Our House, Summer 2015 by The Accord Group

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In this issue...

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youtube.com/theaccordgroup

Accord Group customer newsletter Summer, 2015

Silverfit on the small screen

Walsall Dementia awareness

Connecting people and opportunities

Top Summer money saving tips

Dennis Turner Close open

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Your very own customer portal is here! Next month the Accord Group will begin the rollout of its new customer portal which will enable all customers to get online to track and report a repair, as well as view customer account information.

The portal, which we are asking customers to help name, will see a phased introduction across all localities where we work over the next three months.

“After testing it amongst our customer facing staff, and with targeted ‘high-users’ from across our customer base we have been assured that it is a much needed and most welcome service.

Last year we asked customers about access to our services, as part of the annual Reality Check Survey, which highlighted a drop in satisfaction levels. On the back of this, and as part of a commitment to the communities we serve, we are introducing the portal to give you 24 hours access, seven days a week to our services.

“The portal will give our customers access to a range of digital services through a single sign-on, enabling them to update their personal details, check the status of repairs, view rent statements and check payment history.

In addition to being able to access your rent account and log a repair, it will also allow you access to a whole host of other services, including finding out details to who your local housing officer is. You’ll be able to access the portal simply and directly from a link from the Accord Group website, using your smart phone, or tablet, as well as from a traditional computer. Amanda Nicholls, Director of Housing Services, explains more: “We are really excited to unveil our new portal and are confident our customers will find it easy to find their way around it and will find it useful for accessing a range of services.

“The aim is to provide you with another way of accessing services, in addition to calling Customer First or visiting your local office, as not all customers may prefer this approach. “As we continue to offer more services online, we’re confident this will continue to see increasing numbers of our customers access the portal.” Details on the date when each locality is going live will be sent out to customers shortly. Customers can also continue to contact us through usual routes, such as by phone by calling Customer First or by dropping by to the local office.

The new portal will allow you to: Pay your rent

View your rent statement

Log and monitor repairs

Our HOUSE

Summer, 2015

Hello!

Hello and welcome to your Summer edition of Our House. Happy Summer time to all our customers! We have a great edition for you, with lots of lovely stories from across the Group. It’s been a busy few months on many of our housing developments. We’ve seen a local MP kick off a new development in Redditch, and work on a new phase of the award winning Urban 180 development in West Bromwich begin.

Facebook snapshot what you’re talking about

We’ve had great fun celebrating national awareness days too – the Accord Group is a leader in dementia services and the BBC came down in May to see some of our pioneering work. Our customers in Telford also had a great time during National Gardening Week and a helpful bunch in Chelmsley Wood took part in a nationwide Spring clean. What a lovely, caring bunch you all are! The Summer time puts everyone in the mood for days out, on page 9 we’ve given you some great suggestions on where to go and have even thrown in a couple of extra competitions to offer you the chance to win free tickets to spend at the Black Country Living Museum and a new local café that’s recently opened in Walsall. This is my first complete issue as the new editor and I’ve really enjoyed writing it and look forward to working on many more super editions over the coming months. Don’t forget I’m always keen to hear from you about how we can make Our House even better, so drop me a line with any suggestions you may have. You can email me on sarah.archer@accordgroup.org.uk or write to me at Our House.

Sarah

s Jervis Court makeover Thanks to a donation of over £250 worth of paint, brushes, rollers and other decorating supplies from the Colour Centre in Great Bridge our Jervis Court facility is getting a much needed makeover!

sarah.archer@accordgroup.org.uk

New Redditch housing development kicks off Work has officially begun on our new housing development in Redditch, on the site of the former Hewell Road swimming baths. The £3.6 million project, which will see the creation of 30 new low carbon timber framed homes, all built by our LoCaL Homes factory, was kicked off with a special turf cutting ceremony performed by the Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Emma Reynolds. The development is due to be completed in March 2016 and will offer much-needed affordable homes for the town. Ms Reynolds said: “I’m delighted to be able to see first-hand what great work the Accord Group is doing in Redditch. I’m really impressed with the low carbon timber framed homes being built by the

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Group, and I truly believe this type of build could be a model for the future. The quality of the houses is to be commended.”

Carl Taylor, Director of Redditch Co-operative Homes, added: “We are delighted to have started work on this £3.6 million investment which will create much needed homes for the town.”

s Danish fact-finders

Pictured (l-r): Emma Reynolds (Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government), Carl Taylor (Director of Redditch Cooperative Homes), Rebecca Blake (Labour spokesperson for Redditch)

We welcomed a group of delegates from Danish housing association, KAB, to our Urban 180 development in Overend Street, West Bromwich. The visit was part of a fact-finding tour for the group to see examples of best practice for building homes in town centres.

Summer, 2015

Accord Group celebrates two very special birthdays! Well what a year 2015 is for the Accord Group; we are celebrating, not one, but two special milestones. Ashrammoseley is celebrating its ‘coming of age’ with the launch of a special book.

A Celebration of Ashram Coming of Age tracks the colourful 21-year history of Ashram Housing Association, from its inception as a small specialist South Asian housing and social care provider to a mainstream community investor operating across the diverse neighbourhoods in the West Midlands. ashrammoseley

ha.org.uk

A Celebration of Ashram Coming of Age the colourful 21-ye ar history of Ashra tracks Association, from m Housing its South Asian housi inception as a small specialist ng mainstream comm and social care provider to a unity investor opera diverse neighbourh oods in the West ting across super Midlands.

