Streetbystreet spring 2012

RESIDENTS INVOLVED

streetbystreet

ISSUE 75 | SPRING 2012 | www.east-thames.co.uk

East London & Essex residents’ magazine

CELEBRATING YOUNG PEOPLE

Highlighting what young people can achieve with the right support.

Story page 12 >

Repairs

Improving the way we work

Housing options 09

Owning your own home

East Life 11

What’s on, when & where

...plus all the news from 22

Welcome

DID YOU KN

You can rea d

Welcome to the latest edition of Streetbystreet.

Introduction by Mike Gregory, East Thames resident and member of the resident communications panel.

I’d like to start off by wishing everyone a Happy New Year and welcome to the first Streetbystreet of 2012.

In this edition we’re focusing on young people. As last year saw the doom and gloom of the riots we thought it was important for us to highlight the great work and achievements of our young residents as well as make them aware of the range of life changing opportunities East Thames has on offer to help them get on the right path.

I’d also like to encourage our younger residents to get involved with the resident communication panel meetings. I’ve been attending these meetings for 15 years and whilst I find them insightful and enjoy having an influence on the decisions East Thames makes, I definitely feel that we need an advocate representing our younger residents. You may want to introduce

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innovative new projects to bring your community together in the summer, or speak up on what you want to see in the next Streetbystreet, whatever it is you all have a voice and it’s important that it’s heard.

Streetbystreet keeps you informed about local news and community initiatives. If you have a story email marcoms@east-thames.co.uk or call Niki Nixon, communications officer, on 020 8536 8769. The deadline for the next issue is Friday, 27 April 2012.

Get in touch with us if you: have a question you’d like answered in Streetbystreet have ideas for a story we could write for our next issue know about an event we could attend to take photos want to share your views about community issues want to give us feedback about anything in this issue want to help shape the next issue by joining our residents communication panel, a small group that meets every three months.

For free translation of this magazine for East Thames residents, call:

Contents 4-5 Your neighbourhood 6-7 Resident involvement 8 Safety 9 Repairs 10-11 Housing options 12-13 The hot topic 14 Performance 15 Fraud protection

16-17 Money matters 18 Community programmes 19 Care and support 20-21 Stop press 22 East life 23 Your space 24 Contacts & about us

When you’re finished with Streetbystreet please recycle it.

Streetbystreet is produced by the Marketing and Communications team, East Thames Group, 29-35 West Ham Lane, Stratford E15 4PH Editor: Fiona McEwan Cover: Molly of Stepney E1, enjoying summer activites at a local Big Lunch event; photo by EPS Designer: Jen Fraser Photography: EPS, Jen Fraser Tel: 020 8536 8769 Fax: 020 8522 2001 Email: marcoms@ east-thames.co.uk Online: www.east-thames.co.uk

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Ask Maureen

Maureen Worby, assistant director of social & economic regeneration, answers a resident’s question.

Q: What activities are being run for children and young people and what funding is available to residents who want to organise activities?

A: Providing activities for children and young people helps them stay active, healthy, sociable and gives them something positive to do with their time.

For many children, just having somewhere safe to play can make a big difference, which is why we’ve built new playgrounds and sports areas at Britannia Village and Winsor Park in Newham. In Tower Hamlets, where we are midway through a major £200m regeneration of the Ocean Estate, we offer funding to the local community to run activities such as a children’s football team and summer street parties aimed at the estate’s younger residents. And we are currently in discussion with sports charity Street Games – www. streetgames.org 8 – who we hope to work with to bring a series of activities for young people to our Victoria Street estate in Newham. This would involve training local foyer residents at Focus E15 Foyer who could run activities for the

area’s younger residents.

Sadly this year we say goodbye to our Children’s Centres in Essex, which over the past three years have supported families in the area with a range of activities and services. I’d like to say a big thank you to staff and the families we’ve worked with in

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We’ve built new playgrounds in Newham and in Tower Hamlets, we fund local community activities.

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Essex. The work of the centres will continue but they will no longer be run by East Thames.

Many of our programmes for young people are run from our six foyers. We continue to run the Time for Youth programme which supports young people at risk of offending, and over the coming months, we’re renewing our focus on employment and training support for young people, using one to one support, mentoring and life skills sessions to get our young

residents work ready.

Later this year we will also be funding a number of community programmes across our estates and neighbourhoods. These projects will vary depending on the needs of the community but could be things like a summer play scheme for young children or a sports project for teenagers. We’ll let you know more about this soon.

Funding for community programmes is becoming more difficult to access, but in addition to what East Thames can provide, there are some charities who still offer small pots of money to resident groups and young people who want to organise their own activities. Take a look at the charities below. www.starbucks.co.uk/ responsibility/community www.jackpetcheyfoundation. org.uk/?looking-for-funding www.wakehamtrust.org/ www.henrysmithcharity.org.uk www.elcf.org.uk

Maureen Assistant director of social & economic regeneration, East Thames Group

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Your neighbourhood

Game over for subletting THIS SUMMER the Olympic Games arrive in Stratford. East London and Essex will be an exciting place to be between July and September as we enjoy this once in a life time experience of welcoming the Olympic Games to our neck of the woods.

If you have friends and family staying with you to enjoy the Games, and you plan to celebrate each and every Team GB medal win, please remember to be respectful of your neighbours. As an East Thames resident, you are responsible for anyone staying with you and any nuisance or damage they may cause.

Please also remember that it is unlawful to rent out your home to someone else, even for a short amount of time.

Subletting - renting out your home without East Thames’ permission - is a form of tenancy fraud. It’s unlawful and breaks the terms of your tenancy agreement, which could lead to you losing your home.

We’ve had a lot of success in uncovering subletting of East Thames homes. When we uncover subletting, we ask both the original tenant named

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Keeping our communal areas clear

on the tenancy agreement and the person that they are renting their home to, to leave. That way we can use that property to re-house someone who needs it.

