Communication options and reasonable adjustments to access our services

This page sets out the different ways we can support you to access information and services from Anchor.

On this page you’ll find:

Accessibility information about our website
Your communication options – how to set up a preference
Translations
Options for specific resident publications
Reasonable adjustments for people with a disability
How we respond to diverse needs
More information

Our website

We are committed to making our website as accessible and inclusive as possible as it is a key way that a range of people access information about Anchor and our services. To support this, we have introduced the Recite Me accessibility toolbar. This allows you to customise your online experience by changing colours, adjusting font sizes, using a screen reader, or translating content into over 100 languages. The toolbar also offers features to help you focus on key parts of a page and provides text-to-speech options if you need written content read aloud.

You can try out the toolbar by selecting the Recite Me button on the left side of the screen and tailoring your visit to suit your needs.

Your communication options

Person smiling If would like support with accessing information and already live with us the first step is to contact your local manager. Alternatively, if you do not have a location manager or are enquiring about our services, please contact our Customer Experience Hub on 0800 731 2020 or by using the form on our Contact page.

If you have a hearing or speech impairment a communication preference can be set up on our system. We partner with Relay UK who provide a service that turns phone conversations into text or vice versa. We can also record your preferences around receiving emails and letters.

If you’re partially-sighted, we can arrange for you to receive the majority of communications from us in large print or Braille if you would like.

Translations

You can request certain communications from us in a different language or in Braille. If you, or someone else requires this service, please let your local manager or the Customer Experience Hub know. 

Communication options for specific resident publications

A number of our resident publications are available on our Resident Publications webpage electronically, in formats which allow the font size to be increased or read using screen-reader software.

Local housing newsletter

If a local newsletter is produced for your location, your local manager can provide a large print or electronic version of it if either of those versions would be more accessible for you.

Life magazine for housing residents

If you’ve registered for your communications from us to be in large print, you’ll be sent an A4 large print version of the magazine when it’s issued.

Or, you can register to receive an audio CD version of Life, our resident magazine, by speaking to your local manager. Each time there’s a new edition published, you’ll receive an audio CD and accompanying large print version. We also publish the latest audio version on our Resident Publications webpage too.

Reasonable adjustments for people with a disability

Two people talking In line with the Equality Act 2010 we’re committed to ensuring people with a disability are not disadvantaged when accessing our services and we will make reasonable adjustments to our service when requested. This includes our residents, new applicants who may wish to live with us as well as representatives who act on their behalf.

We also consider and anticipate the needs of those with a disability when developing our policies and processes. With the aim of making sure they support accessibility, transparency and are fair for all.
Some examples of the things we can put in place are:

Alternative formats for communications (see the communication options section above)
Alternative ways of contacting you to ensure you’re not disadvantaged
Making changes to our policy, process or ways of working to accommodate your needs
Providing an auxiliary aid to help you access a service or a property-related aid.

While we’ll try our best to provide the adjustment you need, there may be occasions where this isn’t possible. For example, there’s a legal requirement to do something in a certain way or we may offer you an alternative solution. We will always explain the rationale behind our decision, but if you are dissatisfied, you’ll have an opportunity to appeal our decision through our complaints process.

How we respond to diverse needs

Our resident guidance page on Responding to diverse needs here explains our commitment to deliver fair, accessible and person-centred Housing services that recognise and respond to the additional and diverse needs of our residents.