Pillar — Issue One 2017 by Housing Plus Group

A newsletter for Severnside residents

Issue 1 2017

Fair Landlord Issue

Fair Landlord â&#x20AC;&#x201C; fairer for you: Pages 3-8

Your award-winning Group: Page 10

Celebrating more new homes: Page 16

Front cover: Jan Goode, Housing Plus Group and Claire Poulson, Severnside Housing with local children at the Learning Programme Community Day

WELCOME to the Fair Landlord edition of Pillar. We have exciting news for you about our Fair Landlord campaign, which will be launched in October. Fair Landlord was rolledout to our Staffordshire customers in 2015 and has been a huge success. By introducing Fair Landlord in Shropshire we are committing to ensuring that our spending, investment and actions are fair for all of our customers. That means planning our spending wisely. You can read all about it on pages 3-8. We also have some great success stories to share with

you, including how you can take part in our inspirational new Learning Programme. You will see that we want you to get involved and help shape our services, ensuring that we continue to provide the excellent housing and support services that our communities really need. Take part in our surveys to tell us how we are doing, suggest ways that we could improve or join June Jones on one of our new customer panels. You could even work for us – check out our latest vacancies on page 15. Before I sign-off and leave you to enjoy Pillar, I wanted to give you one important reminder. If you are online, through a laptop, PC or

smartphone, please make sure we have your current email address and mobile number so we can keep you posted on all the latest news, info and advice.

Jan Goode

Neighbourhoods Director

New homes coming soon… Along with our extensive new build programmes, Severnside also partners with a number of quality house builders to buy affordable homes directly from them. These properties tend to be on larger Okehampton Road developments and make it possible for us to provide more new homes. To bid for these homes please visit Ellesmere Road, Shrewsbury

Due for completion in November 2017, we are purchasing 12 two bed flats and four three bed houses from Redrow Homes in Okehampton Road, Leegomery.

Also due for completion in November 2017, we are purchasing four two bed houses and four three bed houses from Redrow Homes in Elllesmere Road, Shrewsbury. To bid

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Two of the new homes are available to purchase through shared ownership. Shared ownership can help first time buyers, who are unable to afford to buy a home at full market value, get a foot on the property ladder. For further details please visit – www.severnhomes.co.uk or call 0300 300 0059

www.homesdirect.org.uk

Okehampton Road, Leegomery, Telford

for these homes please visit www. shropshirehomepoint.co.uk

Ellesmere Road

Fair Landlord • Fair Landlord • Fair Landlord • Fair Landlord Fair Landlord

Fair Landlord. Fairer for customers

Fair Landlord

In October 2017, we will be introducing Fair Landlord to make sure all of our customers get a fair deal from Severnside. By introducing Fair Landlord we are committing to ensuring that our spending, investment and actions are fair for all of our customers.

Reducing rent arrears

That means planning our spending to benefit more of our customers.

Paying your rent is a key part of the tenancy agreement you have with us. It is your responsibility to make sure that your rent is paid on time – whether you pay your rent yourself or it is paid by someone else, including housing benefit.

Being a Fair Landlord isn’t about us making cuts or reducing services. We will look carefully at our costs and ask two simple questions:

1. Are we benefiting the majority of our customers? 2. Is this our responsibility as a Fair Landlord? Our Fair Landlord approach will ensure that we can maintain investment in home improvements, keep building new homes and deliver a great repairs and maintenance service.

We hope to be able to reduce our outgoings by an estimated £25,000. This money can then be spent on providing more fantastic new kitchens, high quality bathrooms or more energy-efficient boilers – cutting energy bills for customers by around £300 per year. The easiest way to pay your rent is by direct debit. It’s convenient and gives you the peace of mind that your rent will be paid on time. Just call our customer services team on 0300 300 0059 and they will set up a direct debit over the telephone with you.

If we speak to you about your rent when you contact us or call you to discuss rent arrears, please don’t worry! We are trying to help you.

Keeping rent arrears down ensures that customers who pay their rent on time, every time, are not unfairly subsidising other customers’ rent arrears.

Advice to help you avoid rent debt is available from Mark Simpson and the Employment & Money Advice team.

Under Fair Landlord we will be:

ll Proactively working with

customers to prevent and reduce rent arrears

ll Clear about the repairs that

we are responsible for, as your landlord, and what repairs you are responsible for under the terms of your tenancy agreement

ll Extending Property Plus’

award-winning MOT repairs programme into Shropshire

ll Investing savings made as

a result of not carrying out repairs, which are not our responsibility, into our planned maintenance programme. Pillar | Issue 1 2017

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The rent that you pay covers the cost of repairs and maintenance, helps us to provide new homes in local communities and means that we can invest in more home improvements. Although our rent arrears fell to 0.95% last year, this still equates to a reduction in income of over £255,000. The more of this outstanding money that we can collect, the more new kitchens, bathrooms and energy-efficient boilers we can install. With further housing benefit changes being introduced in February 2018, for all working age customers, we anticipate that rent arrears may rise. It is therefore vitally important that we continue to work with customers to help reduce arrears.

Need help? If you are struggling to pay your rent, or have concerns about debt, it is really important that you talk to us. We can work together to try to ensure you don’t fall into rent debt and risk losing your home. There are many ways we can help you. You can be referred to our employment and money advice team or we can signpost you to one of our partner agencies who also offer support to manage your money. For further information please contact our customer services team on 0300 300 0059 or email enquiries@severnside housing.co.uk

What does Fair Landlord mean for your repairs service? It means that we keep our promises. It means that we will do everything that we are obliged to do in the tenancy agreement and do it really well. It also means that we will make savings by NOT doing the work which isn’t our responsibility and invest those savings in 4

Pillar | Issue 1 2017

more home improvements and planned maintenance.

