Hometalk summer 2015

Soha Housing presents

Launchpad! Join us for opportunities, training and work information, competitions, activities and more.

Laser Tag, Circus Skills, Model Making & Crafts!

Soha Housingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; magazine | Summer 2015

YOUR VOTE COUNTS!

DigIt! with Damien

What a difference a day makes

Page 04

Page 05

Page 09

Cornerstone Arts Centre, Didcot Wednesday 5 August 4-7pm

Out & about with Soha Page 06

Hometalk | Soha Housing’s residents’ magazine | Summer 2015

How we’re doing Our performance for 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015 Performance Key: Achieved

| Nearly Achieved

| Not Achieved

Satisfaction Overall tenant satisfaction with Soha’s services

Tenants satisfied that Soha listens to their views and acts upon them

Welcome to Hometalk Soha has had a great year. We set ourselves tough targets so we can be one of the best charitable housing organisations in the country and I’m delighted that our overall tenant satisfaction result is so good. We are in the top 25% in the south. We also had great feedback from tenants saying that we listen to them and are in the top 25% in England for this.

In this issue... P4 Your vote counts! / Who’s your Soha Star for 2015?

P5 DigIt with Damien

I

n 2015, we completed our 2000th new home which is a fantastic achievement. Your rent payments enable us to accommodate people in housing need.

Target: 92% Actual: 90% Target: 78% Actual: 77%

Finally, by helping tenants manage rent payments and not getting into debt, our arrears performance is in the top 25% in the south. We have set new challenging targets for the future. With the help of our involved tenants, I am confident we will remain a financially strong housing charity which provides excellent services to all residents.

P6 Out & About with Soha

Richard Peacock, Chief Executive

Repairs Emergency repairs completed on time

Arrears Urgent repairs completed on time

Routine repairs completed on time

Arrears for current tenants Actual:

Actual:

99.5%

Target: 99%

Actual:

1.9%

Actual:

99.5%

97.3%

Target: 99%

Target:

1.8%

Contact us

P9 What a difference a day makes

The Editor, Hometalk magazine, Soha Housing, Royal Scot House, 99 Station Road, Didcot OX11 7NN Call 01235 515 900 or free from a landline on 0800 014 15 45 Email housing@soha.co.uk Join the conversation on Twitter @SohaHousing Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SohaHousing

Homes

New homes built or acquired 2013-2015

Sub-editor: Sue Grief of Write Away! Designed by: Toast Design www.toastdesign.co.uk

Average re-let time for all homes Target: 2.8 Weeks Actual: 3.3 Weeks

Print managed by: Target: 450

Audio services by Transcriptions Direct www.transcriptionsdirect.co.uk

Actual: 639 02 2 www.soha.co.uk

Hometalk is also available in large print, audio and electronic formats. If you would like to receive a different version, or unsubscribe from receiving Hometalk altogether, please email lizroberts@soha.co.uk or call us on the telephone number above.

P10 Diary dates

www.soha.co.uk 03 3

Hometalk | Soha Housing’s residents’ magazine | Summer 2015

How we’re doing Our performance for 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015 Performance Key: Achieved

| Nearly Achieved

| Not Achieved

Satisfaction Overall tenant satisfaction with Soha’s services

Tenants satisfied that Soha listens to their views and acts upon them

Welcome to Hometalk Soha has had a great year. We set ourselves tough targets so we can be one of the best charitable housing organisations in the country and I’m delighted that our overall tenant satisfaction result is so good. We are in the top 25% in the south. We also had great feedback from tenants saying that we listen to them and are in the top 25% in England for this.

In this issue... P4 Your vote counts! / Who’s your Soha Star for 2015?

P5 DigIt with Damien

I

n 2015, we completed our 2000th new home which is a fantastic achievement. Your rent payments enable us to accommodate people in housing need.

Target: 92% Actual: 90% Target: 78% Actual: 77%

Finally, by helping tenants manage rent payments and not getting into debt, our arrears performance is in the top 25% in the south. We have set new challenging targets for the future. With the help of our involved tenants, I am confident we will remain a financially strong housing charity which provides excellent services to all residents.

