Autumn 2014
The magazine for Great Places Housing Group residents
WIN! an iPad!
From strength to strength! Nominate your neighbours for THIS YEAR’s
Community stars Awards
Resident Emma Murphy tells us how attending the Strong Women course changed her life
The caring cafĂŠ! Volunteers giving up their time in Northmoor, Manchester
Climb aboard!
Our online doubledecker bus rides into your neighbourhood!
1
Repairs
Numbers you need to know
Phone our Customer Access Team from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday. It’s local rate. Call us on:
0300 123 1966
07797 870 734 or email us at cat@greatplaces.org.uk
or simply text us on
For all Great Places residents you can call us between 8am and 6pm weekdays on:
0300 123 1966
& press 1 for repairs
You can also use this number for out-of-hours emergencies. Or you can email us about a repair at
repairs@greatplaces.org.uk
Office addresses
Oldham office
Blackburn office
Salford office
Barnfield House (Suite 4 and 5) Groundfloor, Accrington Road Blackburn BB1 3NY Open Monday, 9.30am-5pm & Thursday 9:30am-12:30pm Appointment only at all other times.
Cheshire office
106 Longridge, Knutsford, WA16 8PD Opening hours: Monday only, 9.30am to 4.30pm
Fylde office
336 Talbot Road, Blackpool, FY1 3QU Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm
Great Places head office
Southern Gate, 729 Princess Road, Manchester M20 2LT Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm
Write to My Great Place at:
4th Floor, St James’s House, Pendleton Way, Salford M6 5FW Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm
Sheffield office
The Quadrant, 99 Parkway Avenue, Sheffield SS9 4WG Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm
Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/GreatPlacesHousing
Communications Great Places Southern Gate 729 Princess Road Manchester M20 2LT
Email:
119 Union Street, Oldham OL1 1TE Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm
Tweet us @MyGreatPlace
Access for all
communications@greatplaces.org.uk
We’ve already sent a magnifying sheet to our visually impaired residents. Let us know if you need one. An audio version of My Great Place is also available.
Autumn 2014
Cover star: Resident Emma Murphy from Knutsford
The magazine for Great Places Housing Group residents
WIN!
FSC AND WORLD LAND TRUST LOGOS
an iPad!
From strength to strength! Nominate your neighbours for THIS YEAR’s
Community stars Awards
Resident Emma Murphy tells us how attending the Strong Women course changed her life
The caring café! Volunteers giving up their time in Northmoor, Manchester
Climb aboard!
Our online doubledecker bus rides into your neighbourhood!
2
www.greatplaces.org.uk
1
Welcome to
Hope you had a fantastic summer. We’ve got more inspirational stories in this issue as the nights draw darker. Read our cover story about how Knutsford resident Emma Murphy transformed her life through our Strong Women course. There’s also a theme of volunteering running through this issue. We talk to people giving up their time to support a fantastic café at Northmoor Community Centre in Manchester, and we get to meet the residents who’ve volunteered to be part of Insight, Great Places’ new scrutiny group, who
look at the services we offer you and challenge the way we do things. Talking of giving up your time for others, do you know anyone in your community that goes above and beyond just being a neighbour? If you do, get nominating them for the second Community Stars Awards, where we honour those special stars in your area. They could be on the red carpet come January!
YOUR MAGAZINE!
Rachel Machin, Editor
What’s inside? Features
4 Letters page 8-9 News 10
Grapevine (Elderly services news)
15-17 Neigbourhood news 20-21 in:team: how you can get involved 22 Getting online with Len 23 My green place
The caring café!
Community Stars Awards
pages
pages
24 Competitions
6-7
12-13
5
Faster, Higher, Stronger: We meet resident Emma Murphy who has attended our Strong Women course
6-7 The caring café: Volunteers giving up their time in Northmoor, Manchester 11
Meet the Insight team
Welfare reform: one year on
14
page
Regulars
myvoice!
Write to us at:
We had some great emails and Facebook messages from you – thanks so much for taking the time to contact us! Here’s a selection of some of your thoughts. We want to give you every opportunity to tell us your thoughts, ideas and comments. As you know there are new ways you can contact us via Facebook and Twitter as well as by letter. Whatever way you choose to contact us, we want to hear from you. Tell us about your neighbourhood or give us your thoughts on anything Great Places-related! Every week one of your letters/emails/social media messages will be made Star Letter and you’ll receive a £10 voucher.
My Great Place Communications Great Places Housing Group Southern Gate 729 Princess Road Manchester M20 2LT
Email us: communications@greatplaces.org.uk
Tweet us: @mygreatplace
Facebook us at:
facebook.com/GreatPlacesHousing
Star Leteter
Plac both Dear My Great the support that l al r fo u yo k at Places have Just to say than inator) and Gre rd -o co ng di un st an idea. Daniel (f c Project was ju tti A e th e nc si have been given to us on it would not si vi d an lp he on that will Without your now in a positi e ar e w at ed th lp clients that ne possible. I know he to e nu nti co and allow us to grow we can offer. at th the services carry d you be able to longul o w u yo at th e ct We didn’t expe ntribution that you have for th dge le co e ow th kn g d in an ols on mak given us the to rds ve lo ha nd u la yo t al ci bu term, f other so o e dg le ow na kn te nts to do so. I have deliver the services to their s been em and none of th as Great Places. I have alway use l ca at the same leve I am a Great Places tenant, be nts na at proud to say th reat Places always put their te G n. o as re of that first. ct, Bury The Attic Proje ll, u b rn Tu n aw D s hope your tter Dawn. Let’ le ly ve lo a t ha Editor: W rength. m strength to st o fr es go ct je o pr
Dear My Great Place On my terrace d wheelie bins ar street, e outside the fr permanently ont doors of th e properties cau si health and sa ng potential fety instead of bein hazards g they should b placed, where e in the tenan ts’ back yard. Apart from be in and the increas g an eyesore, flies swarmin g e have the nigh in litter as we navigate the around you tly presence o pavement, we f ra fox. The neigh bourhood man ts, mice and the occasional Members hav ager, Oldham e C like to know w been aware of this issue fo ouncil, Elected r years. I wou hat can be do ld ne about this. Regards Mrs Christine Goulden Editor: Sorry to We’re now dis hear you’re having problem cu s by putting tw ssing possible ideas to reso Christine. o big recycling lve the proble bins in the alle m the amount o yw fb This is still is d ins present in front of peo ays to reduce p iscussion and the neighbou le’s doors. update you w rhood team w hen they know ill more!
