January/ February 2011
Southwark Housing News Inside this issue:
Your service, your choice p4 Old laundry becomes a hidden home p12
Nell Dunn’s 50 years on the Brandon estate p2 The magazine for Southwark Council tenants and leaseholders
www.southwark.gov.uk/shn
2 Southwark Council is committed to making all our homes warm, safe and dry. This month we explore the things that will keep your home toasty warm this winter. As the coldest months of winter approach, it’s no surprise that people are preparing for another chilly winter, and the council understands how important it is for tenants to have warm and comfortable homes. Luckily there are plenty of options to keep homes warm this season and we’re leading the way with new ideas to improve heating in the home. What’s more, a better insulated home means less heat escapes, so you don’t have to have your heating up as high or on for as long, saving you money as well as energy.
Ways to winter-proof your home One of the simplest and most effective measures available to tenants is draught proofing. Professional installation is available at a discount through the healthy homes handyperson scheme for council tenants and home owners who are registered disabled and over 60 years old. So far, 228 residents have had their homes draught proofed, keeping them warmer and winter bills lower. Some homes never feel properly warm, no matter how long the heating is on for. Up to 70% of heat can be lost behind and above the radiator. The council offers low cost radiator reflector panels to
tenants and leaseholders, which fit behind radiators to insulate the wall, stopping heat from the radiator escaping. Nearly 600 residents have benefited so far. They are quick and easy to install, make your home more comfortable and cut your heating costs.
What we’re doing to keep you warm The Brandon and Cossall estates have been awarded over £1m of grant funding by the London Development Agency to upgrade
the heating on both estates in 2011. Underground pipes on the Brandon estate will be repaired with new pipes that conserve up to 50% more heat. New gas burners are also being installed at both estates, and the result will be powerful new heating systems and warmer homes at a reduced cost. We’re developing a long term programme of upgrading and investing in heating, to improve communal heating systems across Southwark. Every year we replace over 1,000 boilers, and we've
3 We meet Nell Dunn surveyed all our systems to make sure we're prioritising the estates that are most in need of investment. Work is underway across the borough, replacing old technology with new district heating systems, which is greener, cheaper and more efficient. On the Newington estate, older sections of pipework is being replaced, and at Styles House the entire communal heating system is being upgraded, with the old warm air heaters being replaced with new radiators that combine the control and comfort of individual heating with the efficiency and value for money of district heating. With further work scheduled for the Tadworth and Gilesmead estates, heating systems that meet our tenants needs are our key priority.
More information For advice on staying warm at home, call Age UK Call 0800 169 65 65 or visit www.ageuk.org.uk For draft proofing an d radiator panels www.southwark.gov .uk/energyefficiency or email sustainable.services@ southwark.gov.uk Healthy Homes Hand yperson 020 7525 1855 Winter Fuel Payment helpline 0845 915 1515 For information on he ating grants for the over 60s, visit Warm Front www.warmfront.co.u k and search for ‘Winter Wrapped Up ’ or 0800 316 2805
Nell’s lived on the Brandon Estate for 50 years, and has been actively involved in the tenants and residents association for many years. Councillor Ian Wingfield, cabinet member for housing, met Nell to find out how things have changed since she first moved in. I moved to the Brandon estate on 1 December 1960. Before that we were living in Lambeth, so like many of the families living here, we’d come from the local area. When we moved in, everything was new – we’d saved for a long time to buy new furniture, and we were very excited. Living on the 12th floor, I get to see right across London from my balcony, and I don’t think I’d want to go back to living at ground level. The people are what make the area what it is, and there’s still a strong sense of community here. I’ve seen children grow up and the next generation still come up to chat with me. I think a big part of that is being actively involved in the community. I’ve been a part of the TRA for 20 years, and my husband was the vice chair; I like feeling like I’m making a difference to people, and helping them with their problems. A lot’s changed in the time I’ve been living here, for the better. The park outside used to be just scrub land, the roads were very busy, and there were lots of
accidents. Now it’s quieter, and there’s a playground for the kids. Every estate has its problems, but you’ve got to live and let live. My rent used to be just £3 3s, but you had to pay 6p more per floor for the water – so it’s a good thing I wasn’t on the 15th floor! I join in with a lot of the older people’s social activities, and I get out a lot. If you want to feel like part of something, you need to get out there and join in, because life won’t come to you. I go on holiday with the pensioners’ group, and every year we have a great time. Anyone who’s sitting at home and would like a chat and a cup of tea should come along, we’re a very welcoming group!
