Partnership working: Spotlight on Workington

Our largest concentration of homes is in the Workington area of Cumbria, and we do lots of work in partnership with other local agencies, to focus on building strong communities.

Working with the local Police

Colleagues from CCHA’s Lettings & Neighbourhoods team recently joined PCSO Luke King in a joint patrol around Northside. They engaged with local residents while they were out and about, to introduce themselves and to talk about their roles and services to residents. The aim is to build trust with local people, so that they feel confident in raising any issues or concerns.

Allerdale Local Focus Hub multi-agency event

Colleagues from CCHA took part in a special event in Northside in January 2023, which aimed to boost community spirit, by providing residents with access to support and advice.

Over 100 people attended the event, organised by the Allerdale Local Focus Hub, a partnership between local organisations including CCHA, Cumbria Police, Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service, and Cumbria County Council.

The event offered Northside residents the chance to engage with others in their community, to access advice and guidance on services, and to discuss any issues in their area.

Residents attending had access to free resources and food donated by local businesses, with the event acting as a temporary Warm Spot, offering residents the chance to get warm and enjoy a hot drink and a friendly chat. Colleagues from CCHA gave out wellbeing packs throughout the event and chatted with residents about housing options and services.

CCHA worked in partnership with the Allerdale Borough Council Enforcement Team, and we have been part of the award-winning ‘Operation Respect’ campaign.

‘Operation Respect’ scooped the prestigious Keep Britain Tidy ‘Community Engagement’ award in February 2023 for its work in keeping local communities clean and tidy.

The campaign has involved engagement with a number of agencies, including education and enforcement activities, with the Allerdale Local Focus Hub Partnership leading on the Operation Respect days, including a Northside Community Day, and coordinating with key local partners including CCHA, other housing providers, Cumbria County Council, Cumbria Police, Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service, Active Cumbria, Allerdale Community Development, Cumbria Family Support Network, Active Cumbria, the DWP, and Family Action.

The collaborative engagement activities have had a hugely positive impact and there has been a significant decrease in fly-tipping as a result.

Managing Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB)

We believe everybody has the right to the peaceful enjoyment of their home, which is why we are committed to working with our residents and local partners to tackle ASB and neighbour nuisance. We take reports of ASB very seriously at CCHA.

Below are some examples of the work we have undertaken to reduce ASB recently:

• We have been working very closely with Cumbria Police and restorative justice charity, Remedi, to work with young people involved in hate crimes, including going into local schools to raise awareness.

• Thanks to support from residents, we currently have 102 active cases of ASB, following over 600 reports. We investigate every report of ASB and aim to work with residents to reach a satisfactory resolution.

• With support from residents and intelligence provided, we’ve been able to serve four ‘Section 21’ notices in the past year, which means those people have to give up their tenancies, due to serious ASB, which has had a serious detrimental impact on local communities. Section 21 notices are an absolute last resort and are only served in cases where no other resolution can be found.