Your Rykneld R Y K N E L D
H O M E S
Working together See page 6
C U S T O M E R S
M A G A Z I N E
Making a Difference See page 14
4 0 T H E D I T I O N • J U LY 2 0 1 7
Annual Report 2016/17 See pages 30-31
Making people our priority Contents 06
06 Celebrating success
Working with you Celebrating customer involvement
n this issue of ‘Your Rykneld’ we are proud to be celebrating 10 years of success. The magazine is focusing on our customers and showcasing the impact of our investment in improving homes, building new ones and making a difference to local communities. The work we do has been recognised both locally and nationally and we now have a number of prestigious awards under our belt - this clearly demonstrates that we are up there with the best in the sector. What an achievement for North East Derbyshire! What greater reward can you have than to get fantastic feedback from individual customers and see the real impact some of our community projects have had in the local area. Rykneld Homes has made a real difference to people’s lives and examples of this are captured perfectly within this edition of Your Rykneld. On behalf of the Board I would like to thank Rykneld Homes’ staff, customers, partners and volunteers who have made the last 10 years a success and we all look forward to many more ahead.
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Making a difference Supporting communities to thrive
30-31 Annual Report 2016/17 How are we doing?
2 YOUR RYKNELD JULY 2017
14
32 10th Birthday Party! Celebrate with us at birthday party!
Front Cover: Nigel Barker Chair of Rykneld Homes
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18
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would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to everyone who makes Rykneld Homes the success it is today. This is a special edition of Your Rykneld to help us celebrate the last 10 years and to look forward to the next 10 and beyond. We need to keep improving our services and housing for our customers! One of our key objectives is to ‘Make People our Priority’ and showcased in this edition are a number of award winning community projects. We aim to bring communities together, improve the quality of life for families living within our district, and to help reduce the impact that social isolation can have. We can, and do, make a real difference in our area. We are one of the largest employers in the District and we support local schools with work experience, careers events and business innovation days. Making an investment for the benefit of our younger generation and assisting with the transition into the world of work is rewarding for all staff members involved, and we have some fantastic feedback from those that participate. In this edition of Your Rykneld you will find information about
the opportunities for local people to get involved with Rykneld Homes. You can have a say in how we do things and provide us with your valuable insight about what it’s like to be a tenant or resident in the area. We are proud to be delivering new housing in the District working closely with our Council partner. We need to make sure that we are providing much needed homes in the right places and at affordable rent. We are using innovative solutions for property improvements and are transforming areas through regeneration and development. You can find photographs of some of the homes we have provided on pages 20 and 21 I for one am proud of what we have achieved in recent years. I would like to thank everyone who has supported Rykneld Homes and working in close partnership with North East Derbyshire District Council we will continue to grow and flourish and continue to invest in our people and our properties. I hope to see you at the celebration event on 26 July. Lorraine Shaw Managing Director – Rykneld Homes
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Celebrating 10 years of Rykneld Homes
YOUR RYKNELD JULY 2017 3
GREAT PEOPLE
GREAT PEOPLE
Nominating someone
Strong partnership brings great results Over the past 10 years the Council and Rykneld Homes have formed a winning partnership that has delivered fantastic results for customers and residents in our district. For our special anniversary edition of Your Rykneld, we invited Council Leader, Graham Baxter MBE and Councillor Bette Hill, Member with responsibility for Housing to say what the partnership has meant for the Council, customers and residents.
New homes in Grassmoor
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Cllr Bette Hill Stonelow Green flats regenerated in Dronfield
Replacing Tarran bungalows in Eckington and Killamarsh
Cllr Graham Baxter MBE
hen I think of our partnership I think of the great things we have achieved in communities across the District,” said Cllr Baxter. “Older properties, such as the Tarrans, have been replaced with fantastic modern homes. “People today have high aspirations about where they live and the Council and Rykneld Homes have worked very hard to deliver what our customers want. “I believe there has been close partnership working between Councillors and Rykneld staff from the very beginning. There is no doubt that Rykneld has delivered way above what we initially expected from a housing management organisation. Customer service One of the most important things Rykneld does is to treat people as customers. Their Housing and Support staff and workmen are out in the district acting as ambassadors for Rykneld and the Council and contribute to the high customer satisfaction levels that the Council enjoys. “We have also made great strides towards improving our non-traditional housing stock – it has been another success story for the partnership. A lot of people do not realise the challenge that Rykneld faces. In North East Derbyshire we have around 27 different types of nontraditionally built homes, all requiring a different approach to improve them. “Rykneld has needed to sit down and come up with a whole range of responses in terms of planning and design that address the individual issues thrown up by these properties and they have made a great success of that. Everyone benefits “In the end, we have all benefited from a partnership which has become truly embedded between the Council and Rykneld. We need to build on the successes we have had up to now and look to a future where the strong bond between the two continues.”
