Street by street winter 2011

residents involved

streetbystreet

ISSUE 74 | WINTER 2011 | www.east-thames.co.uk

East London & Essex residents’ magazine

Keeping warm this winter

In this edition we look at energy saving tips to keep you toasty warm and quids-in this winter.

Story page 12 >

Repairs

Get ready for the TV switchover

Community Programmes 07

Job advice

Care & Support 16

One resident’s trip of a lifetime

...plus all the news from 18

Welcome

Welcome to winter 2011 Streetbystreet.

Hi fellow residents, Yes it is winter again and with that comes the cold weather, long dark nights, and in the past few years lots of heavy snow falls and freezing temperatures.

That’s why, in this issue of Street by Street, we are looking at energy saving and how it can help you. I believe that we have to look at ways to save energy in our home but at the same time keep warm. On pages 12 and 13 you will find information on simple effective ways to achieve this. With soaring energy prices and the extra cost that Christmas brings we all need help to save money, and by conserving energy we are actually being more friendly towards the environment.

I would like to wish all residents a very happy Christmas and a warm New Year.

- Tracy Aldrich, resident and Scrutiny Panel member.

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, 10 Feb 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 Resident involvement 7-9 Repairs 10-11 Housing options 12-13 The hot topic 14 Performance 15 Home safety

16-17 Community programmes 18-19 Care and support 20 Money matters 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: Niki Nixon Cover photography: Jen Fraser. Designer: Jen Fraser Photography: EPS, Ashley-Rae Tapping Tel: 020 8536 8769 Fax: 020 8522 2001 Email: marcoms@east-thames.co.uk Online: www.east-thames.co.uk

0800 952 0119

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Ask June June Barnes, East Thames chief executive, answers a resident’s question.

Q: I’ve heard that the government has plans to change social housing tenancies and increase social housing rents. How will East Thames residents be affected?

Changes to how new homes are funded?

The government has introduced a new regime, which especially affects how new homes built for rent or shared ownership by housing associations or local councils and others are funded.

This involves the government paying less grant funding than in previous years. Over the last ten years or so the government has met about 60% of the costs of East Thames Group building new homes for rent, but in future it will only be about 25%.

To bridge the gap government expects housing associations/local authorities and their residents to pay more. The government has said that rent on new homes will be higher and that this money must be used to help pay for building the home. This new way of funding new homes has been called ‘affordable rent’ by the government.

All housing associations and local authorities who want to build new homes in future and who want grant from government will have to be part of this new system.

Our senior team and the boards of East Homes and East Thames have considered this new system long and hard because we are committed to ensuring our homes are affordable. But there is such high demand for quality new homes in east London and Essex and so many people who struggle to get on the private housing

ladder, that we decided we would be part of this new system and continue to build new homes.

We have been given funding to provide just under 400 homes under the ‘affordable rent’ programme over the next four years. We are also required to charge a higher rent on some of our re-let homes which become available when a resident moves out. Again, the extra money we receive will be used to fund the new homes being built. We will only be doing this on about 100 homes each year for the next four years, so a very small percentage of our homes.

This compares with around 300 existing homes that we will continue to let as social housing and which will not be affected by the changes.

Rents and tenancy arrangements under ‘affordable rent’?

Over the past six months we have done a lot of work to understand the impact of increasing rents for new homes. The government has said we can increase rents by up to 80% of private rents in the areas where we work. In most cases we are likely to charge less, with an average rent at around 65% of market rents as we believe 80% is too high, especially in areas like Newham and Tower Hamlets where private rents are much more expensive than social rents.

It seems likely that the people who become residents in these

new homes will be working, earning a low income, and will be eligible for some housing benefit to help pay the rent. These residents will also get a tenancy agreement for a defined amount of time rather than a lifetime tenancy, although we will have the opportunity to extend the tenancy where people’s circumstances have not changed greatly.

The impact for existing residents If you are a current resident of East Thames, you won’t be affected. Your rent will continue to be charged at the current rate, which can only increase by a small amount each year as set by the government. Your security of tenure will also remain unchanged.

If you are a resident looking to move and using the Choice Based Lettings system you will be able to consider homes on the new ‘affordable rent’ regime from April 2012 as well as homes at the social rent rate.

In all cases, we will provide information to any of our residents looking to move and clearly explain all your options and help you to determine the best option for your household.

If you’re planning to move home and want to discuss these changes and how you might be affected, please contact our lettings team on 020 8536 3985 or lettingsteam@east-thames.co.uk.

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Your neighbourhood

Tackling housing fraud When somebody with a housing association home rents it out without permission or obtains a home by providing false information, they are guilty of housing fraud. They are using up valuable housing spaces and depriving families and vulnerable people on the waiting list.

It’s not fair Social housing is always in high demand so we need to make sure our homes are being used fairly and being lived in by the lawful tenant.

That’s why we carry out tenancy verification visits. This is when your neighbourhood manager visits you at home to check that the tenant named on the tenancy agreement is indeed the person living in the property.

Nine times out of ten, we find that everything is above board and that the lawful tenant, as outlined on the tenancy agreement, is living at the property.