P6 Out & About with Soha

Richard Peacock, Chief Executive

Repairs Emergency repairs completed on time

Arrears Urgent repairs completed on time

Routine repairs completed on time

Arrears for current tenants Actual:

Actual:

99.5%

Target: 99%

Actual:

1.9%

Actual:

99.5%

97.3%

Target: 99%

Target:

1.8%

Contact us

P9 What a difference a day makes

The Editor, Hometalk magazine, Soha Housing, Royal Scot House, 99 Station Road, Didcot OX11 7NN Call 01235 515 900 or free from a landline on 0800 014 15 45 Email housing@soha.co.uk Join the conversation on Twitter @SohaHousing Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SohaHousing

Homes

New homes built or acquired 2013-2015

Sub-editor: Sue Grief of Write Away! Designed by: Toast Design www.toastdesign.co.uk

Average re-let time for all homes Target: 2.8 Weeks Actual: 3.3 Weeks

Print managed by: Target: 450

Audio services by Transcriptions Direct www.transcriptionsdirect.co.uk

Actual: 639 02 2 www.soha.co.uk

Hometalk is also available in large print, audio and electronic formats. If you would like to receive a different version, or unsubscribe from receiving Hometalk altogether, please email lizroberts@soha.co.uk or call us on the telephone number above.

P10 Diary dates

www.soha.co.uk 03 3

Hometalk | Soha Housing’s residents’ magazine | Summer 2015

DigIt!

YOUR VOTE COUNTS! The 2015 Tenants’ Forum Annual General Meeting is on Thursday, September 3. This is your chance to choose the tenants you want to represent you on the Forum.

T

o be able to vote at the AGM you must be a Soha tenant, leaseholder or shared owner. Anyone interested in standing for election should contact Lynn Wignall on 01235 515900 or email her on lwignall@soha.co.uk for an application pack.

If you’d like to come to the AGM, which runs from 5.45pm to 7.30pm, or to be an observer at any of the Forum meetings, please contact Lynn to book your place. You don’t have to come to the AGM to be able to have your say – postal votes are also available from Lynn.

Deadline for applications is August 10, 2015 and deadline for postal ballots is September 10. Results will be announced to candidates by 4.30pm on September 11 and will be available on Soha’s website on September 14. Full election rules are available at www.soha.co.uk.

with Damien

YOU SAID, WE DID You said that the demolished garage site on the Gainsborough Estate in Henley should still be used for parking rather than building more homes. Soha is now resurfacing the car park, putting in marked bays including disabled slots and installing a communal planting area.

Who’s your Soha Star? We’re looking for two very special people. Does your neighbour help you out when you’re stuck? Do you know someone who runs a community group in their spare time? Then why not nominate them for the Soha Tenants’ Awards 2015?

Y

ou don’t have to be a Soha tenant, but the person you nominate does. Nominations must be received by 5pm on Friday August 28, 2015. First choose which category you’d like to nominate them for, and then write a few words about why you think they should receive the award. Everybody shortlisted by our judging panel (made up of tenants and Soha staff) will be invited to a special event in September where the winners will be announced. 4

www.soha.co.uk

I’d like to nominate: Who lives in: For: Soha Neighbour of the Year 2015 (this should be someone who goes out of their way to help you)

Well, summer’s definitely here… and will you be lazing around in the garden? Not if our award-winning Soha gardener, Damien, has anything to do with it! Here are his top tips for jobs to do (between sun lounger sessions) around now.

D

eadhead flowering plants regularly, cutting just above the top leaf on the stem.

Watering, watering, watering! particularly containers and new plants. Thoroughly water at least once a day so you can be sure the compost doesn’t dry out completely. Once the soil in pots or baskets has gone dry, however much you water you use, it will just run off. So give those pots a soak in a bowl or some other container every now and then. Plastic is much lighter to move about than terracotta and, in really hot spells, the soil dries out much less quickly.

If you have a water butt, it’s probably quite low by now - so this is a good time to clean it out. Get rid of any sludge in the bottom to ensure a better flow next time it’s got some rainwater in it … and prevent water stagnating and starting to stink! Collect seeds from favourite plants. You’ll need a small pair of scissors to snip off dried seed heads and paper bags or envelopes to put the whole head in as soon as you’ve cut it. Go for quite a large size so that you can shake the bag to release the seeds from the head which you can then throw away. And don’t forget to label the envelope immediately you’ve filled it!

