UPDATED: 24 March 2020
As you are no doubt aware, the coronavirus COVID-19 is currently spreading, with the number of confirmed cases in the UK increasing every day. We appreciate that many of us will become infected by the coronavirus or have friends, family or neighbours who contract it. For the vast majority, the symptoms are thankfully mild but the coming weeks will be a challenge to us all.
We are monitoring the situation very closely and taking measures to help inhibit the spread of the virus in line with advice from central Government and Public Health England.
In light of the Government’s latest announcements about limiting movements and social contact we are taking steps that will affect the way we deliver services to you. Please rest assured that we endeavour to maintain services to our most vulnerable residents and essential services to other tenants and service users.
Repairs service
We are operating a critical emergency repairs service. This means we will focus on carrying out emergency repairs only.
Emergency repairs criteria:
- Complete failure of gas central heating and hot water
- Electrical failure to property (none appliance related)
- Plumbing leaks that cannot be controlled or isolated
- Blocked toilets where sewage is overflowing into the property
- Insecure entrance doors
- Responding to flooded properties
- Responding to property fires
- Suspected gas leaks
- CO alarm activations
- Faulty smoke alarms
- Dangerous electrics as a result of water ingress
- Broken and insecure windows
- Dangerous structures
- Failure of warden call system
- Loss of communal/emergency lighting
Please only call us when you need to report an emergency repair. Before we visit, please let us know if anyone in your household is unwell.
Offices and Customer Hubs closed to the public
Please do not visit our offices, as we no longer allow access to the public. If you have an urgent need to contact us during this time, please call us or chat with us on our website.
Neighbourhood activities
All our events across the neighbourhoods where we work, are cancelled with immediate effect. Please check our website for future updates on Neighbourhood activity. We wish to apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Employees, personal contact & appointments
Employees have been asked to stay and work from home unless they:
- are site-based and work in independent living, supported schemes or extra care schemes;
- carry out fire safety checks in general needs properties;
- carry out emergency repairs (this includes Miles Platting); or
- they work at Tameside Housing Advice, which is a statutory service we provide.
Our employees will use phone and video-conferencing to communicate with customers, colleagues and partners where possible.
Difficulties paying your rent
We recognise that some tenants’ incomes will be affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Please get in touch with us if you face difficulty paying your rent.
Further information can be found at the following pages:
If you haven’t already, we would encourage you to register for our online services.
For more information you can read Jigsaw Group’s Coronavirus Position Statement. To stay up to date with what other steps we are taking as a business to inhibit the spread of coronavirus COVID-19, as well as measures you can take to help, please regularly check our website. We will be providing regular updates taking account of the Government’s advice.
In the meantime, please follow the official government advice for the public here.
Thank you for your understanding. Stay safe and let’s do our best to take care of each other.
