An innovative member of staff at Black Country Housing Group (BCHG) adapted an empty bedroom in its care homes so relatives could visit their loved ones after months of being separated from them due to strict Covid regulations. Families can now sit behind Perspex glass in the novel visiting booth and speak to each other over a phone.

Staff from across the social housing provider, based in Rowley Regis, pitched in across different services and helped out where needed including members of the executive board, who offered Covid secure transport to colleagues who were struggling to get to a test centre because they don't drive.

Founded in 1974, this large not-for-profit community organisation employs more than 300 people across its portfolio of more than 2,200 homes and two residential care homes and provides not just a roof over people's head but a wide range of support and services.

During the pandemic BCHG supported more than 400 people in its communities from help to find work to digital inclusion and making debt referrals. It also helped homeless people to find accommodation, provided food parcels for people who had nothing to eat and set up an iPad loan scheme. BCHG created a Lockdown Heroes initiative to recognise those for going above and beyond in the pandemic and all staff received a £100 bonus payment in December for their contribution to ensuring tenants, customers and service users' needs were taken care of despite the pandemic.