4 YOUR RYKNELD JULY 2017
2015 Good Neighbour Award finalist, Stuart Brown.
New homes in Tupton
Councillor Bette Hill, Member with responsibility for Housing and a member of the Rykneld Homes Board, said Rykneld had been responsible for some fantastic projects over the years, such as building new homes and regenerating older properties. “We want everything to be the best standard it can be,” said Bette. “Look at what has been achieved with the regeneration of our non-traditional properties. We have either replaced them with additional new, modern homes or transformed them into something that looks so much better and are easier to heat and keep warm. Just look at what we have achieved on non-traditional homes in North Wingfield and other areas across the district. Supporting younger and older customers “It has been fantastic to be able to offer young families the chance to move into a brand new home and put their stamp on it. We have also supported older customers living in pre-fabricated homes to move into new homes that have everything they need such as walk in showers and lovely dining kitchens – this is a marvellous achievement,” added Cllr Hill. “We want people to live in decent, well kept properties whether they are old or new. We want our customers to know that when they shut that door, they are living in the most comfortable home we can provide. Excellent customer care “One of the other things I am very proud of is the excellent customer care from Rykneld. It is a case of the customer comes first – and I think that really shows in the way services are offered. We want to offer the best standard we can. “Looking back over the past 10 years I think the Council and Rykneld Homes have achieved so much together – I think we have a very strong partnership and looking to the future, there is a lot more we can do together as a Council and an ALMO.”
YOUR RYKNELD JULY 2017 5
WORKING TOGETHER
WORKING TOGETHER
Working together ustomer involvement has been at the heart of our service delivery for the past decade – with tenant Board Members and Service Improvement Groups we ensure our customers views are taken into consideration within every aspect of the services we provide.
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Members of our Community Improvers Group
Scrutiny Panel members
We work with local communities to improve the quality of life for people on our estates and within our wider communities. In 2016 we won a Housing Innovation Award for the most Innovative Use of Community Engagement – fantastic national recognition for what we deliver. Proud of high customer satisfaction We are proud of the year on year increase to our customer satisfaction ratings. Most recently receiving our highest ever score with 94% of customers saying they were happy with the services we provide. Our Business Plan sets out one of our three key business objectives as Making People our Priority and we will not lose sight of that.
Members of the Repairs and Maintenance Improvement Group
Involving you We have an excellent record of tenant-led service development – including an awardwinning Scrutiny Panel – described as ‘pioneering’ by the Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS). The Panel was national finalists in the TPAS Awards. Our success over the past 10 years could not have been achieved without the fantastic support of this group and our customers. Sharing your knowledge and experience has helped us to develop first class services earning us exceptional customer satisfaction results. Over the years our involved groups have looked at everything from the standard of the homes we let to the operation of our repairs and maintenance service.
Working with young people Our ‘Community Improvers’ are a group of young people aged between 11 and 19 who work together to improve their neighbourhoods. The group undertake self development in order to effectively participate in their community and we were very proud when last year seven of the Improvers successfully completed their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award.
Godfrey Kerry, the current Chair of the Scrutiny Panel, says “Getting involved in the work of Rykneld Homes is a very rewarding thing to do and great to know you are helping to make a difference for other people.” 6
YOUR RYKNELD JULY 2017
The group also help us to decide on applications for funding from our Neighbourhood Improvement Budget. On pages 14 and 15 you can see some of the local groups that have benefited from the funding. Charles Hibberd, Community Improver, said: “Being a Community Improver was another opportunity for me to get out of the house and socialise with people. Working on the Neighbourhood Improvement Budget was really interesting for me and taught me a lot about dealing with money and the responsibility that comes with it.”
Emily Turner, Community Improver, said: “After doing my Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award I managed to secure a job at Thorntons and I think that is a direct result of having the DoE Award on my CV. It has made me a lot more involved with theGodfrey community and to goChair out and doScrutiny things Panel, Kerry, theI get current of the that actually benefit people.” says “Getting involved in the work of Rykneld Homes is a very rewarding thing to do and great to know you are helping to make a difference for other people.”
YOUR RYKNELD JULY 2017 7
WORKING TOGETHER
WORKING TOGETHER
Case Study
Lettable Standard hen a new customer moves into a Rykneld home we want them to feel comfortable and secure from day one. We worked with our Scrutiny Panel on the Lettable Standard and believe the standard supports our customers to settle in quickly and to have a sense of pride in their new home. The feedback on our new Standard has been fantastic – with many customers saying it is the best quality they have seen and it makes moving a much more pleasant experience.
