The Word, June 2012

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Putting people f irst Group jubilee celebrations take place

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June 2012

The Great People Awards 2012

DON’T MISS! What’s on and where across the Group

Peter goes the extra mile Me and my hobby

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Residents and staff transform local communities at our first official Group Estates Week Over one hundred residents and staff from across the Group came together in May to brighten up neighbourhoods in Walsall and Birmingham.

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n the 22 May the first official Group Estates Week took place and saw 12 sites benefitting from the makeover.

Staff volunteered their time to support residents in painting, cleaning and repairing the areas, which had been selected because of their poor appearance.

In preparation for the week residents were invited to sign up to a series of free workshops to help them brush up on their DIY skills.

Residents chose from a number of workshops including: Introduction to Decorating, Introduction to Carpentry, Introduction to Fixtures and Fittings, Introduction to Minor

Repairs and Maintenance and Introduction to Landscaping.

Everyone who took part in the free workshops then used their new skills at Estates Week.

Estates Week was run in partnership with a number of agencies and organisations, who volunteered time or donated supplies. Organisations involved include: Kate Black, Lovell, Morgan Hunt, Mears, Trowers and Hamlins Solicitors, Locks and Fittings, Walsall Housing Group, Relko, Darlaston Builders, Buxtons, Travis Perkins Tipton and Walsall Police.

The week was such a success that plans are already underway to recreate a similar event next year.

Staff volunteered to support residents in repairing areas with poor appearance.

Check out page f ive to meet the Resident Engagement team...

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Historic housing associations unite!

Welcome

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elcome to the June edition of The Word.

June sees many celebrations across the Group; marking the Queen’s jubilee, our first Group Estates Week and the relaunch of Planning for Real. We also learn more about the resident engagement team and the new in-house procurement function.

In this edition we also welcome back the Great People Awards. You can start voting for your great people today. For more information about the categories and deadline turn to page four.

If you have any comments about this issue or any ideas, please email your suggestions to elainemiddleton@ accordgroup.org.uk Happy reading,

Elaine Have you got a story to tell?

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e want to hear what you’re up to across the Group.

The deadline for the next newsletter is 4 July, 2012.

Contact Elaine Middleton, Senior PR and Marketing Officer on 0121 500 2393 or elainemiddleton@ accordgroup.org.uk. If you’d prefer to receive your newsletter electronically, then please forward your name, department, organisation and work email to elainemiddleton@ accordgroup.org.uk

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ccord Housing Association and Caldmore Area Housing Association have come together to form a new partnership that sees a greater focus on the customer.

From April this year the two associations, who have been providing affordable housing for more than 40 years, became Caldmoreaccord Housing Association.

Balloons launched at Caldmore office.

The partnership has seen Caldmoreaccord’s frontline services revolutionised, so that as well as providing housing, colleagues will also help people to get jobs, access training and start up their own businesses or social enterprises.

Colleagues continue to provide services to residents from offices in Caldmore and Darlaston and remain part of the Accord Group.

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or the last few years Accord Group’s commitment to the green agenda has seen us achieve ISO 14001, the Environmental Management and Audit Scheme and invest in our very own eco-homes factory.

As we look again at renewing our ISO accreditation, we thought it was important to explain the differences and why it’s important we keep improving our practices.

Celebrations take place at Darlaston office.

ISO14001: the facts

EMAS: the facts

The International Standards Organisation standard number 14001 is our ‘MOT’ for environmental legal compliance – this is the law.

It was created to encourage companies to be self certified. By having the 14001 accreditation it means we are more likely to avoid spot checks by the Environment Agency.

In order to achieve the ISO accreditation, companies need to have developed an Environmental Management System (EMS), which is why we are part of the Environmental Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS).

Companies can choose to have their environmental management system audited beyond ISO14001. This is done by one of the approved European Audit Organisation bodies before sign off by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) The Accord Group is the first Registered Provider to have this accreditation for our system known as the Environmental Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS).

To keep momentum and ensure we can easily meet our green objectives, each team has an Environmental Implementation

Team (EIT) member to monitor team processes and procedures in line with the standards we have to meet to achieve ISO 14001.

Let’s party! Celebrations take place across the Group to mark royal jubilee.

