4pp Accent News - North West _ July 2014_Newsletter 24/06/2014 09:18 Page 1
North W West est
JUL LY 2014 JULY
Personal, Modern and Better – it’s now six months since we launched our new service, we’ve achieved a lot in that time, but we’re not finished yet… Our notable successes include: 4
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Launching our national repairs contact centre – it deals with over 1,200 repair requests per week. Your satisfaction with the service remains at 90%. Launching our five local contact centres – on average each centre deals with around 500 calls per week, taking less than ten seconds to answer each call. Launching our new staff structure – with patch based housing officers and home ownership officers providing local information (see page 3). Recruiting residents to our local customer services committees – to scrutinise our service standards and performance that matters to you. A new user-friendly website – we expect to add more useful functions early in 2015.
Our long term focus is to become a first class landlord, and your feedback is helping us to achieve this goal. Our 2013 survey results provided us with excellent feedback and lots to think about. From the results, we have, with residents, developed a set of local action plans which have identified the key areas for improvement for each region. In our next issue… Look out for our annual performance report and a survey to find out what you think of Accent News.
01. Repairs 2. ASB 3. Arrears 04. Complaints
Many of you pay your rent by standing order, cash at offices, swipe cards and internet payments, but here are some alternatives, our aim is to give you choice and convenience… Allpay App: Make payments from your phone or tablet by downloading the Allpay App which is available on Apple, Windows and Android devices. You will need an Allpay swipecard and bank account, if you need an Allpay card, call us on 0345 678 0590.
0345 678 0590
“At last. An App that helps me pay my bills.”
Allpay hotline: If you have an Allpay card, but prefer to pay over the phone, call the automated hotline on 0844 557 8321. Callpay: You can call us on 0345 678 0590 and pay with your credit or debit card.
burnley@accentgroup.org
Direct Debit: The most convenient way to pay. We offer paperless Direct Debits without forms. If you’d like to set one up, call us on 0345 678 0590.
www.accentgroup.org
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You are helping us to improve our services… Earlier this year, we set up our Accent North West Residents’ Advisory Panel, a group of residents who have come together to scrutinise our services to help us improve. The panel’s first meeting took place in May where a ‘terms of reference’ was agreed to help guide its activities. Members also chose their first scrutiny area – the estate inspections process.
Estate inspections are key to helping us make sure our estates look great and that any security or health and safety matters are dealt with. The panel met in Leyland in June to start its review – we’ll keep you posted on progress.
Credit Union Update Back in February, we said we were looking to link in with credit unions across the North West. Since then, we have been working closely with Pennine Community Credit Union to develop an offer for all residents through established credit unions across the region. This will make the process simple and consistent and give access to credit union services to all our customers. Through the credit union partnership we will offer rent direct accounts to take the hassle out of paying your rent, low cost loans, co op electrical goods and savings and Christmas club accounts. The partnership will be launched by the end of August and we will get more details to you then. In the meantime, if you need any further information, please contact your housing officer or scheme manager.
A staggering 9.5 million people across the UK aged 15 and over still don’t have basic online skills. They can’t send an email, perform a simple search, save money by shopping online or look for a job. Here at Accent North West, we are piloting a project in two of our sheltered schemes; Milnshaw Gardens in Accrington and The Orchard in Burnley, and at The Martindales in Chorley. Our ‘Pop up Computer Classroom’ will be based weekly on these schemes allowing residents from the
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scheme and the local area to learn basic online skills training using laptops and tablets, enabling our residents to make the most of what the internet has to offer.
online, so it is very important we help you to do that. Our ‘Pop up Computer Classroom’ will start in September. If it goes well, we will look to take it around the region.
As the government cuts face to face services, people will soon only to be able to claim benefits
burnley@accentgroup.org
www.accentgroup.org
4pp Accent News - North West _ July 2014_Newsletter 24/06/2014 09:18 Page 4
Residents’ Panel Update by Wendy Dyer, Panel Chair
Members of the Accent Residents’ Panel met in Peterborough in late May. We discussed Accent’s annual reports to residents and value for money. In the annual report, Accent will include details of performance against the standards set by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The reports will also set out Accent’s plans to improve performance where needed. This won’t be just what Accent thinks – they will be asking residents to help them make those decisions. They want to be ‘open and honest’ about their business, and give you the personal, modern and better service they’ve promised.