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We’ve included here feedback from recent satisfied customers. Kieran and Susan Flanagan, Killamarsh. “We are delighted – the property was decorated to a really good standard so there was nothing for us to do except move in,” said Kieran. “Due to my mobility issues I couldn’t manage the stairs in our previous private rented flat so we decided to approach Rykneld Homes. They were able to find a house in Killamarsh which suited my needs and it wasn’t far from where we lived before. “It is great - they installed a stair lift and a wet room ready for me to move in. It has improved my quality of life by 1000%. This home is really brilliant. As a result our stress levels have gone down and we’re sleeping a lot better too. “I have to say the process of joining the housing register and moving in was great; we joined in December and moved in in April so we weren’t waiting very long. The Choice Move Team provided me with regular updates throughout the process which we thought was excellent.”
Another one of our new customers is Alan Hobson from Barlow. “The standard of the property was really excellent,” said Alan. “ Rykneld Homes have done a really good job doing the property up so it is ready to move in. The decorating has been done really well – I commented to my Housing and Support Officer and told her it was really great. “The high standard of the property has helped me to move in as it makes me feel more at home, it’s a really nice place to live in. This home is probably the best one I’ve been in. I’ve rented five times previously including in London and I think this is the best of the lot. A really good job in every way.”
Kieran and Susan Flanagan 8 YOUR RYKNELD JULY 2017
YOUR RYKNELD JULY 2017 9
WORKING TOGETHER
WORKING TOGETHER
Supporting work and training Training and development
CASE STuDY
We are one of the largest employers in the area and we take our responsibilities to offer training and opportunities for people seeking employment, young people and our staff very seriously. We have been able to offer: Apprenticeships. Our apprenticeships are offered with no restrictions on age and we are proud of the diversity this creates with our apprenticeship workforce. Two of our apprentices have won prestigious awards, receiving praise for their enthusiasm and commitment. We look forward to similar success stories for more of our apprentices in future. Volunteers We are committed to helping people gain the skills and experience they may need to find employment. Through our Volunteering Programme we have offered placements to local people who have been able to work alongside teams across the organisation. Many of the participants have gone on to secure permanent employment as a direct result of these new experiences.
Staff training We work with some of the most vulnerable people in the community, including a high number of elderly customers. An example of staff training is our approach to train our entire workforce in Dementia Awareness to help them understand the condition and adjust service delivery when needed. We continue to up-skill our staff to identify customers in need to provide the best possible support, advice or signposting to partner agencies when needed.
School work placements Our Work Experience Programme has developed massively over recent years, seeing us engage with more schools than ever before and a record number of students. In 2016, we offered 30 placements to pupils from local schools. One of our 15-year-old placements said: “Rykneld has been an amazing experience and a real taste of work. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here, I have learnt the reality of what office work is really like as I came in excepting it to be boring but you have proved me wrong. I see you can have a laugh but still get the work done.”
One of our apprentices was Jamie Mallender who found out about the job opportunity at Clay Cross Adult Education Centre. He successfully applied for the post of apprentice Customer Services Assistant. As well as receiving practical, on the job training Jamie was also encouraged to gain formal qualifications and passed both his NVQ Level 2 and Level 3 in Business and Administration. “I was really pleased to get the Business and Administration apprenticeship with Rykneld Homes,” said Jamie, aged 23. “In today’s job climate it can be very difficult for young people to secure a job. “After completing the NVQ Level 2 in Business and Administration, I was given the opportunity by Rykneld Homes’ to progress on to NVQ Level 3. After completing my Level 3 I felt ready to take on a new challenge and applied for the interim role of E-Communications Assistant - this involved managing the company website and staff intranet.” Jamie so impressed us with this enthusiasm and commitment, that when the post of Communications Officer became available, he was considered for an interview and was successful in his application. Jamie is now part of the Communications Team and looks after our staff website, and social media platforms as well as undertaking general communication duties including publicity and design work.
Working together You’re hired! It’s not just business entrepreneur Lord Sugar who takes on apprentices! Rykneld Homes has just taken on new apprentice Jamie Mallender to work in its Customer Services Team. We will be supporting Jamie, who lives in Danesmoor, to complete a NVQ level 2 in Business Admin and help him develop his career options. Jamie, 19, heard about the apprenticeship after dropping off his CV at the Adult Education Centre (AEC) in Clay Cross. He was searching for work but finding it hard in the current climate. Jamie said: “I went on to the Direct Gov website looking for advice about searching for a job and they advised me to take my CV to the local AEC which I did. They passed my details on to Rykneld Homes, who were looking for an apprentice, and I got an interview and the job. “I am really grateful to Rykneld Homes for giving me this opportunity – it is great experience and a chance to train and gain qualifications.”
