Spotlight Autumn 2017

ISSUE 24 AUTUMN 2017

Spotlight THE TOPICS THAT MATTER TO YOU

A merger of equals

Page 4

Grenfell Tower Page 11

Update on Tenancy Fraud Page 13

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Editor's

Contents

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Comment

elcome to the Autumn edition of Spotlight The main focus of this edition is our proposed merger with Notting Hill Housing which is due to happen in January 2018.

The merger is a good fit for both organisations as we both have very similar backgrounds and we can do much more together for existing and future customers than we ever could apart.

Between us, we will have around 55,000 homes across London and 64,000 across London and the south-east, housing 170,000 residents in total. Half of our properties will be general needs homes with social or affordable rents. See pages 4 to 9 for full details, including how you can have your say.

In other news, our thoughts continue to be with all of those who have been affected by the Grenfell Tower fire back in June. A number of you have been in touch to ask about fire safety in our own blocks and in recent years we have done a huge amount of work to keep our blocks safe (see page 11). Also see page 18 where staff and residents at one of our care and support schemes have been raising money for Grenfell victims.

Illegal subletting is a problem that all housing associations face and is something that we take very seriously. On page 13, meet our new Tenancy Fraud Officer and read about the properties and cases under investigation.

Volunteers and staff have been celebrating after a recycling initiative that restores old furniture in West London won ‘Re-use Organisation of the Year’. Read more on page 15.

Finally, a Genesis-funded initiative has seen 45 care and support residents enjoy a range of outdoor activities, including a camping trip to Wales which one resident described as ‘the best experience of [his] life’. See page 19 for full details.

We hope you enjoy reading this edition.

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Suzanne Godfrey Editor 020 7563 0040 suzanne.godfrey@genesisha.org.uk 2

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Home Life Genesis and Notting Hill Housing propose to merge FAQs What do our residents think Meet our proposed leaders Notting Hill Housing: a brief history Spotlight You said, We did Grenfell Tower Fire - an update New website is coming Customer Disability Forum to help hoarders Working to prevent tenancy fraud Monitoring asbestos Consider swapping your home Is your child old enough to be at home alone?

Community News The Loop at Grahame Park wins Re-use Organisation of the Year Award 90 year old visits homeless scheme named after her Celebrating City Park West

Homeowner's corner Subletting – your responsibilities

Care & Support Genesis gives grant for Goldies ‘Dancing wore my shoes out every six weeks!’

The Herbert Protocol St Francis Court raises money for Grenfell Tower Ascend Adventure hit the target Go Fish!

Welfare Reform London Plus partnership: two years on and still going strong

Enterprise, Employment and Training Say YES! to starting your own business Kier and Genesis, empowering social enterprises

Volunteering Residents helping other residents to be less lonely Issue 24 | Autumn 2017 | Spotlight

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Welcome

from Neil Hadden Chief Executive

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his autumn edition of Spotlight is even fuller than usual – and there is a lot to tell you about of real importance.

First, we are pleased to be in discussions about a merger between ourselves and Notting Hill Housing.

Notting Hill is a similar housing association to Genesis. Both associations started in west London in the 1960s – and indeed many of the people involved in setting up Notting Hill Housing worked on establishing what was Paddington Churches HA at that time. Since then, we have worked together closely as separate organisations and have both provided social and affordable rent homes for people who most need them. Times have changed and the government grant both organisations enjoyed in the 1970s and 1980s to enable us to build social and affordable rent homes back then has long gone. That has meant we have had to make sure we have been able to generate our own funding streams to pay for the development of affordable housing – a challenge both organisations have responded to in similar ways.

In many respects, Notting Hill Housing is a natural partner for us, but it is important to hear from you, our residents, about your own views about the merger. Do you think a merger is a good idea? What reservations might you have? What do you see as the positives?

To enable you to have your say, we have set up a number of resident engagement events, which you can read about in this magazine. I urge you to attend if you can and let us know your views. If you cannot make it along, please do make use of the other ways you can get in touch, which are also flagged in ‘Spotlight’.

The voices of our residents’ matter to us a great deal – whether you support the merger, do not support it or are entirely neutral! Please let us know what you think. www.genesisha.org.uk

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In this edition too, there is an important update on our work since the terrible fire at Grenfell Tower in June. That was an awful tragedy that led to the deaths of at least 80 people. Like all housing associations, we have worked very hard to ensure that residents can be assured that the blocks in which they live are safe – we already had a long-term plan in place to make sure of fire safety across our portfolio and found only three places where ACM cladding was present. In one place it was quickly removed, in a second we are working with the local authority to have it removed in line with the Government’s directions and in the third we are awaiting Government advice on the best course of action. Pending the receipt of that advice, we placed 24/7 security on-site to inspect and act on any fire safety concerns and our teams carried out door-to-door engagement with customers to advise on what we were and are doing.

We wrote to every Genesis resident soon after the Grenfell fire to give general advice on fire safety and offered free smoke alarms: so far, just over 50 of you asked for them. You can find out more about that inside.

The magazine – as ever – is also packed with the usual advice, tips and hints; plus some great profiles of great community work and celebrations of new homes being brought to market.

The work we are doing in Chelmsford in Essex for example is one I am particularly proud of and I hope you’ll be interested in seeing what we are doing to bring hundreds of new homes to what is a thriving and growing town on the outskirts of London.

That’s all for now. Enjoy reading the magazine and please do let us know your views about our proposed merger. Every voice counts.

Neil

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Genesis and Notting Hill Housing propose to merge Notting Hill Housing (NHH) and Genesis Housing Association have agreed in principle to merge to become Notting Hill Genesis. The move will create one of the country's largest housing associations.

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erving a total of 170,000 residents, Notting Hill Genesis will have 54,000 homes across London and 64,000 across London and the South East. Half of the homes will be general needs with social or affordable rents, and the new organisation will be the largest provider of shared ownership tenure in the country.

We have already agreed a chair, chief executive and deputy chief executive designate for the new organisation. They are Dipesh Shah, OBE, (currently chair of Genesis), Kate Davies (currently chief executive of NHH) and Elizabeth Froude (currently deputy chief executive of Genesis) respectively.

The shadow board for the new organisation will also comprise equal numbers of representatives from both existing entities. These arrangements ensure that we have people in place to lead us through the formal merger process and to provide important continuity for those who already work for or with us. Our existing boards will continue to operate as they do now in the run-up to the formal merger.

In line with the commitment to a merger of equals, Neil Hadden decided not to apply for the role of Chief Executive (Designate) of Notting Hill Genesis, due to the fact that Dipesh was appointed Chair (Designate). Neil will remain as Genesis Chief Executive until the merger is complete in early 2018.

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There are several important things that we need to do before we can formally merge. We want to hear the views of staff, residents and customers and our shareholders and stakeholders, and we will be engaging with each over the next two months through a combination of face-to-face, print and digital communications.

In the meantime, we have put together a frequently asked questions (FAQ) list on page 6:

Why merge?

There have been a number of high-profile failed mergers in the last few years across the sector – including that proposed between our recent attempt with Thames Valley HA. Financially, this merger will bring together two substantial organisations to make a new and stronger entity. We have combined reserves of £3.1 billion and loan facilities of £3.5 billion.

We are generating turnover of about £700m and a net surplus of more than £120 million. This financial strength will enable the delivery of around 2,700 new homes a year, 400 more than would be achievable separately.

Why Notting Hill Housing?

Both organisations believe passionately that their shared heritage makes this a good match.

Both NHH and Genesis Housing were founded in different forms during the 1960s by people of faith in west London, with the aim of housing the working poor and giving them a secure home with

which to build their future. While both have evolved over time, our core purpose remains unchanged: to provide quality homes to low income households across London and beyond.

With NHH , our joint primary purpose will be to provide homes for low-income households in London and the south east.