DO YOU HAVE GARDENING TIPS? Soha residents have been swapping ideas and questions about plants and all sorts of interesting topics online for nearly a year now. Take a look at greenersoha.wordpress. com and join the Soha “green” community!

Take a look at the last edition of Hometalk and see which category of our competition your green fingers are most suited to entering! Whatever the size of your garden (even if it’s just a windowsill) the “prettiest pots and plots” contest could earn you some rather nice gardening vouchers.

Soha Community Gem 2015 (this should be someone who goes the extra mile to help their whole community) Because:

My name: My address:

My telephone number: Please return this form to: FREEPOST SOHA HOUSING

YOU SAID, WE DID You said you enjoyed the Thame Mixers cookery classes, so this year we ran more classes in Cholsey. Cholsey Mixers said they wanted to carry on - they have now applied for, and been granted, funding from Soha’s 2,000 Fund.

www.soha.co.uk

5

Hometalk | Soha Housing’s residents’ magazine | Summer 2015

DigIt!

YOUR VOTE COUNTS! The 2015 Tenants’ Forum Annual General Meeting is on Thursday, September 3. This is your chance to choose the tenants you want to represent you on the Forum.

T

o be able to vote at the AGM you must be a Soha tenant, leaseholder or shared owner. Anyone interested in standing for election should contact Lynn Wignall on 01235 515900 or email her on lwignall@soha.co.uk for an application pack.

If you’d like to come to the AGM, which runs from 5.45pm to 7.30pm, or to be an observer at any of the Forum meetings, please contact Lynn to book your place. You don’t have to come to the AGM to be able to have your say – postal votes are also available from Lynn.

Deadline for applications is August 10, 2015 and deadline for postal ballots is September 10. Results will be announced to candidates by 4.30pm on September 11 and will be available on Soha’s website on September 14. Full election rules are available at www.soha.co.uk.

with Damien

YOU SAID, WE DID You said that the demolished garage site on the Gainsborough Estate in Henley should still be used for parking rather than building more homes. Soha is now resurfacing the car park, putting in marked bays including disabled slots and installing a communal planting area.

Who’s your Soha Star? We’re looking for two very special people. Does your neighbour help you out when you’re stuck? Do you know someone who runs a community group in their spare time? Then why not nominate them for the Soha Tenants’ Awards 2015?

Y

ou don’t have to be a Soha tenant, but the person you nominate does. Nominations must be received by 5pm on Friday August 28, 2015. First choose which category you’d like to nominate them for, and then write a few words about why you think they should receive the award. Everybody shortlisted by our judging panel (made up of tenants and Soha staff) will be invited to a special event in September where the winners will be announced. 4

www.soha.co.uk

I’d like to nominate: Who lives in: For: Soha Neighbour of the Year 2015 (this should be someone who goes out of their way to help you)

Well, summer’s definitely here… and will you be lazing around in the garden? Not if our award-winning Soha gardener, Damien, has anything to do with it! Here are his top tips for jobs to do (between sun lounger sessions) around now.

D

eadhead flowering plants regularly, cutting just above the top leaf on the stem.

Watering, watering, watering! particularly containers and new plants. Thoroughly water at least once a day so you can be sure the compost doesn’t dry out completely. Once the soil in pots or baskets has gone dry, however much you water you use, it will just run off. So give those pots a soak in a bowl or some other container every now and then. Plastic is much lighter to move about than terracotta and, in really hot spells, the soil dries out much less quickly.

If you have a water butt, it’s probably quite low by now - so this is a good time to clean it out. Get rid of any sludge in the bottom to ensure a better flow next time it’s got some rainwater in it … and prevent water stagnating and starting to stink! Collect seeds from favourite plants. You’ll need a small pair of scissors to snip off dried seed heads and paper bags or envelopes to put the whole head in as soon as you’ve cut it. Go for quite a large size so that you can shake the bag to release the seeds from the head which you can then throw away. And don’t forget to label the envelope immediately you’ve filled it!