Kids’ Competition Want a fancy new iPod?
Thanks so much for you responses to the ‘find Margaret Plaice’ competition! She was hiding behind the flying pig! Congratulations to 9-year-old Brogan Currie from Longridge who was the winner! If you don’t already know. Margaret Plaice, our little fishy friend whose name is inspired by this very magazine, is hiding again somewhere. Can you find her? If you can, just email or write and let us know exactly where she is (make sure you put the page number) at the above addresses, making sure you put your address and phone number of the entry. The winning entry will get on a cute little i-pod, so get searching! 4their handswww.greatplaces.org.uk
COMPETITION RULES To enter you must be 16 or under and a Great Places resident Entries must be in by 1st Entries Augustmust 2014be in by 7th November 2014
Feature
Cover star!
Faster, Higher, Stronger!
“
I was diagnosed with schizophrenia when I was 16 and was put in a secure unit. My parents were told that I’d never live independently, that I’d remain in supported housing. In 2011 I was going through a particularly bad time. The illness was under control but I felt alienated in the community. All my social circles had vanished and there was nothing left. I had my daughter Faith, 4, and I felt like an alien. I knew people to say hello to but didn’t have anyone to have a coffee with. I didn’t know what to do or how I’d get back into it. Then a lady at the children’s centre suggested I attend the Strong Women course. I thought it sounded awful at first. I had no confidence but felt I should give it a go because I want the best for my daughter. Strong Women gave me the first steps back into the community. It was a really close-knit group and I found out
that other people have problems as well. I was walking around thinking everyone’s lives were fine! It was incredible. Now I feel like I can take anything on. After I’d completed it I went on to do the Stronger Women course at Radbrook Hall. It was for half a day and a more formal learning setting. I thought it was all about jobs beforehand but it’s not. It’s about giving you the confidence to change your life. I just want to be happy and to help other people. We’ve just had a meeting for Branching Out, which is a group run by former course attendees, so that they can give something back to the community. We’ve decided to run coffee mornings from the Welcome Café. I feel part of the community now. I’ve gained friendships out of it – we just laugh, which is what life should be about.
“
Knutsford resident Emma Murphy, 27, was struggling with life and feeling isolated in her community. Then she attended a Strong Women course and her life turned around in an instant. My Great Place went to meet this inspiring young woman.
If you’re interested in attending a Strong Women course please contact:
Lucy Beesley lucy.beesley@greatplaces.org.uk 0161 447 5117
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` The caring cafe
Northmoor Community Café is at the heart of the community in Longsight. My Great Place enjoyed a coffee and a chat with some of the volunteers giving up their time to make this special place a food and friendship haven. Beetroot soup, sizzling chicken Balti and Farfalle Pasta Salad with Rocket, Mozzarella and Sundried Tomatoes… reads like a menu from the BBC Masterchef series. But this is not just any menu! This is the Northmoor Community Café menu, with dishes from every nation! Based in the community centre, this unassuming space has become ‘the’ social hub for many Great Places’ residents and locals. It’s also attracting a variety of different volunteers originally from places as diverse as Spain, Germany, South East Asia, Malaysia and London – reflecting the diverse neighbourhood of Longsight and the surrounding areas. Originally from Germany, Christina Scraub, who’s been volunteering for six months at the café, explains why she was compelled to get involved.
“I work in a café as a part-time job and I think it’s a great place to get people talking and to meet people. It’s a good thing for a community, to have the doors open and welcome everyone, especially if it’s really diverse. “Even if there is animosity it melts away when you come into a place like this. Sharing food helps to break down barriers. It’s a really different vibe here from where I live in Chorlton. It gives me a chance to explore different neighbourhoods and polish my cooking skills. I’d encourage anyone to give it a try.” The café concept started life as an initiative between Great Places and the Northmoor Community Association. At first it was just a pop-up café during the summer but interest built up and demand for the tasty grub grew!
A local food growing project is also literally feeding into the café providing everything from radishes to tomatoes. Now the café provides residents with somewhere to go, access to cheap food, and an open door to the community centre at the back.
Half Singaporean, half-Indian Alin Asokan with a French name and a cockney accent, has also grabbed the opportunity of giving something back! After moving from London, where she’d lived for the last 40 years, to be with her boyfriend, she faced knowing nobody.
It has also been a lifeline for many in the area, including volunteer Jackie Haughay from Levenshulme. “I came to do a course in computing and the guy who ran it asked me to volunteer. I’d been stuck at home for a quite a number of years as I look after my Dad which is difficult as he’s not well at all. This is my escape and way out.
“It was really hard moving and giving up my whole life but when I started volunteering it made me feel like was doing something for the community. It keeps me going.
