The Last Blog of 2023!

In the last GreenSquareAccord Resident blog of 2023, it's time to conclude the year with our final thoughts as we gear up for what promises to be another interesting year. Let's take a moment to reflect on the past twelve months as we consider the twelve that lie ahead.

As our seasoned and devoted site visitors will know, the latter part of 2023 has been entrenched in legal matters, a trend that is set to persist into 2024.

Despite my best efforts to avoid referencing Franz Kafka's "The Trial” to prevent sounding clichéd, pseudo-intellectual, or overly obvious, I must admit that I have failed, just as GreenSquareAccord has failed to provide any charges against me, other than the assertion that the removal of a historic webpage ‘ought’ to be added to my list of agreed undertakings.

So, here I am, much like Josef K., navigating the complexities of a legal system without a clear understanding of the charges against me. Simultaneously, GreenSquareAccord is combing through the site to find something they can leverage against me in court. In this context, we aim to establish the who's, why's, and when’s.

Why and when did it become so personal?

For me, this is simple and obvious—this is my home.

One of our most significant monthly payments is made to GreenSquareAccord, with the understanding that they will uphold their end of the agreement, ensuring that our homes are safe, warm and dry. This commitment is one they have consistently failed to fulfill, despite our faithful payment of the service charge every month without fail.

So, it's that simple. By taking money and failing to address and repair issues for which they are supposedly accountable, they have negatively impacted our lives and mental well-being. They have left us in homes with failing fire alarms, unsecured against local gangs, allowed raw sewage to flood our building, caused damp and cold drafts to permeate our homes, neglected the grounds, and ignored our pleas for help. All the while, they continued to take our hard-earned money. Is it personal? You bet your life it is!

But what about the professionals at GreenSquareAccord, why have they taken it so personally?

To answer this, I must first prove that they have. From third-party accounts, there is often bemusement about how personally the senior leadership team responds when discussing me and our shared disagreements.

Letters from the senior leadership team clearly demonstrate this attitude. And, of course, there is defensiveness from them when I openly criticise them for not being able to do their jobs—despite it being repeatedly proven, as upheld by governing bodies, mentioned by MPs and the press.

Let’s be clear; their failings are on the public record, well-documented, and listed. Yet, they haven’t gone over these critiques with others; with me, it's so personal.

My wife, who is far more insightful, intelligent, and interesting than I am, was able to answer this question. Back when GreenSquare (before they merged with Accord) was failing with regularity and responding with what is now well understood to be their modus operandi, I sought to establish where the failings were happening. Was it with the customer service desk not sharing issues correctly? Was it with mid-management unable to liaise with other departments? Was it due to an underfunded and understaffed maintenance team unable to cope with the tsunami of overdue repair requests? Was it with the senior leadership team who were either unwilling or simply unable to manage multiple departments across multiple locations?

To help gain an answer, I used a Subject Access Request to track my email as it journeyed from the customer desk to the service request, and beyond. Well, it wouldn't travel much beyond this point until it was turned into a complaint, at which point it would bounce around between teams that had been given the title of customer expert and the like, without actually having the training to handle complaints.

Of course, what these internal emails revealed is that, to a certain degree, every department was failing to provide their part of the bargain. It was clear from the emails that GreenSquare was failing at every level. When GreenSquare merged with Accord, things only became worse. A second SAR provided me with more alarming traits that caused even more concern; a third SAR sent 12 months later showed that things had not improved. However, GreenSquareAccord had learned one lesson.

GreenSquareAccord quickly grasped that their internal emails being shared online did not portray them in a favourable light. As such, they took the step to reduce the number of emails that should be shared with me. The first step was to stop referring to me by name and instead refer to me as Mr. J.

Of course, this wouldn’t work, as you can see. An email that I had sent would still be (by law) shared with me. We can only guess at how many emails were shared internally where I was referred to as Mr. J.

Then GreenSquareAccord decided that the only way to safely discuss me was in private meetings, as shown in internal emails.

When discussing a resident in a negative way in an email, most sensible people will hold back on what they write. But put them in a room under the guise of a meeting for an hour, and they can really let rip!

In such meetings, the management team will sit and ideally gossip about residents who dare to suggest that they are being overcharged for services they are failing to provide.

