Housing – Southern Housing
PODs
On a Sunday afternoon in December, ICAB’s out of hours manager was contacted by Southern Housing Group, on behalf of their insurer, as up to 1500 tenants in Hackney had no water due to some planned maintenance works that had taken much longer than expected. At this point there was still no definitive answer as to when tenants would be able to use water in their homes again. It was an extremely cold December and the situation was unacceptable with tenants citing “third world conditions”.
To have moved out 1500 tenants for even one night would have been a huge operation and a huge expense for insurers but with no real evidence as to when the water would be back on and tanks refilled, it was getting to a point where this was looking likely.
For many on the estate, the prospect of moving out was not even an option. Those with young children or who had pets would have found it very difficult to find somewhere to accommodate their needs whilst considering locality to schools and work. The elderly members of the community and those with special needs had already been struggling for days and to have added further upheaval to this situation would have been dreadful.
ICAB’s out of hours manager usually deals with same day immediate hotel bookings for those in need but she had the foresight to discuss ICAB PODs with the claim handler on the other end of the phone, as a viable solution to the problem. It was agreed that this would be a perfect outcome rather than evacuating the large number of tenants to alternative accommodation.
It was agreed that ICAB’s Managing Director and POD Coordinator would attend the site on Monday morning, assess the area and see what products would work well for the community. Collaboratively through the housing group, insurer and ICAB, it was decided that six external ICAB PODs would be delivered to the area in and around the local community centre and that two internal bathroom PODs would be placed inside the community centre (in lockable rooms including the disabled toilet).
The PODs are all adapted for those in wheelchairs so was this was another solution to what could have been an insurmountable problem. This doesn’t even take into account the mental or physical knock-on effects of having no water for days on end and then having to move out of home!
The first two PODs were delivered by Monday lunchtime and two installing teams went back and forth to the warehouse delivering them until they were all set up, ready to be used on site. They didn’t stop until everything the community needed was on site and it was completed by the Tuesday lunchtime.
The result of ICAB’s quick and efficient response was extremely positively received and this was evidenced very quickly. The PODs were active immediately – tenants were using them to wash, shower, use the toilets and it took the edge off a dire situation. It also saved tens of thousands of pounds for the insurers and housing association which could then be better spent on improving services for tenants on the estate.
“ICAB were a great help to all the affected residents on the estate who, due to unforeseen circumstances, had been left without water for a number of days. We called ICAB on a Sunday afternoon and by Monday they had rearranged their schedules to help out residents with both internal and external bathroom PODs. This meant that there was fresh water running in a number of units for showers and washing as well as toilets for all those that needed them. ICAB helped us by going above and beyond and all their staff were extremely polite, efficient and empathetic, and the PODs themselves were of the highest standard.”
Specialists in arranging both planned and emergency alternative accommodation, assisting those who suffer unwelcome events in their home, such as flood or fire. Acting on behalf of Insurers, Social Housing organisations and a large range of Instructing Principals.