Which jobs are your responsibility and when would you call the repairs team? There are some repairs which are OUR responsibility and some which are YOURS. The easy way to remember this is that we look after the structure of your home

and its fixtures, as well as any communal areas like entrance halls or shared landings. To help you understand which repairs you are responsible for we have produced the handy repairs checklist below, which you can cut out and keep for future reference. The checklist also tells you what additional repairs you can request from us, at affordable prices.

REPAIR CHECKLIST Repair

Our responsibility

Your responsibility

Lighting in communal entrance or landing Blocked guttering

Cleared as part of the MOT programme

Window won’t close or open Broken shower (which we fitted) Leaking roof Loss of power Problem with your hot water or heating Decorating the outside of your home

Call PH Jones on 0800 316 2104 Completed as part of the MOT programme

Repair tap or kitchen unit Broken or misted glass in windows

Replaced as part of the MOT programme

Blocked sink or toilet, replacement toilet seat Condensation

We can offer advice to reduce

Lost key

We charge for replacement keys

– gaining access and replacing lock to a timber door – gaining access and replacing lock to a composite door New bulb for lighting inside your home or for your security lighting Fixtures and fittings (e.g. curtain rails) Minor crack in the plaster inside your home Pest control (e.g. bees, wasps or squirrels) Replacing a blown fuse Damaged electrical socket (except fair wear and tear) Decorating the inside of your home

Chargeable service available

d • Fair Landlord • Fair Landlord • Fair Landlord • Fair Landlord

We’ve already made a start Property Plus, who deliver repairs and maintenance services to Severnside, have already launched their award-winning MOT programme in Shropshire and customers love it! We have a target to complete MOTs at 20% of our homes each year, so in the next five years all of our homes will benefit from the introduction of this new programme. The MOT team will work through homes an area at a time. When the team arrive at your home they have a checklist of work which might need to be done:

• Gutter clean • Gutter repair • Front and back doors cleaned down • Soffit and fascia paintwork • Uneven slabs to front and rear path • Fence repairs • External window paintwork • Window handles, hinges and stays • Broken or misted glass in windows Jobs done as part of the MOT checklist will no longer be carried out as routine repairs. Therefore, if you need this kind of work carried out in your home please don’t request a repair as we will only be able to carry out the work when the MOT teams are next scheduled to visit your neighbourhood.

How do you rate the quality of the work carried out?

Fantastic, really happy.” “ Mrs Davies, Ditherington

The only time you should let us know about a checklist repair is when it presents a danger – for instance when uneven paving becomes a trip hazard or when you believe that further damage will be caused, for example, overflowing guttering that will lead to damp in your home. We have already completed MOTs in a number of areas and the MOT team are scheduled to visit the following addresses over the next few months: Meole Brace Chiltern Close Knolls Farm Close Maesbrook Road Ryton Close Stapleton Road Wayford Close

Harlescott Grange Aynesworth Green Beaufort Green Grosvenor Green Langford Green York Road Wingfield Close

Ditherington Wingfield Gardens Whitehouse Gardens

If the MOT team are planning to undertake an MOT at your home you will receive a letter outlining what the MOT covers and when you can expect their visit. We are currently developing a five year MOT programme for Shropshire. It will set out where and when MOTs will be carried out. Please look out for it in a future edition of Pillar or on our website www.severnsidehousing.co.uk

Were you happy with the team that carried out the works?

Most definitely, they were polite “ and helpful – first class.” cott Grange Mr Edwards, Harles

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Fair Landlord • Fair Landlord • Fair Landlord • Fair Landlord • Fa

Investing savings to do MORE Because customer service is so important to us, we have previously carried out a lot of repairs which are not our responsibility as a landlord. When a customer asks for something to be fixed in their home, we try to help even if we aren’t actually responsible for doing the work.

This means that some customers get a bigger share of our resources. That isn’t fair on the majority of customers who pay their rent but don’t benefit from investment in improvements to their home. By spending fairly we can do MORE. Any savings made under Fair Landlord will be re-invested to provide MORE:

• New homes • Fantastic new kitchens • High-quality bathrooms • Energy-efficient boilers • New front doors • MOT home upgrades We have already improved the specification of the kitchens and bathrooms we install as part of our planned maintenance programme.

Better quality fittings look great and last longer. You can find out what Vicky Floyd thinks of her new highspec bathroom on page 7. We are also developing a new planned maintenance programme for Shropshire. It will set out where and when planned maintenance work will be carried out. Please look out for it in a future edition of Pillar or on our website www. severnsidehousing.co.uk

Fair Landlord online We have developed a new Fair Landlord area on the Severnside website, where you can view useful information regarding Fair Landlord, along with savings and investment updates. To take a look please visit www.severnsidehousing.co.uk/ my-home/Fair-Landlord

Fair Landlord savings are invested to provide more new homes. Victoria Williams and her children recently moved into one of our new homes in Condover 6

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d • Fair Landlord • Fair Landlord • Fair Landlord • Fair Landlord

Fair Landlord – investing in our homes My new bathroom is beautiful – I’m in heaven!

“

”

Vicky Floyd, Harlescott Every year, we spend over £10 million on repairing, maintaining and improving homes. As part of Fair Landlord we have improved the specification of the bathrooms and kitchens we install for customers. In May, Vicky Floyd had a brand new bathroom fitted in her Harlescott home.

were brilliant. They always tidied up after themselves and were considerate and friendly.”

