Springboard - Spring 2015

Spring 2015

Shining star!

Log-in made easy A step-by-step guide to registering on our website

Natasha walks the red carpet to pick up community award

Don’t suffer in silence We can help you deal with domestic violence

Fire safety

We highlight the dangers of cooking with a chip pan

WhigIN h street

ÂŁ25 in rs! vouche

Springboard

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www.greatplaces.org.uk

Write to Springboard at: Communications Great Places Southern Gate 729 Princess Road Manchester, M20 2LT

Email:

communications@greatplaces.org.uk

WELCOME TO

Spring 2015

Facebook us at facebook.com/GreatPlacesHousing

Welcome to this spring issue of Springboard. Our cover story sees one of our remarkable residents pick up a coveted award at Great Places Community Stars Awards, an event which really celebrates those we serve in our communities. There’s also lots of advice on everything from paying your rent to how we can help if you, or someone you know, if they’re a victim of domestic abuse. As always we have news from across the Group, and more importantly, Your news.

Tweet us @MyGreatPlace

Access for all

We’ve already sent a magnifying sheet to our visually impaired residents. Let us know if you need one. An audio version of Springboard is also available.

Spring 2015

Shining star!

Log-in made easy A step by step guide to registering on our website

Cover star: Natasha Pieper, winner at the Community Stars Awards

Natasha walks the red carpet to pick up community award

Don’t suffer in silence We can help you deal with domestic violence

Fire safety

We highlight the dangers of cooking with a chip pan

WIN

street £25 in high rs! vouche

Springboard

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Sally Watts Assistant Director (Supported Housing)

What’s inside?

Regulars 6 News: from Great Places 8-9 Your news: what you’ve been up to!

You could win £25 in high street vouchers in our two competitions,

14 in:team: how you can get involved 16 Competitions

you’ll find them on the back page.

Features 10 Easy money competition!

11 How to log on to our website: a step-by-step guide 13 Money matters advice on how you can get more out of your pennies

Don’t suffer in silence

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A rise in your rent

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Chip pan fire safety

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Natasha shines at Community Stars Awards

Springboard

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Natasha shines at Community Stars Awards!

The red carpet was laid out for a second time as many excited residents attended the calendar event of the year – the Community Stars Awards 2014! Natasha Pieper, who lives at In Partnerhsip, our scheme for young women in Blackburn, picked up the coveted Supporting Housing resident award.

Over 200 Great Places residents attended a glittering ‘Hollywood-style’ award ceremony at Gorton Monastery to celebrate their inspirational achievements in local communities across the north west and Yorkshire. The second ever Community Stars Awards was a chance for Great Places to thank the residents who show compassion, selflessness and courage on a daily basis.

Natasha Pieper is one of those people! Taking the coveted Supporting Housing Resident of the Year award, she impressed the judges with her pro-active attitude and encouragement of others in her scheme. She admits being completely bowled over by the award win. “It’s hard to explain,” says Natasha.

“I didn’t even know I was nominated and certainly didn’t think I’d win. When everyone clapped me I just thought

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‘let’s get this over and done with’. It feels really good and shows how far I’ve come.”

Natasha is the first to admit she was in a bad way when she arrived a year ago at In Partnership in Blackburn, a scheme for young homeless women. “Although I tried to live with my parents it didn’t work. In Partnership changed my life, I was suicidal for a while but with their help I’ve turned everything around.”

As well as being a resident rep at the scheme, Natasha started volunteering at Great Places’ office in Blackburn in November doing tenancy sign-ups and other housing services jobs. “I would love to get into housing,” she says.

“It’s also important for me to tell the other residents at In Partnership about how this place has changed my life and it could change theirs too,” she adds.