Looking to the future, in October 2014 Ashram took the Moseley and District bold step to join Housing Associat forces with ion. Coming together organisation provide as Ashrammoseley community-insp ired housing and individuals and the services to many families. thousands of

We are committ ed to our role as a social housing of what we do, provider and this delivering high remains at the heart quality housing residents and service and support services users across Birming to customers, ham and Coventr y. Our practical experien ce and economic agendas and cultural expertise, allows us to engage on wider , helping to influenc social directly impact e and shape key on the lives of our government policies customers and the which wider communities that we serve. This enables us to co-design person-c entred services to aspirations of our meet the needs, choices customers and create and innovative partnersh all of which advocate ips and collabora our place as an agency tive projects for social inclusion and social impact.

In October 2014, Ashram took the bold step to join forces with Moseley and District Housing Association. Coming together as Ashrammoseley, the organisation provides community-inspired housing and services to many thousands of individuals and families.

A CEL EBR ATIO N OF ASH RAM COM ING OF AGE Meeting need, transforming outcomes

Stuart Macdonald and James Ticke ll

Chief Executive, Jas Bains explains: “We are committed to our role as a social housing provider and this remains at the heart of what we do, delivering high quality housing and support services to customers, residents and service users across Birmingham and Coventry. Our practical experience and cultural expertise, allows us to engage on wider social and economic agendas, helping to influence and shape key Government policies, which directly impact on the lives of our customers and the wider communities that we serve.” We’d like our Ashrammoseley community to share with us their photographs, special moments and memories from being one of our customers. Please send us your comments, photos and memories, or post them on the Accord Group’s Facebook page at facebook.com/accordgroup

The biggie is the Accord Group’s 50th birthday! What a long way we’ve come in the last 50 years, starting off as a very small and local housing association to now being one of the largest providers of housing and social care in the Midlands. We provide 13,000 affordable homes and health and social care to 80,000 people and employ nearly 5,000 people and yet still with that local provision, work closely with communities and neighbourhoods. Chris Handy, CEO of the Accord Group, said: “As a Group we have a fantastic shared history and we continue to build on the great work that our organisation has done over the last 50 years. We remain ambitious to continue to deliver more homes and services for those most in need and the financial standing of the Group, as well as the dedication of our staff, will I am sure enable to us to do so successfully. Here’s to the next 50 years!”

More than 50 people joined us to help celebrate the third annual Fry Housing Trust awards, an evening to celebrate the achievements of our clients. Affectionately nicknamed ‘The Margery’s’, as tribute to Margery Fry, founder of Fry Housing Trust, the evening celebrated the many fantastic achievements and accomplishments of the 21 finalists. Writer and author of A Few Kind Words and a Loaded Gun and co-Editor of the national prison newspaper Inside Time, Noel Smith, was the special guest and co-presenter of awards. He said: “Fry Housing Trust is a valuable resource that should be cherished and supported. Hearing the stories of the people they have worked with and helped during difficult times should be an inspiration to others. I am proud to have been associated with the Trust.” Dr Alan Harrison, Chair of the Trust’s Management Board added: “It was an excellent evening and a real pleasure to be a part of it once again. I think it shows how in different ways we have really gifted people who pass through our organisation.” A number of winners and runners-up voiced their thanks and praise for the evening. Winner of the Peer Mentor category, Marcus Davies, said: “I really enjoyed the awards evening and met some really interesting people. It was great to see all the hard work people have been doing and I liked it that customers were acknowledged for their achievements. I was delighted to have been invited and to win an award!”

Help us find the Accord Group’s longest serving customer... To celebrate our special birthday we are trying to find our longest service customer. Can you help? If you’ve been an Accord customer for many years, or maybe you think one of your neighbours has been, then give them a nudge and get in touch with us… we’d love to hear from you. Please send us an email to pr.comms@accordha.org.uk or call us on 0121 500 2340. If you’d rather get in touch via social media, then find us on Facebook or tweet us @theaccordgroup. You never know, there may be a special prize for our longest customer!

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Our HOUSE

Summer, 2015

Health and Well-being Siverfit on the small screen

Top tips for staying healthy in Summer Tan safely Always wear a sun cream with a high SPF (at least 15), wear a hat and avoid the hottest part of the day (between 11 and 3pm). Stay hydrated and remember to take extra care with kids.

Be good to your eyes The Siverfit Gym at Furlong House, Bloxwich

The first fully-fledged gym in the country to feature keep-fit equipment designed especially to meet the needs of elderly people has been officially launched – by featuring on TV news! BBC’s Midlands Today team came along to find out more about the dedicated service, which is based at our Furlong House sheltered court scheme in Bloxwich. Featuring a range of apparatus, the state-of-the-art gym makes exercising for people with a disability, reduced mobility or people recovering from an illness, easy to do. Rick Tams from Walsall is an Accord Group customer and has been coming along to the gym on a weekly basis. He said: “I’m loving my time in the gym! Not only is it helping me to stay fit, but I’ve made some good friends here. I was nervous about coming along at first but this isn’t like other gyms, the equipment is designed specially with older users in mind and it’s easy to use and fun at the same time.” Gym memberships are currently available, please call 0755 739 0338 or email silver.fitness@accordgroup.org.uk for more information.

Mind Matters café offers more support A dedicated café to support older people and families living with mental health conditions and depression is proving to be a huge success. The Mind Matters Café held at 17 Lichfield Street, Walsall, take place every fourth Wednesday of the month from 10:30am - 12:30pm. It’s being run under the Pathway’s 4 Life service, provided by the Accord Group and Age UK Walsall and is funded by Walsall joint clinical commissioning group and Walsall Council. Designed to provide support within an informal, friendly and relaxed environment, the Mind Matters Café offers opportunities for peer support, discussion and social activity, as well as refreshments. Information around other services and support are also available. There is no need to book, so if you’d like to attend just turn up – every fourth Wednesday of the month at 10.30am at 17 Lichfield Street.