If you think someone in your area may be subletting their home or living elsewhere, please get in touch. Any information you give us will be handled with the strictest of confidence. Contact us 020 8536 3953 or sublet@ east-thames.co.uk.

If you have any questions about your tenancy, please contact your neighbourhood manager.

marcoms@east-thames.co.uk

AS YOU MAY have read in the autumn issue of Streetbystreet, East Thames is taking action to ensure the communal areas of our blocks and properties are always kept clear.

Leaving personal items such as pushchairs, bikes, furniture or rubbish - in communal areas and intake/ meter cupboards presents a serious risk to health and safety, both as a fire risk and as a trip hazard.

For this reason, any items left or stored in communal areas will be removed without notice. We will store your item

NOISE ACTION WEEK NOISE ACTION WEEK takes place across the UK from 21-25 May 2012. We’ll be looking at the things we can all do to reduce noise that may cause a nuisance to neighbours. Look out for more information in your estate newsletter or visit www.noiseactionweek. org.uk.

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for a maximum of 28 days and if you don’t claim it within this time we will dispose of it.

If we incur charges for removing and /or storing items, we will recharge these costs back to individual residents.

We will also be charging an administration fee for any goods you wish to recover from us.

Please make sure you remove any belongings you may have in a communal area or intake cupboard straight away.

Flying the flag WHY NOT CELEBRATE the arrival of the Olympic Games and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a street party?

Street parties are a great way to get to know your neighbours and build community spirit in your local area.

If you want to organise a good old fashioned knees up for your street or estate, funding may be available from your local council. You’ll also find the necessary forms for road closures on your council’s

website and some great tips on how to hold a successful party.

If you need help completing any of the forms, please contact the resident involvement team who can help.

If you do decide to hold a party, please let us know by contacting your neighbourhood manager on 0845 600 0830 or NMEnquiries@east-thames. co.uk.

Waltham Forest spring clean WALTHAM FOREST Council is planning its annual spring clean and is calling on all local residents groups to get involved.

Last year the spring clean succeeded in removing 50 tons of rubbish, and recycling or reusing at least 30 tons of it! They also planted 500 plants,

removed graffiti, and cleaned bollards and street furniture.

All of this work was done by the community spirit of residents of Waltham Forest, with help from Waltham Forest Council officers.

This year, the council wants to make the spring clean bigger and better. And all Waltham Forest residents are invited to get involved.

If you would like to take part, or organise your own clean up, contact the council on 020 8496 3000 or email streetcare.client@ walthamforest.gov.uk with your contact details and a site in the borough that you feel could benefit from a spring clean.

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Resident involvement

Meet our new scrutiny panel members IN OUR LAST issue of Streetbystreet we introduced the Housing Scrutiny Panel candidates for Barking and Dagenham and Essex. After a close vote, we’re happy to announce our two new panel members, as chosen by you.

Meet Carole Anne Barry representing Essex. Carol said: “Getting to have a say in the service East Thames provides puts my mind at ease as I’m always in the know and have a say.

I also get to meet my fellow residents and visit some of the schemes that East Thames manage as it’s always good to really get stuck in and have a knowledge of what the Group does on a whole.”

Meet Gavin Palmer representing Barking and Dagenham, Gavin said: “The scrutiny panel is a great opportunity for me to represent my area and speak up about

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the issues and put forward constructive solutions to make our area a better place to live.

It feels good to know that my input will be making a change.

I’ve also noticed that if you don’t speak up then you won’t see results. I’d urge anyone to get in contact and join now and I look forward to working with you in the future.”

The Housing Scrutiny Panel is a forum which brings together East Thames resident representatives to scrutinise East Thames’ performance and landlord services, and to highlight the issues that matter most to residents. It is about East Thames and residents working together to improve services.

BUT WE STILL NEED YOU! AT THE MOMENT we have eight residents on the panel, but ideally we would like 12 so we still have a few places available. If you’d like to apply for a place or would like some more information about the recruitment procedure, please contact Deborah Lamb on 020 8536 8806 or email on deborah.lamb@ east-thames.co.uk.

marcoms@east-thames.co.uk

Or if scrutinising services isn’t your thing, you may want to try other resident involvement alternatives such as mystery shopping and resident inspectors.

BECOME A MYSTERY SHOPPER Mystery shoppers anonymously test the quality of our customer service. If you volunteered as a mystery shopper, you might have to report a repair, make a complaint or ask questions about our services, either by email, phone or by visiting our office. You would then score the level of customer service you received and we use this information to improve services.

BECOME A RESIDENT INSPECTOR Resident inspectors carry out regular estate inspections to make sure that East Thames’ estates meet our service standards.

They check how clean the estate is, how well maintained the outdoor spaces are and if any repairs are needed. It’s a great role for someone who wants to get out and about on our estates.

Find out more: contact Deborah Lamb (details, left).

Residents seminar WE’D LIKE TO thank all of our residents who came along to our residents seminar in November.

It was a great turnout with over 30 residents in attendance. On the day there was a panel discussion and updates on all the resident involvement opportunities East Thames provides, including estate inspections and mystery shopper roles.

Guest speakers Nigel Long, Head of Policy at the Tenant Participatory Advisory Service and Nic Bliss from the Confederation of Co-operative Housing provided an update on the housing industry and explained how East Thames’ services compare to other

housing associations. There was also a Q&A session with a panel of East Thames senior managers which was chaired by resident board member Dominic Jebb.

During the Q&A session residents got to speak with East Thames staff about their concerns, and we’ve highlighted the top two questions and responses for you: Q. Other housing associations work with funders to create projects that make use of open spaces by having events and activity days for children and families.

Is this something East Thames would consider doing in the future?

– Tracey Aldrich

We support a number of neighbourhood initiatives such as community fun days but we rely on the community themselves to identify the need and encourage them to organise these themselves. Most of our tenant and resident associations organise events within their community to engage with residents and help build a better social environment.