However this isn’t always the case.

Over the last six months we’ve uncovered

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a number of people living unlawfully in our homes who, for one reason or another, shouldn’t have been there.

But thanks to our tenancy verification visits, information from local authorities and tip-offs from other residents, we’ve been able to take action.

Since April 2011 our investigations have led to: 3 tenants being evicted 15 tenants handing their property back to East Thames 2 tenants handing a property back to another housing association This means we can now house 20 more families in these homes. At a time of housing shortages that’s a real success.

And we couldn’t do it without your help. You know what’s going on in your neighbourhood so we rely on information from you, our residents. If you think someone in your area may be subletting their home or living elsewhere, please do get in touch.

Any information you give us will be handled with the strictest of confidence.

marcoms@east-thames.co.uk

Contact us on 020 8536 3953 or email sublet@eastthames.co.uk.

What is housing fraud?

There are different types of housing fraud; here are some of the most common: 1. Unlawful subletting This is when an East Thames tenant lets out their home without our knowledge or permission. They often continue to pay us the rent for the property, but charge the person they are subletting to a much higher rate. It is not fair to sublet and to profit from a property which could be given to someone in greater need.

2. Obtaining housing by deception When a person gets an East Thames home by giving false information in their application, for example not telling us they are renting another council or housing association property, they are committing housing fraud.

3. Wrongly claimed succession When a tenant dies, there are rules that say what should be done with the tenancy. Wrongly claimed succession is when someone, who is not entitled, tries to take over the tenancy.

For example, they might say they lived with the tenant before they died, when in fact they were living elsewhere.

Local offers how are we doing?

Following extensive consultation last year, we launched 13 local offers across our estates, care schemes and foyers in April, pledging a number of activities to improve your local area.

We agreed to report back to residents on our progress every six months and it is now time for us to feedback on the first six months of activity and progress.

If you live at one of the 13 estates, care schemes or foyers that has a local offer in place, you may have seen a copy of the offers placed on your local notice board.

You can also find updates online at www.east-thames. co.uk/local-offers.

If you don’t have a local offer for your area and would like

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to know more about how you could benefit from one, please visit www.east-thames. co.uk/local-offers, call 020 8536 3957 or email residentinvolvementteam@ east-thames.co.uk.

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Avoid extra costs this Christmas As you know, East Thames now charges residents for the removal of bulk rubbish. These costs get added to your annual statement of accounts.

If you don’t want to pay for the removal of bulk items, you can arrange for your local authority to collect the rubbish for you.

Most local authorities provide this service free of charge for a limited period and their contact details can be found on your local notice boards or online.

Alternatively you can dispose

of your unwanted items in the following ways: local charity shops are always grateful for donations of unwanted items in good condition which they can sell on to benefit their particular charity. www.quakersocialaction. com/homes sells donated furniture and household items at affordable prices to people on low incomes. www.freecycle.org and www.ilovefreegle.org are free networks, a bit like ebay, but all the items are listed for free. take unwanted items to a local car boot sale or garage sale. use www.ebay.co.uk to sell your unwanted goods, rather than throwing them into landfill.

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It can take a few days for local authorities and other removal companies to collect your items, so if your bulk items are left in a communal area for collection (i.e. not in your home or on your private balcony) contact your neighbourhood manager to let them know when and how they will be collected. Otherwise, we might remove the items at a cost to you and your neighbours.

To contact the neighbourhood management team email nmenquiries@east-thames. co.uk or call 0845 600 0830.

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Resident involvement

Mystery shoppers and resident inspectors Keeping residents involved in our work helps ensure we’re delivering on our promises.

It also means you have the opportunity to shape our services.

One of the ways we do this is by recruiting and training residents to become mystery shoppers and resident inspectors. We recruit for these roles all year round on a voluntary basis. If you would like to get involved but need to be flexible with your time – these are the roles for you.

What do the roles involve?

Mystery shoppers will 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

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customer service you received.

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.

Both mystery shoppers and resident inspectors test whether we are meeting the standards that we have set out in our customer promises, they will then report their findings and any recommendations to our resident Housing Scrutiny Panel.

You’ll be given full training and we’ll carry out a skills assessment so that you’re working in an area you feel confident and comfortable with.

Taking on these roles will not only increase your confidence, but could also increase your employability as you’ll receive invaluable training and learn a range of good practice customer service methods.

One of our

current mystery shoppers said: “Being a mystery shopper has helped me understand the way East Thames works as an organisation. I appreciate the service they provide a lot more and it’s also helped me understand the importance of good customer service.”

If you’re interested in becoming a resident inspector or mystery shopper we want to hear from you. Simply contact the resident involvement team on 020 8536 3957 or email residentinvolvementteam@ east-thames.co.uk for an application form. If you’d like more information, visit our website www.east-thames. co.uk/get-involved.

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Residents seminar We’d like to thank everyone who attended our first residents’ seminar on 16 November.

Street by Street went to print days before the seminar, so we don’t have photos of the event yet, but you’ll find a full write up including photos on our website and in our Spring edition of Streetbystreet, available in February.