Together, we will have the financial strength to invest in our social purpose, to build quality, affordable homes in thriving communities, to provide modern and valued services, and to create amazing places.

We want this merger to be successful, and we’ll achieve this by being transparent, honest and respectful. Neither organisation is better than the other or better Issue 24 | Autumn 2017 | Spotlight

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Home Life

Enterprise, Employment and Training: Turn to page 21 for more information.

at doing things: we complement each other well and have lots common – this is a merger of equals.

How will residents be affected?

Our joint primary purpose will be to provide homes for low-income households in London and the south east

www.genesisha.org.uk

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We will be talking to residents to help them understand what the partnership means for them – we will be contacting them directly and through existing publications and channels, including our website, as well as running a series of events.

Improving our services for residents is a major driver behind the proposal to merge: • It will provide opportunities to integrate our businesses to raise standards, do more and increase efficiency.

• In particular, we will prioritise being the best digital provider of housing services by investing around £10 million in modernising and automating services to offer our customers more choice and make it easier for them to interact with us, thereby increasing their satisfaction.

• Being able to provide more homes will also increase choice for our tenants and we will help them to move easily as their circumstances change.

• Alongside a wider choice of housing, we’ll also offer more training and employment opportunities for our tenants, as well as for their sons and daughters.

organisation provided they relinquish their share in Notting Hill at the point of merger.

When will the merger take place?

The aim is to have the merger completed by early 2018.

However, there could be delays caused by banking discussions or with investors, or such organisations as the Financial Conduct Authority, whose approval we do need to achieve prior to merger completion. We will keep you updated if timings shift throughout the process.

Due to the government’s recent policy changes, there is no longer a requirement to seek approval for the merger from the Homes and Communities Agency, but we will keep stakeholders there informed.

Where can I find out more?

You can visit the Genesis website and see for yourself what our proposals are in more detail.

If you are unable to attend the session and would like to speak to a member of the team please contact Josephine Olumide on 07867192589 or at: josephine. olumide@genesisha.org.uk

How will shareholders be affected?

All current Genesis shareholders will continue to be shareholders in the merged organisation. Notting Hill shareholders will become shareholders of the merged 5

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Frequently Asked Questions Why merge?

We believe that we can achieve more together than we can apart. For residents, the merger will provide opportunities to integrate our businesses to raise standards and improve our services to you. In particular, we plan to prioritise being the best digital provider of housing services so that you have more choice in how you interact with us and can do so as easily as possible. You’ll also have a wider choice of housing, and we’ll be able to offer more training and employment opportunities for you and your families.

More homes More widely, we’ll be able to provide more new homes between us than we could alone.

That means we’ll be able to play a bigger part in addressing London’s housing needs., which has been core to both organisations ever since they were established in the 1960s.

A pragmatic response in challenging times There are fewer sources of funding for housing associations than used to be the case, but the demand for affordable housing continues to rise.

So, we need to find other ways to raise funds to reinvest in building new homes for those who need them. Merging with another like-minded housing association means that we can pool our resources and become more efficient., which will release money for new homes and to invest in customer services.

Is bigger better?

Joining forces will increase our financial resilience and our ability to carry on providing homes, despite the challenging economic, political and social climate. Our combined size will give us real influence when it comes to engaging with local authorities and Government, and making the most of the opportunities offered by town centre and estate regeneration projects.

Between us, we will have around 55,000 homes across London and 64,000 across London and the south-east, housing 170,000 residents in total. Half of our properties will be general needs homes with social or affordable rents.

Financially, this partnership will bring together two substantial organisations to make a new and stronger entity. We have combined reserves of £3.1 billion and loan facilities of £3.5 billion. We are generating turnover of about £700m and a net surplus of more than £120 million. We will use this financial strength to invest in our core social purpose.

We’ll also be the largest provider of shared ownership in England.

Why merge with Notting Hill Housing?

Our shared roots We believe we’re a good match as we have a lot in common. We were both founded in the 1960s in west London by local people who shared a similar vision.– to house west London’s working poor, providing them with a home from which to 6

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Here we answer residents’ most frequently asked questions about the merger. If you have a question that isn’t answered here, please call 033 3000 3000 or email: communications@genesisha.org.uk

build themselves and their families a secure future.

Although we’ve both evolved with the times, our core purpose has remained the same throughout: to provide homes for low-income households in London and the south east.

Similarities now We employ similar numbers of people and own and manage a similar amount of homes. We are both involved in major regeneration projects and developing mixed communities., strengthening our commitment to developing mixed communities.

What will the new organisation be called?

We are proposing to call ourselves Notting Hill Genesis.

Who will run the new organisation?

We have already agreed a chair, chief executive and deputy chief executive designate for the new organisation. They are Dipesh Shah OBE (currently chair of Genesis) Kate Davies (currently chief executive of NHH) and Elizabeth Froude (currently deputy chief executive of Genesis).

The shadow board for the new organisation will also comprise equal numbers of representatives from both existing entities.

These arrangements ensure that we have people in place to lead us through the formal merger process.

Will there still be resident board members?

Yes. There will be two resident board members on the new shadow board, one from Genesis and one from Notting Hill Housing.

Will there be changes to resident/customer involvement groups?

Both organisations currently have various opportunities for customers to get involved with decision making and service improvement, including customer committees, scrutiny panels and project work. One of the tasks post-merger will be to review how we carry out involvement and engagement to ensure that it meets the needs of both customers and the new organisation. Customers will be heavily involved in this process and plans are being made to ensure we begin to work together with all of our customers very soon.

Will you still do social housing?

Absolutely yes. This is one of the founding principles of bringing the two organisations together. Half of our properties will be general needs homes with social or affordable rents.Between us, we will have around 55,000 homes across London and 64,000 across London and the south-east, housing 170,000 residents in total. Half of our properties will be general needs homes with social or affordable rents.

Financially, this partnership will bring together two substantial organisations to make a new and stronger entity. We have combined reserves of £3.1 billion and loan facilities of £3.5 billion. We are generating turnover of about £700m and a net surplus of more

than £120 million. We will use this financial strength to invest in our core social purpose.

We will also be the second biggest developer of affordable homes, which will give us influence over Government policy to provide more investment in affordable and social homes. We will work with our residents and partners to push this agenda. This is a key reason for the merger.

We will also continue to invest in our existing homes and will be reviewing the investment needs of both Genesis and Notting Hill Housing properties.

What are the benefits for residents?

The merger will provide opportunities for us to integrate our businesses to raise our standards and increase efficiency. In particular, we’ll prioritise becoming the best digital provider of housing services, modernising and automating services to offer you more choice and make it easier to interact with us.

As well as offering you more choice in how you interact with us, we’ll also be able to offer a wider choice of housing, and more training and employment opportunities.

When will the merger take place?

We are working towards a start date in the early part of 2018. Ideally, this will be 1 January 2018, but a number of factors could mean the merger taking effect on a date soon after that instead.

The process could stop at any time before the contracts are signed, but our two Executive Boards have been working together to try and identify any issues before problems arise.

Will my rent and service charge change?

Your rent and service charges will not changeNo, but any increases/decreases in line with inflation will happen as usual. Please continue to pay your rent and service charges just as you do now. – we will let you know if there is anything you need to change once we have formally established the new organisation, early in 2018.

I pay my rent/service charge by Direct Debit.

Will I need to change the details of this?

No, you will not need to do anything.

Will I have to move?

No, you will not be asked to move home as a result of the proposed merger. Neither Notting Hill Housing nor Genesis has long-term plans to move residents out in order to sell properties.

Who will manage my repairs?

Your repairs will continue to be dealt with by Genesis’s existing contractors, including Kier and GPMS.

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Will there be any changes to the way repairs are managed?