Across the Group plans were put in place to ensure the Queen’s jubilee was celebrated in style. Read more below to see what our staff and residents got up to.

Showell Court, Wolverhampton

Rowan Village, Stoke-on-Trent

On the 1 June, Showell Court social centre had their version of a street party complete with a disco.

On the following day they continued the celebrations with a reminiscence morning relating to the Queen’s 60 years on the throne. In the afternoon the social centre hosted a Jubilee party with live entertainment from “Double Delight,” two female vocalists who performed songs from the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.

At Rowan Village there was a Jubilee garden party on the 3 June 2012 featuring lots of games and entertainment including raffles, guess the weight of the cake, guess how many sweets in a jar as well as garden activities such as hoopla and jenga.

There was traditional food and drink, such as strawberries and cream and fish and chips, available from their newly opened coffee shop, The Rowan Tree Coffee Pot. Rowan Village also welcomed two guest speakers; Dr Josep Sule-Suso from the NHS who spoke about his research projects and entertainer and singer, Chuck Micallef.

Walsall extra care schemes Walsall extra care schemes came together to celebrate the Jubilee in style with a street party on Wednesday, 30 May at Pelsall community centre. Over 90 people attended to enjoy the food, drinks and entertainment.

Silver Birches Tuesday, 5 June saw residents, families, friends and staff celebrate the Jubilee with a street party. Tables and chairs were brought outdoors and the grounds were decorated with bunting, balloons and flags for a summer time BBQ. Staff also got into the British spirit with union jack bloomers and bow ties.

Cartlidge House, Bennett House and Millbrook Cartlidge House joined in with a street party in Oakengates on the morning of 2 June. In the afternoon they planned a trip to the theatre to watch a show entitled ‘There’ll Always Be An England’.

Bennett, Cartlidge and Millbrook also came together for a Jubilee party at the Park Lane Centre in Woodside on Friday, 8 June. Those not attending the party from Bennett and Cartlidge had their own ‘street party’’ in-house.

Bennett House continued the celebrations with an afternoon tea party on 5 June at the Orchard in Madeley together with others in the community.

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Energy saving • Turn off lights or electrical equipment when it is not in use as it prolongs the life of the equipment as well as saving energy and money • Open windows if you are too hot rather than using the air conditioning • Turn thermostats down, each degree can reduce your heating bill by five per cent • Open the blinds on sunny winter days to lighten and warm up your office.

Waste Reduction • Only print what is necessary, proof read documents on screen and print preview before printing

• Reuse the blank side of any unwanted printouts as note pads or draft paper • Use window envelopes instead of labels, this saves time as well as resources • Try to only purchase items with reduced packaging or packaging that can be recycled.

Recycling • Re-use plastic carrier bags as bin liners.

• Re-use cardboard boxes for archiving or transporting files • Use the recycling facilities that are in place within your scheme, office or building and help us to divert waste from landfill • Check the Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) number on all plastic packaging or containers prior to purchase. Only numbers one to five can be recycled.

What is your role within that process?

What is your name, job title and location?

What’s the best bit about your job?

When and where are you happiest?

Lindsay Griffin, Co-operative Services and Admin Officer at Redditch Co-operative Homes (RCH)

The best part of my job is the hands on, frontline service that we provide to our residents.

No two days are the same. It is unpredictable and fast moving.

Taking a well earned family break with my partner and daughter.

I adore the Red Sea but I now settle for the beautiful British coast so we can take the dog along too.

What three words best describe you?

Determined, light hearted and a little cheeky.

How long have you worked for the Group?

I joined RCH six months ago.

However, I have been a tenant for 11 years.

What three things would you take on a desert island?

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oanne Antcliff, Group Procurement Manager, tells all about her role and the new process for procurement across the Group.

What is procurement?

Procurement at the Accord Group is defined as:the process of acquiring goods, works and services, covering both acquisitions from external third party suppliers and in-house providers. The process spans the whole cycle from identification of a need through to the end of a contract. It involves options, appraisals and the critical ‘make or buy’ decision.

What is the procurement process?

Spotlight on

Plenty of seasoning for all of the seafood I would be eating, my ipod with docking station and most importantly, my dog Zeus.

Lindsay Griffin.

