Orwell Heights and Orwell Gardens Estate Roadshow

 

Listening to Our Customers at Orwell Heights

Last week, colleagues from across Team Orwell came together at Orwell Heights, Edgeworth Road, Ipswich, to host a community roadshow for residents. The event provided an opportunity for customers to meet directly with colleagues, share their experiences, raise concerns, and tell us what matters most to them.

Orwell Heights is a block of one-bedroom flats built between 1950 and 1966 and is home to a well-established community of residents. By bringing our teams together on site, we aimed to make it as easy as possible for customers to access support, ask questions, and provide valuable feedback about their homes and neighbourhood.

Bringing Services Closer to Customers

Representatives from several Orwell teams attended the roadshow, including:

• Tenancy Sustainment Officers
• Housing Officers
• Estate Services Team
• Repairs Team
• Customer Experience Team

Having a range of colleagues available meant residents could discuss any issues or concerns face-to-face, receive advice and support, and have matters resolved there and then.

Events like these are an important part of our commitment to being visible, accessible, and responsive to the people who live in our communities.

Gathering Valuable Feedback

A key aim of the roadshow was to understand what residents enjoy about living at Orwell Heights and Gardens, what is working well, and where improvements could be made.

The feedback gathered will help shape future services, inform decision-making, and ensure that customer voices remain at the heart of what we do.

Residents shared many positive comments about their homes and the local community, including:

“This is a quiet area, with plenty of shade.”

“I’ve lived here for 30 years; this flat is suited to me.”

“This flat and area is much nicer than where I was.”

“Friendly people.”

“Lovely views.”

These comments highlight the strong sense of community, stability, and satisfaction that many residents feel about living at Orwell Heights.

Tony Long, Orwell’s Director of Customers and Communities, shared some of the feedback he received from customers at Orwell Heights:

“We received some excellent feedback from a customer following a recent kitchen replacement. They were so pleased with the result that Michelle and I were invited to see it for ourselves. The customer was particularly impressed with the quality of the work.

We also had the pleasure of meeting Wendy, who has lived at Orwell Heights for 46 years. Wendy told us how her Housing Officer supported her move from a top-floor property to a ground-floor home when mobility issues made using the stairs increasingly difficult. She also proudly showed us her beautiful gardening work, highlighting the care and attention she puts into maintaining the flower beds.

Of course, we also received feedback on areas where we can improve, and we’re taking those comments on board.”

Getting Involved Through the Orwell Resident Group

We were also pleased to have Maggi and John, two members of the Orwell Resident Group (ORG), who attended the event to talk to residents about getting involved and having their voices heard.

The Orwell Resident Group is a resident-led performance review panel that scrutinises Orwell’s services and acts as a critical friend, helping us improve what we do and shape the future of our housing services. Maggi and John shared their own experiences of being part of the group and encouraged residents to consider joining if they would like to play an active role in influencing services.

A big thank you to everyone who took the time to attend the roadshow, speak with our colleagues, and share their thoughts and experiences.

Customer feedback is invaluable in helping us understand what we are doing well and where we can improve. By listening to residents and working together, we can continue to build communities where people feel heard, supported, and proud to call home.

We look forward to visiting more of our neighbourhoods and continuing these important conversations with our customers.