A helping hand As well as offering permanent work opportunities Rykneld is also looking at other ways to help people back into the world of work. We are offering volunteering placements designed to give participants a chance to learn new works skills or brush up on old ones. The placements are for eight weeks at a time. Already the scheme has proved a success for one of our participants who gained a permanent apprenticeship with a national company after being on our programme. To find out more about our volunteering opportunities contact our Community Involvement Team on 01246 217295 or visit our website at www.rykneldhomes.org.uk
Preparing for work As part of our commitment to promoting skills and job training, we worked with local
Jamie Mallender
schoolchildren to make them aware of careers within the construction industry. Our partners Apollo together with the Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire Learning Partnership and CITB Construction Skills put together challenging activities for Y10 children at the Shirebrook Academy in Chesterfield. Barrie Shead, Home Improvements Manager at Rykneld said: “We are keen to help young people in their career choices. The construction industry needs a skilled workforce and it is good to get young people thinking about the opportunities available to them.”
Rykneld Homes Limited is a company limited by guarantee, controlled by North East Derbyshire District Council and registered in England and Wales. Registered number is 05864912. Registered Office is: Pioneer House, Mill Lane, Wingerworth, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S42 6NG. Designed by North East Derbyshire District Council 5273
28 Homing in • www.rykneldhomes.org.uk
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YOUR RYKNELD JULY 2017 11
WORKING TOGETHER
WORKING TOGETHER
How you can get involved Estate walkabouts
Community activities
Rykneld Homes Board
There are lots of ways you can get involved in the work of Rykneld Homes. We are keen to encourage people to use their knowledge and experience for the benefit of everyone. Whether it’s working for us, taking part in our volunteering programme or becoming a member of our Board – we offer lots of different opportunities for you to get involved. We’ve included here details about some of the ways you might like to work with us. Don’t worry if you don’t think you have the right experience – we can offer training and development support. If you are interested in getting involved with us, please contact our Community Involvement Team on 01246 217670, check out our website www.rykneldhomes.org.uk or email get.involved@rykneldhomes.org.uk. We may not have any vacancies in your chosen area at the moment, but if that’s the case then we would welcome the opportunity to chat with you and register your interest for the future.
Board – our Board is made up of 10 members – including three tenant members. When we have vacancies they are advertised on our website and in Your Rykneld magazine. Employment Opportunities – check out the current vacancies section on our website at www.rykneldhomes.org.uk Volunteer Programme – we run regular eight week long volunteering programmes which give people looking to return to work the chance to learn and try out new skills. Work Experience – we offer work placements to students from local schools where students have the chance to try out everything from repairs and maintenance to office administration. Community Improvers – we are keen to recruit more 11-19-year-olds to join our Community Improvers group. You will have the chance to meet new people and try out new activities.
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Involved Groups – we are keen to recruit new members to join our Service Improvement Groups. We have a Repairs and Maintenance Service Improvement Group which looks at how we maintain our properties, a Neighbourhood Services Improvement Group which looks at how estates and tenancies are managed and a Tenant Inspectors Group which looks at the quality of our housing. We also have a Tenant Scrutiny Panel which looks at all the services we offer to check they meet customer needs. Estate Walkabouts – we invite all our customers to join our Housing and Support staff and partner organisations on our regular estate walkabouts. Community Events – Rykneld Homes supports a range of community events across the district from fun days to community litter picks. We welcome involvement from customers and residents and advertise our activities on our website and on Twitter. YOUR RYKNELD JULY 2017 13
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Making a difference Supporting local communities We are proud of our work to support local communities across the district. Over the past 10 years our award-winning Community Involvement Team have worked with many individuals and organisations to help support the projects that matter most to local people. We have invested more than £250,000 in local communities through our Neighbourhood Improvement Budget. The funding has been used to support initiatives ranging from sports equipment for a local boxing club, a wildlife open day at a local nature reserve, seating at a village sports ground, renovating village halls, supporting social groups in rural areas and giving funding and staff time to support community events. Case Study. Holmewood One of the communities we have supported over the years is Holmewood and their work to bring people together in the village. Our Community Involvement Team (CIT) has been a key member of the Heath and Holmewood Healthy
Partnership Group since it started in January 2014. The group was set up to help improve the health and wellbeing of residents and our team has developed and led projects and also worked in partnership with other organisations and individuals to make this a success. Without the support of community volunteers and other agencies, much of the good work which has taken place in Holmewood and Heath would not have been possible. Here are just some of the great projects that have taken place in Holmewood. Estate clean ups – Working with the community and partner organisations we improved the appearance of the estate. Feedback from the community was overwhelmingly positive. Community fun days and galas - Holmewood had not had a fun day for many years so the partnership decided to organise an event attracting hundreds of visitors. As a result residents from Heath wanted to host a similar event and a further event is being planned this summer. Holiday clubs - We provide on-going support to School Holiday Club activities including sports, crafts and healthy cooking sessions. The aim was to improve the self esteem, health and wellbeing of young people
whilst offering volunteering and training opportunities for the adults who organise and run the sessions. “We are hoping that this will provide a springboard to support people to take part in further involvement, training and employment.” Dianna, former St Albans Let’s Connect Project Co-ordinator. Dynamite youth club We attended a local voluntary church led youth club to introduce children and volunteers to new activities. “We are always grateful when the CIT come to our centre, whether this is to help at the foodbank or at the youth club. The sessions they run are always fun and informative, our service users really appreciate their involvement.” Jenny, volunteer at the Abundant Life Church.
