In Touch Issue 39

Issue 39 | Spring

g Tenants

The essential magazine for A1 Housin

Inside this issue: P4 Tenant Award Winners | P10 Repairs Hints & Tips | P20 Digital Revolution

In March... ...I was honoured to present a number of awards to some of our most deserving tenants who have gone out of their way to be good neighbours and help to make their communities a better place to live.

Our annual Tenant Awards were presented at our Tenant Conference (see page 4) and it’s fantastic that we are able to honour these selfless couples and individuals in this way.

They are all fully deserving of this recognition.

A1 Housing has also been celebrating a couple of awards itself recently and along with our partners Woodhead Living and Bassetlaw District Council, we won two Building Communities in the East Midlands (BCEM) Awards for our new-build housing project in Harworth. The awards were for ‘Collaborative Working’ and ‘Project of the Year’.

Finally I would like to formally welcome Cllr Steve Scotthorne as Bassetlaw District Council’s new Cabinet Member for Housing and say thank you to the former cabinet member, Cllr Alan Chambers for his hard work and efforts over the last three years.

Cllr Scotthorne has been Cabinet Member for Housing since October last year and is also a Ward Member for Carlton. I know that Cllr Scotthorne is looking forward to working with everyone at A1 Housing to improve and add to the Council’s housing stock and we wish Cllr Scotthorne well in his new role.

Best wishes,

Hello & Welcome... ...again to our latest revamped tenant’s newsletter.

After getting a bit of a make-over in the last issue, we’ve gone one step further and asked a panel of hand-picked tenants to tell us what they think of the stories and information that appear on these pages.

You might notice some subtle changes, but we hope that you’ll find everything here useful, interesting and informative!

As always there’s some really good stuff and I can particularly relate to the story about Ann Jepson on page 15, and just one of the things she helps tenants with - hoarding.

I’ve always been a collector myself and started as a boy with stamps, records, coins and plenty of other things. But by far my biggest collections through the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s were photographs and books.

In the end I accumulated boxes and boxes of stuff and after carting it all around Worksop during at least five different house moves, it’s still stored in the loft, garage or any other cubby-hole I can find.

It’s easy to see how something like this can turn into hoarding and, aside from pointing out the obvious fire and health risks, it’s fantastic to hear about the fine work that Ann and A1 Housing do.

Now... I wonder if she could help my wife with her shoe collection!

See you next time,

Don Spittlehouse

David Smith

A1 Housing Managing Director

In Touch Tenant Editor

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Sharing a Special Day On April 21st this year our longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate her 90th birthday.

Harworth resident Hazel Felton will also be celebrating that day, but perhaps not with the same pomp and ceremony that our Queen will enjoy.

Born in Dinnington on the exact same day as the Queen, the doctor told her mother: “If the Princess is as bonny as this one, then we’ll be good.”

his bombs and hit a chicken coop on one of the local farms.”

Hazel married her husband Bobby during a quiet service at Bircotes Parish Church on April 27th 1946 just after 6am! And the happy couple were on their

Back then there were only four cars in all of Harworth

At the age of five Hazel moved to Harworth and one of her lasting memories is of seeing petrol pumps for the first time. “It’s funny what kids remember, isn’t it?” said Hazel. “Back then there were only four cars in all of Harworth.”

Hazel Felton

Following a happy childhood and school life, Hazel remembers working in a munitions factory during World War II. Thankfully, Harworth did not see the kind of bombing that Doncaster, Sheffield and Rotherham did and escaped any serious damage.

With three children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, Hazel has another Royal connection as one of her grandsons, Callum, studied at St Andrews University at the same time as Prince William and Princess Kate.

Hazel added; “The only thing I remember was a bomber must have been getting rid of the last of

We’re sure that just like the Royal family, Hazel’s family will be raising a glass in celebration come April 21st.

way to Blackpool for their honeymoon before 11am.

“Years later, when the church got knocked down, Bobby would joke and ask if our marriage was still valid,” said Hazel.

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Good Neighbour Award

But the winners of our Good Neighbour Award have shown the real meaning of this by regularly putting others first, even when facing personal difficulties themselves. Their selfless acts range from giving their neighbours lifts to hospital, collecting shopping, cooking meals or simply being there.