Below left are some everyday tips that everyone can do to help us meet our targets and look out for our inter-team competition coming soon.

Introducing...

Procurement

Energy saving tips elow are some everyday tips that everyone can do to help us meet our targets and look out for our inter-team competition coming soon.

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As a group of housing organisations, the Accord Group has to comply with English and European law as well as its own Standing Financial Regulations.

These rules not only ensure transparency, but make certain that we achieve value-for-money in all our buying decisions.

There are four types of procurement processes that apply to the Accord Group and these are: orders, estimates, quotations and tenders.

A ‘Procurement Need to Know Guide’ has been produced to explain the above, which is available on the intranet.

As procurement manager, I provide a facilitative role across the Group, giving advice and guidance as well as ensuring that we drive value-for-money through our procurement decisions. I also work to make sure that the public funds we receive are spent in a fair and transparent manner that complies with our Financial Standing Orders and Public Procurement law.

A fundamental part of my role is to work closely with the Accord AddVentures team to provide our customers with employment and enterprise opportunities from the suppliers we work with.

I’m buying something new – do I need to let you know about it?

Yes please. You can give me a call on 0121 500 2094 to talk through you requirements especially if the spend is over £15,000.

I have existing contracts coming to an end this year? Do I need to tell you?

Yes please. Hopefully you have all contributed to the Accord Group’s Central Contract Register which will allow us to maintain all supplier agreements / contracts registered in a single document.

This document will be made available to the public.

I have companies calling me asking for work – what is the process for this?

A procurement web page has been set-up for suppliers to register their interest to work us. If a supplier contacts you please refer them to the following link: http://accordgroup.org.uk/ supplier_enquiries/new If the supplier continues to push their interest and you feel uncomfortable, please refer them to me.

A copy of supplier interests will be communicated regularly.

For more information you can contact Joanne on 0121 500 2094 or email joanne. antcliff@accordgroup.org.uk

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Meet the Team...

The Great People Awards are back for 2012 and this year, the event which is in its fifth year will take place on 22 November at Dunstall Race Course in Wolverhampton and will see more than 100 people attend the awards.

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o nominate someone, there are two ways in which you can do this – either by email or through internal post. Simply fill out a nomination form which is available on the intranet or from your office or scheme.

You have until Friday, 14 September to submit your entry, which will then be reviewed by a panel of judges to decide on the winners.

You can nominate more than one person for any of the categories, but can only nominate someone once per category.

Remember to provide as much supporting information as possible to make your entry stand out from the rest.

The Awards: 10 value awards: This category allows for nominations of people who have lived one or all four values.

Criteria: All nominations must have an outstanding example of how an individual has demonstrated at least one of the values or more. Please list which value you are nominating someone for.

•C ommitted to Communities •P utting People First • Making a Difference • Excellence through Innovation.

Team of the year: This category is for office based staff.

Criteria: All team nominations of two or more must be able to demonstrate a clear example of how this team has made a real difference in terms of changing an environment to make things better.

Scheme of the year: This category is for all schemes.

Criteria: All nominations must show how a scheme has gone the extra mile for residents. It could be examples of innovation, new services etc.

Make it Count: This category is in relation to the Make it Count campaign.

Nominees Should you be lucky enough to be a nominee, you will be notified by email and asked to keep the 22 November free in your diary.

You will also be asked to submit a colour headshot of yourself which will appear in the Great People Awards programme.

Criteria: All nominations must demonstrate how they have personally made a difference through one of the three E’s: efficiency, effectiveness or economy.

The judges

Volunteer of the year: This category is for all our external volunteers within the Accord Group.

Nev Gill, Head of Customer First

Criteria: All nominations must be for people who are non-paid and work within the Group and who go the extra mile in they support they give us.

Best newcomer of the year: This category is for an individual who has made a real impact on the Accord Group since their appointment.

Criteria: All nominations must be for people who joined the Accord Group in the last 12 months (after 1 May 2011). The nomination should be able to clearly demonstrate on how this person has made a real impact on the organisation, through talent, enthusiasm and who has made changes for the better for the organisation they work for.

Best community initiative: This category is for a project which has really brought together the community they serve,

Criteria: All nominations must be for a project, event or campaign which shows a real commitment to the community within which they work.