No. Your repairs will continue be dealt with in the usual timeframes. and you can continue to report repairs to us by phone on 033 3000 3000, via email at: customer.services@ genesisha.org.ukor via the website www.genesisha.org.uk/genesis_ housing_association/contact_us/ log_a_repair.aspx Will how I report a repair change?

No, for the time being there will be no change to existing arrangements.

You can continue to report repairs to us on 033 3000 3000, at customer. services@genesisha.org.uk or via the website www.genesisha.org. uk/genesis_housing_association/ contact_us/log_a_repair.aspx Will I have the same Neighbourhood Manager/Support Worker as before?

Yes, for now you will continue to see the same people you do now.

You might notice care and support colleagues wearing different badges, lanyards and uniforms with a new logo once the merger is formally complete, but the support you receive won’t change, and you’ll still have the same support and care workers.

I’m a care and support resident. Will my care change?

Your care service will continue as it does now. The local authority has contracted with us to provide the service, and the merger won’t change that. We’re holding drop-in sessions at extra schemes so that you, your friends or family can put any questions directly to us. Local staff will tell you when the session is taking place at your scheme.

Will programmes and initiatives such as volunteering, training and employment support continue?

Yes. These programmes will continue to run as usual.

Will your contact details change?

Our phone numbers and email address will remain the same for now.

We’ll harmonise them as part of the integration process, but will give you plenty of notice of any changes.

www.genesisha.org.uk

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Will I still receive Spotlight magazine?

Yes, for the time being. In the future, we will be looking at whether to combine Genesis and Notting Hill Housing publications in due course as well as at other online communications tools.

Will your website change?

At some point, we’ll have a combined website, but that won’t happen straight away. For now, our website addresses will remain as www.genesisha.org.uk and www.nhhg.org.uk And while we’re on the topic of our digital services, if you haven’t already done so we encourage you to download to your mobile phone or tablet our new Genesis App that enables you to make payments on the move.

Will you still have a Facebook and Twitter page?

You will still be able to get in touch with us through social media as you always have.

We will be looking, as always, at how we can do things better and the merger presents us with some really exciting opportunities.

Follow us to find out more.

Where will the new merged organisation be based?

Notting Hill Housing’s main office is based in Kings Cross while Genesis has offices in Camden (head office), Willesden, Stratford, Bury St Edmunds and Chelmsford.

No decisions have been taken yet on our office locations.

Will there be further mergers in the future?

Genesis considers merger a good and necessary thing in the current political environment. We have no plans to merge with anyone else right now. We want to get this merger completed first and make sure the new organisation is running well before we consider that.

I have a question that isn’t covered here?

Who should I contact?

Please speak to your Neighbourhood Manager or local services manager, call the Contact Centre on 033 3000 3000 or email communications@genesisha. org.uk. If they don’t know the answer, they can find out for you, and if it’s something that other customers may want to know we will update these FAQs.

The Genesis merger – what do our residents think?

With the merger with Notting Hill Housing announced and work underway to bring the two organisations together, we asked one of our residents who is heavily involved in scrutinising the performance of the organisation to share with us his experience and vision for the future.

Home Life

How will residents be consulted?

We are keen that as many of you as possible can be involved in shaping how Notting Hill Genesis will operate; you know what works and what doesn’t for you as customers so it’ll be important that we make the most of your experience. We have been undertaking telephone and email surveys (you may have heard from us) and we are also planning a series of joint resident involvement events in October.

We know from the feedback we’ve received so far that some residents are concerned about the changes that might happen. We’re committed to listening to you to understand, and work through, those concerns.

‘A positive move’ Stephen Bitti is a Resident Board Member with Genesis. He has worked in the charity sector for over 20 years and is Managing Director at Nudge Associates, a specialist health and social care consultancy company, manages a local London Healthwatch, is Co-Founder of HIVsport and is Trustee of MADaboutART. ‘Having been a Genesis resident for 17 years back when it was Paddington Churches Housing Association (PCHA), I remember the previous merger and I never noticed too much change or disruption. Instead, when PCHA merged with Genesis Housing, it felt like residents benefitted from a different approach and more opportunities. Notting Hill has similar culture and values to Genesis. A larger organisation with larger revenues means a more sustainable business, more value for money and enhanced services to customers and that can only be a good thing.

‘It’s an exciting time and I’m feeling very positive. I’m keen for the newly merged organisation to continue to focus on health and wellbeing and our social purpose core values, but also to look to the future and consider issues like aging in all communities.

That needs to happen across our general needs and Care and Support stock, alongside more work on and with LGBT residents. Both the current Boards can help make the transition as smooth as possible by continuing their thinking about what’s best for residents in a merged entity.

‘We need to listen to and consult with as many residents as possible and those consultations need to be accessible, to make it as easy as possible for people to have their say. I would encourage residents to consider this merger with an open mind and to have trust. There are genuine opportunities for their voice to be heard and I encourage them to ask questions, seek out the facts and seek to allay any fears they may have.

I would also encourage them to take responsibility for their own knowledge.’

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Meet Our Proposed Leaders Kate Davies, Chief Executive (Designate) Formerly the Chief Executive Officer at Notting Hill Housing (NHH), Kate Davies has been appointed Chief Executive (Designate): ‘I have been working in social housing for 27 years. I started at Carr-Gomm (now part of Home) which provided homes and support for people with mental health issues, mainly. At the time I had three young kids and I started as a part time development administrator. I loved the work and graduated to development manager. I worked for Stonham (also in the Home group I think), also in supported housing and then went into local government in Bexley where I was an assistant director with responsibility for housing in a Social Services and Housing directorate. I went to the newly formed Brighton and Hove Council as Director, before taking on my first housing association Chief Executive role at Servite (now part of Optivo). After Servite I came to Notting Hill Housing where I have been for the last 13 years.

‘The great thing about housing is that it is very varied and interesting. I like working with boroughs and other public sector bodies, but I also get a kick out of joint ventures with private sector bodies.

The quality of the homes – as they are designed and maintained – is very important to me. And finally, although I have witnessed the move from associations receiving 100 per cent grants for new build homes, to significantly less today, I have embraced and come to enjoy the commercial aspects of the job. I love being able to make money so that we can invest every penny 8

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of it in providing homes for people who cannot afford to live in London without our help.

‘I am very happy to have been chosen to lead Notting Hill Genesis. I feel that the two organisations together will not just have the scale to rebuild some key parts of London, but will also have the staff, assets, skills and experience to make much more of an impact. I will however be sad to say goodbye to Neil Hadden. He and I have worked closely for many years and he is an authentic leader, capable and competent and a good friend. Both of us have been big supporters of consolidation in the sector and we are pleased to have got to this position at last. At the end of the day we are promising an additional 400 new homes a year as a result of the merger, and for those 400 families and other households that will make a major difference to their life.

‘Notting Hill Genesis will not be Notting Hill Housing and it will not be Genesis either, but actually a new housing association made up of two big ones and quite a few smaller ones that came together in the past. Neil and I, and Elizabeth Froude who will be leading the

integration, believe passionately that we must provide an organisation that improves services for our residents, both current and future, to create something new and better than what we have now.

I will also ensure that we are listening to our staff, our residents, our partners and stakeholders so Notting Hill Genesis is able to achieve what we all want – to provide more homes for those who need them in London and the south east.

‘Your tenancy and rent won’t change because of this merger. For the first year after merger the two services will run more or less as now, and the staff teams will work - together and with customers - to design a new service, one that will be more automated and efficient and with a bigger emphasis on digital and self-service.

‘I don’t know exactly what the future will look like. I hope customers will tell us what works well, and what they like about existing ways of working. I expect the new service to be better than what we have already. I will be looking for improvements in customer satisfaction and more cost effectiveness.’

Merger Proposals – resident meetings We have arranged a series of resident meetings to give residents of both Genesis and Notting Hill Housing the opportunity to talk to senior managers about the merger proposal,and hear about their vision for the new organisation.

