spot light
Summer 2015
What’s inside The Val Joy Community Celebrations ASB perpetrator evicted
pages 10-11
page 14
Grays Tea Room celebrate at charity awards
Your magazine from
page 22
town&country housing
Hello
With the sun shining we’ve been out and about at lots of events across the South East. You can read all about them and see the photos on pages 18-20. Our big event each year is the Val Joy Community Celebration where all of our community volunteers are thanked for the time and effort they give to make our communities so special. Turn to pages 4 & 5 to see the photos and find out who won our Volunteers Community Award this year. This issue features lots of other news and information, we hope you enjoy it!
Contacting us Tenancy or Call us on 01892 501480 estate issues and press option 1 or email info@tchg.org.uk
Bob Heapy Chief Executive
the regulars
Repairs Call 01892 501480 and press option 2.
Regenerating our estates
P28
Competitions
P13 & 25
Heating and For gas or electric heating Hot Water or your hot water, call Swale Heating on 0800 011 3139.
How are we doing?
P29
Complaints, compliments and feedback
P15
For oil heating Call Headcorn Heating on 01622 891299.
Get on the housing ladder
P26
Our Customer Service Standards
P32
Leaseholders For all queries about your and shared owners rent or repairs please call us on 01892 501490. Visit our website
www.tchg.org.uk
Editorial Panel
Anne Harvey, Jackie Johnson, Monica Brown, Rowena Lomas, Carol Francis, Ricky Brown, Sue Thomas, Zara Rhodes and Alexine Storey. Thanks to all residents and staff who helped. Produced by
Magazine Production Shirley Coomber
Spotlight is printed with vegetable based inks on paper from sustainable sources. Please recycle your copy.
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Spotlight l Summer 2015
P4–5 Day-to-day repairs service review We can provide information in other languages and other formats such as on CD, in large print and in braille please contact us. For information in another language call us, give your phone number and say which language you need.
P7 P14 ASB tenant evicted
New My Home Online app
P13 After call survey
P18-20
Events round-up
P23
P22
Grays Tea Room celebrate at charity awards
Quick wins! P12 P10 – 11
Val Joy community celebrations MacDonald Court re-modelled
P6
Are you prepared for it?
P16
Free family summer activities
Spotlight l Summer 2015
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Resident Scrutiny Panel
review the day-to-day repairs service The Resident Scrutiny Panel has now completed its second review which looked at the dayto-day repairs service. They chose repairs because you tell us a good repairs service is a priority and some areas of performance were below target. A total of 32 recommendations were presented to our Group Board at the end of June.
Once the Board have considered and agreed the recommendations, we’re planning to produce a booklet to tell everyone about the changes that the review has recommended – look out for it! The panel would like to thank all staff at Town & Country, contractors and residents who helped with the review
especially the two repairs panels for the hard work they put in to help.
Want to be involved? Are you interested in becoming a member of the Resident Scrutiny Panel, if so please email scrutiny@tchg.org .uk or contact Helen Charles on 01892 501480.
Pictured left
(back row left to right) Scrutiny Panel members Lucy Cook, Jennifer Blackburn, Fran O’Neill and Barbara Twiss (front row left to right) Michelle Kerwin and Cicilia Bannister
and below The Scrutiny Panel with Chief Executive Bob Heapy, Scrutiny Manager Helen Charles and Independent Chair Katherine Parker.
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Spotlight l Summer 2015
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How did they arrive at the recommendations? Panel members met with our staff and staff from contractors Countrywise, Mears and Swale, ranging from managers and help-desk staff to the operatives who carry out your repairs.
This has helped them get a good overview of the service, an understanding of recent improvements like the launch of PDA’s (hand held computers) for Countrywise operatives as well as an understanding of where improvements still need to be made.
The East Kent Repairs Panel met with local Neighbourhood Housing Managers.
The panel talked to them about their involvement with the repairs service.
West Kent Repairs Panel carried out a review of the handyman service, which does small jobs for residents in our sheltered schemes.
More than 50 sheltered residents were involved in the consultation which aimed to find out if sheltered residents were aware of the service, how to access it and what kinds of jobs it covers. As a result we’ve published a new information leaflet to make it clearer how the service works.
An online survey invited customers to share their repair experiences.
More than 70 of you replied to tell us whether you’d had a satisfactory experience with your last repair; this feedback was really useful in helping us reach our recommendations.