• Brandford and Jean Allen • Geoffrey and Fiona Harris • Dennis Clarke • Lindy Shipman • Ivan and Sheila Schofield

Tenant Awards 2016 Community-minded and kind-hearted residents can make a world of difference to the places they live and the people around them. That’s why we like to celebrate the actions and achievements of exceptional individuals who make their communities a better place with our Tenant Awards.

Community Champions • Marina Moxon from Tuxford • Ethel Dawson from Mattersey Thorpe This year we applaud the hard work of not one, but two Community Champions who have been the lifeblood of their Tenants and Residents Associations.

Many of us would like to think that we are a good neighbour and offer a cheery hello in the street or occasionally bring in someone’s wheelie bin.

The nominations we received were so heart-warming that it was impossible to choose just one good neighbour over another, so we decided we would recognise everybody’s efforts!

Brandford and Jean Allen

Lindy Shipman

Dennis Clarke

Geoffrey and Fiona Harris

Ivan and Sheila Schofield

Having a TRA in rural locations is a big deal because village life can be quiet and isolating if you live alone and have no means of getting out and about. Both Marina and Ethel go above and beyond to ensure that their community is a thriving and vibrant one.

Tenants’ Champion

Ivan and Sheila Schofield

• Sarah Cartlidge Our Tenants’ Champion Sarah has made a real difference by being a voice of her community as well as working hard to improve the lives of many other tenants across the district in her role as Chairperson of our Tenant Scrutiny Panel.

Annual Tenants’ Conference Our Tenant Conference is a chance for tenants to hear about the progress A1 Housing has made over the last year and our future plans.

On the agenda was our ‘2020 Vision’ as Managing Director Don Spittlehouse talked about A1 Housing’s plans for the next four years; a presentation from our Head of Neighbourhoods, Rachel Burton on how we deal with ASB; and an update from Andrew Davenport, Head of Property and Development, on Repairs and the Major Improvements Programme.

Marina Moxon and Ethel Dawson

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Sarah Cartlidge

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ASB Round-up Dyer Consequences A Worksop father and son are the subject of separate Anti-Social Behaviour Injunctions (ASBIs) following repeated incidents of ASB in the Prospect area of Worksop.

Rhodesia Eviction A Rhodesia tenant has been evicted from her home following prolonged bouts of anti-social behaviour that included repeated shouting and screaming, use of foul and abusive language, damage to property and the playing of excessively loud music.

Derby County Court granted a possession order which resulted in the eviction of Miss Rochelle Heslop after A1 Housing had received numerous complaints from fellow residents.

Heslop had previously been warned about her behaviour, first by Deputy District Judge Reece on 5th August 2015 and then, following an adjourned trial on 30th November 2015, she was given an additional two month grace period.

However, the former Rhodesia tenant did not heed these warnings and continued to commit ASB including an incident in which Heslop purposefully damaged a van parked outside her property and intimidated her neighbours.

Don Spittlehouse, Managing Director of A1 Housing, said: “A1 Housing will not tolerate the selfish and irresponsible actions of a few, blighting the lives of our tenants. We will take whatever action necessary to tackle Anti-Social Behaviour and I am glad that the Court saw fit to support our approach and grant the possession order.”

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Closure Notice for Prospect Property An A1 Housing tenant has surrendered her tenancy following the successful application of a three-month closure notice.

A1 Housing and Nottinghamshire Police had received in excess of 80 complaints of ASB against Irene Pywell and her visitors, mostly relating to drunken behaviour while she was living at the property on Monmouth Road, leading to the application for the order.

PC Julie Armstrong said: “Pywell and her visitors would spend all day and all night drinking, playing loud music, swearing and shouting and even fighting inside and outside of the property at all hours of the day and night.”

The order will expire at 4pm on 25th May 2016 and it is a criminal offence for anyone to try to enter the property while the order is in place.

ASBI Breached Bircotes resident Jamie Morris has been found to have breached the conditions of his Anti-Social Behaviour Injunction (ASBI) by His Honour Judge Owen QC at Nottingham County Court on 8th March 2016. A hearing to determine sentencing is scheduled for 22nd April 2016.

Morris was originally served with an ASBI granted at Mansfield County Court on 9th December, 2015 after preying on two elderly victims over a prolonged period.

The order will remain in place until 18th November 2016.