Repairs

The way we watch TV is changing Across the UK, traditional TV (analogue) is switching to digital TV. For some parts of the UK, including Essex, this has happened already. For London the switchover is planned to start from April 2012.

What do I need to do?

If you live in a flat and pay service charges for a communal aerial, you don’t need to do anything. We are responsible for the aerial’s suitability to accept digital signals and our appointed contractor for these works, SCCI Limited, is checking these right now.

If you have satellite or cable TV or you have a digital set top box you do not need to do anything as these systems already receive digital TV.

Everyone else will need to check their aerial’s signal strength and decide whether to pay for an aerial upgrade or buy a digital set top box – a box that tunes the digital signals to television pictures without the need for a TV aerial.

Our communal aerial is being upgraded – what does this mean?

If an upgrade is required we will be putting in a system that offers free to air TV such as Freeview, together with the option to subscribe to additional satellite services such as Sky+ or Freesat.

How can I check my TV aerial’s strength?

Any roof top aerial in good condition is capable of receiving digital TV services. If you have good reception now it

DID YOU KN OW...

Sewers and drains are now owned by water uti lity companies, like Thames Water. If you have a bloc kage or problems with your dra ins, contact you r water supp li er in the first in stance.

is unlikely you will need to replace your existing aerial. If you have a ‘snowy’ analogue picture now you will need to consider replacing your aerial, or purchasing a digital set top box.

Additional advice can be found on the Digital UK website www.digitaluk.co.uk.

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Can I get any assistance with the switchover?

The Help Scheme run by the BBC provides free equipment and services for older and disabled viewers. This includes anyone aged over 75, people with a significant disability, registered blind or partially sighted or anyone living in a care home for six months or more.

Visit www.helpscheme.co.uk or call 0800 40 85 900 for more information.

If you have any queries about our communal TV aerial works, get in touch on 020 8522 4050.

For digital switchover queries visit the Digital UK website or www.digitaluk.co.uk call them on 08456 50 50 50.

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Repairs

Getting ready for the cold snap We are already preparing for ice and snow this winter and have put in place a gritting plan. Our care schemes, foyers, community centres and uncovered ramps and stairs on our estates will be treated as a priority and gritted within 24 hours of a severe weather warning. Other lower priority pedestrian access routes will be gritted within 48 hours. Please be aware that in exceptional weather conditions, such as prolonged snowfall, it may not be possible for us to grit within these timescales. For more info visit our website at www.eastor thames.co.uk/safety speak to your neighbourhood manager.

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Mobility scooters If you are thinking of buying a mobility scooter, talk to East Thames first. It’s not always possible to adapt your home to accommodate a mobility scooter and East Thames will only make adaptations if you have had an occupational therapist assessment, arranged through your local council.

If the occupational therapist recommends work to your home

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if you would like to talk to us about home adaptations, please contact Sharon Aldrich on 020 8522 5831 or sharon. aldrich@east-thames.co.uk.

Help us improve our repairs service to accommodate a scooter, you may need to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant to fund the work, depending on how much it will cost. You can apply for the grant through your local council.

The Office of Fair Trading has reported an increase in the number of door stop sellers, visiting people’s home to try to sell them mobility scooters and other mobility equipment such as stair lifts and adjustable beds.

Doorstop sales people can make you feel pressured into buying something you do not want or that is not good value for money.

If you feel under pressure, ask the sales person to give you some time to consider the offer.

You can then take time to check that the sales person is genuine and decide if you do need the products they are selling. You should also check with us that your home can be adapted to accommodate the equipment.

If you have any questions or

marcoms@east-thames.co.uk

We know from your feedback that our repairs service and the way we maintain your home has a big impact on you and how satisfied you are with our services. You have told us that we need to do more to get the service right first time. Over the next year we’ll be carrying out a project to improve the way we manage our properties including the way we carry out repairs and the way we keep our properties in good condition.

We are looking for residents who might want to get involved.

If you have maintenance experience and could give a few hours of your time every month to meet with us and discuss the service, we’d love to hear from you.

If you are interested, get in touch and we’ll tell you more about the role. Contact the resident involvement team on 020 8536 3957 or residentinvolvementteam@ east-thames.co.uk.

Looking after your home this winter How to avoid condensation Excess moisture in your home causes condensation which can lead to damp and mould problems. Take the following steps to help reduce moisture and keep your home warm and dry this winter.

When you’re home, leave windows and doors between rooms open slightly, especially when cooking or drying clothes.

If you have an extractor fan turn it on when you have a bath, shower or when cooking.

It’s a good idea to clean your extractor fans periodically to remove the build up of dust and grease. This will keep the fan working well for longer.

If you have windows with slotted vents, leave the vents open when the rooms are occupied to provide constant background ventilation.

If you are drying your washing indoors, open the windows.

Never dry wet washing directly on a radiator as this will affect its performance and encourage condensation, especially if you have electric storage heaters.

Covering the surfaces of a storage heater will cause a rise in temperature that will trigger the safety cut-outs to operate.

This will cause your electric storage heater to turn itself off.