We regularly find out about sources of funding that groups can apply for and help with the application process.

Q. What are neighbourhood managers doing to encourage residents to set up Tenant Associations?

– Jeanette Dye Neighbourhood managers advise residents when they sign their tenancy verifications and at resident meetings about the various ways they can get involved, and setting up a Tenants Association is one of them.

Neighbourhood managers can also provide a step by step guide on how to set up a Tenants Association, and provide additional support throughout the process, if needed.

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Safety

Regularly clean your taps and showerhead to get rid of the bacteria that lives in scale deposits.

If your tap water ever runs brown or yellow, call us straight away.

Your tap water THE TAP WATER in your home meets very high standards. At East Thames, we do everything we can to make sure it stays that way, and that includes regularly testing communal stored water to ensure its quality.

Poor water quality can cause bacteria to form, which can cause legionnaires disease.

But these simple tips will help ensure your tap water stays safe for drinking, cooking and washing.

TAPS AND SHOWERS If you’ve been away from home for a week or two, make sure you run the water for a couple of minutes to allow fresh water into the pipe.

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HOT WATER CYLINDERS AND IMMERSION HEATERS Bacteria can grow in water cylinders and tanks, but setting your thermostat to 60°C will kill almost all harmful bacteria, including those that cause legionnaires’ disease. If this is too hot, just mix with cold water before using it.

If you or a member of your household has sensory loss, using water at 60°C could cause scalding, so please contact us.

COLD WATER STORAGE TANKS Some homes are supplied with cold water from a water tank, often situated in cupboards or the loft.

If you have a water tank, always make sure it is insulated and covered with a lid to prevent dust, insects, mice or birds from getting into it. Check your tank once a year and let us know if you need a new lid or extra insulation.

marcoms@east-thames.co.uk

Gas servicing for leaseholders

GAS APPLIANCES such as boilers and cookers, need regular servicing to keep them safe. At East Thames we carry out annual gas servicing for tenants.

Leaseholders and shared owners are responsible for the safety and servicing of their own appliances, so it’s important you organise for a Gas Safe registered engineer to check your appliance annually.

You can find a registered Gas Safe engineer at www.gassaferegister. co.uk.

You can also find more info on gas safety for East Thames residents at www.east-thames.co.uk/ safety.

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Repairs

Improving the way we work – new resident maintenance panel OVER THE NEXT year East Thames will be carrying out a number of improvement projects to make sure you are getting excellent customer service and value for money.

One of the services we are focusing on is our repairs and maintenance service and the way East Thames manages its properties.

We are looking for a long term partner organisation who can deliver all our repairs, maintenance and asset management services on our behalf, someone who understands our residents and who can deliver a more proactive and reliable service.

To make sure the improved service meets your needs and expectations, we’ve appointed ten residents to the newly

created Strategic Maintenance Panel. The Panel will work with East Thames to design the improved service and to help us find the right partner organisation to deliver it.

Ayo, one of the new resident panel members said: “This is a good opportunity for me to be part of the change, rather than complaining about how things are done. Apart from this being a good experience and giving me an insight into how East Thames works, being on the Panel means I have a role in helping chose a supplier who can provide a better service.”

We’ll include regular updates on the improvements and the work of the Panel in future issues of Streetbystreet.

IMPROVING THE CUSTOMER SERVICE YOU RECEIVE But it’s not just the repairs service we want to improve.

We want to make sure you’re happy with all the services you receive from East Thames. For instance, maybe you’d like more of our services to be available online. Whatever improvements you want to see, we’d like to know about it. We’ll be running a customer service consultation over the next few months and we’d love for you to get involved. To take part, contact our resident involvement team on 020 8536 3957 or residentinvolvementteam@ east-thames.co.uk.

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Housing options

Annual rent review IN APRIL, some residents will have their rent increased following our annual rent review. If your rent is being increased you should have recently received a rent review notice, with details of the rent and service charges you need to pay over the coming year.

Rent increases come into effect as follows: East Thames and foyer residents holding an Assured or Assured Shorthold tenancy – Monday 2 April 2012 Shared ownership residents – Sunday 1 April 2012 Rent Now Buy Later residents – Sunday 1 April 2012 Intermediate rented residents – Sunday 1 April 2012 Supported housing residents – Monday 9 April 2012.

Along with the notice we sent out, you will receive an information sheet with frequently asked questions about the rent increase, which includes an explanation of how we calculate rents and service charges. If you pay rent weekly, you will also receive a sheet showing how our rents compare with other housing associations. These information sheets are also available on our website at www.east-thames.co.uk/ rent-review.

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www.east-thames.co.uk

THAMES THAMES THAMES Rent charge s FrEquEntly askEd q Rent annual

uEstions

review – April 2012 to March information for assured and a 2013 ssured shorthold residents wh o do not pay a service charge

I pay by direct debit or standin g order, do I need to adjust this?

Each year we send you a letter explaining how much your rent and service charges will be for the coming year. If you pay your rent by standing order, you need to contact your bank straight away to arrange for the payment to be adjusted from 2nd April 2012. If you pay by direct debit, the amount will be increased automatically, so please ensure you have sufficient funds in your account.

What’s the easiest way You can choose to pay your

to pay my rent?

rent by: standing order or direct de bit – one of the simplest, fastest ways to pay as the money comes out of your account automatic ally • using your rent pay ment card in shops displaying these signs – you need to pay at least three days before the rent is due • debit/credit card o ver the phone at any time o n 0844 557 8321 (automated service) or 0844 557 8323 (to speak to an operator) - you need to have your debit/credit card and rent payment card to hand • debit/credit card o n our website, www.east-thames.co.uk/payyour-rent • cheque payable to East Homes – please write your name, address and tenant reference number on the back and post to customer account management team, 29-35 West Ham Lane, Stratford, London E15 4PH. The easiest way to pay is by direct debit, as once it is set up, the payments are automatic and you don’t need to worry any further. If you would like to set up a direct debit, •

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find out about other ways to pay, or order a replaceme nt rent payment card, contact us on 0845 600 0830 (Mon-Fri, 8.30am-8.30pm and Sat, 8.30-12.30pm).