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Always avoid looking directly at the sun. Wear sunglasses that block at least 99 per cent of ultraviolet A and B rays. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat can reduce the amount of UV rays that reach your face and eyes.

Be good to your body Fresh berries are in season so treat yourself - blackberries, blueberries, or strawberries are full of antioxidants and are high in fibre. Frozen berries are a cheaper alternative. If you suffer from hay fever, smear a nasal barrier balm inside your nostrils, or use a drug-free nasal spray or dab of petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline) to prevent pollen sticking to the lining of your nose. Be sure to shut windows, damp dust and vacuum regularly.

Get dirty! Enjoy your garden. Planting and gardening is a great way to unwind and burn calories in a more fun way than pounding it out at the gym!

Al fresco dining Food cooked on a barbecue is more susceptible to causing food poisoning, so it’s important to cook food thoroughly. Maybe invest in a cheap food thermometer (you can buy them from your local supermarket) to help tell you when your meat is hot enough to be safe to eat.

Summer, 2015

Dementia Awareness Week Dementia Awareness Week took place in May and we held lots of events across the Group to celebrate the great work and support we offer to those who are affected by dementia.

New dementia café at Walsall Manor Hospital We also launched a new dementia café at Walsall Manor Hospital which is now taking place every Thursday at 2-4pm in the Garden Room on the ground floor, on route 141.

Angela Causton (Pathways 4 Life) and Bob Hockenhull from BBC Midlands Today

Raising awareness across the district

This new café is being run by Pathways 4 Life, a partnership between the Accord Group and Age UK Walsall, and offers free support to people within an informal, friendly and relaxed environment. The café gives people with dementia, who are currently patients within the hospital or live in the community, along with their carers, an opportunity to access support and participate in activities which will enhance their well-being.

In Walsall we kicked off the week with a launch at the Independent Living Centre with lots of information stands and advice available to people who dropped by. Throughout the rest of the week there was a vast array of activities on offer, including dementia cafes and drop-in sessions across the town. Great fun was had at across many of our schemes. At Bromley House in Wolverhampton we held a Dementia Awareness afternoon. Local Councillor Sandra Samuels came along too! We held lots of activities in Telford, from reminiscence sessions to exercise classes, and even a cross-scheme Bake Off between Cartlidge House and Bennett House. Bennett House were crowned the winners! Also, Silverbirches in Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham, had a traditional seaside day, with traditional fish and chips and ice cream.

Walsall to become one of the first dementia-friendly communities in UK The Accord Group has launched a fantastic initiative to make Walsall an official ‘dementia friendly community.’ The Pathways 4 Life team is delivering the ground-breaking scheme. In partnership with Age UK Walsall and funded by Walsall Council and Walsall Clinical Commissioning Group, the project is working with businesses in the town to raise awareness of the condition, which affects more than 3,000 people in Walsall.

“We’ll be speaking to businesses to ensure that people with dementia in Walsall get the support and help that they need every day, whether they’re doing a weekly shop or collecting their pension. Martin Bateman, Community Life Champion at Asda St Matthews in Walsall, added: “At Asda we strongly believe in diversity and equality in the workplace for both our colleagues and our customers and we’re proud to be involved with the training to become a dementia-friendly supermarket.”

Walsall’s Asda store at St Matthews and the Walsall Arboretum have already jumped on board and are equipping themselves with the skills to make the lives of people with the condition easier.

The great work we’re doing also caught the eye of the BBC. The Midlands Today team interviewed Angela Causton and Walsall couple Margaret and Bernard Morris, who enjoyed their five minutes of fame!

Nicole Beeching, Head of Service Development at the Accord Group, said: “Sometimes just the simplest changes, such as how staff communicate, can vastly improve a person with dementia’s day-to-day life.

If you would like to find out more about any of the dementia services we offer, please contact Janine Hayes on 07793 699141 or email dementiacafes@accordgroup.org.uk

Margaret and Bernard being interviewed by Midlands Today

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Our HOUSE

Summer, 2015

Jobs, Skills and Training Connecting people to create community chances A group of ‘Community Connectors’ have been appointed to help tackle unemployment in the Black Country and help people back into work. The four full-time positions will be working in Princes End in Sandwell, Bilston East in Wolverhampton, Darlaston South in Walsall and Kates Hill in Dudley. All of the posts have been taken up by people who were previously unemployed, and have either previously worked or lived in the areas they are helping to support. Over the next three years, the project will aim to significantly drive down the number of jobless social housing tenants in the four wards. The Connectors will work closely with unemployed residents in their areas, helping them access job and training services, gain skills and qualifications. Trudi Holden is the Community Connector in Darlaston South. She is a social housing customer and was unemployed for several years before starting this new role. She said: “This is such a fantastic opportunity for me, I can really emphasise with the local people I’ll be working with. I can’t wait to get started!” The Community Connectors model forms part of the wider City Deal ‘Working Together’ housing and prosperity project, being led by the Accord Group. For further information on the City Deal project, or the Community Connectors, email city.deal@accordgroup.org.uk The new Community Connectors team

Black Country businesses join City Deal ‘Working Together’ project In addition to the four new Community Connectors, eight business partners have also been appointed to help deliver the ‘‘Working Together’ initiative. The Black Country partners will be working in Princes End in Sandwell, Bilston East in Wolverhampton; Darlaston South in Walsall and Kates Hill in Dudley to offer a range of support services to help social housing tenants find employment opportunities. Each area will have dedicated partners who will be offering targeted support, with the Black Country Housing Group working across the whole region providing selfemployment support and advice as well as a dedicated advisor who will support people throughout their journey into work. The eight delivery partners are: Bilston Resource Centre, Gazebo, Black Country Training Group, Dudley MBC – Adult Community Learning Team, Ideal for All, Age UK, Black Country Housing Group and Walsall Adult Community College.