The recommendations included: •
Improve the property information given at the start of a tenancy so we always give you information such as where the stopcock is and dates when your kitchen and bathroom are due to be replaced
•
Introduce a clear process when we’re not able to complete a job at the first visit, so that by the time the operative leaves your home you know what will happen next and when and who to contact if things go wrong
•
Improvements to the appointments system
•
Improve training for repairs operatives and call handlers
•
Clear customer service standards for repairs helpdesk staff and operatives.
Town & Country Housing
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Universal Credit is coming! For people of working age Universal Credit will replace six benefits with a single monthly payment. If you are claiming housing benefit, income-based jobseeker’s allowance, income-related employment and support allowance, income support, working tax credit or child tax credit and you are of working age you will transfer to Universal Credit at some stage. It is being introduced gradually by the Government. It is already live in Ashford, Maidstone, Gravesham and Wealden. It will be introduced to Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and other areas in Kent from September to new claimants.
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TOP TIPS
to prepare yourself now for
1
Get your rent account into credit now. If you pay at least £3.70 per week on top of your rent now it will reduce the risk of being in arrears when you’re switched over.
2
Make sure you have a bank account or similar that can receive the payment.
3
Decide how to pay your rent. Direct debits are quick to set up and an easy way to pay your rent.
4
Get used to budgeting for monthly payments. Universal Credit will be paid once a month so you’ll need to ensure you pay your rent and other bills leaving enough for essentials for the month.
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If you are struggling to make ends meet contact us straight away so we can help you.
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Get online! You can access the internet for free at your library or at the job centre.
For more information visit our website: www.tchg.org.uk/universalcredit or call us
Pay your rent on the go with the Allpay app! Did you know that you can pay your rent anytime and anywhere with Allpay’s app? It’s FREE to download and secure to use. Download the app now at: the App Store, Google Play or on the Windows Phone Store.
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Spotlight l Summer 2015
Your magazine from
More than 1,500 customers are using My Home Online –
are you?
My Home Online, the secure customer area of our website, now shows you even more information about your tenancy such as: •
•
Your Payment Reference Number to make it easier for you to pay your rent online Your Neighbourhood Housing Manager and Income Manager’s details
•
A breakdown of your rent and service charges
•
A statement of recent transactions from the past 6 months
•
Paying your rent online via Allpay
•
Outstanding and completed repairs to your home, block and estate
•
Reporting non-urgent repairs online
We have created My Home Online to enable tenants, leaseholders and shared owners to keep up to date with their tenancy any time of the day without having to wait to speak to a member of staff. So far more than 1,500 customers have already registered!
Have you registered yet? Visit www.tchg.org.uk/ myhomeonline and register now.
Town & Country Housing
Coming soon the My Home Online app! If you use your smartphone to get online rather than a computer, soon you’ll be able to use the My Home Online app. We’re building it especially for smartphones and tablets. It will enable you to view your rent account, get a paperless rent statement, make a payment, report a repair, view repair history, update your personal details and contact us. You’ll soon be able to download the app for free from your app store (Apple, Android or Windows) and get information on the go at your fingertips. Keep an eye on our website for more details.
Spotlight l Summer 2015
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Dealing with a wasp nest From May to November, wasps can be troublesome, particularly if you have a wasp nest somewhere near your property. It is not our responsibility to dispose of them but there are some things you can. Remember to approach the nests with caution as the stings can potentially cause fatal allergic reactions. If you have a wasp nest and want to get rid of it, there are a number of products on the market that can destroy them. These include powders, foams and sprays which can be bought at a relatively low cost from DIY stores.
If you attempt to get rid of a wasp nest yourself it is advisable you take the following precautions: •
Wear long sleeves and trousers, covering as much skin as possible
•
Do not wear loose fitting clothing that insects can fly into
•
Wait until night, when wasps are least active
•
Don’t get too close to the nest – most wasp species will aggressively protect their wasp nest and they will sting!
If you decide to destroy a wasp nest yourself instead of involving a professional please remember that you do so at your own risk. Town & Country cannot take any responsibility for any adverse outcomes.
Swarm of bees? The Happy Beekeeper can help!
Thank you! Thank you to everyone who entered our East and West Kent Gardening Competitions. We’ve had lots of entries and the judges will be visiting the gardens soon. Look out in the next issue of Spotlight for the results!
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Bees and other pollinating insects play an essential role in our ecosystem. A third of all our food depends on their pollination.
bee swarms for free and relocate them for you.
If you have a swarm of honey bees on your property, they’re just looking for a new home. Happy Hives can help – Mark Young, a beekeeper based in Goudhurst, will collect honey
Spotlight l Summer 2015
If you have a swarm of honey bees in your garden or at your home or want to find out more about bees visit www.happyhives.co.uk, email beekeeper@happyhives.co.uk or call Mark on 07972 300669. Unfortunately Mark is not able to help with wasps.
