helplines

GOV.UK Domestic abuse - how to get help: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-abuse-how-to-get-help

West Midlands Forced Marriage: 24hr helpline 0800 953 9777

National Domestic Violence Helpline: www.nationaldomesticviolencehelpline.org.uk - 24hr helpline 0808 2000 247

National LGBT+ domestic abuse helpline: 0800 999 5428

Rape Crisis England and Wales: 0808 802 9999

Men’s Advice Line: 0808 801 0327

Victim Support: 0300 303 1977 / www.victimsupport.org

Respect helpline (for anyone worried about their own behaviour): 0808 802 0231

Useful Apps for victims

• Hollie Guard - https://hollieguard.com/
• Bright Sky - https://www.hestia.org/brightsky

 

8. CONCERNED ABOUT RENT PAYMENTS? 

We are here to support you during these uncertain times. If you are struggling with rent please get in touch with us as soon as possible and we will see what we can do to help.

Call: 0333 200 7304 or Email: rents@platformhg.com

 

Please click the following link to find out more about the help and support we offer:
https://www.platformhg.com/news/rent-and-support-information-for-tenants-impacted-by-covid19-2005

If you are a Platform Home Ownership customer, please see their website for more information: https://www.platformhomeownership.com/news/information-for-platform-home-ownership-customers-impacted-by-covid-19/

We will NOT evict anyone for being unable to pay rent because of the coronavirus situation. Nor will we take an unreasonable action to collect arrears during any financial difficulties you may find yourself as a result of the impact of the virus. We will work with you to find affordable solutions to help you though the situation and do all we can to help you stay in your home.

 

9. HERE TO HELP YOU

We realise that these are challenging times for all of our customers and we are here to help you. We are contacting customers who we know are aged 69 ½ and above or have informed us of any vulnerabilities to see if there is anything that we can help you with, or to put you in touch with other organisations that may be able to offer you support.

If you are concerned about anything in your neighbourhood or community please get in touch on 0333 200 7304 or email info@platformhg.com

PLEASE REMEMBER, IF YOU ARE SELF-ISOLATING OR HAVE CORONAVIRUS and need an emergency repair, please make us aware when you contact us. This is so that we don’t put you, our contractors or our team at risk. We will carry out risk assessments on an individual basis and this may mean that we will be unable to enter your home until after the recommended isolation period.  We will keep in touch with you and will try to rearrange appointments as soon as we possibly can. 

Please keep checking back on this page or via our social media channels (@PlatformHousing) for all our latest updates as we continue to review our services and what we’re able to provide during this period.  Over the coming  days we will be telling you more about changes to the benefits system, hardship funds and other community support available to help guide you through these difficult times. LOOK OUT FOR MORE INFORMATION.

 

Please bear with us as we continue to change the way we work to accommodate latest government advice. The health and safety of our customers, contractors, our team and the wider community remains our highest priority

 

Please refer to the NHS England website (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/) for the latest advice and guidance

Read The Latest Information about Coronavirus and our Services…

We are looking for a number of Grounds Maintenance Operatives and Gas Servicing and Repair Engineers to join our ever growing team.

Platform Property Care is a well-established property maintenance business and, as part of the Platform Housing Group, are responsible for the repairs and maintenance of over 45,000 homes.

We’re currently undertaking a rapid programme of expansion and improvement, so there’s never been a better time to join us.

Working with Platform is more than just a job. We value the contribution that our colleagues make to our business; our vision is clear – we are growing fast and we aim to achieve our goals through an engaged and highly skilled team. We aim to attract, develop and retain the best people so we offer a range of benefits and learning and development opportunities in addition to salary:

Roles available

9 x Grounds Maintenance Operatives (temporary seasonal contracts until November 2020) - £8.72 per hour, 42.5 hours a week - Derbyshire, Worcester and Malvern

1 x Grounds Maintenance Operative (permanent) - £18,200 per annum, 40 hours a week – Derbyshire

We have nine temporary positions available: five in Derbyshire, three in Worcester, and one in Malvern. In addition, we have one permanent position based in Derbyshire

You will be responsible for looking after and maintaining green areas in and around our estates. Key tasks will include tractor and pedestrian grass maintenance, brush cutting/strimming, hedge cutting, shrub pruning, weed maintenance and planting.