DO YOU HAVE GARDENING TIPS? Soha residents have been swapping ideas and questions about plants and all sorts of interesting topics online for nearly a year now. Take a look at greenersoha.wordpress. com and join the Soha “green” community!

Take a look at the last edition of Hometalk and see which category of our competition your green fingers are most suited to entering! Whatever the size of your garden (even if it’s just a windowsill) the “prettiest pots and plots” contest could earn you some rather nice gardening vouchers.

Soha Community Gem 2015 (this should be someone who goes the extra mile to help their whole community) Because:

My name: My address:

My telephone number: Please return this form to: FREEPOST SOHA HOUSING

YOU SAID, WE DID You said you enjoyed the Thame Mixers cookery classes, so this year we ran more classes in Cholsey. Cholsey Mixers said they wanted to carry on - they have now applied for, and been granted, funding from Soha’s 2,000 Fund.

www.soha.co.uk

5

Hometalk | Soha Housing’s residents’ magazine | Summer 2015

Out & about with Soha

Now that summer’s here and the weather’s picking up, there’s more to report from Out & About. We hope you enjoy our highlights and if you missed out on the fun over the past few months showcased here, just check out what’s coming up in our Diary Dates pages at the back of the magazine. Friday 13 March

Ed Vaizey, MP opens our 2000th new-build home and we celebrate with a tea party at Great Western Park

Monday 30 March

Tenants attend a Co-regulation Away Day and debate issues around how Soha is run

Friday 10 April

Jackie, Andrea and Tom lead a den-building, pond-dipping, bug-hunting, fun-filled day at Sutton Courtenay

April & May

The Cholsey Mixers whip up a variety of tasty dishes under the keen eye of Mrs Bun the Baker

Thursday 7 May

Tenants on tour! The 2015 Development Tour visits Goring, Didcot and Steventon

Friday 22 May

VE Day celebrations at Windmill Place, Thame

Tuesday 2 June

Soha’s Jackie and Andrea whip up interest in a residents’ association at the Didcot Volunteering Fair

6

www.soha.co.uk

7

Hometalk | Soha Housing’s residents’ magazine | Summer 2015

Out & about with Soha

Now that summer’s here and the weather’s picking up, there’s more to report from Out & About. We hope you enjoy our highlights and if you missed out on the fun over the past few months showcased here, just check out what’s coming up in our Diary Dates pages at the back of the magazine. Friday 13 March

Ed Vaizey, MP opens our 2000th new-build home and we celebrate with a tea party at Great Western Park

Monday 30 March

Tenants attend a Co-regulation Away Day and debate issues around how Soha is run

Friday 10 April

Jackie, Andrea and Tom lead a den-building, pond-dipping, bug-hunting, fun-filled day at Sutton Courtenay

April & May

The Cholsey Mixers whip up a variety of tasty dishes under the keen eye of Mrs Bun the Baker

Thursday 7 May

Tenants on tour! The 2015 Development Tour visits Goring, Didcot and Steventon

Friday 22 May

VE Day celebrations at Windmill Place, Thame

Tuesday 2 June

Soha’s Jackie and Andrea whip up interest in a residents’ association at the Didcot Volunteering Fair

6

www.soha.co.uk

7

Hometalk | Soha Housing’s residents’ magazine | Summer 2015

What a difference a day makes Toby Laver, Tenancy Support Officer

“I’d really like people to understand that my job is far from being just about getting people in a fit financial state to pay their rent. The Tenancy Support Service can help tenants get onto a firmer footing with all their commitments by working on a simple budget plan with them. “Just as an example, I often come across first-time renters who have not realised that all households have to

IF PEOPLE ARE OFF THE BEATEN TRACK OR NOT CONFIDENT WITH COMPUTERS, I CAN BID FOR PROPERTIES ON THEIR BEHALF.