“It took around a week to fit my lovely new bathroom and the workmen

Vicky was offered a choice of wall tiles and flooring to finish off her

bathroom and given plenty of information and notice about when the work would commence. “I’ve lived in my Severnside home for over 20 years and the bathroom has made such a difference to me, especially the new power shower. My new bathroom is beautiful – I’m in heaven!”

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Fair Landlord • Fair Landlord • Fair Landlord • Fair Landlord

Want to know more about

Property Plus? Property Plus is a member of the Housing Plus Group. With bases in Shropshire and Staffordshire, they deliver award-winning repairs and maintenance services to our customers. In May, at the Housing Excellence Awards ceremony, showcasing the best in UK housing, Property Plus won the Repairs & Maintenance prize for a £14m maintenance project to

created the new Group we said that we wanted to provide the best possible homes and services for local communities. The people who are part of our Group work incredibly hard because they want to make a positive contribution and it is fantastic to see their hard work receiving national recognition.”

last year. A total of 700 new boilers cut yearly energy bills for customers by an average of £300. Their popular ‘Home MOT’ service, which is already being rolled out in Shropshire, ensures that every home receives a maintenance facelift, a neighbourhood at a time.

We are absolutely delighted to have won such a major award install new bathrooms, kitchens and boilers and upgrade customers’ homes in Staffordshire. Property Plus teams installed 400 kitchens and 500 new bathrooms

“We are absolutely delighted to have won such a major award,” said Housing Plus Group chief executive Sarah Boden. “When we Sharon Davies in her new kitchen

TV presenter Martin Roberts, Andrew Kenny and Claire Greatbatch from Property Plus and award sponsor Kevin Moses at the Housing Excellence Awards 8

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Your voice counts:

“

Why I wanted to be part of the new customer panels

”

June Jones is a firm believer that the most successful organisations are those that listen carefully to their customers. As a housing association tenant, she has had a say in the way that her landlord operates for more than twenty years. Shrewsbury resident June now leads the complaints and compliments panel, one of three customer panels created in the new Housing Plus Group. We share June’s belief in the importance of customer involvement. Our new Group offers a range of different ways for customers of Severnside Housing, Care Plus and South Staffordshire Housing Association to express your views, share your experiences and help shape the services we provide. There are three customer panels, looking in detail at different parts of our work and reporting to our board of management:

• Communications • Scrutiny • Complaints and compliments Each of the panels use the views and opinions of customers as part of its work. There are other ways you can make your voice count. We might contact you after you have received a particular service, to ask about your experience. Please do spend a few moments taking part in these surveys, which help us to improve the way that we work. Later this summer we will also be inviting you to take part in a wide ranging survey about the association. This is independent research which means that we can compare our performance against other associations nationwide.

The survey tells us what you like about our services and shows what we could do better. It will influence important decisions that we take – so please look out for it and take part. “I’ve loved everything about being involved in the running of my housing association, as a customer,” says June. “I’ve worked with some lovely people, learned a huge amount and even met my current partner through a tenant forum!

“All of us are now part of a new Group. We are here from day one and we can have a say in the way that homes and services will be provided for the future in our own communities. Share your views, have your say, make a difference.” You can register to get involved by completing an online form on our website – www.severnsidehousing.co.uk or by calling 0300 300 0059

“Most importantly, I know that we have been heard and that things have changed as a result of the special insight that we can provide as customers. For instance I remember a time some years ago when the first that tenants learned about a rent increase was when they read about it in the press. We were able to say that wasn’t the right way to communicate that kind of news and things were done differently as a result.

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Your award winning housing Group What an amazing few months it has been for Housing Plus Group, of which, Severnside Housing, South Staffordshire Housing Association, Severn Homes Property Plus and Care Plus are part.

• In January Property Plus’ MOT

nhmf team won the top prize for Customer Impact presented by the National Housing Maintenance Forum. The judges spotlighted the project as an innovation with the potential to be adopted throughout the industry.

We’ve been recognised at a host of prestigious award ceremonies showcasing the very best in housing, care and support.

• In March Care Plus’ carers were

We’re not one of the largest housing Groups but we’re gaining BIG recognition for the work that we do and for the amazing people working for the organisation.

• In May, Severnside’s flagship new

Chief executive Sarah Boden said that she was delighted with the award success stories: “What is really wonderful to see is that there has been recognition across the whole range of our services including building new houses, maintaining homes, training and developing our staff and providing care and support to people in our local communities. “When we created the new Housing Plus Group we said that we wanted to provide the best possible homes and services for the people of Shropshire and Staffordshire. I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved in our first year and look forward to doing even more as a strong and successful organisation doing really exciting work in the areas we serve.”

named finalists for the Support & Care Team of the Year prize at the Housing Heroes Awards. development Rowland Court won the Mayor of Shrewsbury’s Gold Award for enhancing the environment in the heart of historic Shrewsbury. Read more about this community award on page 14.

• Also in May, Property Plus

was highly commended for training to support the growth of its in-house electrical team by the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA).

• Again in May Property Plus

won the Best Repairs & Maintenance category in the Housing Excellence Awards, celebrating the best in UK housing – read more about Property Plus and this amazing accolade on page 8.

