Connections - Spring 2016

WELFARE REFORM 4,5 Big changes start in April

LOCAL NEWS 6, 7

Universal credit untangled

BEST BLOOMS 7

Call out for green fingers

CHAMPION IDEA 8

Safe and happy after school

RISING UP THE RANKS 9 Volunteer made manager

READ CONNECTIONS ONLINE  AT YOUR QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FROM FAMILY MOSAIC

SPRING 2016

contents 2 4-5

SPECIAL FEATURE

THE AGE OF WELFARE REFORM

editorial

news round-up

WELFARE CUTS: WHO BENEFITS?

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT GIFT WARMS HOMELESS PEOPLE

In April, some of the biggest changes to the welfare system since the 1940s take effect. Will you be affected?

6-7

REGIONAL NEWS

8

GET INVOLVED

CHILDCARE CHAMPS Five stars for Bethnal Green after-school club

YOUTH ACADEMY HALF TERM Activities to keep boredom at bay

9

FINDING WORK

STRAIGHT TO THE TOP Volunteer Sean gets a permanent job with us

AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE Help for working parents of toddlers

BUILDING APPRENTICES

Four young people go on site

10

GET MOVING

MUTUAL EXCHANGE Not the impossible dream

11

YOUR SERVICES

CUSTOMER CARE LINE

The main feature in this edition of Connections (this issue, p4-5) focuses on welfare reform.

The changes won’t impact on all of you but we will all know someone who will be affected.

Critics of our welfare system often argue that the country can’t afford the system we have now and say it has outgrown its original intention of providing a safety net.

They talk of ‘scroungers’ and a ‘something for nothing’ attitude.

That has taken us to a position where the poorest and most vulnerable are the easiest to attack when savings have to be made.

Few people start the welfare debate from the right position.

For me, we should be asking: what type of society do we want, how do we support our poor, old and vulnerable citzens, and how much do we want to pay for that support?

We can then debate how we can stop people taking advantage of or

Repairs service improves

ASK ASH

Pay to Stay and Right to Buy

12

DOG CHIPPING New law for dog owners

CONTACTING US

Phone numbers and email addresses

CROSSWORD CREDITS: EDITORIAL PORTRAIT BY RORY CHAMPION

Spring-themed puzzler

RENT DRAW WINNERS The following win £250 in our quarterly prize draw of tenants who keep their rent account in credit.

East: Mr Y, Mrs S Schlager, N16 Essex: Mrs Smith, SS12 South: Ms Haji, Mr Haybe, E10 North/west: Mr Burke, W2

CONNECTIONS IS YOUR MAGAZINE Connections is written for you, to tell you about service changes and local news. We are always looking for people to contribute ideas, write news or features or take photos of things of interest happening in your community.

If you would like to contribute, contact Alex Marshall by email at Alexandra.Marshall@ familymosaic.co.uk If you would like to get Connections by email, or not at all, please let us know!

To read Connections online see familymosaicconnections.co.uk

misusing the welfare system.

Without the right debate, the cuts will keep coming until an incident changes minds or someone finally wakes up to the fact that cuts in welfare will push up costs elsewhere, in the NHS for example.

The reality is that our population is getting older and more of our taxes will be needed to support this ageing society. This makes my questions very hard to answer but we all need to put them to our local and central government politicians.

In the meantime we will continue to keep our rents as low as we can, provide support where it is needed and build more homes.

Don’t forget to have your say in the London mayoral election on 5 May. The mayor plays a big role in decisions on housing, transport, the environment and the future of London. See p11 for details.

BRENDAN SARSFIELD CHIEF EXECUTIVE

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR STAGE TWO OF HEALTH BEGINS AT HOME Thank you to everyone who took part in our health research, Health Begins at Home (see story, page 3).

We are now starting the next stage, Health at Home, and are looking for over-50s who want to improve their health and wellbeing who live in Lambeth, Lewisham or Southwark.

This is a great way to get free support if you are looking to improve your health.

For details call the health and wellbeing team on q020 3544 9430 or email HWBvolunteers@ familymosaic.co.uk

To donate items or find out more about these two charities go to aceofclubs. org.uk or nhyouthcentre. org.uk

Forty sleeping bags have been put to good use after we donated them to two homeless charities shortly before Christmas.