What can I do if I’m having problems paying my rent?

If you have problems paying your rent, coping with debt, or would like advice on welfare and benefits, please contact us for a free appointme nt with a welfare and debt advisor. Call our customer contact centre on 0845 600 0830 (Mon-Fri, 8.30am-8 .30pm and Sat, 8.3012.30pm), drop into our head office to speak to a member of our team at 29-35, West Ham Lane, Stratford E15 4PH (Mon-Fri, 8.30am-6.00pm) or email welfare.benefits@east-tham es.co.uk

What do I need to do if my rent or part of my rent is paid by housing benefit?

We will be contacting your local housing benefits office to inform them of your new rent. If however, your claim is suspended or is being ass essed at the time of receiving your rent increase notification, you will need to take it to your local housing benefits office yourself.

Am I an assured or assured shorthold tenant?

If your housing benefit is paid directly to us, we will inform the benefit office of the increases. If your housing benefit is paid to you, you need to tell your benefit office about your new rent and service charges. If you have not received notification of your new benefit rate by 12 April 2012, please contact the benefit office directly.

If you think you should have received a rent review notice from us but you haven’t, please contact us on 0845 600 0830, Mon-Fri 8.30am-8.30pm and Sat 8.30am-12.30pm, and ask for the rents and service charges team.

If you have concerns about your ability to pay your rent, or would benefit from budgeting and welfare advice, please contact us for a free, independent appointment with a welfare advisor. Call 0845 600 0830 or email welfare. benefits@east-thames. co.uk.

marcoms@east-thames.co.uk

Assured and/or assured shorthold tenancies were introduced in 1989. The landlord is responsible for setting the rents for these tenancies, using a formula set by the government (see below - How does East Thames work out rents).

Rents are recalculated every year and the new rents are payable from the first Monday in April.

Please turn the page >

Staircasing offer for shared owners FOR A LIMITED TIME only we have a special offer available to shared owners. Until 31 March 2012 shared owners will have the chance to apply for £1,500 per household, to put towards staircasing start up costs.

Staircasing is the process of buying an additional share of your home. You may already own a percentage, in which case you can increase the amount you own. This will increase your monthly mortgage payments but decrease your monthly rental payments.

WHAT’S ON OFFER? No administration fee to pay Free valuation (to be paid up front and then refunded to you on completion) Legal fees paid (not for transfer of ownership, i.e. single to joint) Contribution towards your mortgage arrangement fees and/or stamp duty if there are funds left over Terms and conditions apply.

If you’d like to know more contact us on 0845 600 0830 and ask to speak to the home ownership team or e-mail homeownership@eastthames.co.uk.

Choice Based Lettings goes online FROM THE BEGINNING of April, Choice Based Lettings – the system which lets you bid for a new home – will be entirely online. This means all registrations, applications and bids now need to be made online, so there are no more paper forms to fill in. This will make the whole process more efficient and as a result should speed things up.

In order to use the online system, you will need an email address, as this will be the main way we contact you. Simply register on the East Thames part of the site at www.ellcchoicehomes. org.uk.

Once you’ve registered, we will assess your application, and then let you know your online bidding number.

If you don’t have an existing email address or access to the internet, please drop into East Thames’ offices and we’ll help you set one up. We can also help anyone who has support needs and requires help to use the internet.

For more information, please contact the letting team on 0208 522 2260 or email lettingsteam@east-thames. co.uk.

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Owning your own home is NOT out of reach

Our affordable new homes for shared ownership are one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to get your foot on the property ladder. Shared ownership enables you to buy an affordable share, from 25%-75%, and pay a subsidised rent on the remaining value. You will need a deposit for the share you buy, plus money to cover your legal fees and mortgage valuation and arrangement costs.

In 2012 we’re launching a variety of new 1-3 bedroom homes across east London.

BE THE FIRST TO SEE WHAT’S ON OFFER! Visit www.east-thames.co.uk or call 0845 300 0830, or email properties@east-thames.co.uk Applicants must be registered with www.firststepslondon.org.

In most cases, priority for the homes is given to social housing residents, MOD personnel and residents of the same borough.

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HOPTIC The hot topic TO

Young people overcoming the odds Over the past year young people in Britain have been front page news for all the wrong reasons. But despite the current unrest and change, the vast majority of young people are working hard to make the best of what they have and aspire to a better future.

AS ONE OF THE largest providers of supported accommodation for young people in the UK, East Thames is able to see much of this hard work first hand.

That’s why we’re dedicating this Hot Topic to highlighting the services we provide our young residents and customers, and celebrating what they can achieve with the right support.

FOYERS - SKILLS FOR LIFE East Thames runs six foyers which provide supported accommodation, as well as personal development and help to remain in education or employment, to more than 600 young people aged 16-24 who are at risk of becoming homeless. With our help, three out of every four foyer residents move on from the foyer, having successfully achieved all the goals in their support plan, which can include employment, qualifications and life skills.

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A WORKING ROLE MODEL Last year Barking Foyer resident Vivian, 23, used what he learnt in the foyer’s healthy living course to win the foyer’s Master Chef competition. Catering studies gave him the confidence to continue studying and he’s now training to be a mechanic.

Vivian said: “At first I thought I wanted to go into catering and the foyer helped me get into that which I really enjoyed and have a full qualification in. With that up my sleeve I’m trying something new and training to be a qualified mechanic.

I’ve now got options and at my age, it will definitely help me in the long run. I know what I need to do to get where I need to be and being at the foyer has introduced me to a lot, it’s made me realise I can do anything I put my mind to.”

