Awards

LHT Property Services Team, part of the Vicinity Group, won the award for their proactive approach and commitment to equality and diversity embodied in their Think RED (Respect, Equality & Diversity) campaign. This campaign has been highly effective in raising awareness of E&D issues among front line staff and contractors. Some of the initiatives included in the Think RED campaign included a ‘toolkit’ which incorporated training around equality and diversity culminating in an interactive training day in collaboration with AFTA Thought Consultants who use interactive role play and drama to explore scenarios developed through consultation with customers. The ‘toolkit’ consists of translation books detailing to assist with day to day interaction with customers, a contractor DVD and handbook focusing on the various E&D strands, contractor equality and diversity breakfast sessions delivering information and inviting responses from contractors and the Afta thought training day.

Singled out for her outstanding achievements, a Liverpool Housing Trust (LHT) tenant of nine years has won the Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) Tenant of the Year award for the Northern Region. Margaret Guppy was recommended for this award for her considerable contribution to her community and her significant involvement with LHT.

Margaret Guppy is visually impaired, however she has overcome the challenges that her disability brings and is an inspiration to others. Margaret has been integral to developing and improving communication at LHT and also within her various community roles.

LHT's Customer Service Centre scooped the Customer Service Contact Centre of the Year (under 100 seats) category in the National Customer Service Awards.

These awards celebrate the effort and impact of excellent customer service on the customer and business. Over 1200 business leaders and guests attended the National Customer Service Awards, held at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London, celebrating the success of the UK’s most deserving customer service superheroes in 2009.

Don Hales, Founder and Chairman of Judges said: “From an outstanding group of finalists, the team from Liverpool Housing Trust won the category for their sheer passion for meeting customer needs and going that extra mile. Above all they demonstrated that this was a real team effort, involving everyone, and not just an outstanding leader with some good deputies.”

LHT have exceeded their excellent track record in customer service by winning Team of the Year in the CallNorthWest Annual North West Contact Centre Awards, as well as being finalists in two other categories. The Customer Service Centre (CSC) scooped the CallNorthWest Contact Centre of the Year award in 2008 and they are winners again in 2009.

In addition, LHT Customer Service Officer, Barbara Martin was highly commended as Agent of the Year in these awards.

The Learning lessons from the Past project which teaches young people respect for life has been shortlisted for the national UK Housing Awards in the category of ‘Creating integrated and safe places to live’.

The project aims to inspire young people to treat each other with respect by learning lessons from the Holocaust and other atrocities. It is hoped that by teaching them about the horrors of genocide they will learn to respect life and address the issues around gun, gang and knife crime.

LHT's Hesketh Bank development in Lancashire won a ‘Commendation’ award in the New Residential category of West Lancashire Design Awards. Judges felt that the properties were designed and built to a high standard and that the scheme showed what can be achieved even when working within tight budget constraints.

Liverpool Housing Trust (LHT) picked up the prize for Supply Chain Integration for its ‘Measuring Up’ initiative at the prestigious Construction News Quality (CNQ) Awards. LHT was selected for its effective client leadership and working closely with contractors to achieve its objectives. Quality and communication were also seen as key achievements for LHT with effective targets set for contractors, including attainment of the Investors in People standard and ISO14001 as well as Construction Skills Certification Scheme accreditation. LHT’s biennial contractor conference and contractor training DVD’s were also singled out for commendation. The judges said the Trust’s “unique approach to reducing contractor costs while improving quality” made it stand out in this highly competitive category.

Jigsaw Neighbourhood Solutions (JNS), the environmental and neighbourhood management services subsidiary for Vicinity, won the Strictly Regeneration Award for Good Practice in Neighbourhood Management for the third successive year.

LHT's Customer Service Centre (CSC) scooped the CallNorthWest, Contact Centre of the Year award 2008, under 50 seats category. Judges commented that: "The winning contact centre stood out significantly” and described the team’s enthusiasm as “electric”. The accolade was awarded for the Centre’s commitment to the highest standards of service to customers and colleagues, aligned to organisational objectives and for excellent processes and practices which ensure continuous improvement.