These meetings will be held between 6 and 8pm on the following dates: Tuesday 10 October Monday 16 October Monday 23 October Wednesday 8 Bolney Meadow Grahame Park The Tabernacle November Community Centre Community Centre 34-35 Powis Square Blackwall Reach 31 Bolney Street 4 The Concourse London W11 2AY Community Centre London SW8 1EZ London NW9 5XB 11 Oliphant Street London, E14 0GB We are also planning to hold an event in Chelmsford, Essex, and will publish the details of this once confirmed.

As places are limited, anyone wishing to attend will need to book in advance.

Tickets are only available to residents of Genesis or Notting Hill Housing and are limited to two people per household.

To book your place, email customerinvolvement@genesisha.org.ukor call Tanya Lillis, Customer Involvement Manager on 07932816741.

Full travel details and a map will be issued once you have a confirmed booking.

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Elizabeth Froude, Deputy Chief Executive (Designate) Formerly the Executive Director of Resources at Genesis, Elizabeth Froude has been appointed Deputy Chief Executive (Designate): “I have been at Genesis for the last five years. My role here encompasses a wide range of areas from finance, procurement and IT to housing services and repairs – all with the help of a very capable team of directors.

“I came in to the housing world to support the first three-way merger in the sector, with the formation of Radian Group. Following that successful process, I remained in the merged group for six years as we continued the transformation process.

“Prior to moving to work in housing, I worked in a variety of commercially-focused finance-based roles, all very much embedded in the business and with a strong focus on integration and change management. These roles spread across varying sectors, from retail to the film industry, both in the UK and across Europe, including a number of wellknown FTSE-listed names.

These varied roles have allowed me to gain experience in many business disciplines, although I’m an accountant by trade.

“I am very pleased to be taking up this role in what will be a fantastic organisation, built on the legacy of two housing associations with deep and common roots and purpose.

We will take the best of both to allow us to continue to deliver a good service to our many and diverse customer groups, in the ever complex environment in which we operate.

"I believe this merger will bring us the resilience to be innovative in how we adapt our services to meet the demands of our current and future customers."

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otting Hill Housing Trust was formed in 1963 by a group of local residents motivated to tackle the capital’s housing challenges.

For many poor people in the UK during the 1950s, the only way to find somewhere to live was to rent privately.

Accommodation was often very poor, tenancies were insecure and rents were excessive. Migrant communities were particularly affected by unscrupulous landlords.

In 1962, just three years after the notorious race riots, Reverend Bruce Kenrick came to live in Notting Hill. He was shocked by the financial inequalities experienced by poor and immigrant communities in West London.

He joined forces with a group of equally committed individuals from the local area to form a new, proactive type of voluntary housing association. In December 1963, Notting Hill Housing Trust was born.

The following year, 47 people were housed by the trust, and five homes were bought. In 1967 we were up to 100 homes.

Over the coming years, Notting Hill Housing continued to expand and look at new approaches. In 1978, it completed its first sheltered scheme, Trillington House in Shepherd’s Bush. The total number of Trust homes has now reached 3,545.

The nation’s first community leasing scheme was opened by Housing Minister John Stanley in 1979. Just a year later, Notting Hill Housing became the pioneers of Shared Ownership and unveiled the very first scheme in the country at 88 Ladbroke Grove. It gave people on lower incomes the chance to own homes in sought-after areas like North Kensington, which would otherwise be out of their reach.

A new chief executive, John Redman, took over in 1993 and in that same year we led a consortium of associations to redevelop the Rootes Factory in North Kensington, creating 300 new homes. This was completed in 1997 and was the largest housing association development in the area for 20 years.

By the turn of 2000, we were up to 16,500 homes, and a year later we became one of four housing associations to spend £146m providing homes for key workers in London under the Starter Home Initiative.

Current chief executive Kate Davies was appointed in 2004, with a new brand and identity being launched soon after.

In a sign of what was to come in terms of tenancy support, Notting Hill Housing worked with partners in 2008 and launched the Hammersmith and Fulham Credit Union, offering affordable loans to the local community.

In 2009, Presentation (formerly Eagle Housing Trust), Pathway and Croydon Peoples Housing all joined the Notting Hill Housing Group. All three had played important roles in providing housing and support to black and minority ethnic communities in their areas.

In 2010, Notting Hill Housing piloted its Altogether Better (A2B) model, aimed at providing a more personal and engaging service to our tenants. It was a great success and was rolled out the following year.

In 2014, Notting Hill Housing was chosen to lead the regeneration of the Aylesbury Estate in Southwark, building 3,500 new homes, half of which are affordable. Seventy-five per cent of the affordable homes will be let at target rents, with the rest shared ownership.

Now, in 2017, Notting Hill Housing has almost 33,000 homes and a record surplus of £142m.

Home Life

Volunteering: Turn to page 18 for more information.

Notting Hill Housing: a brief history

www.nhhg.org.uk www.genesisha.org.uk

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SPOTLIGHT Peter Bagley

Peter Bagley is a Volunteer Coordinator at Genesis.

‘I have only been in post for a month, supporting two volunteering programmes but I have worked at Genesis for over 13 years in a different role.

Prior to that I worked for a Homeless Charity and a Mental Health Organisation. In my previous role, I was given the opportunity to manage a volunteer and then an apprentice, which I really enjoyed. I thought that working with volunteers would be a new and interesting challenge.

‘I’m hoping that the V50 programme (see page 22) will be a roaring success and that both volunteers and beneficiaries are empowered and gain the skills to do whatever they want to achieve. I highly recommend volunteering, whether it is for gaining valuable employment skills and experience or just to share with others the new skills that you gain along the way.

Volunteering on the one hand can be cathartic and highly rewarding but challenging too given the diverse nature of Genesis customers and the different volunteering programmes people can get involved with. It will broaden your horizons, give you valuable training and the propensity to lead to employment.

‘So come join and that includes becoming a corporate mentor or volunteer supervisor too. Being a Volunteer Supervisor will give extra managerial experience for those who are looking to do take on future managerial roles and Corporate Mentors will ensure good practice across the volunteer programme showing the Genesis way.’

For more information, see www.genesisha.org. uk/genesis_community/volunteering1.aspx

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For a couple of years now we have been carrying out surveys with you, our customers, immediately after you have received a repair from us. These surveys allow you to feedback your views immediately, and allow us to quickly pick up where things aren’t working as well as we expect.

In July our repairs operatives had their best ever month as you told us that you level of general satisfaction with your repair was 87%. Some of the things that you told us were: “The electrician was very polite and very respectful and did a very good job”, “They did a marvellous job” and “The experience was very good” and “My experience today was perfect… hopefully in the future you (carry on) the same” We hope so too, and that is why, while we are celebrating our achievements to date, we are not complacent. We know that we are still not providing an excellent service as consistently as we could. In particular you have told us that we can still do better at arranging and keeping appointments, and completing the job in one visit.

We've heard “It would have been good to book in both the needed days from the outset”, “(the repair is) unfinished and needs another appointment” and “come at the time stated.”

We want to assure you that we are working hard with everyone involved in arranging your repair, from the first person you speak to to the person who comes to your house improve these issues and improve our scores even more. We hope that you will see this improvement during the next weeks and months and that you will continue to share with us your feedback.

In the meantime, if you need to bring any new repairs needs to our attention, you may do so by contacting us on 033 3000 3000 or at: ccgenrepairs@genesisha. org.uk Issue 24 | Autumn 2017 | Spotlight

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cover your rent loss or alternative accommodation costs if you are sub-letting the property.

Home Life

Genesis’s Building Insurance will not

Grenfell Tower fire – an update Our thoughts continue to be with all those affected by the fire that took place at Grenfell Tower in West London in June. Understandably, we have had a large number of enquiries from concerned residents - we are responding to these as quickly as possible.