We want somebody who is motivated and passionate about making a difference to our external landscape. You must have a full UK driving licence and be someone who enjoys working outdoors in all weather conditions. Gardening/horticultural experience or qualifications are also essential.

To find out more about these roles or apply, click the links below:
All vacancies: https://www.platformhg.com/join-our-team
Seasonal roles: https://platformhousinggroup.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/1931616
Permanent role: https://platformhousinggroup.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/1931614

 

Gas Service and Repair Engineers - £31,615 per annum, 40 hours a week – we have positions in the following 5 operational regions: Leicestershire (including Market Harborough); Gloucester (covering Gloucestershire, Worcestershire & Herefordshire areas) West Midlands; Oxfordshire; and Staffordshire

If you thrive on keeping homes heated, giving great customer service and can deliver end-to-end job completion – we need you!

We are looking for experienced Gas Service and Repair Engineers to join our team. From carrying out a landlord’s gas safety record check to fault finding and repairing, we need you to help us keep our homes up to temperature.

The role is varied and no two days are the same! It's a tough task and our expectations are high, but in return you’ll have the support of a great team and we offer various benefits above and beyond salary.

To find out more about the role or apply, click the links below:
All vacancies: https://www.platformhg.com/join-our-team
Gloucestershire: https://platformhousinggroup.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/1931559
Leicestershire: https://platformhousinggroup.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/1931564

 

General information:

The current closing date for applications for these roles is the 22nd May. If we receive a high number of applications, these vacancies may expire prior to the closing date. Please apply early to avoid disappointment.

Platform Housing Group is committed to making a real and positive difference to the lives of local customers and the communities they live in. As an essential part of this we are pledged to building a healthy, vibrant and inclusive organisation that treats people with respect and creates opportunities for all.

The Group are currently reviewing all terms and conditions of employment and harmonising salary structures, therefore these may be subject to change.

Read We're recruiting now - exciting opportunities with Platform Property Care…

All information given here is taken from “Advisory: COVID-19 exploited by malicious cyber actors” - a joint advisory from the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). A link to the full document is provided at the end of the article

An increasing number of cyber criminals are exploiting the current COVID-19 pandemic for their own objectives. In the UK, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has detected more UK government branded scams relating to COVID-19 than any other subject

Summary of attacks

Cyber criminals are using the COVID-19 pandemic for commercial gain, deploying a variety of ransomware and other malware. They will often masquerade as trusted entities (such as local councils or the Government) and their activity includes using coronavirus-themed phishing messages or malicious applications.

Mitigating the risk

Following the NCSC advice set out below should help mitigate the risk to individuals and families from malicious cyber activity related to both COVID-19 and other themes

• NCSC guidance for the public to help them spot, understand and deal with suspicious messages and emails: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/suspicious-email-actions
• NCSC guidance for individuals and families: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/information-for/individuals-families
• Advice for professionals and organisations can be found in the full Advisory document at the end of this article

Phishing guidance for individuals

The NCSC’s suspicious email guidance (https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/suspicious-email-actions) explains what to do if you've already clicked on a potentially malicious email, attachment or link. It provides advice on who to contact if your account or device has been compromised and some of the mitigation steps you can take (such as changing your passwords). It also offers NCSC’s top tips for spotting a phishing email:

• Authority - Is the sender claiming to be from someone official (like your bank, doctor, a solicitor, government department)? Criminals often pretend to be important people or organisations to trick you into doing what they want.

• Urgency - Are you told you have a limited time to respond (like in 24 hours or immediately)? Criminals often threaten you with fines or other negative consequences.

• Emotion - Does the message make you panic, fearful, hopeful or curious? Criminals often use threatening language, make false claims of support, or tease you into wanting to find out more.