“I’ve had years of just being in the house which has been lonely. You can meet people and learn something new every time you come here.”
“I’ve not let them down once even though I have an illness and it’s sometimes difficult to get out. I would say to anyone thinking about it – give volunteering a try once – you’ll see whether it’s for you or not. You’d be at home doing nothing. Just because you’re not getting paid for it, it doesn’t matter – you’re helping others and helping yourself.”
If you want to give up some of your time to be a volunteer at the Northmoor Community Café email sarah.riley@greatplaces.org.uk or call Sarah on 0161 447 5120. You don’t need to be able to cook, you’ll receive training, gain confidence, all your expenses are paid and you’ll get free food! What more could you want?
News Matt’s message I hope everyone has enjoyed their summer even if the weather hasn’t been brilliant. It’s been a busy time at Great Places with lots of things happening. We’re involved in a big push to help you to get online during National Go On Week, from October 13th. The Great Places Get Online bus is touring many of our communities to help our customers make the most of the internet – you can use it to pay your rent, save money on bills and much more. We’ll have staff on board to help show what the internet can offer you, and there’ll also be some great prizes up for grabs at the same time. I hope as many of you as possible will get on board! We have recently launched the Insight team, a group of residents who will make sure we are on our toes by keeping a close eye
on different parts of our work, for example identifying areas where we are not delivering customer satisfaction. Their first job has been to look at how we deal with managing complaints and they will be doing much more during the coming months. Finally, nominations for our second Community Stars Awards are open and we want to hear from you about the people who make a difference to the area where you live. There’s a range of categories to recognise some of the unsung heroes out there so please get in touch with us.
Repairs update
In the last issue of My Great Place we reported on proposals to improve customer satisfaction with our repairs and we can now share some more detail.
• An operations centre which will be responsible for dealing with residents calling in to report a repair and then arranging appointments for you. • The repairs team will carry out day-to-day repairs and prepare our The next part of the process is to recruit homes for new residents when they a significant number of staff to the become empty. new roles created by the restructure. • A team responsible for our However this is a challenge in itself and investment work which covers will take a few months. things like fitting new bathrooms and kitchens. There’ll be four main areas that make • A compliance team which will look up the repairs and asset management after things like gas servicing and service, each led by a service manager. repair, fire safety, asbestos and lifts. The plan involves a restructure of the property services team which we believe will improve the service we offer you. There’ll be more repairs staff employed to fix problems in your homes.
Fire safety
A Home Fire Safety Check can sound daunting to many people, especially the elderly but it’s a vital, and more importantly FREE service where members of your local Fire and Rescue service will visit your home, at a time convenient to yourself, 8 www.greatplaces.org.uk and carry out an inspection.
David Wood, director of repairs and asset management, said: “In the long run the planned changes will benefit customers but in the short-term, we will need to work hard to minimise disruption to customers. “We have already started to make progress, for example in reducing the amount of calls we miss but I know there is a long way to go so please bear with us while we go about improving the service.”
You may be eligible for free smoke alarms to be fitted where required. They’re easy to set up. Just visit the following website to find your nearest fire station and give them a call.
www.fireservice.co.uk
News What is Homehunt for?
Great Places are using Homehunt for internal general transfers. To be eligible for a general transfer you must have been a Great Places resident for a minimum of 12 months. Homehunt is the place where residents who are looking for a new home can view different types of affordable housing options, including Great Places’ homes.
What is a general transfer?
Also, you can register with other partner landlords and view and apply for properties available throughout England if you meet their eligibility criteria.
How to apply?
Are you looking for a rewarding volunteer role?
children who are struggling to read. This is a fantastic volunteering opportunity for someone who is passionate about helping children and would like to make a difference through giving their time.
Save the Children are looking for volunteers across Greater Manchester who would like to visit a local primary school twice a week for 90 minutes. As a Born to Read reading helper you will spend one to one time regularly with children to read, talk and play educational games.
Our volunteers need to be patient and encouraging, good listeners and communicators, able to work one-to-one with children at the child’s pace and be dedicated to inspiring the next generation of readers.
Born to Read is a partnership programme between Save the Children and the children’s literacy charity Beanstalk. Together, we place volunteers in primary schools to support
A general transfer is when a Great Places resident moves from their existing home into one of our empty properties for non emergency reasons. To be eligible for a general transfer you will need to register through the Homehunt website www.homehunt.co.uk. See if you fit the criteria.
To find out more about Born to Read go to: www.savethechildren.org.uk/borntoread or contact Save the Children Volunteer Support for more information: volunteersupport@savethechildren.org.uk or phone 0207 012 6997.
Info for an iPad It’s important that the data we hold on our residents is up to date so we can provide the best possible service. Check out next month’s edition of My
Great Place to find out how you can update your details and be in with a chance of winning an iPad at the same time!
IN! ! W n iPad a
Great Places’ gay pride Great Places Housing Group flew the flag for its Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) residents at this year’s Manchester Pride. It signed up to be part of this year’s parade as a walking float and the theme was ‘love’ in celebration of the Equal Marriage Act.
Throughout October, November and December we’ll be promoting Together Quarter to all our staff. It’s a chance for them to celebrate equality and diversity and there’ll be three key themes: Black History month, Armistice Day and how people spend 25th December.
Great Places is committed to promoting equality and celebrating diversity with residents and staff, and is working hard to further improve its relationship with the LGBT community.
If you want to share any stories, or are affected by any issues regarding disability, race, religion or sexuality, please email stephanie.bell@greatplaces.org.uk 9
GRAPEVINE Anne’s more than a ‘Wood’ be gardener!