Meet THE WINNERS... ’

Community Champion Award Violet Shirley

Community Project Award – Teams Not Gangs

Community Residents Group Award

Good Neighbour AwarD Susan Bennett

Great Places Staff Award Martin Miller

Green Champion Award Lianne Horrocks

Senior Resident Award Marion Donnelly

Supported Housing Resident Award Natasha Pieper

Supported Housing Scheme The Byrons

Young Resident Award Ethan Evans

Openshaw Court Social Committee

David Nuttall Award Christine Goulden

All photos from the Community Stars Awards have been posted onto our official 5 Facebook page: www.facebook.com/GreatPlacesHousing Springboard

Matt’s message Late last year we consulted with customers about a new vision and values for the organisation. Hundreds of you gave your views and these have been incorporated into a new statement about what we want Great Places to be about. If you contributed, hopefully you can see how we’ve used what you said in the words.

You can see the new vision and values below, but just to remind you, our new vision is ‘Great Homes. Great communities. Great people’. In terms of our values we commit ourselves to be fair open and accountable, and to know, respect and care about you, our customers.

The important thing now, of course, is to make sure that these are more than just words on paper. As an organisation we need to live and breathe our values through our service offer and if we don’t then I expect you to let us know!

This can be done in a variety of ways, for example through our established complaints processes, through the Customer Services Voice (CSV) group and our scrutiny panel (Insight). Both CSV and Insight have been busy recently and you can see what they’ve been up to on page 14.

Repairs and asset management is one area where I know all our customers have a keen interest. We’ve talked openly before about difficulties with the service but things are progressing well with the changes we are making. Some recent stats show that things are moving in the right direction, with satisfaction with call handling and with the repairs service itself both improving.

However, I know we need to continue to improve and we’re working hard to build on what we’ve done in recent months.

Our new vision and values

VISION Great homes.

Great communities.

Great people.

Show your pride in Manchester and Blackpool!

Great homes: Maximising our investment in sustainable homes

Last year Great Places took part in Manchester Pride’s Parade. This year, we want you to help us make it even better!

Great communities: Building successful, vibrant communities Great people: Providing outstanding customer service and support

VALUES • • • • •

We are fair, open and accountable We know, respect and care about our customers We appreciate the effort of everyone who works here We promote partnerships, efficiency and value for money We passionately embrace creativity, change and innovation

Manchester and Blackpool Pride take place annually to celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender life. This year Great Places is asking residents and staff to accompany the Great Places float, and show their support for this internationally recognised event.

The parade takes place on Saturday afternoon and is around four hours long.

Blackpool Pride Parade takes place on Saturday 13th June. Manchester Pride Parade takes place on Saturday 29th August.

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If you would like to help Great Places celebrate being proud, email Pauline Heron, customer involvement co-ordinator on pauline.heron@greatplaces.org.uk

A rise in your rent Each year we use government guidelines to set increases to your rent.

Springboard explains what this means * How your rent is set WIN! A increase tablet!

Great Places uses government guidelines to set increases to your rent each year. These are based on the rate of inflation every September.

In September 2014, inflation (CPI) was 1.2%, which forms the basis for the rent increase this year.

The guidelines mean the majority of rents will go up by inflation plus 1.0%.

What your rent pays for Great Places is a not-for-profit organisation and any money we make is put back into services for you, our customers.

The money you give us in rent is used to pay for the management of your home and to provide you with essential services such as improvements and repairs.

Across Great Places we will be spending over ÂŁ25m on repairing, maintaining and improving homes during 2015/16.

This includes carrying out routine repairs, getting empty properties ready for new tenants, servicing gas heating systems, major repairs such as new roofs and improvements like new kitchens and bathrooms.

How your service charge is set Depending on the type of property you live in, you may also pay a service charge. This covers services such as window cleaning, communal gardening and doorentry systems. Service charges are based on the estimated amount we expect services to cost each year.

Every tenant who has a service charge will receive a detailed breakdown of the charge.

What if I think I am paying too much?

You can challenge the amount you are being charged for rent and service charges by using our complaints procedure. Details are available from our customer access team on 0300 123 1966, or on our website at www.greatplaces.org.uk

If you’re having trouble paying for your rent, please tell us. You can call 0300 123 1966 or email cat@greatplaces. org.uk. For more information on money 7 matters, please turn toSpringboard page 13.