Your magazine from
NEW cleaning and grounds
maintenance contracts Surrey and Eastbourne
North Area
Mole Valley, Crawley, Epsom & Ewell and Eastbourne
Bromley, Bexley, Dartford, Gravesham,
Medway and Maidstone Cleaning contracts: Just Ask Estate Services Ltd
Grounds maintenance contracts: Land Environmental
Cleaning contracts: Town & Country Cleaners Ltd Grounds maintenance contracts:
Edinburgh House
Klassic Maintenance Ltd
Everything carried out by: Acorn
East Area
Ashford, Canterbury, Dover, Shepway and Thanet
Cleaning contracts: DMS Ltd
Grounds maintenance contracts: Countrywide Ltd Old Park estate
Everything carried out by All in One
Shepw ay Crawley
West Area
Wealden, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge & Malling and Sevenoaks
Cleaning contracts: Just Ask Estate Services Ltd Grounds maintenance contracts: Bridglands Ltd
The new contracts, which started on 1st April, cover all of our homes except grounds maintenance in the West Kent area, which will continue to be dealt with by Bridglands. We have introduced a new approach involving the use of a photobook showing photographs of various communal areas illustrating the
standards to be achieved by the contractors. It clearly shows the standards that are/are not acceptable. The Neighbourhood Housing Managers and our two new Estate Contract Officers will carry out regular inspections of blocks and estates to check that the contractors are meeting the required standards.
Town & Country Country Housing Housing
A key part of this new approach will be regular feedback from our customers about the work carried out by the new contractors. If you would be happy to help us monitor the quality of their work by giving us regular feedback about your estate or block in the future please contact us. If you have a query about the service please contact us on 01892 501480.
Spotlight Spotlightl lSummer Summer2015 2015
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Val Joy Community Celebration More than 160 community volunteers gathered at the High Rocks in Tunbridge Wells as we celebrated their work in our communities throughout the year. The climax of the event was the Volunteers Community Award which was awarded to Chris Smith of Mindwell. Chris Smith was recognised for transforming his own life, and the lives of others with mental health issues, through his volunteer work by setting up regular art sessions at the Tunbridge Wells resource centre. Instigated by Town & Country Foundation this art session then developed into the ‘Mindwell’ Art Group at the Trinity Theatre and has been a regular Thursday fixture for the past 6 years!
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Head of Community Investment Jackie Sumner said “It was wonderful to see everyone who volunteers in the same room – there was so much positive energy it was impossible not to enjoy yourself and it was great to see Chris who I have known over the last seven years win the Foundation’s Volunteer of the Year Award.” Town & Country Foundation supports many projects of which there are over 258 volunteers involved and who give over 97,366 hours of their time to their communities and local projects. The annual Community Celebration itself is named in memory of Val Joy, a community volunteer who worked tirelessly to improve lives of others in local communities.
Spotlight l Summer 2015
Director of Operations Jo Ellis added “The Val Joy event is a great opportunity for us to thank our volunteers for all their hard work and commitment to our communities. Without their dedication and support our communities wouldn’t be where they are today and this event gives us a chance to celebrate their success and achievements. Chris was very deserving of the 2015 Volunteers Community Award, it is great to see his hard work and dedication recognised.” The event itself was themed around the 1950s with many guests turning up in their 1950s attire. Guests enjoyed an array of entertainment including hula hooping classes and live music from The Dad Pack.
Your magazine from
Pictured right: Jo Ellis - Director of Operations presents the Volunteers Community Award to Chris Smith of Mindwell.
Town & Country Housing
Spotlight l Summer 2015
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Re-modelled sheltered scheme welcomes new residents Residents have moved into our remodelled sheltered scheme MacDonald Court in Paddock Wood. The new scheme has been redeveloped to improve the quality of accommodation we offer our residents. It offers 39 flats for older people: 35 one-bedroomed and 4 two-bedroomed. Five of the flats are wheelchair adapted and include a flush floor shower, adaptable worktops at the sink and a hob on a telefax winder. The original MacDonald Court was built in 1976 and mainly provided bedsit accommodation served by narrow access corridors. It was
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an unattractive boxed flat roofed scheme that didn’t fit in with its surroundings, providing very poor quality accommodation in an otherwise sought after area to live. Between November 2012 and March 2013, we consulted with both the residents at MacDonald Court and the wider community. The new MacDonald Court offers more facilities including: a large, bright, furnished communal area with orangery; communal kitchen; large garden with seating and raised planters so residents can enjoy gardening; IT suite, electric buggy storage, launderette and quiet room.
