How we work

We’re a local charitable housing association based in Chelmsford, Essex. We have over 300 employees, including teams of specialists and skilled tradespeople, all of whom are committed to providing you with a great service and a safe, high-quality home. Here you can read about some of the ways we do this. You can find information on how we operate as an organisation by going to our How we're run page.

Repairs and maintenance

We carry out a repairs and maintenance service that’s free of charge where damage has occurred through normal wear and tear. We encourage you to report repairs to us as soon as possible.  You can do this by signing up or signing in to your online account. You can also find out about our repair responsibilities and what you’re responsible for there.

Building safety

We help keep you and your home safe. We carry out annual gas safety checks for tenants to make sure your gas appliances are working correctly and are well maintained. We also carry out electrical inspections every five years, and we perform fire door checks in flats. We work with specialist asbestos consultants to regularly survey all homes and we undertake water hygiene checks where needed. To find out more about these safety checks and information on lift safety, see our Looking after your home page.

Local support

We have a dedicated team of Neighbourhood Advisors out and about to help you and other people in your area. Their role is to respond quickly and resolve any issues you might have. They know your community and work with other organisations, so they can signpost you to the right service for your needs as well as deal with anything to do with your home or tenancy.

Access to services 24/7

As a CHP customer, you have your own, personal and secure online account to make it easy to communicate with us and manage your home. This gives you instant access to a range of information and services at any time that suits you. You can update and keep track of enquiries, for example checking the status of a repair, requesting a change to your tenancy or asking permission for a pet. You can also view and update the information we have about you. If you haven’t already, you can sign up now for your online account. 

We also have a phone number you can call 8am-5pm Monday - Friday if you prefer to speak to one of our advisors. For more information about that, go to Contact us.

Getting your views

One of our values is open-minded and we want to find out how you think we’re doing and where we can improve. We want you to hold us to account to help us provide the best possible service. So, we’ve put in place lots of ways for you to share your opinions and influence what we do. You can Join a feedback group, share your ideas, make a compliment or complaint or learn about our Customer Review Panel and how its members are scrutinising our services.

Help with money worries

We can help you maximise your income by providing  expert support with claiming benefits you’re entitled to. We can also signpost you to helpful organisations if you’re in debt. Take a look at our Benefit advice page for more information.

Developing skills

If you’re looking for a job or would like to develop your skills, we can provide advice and support. We help customers, and anyone living in the communities we serve, with CV creation, interview preparation and we work with a number of partners that offer online training. Visit our Employment skills page to find out more. You can also find help with improving your computer literacy by visiting our Life skills page.

Your safety

Your safety and the safety of your community is of utmost importance to us. We have specialist teams who provide support with anti-social behaviour, safeguarding vulnerable adults and children, hate crime and domestic abuse. Read more on our Your neighbours and community page.

Energy efficiency

We’re working to increase the energy efficiency of our homes. We want to make sure our existing homes are as future-proof and environmentally sustainable as possible and aren’t causing detriment to the livelihoods and finances of our customers. We have an Environmental Sustainability Strategy that will help us achieve this. Find out more on our Energy performance page and Our commitment to sustainability page.

alt=