Tell us a bit about the team.

The corporate resident engagement team is responsible for the strategic direction and coordination of Group-wide resident engagement. We work directly with other resident engagement colleagues that are based in local offices, as well as corporate teams, frontline teams and residents themselves.

Who is in the team and what do they focus on?

The team is part of corporate services (Customer First, Asset Management, Performance and Quality and Resident Engagement) and is led by Louise Creswick, Resident Engagement Coordinator.

The three other members are: 1. Joan Halstead – Resident Engagement Support Officer 2. Abdul Mumith – Resident Engagement Project Officer 3. Zakir Salim – Resident Engagement Assistant

How are our customers involved in your work?

Customers are at the heart of our work. We know from Government-led research and reports that nationally, residents want to be involved and have a say about the way their landlord provides services and develops homes and communities. The Accord Group, working in partnership with its customers is essential to what we call ‘coregulation’.

Therefore, we ensure our residents have a platform to air their views and are fully involved and able to have a say. We want them to shape the way the Group delivers services, develops new initiatives and improves homes and communities.

What does the team offer the rest of the Group?

One of the key objectives of resident engagement is to involve staff in this approach to deliver services (whether they are customer facing or not as they will still have an impact on

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Recipe

our customers in some way).

Therefore, we work hard to assist other teams in delivering resident engagement activities, provide advice and guidance, as well as work directly with residents to relay their needs and aspirations.

Tell us a fun fact about the team?

Every member of our team has a great sense of humour, we get on well and complement each other. It has to be said that three out of the four members of the team are not morning people – only Joan comes in at 9am singing!

Do you want more people across the Group to know about your team? Or do you want to know more about another team. Let us know by emailing elainemiddleton@ accordgroup.org.uk or call 0121 500 2393.

Claire Barratt, Director of Communications Dawn Hendon, Business Support Manager

Pulled pork with spicy coleslaw For the pulled pork •o il, for greasing •2 kg/4lb 6½oz pork shoulder •1 tbsp chilli flakes •1 tbsp whole grain mustard • s alt and freshly ground black pepper •2 00ml/7¼fl oz white wine vinegar •2 50ml/9fl oz cider •3 onions, finely sliced •6 cloves garlic, sliced For the coleslaw •h alf white cabbage, finely chopped •2 carrots, grated •2 red onions, finely sliced •1 red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped •1 75g/6oz mayonnaise • s alt and freshly ground black pepper •1 lime, juice only •1 tbsp soy sauce

Mark O’Dwyer, Head of Organisational Development Jacqui Rooker, Assistant Co-op Services Manager, bchs David Williams, Director of Care and Support Julie Blake, Head of Support Services, Caldmoreaccord Amanda Nicholls, Director of Ashram Mandy Holcroft, Director of Operations, Caldmoreaccord Paul Wright, Director of Operations, Fry Housing Trust

Preparation method 1. Preheat the oven to 170C/340F/ Gas 3.

2. For the pulled pork, oil a baking tray and place the pork shoulder

Sara Woodall, Director of Corporate Housing.

on top. Mix together the chilli, mustard and salt and freshly ground black pepper, then rub the mixture into the pork shoulder.

3. Pour the vinegar and cider over, then scatter over the onion and garlic.

4. Cover with parchment paper, then wrap in foil and place into the oven to roast for three hours.

Remove the parchment and foil, then roast for another hour.

5. ‘Pull’ the pork by sticking a fork in the shoulder and shredding the meat into small pieces with another fork.

6. For the coleslaw, in a separate bowl, mix together all of the coleslaw ingredients until well combined.

7. To serve, pile the pulled pork shoulder on a serving plate and spoon the coleslaw next to it.

Serve with soft white rolls and barbecue sauce to taste.

Recipe taken from the BBC

Peter goes the extra mile (literally!)

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n April, Peter Helly, housing officer from Moseley and District Housing Association put his best foot forward, walking 40 miles around Coventry to raise money for Moseley’s care and support schemes.

He began at the Queens Head in Meriden at 6.23am and walked a complete route around the edge of Coventry, returning at the Queens Head, just over 12 hours later.

Colleagues from across the Group sponsored Peter, with all of the money raised going towards activities and day trips for their scheme and residents.