Panel members also looked at how Accent has delivered better value for money services. Value for money is not just about cost, it’s about making the most of the money they have and spending it in a way that benefits the most residents. Last year, Accent made some major changes to its business and how it delivers its services. It now has a simpler structure, and will save £1.75M per year which will be reinvested in the areas where it is needed the most on things like new kitchens and windows.
Residents’ Communications Panel
New Customer Leaflets
Members of our new resident communications panel will review and edit our documents to make sure they are easy for you to read and understand. Members will be looking at quite a lot over the next few months, including our new customer leaflets, our annual performance reports (due out in October), and future copies of this newsletter. We’ll keep you updated on what the panel is looking at.
We are currently re-writing all our customer leaflets and you will soon be able to view and download them from our website. As a value for money initiative, we don’t plan to print lots of them. If you are not on the internet, please visit one of our offices or ring your local contact centre and they will download and print copies for you.
Please use 0345 to call! Our numbers start with 0345, but some of you still use 0845 to call us. You’ll still get through but it costs you more from a mobile. 0345 numbers are often included in ‘free’ or minutes bundles.
Stay in touch! Address: 2nd Floor, Stephen House Bethesda Street Burnley BB11 1PR
Telephone: 0345 678 0590 Email: burnley@accentgroup.org Website: www.accentgroup.org
making a difference… improving homes, communities and lives
Social media: /accentbrn @accentbrn
Accent News - online_ July 2014_Patch News 25/07/2014 15:07 Page 3
Patch News These pages have all been written by a local housing officer, so each page only contains news and information from their area. To view any of these pages, simply hover over the image of your housing officer and then click on the icon that appears… Daniele Butler
Khadam Hussain
Steph Tennyson
Trish McSkimmings
Helen Masterson
Jill Klee
Jackie Robinson
Antony Owen
Mark Foster
You can ring us from 8am – 8pm on Monday to Friday and 9am – 12pm on Saturdays
4pp Accent News - North West _ July 2014_Patch News 02/07/2014 16:16 Page 4
Danielle Butler, Housing Officer
Over the past six months, I have had the chance to get out and about and meet lots of you. I think Accent’s new structure gives me a chance to provide a better service and concentrate on things that really matter to you.
You said, we did… Patten Street
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Over the last few months, I had been approached with concerns about the increase in anti-social behaviour (ASB) in the area. Residents felt the area was deteriorating, and things were getting out of hand. I have been working with our specialist ASB officer. We have held meetings with residents and the police, installed CCTV, put up dog fouling signs, issued an ASB contract to one offender and issued warnings to some residents about their behaviour. There has been a big reduction in the number of reported cases of ASB in the area, and I am hoping that once the new CCTV is installed, we will see less ASB occurring late at night or at weekends. There is still some way to go to make all the improvements you want, but we will continue to work with you to do so.
Over the last couple of months, we have helped change the life of one resident who was facing eviction. It became obvious that what was really needed was help, so the eviction was adjourned on the condition that the resident accepted our help. When the case was referred to our tenancy sustainability team, various agencies were contacted for help and advice, and we successfully applied to the resident’s housing benefit department who backdated a claim for almost two years. The resident has continued to engage with us, and we will continue to provide support, until it is no longer needed.
Patten Street & Blascomy Square On 31 July, we are holding a residents’ event for both schemes. We are inviting other agencies to promote learning courses, CV writing, help with benefits and applying for Jobs. We will also have outdoor games, face painting and a play bus. It should be a good day and we hope you can join us.
Open Doors Centre – Colne We are supporting the Open Doors Centre in Colne by funding new computer equipment. Open Doors is a fantastic local charity run by volunteers. It provides a great local facility for Pendle residents who need help and support. We will be working more with Open Doors in the future. www.colneopendoorcentre.org.uk
You can ring us from 8am – 8pm on Monday to Friday and 9am – 12pm on Saturdays
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Khadam Hussain, Housing Officer
As the housing officer for Burnley, I know our local schemes and residents very well. My aim is to make the best use of Accent’s new structure to make sure we provide an excellent service for you.
You said, we did… Holly House
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Our Holly House residents were experiencing anti-social behaviour, (ASB), in the form of unauthorised people entering the building, and we were getting a number of reports about vehicles being broken into. We organised a meeting with residents, ASB Officer John McGlinchey and the police to discuss the issues. Residents asked for CCTV inside the building and to cover the car park, which we fitted. To a large extent, the problems have now stopped. We will continue to monitor any further unwanted activity.