The sleeping bags had been used by young Family Mosaic residents doing their Duke of Edinburgh camping expeditions last year.

Donation number one went to Ace of Clubs, a charity providing shelter, food, warmth, clothing, laundry and showers to vulnerable people in the Clapham area.

Centre manager Sarah Miles was so pleased she said she could hug social inclusion programme manager

SPOTLIGHT ON SUBLETTING BBC FEATURES TWO MORE FAMILY MOSAIC HOUSING FRAUD CASES Two shocking cases of tenants subletting our properties are to be featured in the new series of the BBC’s Council House Crackdown.

Season two

This is the second time we’ve worked with the programmemakers behind the BBC series, now returning for season two.

The programme aims to draw attention to social housing fraud.

But it also highlights the value that social housing offers to people who genuinely need it.

We have been involved in two episodes of the show. The first follows neighbourhood managers and fraud investigators Carly Foley and Dominic Howard as they detail

how they became aware of a suspected subletter in Peckham and their actions to combat the fraud.

The second episode features neighbourhood manager and fraud investigator Emmanuel Akinde (news story, Connections, winter 2015).

It will show a Hackney property being let to a new tenant after it was wrongfully sublet for five years by a former tenant who had moved abroad to live in Colombia.

Keep an eye out for the series, due to air on BBC1 in early spring.

If you suspect someone of subletting their Family Mosaic property please let us know by calling our customer care line q0300 123 3456.

Will Stinson, who organised the drop-off. ‘These bags will mean a homeless person is at least warmer for a night,’ she said.

The second donation went to Kings Cross-based New Horizons Youth Centre, a charity chaired by broadcaster Jon Snow.

Our social inclusion team's job is to help you get involved with us and your community and it wants closer links with local charities.

Will Stinson said: ‘We know that small charities depend massively on donations like sleeping bags.’

The team even abandoned plans for a Christmas lunch to do the sleeping bag drop-off instead.

'We all feel fortunate and know others are not so lucky,' Will said.

'Visiting the centres so close to Christmas and seeing how grateful they were with our relatively small donation, was really humbling.'

If you are interested in being a volunteer contact Will Stinson at Will.Stinson@familymosaic. co.uk or q020 7089 1335.

HEALTH DOES BEGIN AT HOME After three years of careful research we have strong proof that housing providers, like us, can be good for you and for the NHS. Our research found that measures we took to improve the health of those of you aged 50 plus could save the NHS over £3 million a year, mainly from your needing fewer hospital appointments.

A striking finding was how much being socially isolated damages health. We calculated that over 100,000 over-50s in social housing have serious unmet health needs.

Our Health Begins at Home research was done with the London School of Economics using randomised control trials.

Read the report online at ow.ly/Y459Q

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special feature 4

THE AGE OF WELFARE REFORM When the coalition government came into power in 2010, it vowed to cut the budget deficit and reduce the welfare bill. Now, following another election, the biggest shake-up of the welfare system since it began in the 1940s is in full swing This government and the last have made cutting the budget deficit a key plank of their strategy for a stronger economy.

APRIL 2016 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

A budget deficit is what happens when what a government spends, including paying off debts, costs more than its income from taxes and other sources.

The UK budget deficit peaked in 2009/10, partly because of the 2008 financial crisis.

HOUSING BENEFIT: CUTS COMING LATER ●● family premium: from 1 May

you will no longer be able to claim this with housing benefit (£17.45 if you have one or more dependent children) for new claims or births

●● tighter benefit cap:

the current cap on the total amount of benefits any one household can claim in a year of £26,000 will be cut to £23,000 for London and £20,000 elsewhere. It is expected to apply from autumn 2016.

To cut the deficit, the coalition government said it would spend much less public money on benefits.

This, it argued, would also push more people to find work.

First sign of change

The first welfare changes made by the coalition government began with the 2012 Welfare Act. It introduced universal credit, the benefit cap and the bedroom tax.

When the Conservatives formed a new government in May 2015, they pledged to cut another £12 billion

from the welfare budget.

