Good news stories in September 2026
Stock Condition Surveys: Understanding Our Homes, Supporting Our Tenants
At Darlington Borough Council Housing Services, stock condition surveys play an important role in helping us understand the condition of our homes and plan future improvements. These surveys allow us to assess the age and condition of key components such as kitchens, bathrooms, windows, doors, roofs, and heating systems, ensuring homes remain safe, comfortable, and well maintained for our tenants.
We understand that having someone visit your home can sometimes feel daunting, which is why we work hard to ensure our surveyors provide a professional, respectful, and reassuring service.
Recently, tenant Sam shared her experience after having a stock condition survey completed:
"I just wanted to drop you a quick email to let you know that our stock condition survey was completed this morning.
I'm really sorry, but I didn't catch the gentleman's name who carried it out. I just wanted to say how lovely he was. I had been feeling anxious about the survey before, but he was incredibly reassuring, friendly, polite, and professional.
He made the whole process feel so much easier than I had built up inside my head!
I'd be grateful if you could pass on my thanks to him. I genuinely felt he represented your team really well."
Feedback like this is wonderful to receive. We know many tenants can feel anxious about visitors coming into their home, so it's fantastic to hear that our surveyor helped put Sam at ease and made the process a positive experience.
A member of the team said:
"This is really excellent feedback. Tenants can understandably feel anxious about having visitors in their home, and it sounds like our surveyor made the whole process much more comfortable and reassuring. We're delighted to hear such positive comments and will ensure this feedback is shared with the surveyor involved."
Thank you to Sam for taking the time to share her experience and for helping us recognise the excellent service provided by our team. Feedback like this helps us celebrate the difference that a friendly and professional approach can make.
Health Squad Darlington: Supporting Health and Wellbeing in Our Communities
Tenant Involvement Officers Sara and Matthew were recently invited to attend an introduction to Health Squad Darlington, a new local service dedicated to supporting the health and wellbeing of people across Darlington.
Health Squad Darlington is a friendly, local team offering free and confidential health assessments, alongside ongoing support to help people improve their wellbeing and access the right services. The service is open to anyone living in Darlington and aims to provide support to those who may feel unsure where to turn for help.
The team offers a welcoming and informal approach, taking the time to get to know individuals and understand their circumstances. During an appointment, residents can expect a friendly conversation, a short health assessment covering both physical and mental wellbeing, and practical advice and support tailored to their needs.
Health Squad can help with:
- Personalised health and wellbeing assessments
- Support to improve quality of life and wellbeing
- Ongoing follow-up support
- Guidance and connections to other local services
The team is currently working across Darlington five days a week and can meet people at drop-in sessions, booked appointments, or at locations that work best for residents.
As the service continues to develop, Health Squad will be visiting communities throughout Darlington and sharing more information about where and when residents can access support.
For more information: Darlington BC - Health Squad Darlington
Supporting Our Community Together
At Darlington Borough Council Housing Services, we are proud to work with our subcontractors who share our commitment to supporting local residents and making a difference in our communities.
Recently, one of our tenants, Mrs Dresser, experienced damage to her kitchen ceiling following a slow leak from a hot water supply. Repairs are currently underway, with further works scheduled to ensure the issue is fully resolved.
While discussing the repairs, it became clear that Mrs Dresser, who is 82 years old, was worried about how she would manage the decorating required once the repair work had been completed. As she has limited support available to help with these tasks, we approached our repairs sub-contractor, Mitie, to see if they could assist.
Demonstrating their community spirit, Mitie generously offered to redecorate the kitchen ceiling, walls and woodwork at no cost to Mrs Dresser as a goodwill gesture.
A spokesperson from Mitie said:
"Given the circumstances and the fact that Mrs Dresser is an 82-year-old resident, we're more than happy to support her by carrying out these additional works as a goodwill gesture. We believe it's important to give something back to the local community and help our elderly residents where we can."
This act of kindness is a great example of how our contractors often go above and beyond their contractual responsibilities to support residents and contribute positively to the communities they serve.
We would like to thank Mitie for their generosity and for helping make a difficult situation a little easier for one of our tenants. Small gestures like this can make a big difference and demonstrate the value of working together to support our communities.
Linda, Housing Management Officer, said:
"We are fortunate to work with partners who genuinely care about our residents. Mitie's response shows the positive impact that can be achieved when organisations work together to support people in need."
This story is a reminder that community is about more than delivering services. It is about people coming together to help one another when they can.
