EAST
3
Gordon Perry Chief Executive @GordonPatAccent
FOR
THE PRICE
OF 1
I’m delighted to introduce Accent Housing… From 1 August, you are now an Accent Housing resident. Accent Housing is now our one landlord, following the joining of Accent Nene, Accent Peerless and Accent Foundation.
As an Accent Housing resident you’ll notice very little difference. There are no changes to your tenancy agreement, your rights and responsibilities, the service you receive or even the way you pay your rent, so you don’t have to do, or worry, about anything. Technically, apart from the name and our work behind the scenes, there are no obvious changes. Accent Housing is still a charitable housing association. We are still regulated by the Homes and Communities Agency, and we will continue to serve our main purpose – to provide housing and services for the people who need them.
Why change to Accent Housing? We have been working together operationally for three years, but to join legally into one organisation means we can improve the services we deliver to you even more. We will provide better value for money
services, operate much more efficiently, invest more in your homes and build more new homes. All this comes without a price tag, losing sight of who we are or changing the way we deliver services to you.
Explaining our plans We announced our plans on our website in February, then wrote to Accent Nene and Accent Peerless residents personally, as they are most affected by the change. It was great to see that 63% of you supported our proposals, with only 3% against. Generally, if you were against, it was because of worries about Accent getting too big or changing for the sake of it – which is definitely not the case. The remaining 34% of you asked for more details, or had queries about individual tenancies. We have written to those of you who raised concerns.
“
As an Accent Housing resident the only change you will see is a good one – a new and improved Accent. We’ll do just what we say on the tin! We’ll continue to provide housing and better value for money services and build more badly needed homes.
If you have any questions please contact us, details are on page 8.
“
Sign up to Direct Debit and you could win £1000 Andrew Williams Customer Services Director @accentpb
One lucky resident could be celebrating a ‘grand’ win simply by changing the way they pay their rent. We have teamed up with Bacs Payment Schemes Limited (Bacs), the organisation behind Direct Debit in the UK, in a national campaign to encourage residents to take advantage of the convenience and ease of Direct Debit.
To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is sign up to pay your rent by Direct Debit by 28 October, either by returning a completed Direct Debit Instruction form by post, signing up to Direct Debit online at www.accentgroup. org, or calling 0345 678 0555 to arrange payment over the phone. Direct Debit is the most efficient way for us to process your rent
payments and the money we can save can be used to benefit residents in other ways. It’s the best way for you to pay as, once it is set up, payments are automatic so there is no need to worry about falling into arrears. It would be great to see an Accent resident win one of the £1,000 prizes. Switch to Direct Debit to be in with a chance.
My Home Contents Insurance Accent does not insure the furniture and personal items you have in your home, that is your responsibility. However, we have teamed up with the National Housing Federation to bring you the ‘My Home’ contents insurance scheme to make it as easy and affordable as possible. Some of the benefits include: No yearly commitment, pay-as-you-go. Fortnightly, monthly or annual payments. No excess on any claims. No minimum home security requirements. Ask us for your free application pack or contact ‘My Home’ on: T: E: W:
0345 450 7288 myhome@thistleinsurance.co.uk www.thistlemyhome.co.uk
The National Housing Federation My Home Contents Insurance Scheme is a product name arranged and administered on behalf of the National Housing Federation by Thistle Tenant Risks. A trading style of Thistle Insurance Services Limited. Lloyd’s Broker. Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. A JLT Group Company. Registered Office: The St Botolph Building, 138 Houndsditch, London, EC3A 7AW. Registered in England No 00338645. VAT No. 244 2321 96. The National Housing Federation is an Appointed Representative of Thistle Insurance Services Limited.
2
ACCENT NEWS
Smoke Alarms and Home Safety Checks Neil Cox Director of Repairs and Maintenance @neilcox84
Most people are aware of the dangers of fire in their home, but often think it won’t happen to them. Sadly, it can happen to anyone. Most house fires can be prevented by taking a little more care to reduce risks. For example, not overloading sockets, putting cigarettes out properly and being careful with candles. In many cases, tragedy and damage could have been avoided if smoke alarms had been fitted, and were tested and working properly. This is why we fit smoke alarms free of charge in all our rented properties. If your home doesn’t have a smoke alarm, or it does and you don’t think it is working properly, please contact us. Be safe in your home.
