Clarion Housing

This month volunteers from Equans recently supported students and helped them 'Get Work Ready' as part of our partnership with ELSA Next Generation CIC.

Students at the Stevenage Excluded Students Centre received support from Equans when staff members Tony Elliott, Osei Banahene and Miriam Flynn joined them and their teacher to run career targeted games and to discuss careers and workplace needs and expectations. Feedback was fantastic from both the students and the teachers.

As part of Equans' social value activities for Clarion, we support more than 40 school engagement events each year. A large number of these are done through our partnership with ELSA Next Generation CIC who match employers with education providers.

A Hertfordshire resident who suffered domestic abuse has received help from Equans through our Helping Hands Scheme to help improve the living conditions for her and her children.

Unable to afford to furnish her entire house, Sandy (not her real name) had been sleeping on the couch so that her children could have their own rooms. Her eldest daughter had been sleeping on a mattress on the floor for the past three years.

Clarion Housing Group's Housing Officer, Tegan, referred Sandy to us in the hope that we could provide support as part of our Helping Hands Scheme. Originally the scheme was set up to provide practical help young care leavers up to the value of £500 per household, to help them in their first home. However, more recently Equans has extended the offer of help to domestic abuse survivors as well.

On 8th November, Equans' Social Value Manager, Julian Sanz, together with one of our multi-skilled operatives visited Sandy's home in Hertfordshire to carry out the improvement works. They donated and installed blinds and curtains to every room in the house and also donated a second hand bed frame, new mattress, lights, bedding and pillows for the daughter's room so that she could finally enjoy a proper room.

Daughter's bedroom before transformation

The bedroom was also given a quick 'changing rooms' style makeover, making the room more appealing and utilising the space fully.

This initiative was carried out as part of our commitment as a signatory member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant.

In late October Equans supported one of Clarion's resident engagement events and as the event was over the Halloween weekend we also provided a face painter.

Clarion hosted a resident drop-in session at Millby and Lamberton Court in Borehamwood. Local community police were also invited along to chat to residents about anti social behaviour in the area.

Thanks to volunteers from Equans, the Stony Hall Community Centre in Stevenage has been redecorated and revitalised.

On 27th October, Equans' Social Value Manager, Julian Sanz, was joined by a team of volunteers from Equans' Technical Services and Facilities Management teams to help redecorate the hall which is owned by Clarion Housing Group.

The first task for the volunteers was a complete makeover which included painting the entire hall, including the toilets, kitchen, main hall and hallways. Great progress was made on the first day and a different group of volunteers returned the follow day to pick up where the first team left off.

On day two, Julian and his new volunteers continued the redecoration works and were able to complete the much needed transformation of the hall.

The running of the hall has been handed to some local residents, who have big plans to turn it into a busy hub for the local community.

The EQUANS site team based in Norfolk received an impressive score of 42/45 for their second audit visit by the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) after scoring high marks in each of the three categories.

On 8^th September, a CCS monitor visited the scheme and carried out their audit of the site, commenting things like "The overall appearance of the site is excellent, and it is clear the contractor is taking extensive steps to ensure this community beneficial project relates well to the locality. All parts of the site appear to be extremely clean and tidy, and a very professional image is displayed in all areas of operation, highlighting the professional manner in which the project is being run."

"There has been extensive interaction with residents and controlling authorities regarding the works and extremely effective lines of communication have been established. It is clear that safety related issues are of paramount importance to the contractor and active steps are taken to provide a safe working environment for all. I am sure this site will continue to flourish in terms of Scheme compliance and that there will be further positive advances."

The CCS is an independent organisation founded to raise standards in the construction industry to ensure all construction sites present an image of competent management, efficiency, awareness of environmental issues and above all neighbourliness. Monitors from the scheme regularly audit our sites to ensure we are adhering to the scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice which is designed to encourage best practice beyond statutory requirement.

Each audit is split into three categories; respect for the community, protecting the environment and valuing the workforce each with a potential score out of 15 with a total combined max score of 45 available. To score above 13 in any category warrants an excellent level of achievement for that category.

Congratulations to Site Manager, Alex and the rest of the site team, who work so hard every day to maintain such high standards

As part of EQUANS' work with Clarion in Norwich, a number of residents have taken the time to provide some positive feedback about the works carried out to their homes.

