edition 1
Melinnews
Spring 2009 www.melinhomes.co.uk
Inside New incentive scheme Residents’ Panel Update Estate Visits Your home, your say Money advice
And more!
Competition – be a mascot for Newport Gwent Dragons!
Melin news
Contents 03.
New teams at Melin
11.
Low-cost home ownership
04.
Investor in people & Family sport initiative
12.
George Lansbury visit & Lavender Gardens Development
05.
Your home, your say!
13.
06.
You said, we did! & Survey responses
Low-cost furniture & Money advice
07.
Incentive scheme
14.
Gateway Credit Union
08.
Jump fund
15.
Residents’ Panel update
09.
Melin education bursary & Homes in Torfaen
16.
Victoria Court open day & Falls DVD
17.
Welsh Housing Quality Standard
10.
Competition, Fundraising round up & room makeover winner
01
Welcome If you need the information in this newsletter in large print, Braille, on CD, or explained in your own language, please contact Laura on 01495 745929.
If you have any suggestions on how we can improve Melin News please let us know. You can email: editor@melinhomes. co.uk , call 01495 745929 or write to us at the address on the back page.
Welcome to Melin News - your new look newsletter. We do hope you like it and, as it’s your newsletter, we would love to hear your comments and suggestions for future news items. Please contact us using the details below. In addition to having a new design, this edition is packed with news about Melin and what’s been happening out and about in your communities. As we approach our second birthday, there are some exciting changes taking place at Melin including a restructure of our departments to ensure we deliver the best possible services to you. Turn to page 3 to find out more. Other news includes the launch of our resident participation scheme which aims to get more of you involved in providing feedback to help us improve our services, and the launch of our new resident incentive scheme.
Easter opening hours Our offices will be closed on Friday 10 and Monday 13 April. Should you have any emergency repairs during this time (only those that pose a risk to you, your family or your property) please call: 01495 325333.
You will also find advice on money matters, details on where you can buy low-cost recycled furniture and an exciting competition for our younger residents. There are also dates for our forthcoming estate visits, so please have a look to see when we are next in your area and come and say hello. Mark Gardner, Chief Executive 02
Melin news
New teams at Melin In the two years we have been in operation, we have achieved a great deal. We have also identified areas where we can work better by looking at how we do things and listening to your views. Information gathered from resident surveys tells us that some of you have concerns with contacting us, community safety and the appearance of some of our estates. Therefore, from April we are changing how we work to ensure we deliver the best possible services to you. Improvements include the creation of a new Customer Services department and a new Community Investment department. Customer Services Our Customer Services team is responsible for helping you with all your housing queries, including applying for a home, rent, maintenance and resident involvement. The main change that will affect you is the way that we operate: the teams will work more closely together and will focus on smaller areas, enabling you and our staff to get to know each other better. Director of Customer Services, Dave Cook, is confident residents will benefit from
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the changes. He said: “By concentrating on smaller areas, our staff will be able to manage relationships with our residents more effectively. Customer Services aims to provide a service that meets the needs of our residents, allowing them to benefit from a ‘one stop shop’ approach.” Community Investment Our Community Investment team is responsible for investing in additional services for you and your communities. These include improving community safety and an active community development programme, providing money advice and dealing with serious anti-social behaviour. The team will also identify new areas of work such as how to make our homes more energy efficient and new ways to develop homes. Director of Community Investment, Alan Sinclair, explained the reason for the changes: “Melin Homes is not just about bricks and mortar, it’s about people and communities. Therefore we will be reviewing how we do things regularly to identify where we can improve and what additional benefits we can offer residents to improve their quality of life.” Do you have any comments on how we can improve? Please turn to page five to find out how you can get involved.
Investor in people
Sport for families initiative
Melin is proud to announce that it has been awarded Investors in People status. The Investors in People Standard provides a framework that helps organisations improve their performance through the effective management and development of their people. We currently employ more than 160 members of staff and are committed to being an excellent employer. As part of the IIP assessment, 25 members of staff were selected for interview, representing a cross-section of employees, and made lots of positive comments to the assessor about what Melin is like as an employer. These included: “We all feel appreciated and valued.” and “We are all members of one big team serving our customers to the best of our abilities.” Chief executive Mark Gardner said: “This national standard is further evidence that Melin recognises the importance of investing in its people to provide our residents with the best possible service.”