8

www.soha.co.uk

I’D REALLY LIKE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT MY JOB IS FAR FROM BEING JUST ABOUT GETTING PEOPLE IN A FIT FINANCIAL STATE TO PAY THEIR RENT. organise and pay their own electricity, gas and water accounts. New single parents might need my help to claim all the Benefits they’re entitled to or to make a referral to a Children’s Centre or Home Start for practical support. “If someone’s leading a complex lifestyle with mental health issues or an alcohol or drug addiction, I might be visiting to help them access the services of the Community Mental Health Team in their area, Social Services, or local charities who deal specifically with relieving the loneliness of those who aren’t managing too well. “Quite a few of my visits are to an older person and that might be with a view to helping them find another home to downsize into (for example, using HomeChoice or HomeSwapper). If people are off the beaten track or not confident with computers, I can bid for properties on their behalf.

Mind

Foodbanks Store cupboard food for people in crisis – usually enough for three days per member of the household.*

Advice, support and socialising opportunities for people to promote mental health well-being.

Soha’s Tenancy Support Service helps tenants who are finding it difficult to maintain their tenancy, or who might be heading for difficulties. Toby’s overriding aim is to prevent residents from losing their homes. His job means a lot of travel around Soha’s neighbourhoods to visit tenants. He described what his work involves to Hometalk - but first we wanted to know how he finds out about the tenants who need some support. “It’s mostly Housing Officers who refer tenants to me – or sometimes our repairs partners, such as the gas servicing contractors, who have been into someone’s home and just got the feeling the residents might not be coping very well at the moment. So I’ll contact the tenant in question and see if I can visit them to discuss how I could help. Not everyone agrees to see me, and that’s fine: I’m not going to wade into someone’s affairs and help them out if they don’t want it!

Help at hand... Carers’ organisations (Such as South and Vale Carers Centre) provide free confidential advice, information and support to unpaid carers by telephone or in the home.*

Home Start

Tel: 01865 247788 www.oxmindguide.org.uk

Citizens Advice Bureau

Restore

“We can also discuss other housing options, such as a move to sheltered or Extra Care accommodation or asking for disability adaptations in their existing home.” Hometalk asked Toby about all the agencies he works with to support our residents and found the whole list would run into pages! So on the opposite page are some of those partners Toby deals with most often. If you’d like to know more about their work, or about Toby’s job as Soha’s Tenancy Support Officer, please get in contact with Soha on housing@soha.co.uk or 01235 515 900/0800 014 15 45.

YOU SAID, WE DID You said you’d like more activities and surgeries in our sheltered schemes. Using consultation and feedback from residents, a wide range of activities are being organised by scheme managers. Activities are based on health, wellbeing and hobbies. Scheme surgeries are held on a weekly basis, giving residents the opportunity to meet with the scheme manger and feed back what they would like to see happening.

Support for people with mental health issues in Oxfordshire to recover and get work through training and coaching. Tel: 0845 250 0518 or 01865 455823 www.restore.org.uk

Befriending support, practical and emotional advice in the homes of families who are having difficulties managing parenting for a variety of different reasons. Tel: 01235 511152 www.homestart-southern oxfordshire.org.uk

Children’s Centres Good Neighbours schemes Small jobs around the home, including decorating, shopping, help with filling in forms. Tel: 0345 450 1276 and ask for the helpline www.ageuk.org.uk/oxfordshire/ information--advice

Volunteer Centres Similar to Good Neighbours, Volunteer Centres often provide drivers for hospital and GP appointments.*

(Such as Action for Children or NOMAD facilities in Oxfordshire). They ensure very small children are prepared for school when the time comes whilst supporting the whole family.*

Provides independent free advice by telephone, online or face-to-face. Tel: 03444 111 444 www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Elmore Community Services Provides support for people with complex needs, such as (ex)offenders or those involved in antisocial behaviour. Tel: 01865 200 130 www.elmorecommunityservices. org.uk

Connection Floating Support Sensory Impairment Team The County Council specialist team providing aids and advice to people who are, for example, visually impaired or losing their hearing. Tel: 01865 894925 www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ cms/content/contact-sensoryimpairment-team

Helps vulnerable adults who are experiencing housing difficulties to get advice and support. Tel: 01865 711267 www.connectionfs.org

* to find out locations, call or email Soha (see contact box on page 8)

www.soha.co.uk

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