• Scarcity - Is the message offering something in short supply (like concert tickets, money or a cure for medical conditions)? Fear of missing out on a good deal or opportunity can make you respond quickly.

How these attacks work

Cyber criminals take advantage of human traits such as curiosity and concern around the coronavirus pandemic in order to persuade potential victims to click on a link, download an app, or open a file/email attachment that may lead to a phishing website or the downloading of malware (including ransomware)

Some examples:

• A malicious Android app purports to provide a real-time coronavirus outbreak tracker but instead attempts to trick the user into providing administrative access to install ‘CovidLock’ ransomware on their device.
• An email subject lines contain COVID-19 related phrases such as ‘Coronavirus Update’ or ‘2019-nCov: Coronavirus outbreak in your city (Emergency)’ – this email then contain malicious files or links which users are encouraged to download or follow.
• An SMS (text) message purporting to be from ‘COVID’ and ‘UKGOV,’ (see figure 1) includes a link directly to a phishing site (see figure 2). Historically, SMS phishing has often used financial incentives, including government payments and rebates (such as a tax rebate) as part of the lure. Coronavirus-related phishing continues this financial theme, particularly in light of the economic impact of the epidemic and governments’ employment and financial support packages.

Figure 1: UK Government themed SMS phishing email

Figure 2: UK Government themed phishing page

As this example demonstrates, malicious messages can and often do arrive by methods other than email. In addition to SMS, possible channels include WhatsApp and other messaging services. Malicious cyber actors are likely to continue using financial themes in their phishing campaigns. Specifically, it is likely that they will use new government compensation schemes responding to COVID-19 as themes in phishing campaigns.

To create the impression of authenticity, these people may spoof (fake) sender information in an email or message to make it appear to come from a trustworthy source, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Government, or an individual with ‘Dr.’ in their title.

In several examples, these criminals send phishing emails that contain links to a fake email login page. Other examples purport to be from an organisation’s human resources (HR) department and advise the employee to open the attachment.

Malicious file attachments containing malware payloads may be named with coronavirus or COVID-19 related themes, such as “President discusses budget savings due to coronavirus with Cabinet.rtf.”

Conclusion

Malicious cyber actors (another name for cyber criminals, due to the “act” they put on to impersonate official senders and websites) are continually adjusting their tactics to take advantage of new situations, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. Malicious cyber actors are using the high appetite for COVID-19 related information as an opportunity to deliver malware and ransomware and to steal user credentials. Individuals and organisations should remain vigilant. For genuine information about the virus, please use trusted resources such as:

• the UK government website - https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
• Public Health England - https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/public-health-england
•  NHS websites - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Download "Advisory: COVID-19 exploited by malicious cyber actors" PDF below:

Final Joint Advisory COVID-19 exploited by malicious cyber actors v3.pdf [pdf] 598KB

Read Coronavirus/COVID-19 and cyber crime - information and guidance…

As at 20th March 2020 in response to UK government instruction in relation to Covid 19 isolation, all offices of Platform Housing Group are closed.

This means that we are not able to sort or open any letters delivered on or after the 20th March 2020 (or earlier, depending on the nature of the letter).

Please do not write to us at this time:

• If you are intending to write to us for any reason, including service of notice to quit, you should instead contact us by email to info@platformhg.com until we announce the reopening of our offices.
• If you have recently written to us and not received a reply, please contact us by email to info@platformhg.com with the information you sent by letter and we will get back to you. 

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

This is to ensure the safety of customers and colleagues and will continue until such time as further government instructions are given and it is safe for these offices to reopen.

If you need to get in touch with us, you can still do so via any of the digital methods listed on our Contact Us page

If you would like more information, please see our regular "Coronavirus and our services" update which can be found the homepage or news sections of our websites (https://www.platformhg.com/news) - we update this article regularly as needed to ensure that all our customers have access to up to date information.

Read All offices of Platform Housing Group are closed as of 20th March 2020…