Would you like to take part in our Sport for families initiative? This new programme follows on from our award-winning Youth sports initiative and will offer a range of activities for you to enjoy as a family. The programme will be run throughout the school holidays and will include activities such as rock climbing, fishing, golf, tennis, go-karting, bowling, mountain biking, rugby and football. Please contact Alan or Karen in our Community Development Team on 08453 101102 to tell us what activities you or your family are interested in. They will then provide you with further details. 04
Melin news
Your home, your say! We have recently launched our Residents’ Participation Strategy which details how we will encourage residents to become involved to help us improve our services. The strategy was produced with co-operation from residents, residents’ groups, staff and other key stakeholders and reflects our commitment to developing effective consultation and participation. What can I do? You can get involved in a number of ways depending on how much time you can spare. These include focus groups, telephone, postal and e-mail surveys. You can also choose the areas of our work you are interested in. As you’ll see on the next page, your comments really do count and help us make real changes that benefit all residents. If you would like to find out more please complete and return the form below:
I am interested in giving my views on the following services (please tick all that apply): Focus groups
Telephone
Postal surveys
E-mail surveys
Repairs and maintenance Community Develpment / Events Resident Participation Rent arrears Service Charges Anti-social behaviour Low-cost home ownership New home design specifications Bringing our Homes up to the latest standards Please return your completed form to: Keith Jones, Customer First Officer Freepost Melin Homes, RRJZ KYKH YLAE, NP4 0XJ or email keith.jones@melinhomes.co.uk. Keith can also answer any questions you may have about getting involved. You can call him on 01495 745948. 05
You said, we did Last year we responded to your feedback in a number of ways. You told us that you were unhappy with the way we were installing replacement boilers. As a result, we reviewed our processes and changed the way that we manage the work. These changes have resulted in a decrease in the number of call backs we make to your homes, a reduction in the cost of materials, and increased customer satisfaction with the service. We are now in the process of carrying out a similar review of our kitchen and bathroom installations.
Survey responses
You also told us that you were not satisfied with the performance of our plumbing and heating repairs service. Following your response, we made some changes and now manage this work in-house. This enables us to have direct control over performance and we can now offer you more flexibility in appointment times and a better response if an emergency arises.
Thank you to everyone who completed and returned our ‘Getting to know you’ survey. We have had more than 800 responses so far and this information will help us deliver the services that you want. Mr and Mrs Hicks of Abersychan, pictured above, returned their survey by December and were the lucky winners in our prize draw. They were presented with a hamper and supermarket vouchers. You can still send in your completed survey. If you no longer have one, a housing officer will bring one when they next visit.
Based on your feedback we now manage our own gas servicing team 06
Melin news
New resident incentive scheme This month we are launching ‘reward me’ our new resident incentive scheme. This aims to reward and encourage positive resident performance. Rewards include a ÂŁ10 voucher when you arrange to pay your rent by Direct Debit, discounted B&Q vouchers, entry into a monthly prize draw, plus many more! This level of the scheme is open to all Melin residents who apply for membership.
This level is open to all residents who apply and meet our qualifying criteria.
This level is automatically awarded to residents who have been members of rewardmeplus for at least twelve consecutive months.
Existing members of our former Everyone incentive scheme will be automatically transferred to the RewardMe Plus level of the new scheme on April 6 2009. For an application form, or further details, please contact Keith Jones, Customer First Officer on 01495 745948 or email keith.jones@melinhomes.co.uk. 07
Making residents ‘jump’ for joy
Cwmffrwdoer Junior Football Club with their new goals posts courtesy of our Jump fund Melin’s Jump fund provides grants of up to £250 for groups, organisations and residents in communities in which we have homes.
Thanks to this support, we can make plans for expansion in the future and reach more youngsters in Torfaen.”
Our Jump fund can sponsor a wide range of projects, including sport and youth clubs, environmental improvement schemes and those for social gain. All applications must demonstrate how they will benefit our communities.