NEVER TOO LATE TO LEARN Mohammed, 20, had fallen out of education at a young age and needed help to brush up on his qualifications. Attending the foyer’s basic skills training boosted his confidence and after just two months, he passed the Level 1 Literacy exam. Mohammed said “I want to become an electrician so basic literacy and numeracy is a must. I feel good about myself that I passed my Level 1. Now it’s time to go higher.”

marcoms@east-thames.co.uk

HOPTIC TO

BREAKING THE CYCLE OF RE-OFFENDING Our Time for Youth programme offers young people aged 11-24 tailored support and mentoring to help them avoid re-offending and turn their lives around.

Natasha, 19, took part in Time for Youth after coming out of custody aged 16.

Natasha said: “Coming on this course was not my choice but I am so glad that I did. I was caught up in a pattern of re-offending because that’s all I knew. My mentor really believed in me and gave me the confidence to make the leap to finding a new direction.

I got the help and support I needed to get back to college and find a place of my own.

I am following my passion for art and design and have started out as a freelance tattoo artist. So all in all the experience has been a real life-changer. I owe my mentor so much. Without her I would not be where I am today.”

IN THE PAST YEAR…

77.8% of foyer

residents who moved on did so having met all the goals in their support plan.

More than half of 584 who took part in our employment and training programmes were

under 25.

SUPPORTING YOUNG PARENTS Our experience in providing foyer services has also enabled us to offer specialist services for young parents. At the new Railway Meadow scheme we offer supported living for young parents aged 16-25 in Essex.

Railway Meadow resident Rio, 21, welcomed the support to help her become a good parent and learn new skills to increase her job prospects.

Rio said: “Staying at the scheme, the focus has been about dealing with the birth of my baby but I needed to find myself too. Staff here encouraged me to use the life experience I have had so far to help young people understand the challenges that come with becoming a young parent. So I set up my own support group for young mums and I accompany a midwife in local schools to explain the realities of being a young mum. I will be leaving Railway Meadow in a few months but I have many positives to look forward to and especially as I am that step closer to pursuing a career in health and social care.”

If you want to find out more about our life skills training courses contact our employment and training team on 020 8522 2221, email ete@east-thames.co.uk or visit www.east-thames. co.uk/employment-training.

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Performance

Quarterly performance: Oct-Dec 2011 After feedback from our Resident Scrutiny Panel, we have made a few changes to the way we present our quarterly performance information, including: • adding the actual numbers alongside the percentages • removing the performance () icons and using coloured text to represent different levels of achievement

We’ve met or exceeded our target We’re really close to meeting our target We’ve missed our target and need to improve in this area

THE CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDARD WE WANT TO PROVIDE 98% of complaints were responded to on time. (162 out of 165 surveyed residents) 23.1% of our residents are satisfied with our complaints process. This is a small improvement on our results for quarter two. We have been working to improve the service and have introduced changes such as following up repairs with courtesy calls and sending out the complaints questionnaire after any necessary works have been completed. (9 out of 39 surveyed residents)

THE REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE SERVICE WE WANT TO PROVIDE 99.9% of our homes have a valid gas certificate. (7958 out of 7959 surveyed residents) 98.9% of our homes meet the Decent Homes standard. (9199 out of 9305) 96.5% of repairs are completed on time. Our target is 97%. (10070 out of 10438) 77.5% of residents are satisfied with our repairs services. (640 out of 826 surveyed residents)

COLLECTION OF RENT SERVICE WE WANT TO PROVIDE Our rent arrears are at 3.2%. (This is equivalent to £2m in rent arrears)

THE ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR SERVICE WE WANT TO PROVIDE 94.6% of reported antisocial behaviour cases have been dealt with within time scales. (70 out of 74)

SPOTLIGHT ON OUR FOYERS: 71.6% of foyer residents who moved on did so having met all the goals in their support plan. (130 out of 167) 97.6% of repairs are completed on time in our foyers, meeting our target of 97%. (381 out of 395) 50% of people signed up to our employment and training programmes are aged 25 or under. (310 out of 620)

FIND OUT MORE about our performance at www.east-thames.co.uk/our-performance

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marcoms@east-thames.co.uk

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Fraud protection

Safety online ONLINE FRAUD and scam emails are becoming more and more common. Many of these emails claim to come from banks and building societies and may ask you for sensitive information relating to your account.

They may also contain links which can install harmful software on your PC or laptop which then tracks sensitive information you enter on your computer, such as passwords and pin numbers.

HOW TO SPOT A FRAUDULENT EMAIL The email is sent from an address that doesn’t match the organisation’s web address. For instance, East Thames’ web address is www.east-thames.co.uk, any emails we send will always come from an email address that ends in @eastthames.co.uk.

The email is addressed Dear customer, rather than using your proper name.

The email asks you for personal information, such as a user name, password or bank details.

The best way to provide this information is over the

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phone, using a published phone number that you know is correct or via a secure website.

The email is out of the blue and unexpected.

If it is from an organisation that you don’t usually correspond with by email, or from a bank that you don’t bank with, it may be a scam email.

WHAT TO DO WITH A FRAUDULENT EMAIL Don’t click on any links contained in the email.

These could take you to sites that install harmful software on your computer.

Don’t reply to the email or contact the senders.

Do not provide any information requested, either by replying to the email or via a website that the email directs you to.

If you have doubts about an email you’ve received, call the organisation that the email claims to be from to double check. For more information, visit www. actionfraud.org.uk.

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A FIRM NO TO BRIBERY East Thames is taking a strong position on bribery.

We will not tolerate fraud, theft or bribery of any type.

We also aim to protect our vulnerable residents from fraud, theft or bribery.

If you would like to know more, visit www. east-thames.co.uk/news/ jan2012/were-stampingout-bribery.