Free Home Safety Checks You, or someone you know, could be eligible for a FREE home fire safety check. To arrange a home fire safety check contact your local fire service via www.fireservice.co.uk/information/ukfrs. Visits can be carried out by operational firefighters so don’t be surprised if a fire engine arrives at your home! All fire and rescue staff who visit your home will carry photo identification. Please make sure you ask to see it.
@ CONTACT US SEE PAGE 8
3
Patch changes and a new housing officer
Housing Manager @accentpb
Rebecca Jones
Emily Barber
I now cover Hampton, Hempsted, March and Whittlesey. I look forward to meeting everyone who lives in one of my schemes. If you are looking for some family fun this summer, why not visit Peterborough Green Festival (in Peterborough City Centre) on 13 August. Peterborough Heritage Open Days Festival (also in Peterborough City Centre) is on 9 to 11 September.
I now cover Parnwell, Thorney, Crowland, Bourne, Spalding, Market Deeping, Polebrook, Stamford, Oakham, Greetham, Market Overton, Glinton, Barrowden and Boston. If you have any issues to raise, or if you would like to get more involved please contact me. I look forward to meeting my new residents.
Toyah Thomas My patch covers South Cambs and the surrounding villages, and St Neots and Milton Keynes. I look forward to meeting my new residents.
To make sure our housing officers have a more equal workload, we have looked at the number of enquiries, properties and requests for assistance they were managing and made some changes.
Lucky Khan
Lucy Ingram Housing Management Trainee I’m the new housing officer for Hempsted. I joined Accent a year ago as a housing apprentice which has helped me gain the experience and skills I need for this role. I’m looking forward to meeting my residents.
Alan Percival I’m managing East Peterborough. It includes central Peterborough (Lincoln Road, Gladstone Street, Century Square and Eaglesthorpe), Wisbech (Balding Close and Elton House) and surrounding villages like Elm and Leverington. It’s nice to be covering an area so close to the office – it means I can react much quicker to your issues. Although Wisbech is further away, I want to make sure residents receive the same service wherever they live, so I will be out and about as much as I can.
Regional Allocations and Lettings Team Yvett Haines Business Support & Lettings Officer @accentpb
My team is responsible for managing empty homes and making sure they are let quickly. We arrange advertising, short-listing, viewings and sign-ups. Please contact us for more details.
4
ACCENT NEWS
Julie â—‹
Maria Gilbey & Julie Clark
Adele Light â—‹ Maria
Our patch includes Kettering, Huntingdonshire (not St Neots), Northampton and East Northants. We are now mobile which means we can provide you with a better service – and we can spend more time on your estates helping you to deal with any issues you may have with your tenancy. If you see us out and about, please come and talk to us. If you need a home visit, please contact us.
�We are now mobile which means we can provide you with a better service – and we can spend more time on your estates helping you to deal with any issues you may have with your tenancy.� Thank you to everyone who signed and returned the good neighbour agreements.
I cover North Peterborough which includes Paston, Bevishall, Stanwick Court, Ivy Grove, Ashfield’s, Bretton, Cotton End, School Close and Hartwell Way. I will be out and about on my estates throughout the summer. If you see me, come and say hello.
Stephanie Perrin I have been covering Orton, Woodston and Stanground since April and I am enjoying getting to know all my new residents. If you would like to arrange a visit, either at home or the office, please ring us. I may not always be free to talk when you call, but I will ring you back. Having a patch close to the office means I can spend more time with you, so please come and say hello if you see me out and about.
Eyes and Ears Regular estate inspections on communal areas are important. They allow us to detect faults, trip hazards and unsafe conditions before an accident happens. With our Gold, Silver and Bronze scheme, we now have set times for visiting our schemes. Gold schemes have an annual, six monthly or quarterly visits, silver schemes have a monthly visit and bronze schemes are inspected monthly. We would really appreciate your help in this process, so we are launching our ‘Eyes and Ears’ scheme. If you have time to spare, you live on an estate with communal grounds, and you’d like to support our estate inspections, please contact us.
Helping our residents to save money We have been working with charitable agency Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT), to help residents access competitive energy deals. PECT have helped 183 households swap to better energy deals this year. They estimate the annual savings will be £38,527 – an average of £210 per household.