Get cooking The CIT developed the Get Cooking to promote New homesproject in Killamarsh healthy eating and healthy lifestyles. The project offers children and adults the chance to learn how to cook on a budget using fresh produce. An eight week programme is planned for later this year. New Age Kurling New Age Kurling has been introduced to Holmewood and Heath and it has been a big hit. Rykneld Homes worked with Generation Games (managed by the Council) to set up a dedicated Kurling group for older people. The Group has taken the opportunity to take part in three inter-village tournaments which have been organised by Rykneld and the Council to bring together
New homes in Killamarsh Fun activities in Holmewood 14 YOUR RYKNELD JULY 2017
YOUR RYKNELD JULY 2017 15
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
As well as Holmewood we’ve included some of the other great projects we have supported over the past 10 years:
Mickley BMX Track Our Community Improvers worked very hard to get this project approved. They assisted in raising funds for the track and worked together with the local Parish Council to make their dream a reality. The track is enjoyed not only by people from the village but also surrounding areas. Rykneld is really proud of the dedication the young people showed towards improving their local facilities.
Seed to Plate project Our Community Involvement Team has enjoyed running the family sessions on the North Wingfield allotment site. Families come along on a weekly basis to get involved with planting and growing vegetables on the allotment space. The group also cooks or bakes using ingredients grown on the allotments and everyone can sit down together to enjoy the food.
Duke of Edinburgh Award We have supported seven of our Community Improvers to take up the challenge of achieving their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award. Our Community Involvement Team has become accredited and licensed to run the DofE programme and further groups will be supported to undertake the challenge in the future.
Kurling We have promoted kurling groups and clubs across the District. The game is fantastic for people with mobility or disability issues. We helped to establish clubs in Killamarsh, Holmgate, Holmewood, Clay Cross, Danesmoor, Dronfield and Eckington helping to reduce social isolation and encourage health and wellbeing activities for older people. 16 YOUR RYKNELD JULY 2017
YOUR RYKNELD JULY 2017 17
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Supporting communities across North East Derbyshire Here are some of the fantastic projects we have supported over the years. We are proud to have helped local people make such a positive difference to their communities – whether it was renovating a community centre or organising a village fete – we celebrate your achievements!
Holmgate and Hepthorne Lane Community Centres and Mickley Village Hall - towards refurbishment costs for the buildings. David Lowe Chair of Holmgate Community Centre Committee said: “Without the help of Rykneld Homes I do not think we would have been as successful.” The Mickley Community and Tenants Association, said: “We are so grateful for the support and assistance of Rykneld Homes and their partners in renovating our village hall. Without the support we would have been forced to close the hall and this would have been devastating for Mickley.” Killamarsh Tenants and Residents Forum to produce a history book about the town The author, Bernard Dye, said: “The book would not have been possible without the grant from Rykneld Homes and support from other funders such as the council. Interest in the book has been fantastic – we have had orders from people living as far afield as New York, Texas and Australia.”
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New Tupton Allotment Association received funding to pay for gates, hard standing and fencing at the site. The Association, said: “A massive thank you for taking the time and with great enthusiasm, to make our project a reality. “Since the 1920s when the Association was created the allotments have never had any help or money for any improvements. I must say your team is a breath of fresh air.” Rykneld awarded funding given towards the creation of a BMX track in Mickley Cllr Barry Barnes, Chair of the Parish Council, said: “We are delighted that Rykneld Homes and the Community Improvers got the ball rolling on this scheme and put so much effort into getting it off the ground.” Clay Cross Air Cadets received funding to help buy a van The Cadet group said: “We have worked long and hard for this fantastic minibus and when Rykneld Homes stepped-in with a grant for around a quarter of the cost, they enabled us to get on the road about a year ahead of schedule.”