Melin’s Community Development Officer, Karen Green, said: “We have always been committed to supporting local groups and initiatives, and our Jump fund provides a structured and fair way for us to allocate funds to ensure we maximise benefits for our residents and communities.”
Beneficiaries to date include Cwmffrwdoer Junior Football Club, who were thrilled to receive two new sets of goal posts, and youngsters from Lime Crescent in Newport who will take part in a series of activities geared towards developing their own youth forum. Barry Pearce, Chairman of Cwmffrwdoer Junior Football Club, said: “We are thrilled to be the first recipient of Melin’s Jump fund. Our new set of goal posts are great!
Melin residents, voluntary groups and notfor-profit organisations working within Melin communities can apply for sponsorship from the Jump fund. Grants will be awarded four times a year and the next closing date for applications is June 20 2009. Please call Melin on 08453 101102 or email enquiries@melinhomes.co.uk for an application form. 08
Melin news
£3,000 fund available for education and training
Rebecca enjoys studying for her childcare course. Would you like to return to education or training to help further your career opportunities or personal development goals? If so, our education bursary could be for you. One person who has benefited from our bursary is Rebecca Ann Meyrick-Evans from Monmouth. Rebecca was awarded £1,000 by Melin to help pay for a childcare course at the Forest of Dean college. Rebecca has overcome a number of personal difficulties to get this far, including deafness and learning difficulties. However, she won’t let this deter her from achieving her dream of working with children with special needs. Not only is she undertaking her childcare course to improve her career prospects, but she has also successfully obtained a work placement with a special needs school, showing her commitment to the profession.
Rebecca said: “I’ve always wanted to work with children with special educational needs and it means such a lot to me that I was a successful recipient of Melin’s education bursary. Without its support, I would have had trouble paying for my childcare course. I think it will be a really rewarding career and I can’t wait to start.” Our bursary has helped previous recipients pay course fees, buy books and computers, and fund travel expenses to or from universities and colleges. If you are a Melin resident over the age of 18 and would like to apply please contact us for details on 08453 101102. The closing date for applications is May 29 2009.
Homes in Torfaen If you want to apply for a home in Torfaen, you can now complete just one application form and register with all of the following: Melin, Bron Afon Community Housing, Charter Housing Association, Hafod Housing Association and Linc Cymru. Please call the Homeseeker team on 01495 766421 for an application form. 09
Be an official match day mascot! If you’d love to be a match day mascot for the Newport Gwent Dragons rugby team, then this competition is just for you! The lucky winner will lead the Dragons out on a match day and have their photo taken with their favourite Dragons player. They will also receive a complimentary Dragons rugby jersey and their photo will be pictured in the official match day programme. Our competition is only open to Melin residents aged between 9 and 12 years, and the lucky winner will receive two complimentary tickets for their parents or guardians. For your chance to win, simply tell us in no more than 50 words why you would like to be match day mascot for the Newport Gwent Dragons. Send your answer to Freepost Melin Homes, RRJZ KYKH YLAE, NP4 0XJ by April 15 2009.
Fundraising round up The staff team at Melin have taken part in a range of fundraising activities resulting in more than £800 being raised for good causes. Over the festive period, staff raised more than £350 by donating the money they would have spent on colleagues’ Christmas cards to their annual ‘Humbug’ charity appeal instead. The money raised went toward purchasing gift vouchers and a Nintendo Wii for Nevill Hall Hospital’s Children’s Ward. Other activities before Christmas included carol singing in Pontypool market where the group raised more than £130 for Gwent Alzheimer’s Society.
More recently, Melin’s staff quiz generated £335, bringing the grand total of all Melin’s fundraising to more than £815 since December. The money will go towards our Jump fund. For more information about the fund, please turn to page 8.