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We have just created a new housing department, the platform for big changes both in the way we run our service and the way we involve you in decision making. All councils are having to make tough choices about how to deliver services. But this is your service so you should be the ones who help us make these choices. Your service, your choice is a series of events and initiatives to get your views on the most important of these issues. We’ll also be working closely with the formal tenants and residents organisations to make sure we get a wide selection of views. Decent homes – we have 13,000 homes that need bringing up to decent homes standards – and then we have the challenge of keeping them that way! But there are other things we want to do as well, such as improving lifts and heating systems. This is your chance to help us work out what to do first and in what way, for example, choosing between repairing and replacing kitchens and bathrooms. Local offers – these are local improvements in services and standards that we agree with you. They are resident led standards around things like estate services, repairs and customer services. Savings – the council needs to save up to 25% off it’s budget. The position for housing services is less clear, but with much less money coming from government, we will need to make real savings – while still making the improvements to our services that you are telling us are important. There are different ways that you can get in touch with us, from drop in events near you over the next couple of months, meetings, and through the tenants council and homeowners council. Watch out for posters with more information.
You don’t have to come along to a meeting to take part. You will soon get a survey in the post to return to us. You can also complete the online consultation, or feed in your views on an ongoing basis through residents’ surveys. To find out where you can get involved, go to www.southwark.gov.uk/consultations or ask at your local area housing office.
What happens next? We’re already making improvements to our services based on things you’ve told us. You can see some examples of these on pages 13 and 14. We’ll be using your answers to this consultation to decide which services are most important and therefore what the standards are and how much money we allocate to them. Specifically, the consultation will influence the standards we set for delivering decent homes, our general service standards – what we deliver and to what extent (local offers) and our budget.
“We all want to deliver the best possible services for the money we have to spend on them. Please have your say and help us make the right decisions for you.” Councillor Ian Wingfield, cabinet member for housing.
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Local offers survey feedback Thank you to everyone who took the time to take part in the local offers survey – the lucky winner was June from Peckham. Your feedback showed a real mixture of views. There was no clear consensus on what you defined as local, but most people felt that their local area was either their ward, or their borough. Most of you agreed that the categories suggested as local offers were the things that mattered most to you, and your top three priorities were repairs and maintenance, the quality of your accommodation and how we respond to your complaints. We’ll be using your feedback along with the rest of our consultation work as we develop our standards, called local offers.
Tenants summit celebrates and debates Last November saw tenants coming together for the eleventh annual tenant conference. Organised by tenants, it’s an opportunity to debate the key priorities in housing and get involved and influence the way housing services are provided. This year’s conference was themed around service quality and the challenges presented by budget cuts, with speeches and a lively debate with Cllr Wingfield, Simon Hughes MP, and the London Tenant Federation. It’s also a chance to celebrate Southwark’s diversity, and an inspiring display of African dance and drumming by young people got a resounding cheer. Following a tasty lunch, awards and training certificates were presented and guests took part in workshops including resident involvement, decent homes and savings and innovation ideas.
One of the tenants attending the conference, Carol Vincent, said it was “the best one yet” and many tenants said the organisers deserved a pat on the back for their hard work. Cris Claridge, who chaired the working party, said: “It’s always great when we get together as residents and discuss what we feel needs changing to improve where we live. What is just as important though is the council seriously taking on board our recommendations and working with us to make the improvements”.
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Pay your rent so we can do more for you Your rent pays for the services that matter to you. If everyone in Southwark paid their rent we could do much more for you and your home. It’s no secret that the future is going to be tough. As the council faces big funding cuts from central government it's more important than ever that we get the rent collection right to make sure we can provide the services that matter to you. Last year we lost £10m because some of our tenants didn’t pay their rent. With this money we could have done much more for you and your services. Have you ever thought about what £10m could pay for and how many people it could help? Here are a few examples of the things we could do for you if everyone in Southwark paid their rent.