How to avoid frozen pipes Frozen water pipes can cause pipes to burst, spilling water everywhere and destroying your home. Make sure it doesn’t happen to you this winter by reading our top tips.

Ensure the insulation in your home is in good condition, especially if you have a loft.

Get leaky taps fixed as soon as possible. When it gets cold, the leaking water can freeze, leading to a build up of ice inside the tap. This can cause blockages and cause pipes to burst.

If there are any draughts in your home, get them sealed before temperatures outside drop. Cold air can freeze both cold and hot pipes.

Leave the heating on low in cold weather to heat your pipes. It is especially important to do this if you are going away or leaving your home unattended for a period of time, the last thing you want is to

come home to a flooded house.

If you have a loft, leave your loft door or hatch open on really cold days for a few hours to give heated air a chance to circulate in the loft, warming pipes or tanks up there.

If you have a hot water tank this also needs to be insulated, particularly if it is in the loft. Take care that only the sides and top of the tank are insulated as hot air from below helps to heat the water in the tank.

What to do if your pipes freeze or burst Turn off the water using your stopcock tap, usually located under the kitchen sink.

Call our Customer Contact Centre on 0845 600 0830 immediately to log your emergency repair.

If the pipe is frozen but hasn’t burst, protect any electrics around the pipe in case it does.

Don’t try and thaw it out yourself unless advised to do so. When water turns to ice, it expands and can crack the pipes. So once the pipe is thawed, it may start to leak.

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Housing options

Choose to move for any reason Our successful G15 London moves scheme has helped many social housing residents move across London to be closer to where they work or to downsize their home. East Thames plays an active role in this new scheme as part of the G15, a group of London’s biggest social landlords. The scheme enables our London residents to register on a bespoke website and bid for other G15 properties across London where, if their bid is successful, they can move and keep similar tenancy conditions.

The good news is that G15 London moves has now opened up to allow more people to move for any reason, although the reason you’re choosing to move will impact your priority in the bidding list.

To register you can now select one (or more) of the following categories: Need to move and willing to downsize by one bedroom or more.

OR In employment for at least 13 weeks but the distance from your home to work is making it hard to keep your job, or you’re in full-time education linked to a firm job offer.

OR

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Need to move to provide care to a close family member (conditions apply).

OR Want to move to another area for another reason.

Find out more: visit www. g15londonmoves.org.uk, call 0208 522 2260 or email lettingsteam@eastthames.co.uk.

Doris’ story Doris was an East Thames resident living in Newham with her two teenage children in an over crowded two bedroom home. Doris was travelling for long periods of time each day across London to get to and from her work near Wembley, which she found difficult, both physically and financially.

Finding the right home was a constant struggle, but thanks to the G15 London Moves scheme she has now moved from her East Thames home in Newham to a three bedroom Network Stadium Housing home in Wembley.

“I absolutely love my new home. It’s given us something to look forward to – a new beginning.

“It’s made my life a whole

marcoms@east-thames.co.uk

lot easier, I’m saving money because I’m closer to work.

And now that my children have their own bedrooms it’s improved their level of concentration and education, they now have space to study and remain focused in their own environment.”

Allocating our homes The demand for social housing is higher than ever, we have only a limited number of properties available and the government has cut the budget for building new affordable homes by 60%. All this means increased pressure on housing associations like East Thames.

To try to get people in to the homes that are right for them, we are prioritising under occupiers - residents who are living in a home that is larger than they need. We are doing this for three main reasons: Firstly, moving under occupying households helps tackle overcrowding.

By moving small families into smaller properties, we free up larger properties for overcrowded families.

Secondly, moving to a smaller home saves residents money.

And finally the government is planning to reduce housing

benefit for families who are under occupying by 2013. This means that the more spare bedrooms you have in your home, the less housing benefit you will receive. By moving home now, you can avoid the shortfall in housing benefit that you might otherwise face.

We are now awarding under occupiers additional points on the choice based lettings system for every bedroom given up.

We are also updating our definition of overcrowding, to bring us in line with other social landlords. This update means that we now expect children of the same sex or those of different sexes under the age of 10 to share a bedroom.

Tracey’s story Tracey is an East Thames resident who downsized from a four bedroom house in Dagenham to a two bedroom flat in Ilford.

Tracey said: “My reasons for moving were financial. East Thames was calling me about my rent arrears and that’s when they told me that I could downsize. I got £500 for the bedrooms I gave up and East Thames arranged the removal van for me and paid for it.

“I like my new property, the rooms are a nice size and I have a garden, so in the summer I can sit outside.

I would say to people who are living in a large home,

downsize. It can save you money on your utility bills, it’s saving me money across the board.”

Image courtesy of BACA Architects

New homes for Romford East Thames is launching Kingfisher Court, a brand new development of 39 one and two bedroom apartments and three bedroom maisonettes in Romford.

All properties are available through Rent to Buy, so you can start by renting with the option to buy all or a share of your home within five years.

Each home has its own parking space and a balcony or garden and the development is just over two miles from Romford rail station and Romford town centre. For more information or to register your interest in the Kingfisher Court homes, please contact us on 0845 600 0830 or properties@east-thames.co.uk.