Room makeover winner Mrs Pearce of New Inn, Pontypool won a kitchen makeover in our Autumn competition, she was thrilled with the results. She said: I couldn’t believe it when I heard I’d won! I’m so pleased with how my kitchen looks now and would like to say a big thank you to Melin for making it happen.” 10
Melin news
onto the property ladder We’ve helped a young couple buy their first home thanks to Help2Own – the low-cost home ownership scheme that we run in partnership with Torfaen County Borough Council. Teaching assistant Justine Drew, aged 21, and her boyfriend Rhys Whitcombe, aged 24, currently live separately. Without Help2Own, the couple couldn’t afford to buy a home together. However, thanks to this scheme, the pair have just bought a home at Hanbury Grove, Pontypool. Help2Own requires homebuyers to pay for just a percentage of the total house price with Melin providing an interest-free loan for the remaining percentage. Justine said: “We feel so lucky to be able to buy our first home together. We thought this wouldn’t happen for years but, thanks to the Help2Own scheme, we don’t have to save up for a 100% mortgage. We can’t wait to move in now!” For more information about the current low-cost homes that we have for sale, please contact Melin’s Home Ownership Team on 01495 745925/928 or email homes@melinhomes.co.uk
Helping local people onto the property ladder 11
st r fi r u o o t t i s i v VIP e m e h c s e r a C a r t Ex
£1.2 million investment in Extra Care housing scheme Work is well underway on our development of Lavender Gardens, a new Extra Care housing scheme in Abergavenny.
Doiran Jones, Chair of Melin’s Board. Resident, Dorothy Haddock and Paul Murphy MP Secretary of State for Wales, Paul Murphy MP, visited Ty George Lansbury at the end of January to meet with residents and see the benefits that extra care offers. Our £6.1 million extra care development consists of 35 self-contained apartments and provides modern, purpose-built accommodation for people over 55 who need care and support to help them to continue to live independently. The scheme, built in partnership with Torfaen Council, was opened in August last year and has already made a huge difference to the lives of those living there. Husband and wife Marion and Terry Morgan age 73 and 84 moved to Ty
George Lansbury as they needed additional support. Mrs Morgan said: “Having access to on-site support when we need it, but still maintaining our independence, means everything to us. We are very happy here.” Mark Gardner Chief Executive of Melin Homes said: “We are very proud of our first Extra Care scheme and it’s incredibly rewarding to know that by providing high quality homes, coupled with excellent support services, residents will be able to live independently in their own homes for longer.” Paul Murphy Secretary of State for Wales said: “I enjoyed seeing first hand the benefits the first extra care scheme in Torfaen is bringing to local residents and their families.”
The £1.2 million project will transform a former sheltered housing scheme, which was built in the 1970s into 21 modern homes. Melin is working in partnership with Monmouthshire Council on the development and the Welsh Assembly Government has provided funding of £467,000 towards the project. Pupils and staff from the local primary school Deri View helped name the scheme. Alan Sinclair, Director of Housing at Melin, said: “Lavender Gardens is the first Extra Care scheme in Monmouthshire and demonstrates our on-going commitment to providing quality homes for those who need them.” Work on the scheme is due to be completed in May 2009. For further information, and to register your interest in applying for a home, please contact Andrew Burford of Monmouthshire Council’s Abergavenny Community Care Team on 01873 735900.
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Melin news
d e l c y c e r t s Low-co
furniture
If you need some good quality furniture at affordable prices, and would like to help the environment, there are a number of local organisations who specialise in furniture recycling.
You can find some great buys on items such as wardrobes, sofas and washing machines, and also help the environment by preventing tons and tons of furniture and household items being thrown away in landfill sites each year. Prices for a good quality three-piece sofa can start from just £35 and the same for a set of table and chairs. Here’s a list of the organisations that operate in your area: Homemakers Community Recycling operates in Monmouthshire and Blaenau Gwent. For more information, please telephone
01873 857618 or log on to www.hmcrecycling.co.uk
The Garnsychan Partnership operates its Circulate Furniture Recycling project in Torfaen. For more information, please telephone 01495 793187. Phoenix Community Furniture Scheme operates in Powys. For more information, please telephone 01686 623336 or log on to www.phoenixcfl.co.uk Wastesavers Community Furniture Project operates in Newport. For more information, please telephone 01633 216855 or log on to www.wastesavers.co.uk and click on ‘Furniture reuse’ You can view the furniture for sale at the headquarters of these organisations. Please contact them to find out their addresses and opening hours.
We can help Don’t forget – Melin can give you confidential advice and support on a range of money matters. This includes budgeting, what to do if you are in rent arrears and how to ensure you are receiving all the benefits you are entitled to. These include housing and council tax benefit, tax credits and family credits For information on benefit entitlements and budgeting, please call Sarah on 01495 745917. For advice on rent arrears please call 08453 101102.