Well done Peter!

The route Peter walked.

Peter Helly.

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Top five things you need to Planning know about... forReal

in brief Staff and clients from Fry Housing Trust will be taking part in a ‘muddy run’ later in the year to raise money for the Trust’s benevolent fund.

The’ Muddy Run’ is a 10km event which will take place in Leamington on 22 September.

It involves running and trekking across muddy fields, through rivers and over obstacles. If you would like to get involved, sponsor the team or find out more, please contact Michelle Martin at Fry Housing Trust on 0121 559 6406 or email michelle.martin@fryha.org.uk

Planning for Real is an organisation, which is part of the Accord Group, that works with communities to help them have a real say about what happens in their neighbourhoods.

They help communities design and run community engagements programmes so that their voice can be heard on topics such as neighbourhood planning, new housing and regeneration projects and access to services.

2. S o how do Planning for Real work?

Planning for Real is commissioned by local authorities, housing providers and community groups to help in their local areas.

They offer a range of techniques which are visual, tactile, encourage participation and see a strong focus on the community taking control.

They are most well known for the exclusive Planning for Real® model. This is a community planning process based on a 3D model which allows residents to express their views on a range of issues, to work together to identify priorities, and in partnership with local agencies go on to develop an action plan for change or improvement.

Other techniques they use include ideas walls, aspiration trees and planning and evaluation tools. They also provide training for communities and cater

projects to meet the varying of needs of different customers and neighbourhoods across the country.

3. Who works for Planning for Real?

Planning for Real joined the Accord Group in 2009 and they are based at the Innovation Works @ Rubery Owen in Darlaston.

Margaret Wilkinson MBE, heads up the Planning for Real unit. Margaret has worked on the model for 25 years and brings a wealth of community development experience to the team.

Kamran Hussain is a Project Officer (based within Ashram) who assists with the delivery of Planning for Real contracts. He has a great deal of experience working with young people and was part of the widely acclaimed Bend It Like Birmingham project.

Sian Every is the Policy and Communications Officer for the team. Sian’s previous roles include project and communications manager at RegenWM and Advantage West Midlands, and policy officer at CABE. They also have a team of Planning for Real® consultants based around the country who work on a freelance basis.

4. How can they work with the rest of the Accord Group?

For Housing, Care and Support, InDesign, Regeneration, Resident Engagement and other teams,

Planning for Real can work with you in many ways. The team can help running community engagement programmes around new build estates or the regeneration of existing ones, working with residents to identify issues in their area, running staff consultations, training staff in using their tools and much more.

5. Could Planning for Real training help me?

For colleagues looking to engage with communities or consult with others, Planning for Real can help design an interactive, visual and inclusive workshop or programme of events. It isn’t just about the team delivering the process for you though. They support others to facilitate events so that you develop your own skills along the way.

This summer the Planning for Real team will be offering staff and residents the opportunity to attend a one day training course and a half day session introducing other community engagement techniques.

Email info@planningforreal.org.uk or call 0121 568 7070 for more details.

For more information visit the new website planningforreal.org.uk or email Sian Every on sian.every@planningforreal.org.uk

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Fairness introduces…

All about deafness

Fry clients get muddy for good cause

1. W hat is Planning for Real?

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Residents urged to raise neighbourhood concerns at walkabout Residents in Coventry were able to flag up concerns about everything from anti-social behaviour to fly-tipping at an estate walkabout in March.

Staff from Ashram Housing Association visited two estates in Coventry on, 4 March to identify any issues that Ashram, the local authority or other agencies need to resolve.

They also spoke with residents about training and job opportunities on offer at Ashram and the up coming changes to the benefit system.

Residents move into new apartments at Walsall Waterfront Keys for brand new apartments at the flagship Walsall Waterfront development were handed over to residents in March as another 82 homes are completed at the site.

Around 39 of the highquality one and two bedroom apartments were allocated to people on housing waiting lists and another 43 homes are for general affordable rent.

Staff get in a spin to raise cash for worthy cause Staff got into a spin in April when they took part in a gruelling 24-hour sponsored ‘spin’-style bike challenge.