Local councils and nearly all government departments have also seen their budgets cut. But welfare has, arguably, been hit the hardest.

This is most likely because public support for welfare benefits has plummeted in the last six years.

People generally agree that people with disabilities deserve benefits, but the British Social Attitudes Survey reveals that only 30% of people are in favour of public spending on benefits like job seeker's allowance.

ARE THE WELFARE CHANGES WORKING? Office for National Statistics figures published in February show a record number of people in work.

The government says this shows its welfare reforms are working.

are thought to have a ‘spare’ room.

In January the Court of Appeal ruled that this policy discriminated against a domestic violence victim and a disabled teenager's family.

That ruling will likely only help Minister's claim households with severely disabled Work and pensions secretary Iain children who need overnight care.

Duncan Smith said: 'This is further The government says that in the proof that our economic and first year the bedroom tax saved welfare reforms are delivering more the public £1 million a day and led security and opportunities that give to 30,000 people moving to a families the best chance in life.' smaller property.

But since the recession most Some other housing associations people's wages have risen very have reported a rise in arrears slowly. The Trussell Trust, the UK's since the bedroom tax was levied. biggest voluntary food aid network, That has not been our experience says the welfare changes have been at Family Mosaic. followed by a dramatic rise in the But one of the biggest changes number of people using food banks. to the welfare system has yet to The ‘bedroom tax’ policy has come – universal credit. A small been especially criticised by number of tenants are now campaigners. Officially the spare claiming this benefit, designed room subsidy, it means working to replace lots of other benefits. age social housing tenants on When it is fully rolled out it could housing benefit have it cut if they have a far-reaching impact.

BENEFIT CHANGES DUE IN APRIL

5

Are you up to speed with the changes starting in April? Financial wellbeing team leader Amos Phillips has put together this guide FOUR-YEAR FREEZE ON BENEFIT AND TAX CREDIT RATES The main parts of working age benefit and tax credit will freeze at the same level for four years.

Disability benefits and the disability-related elements of tax credits will rise the normal way.

They include personal independence payment, attendance allowance, disability living allowance, employment and support allowance (support group only), maternity allowance, statutory maternity/ paternity pay and statutory sick pay.

UNIVERSAL CREDIT CHANGES Universal credit is replacing jobseeker’s allowance, housing benefit, working tax credit, child tax credit, employment and support allowance and income support.

It is a single payment, paid once a month into your bank account the way most people get wages.

That payment includes any help you get to pay your rent so you have to pay that exact amount to us.

Universal credit is already in use in some areas and should be used in all London boroughs by the year end. It was due to start at five Lambeth JobCentres on 8 February: Brixton, Lambeth, Clapham Common, Kennington and Stockwell.

Universal credit will from April have a lower work allowance - the amount you can earn without it affecting your benefit. Disabled

people and people with children will see this drop to £192 per month if you have housing costs and £397 per month if you don’t.

If you don't have children or a disability then from April you won't have a work allowance at all.

Your benefit will be cut as soon as you start earning.

There's better news for childcare.

Universal credit now covers 70% of registered childcare costs up to a monthly limit of £532 for one child or £912 for two or more. From 11 April, you will be able to claim back up to 85% of childcare costs up to a monthly limit of £646 for one child or £1108 for two or more.

NEW FOUR WEEK CAP ON BACKDATED HOUSING BENEFIT CLAIMS There will be a new four-week cap on backdated claims made by working-age claimants. Only claims made before April can be backdated for up to six months (if you can show good cause for it being late).

PERSONAL TAX ALLOWANCE GOING UP The amount you can earn before paying income tax will go up from £10,600 to £11,000. It will rise further to £12,500 by 2020.

RENT CUT FOR SOCIAL TENANTS Most of you can expect your rent to be cut by 1% this year.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WELFARE CHANGES Email us: financialwellbeing@familymosaic.co.uk Phone us: q0300 123 3456 See also www.gov.uk/universalcredit

CUT TO THE TAX CREDIT 'INCOME DISREGARD' Calculating a tax credit claim has until now overlooked any rise in household income of up to £5000.

That will drop to £2,500.

