Specialist housing provider Alpha Living is celebrating after scooping a prestigious housing accolade for Best Older People’s Landlord across the UK.
The Wirral based housing association won the Award at a glittering gala ceremony for the housing sector in London where it was judged by an expert panel as the best provider of housing for people aged over 55 in the UK.
The judging panel was impressed with how close the Alpha Living team is to its customers, how it responded to the challenges of COVID and how positive decisions continued to be made around growth.
During the pandemic, the Alpha Living team made even greater strides to support residents with development managers remaining on-site so they were always available to assist customers. Instead of one daily welfare call, managers made two calls to residents to ensure they were well supported.
The team also provided enhanced regular ‘Alpha Plus’ services, in addition to cleaning and laundry services, introducing food shopping and prescription collection, transforming regular lunch clubs into a meals-on-wheels service. Up to 160 meals were cooked and delivered each day to support those who were shielding or self-isolating.
The Alpha Living team also established an intergenerational project with Eastway Primary School in Moreton, where the pupils wrote letters to residents confined to their homes during lockdown.
Over the summer, Alpha Living opened its doors at its flagship £13.5m Poppyfields development in Saughall Massie, the Wirral’s largest extra care scheme with 78 retirement living apartments. These new high specification homes include the reassurance of onsite personal care and support 24 hours per day, in addition to facilities including an onsite bistro, hair salon and well-being suite, helping to provide and maintain high standards of independent living for customers.
In their comments, the judging panel which included Suzanne Lodge, Chief Officer Health & Housing – Lancaster City Council and Rosalind Ogwu, Interim Head of Housing – Soho, said:
“Alpha is an organisation that really does put their residents at the heart of everything they do. The care for their residents shines through with the welfare support they offer. Their partnerships with other agencies and businesses, in particular around digital skills, together with intergenerational projects with local schoolchildren showcased the innovation, care and support that Alpha’s residents love. Finally, the senior leadership team pitching in and making and delivering meals for residents during lockdown and all the staff going the extra mile every day, make Alpha a worthy winner.”
Claire Taylor, Chair of Alpha Living, added, “I am beyond proud; huge congratulations to Graeme Foster and the team for this national recognition. Seeing first hand how the dedicated Alpha Living team go above and beyond to support our residents in their homes, this Award is thoroughly deserved.”
Graeme Foster, CEO of Alpha Living, said, “We are so proud of our team for winning this Award, especially with the challenges we all and particularly older people have faced with the pandemic over the last couple of years. Being a small housing association enables us to really get to know our residents on a deeper level; they become part of the family and we are passionate about providing them with an outstanding service shaped around their needs.”
One resident added: “The best thing about Alpha is that I have my independence.”
Image: The winnIng Alpha Living team, Best Older People’s Landlord at the UK Housing Awards.
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