Lucas Bladen, Ree Richardson, Louise Hicks, Adrian Ellis and Danielle Jones were

aiming to raise hundreds of pounds for Bournville House with their ‘Spinathon’ The staff who work at the extra care housing scheme in Telford raised over £400. The money will be spent on outings and entertainment for residents of Bournville House, which is in the heart of Lightmoor Village.

New hub a showcase for community success A unique project to provide local residents with invaluable work experience and employment opportunities launches in May. The Village Hub opened its doors on Caldmore Green on Thursday, 10 May. Funded in part through Walsall South Area Partnership for Caldmoreaccord Housing Association, the facility aims to give people a platform from which they can influence and shape local services.

Serving all four wards in South Walsall, the Hub will be used by local agencies and professionals to deliver advice and guidance workshops on all matters relating to training and volunteering. It will also be used as an exhibition space for showcasing local talent.

New jobs created as firm expands into Coventry Greenscape, which was established 27 years ago, has opened a unit in Old Church Road, Foleshill and in turn created two new permanent jobs and two apprenticeships.

The new base is expected to help them cut carbon footprint too as staff won’t have to travel from Greenscape’s base in the Black Country to serve customers in Coventry.

Greenscape’s services range from window cleaning, gardening and landscaping to repairs and maintenance and it employs over 50 members of staff.

Second shadow minister to visit Redditch housing co-operative this year Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government Chris Williamson MP became the second shadow minister to tour a unique housing co-operative in Redditch this year when he visited in April.

Only £2,200 left to raise for Dogs for the Disabled target

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e’re well on our way to reaching our pledge to raise £7,000 for our charity of the year, Dogs for the Disabled with only £2,200 left to raise.

Congratulations to both the Finance team who raised an incredible £200 from their Easter

£7,000

raffle and Philomena Oliver, Customer First team, who raised over £50 by donating jewellery for a sale.

The charity is looking for donations of unwanted jewellery to raise funds for the important cause. If you have items to donate including costume jewellery, necklaces or odd earrings, please contact the Communications team on

£3,500

Terms used by Action on Hearing Loss The following are some of the terms Action on Hearing Loss use to describe deafness...

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pr&marketingteam@accordgroup.org.uk

Me and my hobby

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y day, Phil Greaves manages the gardening arm of Accord Group, Greenscape, but when off-duty he’s mowed down with motors.

In his spare time Phil maintains, drives and shows his classic cars at specialist events. He currently has two Mercedes Coupes from the 1970’s.

“I have two cars in my collection. A white one which was bought back in 1983 to use as a daily driver for work, but I couldn’t part with it.

I decided to keep it and turn the upkeep into my hobby. The blue one was bought specifically to take to shows.”

Phil first became interested in cars in the mid 1960’s when he visited Germany.

“The best bit is driving to a show on a warm summer’s morning with the sun glinting off the chrome, so I can definitely recommend it if you are interested.”

Phil does have one handy tip though: “Buying any old car needs care and time to look after it. I would definitely recommend car collecting to others, but would suggest they join the club that specialises in the marque and get

People who are deaf We use the term people who are deaf in a general way when we are talking about people with all degrees of hearing loss.

People who are hard of hearing We use the term hard of hearing to describe people with mild to severe hearing loss. We quite often use it to describe people who have lost their hearing gradually.

People who are deafened People who were born hearing and became severely or profoundly deaf after learning to speak are often described as deafened. This can happen either suddenly or gradually.

“I was immediately taken by the styling of the cars. It was then and there I resolved to save up buy one when I could.”

However, it’s a hobby that can be quite tricky to start up and whilst he enjoys maintaining the cars and keeping them in good shape it can get frustrating.

“Things don’t always turn out to be easy and it can be very frustrating sorting them out.

However, I still find enjoyment from the achievement when the cars are back together and up and running.”

How do I describe deafness?

Being deaf or hard of hearing can mean very different things to different people.

There are various different ways to describe types of hearing loss.

This section explains what we mean by the different terms we use.

Some people feel comfortable with particular words to describe their own deafness. They might feel quite strongly about terms they do not like being used.

the background information before diving in. Once you get started there are lots of interesting places and shows to go to and the other owners are very friendly.”

People who are deafblind Many people who are deafblind have some hearing and vision. Others will be totally deaf and totally blind.

