Skip to main content

Providing call centre services for Ferguslie Park Housing Association

Ferguslie Park Housing Association (FPHA) is an independent community-based housing association with 803 properties. In order to provide its residents with 24-hour access in the event of a domestic repairs emergency, Ferguslie Park needed to partner with an external call centre operations provider.

Ferguslie Park approached Saltire Facilities Management in 2019, in order to run a pilot to test the both the requirement for the service, and the success of the initiative.

The housing provider has values including compassion and professionalism, and during the pilot it became clear that residents felt comforted by a 24/7 presence, and were always able to talk to someone who could quickly assign the right tradesperson to resolve their emergency.

“We are delighted that Saltire was the successful bidder for our Call Centre out of hours contract, as the service they provide is professional and adaptable to our requirements. Saltire’s procedures are clear and concise and call handlers demonstrate an excellent understanding of our contract processes”
Catherine Aiton
Property Maintenance Manager, Ferguslie Park Housing Association

The pilot was concluded later that year, and it was concluded by FPHA that it was important to implement permanent external call centre services for residents.

FPHA put out to tender a call centre service contract, seeking a provider which could handle telephone calls, assess and prioritise repairs, and pass repairs on to the right person via the landlord’s own software.

Saltire’s successful and busy call centre was awarded the contract, which has been in place since 2021 and is set to conclude in 2024, with a possible extension until 2026. The contract is valued at more than £15,000 per annum.

As a provider of social housing, Stonewater has a strong mission and set of values which align with Saltire’s own purpose, including providing an ethical service, promoting decarbonisation, and respect for the diverse needs of vulnerable residents.

With this shared ethos in mind, Saltire is working to deliver community benefits in the region for the duration of the contract, including supporting employees from the previous Stonewater contractor to retrain as Gas Engineers, delivering well-paid permanent employment to the area.

Saltire is also in talks with a Midlands-based skills training company to offer support for trainee gas engineers, with staff giving their time to help young people gather the evidence for their portfolio.

“We have built a really strong partnership with Ferguslie Park Housing Association since the pilot ran in 2019. Our Customer Service Representatives are exceptionally highly trained to use our customers’ own systems and processes, and are able to quickly resolve tenants’ issues.”

Natalie Milne
Services Delivery Director