Come and talk to us if you’re struggling We understand that in the current economic climate our tenants mig ht struggle with paying their rent, especially in winter. There are many things we can do to support you so come and talk to us. Get in touch with your income offi cer on 020 7525 2600 to help you • Manage your rent payments • Check you get all the benefits you are entitled to • Provide access to advice on how to organise your money to make it easier for you to pay your rent You can also get advice on benefit s and managing debts from advice services and charities in Southwark . Visit www.southwarkadvice.org .uk for more information.
Focus on...
Children’s playground 340 more children’s playgrounds on our estates for families ‘It'd be great to have a playground on our estate. I take my daughter to the park every day, but when it's cold we both don't really feel like going that far!’ Morgan
New windows New windows for 2,500 homes ‘My windows are drafty, so I have to put a sheet in front of them to keep my house warm. New windows would be great, because they would help me save money and insulate my house better.’ Jade
To pay by direct debit, or for more information, visit www.southwark.gov.uk/rent or call 020 7525 1850.
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8 Bermondsey
Camberwell
A fitting tribute There’s been lots going on in Bermondsey recentlly. On the Astley and Coopers Road estate the TRA has formed a new committee and as well as renovating the TRA hall and writing their own newsletter, they organised the estate fun day, which was enjoyed by all. Nearby St. Crispin’s TRA has arranged for a memorial to commemorate Simba, who dedicated his life to the community, and who passed away suddenly in June 2010. Simba was well known and loved by many of his neighbours, and the TRA has worked hard to raise money for a bench outside Prestwood House in his memory.
Borough and Bankside
Lock-up garages to rent If you’re looking for off street parking, or just need a bit of temporary storage, there are a large number of secure lock-up garages available to rent in the Camberwell area. With competitive weekly rates and no minimum rental period, they’re an affordable and flexible way to keep your car secure, declutter the house, or just find some space to work on your current DIY project. For more information and to apply, visit www.southwark.gov.uk/garages, call us on 020 7525 5630, or visit your local area housing office. Dulwich
New community shop
Keeping you safe in Borough and Bankside Improving fire safety is well underway in Borough and Bankside, and is starting to make a big difference. Over 50 metal grilles that were obstructing fire exits, walkways and security doors have been removed. Tenants are reminded that security gates and grilles on your front door can put your family at risk in the event of a fire, as they can double the time it takes for firefighters to get into a property. Please remember to keep hallways and communal areas free from bikes, prams and belongings that can slow down your escape. If you’d like more information on fire safety, please speak to your housing officer.
A new community shop has opened on Kingswood Estate, offering a range of services, including health, housing and money advice. The shop, on Seeley Drive is run by Crystal Palace Community Development Trust and supported by Southwark Council. The shop came about after successful lobbying by Kingswood Estate TRA, is located next door to the Kingswood sub office. A spokesperson for Dulwich Area Housing Office, said “We are looking forward to working with the trust to develop services for the local community. Kingswood residents have told us they find it hard to access the services they need, because it often means having to travel quite a way, but we hope that the community shop will make a real difference and ensure residents are given proper advice and information.”
9 Nunhead and Peckham Rye
Rotherhithe
Nunhead improves fire safety
Rotherhithe is at your service
Recent visits from the London Fire Brigade to sheltered housing units in Nunhead have been a great success. So far six housing units have benefited from advice and support from the Fire Brigade to improve the fire safety of their homes. By giving advice and support to tenants, installing smoke alarms for residents with hearing difficulties, and working with unit managers to assist residents, the visits aim to reduce the risks and help tenants feel safe at home. If you’d like to request a home fire safety visit, go to www.london-fire.gov.uk/HomeFireSafetyVisit.asp or call 020 8555 1200. Peckham
Burnhill Close travellers’ site Over the last year, residents of Burnhill Close have been involved in the redevelopment of the local travellers site. The project has been a great opportunity for the community and the council to work together. Southwark Travellers Action Group and local residents have had a chance to sign off decisions and make sure the development worked for people living on and near the site. The plans include improving access for caravans, and reducing the length of the new utility blocks to create more parking. With the site due to be completed in January, residents will soon be able to see the fruits of their labour – a brand new site which is more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
Residents in Rotherhithe who live in a building with a concierge are being asked for their views on how it works and how it might be improved. Area manager Allen MacPherson says: “We hope as many people as possible will share their opinions, so everything we do is in tune with what residents want.” If you’d like to take part, you can request a copy of the survey by calling 020 7525 1700. Walworth
New community hall in Walworth Residents on the Penrose estate were delighted when the Mayor of Southwark, Councillor Tayo Situ, opened the newly refurbished community hall. Hannah McDonald, chair of the tenant and residents association, said the community would be sure to benefit from the new IT suite and two refurbished halls. The work was possible thanks to ADCRIS, which gives unemployed young people training in decorating and building skills and carried out the work for free with the TRA only having to pay for materials. Special thanks also go to resident involvement coordinator, Lynne Ottaway Reid and the many council staff who supported the project. Jo Wilson, manager of the resident involvement coordinator team, thanked the Penrose committee for their hard work and determination in making their vision happen.