Elderly services news
Blooming lovely
As a lover of gardening and nature, when Anne Wood joined Openshaw Court in Manchester about seven years ago she set about cleaning up the scheme environment and thought about how to make it more beautiful for her fellow residents. “I’ve always enjoyed gardening,” says Anne. “It takes a lot off stress away and helps me to reflect on the beauty of nature. Overall, it gives me satisfaction and pleasure to see that what I’ve nurtured grows into a beautiful plant. Sometimes I say to myself.....’WELL DONE ANNE!’ with a smile on my face.”
Residents from The Willows in Blackpool have been getting green-fingered after entering the Wyre in Bloom community gardening competition which feeds into The Royal Horticultural Society and North West in Bloom ‘It’s your neighbourhood’ event.
Anne started gardening as a form of exercise to combat her heart related problems, and this interest later developed into a hobby.
It’s not the first time they’ve trowelled up, and their handy work has seen them gain certificates from ‘developing’ to ‘thriving’! The focus for residents this year was to build on their strong sense of community spirit and celebrate their differences and abilities. Some residents grow from seed, others pot and plant, some water, and some just enjoy. The scheme looks fantastic and the judges were impressed so let’s hope the residents gain an award that warrants all their efforts!
Kudrat Adeyemi, scheme manager of Openshaw Court in Manchester, said: “Anne is an asset to Openshaw Court as she takes on so much responsibility, caring and looking after the plants. She has managed to buy all the pots and plants out of her own money.”
Silver celebration for older people’s home in Blackpool The Mayor of Blackpool Council Valerie Haynes has helped residents and staff of Douglas Leatham House, one of Great Places Housing Group’s older person schemes, celebrate 25 years of being open. Guests were treated to entertainment from vocalist Nico and a local choir. Refreshments and raffle were also part of the fun-filled celebrations with £200 being raised for Douglas Leatham’s Residents’ Association and Donna’s Dream House, which provides holiday experiences for children and teenagers with terminal or life-threatening illnesses. Katherine Michaels, community development co-ordinator at Great Places, said: “The committee worked tirelessly to unsure the day was a success. It was enjoyed by everyone who attended. We have never seen so many raffle prizes and donations. Thanks to everyone involved.”
10
www.greatplaces.org.uk
Poppy-tastic! Residents from Ordsall and Langworthy in Salford made poppies as a tribute to WW1 recently. Hawkshaw Court residents have been part of this project working with Salford Health improvement team which has run poppy craft-making sessions. Over four weeks residents enjoyed sharing their experiences and even watched a DVD of Salford in the 50-60s.
MEET THE
insight TEAM
The brand new insight team is a group of residents who will challenge Great Places’ performance, policies and procedures. They’ve been busy scrutinising the first service area, complaints management.
Why are they doing this? To collect as much information as possible to understand what really happens when a complaint is made to Great Places. Questions they were asking themselves were: is it straight forward for a customer to make a complaint to Great Places? Is the complaint resolved in a reasonable timescale? Did the customer feel their complaint was taken seriously and that they were listened to by Great Places?
th Great Places for “I’ve been a tenant wi happy with most six years and I’ve been y for. I agreed to get of the services we pa ve a very good eye involved because I ha e that skill to help for detail and can us s that all residents to improve the service receive.”
“I live in Oldham. I’ve been interested in housing matters since 1992 when I joined Selhal Housing n on their tio cia Asso st Choice Fir d ne joi o Board. I als est Board W Home on the Oldhamto be part of nt wa in later years. I to make a something that helps difference.” “Having worked in tenant engagement myself I almost feel obliged to ‘poke my nose in’ when an y arises. nit rtu po op the need for t I am passionate abou high quality er off social housing to in standards homes, and to maintascribed in set in policies and de is. magazines such as th Wish us luck!”
If you’re interested in finding out mo re about Insight and their work, or you would like to volu nteer to join the group, contact Tracy Gregory, customer invo lvement co-ordinator, on 0161 925 7918 or email tracy.grego ry@greatplaces.org.uk
“I’ve lived in a Great Places property in Rochdale for over 10 years and I’m part of this group ake because I’d like to m t en es pr re to a difference. I’d like reduction a e se d an s er m custo satisfactory in complaints with a resolution.”
“I decided I’d like to get involved with the group to do my bit and help Great Places provide quality services to customers. Scrutiny demonstrates transparency, which will lead to the development of strong working relationships between Great Places and their customers.”
“I’m one of two reps and secretary of the committee at The Bridge in Timperley where I’ve lived for ars. I’m involved ye e fiv more than tain and so that I can help mainthin Great wi ds improve standar Places.”
At Grea t Place s
head off ice
“I wanted to volunteer to help improve services so decided to join the group. I’m gratef the chance to work wi ul for Places to represent cu th Great views. I am also lookinstomers’ new skills and valuableg to gain experience, which I ca work n use to enhance my CV.”
“I’ve been a customer of Great Places for 5 years. It’s a privilege to be part of this panel. Working alongside fellow customers and together with Great Places, I’ll be challenging performance and making positive suggestions on improvements that can be made to 11 housing services.”
Feature
Great Places’
Who should we roll out the red carpet for in your neighbourhood? Who’s made a contribution in your area that puts them in the spotlight? Who are the unsung heroes in your community who deserve a mention?
You can help them get the recognition they deserve by nominating them for an award in our Community Stars Awards! All Great Places residents can nominate someone. The closing date is Friday 7th November 2014 so make sure you get your forms in before then! We’ll be holding a special awards ceremony in January to celebrate the hard work that residents and their neighbours put in to make their neighbourhood a better place. Look out for information about the nominees and the winners on our website.