If you would like to report suspected fraud at East Thames, please contact fraud@east-thames. co.uk.

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Money matters

Welfare reforms are on the way – how will this affect you?

THE GOVERNMENT is proposing changes in what will be the biggest shake up to the welfare benefits system for over 50 years. The move aims to make the system less complicated by introducing a single ‘universal credit’. This will affect the way you receive benefits and change the rules by which certain benefits are calculated. The Welfare Reform Bill is still going through Parliament so we don’t yet have the full picture, but if you are claiming benefits you should be aware of the following: WORKING TAX CREDIT From April 2012, couples with at least one child who qualify for Working Tax Credit will see the qualifying weekly hours threshold raised from 16 hours a week to 24 hours a week. You will need to make a joint claim bearing in mind that if only one of you work, you must be working at least 24 hours per week and if both of you work, your joint weekly hours must be at least 24, with one of you working at least 16 hours a week, and that the money will be paid to the person who works part-time.

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JOB SEEKERS ALLOWANCE From July 2012 if you are unemployed and capable of work and your youngest child is over five, you will be moved onto Job Seekers Allowance (JSA). Claiming JSA is very different to income support and when the change is about to happen you will be invited to attend an interview with your local Jobcentre Plus adviser to discuss how this change will affect you.

UNIVERSAL CREDIT When universal credit begins in 2013, benefits will be paid to individuals monthly rather than the current weekly, or fortnightly, payment. This means your housing benefit amount will be lumped into one monthly payment and paid directly to you. As it won’t be coming directly to East Thames as it used to, you will need to make new arrangements to pay us your rent. The easiest way to do this is to set up a direct debit from your bank account. If you do not have a bank account, please get in touch with us. We can work with you to look at different options.

SPARE BEDROOMS AND HOUSING BENEFIT If you claim housing benefit and have a spare bedroom you may be deemed to be ‘under

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occupying’ and have your benefit reduced from April 2013.

We will be contacting residents who under occupy to alert them of the change coming into effect April 2013 and advise about the options and support available to move to a smaller home. If you wish to discuss your options now please get in touch with our lettings team on 0208 522 2260 or email lettingsteam@eastthames.co.uk.

CAPPING THE AMOUNT OF BENEFIT CLAIMED We are also aware of the government’s intention to introduce a benefit cap of £26,000 per year from April 2013. Our initial research tells us this will only affect a handful of our residents and we will be contacting them directly to offer further information and guidance.

We expect that the Welfare Reform Bill will become law in May 2012 and we will continue to update you on these changes.

So look out for further articles in the next Streetbystreet or on our website www.east-thames. co.uk.

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£ IF YOU NEED HELP WITH YOUR RENT GET IN TOUCH - NOW We understand that upcoming welfare changes may cause confusion, but we are here to help. If you think the changes might impact you paying your rent on time, or are finding it difficult to make up any shortfalls due to reduced benefit amounts, please talk to us before you get behind with your payments.

Falling behind with your rent payments (rent arrears) puts you are at risk of being evicted as you are breaking the terms of your tenancy agreement which states that you must pay your rent in advance.

Speak to our welfare benefit advisor today for advice or to find out about the benefits that you should be receiving. Call Uyi Abosede on 020 8536 8803.

Warm Home Discount DID YOU KNOW you could get £120 off your electricity bill this winter? If your energy supplier is taking part in the ‘Warm Home Discount’ scheme, and you meet their eligibility criteria, your electricity bill will be reduced by £120.

Elderly residents receiving Pension Credit will automatically receive the rebate and will not need to do anything. Other vulnerable people such as those

on low incomes with a disability, long term illness or families with young children may also quality, but you will need to contact your electricity supplier by 28 March 2012 to see if you are eligible.

The Warm Home Discount scheme will run for four years from winter 2011/12.

Rebates paid under the Warm Home Discount scheme will not affect any Cold Weather Payment or Winter Fuel Payment you may receive.

FIND OUT MORE about the scheme call the Warm Home Discount scheme Helpline on 0845 603 9439.

Better safe than sorry COULD YOU AFFORD to replace your most valuable possessions if they are

damaged or stolen? Contents insurance covers all the things you bring into your home, such as furniture, carpets, curtains, books and electrical goods.

It protects these belongings against damage from leaks, burst pipes, theft and fire, which means your personal items can be replaced or fixed after any damage.

East Thames is not responsible for protecting your belongings. We have buildings insurance to protect the building you live in, including the bricks and mortar, windows and doors, but buildings insurance doesn’t cover things in your home.

As an example, if your neighbours have a water leak, and your belongings are damaged, we will not cover the repair or replacement costs. East Thames will only cover costs if we are found to be negligent – for example if the water leak is reported to us and we don’t fix it within the agreed timescales.

Taking out insurance now could save you a lot of money in the future. For contents insurance we advise contacting FARR insurance on 0845 129 8000 for a quote.

For more information about our insurance policy and procedure, visit www.eastthames.co.uk/insurance or call us on 0845 600 0830.

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Community programmes

Construct your Career is recruiting in Tower Hamlets now!

ARE YOU OVER 18, unemployed, and living in Tower Hamlets? Do you want to gain skills to get a job in construction? If so, register your interest now for the next Construct your Career course.

Well over half of the graduates from the previous course have already got a job, so why not

join up to see how the course can help you? Please contact us by 12th March 2012 to register your interest for the course which runs from 26th March to 29th June 2012.

FIND OUT MORE: visit www.east-thames.co.uk/ employment-training or talk to our employment and training team today about the service that’s right for you. Call 020 8522 2221 or email ete@ east-thames.co.uk.

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Grow your own- at home or in the community EXPERIENCE THE joys of growing your own food with our New Shoots programme.