Your news Museum memories for Pomona residents Residents at Pomona Gardens, a scheme for homeless people in Trafford, took a trip to the Imperial War Museum North in Stretford all planned by themselves. Armed with cameras and enthusiasm they practiced their photography skills documented the walk along the way.

One resident, who has extensive knowledge of the local area and a military background, was identifying places/features en route

to the museum which had relevance during the 2nd world war period.

Another resident said: “It’s all about going out. I enjoyed and now I know what the war involves and all that.” The trip ended back at Pomona with the residents planning to compile good photographs to be displayed on the digital picture frame next to the communal entrance area.

Crossword King!

Andrew Loheide is a winner when it comes to crosswords. He’s been a supported resident at The Croft in Bolton since 1996 and successfully completed the Times Crossword (Jumbo X2) on Saturday 17th January. On Saturday 31st January he spotted his name in the Times as a winner and has won a Collins English Dictionary/Thesaurus, a Times Universal World Atlas, and a copy of Bradford’s crossword solver’s dictionary. This is not Andrew’s first taste of success. On 18th April 2005 he was a winner of the Times cryptic crossword and many years ago he was also a quarter finalist on the popular Countdown programme on Channel 4.

Growing in Manchester Olivia Lodge, a scheme for young mums in Manchester, has been successful in getting £500 from Growing Manchester for its communal garden. They are going to buy a greenhouse and some vegetables and get the trees cut back so they can get some sunlight!

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Burns supper Residents at Docherty House, a project that helps rehabilitate people with drink and drug problems in Manchester, enjoyed a Burns Supper organised by project support worker Jason Cook. The supper was well attended and residents were served up traditional Scottish fare: haggis, neeps and tatties. Support coordinator Stephen Littler recited Burns’ ‘Ode to a Mouse’ in its original Scots dialect, and performed songs by Oasis, Del Amitri and Paul Simon. Guest stand-up poet Dave Puller performed his own material, one of which was photocopied and given to resident Tony Burns who writes his own lyrics and has plans to turn the poem into a song.

HOW WE’RE DOING January 2015 We want to regularly keep you up-to-date on how well we’re serving you in a number of areas. See below for the latest facts and figures on our performance. Every month we’ll update these on our website. Just visit www.greatplaces.org.uk, click on the ‘About us’ section and visit the ‘How we’re performing’ page.

95% 87% 91% 78% 90%

of you are satisfied with the overall service compared to 84% this time last year

of you are satisfied with the support service you receive of you are satisfied that your rent is value for money of you are satisfied with your neighbourhood as a place to live of you are satisfied that Great Places listens to your views and acts upon them

4.2% of you are in arrears with Great Places (Including Housing Benefit) 28 days

is the average re-let time

Complaints update

Recent performance

You can make a complaint by email, telephone, post or in person.

One of our frontline staff will initially try to resolve your issue. We call this ‘Nipping in the Bud’ and staff have five working days to identify the best possible course of action to put things right.

As shown below, NIPs have proved to be an efficient way of resolving your complaints quickly and without the need for lots of correspondence.

Number of NIP Number of NIP Complaints Complaints

If you’re not satisfied with how we propose to put things right you can request that one of our service managers looks at it in more detail. We’ll then investigate your issue, discuss why you’re unhappy with our initial offer to put things right and provide you with a final, formal offer. We call this process ‘Right First Time’.

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October November December

Examples of learning from recent complaints • Staff to check contact telephone numbers when taking calls.

• Upon receiving interest for newbuild properties we will be clearer in our explanation of the parameters we are required to operate within.

• We will record all incoming messages on our AXIS system to ensure that all requests for service are recorded.

• We will ensure that where requests for service are forwarded to another member of staff that the customer is made aware of this.

• We will ensure that where an issue is identified on a home visit that this is actioned.

• Repairs need to be accurately logged and when an operative attends they must be clear on the job beforehand so as to avoid repeated visits.

