Holding Dale & Valley Homes to account

Customers of a Wear Valley company have formed a new scrutiny group to hold the firm to account.

The group of eight customers is responsible for ensuring Dale & Valley Homes provides a good service to people living in council homes in Wear Valley.

Members of the scrutiny group come from all areas of the district from Billy Row to Bishop Auckland.

Clair Ord, the company’s customer involvement manager, said: “Changes in the regulation of public sector housing companies like Dale & Valley Homes have meant the introduction of new methods of ensuring we are providing excellent services for our customers needs.

“There will no longer be a national inspection system. Instead we have asked customers what they thought was the best was to scrutinise ourselves and the scrutiny group was their idea.

“We are providing training to the eight tenants who have been selected and their job will be to hold the company to account. The training they receive could also help them in other areas of their lives so it is a very positive thing.

“This is an exciting and interesting development which increases the links between Dale & Valley Homes and its customers, something which is central to the company’s whole ethos.”