His offences included subjecting his victims to continuous harassment, demands for money, threats of physical harm and repeated threats to turn off the gas supply to one of the properties.

The 28-year-old breached his ASBI on 1st January 2016 after he entered an exclusion zone that was in place to prevent Mr Morris returning to his victim’s homes. This area includes the estate between Bawtry Road and Baulk Lane including Sandrock Road, Lindsey Road, Beech Road and surrounding streets.

Don Spittlehouse said: “Mr Morris is a callous and dangerous individual who has preyed on elderly and vulnerable individuals simply for his own selfish gain.

“Thanks to the close partnership with Notts Police, Mr Morris will be sentenced appropriately. Should you see Mr Morris in the exclusion zone, or if you believe that an elderly neighbour or relative is being targeted, please contact the Police on 101.”

Vincent Dyer and his son, Duane Dyer are both prohibited from entering an exclusion zone that boarders Gloucester Road and Wingfield Avenue and includes accommodation on Monmouth Road, Ravenscourt, Northumbria Close and Prospect Precinct.

Brown Banned by ASBI Mansfield County Court has imposed an ASBI on Mr James Brown, 56, (known as ‘Jimmy Brown’) of no fixed abode, for taking advantage of an A1 Housing tenant both financially and psychologically.

Local residents were fearful of Brown who was removed from the property several times by Notts Police prior to the ASBI being enforced.

Brown is now banned from entering Firth Road and Galway Crescent in Retford and from contacting certain residents of that area.

Coward is Kicked Out A1 Housing was granted a Possession Order on a Prospect property in November after the tenant, Keith Coward turned the lives of his fellow residents into nightmare.

Just some of the disturbing evidence heard by Mansfield County Court was that of persistent and prolonged drug use by regular visitors to the property, discarded used hypodermic needles in public areas, threats of violence against residents, and that Coward had bypassed his electricity meter putting fellow residents in severe danger.

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Has Your Dog Been Chipped?

Compulsory microchipping for dogs became law in England, Wales and Scotland on 6th April 2016, which means it is now a legal requirement for owners to ensure their dog is microchipped and the details on the microchip are kept up to date.

Microchipping is a simple and effective tool which helps to rapidly reunite lost or straying pets with their owners. This in turn reduces the number of healthy dogs unnecessarily put to sleep and saves money for Local Authorities by cutting kennelling costs.

Survey on Recycling Bassetlaw District Council is asking residents for their views on recycling in the district, especially on the possible introduction of a green waste collection.

In 2015, the Council collected 33,627 tonnes of general household waste and 8,017 tonnes of recycled waste.

This means that as a district we are only recycling around 19% of the waste we throw out.

By 2020 the UK will be required to recycle 50% of its waste and the Council is considering an option to offer an extra fortnightly garden waste collection service that would run for approximately 10 months of the year. There would be an annual charge for this service for those people who choose to use it.

You can complete the recycling survey online at www.bassetlaw.gov.uk/recycling - alternatively, paper copies are available from the One Stop Shops in the Council Offices at Retford and Worksop.

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Dogs Trust, in partnership with Bassetlaw District Council, has been holding free chipping sessions across the district for the last two year and have chipped almost 1,000 dogs during this time.

Paula Boyden, Veterinary Director at Dogs Trust said; “Dogs Trust has committed to ensuring dog owners have access to free microchipping at one of our many dropin events across the country and at our 20 rehoming centres across the UK before it becomes compulsory in England, Scotland and Wales on 6th April 2016.”

For more details, contact 0207 8370 006 or visit www.chipmydog.org.uk

Tour Date for Harworth Cycling enthusiasts from across the district will be out in force on Saturday 30th April as the ‘Tour De Yorkshire’ will speed through Harworth - the home of Tommy Simpson.

Bassetlaw residents will get a glimpse of some of the country’s top male and female cyclists as Stage Two of this prestigious race detours briefly through Nottinghamshire and into Harworth as part of its journey from Otley to Doncaster.

Harworth has long since been connected with worldclass cycling as Simpson grew up in the town and was the first British rider to wear the ‘Tour de France’ Yellow Jersey, as well as winning a Bronze medal at the 1956 Olympics and Silver at the 1958 British and Commonwealth Games.