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HOPTIC The hot topic TO

Don’t let winter freeze your funds Winter is drawing in, the nights are darker, the days are colder, but energy prices just seem to keep going up.

At this time of year when money is tighter than ever, the last thing you need is a soaring energy bill. So here’s a list of our top winter wallet warmers so you can stay toasty warm without breaking the bank.

Keep your home warm Thick curtains keep out the cold and stop heat escaping through the windows.

Make sure curtains don’t cover the radiators as this will stop heat circulating.

As it gets colder, try closing your curtains earlier in the evening to keep the heat in.

Turning down your thermostat by 1°C could save up to 10% on your heating bill.

Some energy providers have cheaper electricity rates at off peak times. Using your washing machine and tumble

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dryer at these times could save you money. Talk to your supplier to find out if these cheaper rates apply to your home.

Turn down individual radiator thermostats in unused rooms to save money and energy.

Fit draft excluders around your doors, windows and letterbox.

They take only a few minutes to install and could save you up to £20 a year.

Towel radiators can be expensive to run, so where possible keep them turned off when not needed.

Keep your bills low When cooking, use a saucepan lid to reduce cooking time, and match saucepans to the size of the hob ring.

When cooking vegetables, use only enough water to cover the

marcoms@east-thames.co.uk

vegetables, and consider using the microwave to save time.

Switch to energy saving light bulbs and you’ll save electricity and money and remember to turn off the light when you leave a room.

Only fill the kettle with the amount of water you need.

Don’t leave appliances on standby, it could cost you around £35 a year. If in doubt, switch it off at the plug.

Don’t leave chargers and power packs switched on when you’re not using them, they’ll still use up energy. If a charger or power pack is warm or has a light on, it’s probably using power that you’re paying for.

Don’t put warm food in the fridge, your fridge will have to work harder to cool it down.

Wash clothes at 30° and try to run only full loads.

HOPTIC TO

A helping hand If you want free and impartial expert advice on how to reduce your energy bills, talk to the Energy Saving Trust on 0800 512 012. They can advise you on the best insulation options for your home and tell you about any offers, grants or discounts to help with the cost of energy saving measures.

There are several schemes offering free or discounted insulation for you home.

The Warm Front scheme provides heating and insulation improvements to households on certain benefits.

Qualifying households can get improvements worth up to £3,500. To find out if your household is eligible, call 0800 316 2805.

Warm Zone carries out

free home assessments and energy checks in east London and Essex, visit their website to see if your area is covered at www. londonwarmzones.co.uk 8 or call 0800 389 7286.

Or, try talking to your energy provider. Many gas and electricity providers offer discounted insulation and free home assessments, find out how they could help you be more energy efficient.

Switch supplier to beat fuel poverty

Did you know you could save up to £500 by switching your

energy supplier?

The My Home Energy Switch service is a partnership between comparison website and the www.uSwitch.com National Housing Federation.

The free service is designed to give you impartial advice, help you compare energy prices and save you money on your gas and electricity. For more info call 0800 051 5346 or visit www.myhomeenergyswitch. org.uk.

Some energy providers offer grants to help clear your debts for gas and electricity bills. Our welfare benefit advisors can help you through this process by speaking to your energy provider on your behalf. For more info speak to welfare benefit advisors Jo Mitchell 020 8536 8797 or Uyi Abosede on 020 8536 8803.

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www.east-thames.co.uk

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Performance

Quarterly performance: June - Sep 2011 

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.

21.6% of our residents are satisfied with our complaints process.  We know this is very low - residents tell us they are still unhappy with the original problem

rather than the way we have dealt with the complaint itself. As some of our complaints are about repairs we have been speaking to residents when repairs are completed and asking if everything has gone well and whether anything more needs to be done. This will help us deal with repair problems on the spot before they turn into complaints.

THE REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE SERVICE WE WANT TO PROVIDE… 100% of our homes have a valid gas certificate.

98.9% of our homes meet the Decent Homes standard.

96.6% of repairs are completed on time. Our target is 97%.

77.7% of residents are satisfied with our repairs services.

  

{

COLLECTION OF RENT SERVICE WE WANT TO PROVIDE…

Our rent arrears are at 4.2%.



THE ANTI SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR SERVICE WE WANT TO PROVIDE…



95.6% of reported antisocial behaviour cases have been dealt with within timescales.

Find out more about our performance at www.east-thames.co.uk/our-performance

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Spotlight on our community programmes:

   

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414 of our customers have taken part in our community programmes, such as green living projects, food growing schemes, employment and training courses and arts and culture workshops.

71.5% of the people who have taken part in our employment and training programmes are East Thames residents.

39 people who participated in our employment and training programmes now have jobs.

98.6% of people who took part in a community programme are satisfied with the service.

marcoms@east-thames.co.uk

Home safety

Fire safety East Thames has been taking proactive steps to improve the fire safety of our homes and estates.

We’ve been carrying out fire risk assessments which measure how your home or block would be affected if a fire broke out. As a result we’re taking action. Where needed, we will be fitting more effective fire doors and installing premises information boxes at our estates and schemes.