Chair of the TRA, Hannah McDonald, with the Mayor of Southwark, Cllr Tayo Situ.
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News
Online repairs
Having money worries? Has the new year found you struggling to make ends meet? Southwark Legal Advice Network, in partnership with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau is here to help, with free money advice drop in sessions. Come along and find out about • Benefits and help with housing costs • How to save money on your energy bills • Staying well and healthy • Help getting back into work or training • What to do if you’ve got into difficulties paying your bills
Sessions run from 11am to 3pm, and refreshments will be served. No need to make an appointment, just drop in. Thursday 27 January – Beormund Community Centre, Abbey Street, SE1 2AN Thursday 10 February – Kingswood Community Centre, Seely Drive, SE21 8QR. For more information, call 020 7740 1744 or visit www.southwarkadvice.org.uk
How can we help you? Are you having a problem with your tenancy or lease that you’d like our help with? If so, even if you’ve already been in touch with your local office, you can write to us and we’ll look into it for you. We will print a selection of letters but we reserve the right to shorten and edit letters for
publication. We won’t print anonymous letters, but we can withhold your name and address if you’d prefer. Write to: Your Letters, Southwark Housing News, Southwark Council, PO Box 64529, SE1P 5LX or email liz.almond@southwark.gov.uk
Try something new today! If your new year’s resolution was to learn something new, check out the courses on offer at Southwark Council’s adult learning service. Perhaps you’d like to learn new skills for work, improve your IT skills, or gain a qualification? Or perhaps you just want to do something different for fun, or get the kids involved with free family learning courses? To find out what’s on, visit www.southwark.gov.uk/adultlearning or call 020 7358 2100.
If you need to report a repair, why not do it online? It's quicker, easier and more convenient and you can choose an appointment time to suit you. Just visit www.southwark.gov.uk/repairs and click “report it now” then you simply select the picture that looks most like the repair you need and one of our customer service staff will email or call you to confirm your appointment time. All tenants should by have now received the new repairs guide, which is designed to make reporting repairs quick and easy. You’ll find everything you need to know, with easy reference pictures showing the different types of repairs you may need to report. Southwark Council repairs and maintenance manager, Christian O’Mahoney said: “We have so many different kinds of properties in Southwark which means different types of roofing, windows, doors, and fittings. We know that for most people a window is a window, but our contractors need to know the details – is it a timber window frame or uPVC, is it wire glass or clear? This guide will enable tenants to identify the exact repair they need, allowing our contractors to make sure they have the right tools and parts so we can get the repair right first time more often.”
Leaseholder news
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TMO conference is a great success! On 20 October over 40 resident representatives from tenant management organisations (TMO) came together at the first ever TMO conference, hosted by the tenant management initiative team. Councillor Ian Wingfield outlined the council’s commitment to developing and supporting tenant management in Southwark and praised the efforts of the TMO committee members in delivering high quality services to residents. Stephen Findlay, from independent research agency IpsosMORI spoke about the recent resident satisfaction survey, which showed that TMO managed residents were more satisfied than other residents in all service areas. The afternoon saw workshops, training and interactive debates on the year ahead and how the TMI team and
TMOs can work more effectively together. The conference feedback has shown that those who attended felt that this had been a very positive day.