It promises to be an event not to be missed and for all the latest news for the race, please visit: www.letour.yorkshire.com

Nora’s Century Everyone at A1 Housing would like to wish Nora Blaydes a very Happy Birthday after reaching the milestone of 100-years-young in March this year.

Having lived in Shireoaks for the majority of her life, Nora is most definitely young at heart and still has an active role in her community. So what is the secret to her staying so sprightly? A splash of whiskey in her morning cuppa and another in her nightcap of warm milk and honey. Many Happy Returns Nora!

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What’s a Tenant’s Responsibility?

As a landlord A1 Housing has a duty to carry out certain repairs to your properties.

As a tenant you also have a responsibility to take care of your home and to undertake some minor repairs yourself.

We are often asked to carry out repairs that are not A1 Housing’s responsibility and some of the most popular requests include: • Decorating inside properties • Replacing toilet seats

New Repairs Policy

• Changing light bulbs • Replacing lost keys - A1 Housing will replace the lock but you will charged for this • Replacing plugs and chains to sinks, washbasins and baths

Over the last few months A1 Housing’s Building Repairs Team has been busy carrying out a review of its Repairs Policy.

There is no change to the way you report your repairs, so please continue to use any of the following methods:

• Installing washing machines, dishwashers and tumble dryers

• Freephone 0800 590 542

This is something we do every three years to ensure we keep up with any changes to legislation, Government policy or to make any improvements.

• Using our online form

• Keeping gulley’s and waste pipes free of leaves and debris

As part of this review we have consulted with tenants so that we can provide a better quality service that is more efficient and cost effective. As a result, here are just some of the changes we’ll be making: • A clearer explanation of items within the policy •A dded sections, such as tenant responsibilities when making home improvements •R e-prioritising some repairs into different timeframes. For example, replacing a bath will now fall under a target time of 15 working days from a previous target of within 13 weeks •W here possible, using timber fencing rather than metal components and including fencing as part of our annual planned programme of repairs

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• By text on 07860 021 511 This new policy was implemented in April 2016 and you can view it online at www.a1housing.co.uk or request a copy of the new Repairs Policy using the freephone number above.

• Maintaining drives, paths, paved areas and hard standings that have been created by the tenant • Putting up curtain rails and battens • Installing draught excluders • Repairing or replacing internal doors - excluding frames We are also aware that there may be certain circumstances during which some tenants, be they vulnerable or for medical reasons, will need to some assistance or guidance in the completion of minor repairs.

If you would like to see the full list of repairs that are a tenant’s responsibility, please see the updated Repairs Policy.

Handy Hints & Tips Summer is almost here and before long we’ll all be spending more time outdoors or in our gardens.

But before then there are some simple and easy jobs that can be done to maintain your home.

Caring for your home will help to prevent repairs and can also make it a safer and more pleasant place to live. They may seem like simple jobs, but by keeping on top of them, it could save you time and money.

Here’s a few jobs that can be done on a regular basis: • Wipe down window sills and frames to remove condensation and help to keep mould at bay • Wash through your bathroom and kitchen wastepipes with a clearing solution or bleach to prevent blockages and nasty smells • Clear out any leaves or rubbish from gullies and drain covers to prevent small floods • Keep your hinges and locks moving freely by using lubricating oil - make sure you follow manufacturer’s instructions Some other areas will need regular checking and reporting to us if there is a problem. Things like: • Regularly turn your Stop Tap and Gate Valves to prevent them seizing up • Check to see if any of your roof-tiles or slates are loose or missing • Are your gutters or downpipes leaking, broken or blocked?

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Easy Way to Pay Your Rent We’re always working on ways to make it easier for you to pay your rent and now there’s a QR code that will take you straight to our online payment site.

Never too Late to ask for Help

You’ll need a QR reader on your smartphone or tablet to scan the code below, that also features on some of our letters. This will take you to a section of Bassetlaw Council’s website where you can pay your rent online, no matter where you are or what time of day it is.

The motto of A1 Housing’s Income Recovery Team is: ‘It’s never too late to ask for help.’

Give it a try next time you pay your rent!

Our Income Recovery Officers are here to help, but the only way they can do this is by tenants letting us know there’s a problem.

The term ‘Income Recovery’ can sometimes sound scary and can conjure up images of unsavoury debt collectors, but we’re different.

