West Granton Housing Co-op

Our Tenants Are Paramount In Everything We Do

About WGHC

West Granton Housing Co-operative Limited (WGHC) was formed in 1990 by residents of the West Granton area of north Edinburgh in order to provide new rented housing in an area dominated by low demand council housing.  We currently have a stock of 372 general needs properties.

Our mission Statement

“Our tenants are paramount in everything we do”

Our history

West Granton Housing Co-operative Limited (WGHC) was formed in 1990 by residents of the West Granton area of north Edinburgh in order to provide new rented housing in an area dominated by low demand council housing.
Initially deck access blocks in West Granton itself were demolished and a phased redevelopment of the area took place. We now own 372 properties and two play park areas. We are community based with all our stock based in North Edinburgh between the Forthquarter development at the Waterfront, Granton and Ferry Road Avenue.

Pictures below, before WGHC: Deck access flats in West Granton prior to demolition in 1993.

   

Pictures below – After: our current stock: Granton Mill Drive (top left) Forthquarter (top right)
Ferry Road Avenue (bottom left) and Granton Mains Avenue (bottom right)

 

 

Our Legal Status

West Granton Housing Co-operative Limited is a fully mutual co-operative housing association and a Registered Social Landlord (RSL) registered with The Scottish Housing Regulator. The registration number is HAC225.

The registered office is 26 Granton Mill Crescent, Edinburgh EH4 4UT.
West Granton Housing Co-operative has been designated as a Scottish Public Authority by an order made under section 5 of the Act, known as the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (Designation of Persons as Scottish Public Authorities) Order 2013

WGHC is a not for profit organisation. Any surpluses are used for the objectives of the co-operative. No surpluses are distributed to members. Members cannot buy their homes. WGHC is an independent RSL. We are not a member of a group nor a subsidiary of another company. WGHC itself has no subsidiaries.

 

The vision of WGHC is that: “We will be the leading housing co-operative in Scotland, recognised as a centre of excellence” 

This is supported by our mission statement that: “Our tenants are paramount in everything we do” 

To try and ensure that both of the above are achieved, WGHC has 5 x core values:

  • Service
  • Consistency
  • Accountability
  • Learning
  • Excellence

To further cement all of the above, WGHC commissioned the Tenant Information Service (TIS) to engage with groups of WGHC tenants to create, propose and agree a WGHC tenant service charter. Following un-influenced consultation with WGHC tenants, a tenant service charter has been agreed. WGHC staff will now be required to abide by what WGHC tenants have requested.

 

The Full WGHC Tenant Charter Can be read here.

Highlights are published below for your ease of reference.

Respect
  • Communicate with tenants in a polite and friendly manner;
  • Listen to tenants and respect their views;
  • Behave respectfully and professionally;
Inclusive
  • Be approachable, welcoming and friendly with everyone;
  • Ensure that everyone we engage with feels respected;
  • Take time to listen and get to know tenants and their needs;
  • Ensure that information is accessible, such as the provision of            interpreters, large print, etc;
  • Provide access to translation and/or interpretation services on request;
  • Be aware of and understand our communities cultures and beliefs;
Integrity
  • Speak honestly and be open;
  • Help wherever possible;
  • Do the right thing, even if it is not the easiest thing to do;
  • Take responsibility and proactively resolve any issues;
  • Do what we say we are going to do, and take the time to communicate updates;
  • Ensure any information you share with WGHC will be treated in a confidential manner;
  • Take pride in the work that we do and recognise we are doing it for our tenants;
Improvement
  • Be committed to providing good quality homes and working with tenants to make West Granton an attractive place for people to live with good quality housing and local environments, as well as deliver services that meet tenants needs;
  • Seek to do our best with excellence as our standard;
  • Strive to improve what we do for our tenants;
  • Listen to you and take positive action to improve our services;
  • Look for ways to make a positive difference through the work that we do;
Support
  • Have a “how can I help” approach;
  • Show consideration and understanding; and
  • Listen to tenants concerns and help resolve issues wherever possible.

This means you can / should expect the following from all WGHC staff in all matters on all occasions:

 

Telephone
  • Answer calls promptly within five rings when the office is open.
  • Tell you who you are speaking to.
  • Respond to telephone messages you leave on our voicemail, when the office is closed or calls are diverted to voicemail for other reasons, within one working day of message being left.
  • Call you back, if you have asked us to, within two working days. If you want to speak to a specific person who is not available, we will let you know when you can expect a call back or offer an alternative.
 

Email
  • Acknowledge receipt of email within one working day.
  • Reply within five working days.
  • Provide an immediate out of office message advising when we will return or offer an alternative contact email.
  • Ensure the name and job title of the staff member you have contacted or has contacted you, is included in our return emails, along with the office telephone number.
Letter / Written Correspondence
  • Acknowledge receipt of letter within two working days by letter, telephone, or email.
  • Reply to letters within five working days.
  • Ensure our letters to you are clear, easy to understand and provide information on what to do next, if required.
  • Include a contact name, telephone number, and any other information needed (e.g., reference number).
Home Visits
  • Treat your home with respect.
  • Let you know why we are visiting.
  • Arrive promptly for a pre-arranged appointment, telephone, or text to advise of any change.
  • Tell you in advance if we need to reschedule a visit.
  • Leave a calling card when contact has not been possible to let you know how to rearrange your appointment.
  • Confirm in writing any agreed actions from meetings within five working days.
Appointments
  • Arrange to discuss personal information in a quiet and confidential space in the office.
  • Arrange a suitable time and place to meet with you if nowhere is available at the time.
  • Provide an alternative appointment if the staff member you want to speak to is not available or there is no other member of staff who can help.
  • Meet you within fifteen minutes of the agreed time for a pre-arranged appointment.
  • If you do not have an appointment, we will let you know how long you will wait to speak to a member of staff.

In our approach to repairs, we will:

  • Acknowledge your request within one working day
  • Arrange an appointment to carry out the necessary repair between Monday to Friday (9am and 1pm or 2pm and 4.15pm) – please note, the contractor may contact you direct to arrange your appointment

Respond to:

  • Emergency repair    – attend within 3 hours
  • Urgent repair             – complete within 2 working days
  • Routine repair           – complete within 10 working days

 

  • Provide you with a repair record (incl. unique work order number) which will detail access arrangements, the contractor, and expected completion time
  • Once the repair is complete, we will seek your views on the experience and how well the repair was carried out

 

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