Blandford: Garrison housing issues - drop in session Wed 15th Oct

1st & 3rd Wednesday of every month, 0900-1200hrs. At the Pinnacle Office located in the Estates Building, Murdos Road, Blandford Camp.

If you have any issues regarding your Service Family Accommodation and would like to speak to someone face-to-face, pop along, no appointment necessary.

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

Bovington: Garrison coffee morning & DIO housing surgery Wed 5th Nov

If you have any housing issues or concerns, please use this opportunity to come along and speak in person to a housing representative from Pinnacle/Vivo

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

DIO Families First Newsletter for SFA Occupants – Issue 30 Out Now

Issue 30 of DIO’s Families First newsletter, dated 25 Sept, is now available to view online or download on the Defence Homes website

Chatham: Vivo Housing Surgery, Tuesday and Thursday mornings

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

Dreghorn: Pinnacle drop-in sessions, Tuesdays 1300-1500

click on image to enlarge

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

Grantham: Housing Surgery

Next Housing Surgery at the HIVE Community Centre, Building 162, Thursday 16th October, 1030 - 1230. All welcome!

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

Service Family Accommodation (SFA) Communications Update - 19 September 25

An update on SFA maintenance appointments

The SFA Consumer Charter announced in April 2025 shared our commitment to provide reliable repairs and clearer communication for serving personnel and families.

In response to your feedback and to improve our service to you, we are making a change to the allocated appointment window for SFA repairs and maintenance bookings.

We currently provide a one-hour window when you can expect an engineer to arrive at your property to carry out repairs and maintenance tasks on behalf of Amey or VIVO. While we had hoped this would provide you with greater certainty around the timing of the engineer’s arrival, we have found that providing such a short window can make it difficult to achieve the best outcomes for you.

We understand it can be frustrating when our maintenance teams arrive early or late for appointments, or when tasks are not completed within the allocated time because they need to move onto the next appointment. Similarly, where jobs require spare parts, there is not always time to complete the task within the allocated time slot and follow-up appointments are often required.

From 1 October 2025, you will be given a 4-hour window within which your engineer will arrive to carry out your repairs and maintenance tasks. This aligns line with common industry standards and will allow engineers more time to complete tasks fully, as well as undertaking any additional tasks identified to reduce the need for follow up visits.

Extending the arrival window will mean our teams will get to more appointments on time and enable them to spend longer completing jobs to deliver a better service for you and families.

Requests for repairs and maintenance to your home should continue to be directed to Pinnacle on 0800 031 8628, who will book your appointment and confirm the four-hour window. You will receive a reminder message from Amey or Vivo the day before your appointment.

New complaints process (UK SFA)

DIO and our suppliers are focused on providing the best service we can to you and your families. However, we know sometimes things go wrong and we want to ensure you feel heard and supported.

The SFA Consumer Charter, published in April 2025, outlines a series of commitments we will be making to improve our accommodation service offer. This includes a revised, streamlined complaints process that will shorten the process to two stages in line with industry best practice, so that you have quicker resolution.   

In collaboration with Chief of Defence People Accommodation team, important changes have been made to the complaints process currently outlined in Joint Service Publication (JSP) 464. These changes are designed to make the process quicker, simpler, and more robust, providing you with greater confidence and assurance.

What’s changing?

Blandford: Welfare/contact house short term use accommodation

Click on poster above to enlarge

For booking enquiries and to check availability email:

Julie.Osmond100@mod.gov.uk or BLANDFORDGAR-BGSUWELFARE@mod.gov.uk

Information provided by Bovington HIVE via BGSU Welfare team

Colerne: Next housing surgery - Thu 25 Sep

 

Information provided by Colerne HIVE

Stafford: Housing Surgery Beacon Barracks welfare office Wednesday 1st October 2025 13:00- 14:00

Information provided by Stafford HIVE

Lyneham: Contact House booking form

 

Please scan to QR or click here to book online

Information provided by Lyneham HIVE

Highlands: The Armed Forces Covenant, Armed Forces Support in the Highlands

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The Military Liaison Group (MLG) (Education) provides information, resources, news and updates to inform and support our Armed Forces families, educators, wider teams and organisations across Highland. 

 As a partnership we also work collaboratively with Health and Housing.

Education, Health and Housing are inextricably interlinked and together strive to support the needs our Armed Forces Families in Highland

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

Pinnacle Service Families: Virtual Outreach Day on 10 Sep 25

Pinnacle are inviting all Service Family Accommodation (SFA) residents to join our next Virtual Outreach Day on Wednesday 10th September 2025. This online event is a valuable opportunity for families to connect directly with our support teams via Microsoft Teams, from the comfort of their own homes. 

Whether families are dealing with a tricky repair, have questions about allocations, or simply want to better understand the services available to them, the outreach day is designed to provide tailored assistance and guidance. These sessions are part of Pinnacle’s broader initiative to ensure military families have multiple, accessible ways to get the support they need. 

Booking is now open and can be done easily here.  

Scotland: Housing Options Scotland, Military Matters

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For more information  👉 Housing Options Scotland | Right Home, Right Place

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

Leuchars: Pinnacle Drop-in sessions, Wednesdays 13:00-15:00

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Your local Pinnacle office Drop-in is on Wednesdays 13:00-15:00.