Sarah Boden and the Property Plus team with the ECA commendation 10

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“

I’ve been driving for 70 years and this is my first new car! William Butler and his wife Jean are feeling the ‘benefit’ of expert help from our employment and money advice team. By making sure that they were receiving the right pension credits and benefits, we helped them to increase their income by more than £178 per week. William and Jean have been married for 64 years and have lived in their Coton Hill home for the last 30 years, being tenants of Severnside Housing throughout the lifetime of the association. A former fisheries officer covering the course of the River Severn, William was one of Severnside’s first tenant board members. Earlier this year, Vicky Gunn, one of our money advisors, was asked to see if the couple’s budget could be made to stretch a little further. “Vicky worked really hard and stayed in close touch with our daughter, June,” said William. “When she told us what she’d found, I couldn’t believe it.”

”

Vicky’s hard work had paid off, with a range of savings and additional payments adding up to an increase in their weekly income of £178.56. William also received housing benefit back pay as a lump sum, enabling him to buy a new car. “I’ve been driving for 70 years and this is the first time I’ve had a new car!” he said. “Getting around is important to us. We have got the freedom to live life to the full.”

The weekly budget boosts at a glance

• Full housing benefit saving £33.74 • Full Council tax benefit saving £15.25 • High rate Attendance Allowance £82.10 • Pension credit £47.47 • Increased weekly income £178.56 EMPLOYMENT AND MONEY ADVICE

Drop in for a chat and see what support we can offer you

We can help with: • Maximising your income • Debt advice and negotiation with creditors • Welfare benefit checks and applying for eligible benefits • Reducing your household bills • Job searches, job applications and writing CVs • Housing advice

Where and when: Meole Brace Digital Den 25 Maesbrook Road, Shrewsbury, SY3 9NL

• Tuesdays, 11am–1pm

Castlefields Digital Den 69 New Park Street, Shrewsbury, SY1 2LE

• Thursdays, 10.30am–12.30pm

0300 300 0059

William and Jean Butler with their new car

www.severnsidehousing.co.uk enquiries@severnsidehousing.co.uk

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Community day fun to launch exciting new Learning Programme

Courses 1-2-1 support Grant funding Job clubs & drop-ins Work experience & placements

Learning Programme

Severnside’s new Learning Programme, which helps customers develop new skills or build on existing ones, was launched in June at a fun-filled Community Day. Held on the green in Maesbrook Road, Meole Brace, the Community Day gave customers the chance to find out more about the great learning opportunities on offer, whilst enjoying an action-packed day out with their family and friends. Entertainment included a rodeo sheep, BBQ and horror make-up, along with the chance to win a light aircraft flight across Shropshire. “My boys had a fantastic day out” said Rebecca Bailey, Mum of Joshua and Junior who are pictured below. “They loved taking part in all the fun activities and the training offered in the Learning Programme is excellent.” The programme is jam-packed full of learning opportunities and short courses covering subjects like manual handling, City and Guilds

Certificate in Online Basics and CSC Cards. “We are delighted to be launching Severnside’s new Learning Programme,” said Housing Plus Group neighbourhoods director, Jan Goode. “Whether you choose to come along to one of our job clubs, complete an online qualification, or just have fun discovering how to upcycle, there really is something for

everyone, no matter what your age or ability. “There are currently over 4,300 people in the Shrewsbury area claiming job seeking benefits, so a number of our training sessions are targeted at helping people get into work. Anyone on Job Seekers Allowance or Universal Credit can also look out for the Claimant Commitment tick against courses which, subject to the agreement of their job centre advisor, can count towards weekly commitment hours.” Training is delivered by Severnside’s colleagues and partners including Social Telecoms, BBO Shropshire, County Training, Safer Food Group, Learn My Way, Virtual College, Shropshire RCC, Job Change and the Prince’s Trust.

Front: Junior Groves. Back: Joshua Groves, Jan Goode, neighbourhoods director, Housing Plus Group, Skye Davies, Claire Poulson, sustainable communities officer, Severnside Housing, Taya Davies

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Why not take a look through our Learning Programme brochure to see what’s on offer? You can view it online at www. severnsidehousing.co.uk or call us on 0300 300 0059 to request a copy

gave Ben the strength to change his life Teenager Ben Powis felt down and out, suffering anxiety and depression with no hopes, drive, dreams or aspirations for the future. Turn the clock forward and the 19-year-old now tells a completely different story. He has a job, is brimming with confidence and is looking forward to his future with a great deal of optimism. Ben’s life transformed thanks to the support of the Prince’s Trust and he is a glowing example of the type of person who could benefit from their 12-week programme which covers things like CV writing, improving life skills, team building exercises and fundraising activities. It made such an impact that Ben now wants anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation to sign up for future courses, which are part of Severnside’s Learning Programme. Before his life-changing experience, the teenager admits he brought a lot of his problems on himself. “I admit I was a bit mouthy, I didn’t make life easy for myself so people started to give it back,” explained Ben, a customer, who lives with his family in Shrewsbury. “I then had a few issues with bullying which brought on anxiety and depression. I couldn’t even walk into a club, café or any other public place without twitching or shaking – I was a right bag of nerves.”

different person who was fit for work.” Equipped with his new skills, Ben secured a part time job as assistant manager at Roden Nurseries near Shrewsbury. He is also helping other young people follow in his foot steps through an internship with the Prince’s Trust. “I feel lucky to be a Severnside customer because if I wasn’t I may have never seen that magazine and I may still be getting up in the afternoon. Who knows? It’s been life-changing. I can’t thank the Prince’s Trust enough and Severnside has had a big part to play in turning my life around too.” Kevin Faulkner, team leader at the Prince’s Trust, said Ben was a great example of how support can be life-changing. To find out more about how to enrol on the Prince’s Trust programme and Severnside’s exciting new Learning Programme please visit www.severnside housing.co.uk or phone 0300 300 0059

