I am a Fleetwood lad born and bred and lived there all through my childhood.  More recently, I
have lived at a house round the corner from his new home for around 10 years.  Unfortunately the property wasn’t suitable for me and my two house-mates, Alan and Cathy, to live in anymore.  There were a number of problems with the property but the thing I remember most was that it was damp throughout and very cold, even with the heating on full!

When I knew we were moving it was a bit of a surprise but I was happy.  I met Tony from Care and he
helped us find a more suitable home.  Tony is a big Man City fan like me so we hit it off immediately.  Tony visited us several times and showed us the plans for property and asked for our ideas. We were given choice in the colours for the kitchen, handles, carpets, everything basically.

Since we have lived here the thing I like the best is that the house is a lot warmer and a lot more comfortable and we don’t have to put up with damp anymore! It is closer to the bus stop as I like to go to Fleetwood and Blackpool markets and get out more or less every day at some point. I live a busy life and love coming back to a nice warm house.  My life has definitely improved as I hate being cold and was always cold in the last place! I also have an en-suite which is a major bonus!! Cathy and Alan love the house too so everybody is a lot happier.

• Responding to satisfaction surveys
• Getting involved in the creation of our newsletter including writing articles, getting involved in providing feedback, and entering competitions we may run
• Contacting us with your views and opinions by email (enquiries@careha.org.uk), calling us at 0845 437 7367, or through this website

Care have demonstrated a commitment to customer involvement by appointing customer representative Vicky Wadsworth to our Board of Directors in June 2011.  Vicky is the parent of one of our tenants and is passionate about the work we do.  Vicky also adds valuable legal experience to the Board as she is a qualified solicitor specializing in Mental Health Law and Capacity, and Human Rights.

Download our Menu of involvement to see how you can get involved.

When Jordan turned 16 we started thinking about his future and how he would cope when we were unable to look after him in the way in which he deserves. We thought supported housing would be the way forward.   We were put in touch with two families from West Lancashire who faced the same dilemma.  After discussions we all agreed to get the ball rolling to find a house for our boys in West Lancashire, where the two other families were from.  We got a house in Skelmersdale and thought ‘well this is what we have got and have no choice’.  It wasn’t an ideal location as it was isolated and not suitable for the boys but we gave it a chance.  The boys moved in and it became apparent that it was not suitable and the provider was not flexible in making it more suitable to the boys needs.   The housing provider was not responding to our very real health and safety and hygiene concerns at the property and didn’t seem interested in doing anything about it.

All 3 families felt that something needed doing so we went back and spoke to the social services commissioners.  They accepted there were shortcomings in the existing housing support and agreed to allow us to look elsewhere.  We were put in touch with Care HA and spoke to the development manager Tony.  He was absolutely fantastic!  Despite our initial reservations following our previous experiences, Tony took us round one of Care’s existing schemes and we were blown away with the exceptional standard of the house and the support staff.  It was a world away from our previous experience.

Over the coming weeks, Tony spent a lot of time with us viewing properties, giving advice and taking our comments on board.  He was very supportive, fair and clearly knew what he was talking about.  We quickly gained confidence from Tony as he did things when he said he was going to do them and communicated well with us.  After viewing many, many houses we found one we all agreed on and Tony very quickly got the architects and builders in and got to work.

The adaptations and improvements happened very quickly and on time.  The workmen were very, very good and involved us in the process.  They were really respectful and took time explaining to us what was happening.  During the work Tony involved us in the style and furnishings of the house – there was a choice in nearly anything that went in the house.  We were given a budget and told to go away and spend it wisely.  We didn’t need to be asked twice!!

The house looked fantastic when we got the keys! After moving all of Jordan’s belongings into the house, we took Jordan, eagerly anticipating his reaction.  He loved it! This was such a relief for us to see and we were overjoyed.  The other 2 lads were delighted and they took to their new home immediately.  We had a party, inviting the neighbours
round, as a way to introduce the lads to the neighbourhood and make sure all the neighbours were happy.  They were all lovely and have helped the boys settle in to their new surroundings.

We have had absolutely no problems at all during Jordan’s time there and can’t thank Care enough for the positive impact they have had on Jordan’s life. He is in the best possible place and he is very happy. Thank you Care Housing!!

Work commenced on Care’s second new build project in Blackburn in August 2011.  This detached property will house 4 customers and has been designed with a view to accommodating potential future needs including 2 ground floor bedrooms in consideration of potential mobility issues.  It was anticipated that the construction would take 32 weeks and that the property would be ready for occupancy in April 2012. However, due to some great work from our contractors, and some mild winter weather, the scheme is ahead of schedule and should be ready in March 2012.  Care is holding an open day at the property on 16th March – please come along and have a look around, talk to staff, and see what we can deliver!!

Download your Open Day Invite here!!

On completion the support needs of the customers will be managed by Blackburn District Supported Housing who manage the neighbouring property and who have worked with the architects and contractors throughout the design process.

Download full details of Care’s Local Offer

Working for Care is fantastic as I believe we make a real difference to the lives of some of the more vulnerable people in society. I can genuinely say that I have only heard great things from customers about Care during my time here. I hope to build on this and continue to prove that we are able to provide the best possible customer service and continue to promote supported living which gives real choice and independence to our customers.

Being a housing manager at Care is a great challenge as it enables me to learn new things whilst putting some of my previous experience to good use. Every day is so different, from liaising with contractors and architects at our new developments; meeting with parents to discuss adaptations to their sons/daughters properties; working with support providers to improve the quality of lives of our customers; and chatting to some of our tenants about the weekends football results! Joining Care has been the best move I have made and being surrounded by positive, ‘can do’ people makes getting out of bed in the morning all the easier!