Julie Miller, one of A1 Housing’s Income Recovery Officers, said: “If you’re struggling to pay your rent because of money problems or other reasons, you must get in touch with us and talk about it. Some people admit to burying their head in the sand hoping the problem will go away, but it doesn’t.

“If you get a letter, a phone call or text message from one of us, please don’t ignore it. The sooner we know, the sooner we can help and put a plan in place to help get you back out of rent arrears. Not talking to us may only make the situation worse and could even lead to you losing your home if left for too long.”

To speak to one of our Income Recovery Officers, call 0800 590 542 or text RENT, your address and your message to 07797 807 045 and someone will call you back.

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Rent Winners The winners of our regular prize draw for being up to date with your rent account will now appear on our website.

To find out which lucky tenants have claimed prizes of £150, as well as the £300 March Super-Draw, please visit: www.a1housing.co.uk/pay-on-time-and-win

When James Stubbing took up a tenancy on a two-bedroomed flat in February 2013 he knew he would have to find the money to pay for his rent, all his household bills as well as the recently introduced Bedroom Tax.

“I would see him about five or six times each year to review his circumstances to help keep him on track but he would also ring me regularly to find out for himself how his rent account stood.”

At the time, James was claiming Job Seekers Allowance and his Housing Officer put him straight in touch with Darrell Berridge, one of A1 Housing’s Money Advisors, to help him with his finances and to apply for a Discretionary Housing payment.

Darrell Berridge - A1 Housing Money Advisor

Three years later James has never fallen behind on his rent, missed any of his bills and has avoided credit and loans. He has also secured his dream job of working in a garage.

James is now paying full rent, but remains in contact with Darrell, who has also helped James to complete his Tax Credits application and set up a Direct Debit for future payments.

“James is a perfect example of how to manage on a limited budget,” said Darrell. “He understands the importance of paying priority bills first, avoiding credit he can’t afford and keeping up to speed on what he needs to pay on his rent.

“James doesn’t have to watch every penny anymore and he might even have the chance to use some of his newly earned income on his hobby, Formula 1,” added Darrell. “We wish James all the best as he begins his new career.”

James is a perfect example of how to manage on a limited budget

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Running Your New Home Throughout the year A1 Housing hosts a series of ‘Running Your Home’ sessions that help new tenants to make the most of their tenancy.

It’s a fantastic way to learn more about A1 Housing, how to get the most out of your tenancy and we encourage all new tenants to come along.

Staying Fire Safe in Flats

You’ll also have the chance to meet some of the staff at A1 Housing and hear about things like; • Repairs to your home - what we repair and what your responsibilities are • Tenancy matters - what we expect from you and what you can expect from us

Ann Gives Tenants a Helping Hand

• Our Money Advice service If you live in a block of flats you may have noticed that A1 Housing has been making a number of fire protection upgrades including new fire doors, lighting and other improvements.

These upgrades are being made to improve the safety for all residents, but we also need your help.

Recent changes to fire regulations mean that certain personal belongings should no-longer be stored in communal corridors and stairways.

Corridors and staircases are effectively escape routes that must to be kept clear if there is a fire and if certain items are stored in these areas, it could cause a dangerous obstruction to yourself or other people when trying to evacuate the building.

Things like carpets, mats and plant pots could be tripped over and many other items like children’s plastic toys, furniture and even electric motor scooters could help to increase the intensity of the fire.

Please help us by removing your own items and if you have any questions, please contact your Housing Officer.

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• How to get involved and help to shape our services The sessions usually last about one and a half hours and everyone who attends will receive an A1 Housing goodie bag and a £5 Love to Shop voucher.

You can reserve a place on any of the upcoming sessions listed below by calling 0800 590 542 - Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm.

• Tuesday 14th June 2016 - Retford Town Hall from 10am to 11:30am - Worksop Town Hall from 2pm to 3:30pm • Thursday 22nd September 2016 - Worksop Town Hall from 10am to 11:30am - Retford Town Hall from 2pm to 3:30pm • Tuesday 6th December 2016 - Retford Town Hall from 10am to 11:30am - Worksop Town Hall from 2pm to 3:30pm

Some people might think that all A1 Housing does is allocate houses, collect rent and do repairs. But this could not be further from the truth and one of the most important jobs that A1 Housing does is to help and protect vulnerable tenants.