SINGLE TIER STATE PENSION If you reach pension age on or after 6 April you will be paid a new 'single-tier' state pension instead of getting the basic pension and a second state pension.

The rate is yet to be set but it will be higher than the pension credit minimum guarantee, so will be at least £148.40. But while you may get a bit more you might lose some extras that are means-tested and you will not be able to claim pension savings credit.

MINIMUM WAGE GOES UP The national minimum wage will be renamed the national living wage and will rise to £7.20 per hour if you are 25 or older. By 2020 it will be £9 per hour. ■

TO P

AVOID PHONE BILL CHARGES

T IP

Apply for benefits online to save money. The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) phone line for claiming benefits is a premium rate number. It costs 45p a minute for calls from mobiles and 12p from landlines.

The DWP says that by applying online you'll avoid hefty phone charges. It also says you can give them your phone number and ask to be called back.

health andnews wellbeing your local 6

CLAPHAM RESIDENTS CALL FOR ADVICE ON BENEFIT CHANGES

YOUTH TEAM TURNS DREARY BACK GARDEN INTO TODDLERS’ DELIGHT

With universal credit set to replace a host of other benefits in April, making sure everyone affected gets good advice is a huge priority. So in February, we teamed up with a Clapham residents’ group to do just that

Young Community Champions have helped teenage parents we support at Ambedkar House transform their unloved Greenwich garden into a colourful playground.

Atherfold and Hemberton Tenants & Residents Association (pictured) joined us at Clapham Library in February to hear William Harwood from the Department of Work and Pensions explain universal credit.

The event was held to clear up any confusion over universal credit.

‘It really demystified it for me,’ said tenant Donald Smith.

Universal credit was set to start at five south London JobCentres just three days earlier. First to go on universal credit are single people who make a new claim for benefits. By 2017 all new claims for tax credit or benefits will be paid as universal credit.

Rent is particularly affected.

Under universal credit, the housing benefit sum is paid directly into your bank account, making it your responsibility to pay it to us.

Read more about universal credit on pages 4-5 . For detailed advice call your local income officer q020 7089 1000  option 3 or email CF_IncomesTeamDuty@familymosaic.co.uk

SMART NEW SECURITY MEASURES FOIL OUR CROYDON FLY-TIPPERS New fencing, a gate and CCTV cameras have brought a welcome halt to fly-tipping at Atherton House in south Croydon.

Troublesome trio

‘For a year it seemed like we had a builder, a car mechanic and a house clearer dumping bulky items in the grounds’ said neighbourhood manager Dominic Howard.

‘We had car parts in the bin store,

builders’ rubble on the drive and furniture dumped in the gardens.’

Flooded by complaints, Dominic spent time and money clearing up the rubbish. To tackle the problem at source, he applied for funding for fences and gates to block access to the fly-tippers and CCTV to catch any offenders. It's done the trick.

‘The fly tipping has stopped and the fence makes the property look better,’ said one Atherton tenant.

1000 and counting

The hard work of our young volunteers, who are also supported by our Greenwich services, raised the number of hours they spent volunteering last year to over 1000.

PEACE RETURNS AFTER CRACK HOUSE IS CLOSED Five years of painstaking work with the police and our lawyers have at long last resulted in peace for the neighbours of a nightmare tenant in Newham A long struggle with a problem tenant has come to an end, with her handing back the keys to our property on her solicitor’s advice.

Last chance

She was due to appear in court for a second time and it was very unlikely the court would rule in her favour.

The saga began when neighbours reported drug taking and anti-social behaviour at the property, in 2011.

‘Police raided the house and found evidence that it was being used to take drugs,' said neighbourhood manager Florence Balogun.

Armed with proof of law-breaking, we started court action to take the property back. But the judge ruled

that we could only evict the tenant if her behaviour did not improve.

For a short time it did. But after just two years neighbours again reported drug use and dealing and fights outside the property.

A second raid by police revealed Class A drugs, illegal weapons and dangerous dogs. Again, Florence worked closely with the police gathering evidence. This time the courts made a closure order, forcing the tenant to leave the property for six months, and we applied again to take the property back.

Commonsense has won out and we are happy to report that the neighbours can now enjoy their homes in peace and quiet.

