CEO Message to All Customers
Hello to all Blackwood Customers
I want to update all customers today on a range of proposed changes that we will be making across the organisation.
We know that our other customers value our services, and we also know that we need to continue to improve in a range of areas.
We plan to see Blackwood continuing to grow and improve as a social purpose organisation and to keep having a positive impact for tenants and other customers into the future.
However , as an organisation we have increased our costs substantially over the last five years or more, but without the required ongoing additional income generation to cover this. It is clear that this has become unsustainable.
I joined Blackwood as the new CEO a few weeks ago and as requested by the Board, I have been looking closely at our current running costs and our management and staffing arrangements.
Our organisation faces significant and immediate financial challenges.
To protect the future of the organisation, we must act now to reduce our operating costs and to protect front line services to you, our customers.
The recent introduction by the UK Government of higher National Insurance Contributions for employers has also added another £300,000 to our costs (and this change is having a big negative impact right across the charity and third sector).
As a registered charity and social landlord, we aim to make a modest financial surplus each year, in order to reinvest in improvements to homes, repairs, and to maintain day-to-day services to tenants and other customers across Scotland.
So, following a Special Board meeting last Thursday (6th March), we are proposing a range of cost efficiencies and staffing reductions. And also plan to make other changes to help make us work more efficiently and more effectively together.
The changes will also go some way to take out some of the duplication and inefficiency in our current arrangements.
Wherever possible, the proposed changes seek to protect and improve services to customers, and we will work hard to minimise any risks or adverse service impacts during the transition to the new arrangements, and to make sure that we protect front-line services as much as possible
We are aiming to work smarter, with fewer resources.
The proposed changes will take out £700,000 costs in the first year, from this April, and a recurring £1 million a year saving from 2026.
The proposed changes will include: -
· A re-organised and streamlined senior management team.
· The Customer Services Team are the staff who answer most of your housing calls each day on a range of tenancy and repairs matters. This team now be part of the Housing team under the Head of Housing, and the Housing Co-ordinators and Customer Services Advisors will form a new combined team to deal with first time customer contact and call resolution to improve efficiency and aims improve the overall customer experience.
· T he Housing Officer patches will be reviewed, and tenancy, neighbourhood, and income management roles will be streamlined. Your named Housing Officer may change and we will let you know who that is in the coming month or so.
- The Digital and IT team will join the Finance & Business Services Team
- Development & Property services will be combined into one team
- We will take a step back from recent design and innovation projects, most of which have come to an end
- Reorganise our Governance & Assurance work, including business planning, performance, risk management and governance assurance
- A reduction of resource in the Communications and Marketing Team
- A reduction in the HR team resources
- In total 25 fte posts will be removed from the establishment, from a total of 500 staff delivering housing and care services across Blackwood
- Some recently vacant posts have been held vacant, an some projects coming to a natural end which helps us achieve some of our savings target
- However the proposed changes will mean that there are 16 people whose post is directly at risk from these proposals, so some faces that you are familiar with may change
- The vast majority of staff will remain the same, particularly in the care and support team
Formal consultation started on Monday 10th March with the staff colleagues who are directly affected by the proposed changes.
There will now be a 30-day formal consultation process, during which time any feedback from staff or customers will be carefully considered. Subject to that, the changes, or amended plans, will be implemented from mid/late April.
We welcome any comments or feedback that you may have as a customer of Blackwood.
The proposed changes are no reflection of the hard work and commitment of those colleagues. We have tried hard to minimise the impact as far as possible. However, these difficult changes need to be made to look after the long-term future of the organisation.
As customers, you need us to be the best we can be and to keep our costs down so we can invest in homes and services and keep rents affordable. There are positive times ahead for Blackwood, as long as we reduce our costs, work more efficiently, drive up service quality, and get back to the basics of delivering high quality landlord and care services.
These changes will help us towards that journey over the next few years.
Your local housing or care team can provide you with further information about the proposed changes if you would like to discuss.
We will consider all customer feedback before deciding to proceed or to amend our proposals.
If you have any concerns or queries about the proposed changes do not hesitate to contact the Blackwood customer Service Team on cst@blackwoodgroup.org.uk or 0131 317 7227.
Thank you.