{"id":1316,"date":"2020-09-22T10:04:20","date_gmt":"2020-09-22T09:04:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.firstport.co.uk\/insight\/smooth-sailing-at-the-waterways-with-our-rmc-partnership\/"},"modified":"2025-06-11T12:07:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T11:07:48","slug":"smooth-sailing-at-the-waterways-with-our-rmc-partnership","status":"publish","type":"insight","link":"https:\/\/www.firstport.co.uk\/insight\/smooth-sailing-at-the-waterways-with-our-rmc-partnership\/","title":{"rendered":"Smooth sailing at The Waterways with our RMC partnership"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Waterways is a development in Oxford that\u2019s as unique as it is extensive; with over 400 homes (a mix of houses and apartments), green spaces, a wildlife corridor and a canal running right through the middle of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve been the managing agent for The Waterways for more than a decade and, as the site has developed, the relationship we have forged with the Residents\u2019 Management Company (RMC)<\/a> has flourished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long-lasting relationships<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our relationship with the Waterways Management Company has gone from strength-to-strength over the years. Today, it\u2019s this partnership, and the relationship the RMC has with the Residents\u2019 Association (RA), that is the backbone of the successful day-to-day running of the development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Property Manager, Rachel Dolacinski, who\u2019s been responsible for The Waterways since 2016, having a shared sense of community has been key to this continued success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rachel
Rachel has been managing The Waterways since 2016.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverybody\u2019s really proud of living (and working) here because it\u2019s such a nice site and we are all committed to keeping it that way. There are 13 Directors who sit on the main RMC and there are several sub-committees, including the finance, apartment block, gardening, and scrutiny committees,\u201d says Rachel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe RMC and RA are brilliant because they get involved in everything. There\u2019s always something going on \u2013 whether it\u2019s hosting seasonal events and celebrations, or \u2018The Big Rake\u2019, The Waterways community gardening programme, there\u2019s so much spirit here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communication is key<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The secret to maintaining high site standards and having a great community at The Waterways is excellent communication. Whether that\u2019s Rachel engaging with the RMC, their sub-committees, or any of the hundreds of residents living at the development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m in contact with the RMC Directors about one thing or another most days. We don\u2019t wait for formal catch-ups and instead keep the lines of communication open as and when we need it. This works for us as it makes us really responsive to our residents,\u201d explains Rachel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cFor instance, if we\u2019re planning to do any works at the development, we\u2019ll notify the RMC at the start of the process and update them regularly so that they are completely involved. They can then pre-empt any questions from residents so we\u2019re ready to answer them.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The Waterways has over 400 homes, green spaces and a canal running right through the middle of it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

All hands on deck<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When some of the flat roofs at The Waterways needed replacing a few years ago it was an opportunity to see the partnership in action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before starting the work, a survey was carried out to assess the condition of each flat roof. The findings were shared with the RMC who agreed that replacements were necessary since some were nearing the end of their lifespan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Estimates were gathered before Rachel and the RMC Directors reviewed reserve fund<\/a> levels to make sure that money would be available to cover the cost of the work. Rachel then worked on the tender process with FirstPort\u2019s in-house surveyors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWorking with this in-house team meant I could access updates quickly and easily\u201d, Rachel explains. \u201cIn turn, I could keep the RMC updated so they weren\u2019t in the dark about anything, which is how projects like this should be managed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
One of four murals created as part of the Oxford canal mural project.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A proactive partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In addition to proactive communication, proactive problem-spotting also enables standards at The Waterways to be kept consistently high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe residents, committees and Directors are all so engaged here. They quickly let us know if they spot something that needs to be sorted out, such as a light that needs to be fixed, a damaged door closer, or items that need to be removed from the bin stores,\u201d says Rachel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlso, because there are so many members of the RMC living across the site, they are really engaged with the other residents. So if there\u2019s an issue, it\u2019s quickly picked up and resolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe way we work so closely together, as a team, is what makes working with The Waterways Management Company so great. We\u2019re here supporting them, just as much as they\u2019re supporting us – it\u2019s a real partnership. We have a mutual fondness for this beautiful site and we want to do the best for everybody who lives here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cRachel has always maintained an excellent and harmonious relationship with The Waterways Management Company. She strikes the right balance between taking swift action where it is within her remit to do so, and providing relevant information and advice where the committee needs to make a decision. Her detailed knowledge of the estate and its history has been invaluable. She often goes the extra mile to resolve problems or make improvements and the committee genuinely feels that we are all working together towards a common end.\u201d<\/p>\nAdrian Olsen – Chair, Waterways Management Company<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Rachel is just one of 4,000 colleagues caring for customers’ homes across the UK. To find out more about the role of a Property Manager, read A day in the life of a property manager supporting RMC Directors<\/a>, for a behind-the-scenes look at what a \u2018typical\u2019 day involves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1320,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true},"tags":[],"insight-category":[30],"class_list":["post-1316","insight","type-insight","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","insight-category-customer-insights"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstport.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight\/1316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstport.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstport.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/insight"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstport.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1320"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstport.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstport.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1316"},{"taxonomy":"insight-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstport.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-category?post=1316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}