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

London: Victory Services Club

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub

DIO Service Family Accommodation (SFA) Communications Update - 11 August 25

SFA Consumer Charter – greater freedoms for families

Service Personnel and families deserve homes that reflect your unique needs and lifestyles. Outdated, lengthy policies are unhelpful in fostering a sense of belonging where you can make a house feel like your home. This is particularly important given the transient nature of military life, which we know can be disruptive.

DIO is committed to transforming this experience. By modernising our policies, we’re empowering families with greater freedom to personalise and enhance your homes. Defence Secretary Rt Hon John Healey MP announced the latest improvements, which include an update to policies making it easier for you to own pets and run businesses from home. In the future, you will also have more freedom to personalise and decorate your homes, the details of which will be confirmed in due course.

• SFA pet policy: We know that pets are a big part of family life. Previously, families with pets were required to seek written permission through the National Service Centre (NSC) before acquiring or bringing existing pets into SFA. Under the revised policy, effective from 9 August 2025, pet owners do not need approval. Instead, you simply need to notify the NSC that you have a pet via an e-form.

Permission will only be required if the number or type of pets exceeds the permissible criteria outlined in the Pet Notification Form on the Pinnacle website.  

Staffordshire and West Midlands: MHLO Advisory – SFA SP/Occupants Preparation for Winter

 

With winter coming the importance of SP/SFA Tenants ensuring that their SFA/Homes are maintained with all boiler and heating systems working correctly to full capacity is paramount. This also in line with the current UK costs for utility provision (Gas/Electric), heating systems working correctly, do have a direct impact in keeping costs down.  

 

Additional: All windows, doors, sealant fittings are to be checked and reported should damage be identified.  

 

This is an SP/Occupant responsibility to check, confirm and if necessary, report. If issues are identified, they are to be reported immediately to allow repairs to be conducted ASAP. Pinnacle should confirm ‘Pinnacle Job Reference Number/s’, confirm date, time of attendance.

 

The Pinnacle National Service Centre (NSC) is the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for all SFA Occupants to raise repair requirements. These then directed to Amey Defence Services (Maintenance Contractor providers for all SFA estates within HQ Centre AoR – UK East & West Midlands, Central Region).

 

Contacting the Pinnacle National Service Centre Link: Contact Us - Pinnacle Service Families

Escalation Process:

 

1. SP/Occupant/s responsible for reporting repair. A repair job number SHOULD BE PROVIDED as reference to the repair reported. Multiple Job Numbers may be given if reporting multiple jobs all at once. These to be utilised as reference should the work requirement have to be escalated if problems arise (Missed appointments, Quality of works conducted, Timeframe for works to be completed, etc).
2. SP/Occupant/s responsible for confirming repair (should initial issues arise) directly with Pinnacle NSC. SP to attend local Pinnacle/Amey Housing Surgeries as required. Pinnacle Housing Officer contact details UK here: Your Housing Officer - Pinnacle Service Families

Please find direct links to Pinnacle information and support (Confirmed in use AUG 25)

Pinnacle Advisory Content	Pinnacle Links to Information
In My Home Emergencies	In My Home – Emergencies - Pinnacle Service Families
Repairs in your home	https://www.pinnacleservicefamilies.co.uk/repairs/
Pinnacle Winter Tips	Winter Advice - Pinnacle Service Families
Pinnacle Handy Winter Tips Video	Winter Videos - Pinnacle Service Families
Boilers and Heating Issues	https://www.pinnacleservicefamilies.co.uk/in-my-home/boilers-and-heating/
In my home – Gas and Energy	https://www.pinnacleservicefamilies.co.uk/in-my-home/gas-and-energy/
In my home – Damp & Mould	https://www.pinnacleservicefamilies.co.uk/in-my-home/damp-and-mould/
Damp & Mould (A Guide to preventing Damp & Mould)	https://www.pinnacleservicefamilies.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/A-guide-to-preventing-condensation-damp-and-mould-SFA_d4.pdf
Emergencies (Fire, Gas, Water Leaks):	https://www.pinnacleservicefamilies.co.uk/in-my-home/emergencies/
Compulsory Safety Checks	https://www.pinnacleservicefamilies.co.uk/compulsory-safety-checks/
Insurance (Building and Contents) for your service family home	https://www.pinnacleservicefamilies.co.uk/in-my-home/in-my-home-buildings-and-contents-insurance/
Problems outside of my home	https://www.pinnacleservicefamilies.co.uk/problems-outside-of-my-home/
Pinnacle Complaints Process	https://www.pinnacleservicefamilies.co.uk/complaints/
Pinnacle Compensation Process (Including Loss of Heating Compensation):	https://www.pinnacleservicefamilies.co.uk/compensation/

 

Information provided by: Central HIVE Hub

Lichfield: Welfare Contact Flats Information for DMS Whittington

Information provided by: Central HIVE Hub

DIO Families First Newsletter – Issue 29

The latest issue of the Families First newsletter is now available on the Defence Homes website and Defence Connect.