Choose to challenge #IWD2021

In this episode we invite previous guest Clare Rainsford, Environmental Business Partner back to co- host along side Paula Palmer. 

We met Clare at the launch of the Greenoak Centre of Excellence where she introduced us to the Circular Economy principle, this time Clare is going to talk about what else she is working on with team members Molly Auchterlonie, Environmental Business Partner to Finance and Suzanne Le Sauvage, water and ecology as they discuss how Stonewater is embedding sustainability and social value across the company and reduce our impact on the environment. 

Alongside host, Paula Palmer is guest host Emma Mifflin, Decarbonisation Manager at Stonewater and two of her Team; Helen Dextor and Jerrad Murphy, Retrofit Project Managers, to discuss the measures Stonewater are taking to ensure all existing homes are EPC C by 2030. 

Whilst discussing the retrofit project, they are also joined by Matt Ratcliff, Osmosis as they chat about how we are approaching the challenge, from identifying homes, design, installation, funding and after care. We find out how the measures and retrofitting of upgraded or replacement features  will increase the longevity of our properties and positively impact the energy efficiency and therefore the quality for our customers. 

Guest Host, Adam Master, Assistant Director of Environment and Sustainability is joined by members of his team to give an overview of how sustainability is viewed and actioned at Stonewater. 

Guests Rhys Bevan and Emily Batchford, Environmental Sustainability Partners along with Arthur Gott, Development Manager talk about the technology Stonewater is using in new developments such as heat pumps, Wondrwall and Switchee among other technologies. They talk about the design and build stage, balancing the cost to the business whilst ensuring our customers benefit from energy savings and comfortable homes to meeting net zero targets and future-proofing our new builds.

Emily, as business partner to the Customer Experience team talks about how we're taking our customers on this journey with us and how we're making sure the technology and measures are right for them.

November saw the launch of the Greenoak Centre of Excellence for sustainability in the housing sector, a partnership between Greenoak Housing Association Ltd and Stonewater. This special edition was filmed and can be viewed at https://youtu.be/hMCNgyGreZI - the film comes with  full subtitles .

This bonus episode comes ahead of a trio of podcasts that will dig deeper into sustainability at Stonewater and how we are balancing the needs of customers, climate and cost to the organisation.

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.