People of all ages can get involved and grow their own organic fruit and vegetables across a number of ‘blooming’ patches we created on previously disused land. If you’d like to come along to the next New Shoots workshops, contact Alison Skeat or Steve Bynon on 020 8522 2407 or steve.bynon@east-thames. co.uk. We’re also looking for new sites, so if you know of any disused or derelict land that could be transformed into a food growing patch, please get in touch.

You can now start your

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own food growing patch in the comfort of your own home with the aid of a FREE growing kit. This comprises a mini propagator, compost and vegetable or herb seeds.

A propagator is like a mini greenhouse that you can sit on your window sill to get your seedlings growing. The seedlings will then need to be transferred to a larger pot or garden area, and looked after to ensure healthy growth.

To receive your free growing kit contact Alison Skeat on 07961 674 210 or alison.skeat@east-thames. co.uk to arrange to collect it from our West Ham Lane office reception.

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FINDING THE RIGHT EMPLOYMENT / TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR YOU ROUTES TO WORK is a work experience and business mentoring programme giving you valuable on-the-job experience to help you get full time work.

WORKWISE is a series of friendly group sessions to help you improve your chances of getting a job. The session include supported job searches and job brokerage.

COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS is a volunteering programme centred around projects that will improve your local area. The programme helps you learn new skills and increases confidence in work situations.

WORKPLACE HUB is a drop in centre which provides support to Newham residents, matching skills and job aspirations with local vacancies.

Care and support

Health and wellbeing sessions coming soon THIS YEAR, East Thames is running support sessions for young Newham residents aged 16-24 with mental health needs, designed to help people lead a more active and healthy life.

With the help of funding from Comic Relief, we will be holding a range of life skills workshops covering: drug awareness, routes to employment and training, healthy eating, massage and health check ups.

To register your interest for the events coming soon or for more information contact

Khadija Nawaz on 0208 522 2211 / 0790 301 7062 or email Khadija.Nawaz@ east-thames.co.uk

Raising awareness of sexual health for people with learning disabilities

TALKING ABOUT your sexual health can be difficult, even more so if you’ve got a learning disability, and are unsure about where to get help or advice.

Our supported residents have often told us that talking about their sexual

health is one of the most daunting experiences they face. We’ve listened to their concerns and have introduced two East Thames’ care and support workers as qualified champions who will be providing advice about a range of services to improve our supported residents’ sexual health and wellbeing.

The new service will also include support to raise awareness about the sexual health and rights of people with learning disabilities.

One of the champions Jasna Jefcoate - Duricic said: “It’s important that we work closely with our supported residents to ensure they are aware of the risks and implications ill sexual health and relationships can bring. By having care and support staff with knowledge and training in this area it allows them to get help from someone they already know, making them feel more at ease and comfortable in talking about their situation.”

If you’d like more information on how we can help, speak to your support worker today or if you’d like to know more about sexual health guidance and support for people with learning disabilities go to: www.fpa.org.uk.

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Stop press

Young mothers see in new year with a smile YOUNG MOTHERS and their babies at Focus E15 Foyer had a Christmas and New Year to remember after East Potential was given a £5,000 donation from the Blackwood Group.

The Blackwood Group is an independent executive search firm who every year engage in an annual Christmas charity auction to give back to the community. This year the items up for auction ranged from days of babysitting, to tennis lessons and a tour of the Royal Courts of Justice.

The money raised - £5,073 in total – was used for Christmas gifts and a party for young mothers and their babies at Focus E15 Foyer, and in the New Year, East Potential will put the rest of the donation towards building opportunities for the disadvantaged, vulnerable and homeless young people living in east London.

Young mother Zaianb said: “This is our first Christmas and New Year together and it’s so lovely that the Blackwood Group have taken the time out to make it so special for us all. We’re very grateful - they don’t know what this means to us, it’s definitely going to be a happy New Year.”

East Village homes LONDON MAYOR Boris Johnson was recently at the East Village (formerly called the Athletes Village) in E20 with Newham Mayor Sir Robin Wales and East Thames director Geoff Pearce to see how the new homes are coming along.

The homes are one of the biggest legacies of the Olympic Games - with more than 1,300 homes available for social rent, shared ownership and intermediate rent. An extra 1,300 homes

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will be available for private rent. They will start to become available from April 2013.

FIND OUT MORE: about the homes and what the new neighbourhood will offer, visit www.eastvillagelondon. co.uk

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Above L-R: Sir Robin Wales, Newham Mayor; Boris Johnson, Mayor of London; and Geoff Pearce, East Thames director of development and asset management

Stop press

The ‘I am..’ exhibition FROM MAY this year, our East Gallery exhibition space will be showcasing innovative Olympic inspired art works created by three art groups from the Newham College of Further Education, in an exhibition entitled ‘I am…’.

The exhibition was described by students as ‘‘learners expressing who they are as individuals in their personal collages, for their community, their world’’.

If you’d like to be attend the launch event on Wednesday 9 May, contact Natasha Cox on 0208 522 2061 or email Natasha. cox@east-thames.co.uk The exhibition will be held at East Gallery, 29-35 West Ham Lane, Stratford, E15 4PH

Helping our residents pay their rent EAST THAMES has launched an innovative project to help residents facing high rent arrears get back on their feet and manage their finances.

We are getting in touch with selected residents, and offering a support programme of budgeting, money management and employment and training.

Project participant David Julien said: “East Thames wanted to see if they could help with my rent arrears.

It was really hard finding a job and not knowing where to turn. So when the adviser introduced me to a programme specifically for

! someone in my situation I jumped at the opportunity.

“She explained that I would be attending the Routes to Work training programme leading to a job placement at East Thames and the possibility of even landing a permanent position. The thought of being thrown into a role where I had no previous experience made me nervous, but the training and mentoring days really helped to prepare me and make the most of the opportunity. I was supported all the way and I now have a job the call centre at East Thames. I am very grateful to be given this opportunity and my future is much brighter now.”