Health champions group is top of the class! A group of Balsall Heath residents is celebrating after completing a health awareness qualification. The 11 Accord Group customers, local volunteers and community workers took part in the course that included Level 1 and 2 Health Awareness and Health Understanding (from the Royal Society for Public Health) and were delighted to pass with flying colours.

John Gorman and Jas Bains

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They will be putting their new knowledge to good use as many of them will now volunteer in their community, offering advice to better assess and improve their own heath and to signpost friends and neighbours to a healthier lifestyle.

Our HOUSE

Summer 2015

Spotlight on...

Caldmoreaccord Jobs and Skills team Based at Jervis Court, Walsall, the Jobs and Skills team delivers a range of employment services designed to help our customers get back into work.

1 on 1 coaching service We help with CV writing, cover letters, completing application forms and how to look for opportunities. We can help with volunteering and work placements both internally and externally, interview technique and preparation and training and education. As a team we have facilitated work placements and volunteer opportunities which have led to employment both within the Accord Group and externally. Email jobsandskills@ accordgroup.org.uk or call 01922 630364 to find out more.

Customer training programme We have a customer training programme following a customer survey that told us customers would be interested in training courses. We responded and to date have run courses in basic DIY, basic decorating, basic first aid, CV writing, job searching and interview skills and techniques. Courses are subject to demand. To express your interest contact Theresa Bickford on 0121 500 2055.

The Learning Lab

Learn My Way

The Learning Lab offers a relaxed and friendly atmosphere where customers can drop in without appointment to access the internet to job search, with free employment related support and guidance from on hand Jobs and Skills coaches. Last year saw 317 customers attend the Learning Lab for job search support, help with job applications etc. Clubs run twice weekly on Tuesdays from 1:30-4:30pm and Thursdays from 09:30am -12:30pm. Call 01922 630364 for further information.

We are a registered UK Online Centre in conjunction with the Learning Lab. Learn My Way is a free e-learning platform for people of all skill levels and abilities. Whatever you want to do online, you can find the help you need to improve your skills here. Look for work online Have fun online Stay safe online Improve your literacy and maths levels online n Stay healthy online. n n n n

Celebrating our volunteers Volunteers Week took place in June and is an annual campaign which celebrates the fantastic contribution that millions of volunteers make across the UK. We currently have over 100 volunteers across the Accord Group giving their time to support people living in their own homes and in their local communities, whilst gaining valuable experience with their journey into paid work. All of our volunteers received a certificate and letter of thanks from our Chief Executive, Chris Handy.

Birmingham volunteer Gemma McNally

Tina Millington is a Caldmoreaccord customer who lives in Darlaston, Walsall. She is currently volunteering with us an office assistant. She said: “I became a volunteer to

get experience in an office environment to put on my CV. I also want to get back into work to provide for my children and also to keep busy while they are at school. “Since I’ve been a volunteer at Caldmoreaccord I have learnt so much, from computer skills such as how to send emails and use Microsoft office packages, to dealing with customers, rent queries, handing out application forms, photocopying documents and inputting information on tenancy agreements.

the company, it’s not just a housing association but Accord also offer lots of care and support to customers that need it.” “I really love my role as it’s really varied, it’s keeping me busy and it’s been great meeting new people. I would recommend volunteering to anyone!” If you would like to find out more about how you become a volunteer with the Accord Group, contact Irene on 0121 500 2044 or email Irene.casserley@ accordgroup.org.uk

“I have also learnt a lot about

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Our HOUSE

Summer, 2015

Money Management YO U R Q U E S T I O N S A N S W E R E D . . .

Credit Unions What is a credit union? Credit unions are a safe way of helping you take control of your money by encouraging you to save what you can and borrow only what you can afford to repay. They can help you get your finances under control. They are community savings and loan co-operatives, where members pool their savings to lend to one another and help run the credit union.

Who can join a credit union?

Getting your home Winter ready…

Anyone can join a credit union, so long as you share a ‘common bond’ with other members, such as, you live or work in the same area, work for the same employer or belong to the same trade union, church or other association.

What services do credit unions offer? All credit unions offer savings and loan accounts. Most also offer free life or loan protection insurance and some offer other insurance products, including travel, motor and contents insurance. Some of the larger credit unions may also offer extra services such as IASs, funeral plans, current accounts and debt management.

I’m not sure if I should join one, can you advise me? If you are thinking of joining a credit union you should check how much money you can pay in and withdraw. You should also check how much they usually lend and for how long. Also check whether you need to be a saver before they allow you to borrow, if borrowing is important to you. And also ask what other services they offer as you might be interested in Christmas savings accounts, current accounts or insurance.

How do I find out more? If you want to join a credit union then you can ask your local council or Citizens Advice Bureau to point you in the right direction of one in your area. Alternatively, if you or your partner are in work then the trade union representative or the people handling the wages in your company should also know if there is a credit union covering the industry in which you work.