How to enter – it ’s easy You can nominate someone by emailing Maria Morris at maria.morris@greatplaces.org.uk or calling her on 0161 925 7928, or writing to her at the following address: 4th Floor, St James’ House, Pendleton Way, Salford, M6 5FW 12
www.greatplaces.org.uk
closing date : Friday 7 November:
Award categories Good Neighbour Award
A person who goes out of their way to care for others in their neighbourhood – maybe they help with an older person’s shopping, provide a shoulder to cry on, support neighbours in times of need, help to bring the street together for social events.
Young Resident Award
A person aged 25 or under who has worked to improve their area, made a positive difference to someone else’s life or stood up to bullying, hate crime, racism or other forms of antisocial behaviour, or shown particular bravery.
Community Project Award
Do you know of a standout project in your area that’s impressed you? Has it transformed the place where you live or brought people together?
Community/Residents Group Award
A group of residents who’ve pulled together to make a significant difference to where they live. Maybe they’ve helped to bring improvements to your building, set up social events to bring the community together or raised money to transform green space near your home.
Green Champion An individual who is committed to making a big environmental impact and has made a difference to their community. This could be looking after a community garden, helping at a community allotment or promoting community recycling. SENIOR Resident Award
A person aged 70 or over who works tirelessly to improve their community. They may have been working in their neighbourhood for years and have never received recognition.
Supported Housing Resident Award A person who lives in one of our supported housing schemes who has made a real difference to the lives of others: they may have gone the extra mile to help a fellow resident, started up a group, or got involved in a community initiative. Supported Housing Scheme Award Is there one of our projects which stands head and shoulders above the rest? Has it become an important part of the community? It could be a scheme for young people, young parents, homeless, alcohol dependents, or those with mental health issues. Community Champion Award This person will already be an important part of the community. Maybe they run the local youth club or help in the local school as a volunteer. They might be a key person in the local church or the chief organiser of the community fair.
Great Places’Staff Award Is there someone from Great Places who has gone the extra mile for residents? Who do you think embodies our vision: Strong, Bright and Real?
13
GREAT PLACES
ONE IN Amount put back in residents’ pockets
Number of credit union loan applications to our Essential Living Fund
BLACKBURN
15 185 278
£287k
32
BLACKPOOL
WELFARE REFORM
YEAR
12 247 353
£256k
22
Number of residents receiving financial support
8 295 212 £65k 34 6 191 184
£157k
26
28 393 248
£107k
50
SALFORD
MANCHESTER
Numbers affected by the under-occupancy shortfall – week 52
OLDHAM
Recorded downsizes
SHEFFIELD
0 149 197 £62k 15 OVERALL NUMBER OF EVICTIONS DUE 14
TO WELFARE REFORM
www.greatplaces.org.uk
=
0
News neighbourhood
What’s going on where you live...
Van-tastic! SHEFFIELD: Residents at Athelstan Close were treated to afternoon tea and coffee by Betty, a vintage Citroen HY delivery van which in its heyday was used for all sorts of deliveries. It was great to see this van in action again!
Stretford goes green MANCHESTER: Residents from the Stretford Road area, are literally seeing the fruits of their labour as their communal garden blooms with blackcurrants, red currants and a gooseberry bush. This 30-strong neighbourhood has seen a strong community spirit develop over the years and it was actually a request from one of them to transform the unused green spaces right on their doorstep that prompted our environmental team and their neighbourhood colleagues to spring into action. A water butt has been fitted to one of the homes so that residents have full access to rainwater to help tend to the plants. There are plans in place to seek more funding so that vegetables and herbs can be added to the fruit harvest. Watch this space!
Partnership paintwork! PRESTON: The sun was shining at Toulmin Court/West Cliff, Preston when the residents and volunteers from Red Rose Recovery joined Great Places colleagues to have a great day painting the fencing and the bin store in the communal areas of the scheme.
Bouncy castle party at Beech View Drive in Buxton
The flats enjoy a shared courtyard with parking area and flower beds and residents there have recently been successful with a Shared Spaces bid for funding for a bike store. The successful bid was the ideal opportunity to get the fencing and the bin store painted to freshen up the scheme!
Garden Party
Marvellous Malham Gardens BLACKBURN: Flytipping, drug dealing and general anti-social behaviour were the scourge of Malham Gardens, formerly a children’s play area which had been left neglected and subject to vandalism. After concerns were raised by residents, Great Places teamed up with Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and were able to negotiate a deal where we agreed to part fund the sprucing up of land which is now maintained by them. Work has now been completed and the area is much improved. More importantly, residents feel much safer.
Local artists and children transform alleyways in Oldham OLDHAM: Neglected alleyways behind homes in Werneth are being given a new lease of life thanks to local artists and school children in a project co-ordinated by Great Places Housing Group. The project is part of the wider Empty Homes initiative, which has seen numerous homes converted from two to four bedrooms. Residents, including local children, were invited to name the alleyways while two local artists attended to talk through designs and ideas to brighten up the previously drab 15 communal spaces.
Reel-y exciting film project! MANCHESTER: Phase two of Trafford Heritage Lottery project begins! Great Places has been working on a Trafford Heritage Lottery Project with local company REEL MCR, and residents from our supported housing schemes Pomona Gardens and Meadow Lodge, on a documentary about apprenticeships in Trafford Park over the last 70 years. We now need your help! You’ll work alongside writers and a film crew to create and film a drama inspired by the stories in the documentary. Want to take part either behind, or in front of, the camera? Call Sarah on 0161 447 5120 or search for Trafford Park Heritage Project on Facebook to take part in this exciting project!