KEEN GARDENERS! Colourful: the new garden

Our young Community Champions have helped people across London and Essex but were keen to help out in their own borough.

They first met with Ambedkar House parents to talk through ideas for the garden. Then the hard work began. Over two cold winter days, with a little help from staff, our volunteers made a living willow tunnel, tyre tower, sandpit, a giant xylophone, wellie plant pots and a garden that in summer will be full of lovely smells and colours.

Help also came from Greening Communities coordinator Ella Dixon.

‘It was great to get our hands on a large back garden. We had fun creating baby-friendly features – even a gold picnic bench,’ Ella said.

C

ETI OMP

TION

OO L B ST BE

If you share a garden, have one of your own or have a window box you could win a

MS

Get in touch to ask for an application form Completed applications and photos must be sent in by 29 May 2016 Shortlisting in June Gardens judged in June

garden centre voucher

THE CATEGORIES best private garden ●● best shared garden ●● best for wildlife ●● best single container or basket display ●●

All applications to Michelle.Levy@familymosaic.co.uk

FRIEND’S CALL PUTS HOARDER ON ROAD TO MENTAL HEALTH A phone call from a worried friend of Tower Hamlets tenant Bill* gave us a breakthrough after months of door-knocking and letters failed to get a response.

Bill’s friend Tony* called us after spotting a letter warning of legal action after Bill had ignored our repeated efforts to talk to him.

Ceiling-high waste

Neighbours had complained about a smell and even from the outside it was clear Bill was hoarding. But, as Tony realised, the real problem was Bill’s poor mental health.

Bill was unable to throw anything away. Ceiling-high newspapers and rubbish in every room were a fire hazard for Bill and his neighbours.

Bill also couldn’t handle our calls. After a call from Tony, neighbourhood manager Elizabeth Bailey put a halt to our plans for legal action. Instead she called in the council’s social services team and our own tenancy sustainment officer, Mehluli Mcube.

It was the start of much-needed professional help for Bill. He has now had six weeks of therapy and is getting support for the problems that first triggered his hoarding.

With Tony’s help, his flat has also been transformed. ‘We paid to have Bill's 'collection' taken to the dump using our tenant welfare fund,’ Mehluli said.

Not only is his home rubbishfree, he has a new kitchen and bathroom and we have been able to do much-needed safety repairs.

‘As a goodwill gesture we’ve given Bill a painting pack so he can spruce up his flat,’ Mehluli said.

‘But the best bit was being able to help Bill and Tony help themselves.’ * All names have been changed

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8

get involved

get employed

CHAMPION EFFORT IS KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE AFTER SCHOOL

FAST-TRACKED TO MANAGEMENT TEAM

Family Mosaic leaseholder Chiho Sharp has used skills that she picked up on our Community Champions course to set up an after-school club for local parents who had been struggling to balance work schedules with childcare

An unemployed Southwark tenant has joined our housing management team after first working for us as a volunteer

Chiho, helped by Silk Gardens neighbour Katrina, pictured left, and another parent, were now set to go and have even registered their new business, BGASC, with Ofsted.

The club now has 65 regulars, aged 3-11, with a quarter of them children of Family Mosaic residents.

They are picked up from three local primary schools and a nursery, given a healthy snack and have lots of indoor and outdoor space to play.

‘Without Family Mosaic’s help, we couldn't have been here,’ said Chiho.

‘This is definitely the true spirit of community champions.’

“What a wonderful place with wonderful staff, who love the children as if they were their own.”

Chiho, a leaseholder at Silk Gardens in Bethnal Green, did our six-month course so she could give something back to her local community.

Filling a gap

The aim of the course is to find out what each community needs then explore ways to fill that gap.

Chiho said: ‘A lot of Silk Gardens parents told me they wanted to get back to work but were struggling with childcare because of a lack of after-school clubs in this area.’

Chiho and some other parents started taking it in turns to look

after children in their own homes.

Chiho then started offering after-school French lessons, but parents soon told her they wanted more after-school activities.

Chiho said: ‘At first I had no plans for an after-school club. I thought it would be too much work.’