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December

Compliments Compliments

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October November December

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EASY MONEY! WIN £25 WORTH OF SHOPPING VOUCHERS!

Email your CV to tenant.referrals@greatplaces.org.uk by Monday 4th May and you could win £25 of shopping vouchers – it’s as simple as that!

No CV? No email? Ask a member of staff about Access to Work champions and Digital Champions or call us on 0300 123 1966 The subject of the email should be ‘CV competition’

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How to log on to our website www.greatplaces.org.uk

Hundreds of you have now registered your accounts online. But if you haven’t done it already, this article will guide you through the registration process and show you some of the benefits of managing your account online.

It’s simple to register online, when you go to our website www.greatplaces. org.uk you’ll see a blue box on the left of the page. Click the word ‘register’ and you’ll be taken to the register form.

Register in 3 easy steps Step 1 Press ‘register’ on the home page. Fill out the form.

There’s not much to fill in, just some basic info, your email address and your tenancy reference number (which you can find on your rent statement).

Make sure you enter your name, including any middle names exactly as they appear on your rent statement.

When you’ve filled in all the information, click the register button.

Step 2 Then just wait for your account to be activated – you’ll receive an email telling you when this happens.

Once it has you can log in to the website. Click the log in link at the top of the page and enter the email address and password you used when registering.

Step 3 Once you’re logged in, you’ll be able to access the My homepage section. Here you can view your rent statements, make payments, report repairs and much, much more!

It won’t take long, you just need to enter some basic information about yourself, you’ll need to have an email address and your tenancy reference number (you can find this on your rent statements). Then choose a password, you will need this to log back in to your account, so be sure to make a note of it! Tick the accept box and hit register, it’s that easy.

Once your account is active, you can log in from any page on our website (the link is on the top right of each page) using your email address and password.

When you have logged in you can check on your account balance, pay your rent, report a repair and find news for your area. You can also find the contact details for your local Great Places staff.

You can also register and log-in using a smartphone. It works in just the same way and means you can check your account on the go!

Click ‘register’ in the box on our homepage, this will take you to the registration page.

Need help getting online?

If you need help getting online please contact Len Rice on 0300 123 1966 or email leonard.rice@greatplaces.org.uk

Don’t suffer in silence One woman in four (and one man in six) in the UK will be a victim of domestic violence and abuse during their lifetime, according to research estimates. Shockingly two women a week are killed by a current or former male partner. If you’re experiencing domestic violence or abuse, don’t despair. Springboard looks at how Great Places can help.

What can we do to help?

If you (or someone you know) is experiencing, or has experienced, domestic violence, we can help.

What is domestic violence?

Domestic violence is any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between adults who have been in a relationship together, or between family members, regardless of gender or sexuality.

You’re not to blame Domestic violence is one of the most common types of under reported or “hidden” crimes. It is not easy to accept that a loved one can behave so aggressively. Because you cannot explain their behaviour, you may think you are to blame. You are not. No one deserves to be assaulted, abused or humiliated, least of all by a loved one. It is your abuser’s behaviour that needs to change.

How to get help The most important thing you can do is to tell someone and protect yourself and/or your children. We will listen without judging you, and offer advice. Everything you tell us will be treated in complete confidence. You can report domestic violence to any member of staff at Great Places.

If it is more convenient, we can meet you at another location. Our staff are fully trained and you will be treated with complete discretion. If you need the help of an interpreter we will arrange this for you. If we visit you, we will always show an identity card and will respect your home, privacy, customs and culture.

Contact information you need Please call 0300 123 1966, email cat@greatplaces.org.uk or visit www.greatplaces.org.uk and search for Community Safety.

If you need to call us out of office hours, please use our ASB reporting line 0845 250 4626 which is also open 24 hours on bank holidays and weekends.

You can also get information on our Community Safety team, Anti-social behaviour, Hate crime and Neighbour issues by visiting our website on www.greatplaces.org.uk. Look out for our eye-catching leaflets and video on Youtube.

money matters

Our Financial Inclusion team work hard to help residents save money.