Planting prowess BLACKBURN: Mr Nizmuddin Makda, ‘Green Rep’ for Cambridge Close, Audley in Blackburn takes his volunteering very seriously! He recently suggested the scheme needed brightening up for the summer and asked if staff and residents could get together to provide everyone with a hanging basket. Baskets and plants were purchased and everyone made up their own baskets to hang outside their front doors. The community caretakers were on hand to fix the wall brackets and Mr Makda made sure all his neighbours, who were out at work, didn’t miss out either and planted baskets for them too. Great community spirit!
Richmond Park Fun Day
Community veggie patch
SHEFFIELD: Great Places teamed up with Balfour Beatty Buxton: Bouncy castle party at Beech View Drive in Buxton to host the Richmond Park Fun Day at Athelstan Primary School in Sheffield recently, and the event was a huge success! More than 100 tenants came along to enjoy the live music and DJ, children’s entertainment, great food and lots of family fun including two bouncy castles. The highlight of the day was the resident raffle, in which tenants could win some great prizes. BLACKPOOL: Thorncross Residents are enjoying the fruits and vegetables of their community veggie patch following the £6,671 grant they received through the lottery. They’ve bought a greenhouse, shed, patio area, lawn mower, equipment and lots of plants, soil and seeds! The gardening has brought the community together at Thorncross and all residents benefit in some way from eating the healthy organic produce to being outdoors in the fresh air.
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The residents are now hoping to secure more funding for a raised bed and are planning a garden party to celebrate their achievements.
Garden party BLACKBURN: A garden party was held to celebrate the transformation of the communal garden at Primrose Close, Mill Hill, Blackburn. Residents enjoyed afternoon tea served by staff, as well as a water colours painting session offered by our very own artistic neighbourhood co-ordinator, Amina Bhaimohmed. Last year, residents and staff agreed it was high time the scheme’s underused and drab communal area was given some muchneeded TLC, so a successful bid was made to the Great Places Shared Spaces fund. Work has been completed and it is now a welcoming place with benches, raised beds and a herb garden. Some of the residents are older and cannot walk very far, so they are extremely pleased to have a space they can enjoy right outside their homes. In fact, Nellie Hogarth, 89 years old, said she had never been in the garden in all the 28 years she has lived there and was so pleased to be able to come and enjoy it now!
Blackpool trip is a towering success Around 350 residents attended a Great Places trip to Blackpool recently, and had a fantastic time! Seven coaches were organised from different pick-up points including Levenshulme, Longsight, Didsbury, Stretford, Ardwick, Cheetham Hill and Knutsford. Two consultations were carried out on the way there to get residents’ views on our vision and values and rents, and on the way back feedback was collated from the day and people took part in an energy quiz.
Road to laughter SALFORD: Recent road resurfacing at Seddon Close in Radcliffe has caused a stir with local residents and Cruden property services, but not in the way you might think! Due to unsatisfactory drainage, the project has been delayed, causing an 11-week road closure. Despite this setback, site manager Wayne Mallinson is maintaining great neighbour relations. The residents have been looking on the bright side and taken this opportunity to play tricks on construction workers and keep them on their toes. Residents were joined by members of Great Places GO team, Financial Inclusion team and the Development team following completion of the roadworks.
Seddon Close fun day! A community event was held for Seddon Close and surrounding residents on 22nd August 2014. There was a BBQ, face painting and other activities for the kids. Residents were joined by members of Great Places Go team and Financial Inclusion team. A great time was had by all.
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Complaints
It’s now 12 months since we revised our complaints process and most residents agree that this has been successful in helping us resolve complaints more quickly. The majority of complaints are dealt with as a NIP it in the bud (informal complaint) by frontline staff during the initial contact. Only 7.6% of complaints progressed to Right First Time (formal complaint).
How to make a complaint Contact the CAT team: Call: 0300 123 1966
NIP enables complaints to be resolved quickly by frontline
Email: cat@greatplaces.org.uk Text: 07797 870734
staff, ideally within 5 working days.
RFT is when a complaint has not been resolved as a NIP and is dealt with by a manager of the appropriate service. We aim to offer a full and fair resolution within 20 working days.
If you have a compliment Contact the CAT team: Call: 0300 123 1966
NIPs have proved to be an efficient way of resolving complaints to residents’ satisfaction quickly and without the need for lots of correspondence.
Email: cat@greatplaces.org.uk Text: 07797 870734
Complaints and compliments can be made in a variety of ways: telephone, email, in writing, or in person to any member of staff.
Number of NIP Complaints
200 April
258 May
Number of RFT Complaints
281 June
13 June
Total for July 2013 - June 2014 = 3,723
Total for July 2013 - June 2014 = 285
RFT complaints received by service Repairs Housing Services Plumlife Development Supported PFI Other
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32 May
18 April
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Compliments
57 April
36 May
36 June
Total for July 2013 - June 2014 = 430
my BLACKBURN 50-year-old Mrs A lives in a 2-bed flat in Nelson and needs a carer. Her grandson used to live with her but moved out. Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) applied for successfully and will be paid in full for 12 months. Savings of £675 to residents! BURY Mrs C had five children and a son who was unwell and moved due to separating from her husband. We applied for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) which should exempt them from the Benefit Cap.
money FYLDE
Our Financial Inclusion team work hard to help residents save money. Last year, they helped put £1m back into your pockets! Below are some great stories about people they’ve helped. MANCHESTER
We helped a couple where one person was disabled and the Carer’s Allowance had ceased. We liaised with all parties and as a result they agreed to reassess claim, with entitlement increasing to around £138 per week, a saving of £2,491.84 per year!
