Kelly Cunningham is Irwell Valley’s Customer Involvement Officer. Working across all neighbourhoods, Kelly helps residents to become more involved in the running of Irwell Valley.

 

 “I have recently started my new role as Irwell Valley’s Customer Involvement Officer and one of things I have learnt so far, is that no two days are the same. Today, my working day starts at our Head Office at Paragon House. So after a quick bowl of cereal at home, I make my way in.

 I arrive to find lots of emails as usual. Amongst them are some pictures from a community gardening day in Winton, Eccles, that I went to over the weekend. One of the roles of the Customer Involvement Officer is to set up projects, which help residents to improve their neighbourhood and the gardening day was one of these events.

 Irwell Valley provided plants, bulbs and hanging baskets for residents to spruce up their gardens. We also gave some tips on how to care for the plants over the winter. The day went really well and it was a great opportunity for me to get to know people in the area. It also made a bit of a change from my usual hobby on a Saturday…shopping!

Getting Your Opinion

 At 11am, I head over to Haughton Green to meet one of our Neighbourhood Regeneration Managers. As part of the Neighbourhood Regeneration Team, I help to gather feedback from residents.

 To make sure we are in touch with residents’ views, Irwell Valley carries out regular ‘doorstep’ surveys. These questionnaires allow us to gather important information from residents, in the comfort of their own home, and ensure we are delivering the best possible service. It also lets residents have their say on important decisions that may affect their home and community. After talking to residents, I grab a sandwich and head back to Paragon House.

The Residents’ Voice

With my lunch out of the way, I start looking through all the feedback that I collected at the last Residents’ Committee meeting. The committee, which is made up of resident Board members and representatives from Irwell Valley’s Tenants and Residents Associations (TARAs), meets every other month to discuss how Irwell Valley is performing and lets the committee members give their feedback on new policies.

My job is to attend these meetings and feed back comments and suggestions to the rest of Irwell Valley; this ensures that residents’ views are represented within the organisation and have an impact on our day-to-day service. To do this, I meet with colleagues on a regular basis and put forward the residents’ perspective. This afternoon I meet up with the Repairs Service Centre and pass on comments regarding their new Freephone numbers and their improved service.

Helping New Groups

My afternoon seems to fly by and it’s not long before I need to set off for my next meeting. Tonight, I’m going over to our Sale West neighbourhood to meet with a new TARA called STAR – Safe and Welcome, which was recently set up by local resident, Helen Mitchem. As Irwell Valley’s Customer Involvement Officer, I help residents like Helen to start up new TARAs and sort out funding and training support from the organisation.

 

STAR – Safe and Welcome is currently organising a Christmas stall for a fair taking place in the local area. So at the meeting, I advise the group on how they can use the event to promote their TARA. I also tell them about the financial and training support that Irwell Valley may be able to offer.

By going along to TARAs, I can also listen to residents’ concerns about their community or the current running of Irwell Valley. They’re also really good fun and I end up doing some interesting activities like making hanging baskets or designing posters.

After the meeting, it’s finally time for me to head home. Unfortunately though, my work doesn’t stop there.
I’ve recently moved house, so when I get home, I tackle a bit of much needed DIY. After hammering in a few nails and finishing off some painting, it’s time for me to relax and prepare for tomorrow.”