JOB CLUBS l DROP INS

Then there was hope when Pillar landed on his doorstep. In it he read about the Prince’s Trust programme which inspired him into action. “I thought yes, a chance to change my life so I enrolled,” explained Ben. “After a week of ice-breaking activities, a team building residential trip and taking part in community fund raising activities. I was a completely

Drop in for a chat and see what support we can offer you

We can help with: • Getting online and using computers • Homepoint applications • Neighbourhood queries • Job searches and writing CVs • Job applications

Ben Powis

Castlefields Digital Den

• Mondays, 10.30–12.30pm (u35s) • Wednesdays, 9.30am–12.30pm (NCS) 10.30am–12.30pm (Drop in)

Meole Brace Digital Den

• Mondays, 10am–1pm (Drop in) • Thursdays, 10am–5pm (Drop in)

Shrewsbury Baptist Church, Crowmere Road • Fridays, 10am–12noon (Job club)

0300 300 0059

www.severnsidehousing.co.uk enquiries@severnsidehousing.co.uk

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Mayor’s award

for new homes In May, our flagship development Rowland Court won the Mayor of Shrewsbury’s Gold Award for enhancing heritage in the heart of historical Shrewsbury. Describing why Rowland Court received the award, Councillor Ioan Jones said: “It is such a nice development that’s made a massive difference to this area of Shrewsbury. It’s totally in keeping with the area and when, in the future, people look

Sepp Sargeant with Mayor’s award

back it’s a really good representation of what developments look like today.” Formerly known as Heaths Houses, the site in Abbey Foregate housed 88 one bedroom flats and bedsits which, due to the age of the building, were no longer fit for purpose and hard to let. A feasibility study recommended that the site be redeveloped to provide homes for open market sale and rent, with the proceeds being used to subsidise the provision of affordable housing.

Rowland Court: award winner

Opened by the National Housing Federation’s chief executive, David Orr, Rowland Court provides 41 new homes. The one and two bedroom flats and two and three bedroom houses were sold and let by Severn Homes, who specialise in private sector housing for rent, sale and shared ownership. Sepp Sargeant, Housing Plus Group head of development, who received the award, said: “We are delighted to win this award for Rowland Court as it recognises all the hard work to replace the former unattractive building with a new development more in keeping with the heritage street scene within this gate way of Shrewsbury. It has really improved the look of the area and has provided quality new homes for sale and rent.”

Are you online for the latest updates? The quickest, easiest and most convenient way for you to get news, updates, info and advice from us, is online. If you have access to the internet on a PC or smartphone, it’s even easier for you to communicate with us – and soon you will be able to do even more. By email – contact our customer services team at enquiries@ severnsidehousing.co.uk to save the cost of a phone call. You can also opt to receive information from us by email, instead of in the post. This is not only better for the environment but keeps costs down, too, meaning that there is more money to spend on home improvements, advice and support. 14

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Through our website – visit www.severnsidehousing.co.uk for the latest news and information about homes, services, welfare advice and job vacancies. You will notice that our website has recently been given a facelift to make it easier to use. Soon it will be more interactive, with added features enabling you to do things like manage your rent, ask for advice or request a repair online. On social media – find Severnside Housing and Housing Plus Group on Twitter and Facebook. Get the latest news there and chat to us during office hours for advice and information.

Don’t miss out. When you contact customer services, we will usually run through a quick check with you to make sure we have your current email address and mobile number. That is to make sure that you get all the latest information and to ensure that we can contact you in an emergency. If you change your contact details, please let us know.

Sustain

Work with us “It’s a really exciting time for Housing Plus Group as we look towards an ambitious future.”

For a number of years Severnside has been the lead partner, along with other providers, in a Shropshire consortium called Sustain. We recently submitted a tender to Shropshire Council to continue delivering this support service and are delighted to announce that we have successfully retained our lead role. Severnside and the Sustain partners provide individual and group support services to vulnerable people across Shropshire. If you or anyone you know needs support with their housing situation, debt, managing finances, staying safe, maintaining health and well-being please contact us for a referral form on 0300 300 0059 or email us on enquiries@severnsidehousing.co.uk

We currently have a number of great job opportunities across our Group:

Domiciliary care workers Shrewsbury, Cheslyn Hay, Perton, Great Wyrley and Cannock areas Salary: £7.65 per hour (unqualified) £8.20 per hour (qualified)

Electrician Knights Way, Shrewsbury Salary: £29,162.74 Full time, permanent 40 hours per week

Visit our website www.severnsidehousing.co.uk to see a full list of our job vacancies or call our HR Team on 0300 300 0059 for further details

Love shouldn’t hurt...

If you, or anyone you know, is suffering from domestic abuse, we can help.

Call 01743 285123 for confidential help and support (Available during normal office opening hours) Pillar | Issue 1 2017

Celebrating more new homes A ribbon cutting ceremony recently took place to celebrate the completion of stunning new homes at Glebe House, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury. Constructed on the site of a former plumbing business, Glebe House provides 27 large two bed apartments, built over three floors, with ground level parking. “I really love my beautiful new apartment, which is extremely spacious” said resident, Gill Gilmore. “When I first moved in I was a little home sick for Frankwell, having lived in a Severnside property there for 23 years. However, I am getting to know all my lovely neighbours and finding it extremely convenient that all the local

Shrewsbury amenities are on my doorstep.” The development, which cost £3.4m, was specifically designed for customers over 55 and was part funded with Social Housing Grant from the Homes and Communities Agency. “The council is delighted to see this impressive development open and fully occupied.” said Nick Wood from Shropshire Council. “The provision of

I really love my beautiful “ new apartment, which is extremely spacious”

quality housing, that is affordable and helps to meet the varied housing needs of Shropshire’s residents, is a council priority.” Guests enjoyed refreshments at the recently completed Drapers Place, built on the adjacent development site.