Mr D’s housing benefit had been cancelled as he’d failed to respond to a request for information. We visited him to complete a new claim and it was reinstated 10 days after, in full!
PRESTON Mr E had alcohol problems. We worked with him to help secure Disability Living Allowance and helped with his bills. He was approximately £18,000 better off over the coming 18 months!
SHEFFIELD
OLDHAM Mr F had been unwell in hospital. His housing benefit was stopped but we helped him secure a backdate of £934 preventing court action.
Part-time worker Mrs B has never claimed housing benefit. We helped her apply for this and she received £84 a week, a saving of £4,368 annually! We also sorted out her household bills and saved another £100 by sending accurate meter readings.
You can be one of the people we help. Just get in touch with us! Email fit@greatplaces.org.uk or call 0300 123 1966
Big Break results! Did you know you can now pay your rent by using our 24hr Automated Rent Payment Line? Dial 0300 123 1966 and press Option 3. For other ways to pay, please visit www.greatplaces.org.uk and look under our Residents section, Pay your rent.
Last issue we asked you to switch to paying your rent by Direct Debit for a chance to win £12,000! 281 of you set up new Direct Debits during the campaign period. A total of £71.03 will be donated to Shelter as a result of the campaign. Unfortunately the winner was not a Great Places resident. If you would like to pay by direct debit please contact 0300 123 1966.
In order to make a payment using this option you will need an Allpay Payment Reference Number (PRN) which you can find on your rent payment card. If you do not have a PRN please contact the CAT Team and we will be able to assist you with this.
Universal Credit
If you have any questions about Universal Credit please contact either your neighbourhood co-ordinator or neighbourhood officer at your local Great Places office. To claim Universal Credit you will need to provide a copy of your tenancy agreement and rent statement to assist with your claim. This is requested under the Housing Costs part of the claim. For further information up to date information you can look at the website www.gov.uk/universalcredit or our website. Please make sure you keep your rent account in credit as per your tenancy agreement. You will be refunded any credit when you leave. If you have any queries about your rent please contact your neighbourhood team.
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POP-UP DOORSTEP TOUR The in:team were out and about during May, piloting their first-ever pop-up doorstep tour.
Visiting each of our regions including, supported housing, sheltered and extra care schemes, they door knocked and chatted to many of you in your own homes. The aim was to find out how you want to be involved with Great Places and the work we do. The team ran a ‘selfie’ competition to win an iPod which went down really well! Everyone who completed the survey got a chance to win an iPad, and the lucky winner was James Talbot from Salford (pictured with Tracy Gregory, customer involvement co-ordinator), who was delighted with his prize! Pop-up doorstep tour results – the headline figures!
586
residents took part either in person or online
You said repairs, major investments, anti-social behaviour, clean and maintained communal areas and improving local neighbourhoods were the top five service areas most important for you to be consulted on
477
residents said it’s important or very important that customers have opportunities to provide feedback and influence services
339
residents said they were interested or very interested in providing feedback or being consulted on services
314
residents said they’d never taken part in any involvement activities or feedback methods
423
residents said they were satisfied or very satisfied that Great Places takes customers' views into account
Tell us what you think!
What next?
The information from the pop-up tour has helped to inform our new customer involvement agreement which is due to be launched later in 2014.
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The Great Places in:team makes sure that there are always opportunities for you to share your thoughts on our services, challenge our performance and make sure we are providing the best-possible services.
You could gain valuable experience and learn new skills.
If you're interested in helping Great Places improve services for residents, you can do this from home or work with us more closely – it's up to you!
Want to know more? Call Pauline Heron on 0161 925 7938 or email pauline.heron@greatplaces.org.uk
Support and training is provided and all out-of-pocket expenses are covered by Great Places.
The Salford Work Club Initiative
From September a new service will be set up from 8 locations in Salford. A Work Club co-ordinator will be recruited to oversee help for residents so they can be supported to gain jobs, qualifications and become volunteers. This will be particularly important for welfare changes and supporting our tenants to get on line and access government services which will soon be the way forward. The project has been funded through Lottery and Pendleton Together funding – to find out more contact daniel.mountford@greatplaces.org.uk
Funding facts
£27,500
From various funding sources to enable a new Work Club project coordinator to be recruited for Salford
£15,000
Foyer Federation funding to enable a healthy conversations project and for Blackpool Foyer, our supported accommodation for young people, to become a satellite centre of excellence
£49,400 Heritage Lottery
Funding – towards a project to explore the social memories ofpeople growing up as teenagers from the 1930s onwards in Salford and Oldham
Residents’ and Shared Spaces Fund update! We’ve just done the first round of scoring for the Residents’ Fund and out of the 13 applications we received, nine were successful.
Great Places
RESIDENTS’ FUND
There were college courses, swimming club costs, a football academy, Northmoor Community Café (featured on pages 6 and 7), a trip out and community event for one of supported housing schemes. We’ve also had eight successful Shared Spaces Fund applications. Visit www.greatplaces.org.uk and search for Great Places Residents’ Fund to find out more or contact Maria Morris on 0161 925 7928 or email maria.morris@greatplaces.org.uk
Great Places
SHARED SPACES FUND
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GETTING ONLINE WITH LEN WIN! A tablet!