Homeowner satisfaction survey
Winter’s here, and to help you keep warm and safe at home, we’re offering a great deal on gas servicing for homeowners. For just £88.50 a year, you can be sure that your boiler and gas appliances are safe and working properly, which is a small price to pay for peace of mind. Our Gas Safe registered engineer will inspect any gas space heaters and complete a full service of your gas boiler, and supply you with a gas safety certificate. Please note this scheme is for homes with individual gas boilers and not properties on district heating schemes. To apply, please call 020 7525 7660 or email jeremy.boas@southwark.gov.uk for an information pack and application form. You don’t have to use our contractors to carry out your gas servicing, but it is essential that your boiler and gas appliances are serviced annually. We will need proof that your boiler and gas appliances have been serviced and would therefore ask you to send us a copy of your home owner record or gas safety certificate which should be supplied by whoever carries out the service.
In November we sent a survey to a random sample of 800 homeowners across the borough to ask for your feedback on the services the council provides and suggestions and improvements. A prize of £75 worth of vouchers was on offer to one lucky person chosen from everyone who returned their survey by the 21 December deadline. The results of the survey will be used by the council to look at areas where we can improve our services to homeowners. We will report back on the results in the next edition of Southwark Housing News.
Did you know? If your block or estate has at least 25 secure tenants you can form a TMO under the right to manage regulations. We’re here to help and guide you through the process and are happy to meet with your residents’ group to explain what this could mean in more detail. Call 020 7525 1251 or email tenantmanagement@southwark.gov.uk to find out more.
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Service update
re
r
e ft
o ef
A
B Before: the laundry room had seen better days
After: it's now transformed into a spacious family home
A former laundry room on the Champion Hill estate in Camberwell has been given a clean start after being converted into a four bedroom home as part of the council’s hidden homes initiative. The council’s strategy to create homes from disused properties on estates has taken a leap forward with the launch of new flats in Camberwell. Two of the three four-bedroom homes on the Champion Hill estate in Camberwell have been completed and a further four homes, including two wheelchair accessible properties on the Kingswood estate in Dulwich, will be finished soon. The hidden homes strategy identifies old rent offices, laundries, drying rooms, loft spaces and even garages that can be turned into homes, which means we can create more family homes at a lower cost than building new properties. Councillor Ian Wingfield, cabinet member for housing said: “I’m delighted by how good the flats look. It’s difficult to believe that what were such dingy, unused spaces are now bright new homes, which will very soon be let to tenants. These properties are great becuase they’re suitable for families, but also for tenants with mobility problems.”
Kim: “The new homes are fabulous and a wonderful use of money. It’s not before time that Southwark makes use of these empty spaces.”
Sandra: “They’re absolutely fantastic, especially considering how the space was before – brilliant.”
Project manager Nick Smith said: “Converting the laundry into a home was a challenge for us, particularly as the gas supply for the block ran under the floor, and residents weren’t happy when it had to be shut off briefly. Now the flat is completed, though, it will help the homes above stay warm, safe and dry, as it reduces the risk of rising damp, is no longer a magnet for fly tipping and antisocial behaviour, and improved insulation will mean lower bills.” Councillor Wingfield added: “This is a brilliant, innovative scheme that demonstrates the council’s commitment to investing in homes that are warm, safe and dry. In a difficult economic climate, it’s hard to meet the demand for new homes, and this scheme literally creates space for homes from nothing. If residents know of a property on their estate that could potentially be a hidden home, I'd love to hear about it. Residents are our eyes and ears and by working together, we can make the most of our stock and deliver value for money to residents.”
Survey
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The satisfaction survey results are in A big thank you to everyone who took part in our quarterly survey, and congratulations to Cherine Richards from Dulwich, Francis Mingle from Camberwell, and K. Corr from Rotherhithe who won the prize draws. Your views are very important to us and help us to improve our performance. If you receive a survey over the coming months please complete it to let us know your thoughts, and you’ll be in with a chance of winning one of the prizes on offer.
