On the Air

With guests Dean Ballard, Head of Data; Isabel Varey, Director of Housing Service Development and Becky Palmer, Neighbourhoods Peer Leader at Stonewater we discuss how Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs), are shaping our customer offering and operations. TSMs are designed to improve the sector for customers and we want to understand how Stonewater is using technology to adhere to the new measures and how they are recorded. 

In addition, we hear how Stonewater has developed a digital roadmap within the business, more about the vision for that and developing the customer portal - MyHome - the digital poverty working group and other things our guests would like to see social housing incorporate into their customer offering. 

We are joined by Retirement Living colleagues Linda Rayfield, Wellbeing & Community Capacity Delivery Manager (guest host) and Charlene Barnett, Wellbeing & Community Connector and Customer Engagement Coordinator, Kim Avantaggiato as we discuss what Stonewater is doing to tackle the digital divide and use of technology for our older generations.  We are are also joined by Pat Harvey a Retirement Living customer and member of the Ageing Well Board. 

With an update on the INVITE project, research that aimed to investigate how assistive and everyday technologies can be implemented in retirement living properties to improve residents’ quality of life and sustain inclusive communities we learn about what's next and what else Stonewater is doing to help our customers access the digital world with confidence. 

Guest host Paul Blaydes, Assistant Director of Data at Stonewater joins the show with Kishore Rajendran from Microsoft in a discussion that Paula Palmer, our regular host tries to keep up with. 

Explaining all about Microsoft Azure and it's many many benefits Paul and Kishore share how it has helped us to work better remotely, utilise our data to serve our customers more efficiently and what might come next.

Guest host Allison Howe, Stonewater Income Team  Leader joins regular host Paula Palmer on this episode with guests Emma Kernahan, Policy and Impact Lead at Clean Slate, a Longleigh Foundation partner and Stonewater customer Debbie. 

Whilst Debbie shares her struggle with making ends meet after losing her job during covid  and the support she received from Stonewater and Clean Slate, Emma and Allison describe the range of help and advice available to help pay the bills, cope with the emotional effects and  destigmatise asking for help. 

Guest host Nicky Mason, Stonewater Partnership Manager joins our regular host Paula Palmer on this episode with  guests Tracey Leatherland, also from Stonewater and Manjeev Makur, Longleigh Grants Officer as they explain about the partnership between Longleigh and Stonewater.  Discussing the impact of the cost of living crisis on customers and how Stonewater and Longleigh are able to help with rising household costs and being able to afford to live. 

We'll hear about customers who have been supported with everyday struggles and those who have larger one off grants that make a fundamental difference to their quality of life. 

Host Paula Palmer will be joined by guest host Emily Batchford and guests Holly Edwards and Kim Gibson to share their thoughts and provide insight on what Stonewater is doing to support it's customers and colleagues. Asking questions such as what support is available within Stonewater and beyond, how do we know what support our customers need and focusing on what we are doing to support with the energy crisis.  

Kim Gibson, Customer Partner and Fuel Engagement Specialist shares more about our online Energy Hub; our award winning campaign to help people deal with rising energy costs.

New research has found that introducing low tech gadgets to retirement living schemes has a major impact on health and well-being.

Stonewater, in partnership with housing and ageing experts at University of Stirling and funded by Longleigh Foundation, began the INVITE project to find out how technology could best support retirement living residents. 

Guest host Dr Vikki McCall,  INVITE project lead and lecturer at University of Stirling  is joined by Janet Benett, Stonewater Retirement Living Customer, and Susie Sear, Stonewater Retirement Living Support in Eastbourne who share their experiences of the project and the findings.

Further information

Read the findings report titled Promoting Inclusive Living Via Technology-Enabled support:  https://www.stonewater.org/about-us/thought-leadership/invite-project/

On the first episode of Inside Jobs (a two-part special), our guests talked about increasing financial pressures on households and the impact of remote working on low paid workers.

In part two, guest co-hosts David Button and Jenny Sawyer, will be continuing the conversation to explore what employers can do to ensure the benefits of homeworking are experienced equally.  

Featuring special guests Dave Lockerman (Director of Housing Operations), Andy Peers (CEO at Longleigh Foundation), Katy Neep (Campaign Manager at Business in the Community) and Stonewater customer Louise Kitson.

Further information

Read the findings report of Stonewater’s research with Demos: https://www.stonewater.org/remoteworking/  

Interested in joining Stonewater’s team and reaping the rewards of its employee benefits? Check out the latest vacancies: https://www.stonewater.org/careers/discover-stonewater/  

About Stonewater’s hybrid model: https://www.stonewater.org/news/press-releases/stonewater-leads-the-housing-sector-in-announcing-permanent-move-to-homeworking/  

Earlier in series 3 (episode 4), Stonewater announced that it had commissioned new research by Demos, Britain's leading cross-party think-tank, to understand the impacts of remote working on low paid workers in the UK. 

In the first episode of this two-part special guest co-hosts Jenny Sawyer (Director of People, Culture and Change at Stonewater) and David Button will explore the findings of the report ‘Inside Jobs’ and the recommendations from the research to ensure the benefits of homeworking are experienced equally.

Featuring special guests Dave Lockerman (Director of Housing Operations), Andy Peers (CEO at Longleigh Foundation), Katy Neep (Campaign Manager at Business in the Community) and Stonewater customer Louise Kitson.

Subscribe to On the Air’s channel wherever you listen to your podcasts to make sure you don’t miss part two.

Further information

Read the findings report of Stonewater’s research with Demos: https://www.stonewater.org/remoteworking/

Interested in joining Stonewater’s team and reaping the rewards of its employee benefits? Check out the latest vacancies: https://www.stonewater.org/careers/discover-stonewater/

About Stonewater’s hybrid model: https://www.stonewater.org/news/press-releases/stonewater-leads-the-housing-sector-in-announcing-permanent-move-to-homeworking/

For more information about the project:

https://www.stonewater.org/news/press-releases/green-light-for-renewable-energy-smart-city-in-oxford/

https://www.kensacontracting.com/energy-superhub-oxford-eso/

https://www.pandhengineering.co.uk/features/kensa-heat-pump-village