...climb aboard our online bus in October! The Great Places’ Get Online bus, provided by GMB Reachout, could be rolling in to your neighbourhood on 13th to 21st of October, as part of National Go On Week. Equipped with computers and iPads, an army of Digital Champions will show you some of the benefits of getting online. Get on the bus and you can win! It’s all about showing what the internet has to offer you. If you’ve never used the internet before now is your chance to find out what all the fuss is about. If the Get Online bus doesn’t come to you then we can still help you get online, just call into a Great Places office where we can provide all the help you need. Anyone who takes part in the training will also be entered into our prize draw. For more information about when the bus is in your area, call 0300 123 1966 or look out for a leaflet through your door. In Sheffield our Get Online Week event will be at the following venues and times: Start your training that day and you will also get entered into the prize draw!
Richmond Park Community Centre, Richmond Park Drive, S13 8HH on 24th October
BECOME A DIGITAL CHAMPION! Why become a Digital Champion? • It’s a great way to meet new people in your community • It’s a great thing to put on your CV • We can pay for you to do a qualification in Online Basics as well as finding you lots of other fully funded courses • Get entered into a regular prize draw to win a tablet computer
What would you need to do? • You would need to commit few hours a month to helping others get online • You could help someone learn the skills needed to use the internet • You may have other talents you could put to use such as promoting the classes or simply telling others what they stand to gain from being online Either way we would give you a glowing reference for your work, plus the other benefits Digital Champions enjoy. If you are interested in becoming a Digital Champion then phone 0300 123 1966.
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Wybourn Corner House, 333 Manor Oaks Road, Wybourn S2 5EE, on 23rd October
Stephen is one of our new digital champions helping out at one of our Get Online dropin sessions which takes place every Thursday at Lansdowne Court in Chadderton
my
green place
Advice, tips and ideas on staying green and saving money!
For many, autumn is an exciting time of Halloween parties and bonfire extravaganzas! Below you’ll find some top tips and a recipe for the season. All of us know that pumpkin is a good food and it's heart breaking to know that many will be carved out and the flesh discarded purely to make Halloween lanterns. Here’s a recipe that means you won’t be wasting anything!
Pumpkin & Coriander soup Ingredients 1 small pumpkin 2 red peppers 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed ½ teaspoon juniper seeds 100g celery, chopped 2 small red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock Large bunch of fresh coriander, chopped Salt Black pepper 2 tablespoons of crème fraiche Pinch of Spanish smoked paprika
Method 1. Quarter the pumpkin, remove the seeds (don't discard them, they are lovely when roasted and make a great nibble). 2. Cut the red peppers in half, remove the seeds and place them with the pumpkin onto a roasting tray. Drizzle the flesh with a little olive oil and place into a pre heated oven set at gas mark 6/200C/400F and roast for about 40 minutes. 3. Remove from the oven. Scrape the flesh from the skin of the pumpkin and place to one side along with the roasted pepper.
4. Heat a little olive oil in a saucepan, add the chopped onion, crushed garlic, juniper seeds, celery and red chillies. Cook for a few minutes until the onions and celery are soft. 5. Add the pumpkin and red peppers, the stock and finally the chopped coriander. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 15 mins. 6. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and then process the soup in a blender to make it smooth. 7. Serve with a spoonful of crème fraiche over the top sprinkled with a little paprika.
Bonfire Night Remember, remember be green this November... • Try to attend a public bonfire or fireworks display rather than having your own (which will only add to the pollution), but if this is not possible use clean, dry material in order to minimise smoke. • Remember to check for small animals and hedgehogs that may have crawled into your bonfire. Build bonfires in well lit areas to reduce the risk of wildlife getting inside. • Treat your children to a Blow Light to keep them entertained, this is the world's smallest wind generator and is a great environmentally friendly toy.
YOU CAN GLOW Our staff will once again be visiting your homes in November to make sure you’re all set up for the winter months ahead. We’ll also be providing you with energy-efficient advice so you can save on your bills. This year we are focusing on residents who are aged 70 or over, so if you would like to arrange a home visit please call Aimee Spencer on 0161 447 6097.
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Competition time Please answer the questions below to enter the competitions
Wordsearch te the Comple h and rc a wordse uld you co 5 2 £ in w ers! h in vouc
Words to find are: HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN FIREWORK TOFFEE APPLE
BONFIRE BROOMSTICK WITCH GHOST
TRICK TREAT CANDY BATS
Congratulations to last issue’s winners: Wordsearch: Virginia Marshall – Higher Heysham, Lorraine Stevens – Sheffield, Brian Aspey– Blackpool Spot the difference: Audrey Salwood – Sheffield, Graham Whittle – Blackburn, David Pye – Heysham
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE Just circle the FIVE differences on picture number two. You could be one of three lucky people to win £10 worth of vouchers.
Send your entries by post to: FREEPOST, RLSC-HLLJ-EZRZ, My Great Place, Maria Morris, Great Places Housing Group, 4th Floor St James’ House, Pendleton Way, Salford M6 5FW. All entries must be in by Friday 7th November 2014
Great Places wants to make sure that it values the opinions of all of its residents. Do you think Great Places listens and acts on its promises? There are no right or wrong answers to the questions below, but please answer them and send us your details if you’d like to be entered into our competition prize draws. Strongly disagree
Great Places listens to its customers? Great Places treats everyone with respect? Great Places delivers on its promises?
1 1 1
Strongly agree
2 2 2
3 3 3
4 4 4
5 5 5
Name:................................................................................................................................................................................... Address:............................................................................................................................................................................... Telephone/Mobile: ...............................................................Email:.................................................................................... Please cut out and return this slip to the My Great Place FREEPOST address above. Don’t forget to include your name, telephone number, email and address.