But demand got so high that Chiho applied to the Maisie Sheed Community Foundation for funds to hire space at a community centre, running four sessions a week. Even then the sums didn’t add up and the future was looking shaky until space came up at Globe Primary School.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BGASC To find out more about the Bethnal Green after-school club, contact Arjet Nura q 07593 618 663 or email Arjet at Bethnal green afterschoolclub@yahoo.co.uk

One parent said: ‘My children are so very happy here. What a wonderful place, with wonderful staff who love the children as if they were their own.’

BGASC manager Arjeta Nura, says the club is a ‘real community thing.’

'I used to be one of those parents who nearly had to stop working because I didn’t have anyone to look after my children. BGASC fills that gap.’

One year ago Sean Folorunso was close to completing his degree in accounting and finance. But the harder part was just about to start: finding, not just a job, but a career.

Sean said: 'I wasn’t sure what career I wanted but knew I wanted to help people and give something back. Alison suggested working for Family Mosaic and put me up for an interview to work as a volunteer in the housing management team.'

Leaflet drop

On a roll: Sean now has a permanent seat on the housing team

That was when Sean's mum spotted a leaflet from our employment team on the doormat. 'Call them,' she said.

Sean got in touch and soon after he met employment coach Alison McFarlane at our spring career fair.

After four months Sean, now 23, applied to join the team and got the job. Since last November he has been a neighbourhood manager in our south London team.

'It's a challenging job,' says Sean.

'You need a lot of knowledge and to be on your toes as you never know what will happen day to day.

I haven’t been in the job long but already little things make me smile.'

One was the very grateful family who now have beds, paid for by our tenant welfare fund with Sean's help.

Sean added: 'The employment team have a passion for helping others. For any young people who are not sure where they’re heading, I recommend giving them a call.'

MORE AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE FOR WORKING MUMS AND DADS In 2013 the government made a pledge of more affordable childcare for working parents. So we teamed up with Hackney Learning Trust (HLT) to create more childcare places suitable for two-year-olds.

We spent the next two years giving those of you interested in being a registered childminder free training, resources and professional guidance.

We’ve helped several of you set up childcare businesses, where

families that qualify can get childcare for their two year olds, paid for by the government.

Hackney tenant Zena Joseph is one parent who has benefited from our collaboration with HLT. When she was unemployed we gave Zena the training she needed to become a registered childminder and practical help to set up a homebased business. Zena gets ongoing support and mentoring from HLT.

BUDDING NEW 9 APPRENTICES ON RUNG ONE OF THE CONSTRUCTION CAREER LADDER Four new Family Mosaic apprentices are helping to build homes as they start a new career in construction.

Hands-on learning

Family Mosaic tenants Chi Banh, Alex Puricelli, Jamaine Fraser and Jacob Elssilfie are learning their new trade at Caledonian Wharf, a new housing estate in Greenwich, close to their own homes.

On-site: learning on the job

Two-thirds of the 85 new homes being built will be for 'social' rent or shared ownership.

Apprentice Chi Banh said: 'I am having an amazing time and I love every second of it. My supervisors have been so kind and patient.

I really appreciate everything you guys are doing for me and I really do need to say, thank you!'

FINDING WORK, AN APPRENTICESHIP OR TRAINING FOR A CAREER To find out more childcare or construction training, or if you would like support finding work or starting a career, please call us on q020 7089 1345.

moving on 10

your services

MUTUAL EXCHANGE:

SWAP HOME WITH A NEW APP – MOVEMAKER

Moving home is often said to be one of the most stressful events of your life. But go for a mutual exchange, helped by our housing options team, and there'll be no need for panic

A new app called MoveMaker makes swapping home easy and it is free on a smart phone or tablet.

Both the home swap app and mobile website are quick and easy to use, with lots of unique features.

MoveMaker matches you to properties that have the number of bedrooms you need and only connects you to people interested in swapping home with you.

MoveMaker also includes lots of handy information about the area you plan to move to, including distances to local schools, hospitals and the nearest tube stations.

TAKE THE STRESS OUT OF MOVING

A common myth about mutual exchange is that you won’t find anyone wanting to swap home in the area you want to move to.