Results • Most of you described your housing officers as helpful. You also told us that we needed to do more to keep you informed about new housing officers, and reduce call waiting times. • Most of you feel safe in your home and neighbourhood. You told us that your main concerns are noisy neighbours, drug use or drug dealing, and disruptive children or teenagers. • Most of you are happy with the upkeep of your estate, the condition of your home, and play areas in your neighbourhood. However, some of you feel that more can be done to improve the cleanliness of the estates, repair potholes, and improve street lighting. • Although the majority of you are satisfied with repairs and maintenance provided by our contractors, you feel that we need to improve the quality of the work to ensure more jobs are completed right first time, reduce waiting times and make sure appointments are kept.
Overall, the majority of you are happy with the services we provide and you feel that you get value for money services. We will be working hard over the coming months to ensure we keep improving on these areas and keep you informed of what we are doing.
Areas of satisfaction
% agree
Satisfaction with landlord services
66%
Satisfaction with value for money for rent
70%
Satisfaction with repairs and maintenance
72%
Satisfaction with the upkeep of the estate
71%
Satisfaction with the condition of property
60%
Satisfaction with opportunities to be involved
57%
Helpfulness of housing officers
80%
You suggested that we should ask about vandalism on the estates in future surveys. Our tenant satisfaction survey now addresses this issue. You also told us that you would like us to keep you informed about new ly appointed housing officers. From March, we will keep you informed about newly appointed housing officers on our website, and posters in rece ption areas. You asked us to monitor and imp rove the general cleanliness of the estate s including lifts, stairwells, and areas where bins are kept. We carry out estate inspections reg ularly and we are looking into how to publish this information to keep you informed and to give you a chance to have your say. If you’d like to take part in inspections please contact your are a office. You told us that you would like housing officers to assess and implement fire safety guidelines. Housing officers have all been trained on our new fire assessment proced ure and are carrying out fire safety checks. Wh ere expert advice is needed they make sure inspecti ons are carried out by the council’s fire safety tea m. You told us that you want easier access to our complaints department. We are now answering complaints more quickly. You can make a complaint in writing, by calling our customer service centre on 020 7525 5000, online at www.southwark.gov.uk/complain ts or in person at your area office or one stop sho ps.
14 How are we doing? A few months ago when we last reported on performance we said we were not complacent. Most of the performance measures show we’re improving when we compare ourselves to where we were at the end of last year, but we know that we still haven’t got everything right. In the next five months we’re going to work even harder to improve the areas that are most important to you. We will improve the satisfaction on repairs by making sure our contractors increase the number of jobs that are
completed on the first visit and will make sure our contractors keep more of the appointments they have made. We are also improving the way we re-let our empty properties so that they are empty for a shorter time. We won’t be satisfied until we are one of the best landlords, and we don’t expect you to be either. We’ll be reporting on our performance again in three months time, and in the meantime we welcome your comments especially if you think we are not performing well or have any suggestions for improving our services.
Your comments Making sure you know how we’re doing is one of the ways of keeping us on our toes. Please feedback to antoinette.stasaitis@southwark.gov.uk or call 020 7525 7713. Performance indicators
How we did in 2009/10?
How are we doing now?
Target 2010/11
Not applicable
66.4%
65%
90.7%
92.6%
90%
Resident satisfaction with area housing reception services
95%
95.8%
90%
Tenants Stage 1 complaints answered within 15 working days
67%
86.7%
80%
New in 10/11
82.6%
80%
98.3%
98.9%
100%
Repairs completed on time
94.4%
93.0%
95%
Repair appointments made and kept*
99.6%
99.9%
98%
Repairs completed right first time
79.6%
78.4%
85%
Properties with a valid gas safety certificate
98.7%
99.6%
100%
Lift availability
95.8%
96.5%
96%
99.66%
99.3%
101%
36.4 days
28.0 days
25 days
2
3
Are we improving?
Customer care Satisfaction with overall service provided by landlord Satisfaction with recently completed repairs
Neighbour nuisance cases by tenants responded to on time
n/a
Estate services Six weekly estate inspections completed on time Repairs
Collecting rent Rent collected (current tenants) Tenancy management Average time to re-let empty properties
*We are reviewing our performance measures for ‘appointments made and kept’ as our repair satisfaction surveys indicate that only 93% of appointments made have been kept compared to the reported figure of 99.9% Performance between April 2009 and March 2010. 2Performance between April 2010 and October 2010
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15 Win family tickets for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition! Southwark Council’s waste and recycling partners, Veolia Environmental Services is offering five lucky families free entry to the Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum. Now in its 46th year, the competition brings together some of the world's best wildlife photography. Photo: Thomas P Peschak © Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010
Simon Bussell, managing director for Veolia Environmental Services in Southwark, says: “I’m delighted to offer Southwark residents the chance to see the exhibition for free. I hope the families who receive these tickets will have a really memorable experience.”