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ire Safety is a key priority for us at Genesis. In recent years, we have done a huge amount of work to make sure our blocks are fire safe. All of our blocks have up to date risk assessments which assess the fire precautions in place. When controls need strengthening, we do things such as fitting fire rated front entrance doors, removing items stored in communal areas or improving fire safety signage.

As we have already advised you, Genesis has undertaken the following, to keep residents safe from fire: • In 2015 we appointed Savills, a nationally recognised expert company, to complete a comprehensive fire risk assessment programme across our properties.

• A continuous programme of reviews of fire risk assessments is in place and remedial works are identified and carried out based on the timescales recommended by Savills.

• All of our blocks are risk rated, regular re-inspections (FRAs) are undertaken and high rise blocks are re-inspected annually • The Board has committed £10m to this programme over the next four years.

• We have recently undertaken a major piece of work to ensure all communal areas are kept clear in our residential buildings.

www.genesisha.org.uk

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• Specific actions undertaken as a result of the Grenfell Tower tragedy are as follows: • We have instigated an urgent review of our high rise stock and are prioritising reviews of cladding and insulation materials starting with the highest blocks first • We are reviewing cladding and insulation materials used on our current development sites • We are upgrading our cladding specifications to ensure high standards above minimum Building Regulations • We currently have no plans to fit external wall insulation to existing blocks as in the case of Grenfell Tower.

• We have written to all residents and offered free smoke alarms to them. So far 56 residents have asked us for these alarms.

• We have responded to all the queries that have come in from residents since the tragedy.

To date we have found only three places in the hundreds of buildings we own or manage where cladding is present: a decorative piece on one block only at Woodberry Down in Hackney, and at Aragon and Cleves Courts in Pitsea. The cladding at these places has now been removed or a plan is in place.

We are continuing to work with the fire service and local authorities to make sure that all of our properties comply with all necessary regulations. When

the report into the causes of the Grenfell fire is published, Genesis will act quickly to make sure that its recommendations are followed across all of our homes.

Meanwhile, we have published comprehensive fire safety information and advice on our website.

For more information or to raise any concerns, please contact us on 033 3000 3000 or at: mygenesis@genesisha.org.uk, or visit the Genesis website www. genesisha.org.uk 11

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Customer Disability Forum to help hoarders The new website is coming…

As mentioned in the previous edition, we are building a new and improved website for Genesis customers. We can now give you a sneak peek into what they can expect when the new website goes live at the end of this year: More ways to get in touch – The new website will give you more options to provide and receive information from Genesis. There will also be a new tool to support you through the process of contacting us.

Improved layout and look – Content will be easier to discover and the search function is being improved to help you quickly find the information you need.

Optimised for the device you use – Whether you’re using a desktop computer, tablet or mobile the website will present content to give you the best experience.

Quick and data light – You won’t have to use lots of data to visit the site. If you’re using a phone where you are charged for the amount of data you use or you’re in an area where you don’t have a great internet signal, the site will still load quickly with the minimum amount of data possible.

Customer Disability Forum members met on 17th January for the first time in 2017. The group discussed priorities and desired outcomes for the current year, as well as thinking about new ways of working in order to make a bigger impact on the organisation and on residents.

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t has been agreed that the forum will focus on two projects per year.

The first project will focus on the issue of hoarding. According to the NHS: “A hoarding disorder is where someone acquires an excessive number of items and stores them in a chaotic manner. The items can be of little or no monetary value and usually result in unmanageable amounts of clutter”.

The group agreed that this particular disorder can not only affect customers but can affect the way that Neighbourhoods staff provide support to customers to help them sustain their tenancies. Therefore there is a huge need to not only have

a greater awareness of this mental health issue, but also to look into different ways to help those affected by it.

Other topics which the group are interested in incorporating into their work over the next year are: supporting volunteer programmes aimed at helping disabled or vulnerable customers, continuing to have a positive impact on policy reviews, and improving the way Genesis signpost to customers who may have use of local services and support.

Look out for more updates in Spotlight. For more information or to join the Customer Disability Forum, email mygenesis@ genesisha.org.uk or call 033 3000 3000.

More news in the Winter edition of Spotlight!

If you’re keen to get your hands on the beta version of the website, we are inviting a group of customers to test the site. You can express an interest to be part of this group or feedback any questions/comments about the website by emailing our Digital Manager Aaron Cue at aaron.cue@genesisha.org.uk

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Issue 24 | Autumn 2017 | Spotlight

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Tenancy fraud is a crime and means that someone who needs somewhere to live, possibly someone you know, is denied the chance to have a home. Since April 2017, the Tenancy Fraud Team has recovered 12 properties and currently have many more cases under investigation.

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inston Leigertwood, Genesis Housing Association’s Tenancy Fraud Officer, took up his post in February. We asked him about his role and what Genesis is doing to fight tenancy fraud.

What does your role entail?

I investigate cases of tenancy fraud that come to me as reports or referrals.

This includes external searches using intelligence databases, data matching exercises, interviewing tenants and witnesses, interviewing people under caution, training and updating staff about tenancy fraud, preparing cases for legal action, and representing Genesis Housing Association in court.

How widespread is the problem of tenancy fraud?

It is quite high, not just for us but for all registered social landlords and local authorities. With the housing shortage, there is a high demand for rental properties.

We treat tenancy fraud very seriously and are committed to ensuring Genesis properties are used by people who genuinely need them.

How do you find out about properties being sublet?

It varies. Sometimes concerns are raised by staff members or customers.

Other times outside agencies such as the police, local authorities or other housing associations will come to us.

What happens when someone is suspected of tenancy fraud?

Once we have evidence of tenancy fraud, we take the most appropriate action considering the type and extent of the fraud.

This may include: • Obtaining a possession order to evict the tenant www.genesisha.org.uk

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• Recovering any profits the tenant has made from subletting their home via an Unlawful Profit Order • Supporting the relevant local authority to prosecute the tenant If a tenant is found to be committing tenancy fraud, we give them the opportunity to terminate their tenancy and inform them of the actions we may take under the Prevention of Social Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act (POSHFA) 2013. Under the act, those convicted could face up to 2 years in prison, a fine of up to £5,000 or both.

The courts also have the power to order the tenant to pay back any profits the tenant has made through illegal subletting. In 9 out of 10 cases, the tenant chooses to terminate.

What can people do if they suspect a property of being sublet?

Anyone that suspects tenancy fraud can call our contact centre on 033 3000 3000 or send an email to tenancy.fraud@genesisha. org.uk.

Case Study: Ms X – Waltham Forest The Neighbourhood Manager was trying to get in contact with Ms X through visits, letters and calling cards after her neighbours reported that Ms X had not been seen for a while and lots of different people were coming and going from the property.

The Neighbourhood Manager sent a referral to the Tenancy Fraud Team which carried out an investigation.

The investigation linked Ms X to another property in Southend. The team gathered evidence to link Ms X to the Southend property and got in touch with her.

Ms X said at first that she lived at our property, but when the address in Southend mentioned and the possible action that could be taken against her regarding the breaches of the tenancy, she agreed to terminate the tenancy.

You will have read a lot in Spotlight about our work to remove bulky items from communal areas that could pose a fire risk, but we also have to carry out inspections of gas, electricity, water (including legionella), and asbestos.

Up until 1999, asbestos was widely used in buildings as an insulator to improve heat retention and help prevent a fire spreading. More recently, findings showed that asbestos fibres or particles, if inhaled, can cause lung disease. Asbestos is only dangerous if it is damaged which allows the fibres to escape. Since the act of removing asbestos involves damaging it, it can often be safer to leave undamaged asbestos where it is.

As a landlord with properties dating back to the 17th century, Genesis has to ensure that we regularly inspect any asbestos present in our buildings to ensure that it remains undamaged.

