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COVID-19 - Help and Advice
Message from Alastair MacGregor
"Dear Tenants
I hope you, your families and friends are doing as best as possible in the current situation.
The Association is continuing to do all we can in the current lockdown. Grounds maintenance has been up and running for the last 4 weeks and we have started important external repairs and will shortly start gutter cleaning and work to empty houses. One thing that has come up that I would like to ask your help in, if you see rubbish that has fallen out of bins could you if at all possible put it back in the bin. We have had a number of instances where this has occurred and we would want to ensure that we keep rats away and protect public health. As always, if you need to contact the Association, please do so on the free phone number; 0800 0282 755.
Best Wishes
Alastair"
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Due to the outbreak in Scotland of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) Argyll Community Housing Association (ACHA) are making changes to our services. In a fast changing and complex situation, we will endeavour to keep information on our service provision as up to date as possible, there will be times where this will not be possible.
All ACHA offices are currently closed and our staff are remote working. We are only taking emergency repairs.
Please note that the Association will remain operational during this time and that we will deliver services as best we can to all of our tenants and customers. We trust you will bear with us.
Housing and Neighbourhood Services
From Tuesday 24th March all of our staff will be working from home. You can still speak to your local ACHA team by click on the following link (Contact Us) or call our Customer Service Centre on 0800 028 2755. Please note that while we are doing all we can to avoid disruption to our service, these calls and transfers may take slightly longer with our staff working from different locations. Please bear with us during these difficult times.
Repair Services
You can still report repairs as normal, by calling our Customer Service Centre on 0800 028 2755 or via email: achacustomerservicecentre@acha.co.uk however we will only attend to emergency repair works during this difficult time.
Where we are required to meet you face to face, you will be asked a few additional questions in response to the current coronavirus threat to protect you and our staff.
Payment of Creditor Invoices
To assist ACHA in making timely payments to all our suppliers and contractors during the current COVID-19 restrictions, then we are asking for all invoices to be emailed in electronic format to the relevant ACHA Group employee, rather than a hard copy being posted to our office locations. This will assist greatly in dealing with any payment timeously.
Where individual ACHA employee email addresses are not known then suppliers and contractors should email the invoice to creditor.invoices@acha.co.uk including as much information as possible with the email/invoice (i.e. ACHA Contact Name / Officer dealing with, Purchase Order Number, full description of service provided). Our Finance staff will then endeavour to pass this on to the relevant ACHA member of staff for checking and approval as quickly as possible.
In this difficult time the ACHA Group will do all it can to ensure your invoices are paid as quickly as possible. You assistance in following the above guidance will help us to achieve this.
Sheltered Housing
The following measures are taking immediate effect within ACHA’s Sheltered Housing complexes:
- ACHA Community Support Assistants will not be in the complexes. However, we will still be checking on the wellbeing our tenants via telephone call. It is vital at this time that every tenant answers our calls.
- We strongly urge tenants not to invite visitors to the Sheltered Housing complexes until further notice for their own safety.
- Carer agency and health care workers will still be attending complexes.
- ACHA staff can still be contacted via telephone on 0800 028 2755, your local ACHA office number or by emails. Click the following links for full details on how to (Contact Us) or for further guidance click this link
Gypsy/Travellers Scotland: Coronavirus Information
In a joint initiative, The Scottish Government together with their partners in COSLA, Article 12 in Scotland, MECOPP, Progress in Dialogue and STEP have developed a Facebook page to provide up-to-date information on the Coronavirus to the Gypsy/Traveller Community in Scotland. Click the following link to their page: https://www.facebook.com/GypsyTravellers-ScotlandCoronavirus-information-100442048272006/
Welfare Rights
You can find useful information/advice by clicking on the following link:
Domestic Abuse Advice
Don't suffer in silence for help during the lockdown follow the link below
https://www.womensaid.org.uk/covid-19-coronavirus-safety-advice-for-survivors/
Coronavirus Caring for People Helpline Service
The Caring for People helpline is available for individuals living in Argyll and Bute who are self-isolating/vulnerable and whose usual support network is no longer available. By contacting the helpline, the Caring for People team can provide the right assistance, working with organisations and volunteers in our communities. If you need help for yourself, or someone you know please call 01546 605 524 or visit https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/coronavirus/help-for-communities#group
There is also a helpline information leaflet.
UK Government Infectious Diseases Guidance
NHS Information and Symptoms Checker
https://www.nhsinform.scot/coronavirus
Scottish Government - Coronavirus in Scotland
https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/
Hand Washing Advice from BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/health-51637561/coronavirus-watch-how-germs-spread
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