Chesterfield Boxing Club received funding for new equipment following the refurbishment of the centre. Eddie Jarvis from the club, said: “We have had some setbacks over the years but the refurbishment has turned the club around and given the building a new lease of life. Thank you to Rykneld Homes for their contribution. The matting and the boxing ring were the icing on the cake.” Support for improvements to Grassmoor Allotments. The Association, said: “Thank you on behalf of all the allotment holders on the site who have welcomed the addition of the gates and the added security that they have brought. It has been incredible the change that this project has brought about in bringing the allotment holders together and bringing the community spirit back to the site.” Eckington Scout Hut received funding for improvements to the hut. The group said: “We are so pleased with and grateful to the Community Involvement Team at Rykneld Homes for the guidance they provided when we needed it the most. “Now we don’t have to worry about the renovation and we know the hut is a safe environment for the children”. Dronfield Gentle Exercise Group The group were delighted with their funding: “We would like to say thank you to Rykneld for supporting our group, it is appreciated by all who come to the classes. The sessions help to keep us moving and provide a social meeting point where we make new friends.”
We hope all of these projects will leave a lasting legacy for customers and their communities and Rykneld looks forward to continuing our work to support people who want to make a positive difference in our district.
We've included here some of the other projects we have supported over the years: n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n
A new playground was installed at unstone Wingerworth Tennis Club to erect new fencing around their courts Marsh Lane Tenants and Residents Association to upgrade the community centre Ridgeway Village in Bloom Support for the Temple Normanton Allotment Project Young Persons Play Area in Wingerworth Funding to help set up the Dizzy Ducks Toddler Group in Eckington Barlow and Stonebroom Carnivals Support for Friends of Grassmoor School Clay Cross 50+ Forum to create a heritage mural at Tupton Primary School Setting up Mickley Youth Club Support for Eckington Boys and Belles football teams Support for the North Derbyshire Forum for Mental Health Groups Coal Aston, Clay Cross and Eckington Cricket Clubs Support for the Living Hope Foodbank in Holmewood
YOUR RYKNELD JULY 2017 19
BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE
BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE
Building new homes Over the past decade we have been proud of our work to improve and build new homes in our district. In some cases the transformation has been major, such as replacing older housing with modern homes or renovating an entire estate of flats to make them warmer and easier to heat. We take a look here at some of the positive changes that have taken place in the past 10 years, helping to make life better for customers, residents and the communities they live in.
Decent Homes Rykneld Homes carried out one of the biggest investments in council homes in a generation when it managed the £63m Decent Homes programme. Thousands of homes across the district benefited from the work which included new doors, windows, kitchens, bathrooms, heating systems and roofs where they were needed. The work improved living conditions and thermal comfort for customers and their families helping them to control their fuel bills and reduce fuel poverty. We continue to make a substantial investment in your homes and constantly look for new ways to improve the standard of the properties and make sure they benefit from new technologies.
The Tarrans were pre-fabricated homes built after the Second World War to replace bomb-damaged property. They were intended to last 25 years – but were still standing more than 60 years later! Because of their construction the bungalows were difficult to heat and keep warm. In their place now stand modern, warm, energy efficient properties which have been a great success with our customers. As well as building new homes in Eckington and Killamarsh we have carried out new build – both bungalows and family homes, in other parts of the district including Grassmoor, Dronfield and Tupton.
New homes We replaced 99 defective Tarran bungalows in Eckington and Killamarsh with a total of 129 new homes – a mixture of bungalows and family properties.
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Before Tarran bungalow
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In Grassmoor we replaced nine prefabricated bungalows with a mixture of 25 new bungalows and family homes In Dronfield we used vacant land to build four new semi-detached properties to help ease the housing shortage in an area of high demand In Tupton we worked with a developer to purchase three new bungalows.
New homes in Dronfield
Old bungalows in Grassmoor New build bungalow New homes in Grassmoor
New homes in Eckington 2 20 0 Y YOOUURR RRY YKKNNE EL LDD J JUUL LY Y 2 20 01 17 7
YOUR RYKNELD JULY 2017 21
BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE
BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE
CASE STuDY
We catch up with two sets of tenants who moved from an old Tarran bungalow into a new home. “I can’t believe the difference between my old home and my new bungalow. It’s funny because originally I didn’t want to leave the old place,” said Janet Chisnall who moved into her Killamarsh home almost two years ago. Instant, clean heat “In the Tarran I had solid fuel heating that needed making every day. It was dirty – you couldn’t keep anything clean. Now I have instant, clean heat and for the first time in many years I sometimes get too hot and need to turn the heating off. “The new bungalows have been built to a lovely standard and it was great being able to choose which kitchen units, tiles and floor coverings you wanted. I am very proud of my new home and want to look after it. Rykneld team was a rock “The support we received from Rykneld’s Community Liaison Team was fantastic, they were an absolute rock and nothing was too much trouble. “The move has brought people closer together. Although we knew each other before the move we now have a nice social group which meets up, which is great.”