Depending on where the asbestos is, we may decide to remove it, encapsulate it (cover it in a substance that prevents it being disturbed) or just continue to monitor its condition.

To make sure that we had accurate information about asbestos in our buildings, Genesis carried out 3,185 management surveys to all the communal areas in our portfolio; as of the end of June 2017 we have re-inspected 870 of these to make sure we had all the correct information.

As part of this work, so far we have carried out 256 of a planned 516 inspections inside homes where we suspect asbestos may be present. If you live in one of these properties, we may have already contacted you to make an appointment to come and inspect your home. We’re aware that it is not always easy with the demands of work and family to make and keep appointments, but we do ask that you help us by working with our contractors, Kier and Life, to find a convenient time. In some cases, we may need to make several visits to your home, especially if we need to perform additional inspections of your gas supply etc. We are currently looking at ways to do these inspections in as few visits as possible.

We would like to thank you for all your support in helping us keep your safe.

For more information about asbestos and the risks, see www.hse.gov.uk/

Home Life

Working to prevent tenancy fraud

Monitoring asbestos

asbestos/faq.htm or www.blf.org.uk/ support-for-you/asbestos-relatedconditions 13

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Home Life

Consider swapping your home Swapping your home with another resident (a mutual exchange) is often the quickest way to find alternative accommodation. It offers customers more choice over the type and location of their new home than a housing transfer.

If you're interested in a mutual exchange and want to find out whether you are eligible and how to apply, have a look at our new mutual exchange policy on our website. From there, you can also register for Homeswapper, a mutual exchange website that allows you to advertise your property for an exchange and see the property details of other tenants who are looking to swap homes. www.homeswapper.co.uk

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Is your child old enough to be at home alone?

Genesis has a legal responsibility to help keep children, young people and adults safe from harm.

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e wanted to take this opportunity to remind you to think carefully before leaving your children at home alone.

Genesis always requires an adult (aged 18 or over) to be present during any visit. If there is not an adult present, we will be unable to complete the visit. This may mean you are waiting longer for any repair or other service request to be completed.

You should also be aware that our staff also have a duty to contact children’s services and/or the police if they are worried about the welfare of any children, including because they have been left home alone.

There is no specific age when a child can be left at home alone as maturity and understanding differs from child to child but the general advice is as follows: • Babies, toddlers and very young children should never be left alone.

• Children under the age of 12 are rarely mature enough to cope in an emergency and should not be left at home alone for a long period of time.

• Children under the age of 16 should not be left alone overnight.

• A child should never be left at home alone if they do not feel comfortable with this, regardless of their age.

• If a child has additional needs, these should be considered when leaving them at home alone or with an older sibling.

• When leaving a younger child with an older sibling, think about what may happen if they were to have a falling out - would they both be safe?

What should I do if I’m worried?

If there is an immediate risk to a child, young person, adult or yourself, please contact the police on 999. Where there is not an immediate risk, you can contact the police on 101 or local authority. Many local authorities have a Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) that you can contact for advice as well as make a referral.

You can also talk to your Neighbourhood Manager, Support Worker or other member of Genesis staff. If your concern relates to a Genesis staff member, call 033 3000 3000 and ask to speak to their manager or a senior manager about your concerns.

For more information and advice about leaving children at home, visit www.nspcc.org.uk/what-we-do/newsopinion/leaving-children-home-alone/ Issue 24 | Autumn 2017 | Spotlight

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Homeowner's corner: Turn to page 17 for more information.

I The Loop at Grahame Park wins Re-use Organisation of the Year Award A recycling initiative supported by Genesis is celebrating after winning Re-use Organisation of the Year at the Furniture Re-use Network (FRN) Awards.

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he Loop, based at Grahame Park in Colindale and run by a team of volunteers, collects, restores and sells unwanted furniture and goods.

Money from the sale of restored goods is re-invested in training, workshop materials and community events. It is part of the Repurpose project which is overseen by environmental charity, Groundwork.

The FRN awards ceremony took place on Wednesday 10th May, and was attended by Hannah Baker, Programme Manager at Groundwork London. Hannah said: “We are really pleased to have seen such support for The Loop @ Grahame Park in the people’s vote. This is great recognition of all the fantastic efforts that the team have put in to make sure the scheme is a success. We are continuing to share our learnings from the project and look forward to seeing other schemes of this nature developing in the future.”

Over 1000 people participated in the awards vote, and The Loop @ Grahame Park was nominated against 9 other re-use projects from across the country. The www.genesisha.org.uk

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project is delivered in partnership with London Community Resource Network, Genesis Housing, Colindale Communities Trust and Barnet Council, with the support of the European Commission’s LIFE+ Programme.

Since the hub launch in 2016, The Loop @ Grahame Park has collected more than 2,150 items from households, businesses and fly-tipping sites and sold over 1,350 items at affordable prices to residents on the estate, helping to demonstrate how re-use schemes could be established in existing social housing across the UK and Europe.

A number of social benefits have also been delivered via the hub’s community engagement programme, including increased community cohesion, and the project has provided opportunities for local residents to learn skills and gain qualifications in re-use and waste management, as well as put this into practice through volunteering and employment opportunities.

For more information, visit www.groundwork.org.uk/Sites/ repurpose/Pages/Category/ repurpose-grahamepk

t was a great honour and pleasure to welcome Valerie Hanson the founder of Valerie Hanson House, 1-3 Junction Road, Northampton on 15 June 2017.

Valerie and her carer visited staff and residents at the project that accommodates single homeless persons. Valerie sat and chatted to us over a cup of tea and cake about how she first started up the house and the satisfaction it gives her to know that it is a “success”.

Valerie explained that approximately 60 – 70 years ago she set up Valerie Hanson House as a soup kitchen, which she described originally as a ‘tumble down house’. The work to improve the building and run the soup kitchen was done entirely by volunteers.

Valerie is a Christian lady who wanted to do something for God. Valerie said: “We should all learn to help others without thinking ‘what can I get out of it’. You must always be prepared to help.”

Valerie committed 11 years of hard work unpaid, working from 8am to 8pm daily. She said: “Happiness is very hard to find and I am glad to see it.”

Valerie worked as an actress for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and was the first female TV director on BBC. Her husband Ralph was also a film director. Valerie worked with Anthony Hopkins who was her first pupil.

She described him as marvellous and said she loved him. Valerie also worked with an actor called Anthony Newley and credits him as the greatest actor in England.

Valerie celebrated her 90th birthday on 18th June 2017.

Valerie said that she has been given a gift of good health, walks a lot, exercises every morning and practises deep breathing.

Community News

90 year old visits homeless scheme named after her

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Community News

Welfare Reform: Turn to page 20 for more information.

Celebrating City Park West An event was held in May to celebrate the ‘topping out’ of a 14 storey tower, part of the City Park West development in the centre of Chelmsford

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ver thirty stakeholders and project staff took in the city views after the finishing touches were applied to the top of the tower, with guests including Councillor Paul Hutchinson, Chelmsford City Council Cabinet Member for Strategic Housing.

Guests were treated to a walking tour of the site, followed by refreshments at the Grand Central Restaurant, housed in the restored Anne Knight Building, a former Quaker meeting house, on Victoria Road South.

Speaking at the event, Neil Hadden said: “City Park West is already a shining example of urban renaissance, innovative design and fantastic partnership working. We look

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forward to watching this development continuing to set the bar high in the exciting times ahead.”

Once complete, City Park West will offer nearly 650 mixed tenure homes including shared ownership, rental and extra care units once the second phase is completed by the contractors Higgins Construction in 2018.

The scheme, which started on site in 2013, has also delivered new green space and commercial units, and has sympathetically restored three historic buildings including the Anne Knight Building. www.genesisha.org.uk/regeneration/ homes_in_development/central_ chelmsford.aspx Issue 24 | Autumn 2017 | Spotlight

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Homeowner's Corner

Home Life: Turn to page 4 for more information.