These boxes contain site plans and any other important information that would help the emergency services tackle an incident or emergency.

You’ll also see updated fire action notices appearing in the communal areas of your building. Fire action notices (pictured below) tell you what to do if a fire breaks out. These notices are different for every

building, so make sure you familiarise yourself with your notice, it will tell you whether you should stay in your home or evacuate, and where you and your neighbours should wait for the emergency services.

On top of this, we will be fitting smoke detectors in the communal corridors of some of our blocks. These will give residents early warning if smoke is detected in the corridor. These detectors do not replace the smoke or fire alarms you have inside your home, they are being installed as an extra safety precaution.

Take action We’ve taken these steps so that you and your home are better protected in case of an emergency, however there are things you can do to keep your family and your neighbours safe too.

Fit smoke alarms in your home and test them regularly.

If you need help, contact the Fire Brigade by calling 0800 028 44 28.

Don’t wedge fire doors open, either in your own flat or in communal areas. Fire doors are there as a barrier between you and the fire, a closed fire door really could save your life, so don’t prop it open.

SAFER PLAYGROUNDS Several East Thames estates have their own playground or play area.

These areas are used by our youngest residents so it’s really important that they are kept to the highest safety standards.

We’ve been carrying out full inspections of our play areas and we’ve made improvements to many of them. As a result, all East Thames playgrounds are now fully compliant with safety regulations.

Make sure you have a fire escape plan for everyone in your household. Everyone in your home should know where your fire exit is and ideally you should have a back up plan in case your main escape route is blocked.

Don’t leave items or rubbish in communal areas. If a fire breaks out, items in the communal areas can catch alight and spread the fire.

They could also block or slow down your exit in an emergency.

You’ll find more fire safety tips at www.east-thames. co.uk/safety and http://firekills.direct.gov. uk.

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Community programmes

Residents get lion’s share of support Our employment and training programmes are open to the whole community but over the last few months we’ve increased the number of East Thames residents we work with – East Thames residents now make up 70% of the people we support through our programmes.

50% of people who sign up to our programmes successfully find employment or progress to further education or training, so we are confident we can find the right programme for you.

Global giant’s secrets to employment success Over 30 unemployed Newham residents recently received mentoring and support from business leaders at global powerhouse PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

The unique one day event at the Newham Workplace Hub in Beckton put residents in touch with experienced PwC staff for one-to-one employment advice and support, help with CV writing and interview practice.

Motunrayo (pictured at top) attended the PwC event, after struggling for four years to find permanent employment. She

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said: “Staff at the Newham hub have been working with me for three weeks, focusing on my CV and who to target it at. This has really paid off as I now have three interviews lined up. I wanted to come to this event to increase my confidence and really present myself in the best possible light. I was therefore looking to get some interview tips today and the interview role play has certainly helped do that.”

We plan to work with other major UK companies to host many more sessions like this one - so look out for further announcements on our website – www.east-thames. co.uk.

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Find out more about our employment and training programmes at 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.

marcoms@east-thames.co.uk

Finding the right programme for you Routes to Work is a work experience and business mentoring programme giving you valuable onthe-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 includes 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.

Home’s where the art is East Gallery is the community art exhibition space at our West Ham Lane office in Stratford. The gallery gives residents and members of the wider community, the opportunity to explore their artistic abilities and exhibit their talent in a public space.

The gallery’s most recent exhibition featured experienced artist and East Thames resident, John Bunker (pictured right).

John, a resident at Grand Union Place in Tower Hamlets, showcased a series of work which he created using objects and materials from his local area, Stepney. His insightful work was influenced both by his local area and his personal circumstances.

John said: “I thought it would be really interesting to show work at East Thames’ gallery, that was created during a difficult time when my family and I were being made homeless.

“We were set adrift in the city – in a strange kind of limbo, wondering where our home might be. Things took a turn for the better when we found a home through East Thames. We now live in Stepney and enjoy being part of the local community.”

Although John’s exhibition is coming to a close you can view his work on his website www. johnbunker.net.

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Hands up for going green this winter Are you a Newham resident interested in going green and saving money? We’re looking for Newham volunteers to join our Defra-funded project aimed at helping people recycle more, save water and use less energy.

You can sign up to: Receive our free green home pack with tools and tips to help you make small changes that will have a big effect on your household bills and the environment.

Be an environmental volunteer to receive training and support to help your neighbours go green. This is a great opportunity to learn new skills,

bring your neighbourhood together and help your local area.

To get involved, Newham residents can look out for upcoming local events listed at www.east-thames.co.uk/ sustainable-living or call 020 8522 2549 to sign-up and/ or get a free copy of the green home resource pack.

This project will give the government a better understanding of how they can help people lead greener, more sustainable lives so that they can help other households in other boroughs do the same.

If you don’t live in Newham but would like a copy of the green home pack, download it from the website or email leigh.walker@ east-thames.co.uk.

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Photo by Emma Hastings

Care and support

The trip of lifetime Personalisation is a new approach to care and support that gives people in supported housing an individual budget and choice in how to spend it. This means people who need care and support can spend their individual budget on the services they think are right for them, providing more choice, flexibility and control over the support they receive.