LHT was among a select few organisations to reach the finals of the 2007 UK Housing Awards (UKHA), and was short listed in two categories - ‘Working Efficiently to Deliver Improvement’ for their ‘2nd Generation Partnering’ project and in the ‘Creating Integrated Communities’ category for their ‘Approach to Youth Engagement’. This year also saw the inclusion of a new ‘Inspirational Colleague’ award. Ken Calder, gas surveyor for LHT, was put forward for this award and also managed to reach the finals. This award is for individuals who really make a difference to others, whether it being to communities, neighbourhoods or colleagues.

Vicinity Group has been shortlisted for the National Housing Federation’s Employer of Choice award as part of the Neighbourhood Awards. The awards are uniquely judged by tenants and celebrate the work that comes from housing associations' commitments to customers, neighbourhoods and excellence.

LHT recently won the ‘Best Public Safety Programme Award’ at the prestigious Building magazine Health & Safety Awards at the Hilton in London.

The awards recognise organisations which go the extra mile to ensure safety. The judges said it’s due to the all-encompassing nature of its repairs and maintenance programme that it won the award.

This year, LHT successfully beat three other organisations to scoop the NW Business Award for their ‘2nd Generation Partnering’ project. LHT particularly impressed judges by their supply chain and process development, costs savings and business improvement, efficiency in the supply chain and integrated working.

The awards held at the Manchester Hilton celebrated the construction industry in the region and showcased the best and most innovative construction projects and working practices in the North West.

Jigsaw Neighbourhood Solutions (JNS), the environmental and neighbourhood management services subsidiary for Vicinity, has won the Strictly Regeneration Award for Good Practice in Neighbourhood Management. This year there were 76 entries across six categories. Competition was stiff but the judges commented that they liked our innovative and responsive approach to dealing with neighbourhood management.

The Youtheezi youth forum from LinacreOne took home a Strictly Regeneration! Award. LinacreOne, part of LHT's Rodney Housing division, is responsible for Housing Market Renewal activity in the Linacre ward of South Sefton. The youth forum won the award for Best Practice in Community Involvement.

LinacreOne was also short listed for the Strictly Regeneration Award for Creative Communities for work with young people in the local community over the past 3 years.

Vicinity Group was one of only two social housing organisations nationally to make the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work for List 2007 (medium and large-sized companies).

Vicinity is number 57 in the top 100 list which appeared in the Sunday Times on the 11th March. The list is based on the opinions of staff and takes into account the following areas: leadership, my manager, personal growth, wellbeing, giving something back, my company and fair deal. A detailed 70-question survey is also sent to the participating company and includes policies (pay, maternity, benefits, healthcare, etc); processes (recognition, promotion, recruitment, etc); and facilities (sports, training, catering, etc).

LHT Property Services recently were highly commended in the finals within the Best Partnership Project at the Daily Post Regional Property Awards for their cyclical painting and external enveloping projects. This is the second time in two years the department has reached the award finals and demonstrates the expertise held within the organisation to introduce partnering innovation to improve value for money.

At the country’s premier housing awards ceremony in November, LHT won the Regeneration award as a member of the Castlefields Partnership. The Chartered Institute of Housing awards are hotly contested and independently judged. LHT were also short listed for the ‘Making a Case for Housing’ Award for its work in the Jigsaw Project. 

Vicinity's in-house marketing received two awards from the Chartered Institue of Public Relations for their hard work, winning a Gold award for best charity or not for profit campaign for 'Jigsaw - the way to a brighter future' and a Silver award for 'house' staff newsletter.

LHT Property Services received a special commendation within the Best Partnership Award at the Daily Post and Echo Regional Property Awards for their efficient and cost effective approach to installing central heating systems and boilers.

The LHT 40th anniversary Neighbourhood Champs campaign with the Liverpool Echo was shortlisted in the Communications category for the National Housing Federation's Neighbourhood Awards.

Winner of North West Business Excellence Awards in 1998, 2001 & 2002