Proof that it works

In November four of you swapped homes in Lambeth. That was a lot of house moves to organise but the process completed just before Christmas and went very smoothly.

Everyone dealt with the same person on our team from start to end, making it a lot less stressful.

One swap came about simply because tenants in the same block talked to each other then used the

House Exchange scheme.

Two households wanted a smaller home, one wanted a larger home and one needed to move because of problems with mobility. One was even able to move into the same block of flats as her mother so she can take care of her.

'The housing officer dealing with the exchange was very helpful and the exchange ran smoothly,' said one mover. 'Since moving, I have told many people that they should consider a mutual exchange.'

To find out more call Miles-Jay Bankinson on q0300 123 3456.

Download the app to an Apple or Android smart phone or tablet or register for Movemaker online at www.movemakerapp.co.uk

HALF-TERM HI-JINKS AT YOUTH ACADEMY A week of activities organised by our Youth Academy over the February half-term break gave young tenants a chance to gain a new skill every single day The week rounded off with a trip to Danbury in Essex, for quad biking, an aerial trek and an obstacle course.

Earlier in the week, we laid on a fashion session with an upcoming designer and rap and beatboxing at the British MC and DJ Academy.

All the youngsters competed for

CALLING THE CUSTOMER CARE LINE...

the FA Junior Football Leaders Award and the 2003 Russian national champion gave an archery lesson. The Boxing for Beginners lesson also had its star attraction, overseen by an athlete shortlisted

by Sky Sports for its Sportswoman of the Year 2015 award.

To find out about our Easter break activities for young people call Melissa Vidal on q020 7089 1245 or email youth.academy@ familymosaic.co.uk. Keep up to date with upcoming events by ‘liking’ us on Facebook ‘Family Mosaic Youth Academy'

JUST DIAL ✆ 0300 123 3456 » THEN PRESS 2 OPEN 8AM-8PM ● MONDAYS TO FRIDAYS OPEN SATURDAY MORNINGS ● 9AM-1PM

CUSTOMER CARE LINE REPAIRS SERVICE NOW ON AN UPWARD CURVE Winter is the season that brings us the biggest challenges, writes customer services director Ashling Fox As the temperature drops the number of you calling to ask for a boiler repair naturally rises.

How well we respond is the best test of how well our systems work.

Hard work pays off

With spring almost here, we can tentatively say that the hard work we've done over the past year to improve our customer care line service has paid off.

In the past few months we have answered 93% of all calls, with most of you waiting less than a minute before we answered.

All emails got a reply within 24 hours and online repair requests were handled on the same day.

It's a far cry from last year when phone callers wanting a repair had

an average wait of more than 10 minutes. Email was worse, with typically a three-day delay.

We're especially pleased that more of you are choosing to report your repairs online.

Last month around 20% of repairs were reported to us this way.

We're relieved to have improved but know there is still much to do.

Our attention is now on our repairs contractors and we are using a new method to build up a regional network of contractors.

We have also made a few changes to our systems that we are confident will improve your experience and our repairs standards. Resident panels are helping us and I believe we will soon have a repairs service that will do us proud.

BE HEARD: VOTE FOR THE NEW LONDON MAYOR AND YOUR LOCAL SERVICES Don’t forget to register to vote if you want to have your say in the May elections for your local council, the new police and crime commissioner and, if you live in London, the new mayor at City Hall.

In or out of Europe? You help decide

O The obstacle course

O Boxing for beginners

O Archery

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This is also your chance to vote in the referendum on whether the UK should stay with the European Union or leave it. Registering takes minutes and you can do it online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote The deadline for getting on the register is 18 April. Don't miss it!

JOSS KINCH ASKED: What is Family Mosaic’s position on the Right to Buy and Pay to Stay policies?

ASH ANSWERS:

Right now we know very little about how the government expects either policy to work.

We do want our tenants to have the Right to Buy but only if we are compensated in full by the government for the discount on every property sold.

The government has said this will happen but it has not told us how or what conditions will be attached. Our board will decide our position once we know the rules.

The government has said Pay to Stay will be voluntary for housing associations. This policy could lead to households in London with a total yearly income of over £40,000 being charged a market rent but we don't know the terms and there is talk now of a higher ceiling and the rent being tapered.