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Save Xmas! It’s never too early to start saving if you don’t want to feel the pinch after Christmas 2009. The Office of Fair Trading is running a campaign called Save Xmas to offer advice and information about how to avoid a Christmas boom and New Year bust. For example, if you want to put a bit of money away each week, there are lots of options available: you can save with a bank or building society account, a Credit Union (see below), the Post Office® Christmas Club, or with Christmas hamper and voucher schemes. For more information about the Save Xmas campaign, please visit www.oft.gov.uk/news/ campaigns/savexmas/ For impartial advice about reliable savings schemes, call Consumer Direct on 08454 040506 or visit www.consumerdirect.gov.uk
Give your money a spring clean! Credit Unions offer competitive, low-cost loans and a safe place for your savings. Gateway Credit Union can provide residents who live and/or work in Torfaen and Monmouthshire with straightforward, affordable financial services. How it works: You can save as much or as little as you want. When you need a loan, you apply to the Credit Union and, if the loan is granted, you get a cheque you can cash at the Post Office. It’s that simple! Members can join and do business with Gateway: • At one of its collection points in the area • By post • Using a PayPoint Card • Over the phone or at the Credit Union’s Pontypool office • By accessing the website If you would like to introduce the service to those living in your area, Gateway Credit
Union can offer individuals volunteering opportunities, with full training and expenses provided. For more information about Gateway Credit Union, please call 01495 750 020 or visit www.gatewaycu.co.uk These additional Credit Unions operate in the following areas: Brecon and District Credit Union Limited 9 Cwrt Afon, 15-16 Castle Street, Brecon, Powys, LD3 9BU 01874 620104 Smart Money Credit Union Ltd operates in Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent Abacus House, Windsor Street, Caerphilly, CF83 1FW Tel: 029 2088 3751 Newport Credit Union Limited Bettws Shopping Centre, Bettws, Newport, NP20 7TT Tel: 01633 822224 14
Melin news
Residents’ Panel launch Youth Award A Youth Achievement Award, aimed at recognising the special achievements of our younger residents, has been launched by Melin’s Residents’ Panel. Parents or neighbours are invited to nominate young people under the age of 18 to win the award by providing details of any special achievements they have made. This can be in any field including sport, education, art, helping the environment, or people in their families or community. The achievements of one boy and one girl will be recognised each September when they will be awarded with a £50 voucher and a shield at the Panel’s Annual General Meeting. Please send your nominations, including your contact details, the name, address and age of the person you are nominating and the reason(s) why to the postal or e-mail address on page 18 by 29 May 2009.
Visiting your estate
Trouble with trees Are you having problems with overgrown trees or hedgerows? If so, the Residents’ Panel can help.
Melin Residents’ Panel and senior members of Melin staff will be out and about over the coming months carrying out their monthly estate visits. These visits are an opportunity for you to bring local issues or concerns to our attention. When we are due in your area you will receive details through the post a week before we are due to visit your area. If you would like us to call at your home, please let us know at least one day before the visit. 15
The visits will happen at the following places: 7 April 21 April 5 May 19 May 2 June 16 June 30 June 14 July 28 July
Magor/ Caerwent Usk Monmouth Monmouth Cwmbran Cwmbran Newport Chepstow Newport
Further details will be available on our website www.melinhomes.co.uk a month before each visit.
We work closely with the Asset Management team to deal with any problems. In the case of trees, they cannot be removed until a joint inspection is carried out between a council planning officer and Melin. Trees will only be removed when the roots, size or health of the tree is causing structural problems. It will then be replaced with a new planting. Limited pruning will be authorised in certain cases and carried out as soon as possible. To contact the Residents’ Panel call 08453 101102 or email residentspanel@ melinhomes.co.uk
Victoria Court open day
Free DVD to prevent falls in older people We recently helped Bron Afon Community Housing produce a DVD which aims to reduce the number of older people in Wales who injure themselves by falling over. The DVD contains useful tips about how to prevent falls and real life stories from older people talking about their experiences – including two of our residents from Waterside Court, David and Vi Davies. The film cost £21,000 to make – the same amount it costs to treat one person with a fractured hip (including physiotherapy and social care).