We've got five family tickets, worth £24 each, to give away. To enter, just complete the entry form on the back page. Normal terms and conditions apply.
If you require information in your language, or in other formats such as audio or large print, please call 020 7525 5000. If you need to get in touch with us for any housing services, calling our hotline 0800 952 4444 is free from a standard BT line but costs much more from your mobile. We understand this can be a pain, so you can also call us on 020 7525 2600 for any housing issues, including repairs, tenancy queries, pest control, estate cleaning and antisocial behaviour, which should be much cheaper for mobile users.
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And finally...
Word search Enter today and you could WIN a family ticket to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition! D C E Z W L H S A V I N G S
O Z N R T A L M D T U G C X
R C W I T N R E T N I W H D
I L Q K R N U S A I P R L L
WORDS: COLD LAUNDRY INNOVATIVE PLAYGROUND
R E R C A E E I L R B S S O
I A L A D U H C A I N I R C
P N R L Q N A S U S N I N D
E L F E A S U E N R L T N E
V I R F E B U O D S C N T G
I N P D Y E F E R A S W R V
BENCH LEARNING CLEANLINESS PARK WINTER
U E O M N N S A Y G S E A T
K S C A O C O D A I Y A I S
Y S M S J H P F Y V O A M F
I F R B M S S O A I E V L B
X I N Y E R O L P X E U E P
R N I N N O V A T I V E S L
REQUEST SAVINGS EXPLORE GAS CENTRE
The lucky winne r last issue was Anne Parrish
Pick which of the following subjects you’d most like to read about in a future issue of Southwark Housing News Estate parking plans Youth activities and youth clubs How we’re tackling homelessness Name:
Tel no:
Address:
Age: Comments:
Send back your completed word search by 31 January to: Southwark Council, The Editor, Southwark Housing News, Communications Team PO BOX 64529, London SE1P 5LX. Winners will be announced in the next edition. The information you provide will be used fairly and lawfully and Southwark Council will not knowingly do anything which may lead to a breach of the Data Protection Act 1998.
It seems the gremlins got at the computer again! Thanks to the eagle eyed readers who wrote in to point out that “rechargeable” was missing from last month’s wordsearch. We hope you still enjoyed the magazine and congratulations to the winner.
Useful housing contacts Rent Pay by direct debit: 020 7525 2600 Pay by debit/credit card: 0845 6000 611 (24hrs) Pay online: www.southwark.gov.uk/onlinepayments To pay in person: Peckham cash office: 19-23 Bournemouth Road, SE15; Walworth cash office: 177-179 Walworth Road SE17; Opening hours: Mon to Fri 8.30am to 4.45pm, Sat 8.30am to 2.45pm To pay by post: The London Borough of Southwark cashiers, 19 Spa Road, PO Box 11767, London SE16 3QN Repairs Tel: 0800 952 4444 (24hrs) Utilities (emergencies): Electricity: 0800 096 9000; Gas: 0800 111 999; Water: 0845 200 800 Publication date December 2010. This magazine is printed on recycled paper.
Housing services for council tenants Tel: 020 7525 2600 – Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm Leaseholders/freeholders Home ownership unit – Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm Tel: 020 7525 1400 Email: hsg.homeownership@southwark.gov.uk Southwark antisocial behaviour unit Tel: 020 7525 5777 (24 hours) Email: sasbu@southwark.gov.uk Web: www.safersouthwark.gov.uk Southwark Homesearch Bidding hotline: 0845 270 0655 Bidding text line: 07781 486 526 Advice line: 020 7525 4140 Web: www.southwarkhomesearch.org.uk Write to Southwark Housing News The editor, Southwark Housing News, Communications Team PO BOX 64529, London SE1P 5LX or email liz.almond@southwark.gov.uk