Last year, they helped put £1m back into your pockets!

Put your rent first!

We make it easy for you to pay your rent a variety of ways: Direct Debit, over the phone, by text, online, at a payment outlet or by calling our 24-hour automated telephone line.

Visit www.greatplaces.org.uk for more details.

What happens if you don’t pay?

1. If you get behind with your rent you’ll be contacted by us to discuss payment arrangements.

2. If you still don’t pay we’ll contact you again and a Notice Seeking Possession may be served against you. This gives you 4 weeks to sort out the situation.

3. If all else fails we have to follow our arrears recovery process, which is bound by the rent arrears pre-action protocol – this means we must do all we can before we apply to court.

4. Throughout this we’ll offer you support to help you manage your money.

5. If you leave owing rent you will get traced for a forwarding address and the debt will be recovered or referred to a Debt Collection Agency. This can often affect credit ratings.

Last year we evicted 58 tenants due to non-payment of rent. We do not take this lightly and always offer support before making this decision. However, if residents maintain their court order or seek support we have no choice but to seek possession of the property.

Case studies Manchester: Resident lives alone in a 3-bed house. He originally had a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) agreed, but when this came up for renewal Manchester refused because they thought he wasn’t doing all he could to downsize (even though he was registered on Manchester Move and bidding for homes!). We helped him appeal the decision and worked closely with his neighbourhood co-ordinator. As a result of this, Manchester agreed to take £150 off his arrears, provide a further DHP for three months and a further payment of £500 when he downsized.

Sheffield: Miss L lives in a 3-bed house with four children.

She had stopped making payments towards her rent due to medical circumstances. She was keen to open a credit union account to pay her rent because she was concerned about maintaining payments otherwise. Arrears have reduced already and so have the residents’ stress levels.

Universal credit update The government has rolled out Universal Credit to all job centres in the North West. It’s a benefit for working age households, which includes the rent part within the payment (it replaces housing benefit).

If you’re asked to claim Universal Credit you’ll be expected to make your claim online. Your Job Centre can help or you can contact Len Rice, our digital trainer, for advice on 0300 123 1966.

IMPORTANT Universal Credit doesn’t replace Council Tax Support. If you’re claiming Universal Credit and want help with your Council Tax bill you must contact your local authority to claim the help. For more info please visit www. gov.uk/universalcredit If you’re already on Universal Credit and have received a rent increase letter, it’s important you call 0345 6000 723

Slash your bills If you’re behind with your bills we can help.

If you’re in arrears you may be eligible to apply for a trust fund. There are things you can do within your home to be more energy efficient.

Visit www.greatplaces.org.uk and search for ‘environmental matters’ or ‘money advice’ or email FIT@greatplaces.org.uk or for energy efficiency information e-mail environmental.team@greatplaces.org.uk

Did you know...

Home contents insurance is available at competitive rates!

Visit www.greatplaces.org.uk and look under the section ‘Money advice’ for more information. 13 Springboard

For more information on the in:team please contact: cat@greatplaces.org.uk or call 0300 123 1966

How you’re helping to improve services

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We catch up with the two main resident-led Great Places groups to find out what they’ve been doing to make our services better for you.

Customer Services Voice (CSV) is the main resident advisory group to Directors with responsibility for monitoring our performance, shaping policy and reviewing improvements to the services we offer you. During 2014 the CSV challenged, debated and questioned over 70 areas that matter to you:

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Custome Services Voice

• Challenging how Great Places are doing in different service areas including customer satisfaction with services, complaints, and how quickly we let empty homes.

• Monitoring the ongoing improvements to the repairs service and challenging the repairs performance.

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• Looking at the ways we’ve tried to involve you in the work of Great Places over the last couple of months.

• Monitoring how we are improving your homes.

