Alison Dean starts her visits to Great Places schemes as new Chief Executive

Last week, Alison Dean, our newly appointed Chief Executive began her new role by getting out and about with colleagues across the South region.  Alison expressed a keen interest in doing this as soon as possible, so throughout July she’s be visiting all our regions and job shadowing colleagues so she can better understand the challenges they face and meet customers across our schemes and neighbourhoods.

Overview of Alison’s visit to the South region – Friday 5 July

Accompanied by Guy Cresswell, Executive Director of Customer Services, Alison’s itinerary for the South region visit was busy and included:

Next Step, Withington: Supporting mental health

The first stop was Next Step in Withington, which provides supported accommodation for adult men with enduring mental health needs. Alison and Guy were greeted by Matt Deaville (Housing & Wellbeing Manager) and Ali Gell (Housing & Wellbeing Assistant), who gave them a tour and explained the day-to-day experiences and some of the positive outcomes for customers. Matt and Ali also discussed best practices for supporting customers and the importance of empathy and consistent support in fostering mental wellbeing.

Docherty House: Combating homelessness and alcohol dependency

Next up was Docherty House, a scheme dedicated to supporting people facing homelessness and alcohol dependency. Shelby Tomkins (Housing and Wellbeing Assistant), along with other colleagues and customers, welcomed Alison and Guy. Conversations were around the challenges faced by customers and the important role of tailored support services. Shelby emphasised the need for additional resources and community involvement to address the complex issues of homelessness and addiction effectively.

Pullman Close: Promoting independent living for over 55s

At Pullman Close, an Independence and Wellbeing scheme for the over 55s, Alison and Guy were met by Jane Kelly (Independent Living Coordinator). Jane showcased the vibrant community garden and the new vegetable patch, a place of pride for customers. The visit highlighted the importance of creating engaging and supportive environments for older adults, promoting independence and social connection. Alison also chatted with customers about their experiences and needs.

Northmoor Road Community Centre: Fostering community engagement

The journey continued to Northmoor Road Community Centre, where Alison and Guy were joined by Naheed Akhtar, volunteer for Longsight-based We Matter CIC, an organisation that provides activities and community events to meet local residents’ needs for support networks. Pete Crean (Community Partnership Manager) and Rachel Self (Neighbourhood Services Manager) then led on a walk-around showing  some of our impactful community projects in action. Alison and Guy then chatted with the team about the importance of community investment and the positive outcomes of collaborative partnerships which improve customers’ wellbeing.

Willow Court: Assessing facilities and identifying needs

The final stop was Willow Court, where Alison and Guy had a look around and discussed potential reinvestment works.

Commenting on the visit, Alison said:

“These visits have been really enjoyable and insightful. It’s essential for me to speak to colleagues and customers directly to understand their experiences and to gain a better understanding of the challenges that they face. This will inform how we work through the delivery of our new Corporate Plan, called Here For Our Customers, to ensure we’re providing services that our customers need and supporting our communities in the most impactful way.”

Guy said:

“It was great to spend time with customers and colleagues working across a range our services.  Their knowledge and commitment to their work was clear and we heard some great examples of colleagues working to our service delivery principle of “with not for”.

Alison’s next visit will see her going to the Central Region on 15^th July.