Ann said: “It’s a vital piece of the jigsaw and by working closely with other agencies we can often get to the root of the problem quickly and get the specific help that a tenant might need.

Tenancy Support Co-ordinator, Ann Jepson, has been doing just that for the last four years and has worked with victims of domestic abuse, tenants with mental health issues, those suffering from and those committing anti-social behaviour, as well as working with tenants who are simply struggling to cope.

It’s an essential service that we offer and it can make a world of difference to tenant’s lives

“It’s an essential service that we offer and it can make a world of difference to tenant’s lives,” said Ann. “We have a network of officers, such as Housing Officers, Income Recovery and our Repairs Team who have been trained to notice the signs that show someone might need help and can refer a tenant to me.”

Just some of these signs might include hoarding, rent arrears and behaviour which is out of character, and in addition to working with A1 Housing Officers, Ann has forged strong links with external agencies such as the Mental Health Service and Social Services.

Ann Jepson - Tenancy Support Co-ordinator

“This might range from rehousing a tenant to a more appropriate property to putting specific legal procedures in place to ensure that they abide by a certain set of conditions.”

Ann currently has more than 50 cases that she is working with and by offering this level of help and assistance, to sustain their tenancy and become a better tenant, it means that we can make a real difference to people’s lives, avoid costly procedures such as legal fees and court cases, and improve the lives of fellow tenants and neighbourhoods.

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Key Safe Could Save Your Life Do you worry about a neighbour, family member or the Emergency Services not being able to get into your home in the event of an emergency?

If yes, a Key Safe can provide reassurance that, should anything happen, members of the Emergency Services or carers can access your home without you having to get up to open the door yourself.

Tunstall Upgrade

A1 Housing can supply and install a key safe from £55 and we are occasionally able to offer reconditioned key safes to Tenants for £20 (including fitting).

Over the last 18 months A1 Housing, in partnership with Tunstall Healthcare, has been upgrading the Emergency Call equipment that is fitted to the 2,300 properties that make up our Supported Housing Service.

If you have installed a key safe yourself, we also ask that you provide us with the code in case of any emergencies. This will be securely stored by us and not provided to anyone else without your permission.

These new wall-mounted speech modules feature a monitored Smoke Alarm, CO Detector and Heat Sensor - and the new equipment has already helped to potentially save lives.

In Retford, one elderly tenant had left a pan on the stove and forgotten about it. The smoke activated the alarm and the automatic calling feature alerted both the local Fire and Rescue Service and the tenant’s son, and also prevented any serious damage to both the property and tenant’s belongings.

In another case, one of our more vulnerable tenants was unable to respond to their smoke alarm, so Tunstall Response contacted the Fire and Rescue Service and a local key holder who was able access the property. In this case early intervention almost certainly saved the tenant’s life.

We plan to replace all of the equipment by the end of 2016 and, when engineers are due in your area, we will write to you and arrange an appointment at least two weeks before any work takes place.

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Key Safe’s are designed to enable people to live safely and independently in their homes and each one has its own individual security code, chosen by you. We keep a record of the code on a secure database and only share it with Emergency Service personnel who need to access your home in an emergency. You can decide who else you give the code to.

For more information on key safes, or to arrange the installation of a key safe, please call 0800 590 542.

Is Your Garden in Need of Help?

Branching Out is a gardening and handyperson service that can take care of any job around the home and garden.

Free Pendants

Our prices are very competitive and our services are widely available to everyone in Bassetlaw and beyond, regardless of whether you are an A1 Housing tenant or not.

Do you also know that we are happy to provide a pendant for every occupant who has one of our Community Alarms? And even better - there is no additional charge for this!

Since its’ foundation in the spring of 2010, Branching Out has built a solid reputation for providing great quality service and terrific customer care. We’re also endorsed by ‘Checkatrade’.

If you think this would give you extra peace of mind, please contact our A1 Housing on 0800 590 542 and we will be happy to ask one of our wardens to pay you a visit.

We can offer discounted rates on all our services for senior citizens. For a free no obligation quote, please call us on Freephone 0800 590 542.

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Electrical Checks Keep You Safe

Improving Gas Safety It has now been more than seven months since Sure Maintenance began providing A1 Housing tenants with a gas servicing and responsive repairs service.

