Care and Repair Cymru has a very simple vision statement – that all older people in Wales shall have warm, safe, secure homes that meet their individual needs. The charity is the Welsh equivalent to similar organisations in England and Scotland, an ‘umbrella body’ for the Care and Repair movement across Wales.
With 22 Care & Repair Agencies across Wales– from Monmouthshire to Ynys Mon, Pembrokeshire to Flintshire – getting together at Care and Repair Cymru’s Cardiff headquarters is often just not time efficient.
"AN OPERATOR IS ALWAYS ON HAND TO DEAL WITH ANY ISSUES"
“Asking people to travel from all over Wales to spend just a few hours in Cardiff is not cost effective. It is very time consuming and not environmentally friendly” Heather says, frankly. “So the meetings often take place on the telephone. Although we have six incoming lines ourselves, we need to keep some of these free, so we use Community Network.”
"CALLS ARE PROMPT AND THE SERVICE FRIENDLY"
Community Network, of course, doesn’t just provide the technological link between each of the agencies. The charity manages the call itself, dialling out to each participant at the appointed time, greeting them and introducing them to the conference. An operator is always on hand to deal with any issues, should they arise.
Accordingly, the ‘customer service’ side of the operation is often cited by clients as a key reason for their ongoing use. And as the person responsible for the efficient operation of the office, Heather concurs with this.
"AN EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO MEETING FACE TO FACE"
“We have never had any problems using Community Network. The calls are always prompt and the service friendly. For us Community Network has offered an efficient and effective alternative to meeting face to face.
The participants in this organisation’s telephone meetings tend to be senior staff, and the cost saving in terms of working time saved will be considerable – even discounting direct expenses such as travel and sustenance. And whilst it’s understood that face-to-face contact is often necessary, the telephone is not thought of as a ‘poor relation’ within Care and Repair Cymru.
“We like to use teleconferencing and embrace new technology. To travel all around Wales is time-consuming. We also consider the environmental impact of travel. I would recommend Community Network,” says Heather.