Subletting – your responsibilities It’s important to remember that you have an obligation to inform us (Genesis) if you are planning to sublet your home. You also need to have a clear understanding of your legal and financial obligations, as you effectively become the landlord to your tenant or occupier.

You’ll need to consider the maintenance responsibilities for upkeep of premises, and inspections of things like the gas boiler or gas fire by a competent person.

Do I need to buy landlords' insurance?

Genesis will continue to insure the buildings, and you should have received a copy of the Summary of Cover with your annual service charge. It’s important to point out that the Building Insurance will not cover you for any costs associated with Loss of Rental income or Alternative Accommodation if you have sub-let the property.

Landlords' insurance isn't compulsory, but some lenders make it a requirement of taking out a mortgage, so you should check with your mortgage lender. www.genesisha.org.uk

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You should also consider, if there are any of your own furnishings or contents (including carpets and floor coverings) in the property, whether you want to take our Contents Insurance.

Remember, you don’t have to insure your tenants’ possessions that is their responsibility.

can be protected by loss of rent insurance. This may be important to you if you are relying on the rental income to pay a mortgage.

It’s important to reiterate that Genesis’s Building Insurance will not cover your rent loss or alternative accommodation costs if you are sub-letting the property.

Landlords' Liability insurance

Legal expenses insurance

This is important, as it will cover you against a tenants who may try to sue you for an accident that occurs on your property. It can be critical for protecting you in the event of injury or death on your property.

You may also want to consider covering yourself for any legal costs due to disputes with tenants, including evicting squatters and repossessing your property.

Legal expenses insurance can also cover the cost of defending you against any criminal action.

For more information about insurance, see www.genesisha.

Loss of rent insurance If your property becomes uninhabitable and you can’t rent it out for a certain period of time, any rent you miss out on

org.uk/residents/my_home/ insurance.aspx

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Genesis gives grant for Goldies A charity that provides singing and activity sessions for older people gave thanks through the medium of song back in June after being awarded funding by the Genesis Community Foundation.

The Golden-Oldies Charity hosted a special event at the Salvation Army Citadel in Chelmsford after successfully bidding for £4,750 from the foundation’s small grants programme. The event was attended by over 100 Genesis residents with special guests, the Deputy Mayor of Chelmsford, Councillor Jon de Vries, and the Deputy Mayoress, Mrs Maria de Vries.

The donation will be used to fund singing and activity sessions for residents in Essex.

Golden-Oldies, which is commonly known as Goldies, started out in the West Country and now runs sessions across England and Wales.

The Genesis Community Foundation gave out over £24,000 in funding to five projects as part of the year’s small grants round. The funding will help deliver a wide range of projects including circus skills workshops, craft sessions for older people, outdoor activities and community transport.

Since 2014, the Foundation has awarded around £100,000 in small grants to initiatives that help to sustain, empower and create great places for Genesis residents.

Cllr de Vries said: “Goldies is a wonderful organisation and I am delighted to be here today to see for myself how this charity is reaching out to older vulnerable people.

My wife and I have enjoyed meeting all the people here who obviously get so much from attending the Goldies sing and smile sessions.”

Sandra Maguire, Business and Contracts Manager at Genesis Housing Association, said: “We are delighted to support the work of the Golden-Oldies Charity and recognise the way that it is brightening the lives of older people through its daytime singing and activity sessions.”

‘Dancing wore my shoes out every six weeks!’

Marjorie is a resident at Freeman Court in Chelmsford and has been telling us all about her previous involvement and love for dance!

“As a little girl, I lived in Stoke on Trent and enjoyed dancing for fun.

It was when I got married that my involvement with the dance world progressed.”

Marjorie married George Cooke who was an army driving instructor.

George was posted to Aldershot and started evening dance lessons as a way to keep himself occupied. When Marjorie moved down to join him, she also attended these lessons. They obviously had a natural flare for dance as the lessons then moved onto competition dancing!

“We had a busy schedule. Mondays was Ballroom practice, Friday Latin practice and the days in between filled with general dance practice.

Then the weekends were busy with competing. Competitions took the whole weekend and each competition would usually involve dancing 21 dances spending 3 minutes for each dance on the floor. Phew!

“Our coach was Steve Lovegrove and we were most successful in Rumba, Cha Cha, Tango and Foxtrot.

I remember I was most fond of the competitions where the prize would be vouchers for dance shoes as dancing the Foxtrot wore out my expensive shoes every six weeks! To get vouchers from a competition was a much sought after prize. We used to enter as many competitions as possible, sometimes entering the higher grade as well as we liked to push ourselves.”

Marjorie has many fond memories of the many friends that she made from all over the country, calls from new friends asking to meet up at the various competitions all over the

country, helping to design her own very elaborate and beautiful dresses which cost several hundreds of pounds due to the exquisite fabrics and trimmings involved.

It has been wonderful spending some time with Marjorie and listening to her stories and looking at the beautiful pictures.

We thought it would be nice to share this with other Genesis Colleagues and Residents.

(As told to Susan Bennett, Interim Service Manager)

The Herbert Protocol The Herbert Protocol is a national scheme being introduced by the Metropolitan Police in partnership with other agencies.

It encourages carers to compile useful information which could be used in the event of a vulnerable person going missing.

Carers, family members and friends can complete in advance, a form recording all vital details, such as medication required, mobile numbers, places previously located, a photograph etc. In the event of your family member or friend going missing, the form can be easily handed to the police to reduce the time taken in gathering this information.

The Herbert Protocol initiative is named after George Herbert, a War veteran of the Normandy landings, who lived with dementia.

More information and the forms used in the initiative can be found here: https:// maps.met.police.uk/ notices/herbert-protocol/

St Francis Court raises money for Grenfell Tower A care and support scheme in Southend has raised nearly £300 for the victims of the recent Grenfell Tower fire.

The residents at St Francis Court decided to dedicate one of their regular weekly coffee mornings in July to the Grenfell Tower fund.

Many of our residents showed their support with generous donations of cash, sales of cakes, a large scratchcard, a tombola and other donations.

Together they raised an impressive £284.30. Here are some of them enjoying the sun in the garden with their prizes.

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esidents at our care and support schemes in Norfolk have been enjoying a range of activities over the summer, thanks to Ascend Adventure.

A not-for-profit organisation, Ascend Adventure runs therapeutic outdoor trips for vulnerable adults. It successfully applied to funding from Genesis’s Community Foundation to run activities including canoeing and archery over a seven week period for residents at four different schemes.

45 residents participated overall, with 32 taking part in overnight camps outside of Norwich, including 23 residents that went to Wales.

Among them was 53 year old Andrew Mann. Andrew was kind enough to share his experiences with us: “As it’s a 5-6 hour journey to Wales, most of day 1 was spent travelling. On arrival, we were all allocated specific pitches and proceeded to set up our tents. After a good meal, we went on a guided tour of the surrounding area.

“On day 2, after a hearty breakfast, we headed for the Brecon Beacons National Park to walk the 4 falls trail. To get to the last of these, 170 steps had to be negotiated.

The effort was worth it though, as we were able to walk behind this most impressive of waterfalls. Les thought he had lost his wallet, so proceeded to re-trace the whole route, only to discover on our return that he had dropped it on the pathway leading to his tent!

“Day 3 involved a spot of caving, courtesy of the Black Mountain Activity Centre. There was a lot of crawling and squeezing through tight spaces, but what we saw at the end of it, was well worth the effort.

“On Day 4, a bunch of us walked to the summit of the hill behind the campsite. We arrived at the top, just in time to witness the sun going down.

Go Fish!

www.ascendadventure.co.uk

At a monthly meeting, residents at Woburn House, a care and support scheme in Great Yarmouth, voted to kick off a range of grant funded activities for the remainder of 2017 with a sea fishing trip in July.