A1 Housing has 5,926 properties that are supplied by gas and by law we are required to carry out an annual gas safety check at each property. Sure Maintenance conduct these, as well as repairs to gas boilers.

It is extremely important to have an annual safety check and service on your boiler not only to ensure that it is working safely and correctly, but also to make sure that it is working as efficiently as possible and saving you money.

We hope that since Sure Maintenance has been working with A1 Housing you’ve seen an improvement in the service that is provided, especially when it comes to arranging these essential gas safety checks.

Improving electrical safety in your homes is a major priority so, just like our dedication to gas safety, A1 Housing has introduced a regular electrical check to ensure that everything electrical in your home is working as it should.

We’ve also set ourselves the target of checking 1,200 homes each year and during the 2016/17 financial year we’ll be focusing on the Central Retford area.

For future years a rolling programme will be published and tenants will be informed of the areas where we will be due to carry out checks.

This new service is part of national guidelines that recommend properties should be checked every five years and these Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR) take account of things like lighting, sockets, switches and fuse boards.

Just like our annual Gas Safety Checks, you will receive a letter from McIntyre Electrical informing you of a date and time when the EICR will take place. You’ll then have the opportunity to rearrange this appointment to a date and time of your choosing should you wish.

We’ve already been working with our contractor McIntyre Electrical to conduct these EICRs in almost 450 homes in the Kilton and Larwood areas of Worksop since January this year.

Once this appointment has been agreed, please ensure that you keep it or inform us of any changes.

A1 Housing has your safety as its main priority, but we can only do this with your help.

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Each year you will receive a letter from Sure Maintenance with an appointment date and time for your safety check and service. If this first appointment is not convenient, you can contact Sure Maintenance and arrange an appointment on a day and time of your choosing, even on

Repairs fixed

first time

99%

Safety check and services completed at

first visit

76%

evenings (April to September during daylight hours) and weekends.

Because of some of the changes that Sure Maintenance has made to the way they arrange appointments, they have been able to increase the number of appointments that are kept at the first visit, as well as any subsequent visits.

They have also improved the way that they respond to repairs, especially emergency repairs where tenants would be left with no heating or hot water, and make visits to vulnerable tenants.

The combination of these improvements has resulted in higher levels of customer satisfaction and a reduction in the number complaints that we receive.

Safety check and service appointments made and kept

99%

Overall customer

satisfaction with Sure Maintenance

99%*

*Between September 2015 and March 2016. Compared with 97% Customer Satisfaction rating for Liberty in August 2015.

www.a1housing.co.uk | 19

Find us on Facebook Many of you may already be a friend of ours on Facebook, but if you didn’t know we existed, here’s what you’ve been missing so far.

By becoming a friend of our tenants’ group, you can get the latest information on anything to do with A1 Housing and your area.

You can also chat to some of our representatives through our weekly online surgeries which cover:

Digital Skills Boost

• Money Advice - Mondays 2pm to 3pm • You & Your Tenancy - Tuesdays 11am to 12pm • Major Improvements - Tuesdays 2pm to 3pm • Adaptations - Wednesdays 2pm to 3pm • Repairs - Thursdays 10am to 11am

A series of community ‘internet café’ style events have been arranged across Bassetlaw to help residents get online and improve their digital skills.

Residents can bring their own devices, for example; iPads, tablets, smartphones, laptops or use the limited number of devices that will be available on the day.

The sessions are aimed at a broad range of abilities; from complete technophobes to those wishing to take their ‘surfing skills’ to a higher level. A1 Housing staff and the ‘T’Internet Buddies’ - A1 Housing tenants who can provide support and advice - will be on hand to guide you through the art of the internet.

Digital Inclusion Officer, Nichola Robertson, who will be running the events said: “The internet isn’t something to be afraid of and it doesn’t matter if you’ve never used a computer before. The sessions are fun, free and could change your life. Why not give it a go?”