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in Summer time! We may well be in the middle of Summer but it’s never too early to start thinking about getting your house ready for next Winter. And there are some quick, easy and cheap things you can be doing now to ensure you’re already when the colder weather comes. Here are some great ideas to help you:

Try fully lined thicker curtains for the winter. They could save 40 per cent of the heat lost through a single glazed window.

Stock up on DIY plastic double glazing film. If this is fitted will it could save you 40 per cent of heat loss even when your curtains are open.

Think about putting a curtain over your front door to stop draughts through the edges. Be careful not to create a fire hazard.

Insulation in your loft only works if there is nothing on top of it. Think twice before putting anything in the roof space as it could be a fire hazard and could make your insulation not work properly.

If you turn down your thermostat, you could have your heating on for longer without it costing you more. It is often cheaper to keep the house warm for more of the day than to heat the home intensely for a few hours. 21 degrees is recommended if you are fit and well.

Make sure you ventilate your house properly in the Winter to prevent damp and condensation. If you are cooking, having a bath or shower or drying clothes, this creates water vapour (steam) that needs to escape from the house. Without ventilation the water will collect as damp on cold surfaces.

Most extractor fans only cost a few pennies a year to run – please don’t switch them off to save electricity – it won’t make any difference to your bills, but could let the mould in.

Our HOUSE

Summer, 2015

Top money saving tips Use comparison sites Mysupermarket.co.uk compares the prices of individual items at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Ocado, Waitrose, Asda and Aldi so you can get the best deals.

Buy discount cinema tickets Go to Cineworld, which has more than 80 cinemas across the country, on the weekend and during school holidays as tickets are just £1.35 each for adults and children who book online. Tickets cost £1.50 if bought at the cinema box office.

Go to a ‘pay-as-you-go’ gym Around 2,200 gyms – more than a third of all gyms in Britain - have signed up to “pay-as-you-go” (PayasUgym.com), allowing you to buy discounted day, 30-day, 90-day and class passes.

Grow your own herbs Keeping pots of herbs in your kitchen can save you money on having to repeat purchase packs of herbs. A basil plant costs on average £1.25 at most supermarkets, and will survive as long as it gets sunlight and water, and is kept away from draughts in Winter.

Use a slow cooker Using a slow cooker to make a stew is both easier – you can leave it to stew while you’re at work all day and cheaper. It costs around 10.5p to use a slow cooker for around eight hours, while using an oven will cost far more at 30p for one hour.

Turn electrical appliances off when not in use In 2012, the Energy Saving Trust revealed that across the UK, households were spending between £50 and £86 a year on gadgets in a “non-active” or standby state, equivalent to 9pc to 16pc of the average electricity bill.

Cook Save money on buying take-aways, which you can make yourself or buy from the supermarket much cheaper. A 270g stone-baked Margherita pizza costs on average £3.50 from a supermarket.

Collect loose change in a jar Collect loose change and cash them in at the end of the year. Without even realising you could have saved £40 or £50.

Don’t waste food The average British household with children wastes £700 worth of food each year. Plan your meals, store your food correctly, get your portions right and eat leftovers.

Free family fun days Here are our favourite free days out at some brilliant venues across the region. If you decide to have a day out, why not send us a photo? Email sarah.archer@accordgroup.org.uk

Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham 80 acres of formal parkland and 120 acres of conservation and woodland plantation. 2 Russell Road, Moseley, B13 8RD birmingham.gov.uk/cannonhillpark

West Park, Wolverhampton Wolverhampton’s premier open space. Park Road West, Wolverhampton, WV1 4PH wolverhampton.gov.uk/article/1875/WestPark

Wolverhampton Art Gallery 300 years of art, from Georgian portraits and Victorian landscapes, to Pop and contemporary. Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1DU wolverhamptonart.org.uk/visit/wolves/

Bantock House Museum A hidden treasure set within 43 acres of parkland and surrounded by delightful formal gardens. Finchfield Road, Wolverhampton WV3 9LQ wolverhamptonart.org.uk/visit/bantock/

Library of Birmingham Stunning architecture and a host of fun facilities. The Secret Garden offers incredible views. Centenary Square, Birmingham B1 2ND libraryofbirmingham.com/discover

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery A new gallery has recently opened that tells the fascinating story of the Staffordshire Hoard. Chamberlain Square, Birmingham , B3 3DH birminghammuseums.org.uk/bmag

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Summer, 2015

Email ceteam@accordgroup.org.uk or call us on 0121 500 2014

HELP US TEST NEW HEALTHY AGEING ‘TOOL’ Customers living in our sheltered and extra care schemes are invited to take part in an exciting new project to help test a new healthy ageing ‘tool’ that the Accord Group is helping to develop along with other European partners. The ‘tool’, called ‘DOREMI,’ will work through a touch-screen tablet (like an iPad) and is designed to help users improve their diet and lead healthier lives. Rachael Dutton, Head of Research and Intelligence at the Accord Group, explains: “Eating an unhealthy diet, lack of activity and decline in brain use have been shown to be the three main causes of disease and premature death. That’s why we are really interested in exploring the potential of this exciting new tool. We are always looking for ways to help our customers be healthier.” DOREMI includes a series of ‘brain games’ to support the stimulation of aspects such as problem solving and memory. It also includes activities to support increased physical activity, as well as food intake monitoring programmes that allow users to track their diet. It will also offer suggestions for changing diet and lifestyles. We will be running a study of DOREMI to see if the tool can provide improvements to health and well-being which will involve people getting involved and trying out the tool in their own homes for three months. At the start, participants will work with experts to arrange a set of personalised fun ‘training’ programmes with DOREMI covering diet, physical activity and games for the brain.

