Barrhead Housing Group (Barrhead HA and Levern Property Services’) Vision:

‘We believe that everyone deserves to live in a secure, good quality, well-maintained home within communities that are safe, supported and inclusive’.

We deliver secure homes by providing good quality, affordable, well maintained rented housing to people with a need to be housed. Our qualified staff team provide dedicated personal customer focused services locally from our office in the Main Street in Barrhead. We are committed to continuous improvement. 

Barrhead Housing Association is a key provider of social rented housing in East Renfrewshire. Founded in 1986, we are a community based and community led housing association providing housing throughout East Renfrewshire and operating mainly in Barrhead, Neilston, Thornliebank and Newton Mearns. We were registered as a Scottish charity in 2004 (Reg No. SC 036265).

We are a registered social landlord with the Scottish Housing Regulator (HCB70), registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (Ref No. 2229R(S)) and also a registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014.

Office Phones – Staff Training and Development

In order to support our staff during these difficult times, we have set aside some time on Wednesday’s to provide staff with training and development support. Between 11-12 weekly and on alternate Wednesday afternoons, our phones will be off whilst this training takes place. If you hear our training message, please call back later. Alternatively, please email us at enquiries@barrheadha.org and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Learn more about us

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE – 26^th April 2021.

With Government lockdown restrictions easing, we are delighted to let you know that we are now able to start to resume many of our services.

Our priority, as always, is to keep customers and our staff safe.

Please remember we’re always here for you and will do everything we can to support you and your family through the challenges you’re facing as a result of the pandemic.

Thanks again for your patience and understanding as we work together to combat Covid-19. Please continue to check our website regularly for the latest information on our services and get in touch if you have any questions.

Here we explain how our services are currently affected.

Our Office and Our Staff.

Our offices are still closed and our staff continue to work from home in line with government guidance. We continue to support all of our customers daily in a wide range of ways by phone and online.

Our Staff will only be able to visit people at home in exceptional circumstances, such as where there are serious welfare concerns, but remember we are still here for you over the phone and online.

Repairs

The safety of our customers and staff is our top priority and we can now return to a full repairs service.  Our number one priority has been to keep customers and staff safe during the COVID-19 pandemic – while still providing as wide a range of services as we can.

During this time, we’ve carried out – safely and within guidelines, our emergency and urgent repairs across all of our stock.

We know how important the repairs service is for our customers and we’ll now be able to carry out non-essential repairs in customer’s homes and common areas.

If you have already contacted us during lockdown to report a non-essential repair, don’t worry, we’ll contact you to arrange a date for the work to be done in the coming weeks.

There may still be a limited number of repairs we can’t do, where it’s difficult for our tradespeople to socially distance in confined spaces. Thanks for your understanding on this.

Please be assured staff and our contractors continue follow strictly all health-and-safety guidelines, including wearing Personal Protective Equipment – as and when appropriate – while carrying out repairs.

External Inspections

All estate management inspections will recommence.

Internal Inspections

Continue to be suspended meantime until we move into lower Tiers and are told it is safe to do so.

Keeping you safe

Annual gas safety checks are not only essential, but a legal requirement. Please do all you can to ensure yours goes ahead – when it’s arranged – at the time we’ve agreed with you.

Our programme of upgrading heat and smoke detectors in tenants’ homes is starting again from May. Again, please be at home at the agreed time to ensure your smoke and heat detection system is fitted to the current standard. You’ll receive a letter with an appointment, and details of how to rearrange it if it doesn’t suit.

Planned Maintenance

• The Bathroom replacement contract has restarted and those properties scheduled for replacement in 2021 at Centenary Court, Barrhead will be contacted in the coming weeks for survey access. Any properties outstanding from the 2020 programme will be completed by the end of May 2021.
• The renewal of the car park at the Sheltered Accommodation commenced in March 2021 and was completed in April 2021.
• The refurbishment of the common lounge area at the Sheltered Accommodation including a new entrance from the central courtyard is scheduled to commence in June 2021.
• Boiler and Heating Replacements have re-commenced for those properties scheduled and tenants affected will be contacted by BHA in advance of any replacements.

The programme to install upgraded Fire Safety, CO and Heat Alarms equipment within our properties will re-start in May 2021 with Gassure. It essential that those properties with installations outstanding help facilitate access for the contractor to allow BHA to meet our legislative responsibilities for every property. Those properties affected will be contacted directly by Gassure starting from May 2021.

Cyclical Maintenance

Landscaping, Common Close Cleaning and External paintwork will continue as normal.

Letting Homes
We are continuing to let homes as before, and continuing to prioritise letting homes to people most in need, including the homeless and those living in overcrowded conditions.

We had to change how applicants could apply for a home to make the process more meaningful. You can now express interest in coming onto our Housing Waiting List and thereafter will be invited to take part in a Housing Options Interview. This will make sure we understand what you are looking for and give a realistic idea of your likelihood of rehousing based on our limited turnover of stock.

See our Allocations Tab for further details.

Anti-social behaviour

Our Customer Services Officers are working hard to deal with issues that cause upset and alarm.  As your landlord, we take this responsibility very seriously and work closely with Police Scotland and East Renfrewshire Council to ensure our communities are great places to live.

If you’re affected, call the police on 101 and let us know too.

Community Regeneration/Other Support Services

Despite the restrictions in place, we are doing all we can to support our customers during this difficult time.

We have been carrying out welfare calls to all residents over the age of 65 and vulnerable tenants.  As a result we have successfully provided nearly 20 devices and internet connection to lots of tenants who felt isolated. 

Our Brighter Futures and Climate Challenge programme and class schedules for the coming year will be available online from May 2021.

BHA are in position to provide Fuel Support grants for tenants in need of support until the end of May 2021.  Please contact BHA directly to access more information on how you can access this financial support.      

HERE TO HELP

If you need help, TALK TO US.

We have been updating our website, Facebook and our Twitter account to give you regular updates and we have produced the following information for tenants and members available in our ‘news and useful document’ section:

Tenant monthly letters; frequently asked Questions; financial advice

We have published regular Newsletters to provide much more detail on what is happening and how we are planning to resume services.

We would of course encourage all our tenants and members to:

Follow the NHS guidance if you fall ill; and particularly those over 70 years and with underlying health conditions – phone 111 if you need assistance. Download the Scottish Government app for Test and Protect.

Health Protection https://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/a-to-z-of-topics/wuhan-novel-coronavirus/

If you are advised to self-isolate or get confirmation that you have the virus, it is vitally important that you let us know as soon as you can by calling 0141 881 0638.

Other help is available – look at the list of available resources in your area – again in our ‘news and useful document’ section.

Scottish Government: https://www.gov.scot/

NHS Inform: https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/coronavirus-covid-19