22 YOUR RYKNELD JULY 2017
Bill and Elsie Tyler from Eckington were impressed at the difference their new home has made. “We really noticed a difference in how easy it was to keep our new home warm compared with the old Tarran bungalow,” said Bill and Elsie, who moved into their new home more than two years ago. “In the old place we had solid fuel heating, which was messy and dusty and then electric storage radiators, but they never kept the place as warm as we are now. It’s great just being able to press a button and get instant, clean heat.” Added Bill: “I get up in a morning to a lovely, warm home. That is one of the best things about living here. The other house used to be cold and felt damp and never stayed warm for long. I’ve also noticed a difference in our fuel bills, which are less than they used to be. “I’ve felt healthier as well since living here and I don’t have the chest problems I used to.”
Mr and Mrs Tyler with staff from the Rykneld Customer Liaison Team
Janet Chisnall in her lovely new bungalow
Nice, warm, modern home The couple’s daughter, Sandra said the move to a new home had given her peace of mind. “There are so many positives. They have a nice, warm modern home, a wetroom which is a big help, and a smaller garden which is easier to manage.”
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BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE
Looking to the future e continue to look for opportunities to develop new homes in our district and regenerate our older properties. We are already working with other housing providers on partnership projects, that will see more new homes created, whether for rent, shared ownership or for sale. Rykneld Homes established itself as a Registered Provider of homes in 2015 and this has enabled us to apply for and successfully access £888,525 of government funding to carry out new build projects. Rykneld Homes now has 44 of its own properties with more coming on line over the next year.
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Replacing 45 non-traditionally built homes in North Wingfield with 50 new properties on nearby land, with some offered for shared ownership. Regenerating non-traditionally built homes in Grassmoor by fitting external wall insulation and new roofs, windows and doors where needed. Working with another housing provider on a scheme to provide 30 new homes in Stonebroom – six to be offered for sale by Rykneld Homes. Progressing with plans to create 10 new homes for sale in the heart of Dronfield. We are converting the old Manor Farm Area Housing Office into apartments and building family homes on adjacent land.
New website service coming soon! We’re planning to introduce a new customer website service that puts you more in control of information about your tenancy. This summer we will be launching our Tenant Portal – a free online tool for tenants to log in and access details relating to your home. Our new portal will put information at your fingertips with 24 hour access, at a time and a place to suit you. By logging in to your Tenant Portal you will be able to find... n n n n n
Your account details Details of rent paid and rent due Ability to print out your rent statement Set up a Direct Debit on-line Log a repair
We will be contacting you with further details about our new service later in the year.
Building new homes in North Wingfield 24 YOUR RYKNELD JULY 2017
YOUR RYKNELD JULY 2017 25
PHOTO COMPETITION
Competitions Ryki Symbol
If you can solve our wordsearch or find the three Ryki characters hidden somewhere on the pages of this magazine you could win £25 in shopping vouchers! You can enter either one or both of our puzzles – the choice is yours! Congratulations! Well done to Ruth Mellors from Tupton who won £25 in shopping vouchers after winning our competition in the January issue of Your Rykneld. Can you find our three little Rykis?...................................................... 1.
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Please send competition entries to: Competitions, Communications, Rykneld Homes, Pioneer House, Mill Lane, Wingerworth, Chesterfield S42 6NG or hand in your entry form into one of our Area Housing Offices. Closing date for entries is Friday 11 August 2017. Name
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Winning photograph looking out over unstone from Hundall.
Bird of prey in Danesmoor
Photo winners! hanks to everyone who entered our 10th Anniversary photo competition in the January edition of Your Rykneld. We’ve included here three of the great entries we received – but there could only be one winner! The winning photo was from Greg Lazenby in Unstone and is a view looking out over Unstone from Hundall. We thought it showed a lovely part of North East Derbyshire at its very best. Greg receives our £50 in shopping vouchers. Our runners-up were Stuart Slinn from Wingerworth and his atmospheric shot of Ogston Reservoir and John Gould from Danesmoor who captured a fantastic bird of prey in his back garden!
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Ogston Reservoir
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AWARD WINNERS
CHARITY FUND-RAISING
Charity fund-raising big thank you to everyone who has supported us and our staff over the years with our charity fund raising. In the past four years alone we have raised more than £7,700 towards good causes through everything from sponsored walks to cake bakes. Over the years our staff have chosen to raise money for local and national charities – including Ashgate Hospicecare, Cancer Research UK, Children in Need, Macmillan Cancer Care, Derbyshire Bloodbikes, Derbyshire Air Ambulance and the British Heart Foundation. Last year alone we raised £3,700 including £1,500 for Ashgate Hospicecare.