If you’re interested in knowing more, please do get in touch. To be enrolled as a participant in the study, you would need to be free to take part from December 2015 until March 2016, aged between 65 and 80, living alone, and be interested in making improvements to your diet, improving activity levels, and playing fun ‘brain games’. As a thank you to those who participate in the project we are offering tokens of appreciation, including an invitation to attend an awards evening especially for DOREMI participants at the end of the project. Call Michael Burrows, Research Officer at Accord, on 0121 500 2054 or email michael.burrows@accordha.org.uk for more information.

CUSTOMER ANNUAL REPORT DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Customer Conference 18th September Get online week: October Big Energy Saving week: 19-24 October Great Customer awards: December Your GROUP

Look out for this year’s customer annual report. It will be jam-packed full of stories from across the Accord Group and of course our annual performance information. Created by customers for customers, it gives you all the information that you need to know about the Accord Group. The annual report will be able to view from September. Check out our YouTube channel to view our 2014 report at youtube. com/theaccordgroup If you want like to get involved in this year’s annual report, please contact the Customer Engagement team on 0121 500 2014.

Taking place on Friday 18 September, this year’s conference gives you, our customers the opportunity to set the agenda and influence change. QQ A conference were you set the agenda QQ You lead the customer revolution QQ You shape the customer experience QQ Free lunch and prizes to be won Contact the Customer Engagement Team to find out more by calling 0121 500 2014 or email ceteam@accordgroup.org.uk

Our HOUSE

Summer, 2015

HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU?

SCRUTINY PANEL UPDATE 2015

The Scrutiny Panel has recently reviewed Lovell’s satisfaction reports, to look into inconsistencies being reported in the satisfaction results for the repairs service.

2014

It is almost that time of the year where we ask you to nominate for the Great Customer Awards.

The review involved more than 100 phone calls to customers who had a repair completed within the last 24 hours. A number of elements were looked into, including the time taken to complete repairs and the communication between the customer and the service provider not being consistent.

Do you have a neighbour that is committed to your local community? Is there someone who has made a big difference to you or your area? Then why not recognise their hard work by nominating them for a Great Customer Award.

The recommendations were presented to the Housing Services Forum (made of up senior managers at Accord) so that they could ask questions about our findings and, more importantly, inform us of what they are going to do as a result of our report. The key actions and progress so far are:

The annual awards celebrate the great things that customers are doing right across the Accord Group, supporting their neighbours, their community or their housing association.

l Developing policy – the compensation policy has been reviewed and the panel are hoping to review the repairs policy this year l Improving communication – the Assets team have mapped out the repairs process for the panel to test in the next few months l Increasing satisfaction – recent satisfaction survey results have been added to the service improvement plan (see below).

If you have someone that you want to nominate for this year’s customer awards, contact the Customer Engagement team on 0121 500 2014 or email ceteam@accordgroup.org.uk Look out for more information in the next edition.

Dave Livesey, Assistant Head of Assets, thanked the Scrutiny Panel for the report. He said: “We have now incorporated many of the key actions suggested into our operational plans. We have commissioned an independent satisfaction survey as a result of what has been raised and plan to now carry out in-house satisfaction surveys going forward.

BUZZ GETS A WELL-EARNED MAKEOVER

“This will give us the opportunity to understand more about which aspects of the service need a closer look and we look forward to working in partnership with the scrutiny panel in our service improvement planning.”

HIGHLIGHTS

100+ 62% 74%

phone calls were made to customers.

feel that we provide good value-for-money.

feel that they are treated as valued customers.

63% 70% 96%

feel we deliver an excellent repairs and maintenance service.

feel we provide them with a quality home.

feel that repairs are easy to report.

The Accord Buzz is having a well-earned makeover so look out for it on a street near you soon. The re-launched mobile office has been re-designed to make the best use of the space on board, so we can engage better with our customers and offer support and advice across all our estates and in the wider community. We will be hitting the streets soon offering a range of events, from open days and community events to public consultations and much, much more. The Buzz is also available to hire. Contact ceteam@accordgroup.org.uk or call the Customer Engagement team on 0121 500 2014 for more info.

Your NEWS

Our HOUSE

Summer, 2015

Homes and Communities

Next phase of West Bromwich housing development launched

The exciting third stage of our multi-million pound Urban 180 development in West Bromwich town centre is now underway.

Development of the Year” in the prestigious Inside Housing Awards earlier this year.

The development is situated close to the centre of West Bromwich, on the corner of High Street and Bull Street. The first two phases were constructed by Mansell Midlands with this new third phase now being constructed by Accord’s own in-house construction team.

Alan Yates, Executive Director of Regeneration at the Accord Group, said: “This is an important third phase of this fantastic award-winning development and forms a key part of regenerating the town centre area and we are delighted to be working in partnership with Sandwell Council on the next phase of the project. The homes are selling well and offer the local community a new, high quality housing option.”

