First Choice Homes Office Closer On Holts Village Full Article

Good News - New Improved Service for Holts Village

FCHO have been in discussions with us about their plans to launch a modern one number Service Centre for all your main housing queries - - from reporting repairs and caretaking matters to reporting problems with your neighbours, and in your neighbourhood and for talking to us about rent and money or tenancy issues we may have .

That have told us that the new service will be open longer, with more lines and handlers, with easy access to expert staff if required, who will come to see you in your home by appointment at your convenience and who will have all the skills to help you resolve your particular problem. If it's really urgent they'll get to you quickly as well, This change will help them  get out and about more often in our area where they will be working hard, visibly with us and their partners to deliver all our priorities of cleaner, greener and safer neighbourhoods.   It will be quick, simple and friendly.  

This service will be launched after the end of June.

In order to make this work for Holts Village and elsewhere it will unfortunately not be possible to leave Holts Village Office open after that date for the those small number of people who still like to drop in on the three days they are currently open.

They have based this new service on what people have told them they want and how they like to contact them and how few people now come into their Offices.

That is a service that they can access mainly by telephone, or in their home or catching them out on the estate. 

Here are some of the questions we have asked FCHO that we know you will be concerned about too 

What if I have not got access to a phone?     

Don't worry - you can still come and see them at the One Stop Shop at Civic Centre or at Medtia - even better though they have agreed with our request to provide details soon of a local surgery (ies) at our EMB Office where you can be guaranteed to see a Neighbourhood Officer on a set time and date. Unlike now where callers to the Office often find that their Officer is out.

Will I be speaking to a machine when we ring the new number?

No, you’ll get straight through to a real person! First Call will be a modern, fast efficient service -with a personal touch.

Will I be kept waiting?

No - we'll have lots of new lines and more people answering so you should never have to wait long for a reply.

Is this the end of a local presence - and why Holts Village?

No - although if you currently like to drop into our offices at Holts Village, Office this option will unfortunately not be available to you after the end of June . This Office (and 4 others still open), will have to close to deliver this modern service but as a direct benefit you'll see more staff out and about more often on our estate tackling decisively the issues that affect us and our neighbourhood.     

Appointments.

It will be much better and easier to make an appointment with them. They will come and see you in your own home at a time of your own convenience. If it is really urgent they willl come and see you straight away. If there is a special reason why coming to your house would cause a problem they 'll see you in confidence at our Office or at another venue. 

When we have agreed details of the surgery we and FCHO will let you know and we will continue to put your questions to them and to meet to discuss these developments. If you have any other questions you would like us to put to them please call in and we will get you an answer.  

 
Modernisation Project Manager
Copsterhill Road Depot
Oldham West  

0161 770 5480

Mobile 07515188459