"I have never witnessed a group of men work so hard, always pleasant and helpful. Even the hot weather didn't slow them down. Karen is very handy to have around, she is calm when sorting out a problem, always cheerful and smiling. I would think other employers would love your employees." Resident of Maingay House, Norfolk

"The workers were extremely pleasant and very helpful. Also Mark was helpful with the way it was conducted and they were all courteous." Resident of Bure Valley House, Norfolk

"I am very pleased with my beautiful new kitchen. All the workmen were very friendly and helpful and did a wonderful professional job. Paul the painter and Paul the tiler really stood out as being very thorough and really good at their jobs. Karen ran a very tight ship and kept her eye on all the jobs going on and couldn't have been more helpful and friendly throughout. I am so pleased with everything, thank you." Resident of Maingay House, Norfolk

"The operatives team had taken the time to inform of any job which they were going to do each day. Polite greeting when entering the property. Apologised when there was a job which needed more time to complete. This showed consideration and understanding to customer's feelings. Final results were very good and clean work. Thank you." Resident of Wathern Way, Norfolk

"Windows were fitted quickly with no mess. Excellent job." Resident of Rodwell Corner, Norfolk

"The whole team were very very good, they were very friendly, so helpful lifting things etc. They cleaned up any mess, dust, debris, before going home each evening. I am very pleased, the shower room and kitchen are finished, the kitchen fittings, the floor etc. are lovely - one very happy resident." Resident of Maingay House, Norfolk

If you have recently received works from EQUANS and are happy about the service you received, please ask your Resident Liaison Officer for a comment card or blue house form and leave us a comment. Make sure to name any staff that you felt went above and beyond.

Army of Clarion Housing Group volunteers ensure pride day for an estate in Norfolk is a huge success.

Thanks to the efforts of a large group of volunteers from Clarion, the estate pride day at Wade Close in Aylsham this September was very successful with two large skips completely full after one day.

Social Value Manager for EQUANS, Julian Sanz, joined the Clarion volunteers and liaised with supply chain partners KM-ECO Ltd who kindly donated the two large skips for the day. He also helped residents dispose of any bulky items that couldn't be placed in the skips.

As well as helping residents get rid of unwanted items, the volunteers also helped carry out minor gardening works and working together they managed to clear a total of 28 gardens, trim 18 hedges, repair two fences and remove 18 bulky good items in addition to completely filling the two skips!

Residents in Borehamwood lose everything in home fire, but thanks to Clarion and EQUANS receive a generous donation of new furniture for their new home.

After sadly losing everything due to a home fire, the family in Borehamwood had to be re-housed and therefore needed furniture desperately. In partnership with Clarion, who generously donated all the furniture from one of their Latimer show homes, EQUANS offered to arrange transportation of the furniture from Ely to Borehamwood in order to get it to the residents.

Thanks to the efforts of Social Value Manager, Julian Sanz, EQUANS was able to source and fund the services of a removals company who were able to deal with the request at short notice and deliver the items which will help furnish a three bedroom home for the family.

One of the family members commented: "Losing everything in the fire was a tragedy, but the speedy response in finding us a new home and then the wonderful furnishings had really improved morale for my family."

Earlier in September, EQUANS returned to a Norfolk based community allotment to spread more than 14 tonnes of top soil into the raised planters that had been built several weeks earlier.

Social Value Manager, Julian Sanz, returned to the Sprowston Youth Engagement Project Allotment along with a number of his EQUANS colleagues, including our very own RLO, Karen Newell, to lay more than 14 tonnes of top soil into the raised planters he'd previously help build.

The volunteer team luckily had good weather for the day and soon had all the beds brimming with soil.

Once finished the allotment is going to be used as an inter-generational space, to encourage young and old to work together. Paul Wheeler from SYEP commented that his hope was to link in with local community fridges and food banks to donate surplus fruit and vegetables to help those local residents struggling.

The south west site team received an impressive top score of 45/45 for an audit visit to their Plymouth Planned Maintenance site from the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) after scoring top marks in each of the three categories.

In August, a CCS monitor visited the scheme and carried out their audit of the site, commenting things like "Since the first visit the works have progressed and the estate appearance has undoubtedly been lifted by them. The environmental measures are to a high standard and focussed by the EQUANS net zero commitment. Health and safety performance has been independently recognised as being to the highest standards."

The CCS is an independent organisation founded to raise standards in the construction industry to ensure all construction sites present an image of competent management, efficiency, awareness of environmental issues and above all neighbourliness. Monitors from the scheme regularly audit our sites to ensure we are adhering to the scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice which is designed to encourage best practice beyond statutory requirement.

Each audit is split into three categories; respect for the community, protecting the environment and valuing the workforce each with a potential score out of 15 with a total combined max score of 45 available. To score above 13 in any category warrants an excellent level of achievement for that category.

Congratulations to Frank, Karen and the rest of the site team, who work so hard every day to maintain such high standards