The remaining Phase 2 houses have now been released onto the sales market and the development has already won the LABC Built in Quality Award, a Housing Excellence Award for Best New Affordable Housing Scheme and was shortlisted for the “Outstanding

Your GROUP

This third phase of Urban 180, is set to be completed by Autumn next year. For more information about Urban 180, or to register interest in purchasing a home, visit accordgroup.org.uk/developments

Our HOUSE

Summer, 2015

Green-fingered customers celebrate National Gardening Week

Retrofit project set to deliver lower energy costs

It was National Gardening Week in April and customers in two of our care schemes in Telford – Cartlidge House and High Mount - had great fun, as lifestyle assistant Sophie Meredith explains. “We raised £125 through an Easter Fundraising event and customers were consulted on how they would like the money to be spent. It was decided that we should make some changes to our own garden. We had a great week planting, potting and painting!” New-to-market technologies being installed at one of the demonstration properties

A multi-million pound retrofit project promises to deliver big energy savings to a group of Walsall residents. The Retrofit project has selected six demonstrator houses across the town that will be fitted with a range of green technologies to make them more energy efficient. Specially adapted planting boxes

All of the activities were tailored to ensure that all customers could take part, so the more mobile customers were busy digging and painting, where the less mobile customers and those living with dementia tried their hands at sowing seeds and planting bulbs. Wheelchairs users were also involved, who used specially adapted planting boxes, built by our maintenance operative Alan Williams. “Our customers with dementia have particularly enjoyed helping create a sensory section within the garden, as the tactile nature of the task proved both stimulating and relaxing. We also did some vegetable planting, including carrots, beetroot and lettuce and a flower garden planter. We had a fabulous time!” added Sophie.

Each house will be fitted with up to £40,000 of new-to-market energy-saving products and will be monitored against homes that have no products installed, so a true calculation of benefits and savings can be seen, with an average annual energy consumption reduction up to 25 per cent. A range of eco-improvements are being installed, including external wall insulation, internal wall insulation, solar panels (PV), new ventilation and heating systems. One of the residents taking part in the project is Jacke Adam Szczech who lives in Palfrey. He said: “Now that the works have started I am really excited to see the completed works and start saving money on my energy bills. My new triple glazed windows have really reduced the noise from the road as well as saving money. Fantastic!” The six demonstrator homes will be monitored over the Summer and Winter and we’re excited to see what the exciting results are. We will keep you posted in future editions of Our House. For more information about the Accord Group’s Retrofit Project, visit accordgroup.org.uk/the_retrofit_project

Bilston development officially open Our latest £1.3 million development in Bilston, Dennis Turner Close, has been officially opened. Named in honor of Lord Bilston, a life-long campaigner for the Bilston area, and officially opened by his widow Lady Bilston, their daughter and young granddaughter, the development is a purposely designed collection of twobedroom flexible lifetime homes offering affordable housing for the over 55s from Heantun Housing, part of the Accord Group. Developed in partnership with Wolverhampton City Council and Wolverhampton Homes, the new scheme offers a high standard of accommodation, including a range of facilities to ensure the new homes are easily adaptable for lifetime use. Sara Woodall, Chief Executive at Heantun Housing Association, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer such a high standard of houses for local residents. As a provider of specialist service for older people, we pride ourselves on providing homes which empower people to live independent, fulfilled lives. These buildings are a great asset to the town, as not only do they look great, but they are designed to offer adaptable living accommodation for all future residents.”

Your NEWS

Our HOUSE

Summer, 2015

A few of our favourite things (on canvas) A collection of drawings inspired by the personal possessions of a group of our customers at Showell Court in Wolverhampton has been unveiled. ‘A few of our favourite things’ is a compilation of illustrations by Birmingham artist Jim Morris, who has been working as the ‘artist-inresidence’ at the extra care scheme for the past two months. As part of the project, residents were asked to donate their most treasured personal belongings for Jim to draw. Not only were a collection of paintings and illustrations beautifully created, but the sessions also prompted the residents to share their personal memoirs, and even revealed fascinating stories about their lives and the history of the local area.

Jim Morris and Peggy Burkett

Six of the most poignant pictures have now been replicated on canvas and have been installed in the communal lounge area of the home.

Resident, Peggy Burkett, said: “It’s been smashing, particularly having been involved in the process from the beginning. It’s been very interesting selecting our belongings and seeing Jim bringing them to life.”

Jim Morris, said: “I was overwhelmed by the amazing response to this project. Not only have I produced a great collection of drawings but I have also made some special friendships along the way. Working so closely with the residents in this way was really special, and soon our mutual trust and respect helped the creativity and memories to keep flowing. I am delighted to unveil this collection, as a permanent memory to all the residents involved.”

The project is part of a region-wide Living Arts Room Residency Programme managed by Creative Health CIC and funded by Wolverhampton Art Gallery and Staffordshire County Council. It was the first of a number of Artist Residencies taking place across Wolverhampton and Staffordshire which aims to explore new ways of supporting high quality arts activities for older people in care homes and sheltered housing.

Alex the Acorn visits nursery

LET S TALK LESS RUBBISH

Children at Bushbury Triangle Nursery, in Wolverhampton had a very special visit from Alex the Acorn. The children were really happy Alex had taken the time to visit the nursery and during his visit raised a staggering £70.62

Some of our helpful customers in Chelmsley Wood rolled up their sleeves and took part in a nation-wide Spring clean in order to spruce up their neighbourhood.

The children enjoyed a Teddy Bears Picnic where they brought in their favourite teddy bears and everyone, including parents and staff, enjoyed a picnic in the garden. Well done to everyone involved and a big thank you to everyone that donated money on the day.

Your GROUP

The caring group took to the streets and public parks near to Bosworth Community Centre to pick up rubbish and help tidy the local area. Not only was it worthwhile, it was also great fun and unearthed a rather unusual collection of rubbish, including a five pound note, a tennis racket and a screwdriver! Well done to all who took part.

Summer, 2015

Our HOUSE

Enter to win

£10

voucher

Free

Enter the competitions below to be in with a chance of winning great local prizes.