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e work very hard, with customers and partners, to make sure the services we provide are of a high quality. So it’s great to receive external praise for our achievements – proving we are amongst the best at both regional and national level. Together with our involved customers, we have been proud to both win awards and be shortlisted for others – whether it’s the ground-breaking work of our Tenant Scrutiny Panel, or our fantastic work to regenerate housing in the district. We’ve included here some of our proudest moments and would like to take this opportunity to thank all the customers who have helped us on our journey. n
In 2013 we were shortlisted in the Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) Regional Award for Excellence in Working Together – for our work to transform the Older Person’s Housing Service.
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In 2013 our Community Involvement Team and Community Improvers were shortlisted in the TPAS Regional Award for Excellence in Youth Involvement.
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Our Tenant Scrutiny Panel won the regional finals of the TPAS Award for Excellence in Tenant Led Scrutiny in 2013 and went on to make the final three for the overall national title. Our regeneration and communications work on the Tarran new build scheme in Eckington and Killamarsh saw us named Chartered Institute of
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Public Relations Gold winners in the 2013 regional Pride Awards – for our Community Relations work. n
In 2015 we were shortlisted in the Housing Innovation Awards for Most Innovative Regeneration Project for our work on Stonelow Green flats in Dronfield.
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In 2016 we were named winners in the Yorkshire and Humberside Energy Efficiency and Retrofit Awards – for Large Scale Project of the Year and our work to improve the energy efficiency of nontraditional housing in our district.
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This year we were named national winners in the 2016 Housing Innovation Awards for our fantastic Community Engagement work. We were also shortlisted for Most Innovative Landlord of the Year and Most Innovative Regeneration Project.
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In February this year we were named winners in the Building Communities Awards in the Sustainability and Renewable Technology category – for our work to improve the energy efficiency of nontraditional homes. Our Customer Services were named runners-up for Team of the Year and our HR Team runners-up for Training Award of the Year. We were also shortlisted for Apprentice of the Year and Project of the Year.
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In March this year we were named regional Landlord of the Year in the Energy Efficiency and Healthy Homes Awards.
The Alzheimer’s Society This year we asked our staff which charity they wanted to support and they voted for The Alzheimer’s Society - a charity close to many people’s hearts. Our staff will also continue to support other charities – both national and local – and have already planned to take part in the Ashgate Sparkle Walk this year.
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ANNUAL REPORT SATISFACTION
ANNUAL REPORT PEFORMANCE 2016/17
How are we doing? heck out our performance for the past year by taking a look at the results of our Tenant Satisfaction Survey and some of the results in our Annual Report 2016/17. Every year we send out a Satisfaction Survey to all our customers and last year we were very proud to receive our highest rating ever – with 94% of people saying they were happy with the overall service we provided. At the end of the financial year – in March – we also take a look at how we have performed over the past twelve months and we have included some of the figures here as well.
98.43% of rent collected
260 homes
99.25% Responsive repairs completed on target
satisfaction with the overall service provided by Rykneld Homes
Overall customer satisfaction with our services
2007 78%
2016 94%
2007 73%
2016 86%
31,518 responsive and planned repairs completed on target
£ 94%
istening to your views and learning from your feedback has helped us deliver first class customer care over the years. Year on year we have seen overall customer satisfaction with our services increase and last year we received a fantastic 94% approval rating from you – our highest score ever! You’ve also told us that since we launched in 2007 our performance in key service areas, such as repairs and maintenance and our contact centre has gone from strength to strength. We’ve included here some of the key results from the surveys to show how our customers have rated us over the past 10 years. We are very proud of our achievement and are working hard to ensure we continue to meet the very high standards we have set.
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satisfaction with the standard of the properties we let
satisfaction that the rent charged provides value for money
How well we take your views into account
2007 58%
2016 85%
Satisfaction with the repairs and maintenance service
Satisfaction with our Contact Centre
2007 80%
2016 97%
Satisfaction with your neighbourhood as a place to live
Getting it right At Rykneld Homes we aim to deliver a high standard in the services we deliver to our customers, but we accept we don’t always get it right. When this is the case it is important we understand why, so we can improve our performance. One of the areas we identified from your feedback was the need to improve internal and contractor communication. To support this, all staff have received additional complaints training and this area has been monitored throughout 2016/17 to ensure improvement. If you would like to know more about our performance and Business Plan for 2017/20 please go to www.rykneldhomes.org.uk 30 YOUR RYKNELD JULY 2017
100% Gas Safety compliance
2007 87%
2016 93%
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