A SHAKE-UP at a Dorset housing company which will see some staff lose their jobs will mean a better deal for residents, bosses insisted today.
The review at Synergy Housing Group, the parent company of Weymouth and Portland Housing (WPH), is not likely to affect plans for a £27million overhaul of sheltered housing schemes in Weymouth.
Senior management roles, including that of WPH managing director Kevin Dey, will disappear as part of the shake-up but new positions will be created.
But staff are understood to be very concerned by the move, particularly in the current economic climate.
Synergy is conducting a review after a damning Audit Commission report last year which criticised a part of its business.
It said the move will mean residents will have a greater say in the running of the business and see improved services.
This was welcomed by Rosemary Young of Bedford Road, Weymouth.
But Mrs Young, 62, said she was still opposed to plans that would see her bungalow demolished to make way for a new housing scheme.
WPH is proposing an improvement scheme to create new flats, bungalows and houses for more than 230 tenants.
Mrs Young said: “The service the housing association provides is fine and while I’m sorry to hear jobs will be lost they do need a bit of a shake-up because there’s a lot of people I’ve seen at the office who are drinking tea and hiding in their vans.
“We do have a tenants’ panel down but I don’t really hear anything back from it. We need a bit of new blood – people who will stand their ground rather than just go along with the flow.”
Mrs Young added: “I’m sure the company has made up its mind about the new development and whatever we say won’t matter. If they say I have to move out then I want compensation for the work I’ve done here.”
Cliff Taylor, 66, of Dorset Close, said: “The service the housing association provide is good and I’ll give them their due – when serious concerns are raised they tend to get sorted pretty quickly.
“I’m sure I’ll hear more news about this at the next tenants’ committee.”
Synergy said its proposals would lead to improved services for 8,400 tenants in Dorset and Hampshire.
Brian Miller, interim director for Synergy who is responsible for pushing through the governance review, said staff will be brought into one organisation to provide a ‘consistent level of service.’ Jobs are at risk but Mr Miller said he would be ‘surprised’ after the shake-up if the company employed fewer people than they did currently.
He stressed the move had nothing to do with the current economic climate.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for WPH said: “There are no plans to change any of the commitments we currently have in place.
“The restructuring exercise is simply designed to ensure that services for tenants, residents and staff become even more efficient and fit for purpose in the future.”
The spokesman said the results from the consultation exercise on the new housing scheme were being analysed before a decision could be made.
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