Earlier this week, the country moved into the latest stage of the COVID-19 roadmap.
Some of the rules on what you can and cannot do changed, but many restrictions still remain in place. You still cannot socialise indoors with anyone you do not live with, unless you have formed a support bubble with them or another exemption applies.
You should still get a test and self-isolate if you have COVID-19 symptoms.
Some of the changes from 12th April include:
- non-essential shops can reopen;
- personal care services such as hairdressers can reopen;
- public buildings such as libraries and community centres can reopen;
- outdoor hospitality venues such as pubs and restaurants can reopen, with table service only;
- indoor leisure and sports facilities can reopen for individual exercise, or exercise with your household or support bubble; and
- self-contained accommodation can stay open for overnight stays in England with your household or support bubble.
For more information on these changes and the restrictions still place, go to www.gov.uk/coronavirus
What this means for our services
Property maintenance
Our teams are continuing to work in your homes where necessary. We are still taking steps to keep our tenants and employees safe.
If we need to visit your home, we will call you in advance to:
- Ask about your current situation;
- Ask whether anyone in your household has recently tested positive for COVID-19, is experiencing symptons or is self-isolating;
- Check that you are comfortable with us coming into your home; and
- Explain the pracautions we will take to keep you safe. This includes wearing PPE and carefully following the 'hands, face, space' guidance at all times, and asking you to open windows during our visit.
This video tells you what you can expect from us to keep you safe. It also tells you what we need you to do to keep our teams safe. Please make sure you follow the necessary guidance. If you don't, we will leave your property.
As a result of the restrictions imposed on us during both national lockdowns, we've been working hard to get through the backlog of repairs that built up when we were unable to carry out routine repairs in your homes. We've been making good progress and will continue to prioritise repairs that have already been reported to us. Unfortunately, we are still unable to log routine repairs until we have caught up with this backlog. We're sorry for the inconvenience this causes and will be doing everything we can to resume normal service.
If you have an urgent repair or an emergency, please report it by calling us on 0300 330 703.
Housing management
Our housing officers are starting to make routine visits again, and so you will see them out and about in your neighbourhoods more often. If they visit your home, they will continue to speak to you at a safe distance and wear PPE where necessary. If you see us out in your neighbourhood and wish to speak to us, please help us keep everyone safe by keeping to social distancing guidelines.
We're pleased to say that Daphne the NPH bus is returning to neighbourhoods again. No more than one member of the public will be allowed on the bus at any time, and our team will wear face visors at all times. We'll set up a gazebo outside of the bus and will have a one-way system in place to make sure you can socially distance. If you come to speak to our teams on Daphne, please wear a face covering unless you are exempt, and use the hand sanitiser available.
The Paint Shop
We're delighted to have reopened our Paint Shop and we've been welcoming customers back! The shop is based in Park Square, Kings Heath, NN5 7LQ, and is open on Wednesdays and Fridays, 10am - 2pm. Pop in to pick up some great quality paint for as little as £1-£2 a litre! Please remember to wear a face covering, unless exempt, and follow all social distancing guidance set out in the shop.
Mutual exchange
Our mutual exchange scheme reopened at the start of April, and we are working hard to process applications. If you are waiting for an update on your mutual exchange, we will be in touch. Find out more about our mutual exchange service.
Rent collection
We know that your income may still be affected by the coronavirus outbreak, and so you may be dealing with financial pressures. We're here to help, so if you're struggling to keep up with rent payments, please get in touch with us as soon as possible. We have team members who are specially training to talk through your situation and support you with financial issues. Call us on 0300 330 7003 and our team will be able to help.
Rehousing and allocations
We will continue to turn around empty properties as soon as possible to make sure that we can keep allocating homes. If you are offered a home, a member of the NPH team will take you to view the property, help you sign your tenancy agreement and will remain at a safe distance outside the property.
Anti-social behaviour
Please continue to report anti-social behaviour by telephone or online. Our dedicated team will investigate and advise as much as possible by phone.
New build
We know how much Northampton needs more council housing, so we're keeping our construction sites open and we will carry on building.
Planned works
External works will continue as usual. We will also carry out planned internal works where it is safe to do so.