Residents and Paul Smith, chair of our Homes board, celebrating the opening of Glebe House 16

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Making a difference The people who work as part of the Housing Plus Group team like to make a difference. As well as working for an organisation dedicated to providing homes, care and support in local communities, many of them support charities both locally and nationally. Here is a round up of just some of the fundraising that has taken place this year. Paris pedalling challenge for Peter Peter Riley, tenancy enforcement officer at Severnside, cycled more than 300 miles from London to Paris. “I have been raising funds for Severn Hospice,” he said. “I met the costs of the trip myself so that every penny donated by friends, colleagues and supporters goes straight to the Hospice.” Peter was accompanied by his friend Martin Speed. The cyclists have very personal reasons for wishing to help their local hospice, having both lost their mothers to cancer.

The fit squad Four South Staffordshire Housing Association colleagues set themselves a gruelling challenge to complete a workout lasting at least 20 minutes, every day for 100 days.

Three footsore colleagues have been in training for the Macmillan Mighty Hikes taking place this year. Kelly Moore and Claire Greatbatch of Property Plus along with Sue Atkins of Care Plus signed up to take part in the 26-mile hikes.

Leann Knox, Claire Smallwood, Hannah Parrott and Emma Cooper were raising awareness and funds for the British Heart Foundation in memory of Leann’s five-year-old nephew, James, who sadly lost his life to a heart condition in 2016. Sue tackled ‘the rolling hills’ of the Cotswold Way on 22 July, accompanied by her former Care Plus colleague, Jackie Owen and Kelly and Claire will be yomping through the beautiful Peak District on 2 September.

Severn Hospice provides specialist care to families living with an incurable illness. It is a cause very close to the heart of Severnside, where many employees have friends and family who have been supported by the charity.

“We wanted to challenge ourselves and this is such a great cause,” explained Kelly.

The fantastic four hit the ground running on 20 February and finally got to put their feet up on 31 May. “We attended fitness classes like Zumba and yoga, went for a run or just got outside for brisk walks,” said Hannah. “We were all tired at times but it is such a great cause.”

This isn’t the first time that Peter has got on his bike for a great cause. In 2014 he rode almost 1,000 miles from John O’Groats to Land’s End alongside colleagues Elliott Davies and Richard Potter.

Stepping out for Macmillan Cancer Support

Heart disease is one of the biggest killers in the UK, taking a massive 73,000 lives each year and touching countless families. The British Heart Foundation researches possible cures and treatments for heart disease, helping to save the lives of babies, children and adults.

The walkers have taken their training seriously. Lunchtime walks have been supplemented with extra-long dog walks for Claire’s Labradors Vincent and Norton. As well as covering the mileage, each walker aims to raise at least £250 for the charity which provides vital health and support for people with cancer. Its campaign message is “No one facing cancer should walk alone”, which makes the hikes particularly special for everyone taking part. Are YOU going the extra mile for charity? We would like to celebrate some of the fantastic fundraising done by our customers. Share your story by emailing communications@ housingplusgroup.co.uk Pillar | Issue 1 2017

Employment and Support Allowance From 3 April 2017, a Work Related Activity Component can no longer be added to an ESA award. Therefore, any claimants placed within the Work Related Activity group will generally be paid the same amount of benefit as a jobseeker.

Bereavement benefits

A number of key Welfare Reform changes were introduced in April 2017.

A new Bereavement Support Payment has been introduced for deaths on or after 6 April 2017. This payment will help with the more immediate costs of bereavement in the form of a lump sum with small, ongoing, time limited monthly payments.

Hot off the pressâ&#x20AC;Ś Universal Credit

Bedroom tax criteria changes Following a Court decision in November 2016, the government announced that from 1 April 2017 an extra bedroom can be awarded to disabled couples who cannot share a room and to disabled children or nondependants who need an overnight carer.

Tax credits and housing benefits If you have a third child born on or after 6 April 2017 no extra child element will be added to a household tax credit claim or housing benefit if there are already two or more child elements included in the award.

It has recently been announced that from February 2018 anyone making a new claim for Income Support, Income based Jobseekers or Employment and Support Allowance, Housing Benefits or Tax Credits may need to claim Universal Credit instead. More information will be available in the next edition ofÂ Pillar. Please note that there are exceptions to all of these changes. For more details please visit www.gov.uk or call our employment and money advice team on 0300 300 0059

Estate Walkabouts Walkabouts are led by your local neighbourhood officer, along with representatives from the Council, Police and other partner agencies. The 2017 Estate Walkabout programme can be viewed on our website along with action plans which are drawn up following each walkabout. Visit www. severnsidehousing.co.uk/ my-home/estate-walkabouts Please come along and join us for a walk around the area you live in and point out any issues or concerns you may have. 18