For information see our factsheet Deafblindness (PDF file) or visit the Sense website (external link, opens new browser window).

The deaf community Many deaf people whose first or preferred language is British Sign Language (BSL) consider themselves part of the deaf community. They may describe themselves as deaf with a capital D to emphasise their deaf identity.

How do I identify behaviours that might indicate a hearing loss?

Although you may think it is easy to look out for people with a hearing aid or someone who may use sign language, sometimes people do not recognise they have hearing loss. People may be unwilling to recognise the fact that they are losing or have already lost their hearing and can believe that their hearing is ‘normal’ and that the problem lies with other people who are speaking too softly or not making themselves clear enough.

The following lists some indicators to look out for: •T urning up the TV or radio to a higher than normal level •W atching a speaker’s lips and face very carefully, or leaning forward towards the speaker •C omplaining that other people mutter or mumble •F requent requests for repetition of what is said •M ore guessing what is said and more misunderstandings •T ilting, or cupping one ear towards the speaker •N o response when their back is turned •D ifficulty in hearing the doorbell or the phone ringing •H aving a particularly loud voice •H aving a speech impairment this can arise from a variety of reasons apart from hearing loss.

However, signs of deterioration in speech clarity and monotonous speech may be an indication of reduced hearing levels •T he person seems to hear on some occasions but not on others, appears unusually cut off or day dreamy •T he person appears stunned by loud noises •T he person begins to avoid social situations and group activities How do I communicate with someone with a hearing loss?

Top communication tips: •D o repeat yourself. Or rephrase until you’re understood.

•D on’t avoid conversation.

Deafness can be isolating.

Always involve people who are deaf in group conversations.

•D o think about communication support. Ask about how you can book sign language interpreters or speech-to-text reporters.

•D on’t shout. This distorts your mouth, making you harder to understand. Speak clearly and at a normal speed.

Information taken from Action on Hearing Loss.

For more information visit actiononhearingloss.org.uk

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Take a break Try solving these puzzles Wordsearch

WIN £20!

Love to Shop Voucher Please send the word that is NOT in the wordsearch to Elaine Middleton, 178 Birmingham Road, West Bromwich, B70 6QG or email elainemiddleton@ accordgroup.org.uk Closing date is Friday, 20 July

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O

S

B

M

9: Team

E

T

T

N

T

G

T

E

I

K

E

K

U

10: Goal

W

V

A

U

N

M

D

N

U

O

M

R

I

11: Sailing

O

S

C

I

F

Y

S

U

I

G

U

A

D

L

U

V

C

F

E

S

L

H

R

G

M

A

F

I

C

H

I

C

K

U

M

E

P

E

T

D

D

E

M

O

R

D

O

L

E

V

S

S

1: London 2: Medals 3: Race

7: Athletics 8: Sprint

12: Stadium 13. Velodrome

Questions about this issue

WIN £20!

Love to Shop Voucher Please send the COMPLETED ANSWER SECTION to Elaine Middleton, 178 Birmingham Road, West Bromwich, B70 6QG or email elainemiddleton@ accordgroup.org.uk Closing date is Friday, 20 July

1. Who is the Group procurement manager?

2. Where is the Great People Awards event being held this year?

3. How many members are in the corporate resident engagement team?

4. What time did Peter Helly begin his charity walk?

5. Where is Greenscape’s new base?

6. How much did the jewellery sale raise for Dogs for the Disabled?

7. Who is the new web and communications officer?

8. How long has Lindsay worked for Redditch Co-operative Homes?

9. Which scheme wore union jack bloomers to celebrate the Jubilee?

Congratulations to Viv Kelly from Fry Housing Trust and Kelly Bunce from OD, who both won Love to Shop vouchers in the previous edition.

10. Where are Planning for Real based?

How do I have my say about the intranet?

Our intranet is getting a makeover The Communications team will be refreshing the content and look of the intranet for colleagues across the Group.

The new intranet will be in line with our new brand and be better tailored to meet your needs.

We will be working with you to develop the intranet and get your thoughts and feedback on it.

For more information, please contact the Web and Intranet Communications Officer Faye Daniels on 0121 500 2399 or by email at faye.daniels@accordgroup.org.uk