Supporting our more vulnerable residents Due to housing benefit being stopped, one resident was finding it difficult to keep up with rent payments and arrears were building. The resident didn’t want to move, so I referred the case to our tenancy sustainability team, who helped the resident access support agencies. When the case went to court, our dealings with homeless charity Shelter prompted the judge to suspend the case so the charity could help the resident with housing benefit. The end result was a back dated benefit payment, which allowed the resident to stay with us. The best result all round.
We’re having a community BBQ at Kent Street on Monday 7 August from 11am until 2pm. This is a chance for the residents of Kent Street and the local area to get together, and meet with Accent staff from different departments and local agencies. There will be good food and plenty of fun, including face painting, a bouncy castle, henna painting, big garden games, a colouring competition and much more. We look forward to seeing you there.
You can ring us from 8am – 8pm on Monday to Friday and 9am – 12pm on Saturdays
4pp Accent News - North West _ July 2014_Patch News 02/07/2014 16:16 Page 6
Steph Tennyson, Housing Officer
I have been a housing officer for Accent in Tameside for a number of years, but I’m always ready to look at new ways of providing an excellent service for our Tameside customers.
You said, we did… Astley Gardens
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Residents of this Dukinfield scheme asked us to remove some unsightly bushes and create a patio in front of the flats. They also asked for pots filled with plants and flowers to look after themselves. Our caretakers Jim and Adam obliged, and the results speak for themselves. Residents further down on the scheme have now asked for the same. We will be obliging very soon.
Improving life on Cowhill Lane One of our large homes on Cowhill Lane was being used as a drug den and the condition inside the communal area was horrible. The resident was vulnerable, but his visitors were very destructive, and potential witnesses were too frightened to help us gather evidence to tackle the problem. We have now evicted two residents from the block and refurbished not only the affected flats, but also improved the security and appearance of the communal areas. I am happy to say that the flats are now all re-let and we have not had any problems since our actions.
You can ring us from 8am – 8pm on Monday to Friday and 9am – 12pm on Saturdays
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Trish McSkimmings, Housing Officer
I have been the housing officer for Barrow for a number of years and I feel I have a really good grasp of what you want and expect. I am confident that Accent’s new structure is bringing added benefits to you, and that we can continue to provide (and hopefully improve) our excellent customer service in Barrow.
You said, we did… Ainslie Dale/Cambridge Court
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This Dalton in Furness scheme of 14 one bed houses was built in 1987. The electric heating system was inefficient and expensive, and the kitchens and bathrooms needed upgrading. Residents asked us to consider installing a gas supply to the scheme, so we talked to them about changing over to gas central heating. Three years later, and a major planned programme has been completed. Residents now have the benefit of gas central heating, new kitchens and bathrooms with showers. The feedback we have received has been positive. Norman Barnard (pictured) commented he is very happy and thinks the kitchen and shower room are brilliant.
There will be a fun day for residents of The Sidings on Thursday 7 August between 11am and 3pm On the day there will be a barbecue, a bouncy castle, face painting and a gardening competition. Our aim is to promote a sense of community and bring residents from both sheltered flats and family housing together. It is also a chance for you to talk with Accent staff about the services you receive and the agencies we have invited to attend. I will send a leaflet to residents nearer the date. If anyone would like to be involved, please contact me.
Going the extra mile Our new tenancy sustainability team has been providing support services to several new and existing residents in the Barrow area. Residents can be referred to this service via the Barrow office. Our support officer can help with rent arrears, debt advice, accessing grants to buy essential household items and training courses. One resident has been able to get essential kitchen appliances and is also attending an IT training course. We hope many more residents will benefit.
You can ring us from 8am – 8pm on Monday to Friday and 9am – 12pm on Saturdays
4pp Accent News - North West _ July 2014_Patch News 02/07/2014 16:16 Page 8
Helen Masterson, Housing Officer
I have been a housing officer for Accent for several years now and I remain passionate about providing an excellent customer service for our Chorley residents. We are working hard to make sure our new structure improves our customer offer and that we can provide the service you want and expect.
You said, we did… Planned Investments
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At Halliwell Court, we’ve replaced all the front doors. The residents are really pleased. We’ve also upgraded the storage heaters and replaced the hot water tanks, which have been really welcomed. The flats are now warmer and more secure, and the new doors look great. At Richmond House and Richmond Court, we’ve replaced all the kitchens and upgraded the storage heaters. The new kitchens look fantastic. Our contractors worked really closely with the residents and did their best to meet individual requests. At Richmond House we’ve also upgraded the communal bathroom by fitting a top of the range disabled bath, and transforming it into a treatment room. A number of healthcare services are using the new room and it is proving invaluable for residents and their carers.
