Training and Support

All staff within Paradigm are responsible for customer involvement from frontline staff to the Board. We will ensure that our core staff training programme includes raising awareness of customer involvement and that support is given to staff that have direct responsibility for engaging with customers to ensure they have the right knowledge and skills to be able to support customer involvement effectively.
 

Training


 The development of a Customer Care training programme for all staff will ensure that the principles of customer involvement and empowerment are further embedded across the organisation and wherever appropriate we will work with customers to get involved in the delivery of training to our own staff.

In order to build the capacity of our customers, we have developed a training programme which is tailored to meet the needs of involved customers and community groups. We offer training events that reflect the range of levels of people’s involvement, which include:

  • How to work as a team
  • Understanding the roles/positions in groups of Chairperson, secretary and treasurer
  • Holding effective meetings
  • Resolving conflict
  • Making presentations and learning to be assertive
  • Equality and Diversity – understanding differences, HIV and Aids, Sexual orientation and how disability impacts on housing services
  • Communications, including how to produce a newsletter
A programme of inductions for Resident Board members and the Residents Forum has also been developed. This is the same as that provided to all Board members. Visits to new estates and developments are also arranged for both staff and members of the Area Panels and Residents Forum and where possible, we will invite customers to take part in training sessions alongside our own staff. Customers are also invited to visit Customer Services and other teams, to see how they operate.
 
To see a copy of the latest residents’ training programme just click here.

Support


We provide the following support for people attending or taking part in events, meetings or other involvement activities:
  • Meetings that are timed for residents’ convenience and often a choice is offered
  • Where possible a range of ways to get involved is offered for each activity
  • Travel expenses and petrol costs are reimbursed at 40p a mile (reviewed at least annually)
  • Childcare is reimbursed at £7.00 per hour (reviewed at least annually)
  • Lifts/ taxis are arranged if customers require them
  • Disabled access at all meeting venues
  • Language translation facilities on request
  • Hearing loop
  • Refreshments