The residents and staff set sail from Great Yarmouth harbour on a boat called the Seaquest on a lovely summer’s day and there was not a wave to be seen. The group fished for five hours, during which a dab and a whiting was caught.

Spotlight | Autumn 2014 | Issue 12

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“On Day 5 we walked up Pen-y-fan, a nearby mountain. Theresa felt unable to make it to the top, but Mel stayed with her and coaxed her to the base of the mountain. Unfortunately, Roxy suffered a boot malfunction, the sole of her left one having come adrift. Paul taped it up, as best he could, which prompted Roxy to exclaim, that from now on, we were to refer to her as ' Gaffer '. Further on her other boot suffered the same fate, and Paul's repair skills were again called upon, to save the day. In spite of this, she gamely soldiered on, reaching the summit, as did we all, a staggering 886m (or approximately 2600 feet) above sea level.

“Day 6 was our last day and we all pulled together to dismantle the camp and get everything packed away by noon. On departure, we headed back to the Black Mountain Activity Centre for a spot of gorge walking, equipped with wetsuits, buoyancy aids and helmets. It turned out to be a combination of hiking along the river, while devising more and more ingenious ways to hurl yourself into the water. It culminated in a 12 foot jump into a rock pool. It's very hard to describe how unnerving this feels, unless you've actually experienced it firsthand.

“I'd like to say a big thank you to Genesis & Ascend Adventure, for making this all possible. I can honestly say, that this has been the best experience of my life, so far.”

The Genesis Community Foundation gave out over £24,000 in funding to five projects as part of the year’s small grants round. The funding will help deliver a wide range of projects including circus skills workshops, craft sessions for older people, outdoor activities and community transport.

Since 2014, the Foundation has awarded around £100,000 in small grants to initiatives that help to sustain, empower and create great places for Genesis residents.

Care & Support

Ascend Adventure hit the target

The skipper caught a lovely looking stingray fish and offered it to the residents to keep. No-one in the party wanted such a lovely fish and the skipper let it go to swim off.

A great day was had by all and residents are already looking ahead to future activities in 2017, including a ladies pampering day, a BBQ and a trip to a museum in Great Yarmouth.

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Welfare Reforms

Community News: turn to page 18 for more information.

London Plus partnership: two years on and still going strong I

t’s been two years since we partnered with London Plus Credit Union to offer Genesis residents and staff a way to save and borrow money safely.

Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, a Credit Union is like a community bank where people can get help to manage their money and access low cost loans up to £7,500*.

Unlike ‘pay day’ and high cost loan companies, interest rates are comparatively low and there are no penalties for paying back money early.

Despite the name, London Plus accepts all Genesis customers, not just those that are London-based.

Since the partnership launched in April 2015, there are 200 Genesis members with over £64,000 in savings and over £109,000 of loans issued.

One such resident is Charlene** who has three children aged 15, 10 and 4. Charlene found herself struggling day to day to make ends meet, and that however hard she tried she never seemed to have enough money.

Last year things came to a head when Charlene had some larger than usual expenses to provide for her children. She had nowhere to turn but she realised that she could approach London Plus for help. She borrowed about £900 and was able to consolidate her debts into one payment at an interest rate that she could afford.

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Charlene said: 'My dream was to clear some outstanding debts that I struggled to get rid of for some time.

[London Plus] not only help(ed) with an affordable loan, but I am able to save and build at the same time. The staff are both friendly and helpful. I'm always at ease and stress free while dealing with the credit union.

Charlene loves the ‘Save As You Borrow’ option where she isn’t just

I would definitely recommend London Plus, whether it's for a cheaper rate loan or just the comfort of saving for the unexpected!

paying back the loan but building up savings. She is now ‘back in the black’.

‘I would definitely recommend [London Plus], whether it's for a cheaper rate loan or just the comfort of saving for the unexpected!'

Cheryl Gale, CEO of London Plus, said: ‘Unlike ‘pay day’ loan companies or unofficial money lenders (‘loan sharks’) which charge very high interest rates so that you often end up paying back more than double what you borrowed, Credit Unions are different. They are not out to make a profit (their primary aim is to better the lives of members/ customers) and most can provide you with a loan at a repayment rate that you can afford, even if you have limited income or no credit history.

‘Many members divert their child benefit as a source of repayment for loans or to build up some savings for Christmas.

‘It’s quick and easy to become a member or apply for a loan online.’

To find out more, call 020 7471 2620 or go to www.londonpluscu. co.uk

*Depending on different loan products and eligibility criteria. ** Name has been changed.

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G

enesis has partnered with YES! (Youth Engagement Solutions) to deliver business start-up training to young people aged 16-30. This is done through training workshops and one to one business support.

As well as providing business start-up training, YES! also provides people with employment and volunteering opportunities.

Since the programme began in March, Genesis has assisted with three business start-ups focused on hair & beauty, heating & plumbing and bespoke furniture.

In addition to this, we have helped nine people into employment and helped two people take up volunteering roles.

The project is on track to be a huge success and everyone enrolled on the programme will receive support and guidance specific to their needs.

If you would like to find out more about YES! or get involved please contact Carmen Llorente on 0208 904 2242 or at: carmen.

On Thursday 29th June, Genesis held a funding bid writing workshop in partnership with Kier at John Astor House. The purpose of the day was to empower and capacity build our social enterprises who had been through our Business Start-up programme in the world of bid writing and funding applications. The day was a success and each entrepreneur got a lot out of the day!

The workshop was focused around: • Bid writing • Fund finding • Capacity building • Genesis wellbeing fund We had 16 resident social enterprises and partner organizations sign up !

If you would like to know how we support residents in starting their own business contact Jade Christie on 07738458600 or alternatively send an email to

Enterprise, Employment and Training

Say YES! to starting your own business

Kier and Genesis, empowering social enterprises

jade.christie@genesisha.org.uk

llorente@yes-ltd.org.uk

Spotlight | Autumn 2014 | Issue 12

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Volunteering

Residents helping other residents to be less lonely

I

n March 2017, Genesis secured a £100,000 grant to lead (along with two other housing associations) a one-year project to support older residents with mental health needs. Funded by the Nesta charity, the V50 project will train 100 residents aged 50 and over to be volunteer wellbeing coaches, offering dedicated one-to-one support to unemployed peers with mental health needs.

Genesis is supporting 60 V50 coaches across London and Essex. The coaches will be trained by Genesis and mental health charity, Mind.

Since the programme started, we have: • Recruited 43 volunteers (training for a total of 132 hours and volunteering for a total of 330) • Provided two residents with befriending support • Trained 20 staff mentors Nada Calovska from Westminster and Wandsworth Mind said: “Befrienders are volunteers and their role in supporting people over 50 is to help them stay connected and independent. Befrienders are trained to provide friendly, understanding and encouraging social contact and to make sure people are less isolated, safe and well. Our aim is to provide companionship for isolated people, the chance to develop a new relationship, and opportunities to participate in social activities in their neighbourhood.”

Richard Sharp programme manager said: “My team and I have been running a series of roadshows across London to encourage residents to apply to join the V50 programme. We have been really excited about the engagement and enthusiasm so far expressed by Genesis residents who have now signed up to the volunteer programme.

“The V50 progamme is a great way for residents to help other residents that might be lonely and require support and also help themselves by learning new skills and meeting new people.”

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To apply for V50 please email volunteerteam@genesisha.org.uk or call 0207 563 0166

** Please note, all volunteers must be over 50 years old and able to undertake at least 12 hours of volunteering per week over a four month period.

Issue 24 | Autumn 2017 | Spotlight

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Spotlight | Winter www.genesisha.org.uk Autumn2013 2014| Issue | Issue1012

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If you need any part of this information in large print, Braille, on audio tape or explained in your own language please contact us on the number below.

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