@ CONTACT US SEE PAGE 8
To arrange a home visit, please email: info@pcl-ltd.co.uk. The telephone service and switching on the website is available to everyone, but the home visits are only within the local authority boundary of Peterborough. To see if you could swap and save money, visit: www.greenenergyswitch.com
5
Taking your Health and Safety Seriously Jenny Conroy Compliance and Standards Manager @accentpb
Our health and safety leaflets (and all our customer leaflets) are available to view and download on our website www.accentgroup.org/customer-publications. Our health and safety leaflets in particular explain our responsibilities as your landlord, and provide guidance on how you can protect you and your family from risks in your home. If you would like a copy of any of our leaflets, please contact us.
Gas Safety
Why we require gas safety checks and why we use ‘Gas Safe’ contractors. What happens if we do not get access to carry out a check. What to do in case of an emergency.
Health and Safety and Energy Efficiency How to prevent accidents in your home with some simple safety rules. How to save energy and reduce your bills.
6
ACCENT NEWS
Asbestos
Why asbestos may be in your home and where it could be. What we are doing about asbestos.
Water Hygiene
Legionnaires’ disease – who’s at risk, what to do if you think you have it, what we do to control the risks and precautions you can take.
What to do if you are thinking about decorating or improving your home.
Condensation
What causes condensation and tips on how to reduce it. The difference between damp, rising damp and penetrating damp.
Fire Safety
Our responsibilty to fire safety in homes where we have communal areas. How we comply with current fire safety standards.
Home Improvements Neil Cox Director of Repairs and Mainetance @neilcox84
Our aim is to provide you with a reliable, effective and speedy repairs and home improvement service. Over 91% of you were happy with our repairs service last year. 94% of all repairs were fixed first time and 94% of all repair appointments were kept. We have a yearly home improvement programme, but it is not always possible to improve every home each year. Our programme is based on the age and condition of the appliances and components in your homes. They are replaced when they reach certain ages as part of the ‘Accent Standard’. The standard applies across all homes for a fair and consistent service. • Bathrooms every 35 years. • Kitchens every 25 years.
We will be investing ÂŁ9.5M across Accent this year on the following improvements: Region
Bathrooms
Kitchens
Electrics
Doors/windows
Heating systems
Roofs
North East
123
91
1
117
37
1
North West
290
448
9
44
66
1
Yorkshire
171
229
2
93
265
3
Accent Nene
91
45
1
25
108
1
Accent South
146
193
2
52
426
19
If your home is due for an improvement, we will contact you before work is due to start. If you have any questions about our improvement programme, or to find out if your home is due an improvement, please contact us.
@ CONTACT US SEE PAGE 8
7
Keith Bowman Tenancy Sustainability Manager @accentpb
What can we do about anti-social behaviour? We know that anti-social behaviour has a huge impact on people’s lives, and how frustrated you can be when we do not appear to react as quickly as you would like. We treat all reports of anti-social behaviour seriously. Some are simple to resolve, but some are much more difficult. Over the past 12 months we have: Obtained a three month closure order (to stop people going into a property). Obtained an injunction for an exclusion zone to keep unwelcome visitors away from one property. Received keys from two tenants prior to court proceedings that would have seen them evicted. Secured three evictions due to serious and persistent anti-social behaviour. None of these cases were easy. We have to investigate and gather evidence before we can even think about taking formal action. If we are going to
seek an injunction, or a re-possession, we need to be absolutely sure that it is the right thing to do, there are no reasonable alternatives and the courts will agree. In the most complex cases, we may need to gather evidence over weeks or even months. We rely on good quality evidence and information to get the right result. We can only deal with things that relate to your tenancy agreement or lease. Criminal behaviour is best dealt with by the police. We start by investigating allegations, talking to all parties involved and trying to build good relations. We can continue to issue warnings whilst gathering evidence. Although there is a range of things we can do when tackling anti-social behaviour, the strongest measure is good quality evidence – without this we really are powerless. If you are a victim of anti-social behaviour, contact us. Please don’t worry in silence.
Ready, steady, go! An intrepid team of Accent cyclists took part in a 130 mile bike challenge in June along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal to raise money for local charities. The journey took two days and despite some aching limbs and saddle soreness they were able to raise over £3000, returning to work with a smile despite a few falls along the way!
STAY IN TOUCH! Address: Manor House 57 Lincoln Road Peterborough PE1 2RR
Social media: Telephone: @accentpb 0345 678 0555 /accentpb Email: customerservices@accentgroup.org
www.accentgroup.org
Our contact centre is open from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, and from 8am – 12pm on Saturday