Cassie receiving her prize

Ready, steady, cook Cassie! Talented Cassie Welsh from Ellen Court in Telford is celebrating after being awarded runner up in the Shropshire ‘Come Snack With Us’ competition. Coming from a family of chefs and bakers’ it was no great surprise to her friends at Ellen Court that she would enter. She has always been passionate about cooking and baking, having regularly entered cooking competitions and even winning the Junior Chef of the Year award. ‘Come Snack With Us’ is a regional competition open to all care homes in Shropshire. When Cassie heard the brief, that she was to come up with a suggestion for a small nutritional snack that could be used in care homes for elderly residents who may suffer from malnutrition, she jumped at the chance to put her culinary skills to good use and came up with an innovative recipe for ginger infused flapjacks, which she used to make for her grandad when she cared for him a few years back.

The Bakehouse

day out

WIN!

The Bakehouse is a new café that has opened in Walsall town centre (18 Goodall Street, WS1 1QL) that offers a lovely selection of sandwiches, and other delicious lunch options. It is also a bakery that focuses on traditional bread making methods and offers a great selection of hand crafted bread that is baked on site daily. To celebrate its opening, the Bakehouse is offering two lucky Our House readers the opportunity to win a £10 voucher to spend at the café. To enter, simply answer this easy question. What ingredient makes bread rise? Send your answer to Sarah Archer via email sarah.archer@accordgroup.org.uk or by post to 178 Birmingham Road, West Bromwich, B70 6QG. Find out more about the Bakehouse /Thebakehousewalsall @thebakehouse18

Cassie submitted her recipe, along with some pictures of the bake and was delighted to be selected as a finalist, and was invited to present her bake to judges at Shrewsbury Football Ground. Although Cassie had some troubles with her bake – she unfortunately burnt one of her batches - she pulled through and produced an outstanding array of aromatic flapjacks. When she arrived at Shrewsbury Football Ground, Cassie was quite apprehensive about the day and didn’t believe she stood a chance, but soon it was announced that she was awarded the prize of runnerup and she was given her prize of a Mary Berry cook book. The judges were really impressed with Cassie’s reasoning for choosing the flapjacks, and commended her on the combination of spices that were used, and their exquisite aroma. Her success was a major achievement for Cassie as she suffers from low self esteem and anxiety; so it was this kind of positive outcome she needed to boost her morale. She was able to be in a crowded room and even shake hands with people which she generally finds uncomfortable. However, she was delighted to receive congratulations from the other contestants and share her recipe with them and she has already been expressing her enthusiasm to try the recipes from the Mary Berry Cook book, by cooking them for the staff and other customers at Ellen Court. Staff at Ellen Court couldn’t be more pleased and proud of Cassie and her culinary success. Who knows, we may see her on the Great British Bake Off next!

The Black Country Living Museum, in Dudley in the West Midlands, is an award winning open-air living museum that tells the story of the world’s first industrial landscape. A fun packed family day out, the museum is brought to life by costumed characters in an array of original shops, houses, workshops and a school and fair all in a canal-side village. We’re offering four free adult tickets to lucky Our House readers. Simply tell us which town the Black Country Living Museum is situated in for your chance to win. Mark your entry ‘Black Country Living Museum’ and send your answer to Sarah Archer via email sarah.archer@accordgroup.org.uk or post at 178 Birmingham Road, West Bromwich, B70 6QG.

WIN!

Remember to include the name of the competition that you are entering, your name, address and a phone or email contact. Winners will be chosen at random from all correct entries.

Your NEWS

Our HOUSE

Summer, 2015

Competitions Quiz

1: Where was Dorothy from in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz?

Simply answer the following 10 questions correctly to be in with the chance of winning £20 Love2Shop vouchers, which can be redeemed at over 20,000 stores.

2: What is the capital of Italy? 3: Which band’s line-up has included Keith Richards and Mick Jagger since 1962? 4: Where is Yellow Stone National Park?

Send your completed questions to, The Accord Group, c/o Sarah Archer, 178 Birmingham Road, West Bromwich, West Midlands, B70 6QG or email them to sarah.archer@ accordgroup.org.uk by 28 August, 2015.

5: Which Dutch painter’s works include Sunflowers, Irises, and Starry Night? 6: In what city do football clubs West Ham, Fulham, Chelsea and Arsenal play? 7: What is the national currency of Australia?

Remember to include the name of the competition that you are entering, your name, address and a phone or email contact. One winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries. The winner of last issue’s competition was Mrs V Kendrick, Walsall.

8: On the internet, what do the letters WWW stand for? 9: How many players are there on a basketball team? 10: You’ll find the next answer in this newsletter… Who is Head of Research and Intelligence at the Accord Group?

Wordsearch S

BEACH

TOWEL

BUCKET

SPADE

ICECREAM

OCEAN

POOL

Simply find the word that is NOT in the wordsearch to be in with the chance of winning £20 Love2Shop vouchers, which can be redeemed at over 20,000 stores. Send your answer to The Accord Group, c/o Sarah Archer, 178 Birmingham Road, West Bromwich, West Midlands, B70 6QG or email sarah.archer@accordgroup. org.uk by 28 August, 2015. Remember to include the name of the competition that you are entering, your name, address and a phone or email contact. One winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries.

TAN BEACHBALL

Accord Group, 178 Birmingham Road, West Bromwich, B70 6QG. Tel: 0300 111 7000 Email: customerfirst@accordgroup.org.uk On request, we will do what is practical to translate information into different formats including large print, Braille and other languages. If you need a document translated into a different language or format, call Customer First on 0300 111 7000. Please note that any products, events or services not provided by the Accord Group are used at customers’ own discretion and risk.

The winner of last issue’s wordsearch was Mrs M Parton, Wolverhampton