Our tenancy sustainability team has worked with the Royal British Legion to stop an ex-service resident from Chorley from being evicted. The resident was in considerable arrears and facing eviction. We contacted the Royal British Legion, who advised the resident that funding was available and helped with an application, which was successful. The charity sent us a cheque to clear the arrears and
they are helping the resident find work. We also talked to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and housing benefit. The DWP reduced some deductions which were being made from the resident’s benefits and a discretionary housing payment is being looked into to help with the rent until the resident is working. If you are finding it difficult to manage, please contact us as soon as possible.
Fun at Cuerden Valley Fair On 18 May, our stall at Cuerden Valley Fair was a great success. We had fun things for children, and information and support for adults. We definitely helped to raise the profile of Accent locally. We are planning more resident events later this year and we will tell you with separate flyers about these nearer the time.
You can ring us from 8am – 8pm on Monday to Friday and 9am – 12pm on Saturdays
4pp Accent News - North West _ July 2014_Patch News 02/07/2014 16:16 Page 9
Jill Klee, Housing Officer
I have been a housing officer for Accent for several years, but I remain passionate about providing an excellent customer service for our Leyland Moss Side residents. I am working to make sure Accent’s new structure improves our customer service, and that we provide the service you want and expect.
You said, we did… Moss Side
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Our caretakers recently created a recycling area in one of the estate’s unused drying areas, following issues with the council about the collection of recycling. The new recycling space has resolved this issue and made the area look a lot tidier.
A date for your diary!
Moss Side Community Fun Day, Friday 25 July, from 11am – 3pm at Paradise Park. We look forward to seeing you there.
Planned investment Later this year, we should be in a position to tell you about a major refurbishment programme planned for our Moss Side estates in 2015. It will take some planning as it involves over 500 homes. In the meantime, we are starting by replacing and improving 182 heating systems in Moss Side this year at a cost of around £500,000. We will let you know our planned programme later this year once it is approved. We mean to hold information events so we can discuss the plans with you.
Helping people affected by the bedroom tax
Important news about Universal Credit
Since the bedroom tax was introduced in April last year, a number of residents have been struggling to pay their rent shortfall. We have recently helped one resident by arranging a transfer to a smaller home. The resident is now in a better position financially and able to afford the rent payment as they are no longer affected by the bedroom tax.
Universal Credit was launched for some claimants in South Ribble in June. It is a new benefit that aims to make work pay by making sure claimants are better off in work. If you are affected and we haven’t been in touch with you yet, we will contact you soon.
If you are facing a similar situation, I might be able to help. Please contact me.
To find out more information please contact us or visit the government website: http://bit.ly/1xbhskD
You can ring us from 8am – 8pm on Monday to Friday and 9am – 12pm on Saturdays
4pp Accent News - North West _ July 2014_Patch News 02/07/2014 16:16 Page 10
Jackie Robinson, Housing Officer
As the new housing officer for West Lancashire, I am still trying to get a feel for my patch, but I already know many of your main concerns and I am keen to develop a unique ‘patch plan’ for each area to address them.
You said, we did… Jubilee Court, Haydock
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You told me the bathrooms need replacing, the nursery fence needed replacing and the gardens needed improving. We have now included the bathrooms in our planned maintenance programme, and we are working with the owner of the nursery to get the fence replaced. Contract gardener Green Fingers are building a raised bed area for you to use, and we will replace the old bench with a new one so you can enjoy the garden area.
Successful Survey I have piloted a survey, (which I will use on all my schemes), in Haydock. It has been a big success. It has helped me to meet you, and find out what you like, and don’t like. Hopefully, what you don’t like can be put right. I discovered some of my Haydock residents like gardening so we are creating a raised bed for the purpose. I will be conducting surveys on all my schemes in the coming months, please contact me if you’d like to take part.
Bedroom Tax boost Since the Bedroom Tax was introduced in April last year, a number of you have struggled to pay the rent shortfall. We have helped one resident do a mutual exchange to a smaller home which has made the rent affordable. One of the partnerships we work closely with is ‘Sanctuary’. The organisation helps vulnerable people who need extra security in their home. We’ve helped two families in my area. We offer help for those who need it most. If you are struggling, please contact me. We can offer support and often find a solution when we work together.