Date

Area

Time

Venue

21st April

Harworth

9:30 - 11:30am

27th April

Larwood

10:00 - 12:00 noon

18th May

Misterton

2:00 - 4:00pm

25th May

Retford

10:00 - 12:00 noon

22nd June

East Markham

2:00 - 4:00pm

East Markham Village Hall

20th July

Blyth

2:00 - 4:00pm

Barnby Memorial Hall

Mattersey Thorpe

2:00 - 4:00pm

Mattersey Thorpe Community House

21st September

Harworth Town Hall Larwood House Sheltered Scheme All Saints Church Hall Conway Gardens

19th October

Carlton

2:00 - 3:00pm

Cleveland Close Community Centre

19th October

Langold

3:30 - 4:40pm

Langold Village Hall

Manton

2:00 - 4:00pm

Manton Community Centre

16th November

20 | www.a1housing.co.uk

• Gas Servicing - Thursdays 2pm to 3pm • Allocations Team - Fridays 11am to 12pm • Caretaking Team - Fridays 2pm to 4pm You can get an instant reply to any questions you may have during these times, or you can post a message and we will reply the next time a representative is online.

We currently have more than 1,244 friends, of which over 814 are A1 Housing Tenants and 275 are on the housing waiting list. We also have a Be Heard from Home group that currently has more than 174 members.

Search Facebook: A1 Housing Customer Services

Online Account A1 Housing tenants who would like to access their rent and repairs information online can now do so as part of Bassetlaw Council’s ‘MyAccount’ service.

A1 Housing tenants who previously used ‘SeeMyData’ to access this information will need to create a ‘MyAccount’. Once you have created a ‘MyAccount’ you will also be able to access a number of other Council services such as applying for and tracking benefits, accessing your Council Tax information and a host of other online services.

To sign up for a MyAccount, please visit www.bassetlaw.gov.uk or scan the QR code.

tel: 0800 590 542 | 21

A Hub of Activity On average, A1 Housing’s Call Centre accepts around 52,000 calls each year and can be a hub of activity, even at the quietist times.

Improving how we handle calls is a central part of our approach to customer satisfaction and so that we can help to handle you enquiry quicker, we now try to resolve a larger proportion of calls at the first contact point of contact.

Competitions If you can solve our Sudoku, you could win a £20 Love2Shop voucher. Place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, column and 3 x 3 box contains the same number only once.

This means that we can not only answer any questions you may have right away, we can also start to resolve you request quicker. It also helps to reduce waiting times for calls to be answered and the amount of time you are on hold.

Kids Club If you can solve both our Kids Club puzzles, you could win a £20 Love2Shop voucher and a goody bag.

Once you have the answers for each puzzle, mark them on the pictures, then tell us your name, age, where you live and a phone number and send your entry to the address below.

Find the Dog a Home!

Can you help Rex to find his way home?

Draw the right way back and send it to us.

We receive the most calls between 8am and 10am, and 3pm to 5pm, so an insider tip is to avoid these busier times.

How we are doing: We are currently hitting our target of

As a result of our improvements,

answering

customer satisfaction

95%

is now at

96%

of all calls

Fill in your details and send to the address below: Name: Address:

We’ve been set a

This means that

target of 80%

only 5%

of all calls being handled at

of people are hanging up before speaking to an operator

first contact The average waiting time for a call to be answered is just

30 seconds which is 5 seconds

less than our target

22 | tel: 0800 590 542

Telephone:

We’re very close and are currently at

79%

Pictogram Take the first letter of each picture and tell us what word it spells.

Please send competition entries to: A1 Housing Customer Services, Carlton Forest House, Hundred Acre Lane, Worksop S81 0TS Or email a photo or scan of the entry to: customer.services@a1housing.co.uk Closing date for all entries is Monday 1st August 2016

Winners

Name:

Congratulations to Sandra Phillips, Tuxford and Katie Anne Tait from Carlton in Lindrick who were our lucky winners from Issue 38.

Where you live:

Age:

Telephone:

www.a1housing.co.uk | 23

Contact us

0800 590 542

www.a1housing.co.uk customer.services@a1housing.co.uk

Text us on 07860 021 511

Visit us at:

Retford Property Shop Town Hall, 17B The Square, Retford DN22 6DB

Worksop Property Shop Queens Buildings, Potter Street, Worksop S80 2AH

Head Office - Carlton Forest House Hundred Acre Lane, Worksop S81 0TS

All offices are open Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm

If you need any help communicating with us or understanding any of our documents, please contact us on 0800 590 542.

We can arrange for a copy of this document in large print, audiotape, Braille or for a Language Line interpreter to help you.

Providing Quality Homes & Neighbourhoods