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East life

What’s on, when, and where! Your guide to FREE events in east London and Essex.

Where: Sarah Bonell School, Deanery Rd, Stratford, E15 4LP. When: Saturday 17th March More info: contact: Laura Beswick, 020 337 36045 laura. beswick@newham.gov.uk

EAT WELL AND LIVE! Residents of our Focus E15 Foyer are invited to join a new short course designed to give you tips to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Where: Focus E15 Foyer, Brimstone House 10 Victoria Street London E15 4NX When: Every Wednesday until 28 March 2012 More Info: Contact Julia Woodstock on 0208 522 5848 or email Julia.woodstock@ east-thames.co.uk

EXHIBITION: THROUGH THE EYES OF ANOTHER Melford Fearon, an East Thames resident with a passion for painting and poetry, will be showcasing his artwork in an exhibition themed around the natural world.

Where: East Gallery, 29-35 West Ham Lane, Stratford E15 4PH When: 12 March - 4 May 2012 www.east-thames.co.uk/gallery EXHIBITION: I AM… An art exhibition featuring the work of students from three art

STRATFORD & WEST HAM SPRING FESTIVAL Startford & West Ham’s Active Community Team (ACT) welcome you to attend the 2012 Spring festival. Activities will include Talent Quest, Children’s Play, Art & Crafts workshops, Health MOT’s, Entertainment and much more.

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groups based at the Newham College of Further Education‘Enterprise’, ‘Learning for Living’ and ‘Make and Create’.

Where: East Gallery, 29-35 West Ham Lane, Stratford, E15 4PH When: 7 May -29 June 2012 More info: contact Newham College of Further Education 0208 257 4000 BOCKING MAYDAY FAIR Go along to our Bocking care scheme’s annual fair with live entertainment and refreshments available.

Where: The Royal Almshouses, Deans Walk, Bocking, Essex CM7 5JN When: Monday 7 May 2012 More info: Contact Clare Coston on 01376 345 865

Your space GET IN

VOLVED: Do you wa nt to see y our artwork in the nex t Streetby street?

Contact us on 020 85 36 8769 o marcoms r @east-tha mes.co.uk .

Above, from left: Cross stich tapestry by Julie Spalding; Untitled artwork by young artist Herschel Rimando.

Quick pics Lucky winner Juliet (1.) and runners up Katongole (2.) and Morris (3.) from our quarterly customer satisfaction survey.

4. Staff and residents mingle at the East Thames residents seminar.

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GET INVOLVE D: If you’d like to have your say in what we include in Stree tbystreet, why n ot join our resident comm unications pan el? We meet o every 3 month nce s, so to registe r your interest contact Jo San Austin on 0208 522 2572 or residentinvolv ementteam@ea st-thames.co.u k

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( Contacts Emergencies:

Health:

Local Councils:

Gas & Electric Supplies National Grid (includes Transco): T: 0845 605 6677 W: www.nationalgrid.com/uk

Emergency Services: 999 NHS Direct: T: 0845 4647 W: www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

Barking & Dagenham: E: 3000direct@lbbd.gov.uk T: 020 8215 3000 W: www.lbbd.gov.uk

IF YOU SMELL GAS call: 0800 111 999

information check out your estate noticeboard.

WATER SUPPLIES Essex & Suffolk Water Customers: T: 0845 782 0999 W: www.eswater.co.uk Thames Water Customers: T: 0845 9200 800 W: www.thameswater.co.uk DOMESTIC VIOLENCE National Helpline: T: 0808 2000 247 W: www.nationaldomestic

violencehelpline.org.uk

Other: For further

Citizens Advice Bureau W: www.citizensadvice.org.uk Department for Education: T: 0808 100 8000 W: www.education.gov.uk National Centre for Independent Living (for the disabled): T: 020 7587 1663 W: www.ncil.org.uk

Essex: W: www.essex.gov.uk

includes links to all

district councils Harlow: E: contact@harlow.gov.uk T: 01279 446655 W: www.harlow.gov.uk Havering: E: info@havering.gov.uk T: 01708 434343 W: www.havering.gov.uk

Newham: T: 020 8430 2000 W: www.newham.gov.uk Redbridge: E: customer.cc@

redbridge.gov.uk T: 020 8554 5000 W: www.redbridge.gov.uk Tower Hamlets: E: generalenquiries@

towerhamlets.gov.uk T: 020 7364 5020 W: www.towerhamlets.gov.uk Waltham Forest: E: wfdirect@walthamforest.

gov.uk T: 020 8496 3000 W: www.walthamforest.gov.uk

THAMES THAMES

THAMES

About us THAMES THAMES EAST THAMES is a registered social landlord and social regeneration EDITIONcharity with over 30 years experience of providing affordable homes. We are the largest housing association operating solely in east London and Essex and among London’s top 15.

Our mission is to make a positive and lasting contribution to the neighbourhoods in which we work which we do through different parts of our business.

We manage and/ or own more than 13,250 affordable homes for: social rent,

www.east-thames.co.uk intermediate rent and affordable home ownership.

We give people a chance to succeed through community programmes that include: children’s centres, employment and training, art and culture, sustainable living, and health and wellbeing.

We provide support and accommodation in over 80 schemes for people with a wide range of needs, including: older people, younger people at risk of becoming homeless, people with a learning disability or mental health needs, and women escaping violence.

THAMES

www.east-thames.co.uk Address: 29-35 West Ham Lane,

Stratford, London E15 4PH (open Mon-Fri, 8.30am-6pm)

Customer Contact Centre: 0845 600 0830

(Mon-Fri 8.30am-8.30pm and Sat 8.30am-12.30pm) info@east-thames.co.uk Minicom: 020 8522 2006 Fax: 020 8522 2001

Neighbourhood managers:

nmenquiries@east-thames.co.uk Repairs requests: 0845 600 0830

repairs@east-thames.co.uk

EDITIO