The CSV meet up to six times a year. Want to know more about what they do on your behalf, or would you like to come and see them in action? Call Pauline Heron on 0161 925 7938 or email pauline.heron@greatplaces.org.uk

In the last issue we told you how ‘insight’ (Great Places’ customer scrutiny group) had just completed their first review, which was of our complaint resolution service. In December, Board heard the group’s key recommendations and said: “they were impressed with the attention to detail shown during the investigation and the time offered by members to ensure the success of the review.” From this an action plan has been agreed, and the CSV will monitor progress.

Below is a list of the key recommendations for our Complaints service: • Make sure residents can easily raise issues of dissatisfaction • Review training so staff are equipped to manage dissatisfaction in a realistic timescale • Make sure reaching a resolution is the main objective of the customer care training program • Keep residents informed throughout the complaint • Revise ‘compensation policy’ to help staff reach a timely resolution with residents • Review the way learning from cases of dissatisfaction is used to continually improve services You can read the full report, which can be found on Great Places’ website in the news section.

If you want to know more about ‘insight’, or would like to join the group, contact Tracy Gregory on 0161 925 7918 or email tracy.gregory@greatplaces.org.uk

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FIRE SAFETY: Chip pan fires Chip pan fires Chip pan fires cause one fifth of all accidental home fires attended by the Fire and Rescue Service in the UK each year.

Nearly 20 people are killed or injured every day in accidental fires that start in their kitchen, the most common of these caused by deep fat frying.

If you do choose to deep fat fry your chips, make sure you do it safely. Better still, choose oven chips or use a thermostatic fryer.

Think about what you’re doing when you’re deep frying.

You’re heating several pints of oil to extremely high temperatures. The oil can not only cause terrible burns, but it can go up in flames. In fact, it’s an ideal fuel for a fire, and difficult to put out.

Precautions to take: • Never fill the pan more than one third full • Dry food before putting it in (water can make the oil explode) • Test the temperature with a small piece of bread or potato.

If it crisps quickly, the oil is hot enough • If the oil starts to smoke don’t put the food in. Turn off the heat and leave it to cool • Don’t ever leave the pan unattended • If there are flames, never throw water over the pan It will explode!

• Never move the pan • Turn off the heat (if its safe to do so) • The safest way to deep fry is to use a thermostat-controlled electric deep fat fryer. Its thermostat stops it from ever overheating • If you’ve consumed alcohol, don’t be tempted to cook with a chip pan

Competition time

Word Search!

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Find and circle each of the words from the list below. Words may appear

Please answer the questions below to enter the competitions horizontally, vertically or diagonally, but forwards only.

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TROPHY DAFFODILS MONASTERY AWARDS

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Congratulations to last issue’s winners: Wordsearch: Stephen Gillard – Bolton, Rick Murphy – Manchester and John Wentworth – Manchester.

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Spot the difference: Sandra Mills – Manchester, Jill Ward – Haysham and Shirley Todd – Hyde.

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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.

Website Champion Awards CommunityStars Daffodils Trophy Values Monastery Spring

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Copyright ©2015 WorksheetWorks.com

Send your entries by post to: FREEPOST, RLSC-HLLJ-EZRZ, Springboard, Maria Morris, Great Places Housing Group, 4th Floor St James’ House, Pendleton Way, Salford M6 5FW. All entries must be in by Friday 29th May 2015

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. Please circle one answer.

Are you happy to communicate with Great Places by email? Yes / No / Don’t use email If you have received any emails from Great Places recently, did you reply? Yes / No / Didn’t receive email If you answered ‘no’ above, why didn’t you reply? Circle all that apply: Wasn’t relevant to me / Thought it was spam / No time / I don’t check my email / Came at the wrong time of day / Email was too long / It went in my junk folder / Other (please state) Name:...................................................................................................................................................................................

Address:...............................................................................................................................................................................

Telephone/Mobile: ...............................................................Email:....................................................................................

Please return this slip to the Springboard FREEPOST address above.

16 cut out and www.greatplaces.org.uk Don’t forget to include your name, telephone number, email and address.