Important news about Universal Credit Universal Credit was launched for some claimants in South Ribble in June. It is a new benefit that aims to make work pay by making sure claimants are better off in work. If you are affected and we haven’t been in touch with you yet, we will contact you soon. To find out more information please contact us or visit the government website: http://bit.ly/1xbhskD
You can ring us from 8am – 8pm on Monday to Friday and 9am – 12pm on Saturdays
4pp Accent News - North West _ July 2014_Patch News 02/07/2014 16:16 Page 11
Antony Owen, Home Ownership Officer
My name is Antony Owen and I am the home ownership officer for Accent in the North West. I have many years of experience in managing leasehold and freehold homes. I am based in Burnley, which enables me to provide a more focussed and responsive service to you.
Paying your Homeowner charges Your proportion of the service charge is payable during the course of the year, either monthly, quarterly or annually in advance. Payment can be made by standing order or Direct Debit, cheque, cash, debit or credit card. If you pay by cheque, please write your address on the back so we can identify your payment and credit it to your account. (Please do not send cash through the post as we cannot be held responsible if the payment is not received). You can also pay by cash in person at our Burnley office and we also have a swipe card available. This allows you to pay at shops
displaying the Paypoint or Payzone signs, or to pay us directly over the telephone. This year we want all our homeowners to either pay their annual or quarterly charges in advance as per their specific legal agreement, or to make a mutually agreed arrangement to pay on a regular basis so the charge is cleared by the end of the financial year (31st March 2015). If you have not paid this year’s charge already, or do not have an agreed arrangement, we will be contacting you to talk you through your options.
New service standards for homeowners in the North West I will be working with homeowners to produce a set of specific service standards which will be our pledge of the services we will deliver. We want to do this to make our services more accountable and to improve your satisfaction with the services we provide. From feedback we have received we will: • Provide you with a list of dates of when I will visit your scheme for residents meetings or home visits. • Provide more information in simple language about how we calculate our charges and what you are paying for. • Be more proactive about pursuing non-payment of charges, but be flexible on repayment terms as long as the debt is cleared by the end of the financial year (March 2015).
• Continue to provide annual meetings for leasehold schemes to explain our charges. • To consult more with homeowners about your charges – the services we can provide are normally set out in your lease or transfer document but the level standard of service can be influenced by you. If you have any good ideas about such standards then please contact me.
You can ring us from 8am – 8pm on Monday to Friday and 9am – 12pm on Saturdays
4pp Accent News - North West _ July 2014_Patch News 02/07/2014 16:16 Page 3
Mark Foster, Housing Officer
As the new housing officer for Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, I am still trying to get a feel for my patch, but I already know some of your key concerns and I am keen to develop a unique ‘patch plan’ for each area to address them.
You said, we did… Milnshaw Gardens
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Your concerns included the reception area ceiling, your heating and windows, the laundry and uneven flags. We have since repaired the ceiling, and we have planned renewals and upgrades for your heating, windows and the laundry later this year. We will also level the flags.
Supporting our more vulnerable residents Part of my role as a housing officer involves working with other agencies to support our more vulnerable residents. To do this, we use a range of services and involve our tenancy sustainability team. The team offers general and specialist support to residents with personal issues, and help with benefit applications and advice, etc. We have recently helped four new residents in the Hyndburn area move from supported housing managed by an agency, into their own new Accent home. We will offer support for the first 12 weeks, and longer if needed, in partnership with other support agencies. All four residents are very pleased with this support and are finding it invaluable to help them live independently.
Tackling anti-social behaviour at The Quadrangle We talked to residents about how we could tackle anti-social behaviour on this scheme in Oswaldtwistle. We delivered newsletters and reminded residents of their tenancy obligations, and we’ll be using CCTV to monitor what is happening.
Charity Event Kirk House, Accrington On 10 May, we held an open day charity event to raise money for Visually Impaired Children. There were games, face painting, a tombola, a buffet and lots of other activities for residents and visitors. Everyone enjoyed themselves and raised money for a great cause at the same time.
St. Andrews Court, Oswaldtwistle On 16 May, residents enjoyed a gardening event to help them brighten up their garden. Everyone involved had a great time and the garden looks lovely.
You can ring us from 8am – 8pm on Monday to Friday and 9am – 12pm on Saturdays