🎄 Service charge changes, Christmas opening hours, festive pets - and more!
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Merry Christmas from Paradigm!
As the weather gets chillier, we send you the warmest wishes for a wonderful festive season from everyone here at Paradigm.
This year has certainly had its challenges, but we're proud to be providing comfortable and safe homes for more people than ever in our area. Read on for the story of two families who have moved into their new Paradigm home just in time for Christmas.
We hope you have a lovely time if you're celebrating next week. Our offices will be closed over the festive period, but you can still get in touch with us in an emergency. See below for full details.
We've also got news of a change to when we review service charges and an exciting opportunity to get involved with our Customer Experience Committee.
And, of course, we announce the winners of our festive pets competition!
With our very best wishes for a lovely Christmas and a peaceful New Year,
Matthew Bailes
Chief Executive Officer
Also in this month's newsletter:
- An update on how the recent bad weather is impacting our grounds maintenance programme
- Some heartwarming photos from our Christmas coffee mornings at some of our older person schemes
- A reminder about our support hub
- Vacancies at Paradigm - looking for a new job, or know someone who is?
Christmas opening hours
In an emergency (when there is an immediate health and safety risk to you or your home, or the structure of your home has been damaged), please call our usual number, 0300 303 1010, and you will be redirected to our out-of-hours service, who will be able to arrange the help you need.
If you have an open ASB (antisocial behaviour) case with us, please continue to record evidence using the ASB App and we will review it when we reopen in January.
For anything else, email ContactUs@ParadigmHousing.co.uk and we'll get back to you in the New Year. To raise a routine/non urgent repair, email Repairs@ParadigmHousing.co.uk.
We're changing the date we set your service charge
You will recently have received - or will shortly receive - a letter from us explaining a change to the date we set your service charge.
In the past we have reviewed your rent in April and your service charge in July. You have been telling us that you find this confusing and so, from April 2025, we will review your rent and service charge at the same time.
Going forward, you will receive one letter in February, detailing both your new weekly rent and new weekly service charge for the year starting in April.
No action is required from you and you will not pay more as a result of this change.
Look out for the letter, and if you have any questions, just give Customer Services a ring on 0300 303 1010 or email ContactUs@ParadigmHousing.co.uk.
Join our Customer Experience Committee
If you want to help us improve our services, you’re in the right place!
Listening to customers is a key part of the decision-making process at Paradigm and customers are represented at the highest level.
Our Customer Experience Committee is part of our Board structure, it strengthens our customer focus and its role is to drive forward service improvement and tenancy sustainment.
We are now looking for two customers to join the committee to make sure we have representation from all our customer groups.
“We’d love to welcome a shared owner and a tenant who lives in a block, to make sure we get views from as wide a range of customers as possible” says Hannah Manyewu, Executive Director – Customer.
The role involves attending four committee meetings a year (these are usually online). You may also be invited to other events linked to the role and to attend training.
If you’d like to know more please click or tap here.
Winter weather
The recent poor weather has had an impact on our grounds maintenance programme. We are still planning to come round to cut grass and hedges, but there might be a slight delay. Please bear with us!
New homes for Christmas
For the Paradigm Lettings team, wrapping up work before Christmas looks a little different. Instead of ticking off to-do lists, they’re delivering the ultimate gift—new homes for dozens of local families just in time for the holidays.
November and December have been a whirlwind of activity, with a steady flow of new properties from the Development team and many families in urgent need of housing.
Click here to discover more and hear Amanda’s and Kathy’s stories.
Spreading Christmas cheer to our customers
Our Customer Involvement Team, alongside colleagues from across the business, visited four of our Older Persons Schemes - Abbey Court, Edith Bell, Cromwell House and Cherry Orchard - recently.
Our customers had a lovely time enjoying warm drinks, festive treats and some fun activities. From sharing feedback on our services to playing games and having fun with some Christmas photo props, the atmosphere was vibrant and full of cheer!
While this season brings joy to many, we also know it can be a lonely time for some, which made creating these moments of connection and celebration even more special.
Moments like these remind us all that even the smallest gestures can make a big difference in someone’s day.
Volunteers from every corner of Paradigm came together to pick, pack and deliver over 200 hampers for customers.
This is a seasonal tradition for us, which is growing in strength from year to year. Generous donations from our staff, suppliers and partners have allowed us to put together brightly wrapped boxes of essential items and seasonal goodies for more of our customers than ever before. And, as always, staff looked forward to getting out on the road and delivering the hampers in person.
The winners of our festive pets competition
Thank you to everyone who sent in a photo of their festive pet - you really brightened up our day! There were too many entries to include them all, but special thanks - and a shopping voucher - go to our winners Wayne (and Cello the French bulldog) and Laura (and Romeo). Meowy Christmas and a Purr-fect New Year - we hope you have a pawsome time! 😺🐶
We're here to support you this festive season
The festive season can bring extra challenges, especially when it comes to finances - but you don’t have to face them alone. If you’re feeling concerned, give us a call. We can connect you with helpful support services, such as Citizens Advice, or refer you to local food banks.
We know that energy bills are a concern for many at this time of year. If you're falling behind with your energy bills and finding yourself struggling to pay, the best thing to do is contact your supplier as soon as possible. Under rules from regulator Ofgem, your supplier has to help you – usually by negotiating a payment plan that you can afford. MoneySavingExpert has some great advice, which you can read here. You can also call us on 0300 303 1010 - we can offer advice and refer you to partners who can help.
And don't forget our support hub. It's jam-packed with useful tips and links to organisations who offer advice and practical help on a wide range of issues.
Jobs at Paradigm
If you'd like to make a difference to the lives of our customers while developing your career in a professional and supportive setting, we’d love to hear from you! Take a look at our latest vacancies:
Plumber (Multi-Skilled)
Bathroom Fitter (Multi-Skilled)
Demand-Led Customer & Neighbourhood Officer - 30 hours p/w
Building Surveyor
Rent Recovery Officer (6-month Fixed Term Contract)