David Wipress (pictured above) is an East Thames resident living at Manor Road supported living scheme in Walthamstow, who used his personal budget to take the trip of a life time.

David said: “During my regular support planning session, my support worker asked what one thing would make me feel better or improve my life.

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“At the time I felt like I had nothing to look forward to. I had lost motivation because I felt that I had missed out on lots of things. I felt like Walthamstow was all I had and all I knew in life. I was 65 and I had never been on a plane.

“My big dream was to see where Mozart was born and to see the city where he composed his music, Salzburg, Austria.”

With the help of his support workers, David started planning the dream holiday, using his personal budget to pay for the costs. He drew up a list of the things he needed with timescales to ensure everything would be ready in time.

First on the list was the all important passport, then David researched what time of year he should visit Salzburg and which tours he should try. He

marcoms@east-thames.co.uk

even organised for a private car to collect him from the airport.

David said: “I never thought in all my life I would ever see such sights, Salzburg was amazing.

It was my dream to see the city of Mozart so it’s a dream come true. And it’s made me realize there is a whole new world out there and I want to see more!

I’ve already starting thinking about my next trip - I did miss my fish and chips though!”

Master chef fun day Residents at our Waltham Forest mental health schemes enjoyed a day of fun and food in August as part of a scheme-toscheme master chef competition.

The six Waltham Forest schemes were each given a budget which they used to prepare a delicious meal for the judges. Drayton Lodge residents and staff prepared the winning dish – meringue with a twist – and won the prize of a meal out.

The competition was judged by Debbie Hobbins, personalisation lead for the North East London

Mental Health Foundation Trust and two local residents Bill and Mary Eveleigh.

Bill said: “The standard of food was very high, all the schemes deserved a prize. The residents that we met there were very friendly and really welcoming.”

Greg Close resident Shahid Syed, was involved in organising the event. He said: “I did the announcing and the intro for the competition… and I did the eating! Events like this are good because interaction is important, it was good to get people together, and meet staff and residents from other schemes.

“Living at Greg Close is great because if I was living alone I wouldn’t be seeing people. Living in the scheme helps you get into a routine, it gives you structure.

And the staff helped me to find voluntary work, I’ve been volunteering with Age UK for 15 months now.”

A royal resident in our midst East Thames’ older people’s scheme, Violet Court, has a rather royal resident – one Princess Maria SviatopolkMirski.

Princess Maria first found out about her royal heritage at the age of nine, when her mother explained she was a Russian

Dames Road gets a lick of paint Staff at recruitment consultancy Blackwood Group, roll up their sleeves and get to work decorating Dames House, an older people’s scheme in Waltham Forest. princess. Years later, when Maria decided to research the family tree, she discovered that her grandfather, Prince Nicolai Ivanovitch Sviatopolk-Mirski, had once owned Mir Castle near Minsk in Belarus.

Back in August, Princess Maria was invited to Mir Castle to celebrate the life of composer Nicolas Nabokov, who is also a relative, and to meet first cousin Princess Irene Antoinette Stanislaus Swiatopolk-Mirska.

Maria said: “When I arrived in Belarus we went straight to Mir Castle where we were staying.

The castle is very imposing and it’s in a small town, completely different to London.

The castle was so big that I got lost in it!

“I love visiting Mir Castle but I also love coming home. I’ve lived in England for 63 years, I’ve been in Stratford for 25 years and I’m happy here.”

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Money matters

Don’t forget the rent We know that December and January can be difficult months when it comes to household finances, what with all the Christmas presents, family dinners and festive parties. But it’s really important to stay on top of rent payments at this time of year too.

Please do continue to pay your rent as usual during

Manage that cash It’s usually after the Christmas period that we all start to feel the effect of our spending, but managing your money well could help ease the pressure next time round.

Staying on top of the benefits you receive is one way of managing your money better.

It’s really important that you keep us informed of any changes to your circumstances so we can make sure you’re receiving the right amount of housing benefit.

The sooner this is sorted out the better, as it saves a lot of time and avoids any confusion.

If you need help working out which benefits you’re entitled to, our welfare benefit advisors can visit you at home at a time that suits you. And if you’re a foyer resident, why not drop

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into one of our monthly foyer sessions.

Focus E15 Foyer – Second Tuesday of every month, 2pm-4pm Barking and Dagenham Foyer – Second Friday of every month, 1.30pm-4pm Ocassio House Foyer – First Thursday of every month, 2pm-4pm Drapers Foyer – Last Thursday of every month 1pm-4pm Go online To get you through the winter season, our welfare benefit advisors have recommended some helpful sites to help you save money and manage your finances.

The Money Advice Service Ever thought about saving for a rainy day or managing your

marcoms@east-thames.co.uk

this time. If you think you’ll be strapped for cash come January, start preparing now.

You could start saving and put money aside. Or you could get ahead on your rent and overpay now, so you have less to pay in January.

If you’re having difficulties paying your rent, get in touch.