Pillar | Issue 1 2017

Date

Time

Area

Meeting Place

9 August

10.30am

Monkmoor 1

Porchfield Community Centre

23 August

10.30am

Castlefields

Digital Den, Castlefields

30 August

10.30am

Meole

The Meet Place

6 September

10.30am

Harlescott Grange 1

Kynaston Road Community Centre

20 September

10.30am

Monkmoor 2

Armdale Community Centre

11 October

10.30am

Harlescott Grange 2

Greenacres Community Centre

Stronger together –

putting customers FIRST When the new Housing Plus Group was formed last year, we said that it would be a stronger, more effective organisation striving to do more for customers in Shropshire and Staffordshire. We don’t make promises we can’t keep. We were confident that as a larger, stronger Group we would be able to deliver on our commitment to provide the best possible homes, care and services for people and communities. However, during the busy preparations for the launch of the new Group and the big changes that have followed, we thought that there might be some short term setbacks. So at the end of a historic year, we are really pleased not only to have excelled in a series of national awards but also to have met and even exceeded our service targets to customers. “I’m very pleased with these results because they demonstrate that in our new Group, one very important thing hasn’t changed. We are continuing to put customers first,” said chief executive Sarah Boden. “As our organisations joined together, learned more about each other and introduced changes to ensure that we were providing the same service and support across Staffordshire and Shropshire, we never let our standards slip on the work that we do for customers, every day. “We are proud to be a strong local organisation, supporting people and families in our communities. The fantastic achievements of the last year underline our unshakable commitment to customers in what continue to be very challenging economic circumstances for individuals, for villages and communities in this area and for housing associations across the country.”

Here are some of the highlight s we wanted to share with you:

• New homes

WE SAID we would provide 165 new homes

WE DELIVERED 176 new, high quality homes, our highest ever number

• Repairs

WE SAID we would fix 84% of our responsive repairs in a single visit

WE DELIVERED 90% of our responsive repairs were resolved on first visit

• Customer service

WE SAID that we would answer

questions, requests and queries to our customer service team in a single contact, without asking you to call back or wait for information

WE DELIVERED 88.52% of your

queries were resolved in a single call

• Rent arrears

WE SAID that we would keep rent arrears down to 1.20%, ensuring that customers who pay their rent on time, every time, are not unfairly subsidising debt

WE DELIVERED rent arrears fell to

0.94%, making us one of top performers in the sector

• Money advice

WE SAID we would achieve an 80%

success rate for customers referred to our employment and money advice team

WE DELIVERED 89.7% of Sarah Boden, chief executive

customers referred to the team were successfully supported Pillar | Issue 1 2017

Gardens are a blooming success Residents of Edgefield Green in Shrewsbury had a visit from Britain in Bloom judges to help celebrate more than a decade of successful gardening. The judges dropped in at the retirement living community for refreshments while assessing the town’s efforts for this year’s Royal Horticultural Society competition. And residents also welcomed local people into their gardens during an

open day held in June which included stalls and a performance from the Shrewsbury Male Voice Choir. Sheltered housing officer Diane Chandler, who manages the scheme, said: “It is now 12 years since the Edgefield Green Fingers Garden Club was formed. “We have grown in splendour over the years with improvements to the communal areas, display baskets and wall planters and we’ve become the blooming marvellous place to live that it is today.”

Edgefield Green resident, Mike Weatherhead in his beautiful garden 20

Pillar | Issue 1 2017

Between March and October, gardening club members attend a monthly meeting to discuss plans and their efforts have been multi award-winning. They even received a visit from former Gardeners’ World presenter Roy Lancaster in 2006, who handed them a special award for their communal gardens. Garden funds are raised through an annual subscription and open day, grants and support from local businesses including the Co-Op at Bicton Heath.

“

Customer service is changing. It is a lot more than a call centre; it’s about solving problems, offering advice and having an amazing knowledge of our services

”

For many customers, the teams who answer your queries by telephone or email are not just your first point of contact with us, they are the people who represent our organisation. Ian Roberts is our new head of customer services. He joined us in April this year, with a great deal of experience delivering great customer service across a range of public and private sector organisations. He shared his views on the importance of the team to our customers and to the organisation: “There are some incredible people working at Severnside and South Staffordshire Housing Association. The team is a lot more than a traditional call centre. Its members are some of the most knowledgeable people in the organisation with an amazing understanding of all the services we offer, our policies and everyone who works here. “We want to provide you with the answers and information you need

with a single call or email. So, rather than asking you to leave a message or calling you back, the advisors will try to resolve your query straight away. It takes a very special person to work in this kind of team. These are problem solvers, advisors, excellent communicators and people who want to do the best that they can for our customers.”

“Looking forward, once we have reached that point we will be introducing new ways for customers to contact us, including options to access advice, log repair requests and more through our website 24:7. “Our aim is to improve the service we provide to customers and to deliver fantastic value to the association. We will be updating you on the improvements we are making, in future issues of Pillar.”

At the moment both teams are taking part in in-depth training to help them develop the same knowledge of the operations in Shropshire and Staffordshire. Eventually, that will mean that the advisors can come together as a single team, providing the same service to customers, wherever they live.

Ian Roberts, head of customer services Pillar | Issue 1 2017

2017-18 Rent calendar This handy rent calendar, which you can cut out and keep for future reference, sets out when your rent is due and highlights any eligible rent free weeks. As you know, it is a term of your tenancy agreement that you pay your rent in advance. Most customers find that the easiest way to pay their rent is by direct debit. It is convenient and gives you the peace of mind that your rent will be paid on time. Customers who are in rent arrears are still required to pay during rent free weeks.