Mo and Joe Stevenson are very happy at Victoria Court
If you would like a copy of the DVD, or know anyone that would, please call us on 08453 101102.
Staff and residents at Victoria Court are holding an open day on Friday April 17 from 11am – 3pm for anyone who would like to find out more about the scheme.
hamper. For further details, please call Janet Bufton, Scheme Manager, on 01873 856353.
The 49 flats, suitable for those age 55 and over, are situated in a grade two listed building next to Bailey Park, and a short distance from Abergaveny town centre. The scheme has lovely gardens and a range of facilities for residents including a communal lounge, hairdressers and laundry.
We currently have vacancies at the following schemes for residents age 55 and over:
Resident Mo Stevenson, age 63 and her husband Joe, age 69, live at Victoria Court. She said: “We love it here and have everything we need. It’s so close to town and the local amenities, and it’s lovely to have people around us. The emergency alarm system also gives us peace of mind as there is help at the end of the phone should we need it.”
Our sheltered schemes can provide you with:
Free refreshments will be available on the day and all visitors can enter a prize draw to win a
Current Vaccancies*
• • • •
• • • • •
Llys Ebwy in Ebbw Vale Tredegar Court Newport Roderick Hill Court Tredegar Hammett Court in Monmouth
A self-contained, easy to manage home Independence A supportive and friendly environment On hand support to give you peace of mind Opportunities to take part in social activities
If you would like to apply, please call us on 01495 745940. *correct at time of print
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Melin news
Welsh Housing Quality Standard: Consultation Update In October 2008 we wrote to all residents asking for feedback with regard to our Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) requirements. We received more than 700 completed survey forms, representing 25% of residents. You told us quite clearly your priorities for works to be carried out at your home: Top priority New Kitchens 35% Second priority New Windows/Doors 33% Third priority New Bathrooms 32% We also asked the following: Do you like where you live? Yes 85% No 15% Have you experienced anti-social behaviour in the last 12 months? Yes 33% No 77% We will use this information to ensure that we address the issues you have raised, particularly by looking at our window and door replacement programme.
As a result, we are arranging for assessments to be carried out at all relevant schemes and we will tell you the findings on an individual scheme basis.
More than 100 of you told us you would like to be involved in our WHQS planning work, either as part of a group, via telephone consultation or as an area representative. We are currently compiling these lists so that those residents can form part of our group to implement WHQS improvements.
The majority of you told us that you have adequate car parking facilities at your home, with the survey also identifying that those living in flats had the least adequate parking facilities. We will therefore be looking at these issues and seeking to maximise spaces where possible.
A number of you living in flats told us that you had concerns regarding fire escapes and means of escaping the building in an emergency.
Around a third of you said that you have experienced anti-social behaviour in the last 12 months. This information has been passed to our anti-social behaviour team. As a positive, more than 85% of you told us that you liked where you live.
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External storage was highlighted as an issue for the majority of households. In response to this we have increased our programme for shed installations and anticipate carrying out more than 130 installations in 2009/10. We will also increase the amount of work we are doing to gates and fencing. More than 100 of you told us about your physical aids or cultural needs. We are incorporating this information into our planned maintenance programme and will be making changes to how we carry out works (e.g. installing level access showers where appropriate). Where the issues you have raised are not covered by our planned maintenance programme, we will try to visit you in order to address them via Physical Adaptation Grants.
Much of what you told us was very encouraging, particularly your comments with regard to your homes and the service you receive from Melin Homes. Many of the suggestions you made will help us to prioritise the work we do and ensure that we can pinpoint particular issues. Our next step will be to consult with residents, and with those of you who have asked to be involved, to address the specific issues raised. Once again, many thanks for your help.
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Melin Ty’r Efail, Lower Mill Field, Pontypool, Torfaen, NP40XJ T: General enquiries 08453 101102 T: Repairs 0800 9753149 E: e-mail enquiries@melinhomes.co.uk W: www.melinhomes.co.uk
Residents’ Panel T: 08453 101102 E: e-mail residentspanel@melinhomes.co.uk