We can help you work through your money problems and plan how you’ll pay your rent this Christmas. money a bit better? If so why not take part in the Money Advice Service health check. Within minutes it gives you a personal action plan to help you stay on top of your outgoings and save for your future. Visit www. moneyadviceservices.org.uk or call 0300 500 5000.

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National Debtline - Have you had a change in your financial circumstances? National Debtline is a debt charity which offers free, impartial debt advice with instant recommendations based on your circumstances. Visit www. nationaldebtline.co.uk or call 0808 808 4000.

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You can find more debt advice at www.capitalise. org.uk and info on your rights at www. citizensadvice.org.uk.

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Celebrating the harvest festival

Residents at Beddalls Court Farm, our older people’s supported living scheme in Beckton, were joined by students from the neighbouring Kingsford Community School to celebrate this year’s Harvest Festival.

The students came bearing gifts of hand picked organic fruit and vegetables for each of the residents, which were very well received.

Edith, a Beddalls Court Farm resident, said: “It’s a special time of the year when everybody gets together and I’d like to say thank you very much for all the hard work Kingsford School did for us. It was a nice gesture.”

Kingsford Community School students, Kierah and Aron, said: “It’s a time for sharing, caring and helping out the community.”

Barking turns spotlight on youth services Residents from our Barking and Dagenham Foyer have been finding out more about the local youth services available to them at a dedicated foyer event.

Residents spoke with employment and training agencies and took part in life skills taster sessions on healthy eating, sexual health and keeping fit.

Community groups based at our start up business centre, Starting Point, were also on hand to give advice on how to set up your own social business through the service.

Foyer resident Tasharn said: “I used today’s event to set up my own stall and to get my music out there and network.

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It has allowed me not only to learn about the help and support available to me, but has helped me build my confidence in getting my work out there and hopefully getting help in taking my business to the next level.”

It could be you!

East Thames is committed to collecting residents’ feedback to help us improve the services we offer, but did you know that if you take the time to fill in one of our satisfaction surveys, you’ll be in with a chance to win £100 in shopping vouchers?

Each quarter we enter all the residents who have completed a satisfaction survey into a prize draw. This quarter, the lucky winner was Ms Alisa Baker.

Runner up prizes of £50 worth of vouchers were given to Ms Louissa Bridgemen and Mr Adriatic Ferizolli.

Right: a boxercise session at Barking and Dagenham Foyer

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East life

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

first floor exhibition area, Ilford Central Library, Clements Road, Ilford, IG1 1EA When: Tuesday 4 October Saturday 31 December Tuesday to Friday 10am-5pm Saturday 10am-4pm More info: call 020 8708 2317

Christmas get together If you’re over 50 and live in Tower Hamlets, come along to this Christmas party and celebrate the festive season.

Where: Emmett Close Community Hall, 27 Emmett Close, Solebay Street, E1 4QW When: 1pm-4pm, Thursday 15 December More info: contact Jalal Uddin on 07735 490 951 or visit www.transformingtheocean. co.uk Island to Island: Dominica, Barbados and Britain The exhibition uses photos and people’s stories of migration to explore the close relationship between Britain and the Caribbean islands of Dominica and Barbados.

Where: Redbridge Museum,

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Teatime at the Mansion Come and take tea at the Mansion! Get dressed up, try our teatime challenges, read some tasty stories, or create art work that looks good enough to eat.

Where: Valentines Mansion & Gardens, Emerson Road, Ilford, Essex, IG1 4XA When: Sunday 3 December 11am-3pm More info: visit www. valentinesmansion.com/ whatson.php New Year Fireworks Waltham Forest will be welcoming 2012 with a bang at two spectacular firework shows,

marcoms@east-thames.co.uk

Did you know?

You can re ad Streetb ystreet magazine online: w ww. east-tham es.co.uk/s bs

choreographed to music from the movies. You can also enjoy a fun fair and food and drink stalls.

Where: Marsh Lane Playing Fields, Marsh Lane, E10 7DE or Highams Park, The Charter Road, Woodford Green, IG8 9RE When: 4pm-8pm, Monday 2 January 2012 More info: visit www. walthamforestbig6.co.uk Winter Wonderland Coronation Gardens in Leyton will be transformed into a magical Winter Wonderland for all the family to enjoy. Visit the Santa’s Grotto and enjoy fairground rides, a synthetic ice rink and a maze.

Where: Coronation Gardens, Oliver Road, Leyton E10 5NE When: 10am-5pm, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 December 2011 More info: visit www. walthamforestbig6.co.uk

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: Artwork by the Winsor Park art club. Artwork by volunteers, Orange Rock Corps Project, Barking and Dagenham foyer.

Quick pics

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1. Eastlea Enterprise CafĂŠ is in full swing after its official opening in September. The cafĂŠ provides expertise and support for local business startups in Newham. 2. Residents at Barnes Court celebrate Indian Independence day in style.

3. Residents and staff at Dames Road enjoy a day out at Southend-on-Sea. 4. Residents at Lea Bon Court put their community chest money to good use at an event celebrating different cultures.

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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 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 information check out your estate noticeboard.

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