Please call our customer services team on 0300 300 0059 who can set up a direct debit with you, over the telephone

*Weeks 38, 39, 51 and 52 are rent free weeks. These weeks do NOT apply for tenants who transferred from Touchstone Housing Association in April 2005, or Midland Heart in April 2009. Week

Date

Week

Date

3 Apr 17

2 Oct 17

10 Apr 17

9 Oct 17

17 Apr 17

16 Oct 17

24 Apr 17

23 Oct 17

1 May 17

30 Oct 17

8 May 17

6 Nov 17

15 May 17

13 Nov 17

22 May 17

20 Nov 17 27 Nov 17

29 May 17

5 June 17

4 Dec 17

12 June 17

11 Dec 17

19 June 17

18 Dec 17

26 June 17

25 Dec 17

3 July 17

1 Jan 18

10 July 17

8 Jan 18

17 July 17

15 Jan 18

24 July 17

22 Jan 18

31 July 17

29 Jan 18

7 Aug 17

5 Feb 18

14 Aug 17

12 Feb 18

21 Aug 17

19 Feb 18

28 Aug 17

26 Feb 18

4 Sept 17

5 Mar 18

11 Sept 17

12 Mar 18

18 Sept 17

19 Mar 18

25 Sept 17

26 Mar 18

Pillar | Issue 1 2017

Justice Corner Victims of harassment should not suffer in silence. If you or someone you know is experiencing harassment, including emotional or physical abuse, we may be able to help. How we can help will be dependent on the circumstances. Actions could range from providing contact details of people who offer support, through to taking legal action against the perpetrator. If the perpetrator is a tenant, we may be able to achieve an order that the perpetrator is allowed to remain in their home on specific conditions, or even that they are evicted from their property. We may consider that an injunction is an additional or better alternative course of action. An injunction would be a court order that requires the perpetrator to do certain things that would help improve their behaviour and/or prohibit them from doing other things which are causing the victim distress. In May, we took a case to court where a tenant had harassed two separate tenants over a number of years. Severnside had previously obtained an order that the tenant remained in their property, on specific terms, but the tenant breached those terms. Evidence was supplied by the two main victims but neither was required to attend court. Also, local residents who witnessed the anti-social behaviour provided anonymous evidence which was included in a Severnside officer’s witness statement and used in court. We applied for the eviction of the tenant and for an injunction and this was granted. It includes an exclusion area, banning the perpetrator from entering a large area of Shrewsbury covering where the two victims live. To tackle harassment we need your help. We will treat the information seriously and in confidence. If you have witnessed or are the victim of anti-social behaviour, please don’t hesitate to call us or any of the agencies listed below: • Severnside Housing on 01743 285000 or 0300 300 0059 • Shropshire Council’s ASB reporting line on 0345 678 9020 • Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 • West Mercia Police on 101 or 0300 333 3000

Competitions Wordsearch

WIN £25

Name:________________________

Address:______________________

_____________________________

Find the 10 hidden words to win a £25 shopping voucher. Please send us your entry by Friday 29 September 2017. The first correct entry drawn will win the prize. Please send to: Pillar Competitions Severnside Housing Brassey Road Old Potts Way Shrewsbury, SY3 7FA

_____________________________ Postcode:____________________ Tel:__________________________

Find these words: 1 Fair Landlord 2 Kitchens 3 Maintenance

4 Repairs 5 Boilers 6 Improvements

7 MOT programme 8 Bathrooms 9 Value for money 10 Investment

Congratulations to Sophie Stevens who won the wordsearch competition in the last edition of Pillar.

Kids competition If you are aged 15 or under you can enter our kids competition to win a £25 shopping voucher. All you need to do is answer a question about this edition of Pillar and fill in your details opposite. You can also enter online at www.severnsidehousing.co.uk Closing date for entries is Friday 29 September 2017

Kids competition

WIN £25

Where was the Community Day held to celebrate the launch of Severnside’s exciting new Learning programme?

Answer:____________________________________________ Name:___________________________________________________ Address:_________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ______________________________ Postcode:_________________

Congratulations to Sophia Edwards who won the kids competition in the last edition of Pillar.

Tel:_____________________________________________________ Please send entries to: Pillar Competitions, Severnside Housing, Brassey Road, Old Potts Way, Shrewsbury, SY3 7FA

Will you be a survey STAR?

Gas safety checks Severnside has a legal responsibility to carry out an annual gas inspection at every one of our homes with a gas supply. If we book a gas safety check appointment with you it is really important that you are in to let our contractors, PH Jones, undertake this essential work.

Unfortunately, if we cannot access your property to carry out these important gas safety checks, we will take legal action to gain entry. Please contact PH Jones on freephone 0800 316 2104 or from a mobile 01743 719051 if you think you need a gas safety check

Are you looking for a garage to safely store your car or vehicle in?

Later this summer we will be writing to all our customers, asking you to share your views about what it is like to live in our homes and access our services.

We have some great garages available for rent in Bomere Heath, Nesscliffe, Harlescott and locations across Shrewsbury starting from only £8.63 per week.

This important Survey of Tenants and Residents (STAR) research is your opportunity to help shape the way that we work. It is an independent survey and by spending a few minutes taking part, you could make a difference.

To find out more call our customer services team on 0300 300 0059 or email enquiries@ severnsidehousing.co.uk

Look out for your Let’s Talk letter. We hope that as many of you as possible will take part in the STAR research and we will share the results of the survey with you in a future edition of Pillar.

Useful contact numbers: Customer Services: 0300 300 0059 / 01743 285000 Out of hours repairs: 01743 360945 WELbeing: 01323 644422 ASB reporting line: 0345 6789020

Severnside Housing provides a telephone interpreting service for more than 150 languages and can provide this document in a range of formats. Jesli potrzebna jest jakakolwiek pomoc w zrozumieniu niniejszego dokumentu, lub potrzebne jest tumaczenie na inny jezyk, prosze o telefon na numer 0300 300 0059.

This newsletter is also available in:

Domestic Abuse Helpline: 01743 285123

Large print

Braille

PH Jones (Gas Servicing): 0800 316 2104 or 01743 719051 (from mobile)

Audio

Other languages

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