We do have concerns about it.

As it stands it seems likely to have unwanted and unintended consequences but, until the government comes up with a clear set of guidelines, we can't decide where we stand on it.

DO YOU HAVE A BURNING QUESTION TO PUT TO CUSTOMER SERVICES DIRECTOR ASHLING FOX?

Send it to Alex Marshall at Alexandra.Marshall@familymosaic.co.uk or Albion House, 20 Queen Elizabeth Street, London SE1 4UP. In each edition Ash will answer the best question. Don’t forget to give us your name.

Staying in touch Head office

Report repairs

Tenant enquiries

Care and support

Albion House, 20 Queen Elizabeth St, SE1 2RJ q020 7089 1000 www.familymosaic.co.uk

q0300 123 3456, then press option 1. Report repairs to us online at www.familymosaic.co.uk

London q020 7089 1000 Essex q01268 498 500 South q01273 468010

Essex office

Leasehold enquiries

Pembroke House, Northlands Pavement, Pitsea SS13 3DU q01268 498 500

Call q0300 123 2209 h CCLHomeOwnership @familymosaic.co.uk

Call q0300 123 3456 then press option 2.

Lines open 8am 8pm on weekdays, 9am to 1pm on Saturdays h CustomerCareLine @familymosaic.co.uk q020 7089 1345

Under a new government law, from 6 April all dogs in England have to be microchipped ('chipped') or you could face a fine of up to £500 Regional housing manager Andy Vella said: 'Dog chipping helps reunite lost dogs with their families and helps the authorities identify any irresponsible owners. And it's not popular with dog thieves.'

A QUICK GUIDE TO MICROCHIPPING FOR DOGS Will it hurt my dog?

How long have I got to get my dog microchipped?

Is my dog too old?

No, not unless your vet says chipping will damage its health and gives you a special

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Find out more about chipping your dog at www.gov.uk/get-yourdog-microchipped

certificate confirming this, on the official government form.

Is there a fine/penalty if I don’t get my dog chipped?

Yes - £500 if your dog is picked up and you ignore the 21-day warning.

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ACROSS

No - the chip is the size of a grain of rice. It is injected by needle just under the skin.

From 6 April all dogs must be 'chipped' and registered to an approved database by the time they reach 8 weeks old.

If your dog isn't now chipped, you have until 6 April to get it chipped and registered.

Anyone keeping an unchipped dog can be served with a legal notice giving them 21 days to get it chipped and registered.

London north/west q020 7089 1323 London south/east q020 7089 1187 Hackney/Essex: q01268 498 563

Employment team

DON'T RISK IT: IS YOUR DOG CHIPPED? The rule is part of a wider bid to tackle the growing problem of dogs lost or, worse, dumped each year. Around 100,000 are rescued from the streets every year, at a huge cost to animal charities and the taxpayer.

Welfare rights officers

1 Lanky person or something handy in a vegetable bed (8) 5 Each peach, pear, ---- (4) 7 Country where the Arab Spring first emerged (7) 8 Light crunchy meal fresh from the vegetable bed (5) 9 Tiny busy insect (3) 10 Dig something up (7) 11 Plants produce this vital gas by photosynthesis (6) 13 The mandrake is said to make this noise when it's pulled out of the earth (6) 16 Ideal houses for tiny flying rodents (8) 17 In for the long ---- (4) 18 You may find them in a cider orchard all year (10) 19 Spring is a good time to drop it on the ground (4) 20 Spring sees it bloom in many a country hedge (8)

DOWN 2 Twice a year, in autumn and spring, night and day are the same length (7) 3 Grazing land (7) 4 Eats, shoots and -----(a sure sign of spring) (6) 5 Handy box for growing flowers or vegetables (7) 6 Name for a child scavenger once found digging for bounty at low tide on the banks of the Thames (7) 11 Rare flowers that you may spot wild in April (7) 12 A decorative way to wear flowers around your neck (7) 14 A plant or animal's natural home, also a home furnishings outlet... (7)) 15 Wait till the last frosts have gone before you plant your tubers for this tall, showy flower (6)

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