If you need an example of such gossip, here is an extract from a letter from GreenSquareAccord's customer service director:

‘Colleagues have told us they find your emails, websites, and blog posts, together with your attempts to contact them through their private social media accounts 'unpleasant,' 'creepy,' and 'disturbing.' They also consider them to contain implied ‘threats’ and ‘professional slurs.’ Female colleagues have also told us your behavior makes them feel ‘extremely vulnerable and unsafe.’ One colleague has also complained about the impact your behavior is having on their mental health.’ 

Of course, when asked for examples, they failed to provide any and quickly removed such unqualified and libellous hearsay from all future correspondence. But who doesn't believe this to be personal in nature?

So, by stopping them from using emails to negatively discuss residents, they now sit around and gossip in meetings when they could and should be focused on resolving all the ongoing issues.

Why Legal Action?

To understand the gravity of the legal action taken, it's crucial to examine why it has become such a personal matter. Let's first establish the nature of the alleged wrongdoing.

From this website, it is evident that I raised concerns on behalf of myself and my neighbours, highlighting issues that adversely impacted our homes. In the face of GreenSquareAccord's shortcomings, I endeavoured to hold them accountable. When GreenSquareAccord touted their achievements, I provided balance by sharing posts that brought attention to problems or shared emails directly contradicting the positive image Ruth Cooke and her team portrayed online.

I've extended my support to fellow residents facing the unfortunate situation of paying for a service they haven't received, residing in unsafe, damp, and cold homes, all while being ignored by GreenSquareAccord, and left without guidance on seeking recourse.

I've exposed issues that GreenSquareAccord tried hard to conceal. This is the "crime" I willingly admit to—guilty as charged, Your Honor. I can sleep peacefully at night, knowing I stand on the side of righteousness and support those in need.

What about the GSA Team?

They are pursuing legal action to suppress my efforts in raising these issues. They vehemently oppose my support for neighbours and the broader community. Despite gestures supporting transparency, they are desperate to conceal the state of their homes. They consistently ignore repair requests and take measures to prevent others from assisting customers they have failed.

They go to great lengths to silence me—from speaking to the press, other providers, to engaging in speaking engagements within the sector seeking to learn from their mistakes.

While I attempt to offer support, GreenSquareAccord persistently blocks, silences, ignores, and hides issues and faults. Why?

One plausible reason is their recent in-depth assessment by the Regulator for Social Housing. With legal action pending, they can claim to be actively addressing the situation.

As the board undergoes another shake-up, the top positions might not be as secure as they believe. Hence, they seek to silence any form of criticism to present an image of success they are mandated to achieve.

Senior leaders manipulate facts and figures to project an image as a leading social housing provider to secure new builds. 

Perhaps, in a more unsettling scenario, they intentionally let properties deteriorate to sell them at reduced costs, raking in revenue while charging service fees without delivering the service—secretly taking advantage of us all.

The latest ambitious "stronger, better five-year strategy" is already facing challenges. The culture is evidently not in line with the one being promoted. It might be time for Ruth Cooke to step down as CEO, and this latest court action could be her final attempt to stifle criticism of her position and failures in the role.

In conclusion 

As we step into the new year, the looming threat of legal action scheduled for February prompts us to ponder significant questions. What are their true intentions, and why are they allowed to allocate the funds we contribute towards pursuing legal action against someone providing support to residents they previously let down? 

In an era where openness, honesty, and transparency are celebrated, it's disheartening to witness a housing provider resorting to extensive legal manoeuvres.

To date, there is no evidence of any breaches of the undertakings. I find myself awaiting court action for a purported crime of which I am unaware. Perhaps they anticipate that this latest blog will inadvertently breach something, providing them with grounds for legal recourse. At this moment, such a scenario seems unlikely. Nevertheless, I will maintain patience and keep you informed of the outcome in due course.

In the interim, it is crucial that we hold those accountable responsible. Especially in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, when we pay for a service, we must demand value for our money. When this obligation is neglected, we must insist on holding those in charge answerable.

The cornerstone of our freedom of speech lies in our ability to criticise those who fall short. Anyone suggesting otherwise should be approached with caution. We must question whether we can trust an and organisation that goes to such measures to silences can we really trust them to address the issues in our homes that are falling apart—something worth reflecting upon.

Food for thought!

In the meantime, Happy Christmas one and all, see you in 2024!