Spotlight l Summer 2015
Your magazine from
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Adult Word Search BODIAM
ROCHESTER
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SCOTNEY
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THURNHAM
EYNSFORD
TONBRIDGE
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Why not have a go at our castle themed adults word search for the chance to win £50 in gift vouchers. All entries must be received by Friday 28th August. Post to Spotlight, FREEPOST RTJS-HTYR-LJKB, Town & Country Housing Group, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1LQ
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After call survey gathers feedback on our service We have launched a short three question survey to get valuable feedback from you following your conversation with one of our Customer Service Advisors.
1. Did the Customer Service Advisor provide you with the information or answer you needed?
If you need to call us the number is 01892 501480.
3. I s there anything we could have done or do differently in the future?
2. Were you satisfied with the overall call experience?
Town & Country Housing
You then have the opportunity to leave a voicemail detailing your experience. The information you provide in this survey will be used to improve our services so please do take the time to complete the survey if you’re invited to take part or ask your advisor for more information.
Spotlight l Summer 2015
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Tenant evicted after persistent anti-social behaviour A tenant in Tunbridge Wells has been evicted after two years of anti-social behaviour which made the lives of local residents a misery. The perpetrator had late night visitors, his flat was repeatedly raided for drugs and there was damage to the communal areas. We referred the perpetrator to a number of agencies to help
support him with his tenancy and to try to prevent him from losing his home, as a result of his unacceptable behaviour. Unfortunately, despite this assistance, he did not engage with the support provided and the anti-social behaviour continued. In October 2013 we obtained an injunction against him, which had a number of terms attached to it to try to protect
Home bidding is changing You will no longer have to wait 2 weeks for the property list to be available on Kent Homechoice as homes are now advertised daily. This change enables homes to be advertised and people housed more quickly.
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Each home advertised now has a closing date so you know how long you have to bid – a minimum of 5 days. You can bid for homes online at www.kenthomechoice.org.uk, by mobile app, interactive TV or mobile using digital TV and by text. Get help from relatives, friends or your local council.
Spotlight l Summer 2015
the residents from further nuisance. Following breaches of the injunction, we requested a possession order. At Court, the Judge heard supporting evidence from a number of key witnesses including Police, our staff and residents. The tenant acknowledged that he had drug related issues and that the antisocial behaviour would not be resolved until those issues had been addressed. The Judge found in our favour and granted an outright possession order. This case was a true reflection of dynamic partnership working. With the support of the Police, Community Safety Unit and residents we were able to bring this case to a successful conclusion.
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2015 Love Where We Live awards Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s annual ‘Love Where We Live’ awards celebrate the people who make Tunbridge Wells a great place to live.
The awards are not just about great achievements or overcoming adversity, but also the small things that can make a big difference. They recognise individuals, groups
and organisations who are dedicated to helping others in our communities, benefiting the environment, or accomplishing personal goals. There are nine categories this year including the new ‘Young Sports Achiever of the Year’ award for those aged 16 and under. The overall winner of the Love Where We Live Award will be chosen by a panel of judges.
Nominations are now open!
To see the 9 categories and nominate go to www.lovewherewelive.co.uk. You can also pick up a nomination from us, at the Town Hall or Gateway in Tunbridge Wells or Weald Information Centre, Cranbrook. Closing date for nominations: Friday 31 July 2015.
The finalists will be invited to attend an awards ceremony at the Assembly Hall Theatre on Wednesday 7 October.
Complaints, compliments and feedback We welcome comments from you about our services; your feedback is vital in helping us understand what we are doing well and where we can improve. We change our processes where we can to prevent the same problems happening again, eg; Countrywise Repairs have employed additional multi-trade staff to reduce appointment wait times.
Where we get things wrong we’ll apologise and advise what we’ll do to put things right.
To make a complaint or give a compliment, you can:
The majority of complaints can be sorted out when they are first raised with us.
Call us: 01892 501480
If we cannot do this, there are 3 stages to our formal complaints process. Details are in our complaints leaflet and online.
Write to us or visit our offices: Monson House, Monson Way, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 1LQ
Town & Country Housing
Go online: www.tchg.org.uk
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FREE summer fun for all the family Long summer holidays with nothing to do? Here are some free, fun ideas to keep the children occupied. Pack some food, paper and pens and head out to the local park or nature reserve. Children will love planning routes, drawing the birds and animals they see and finding somewhere to eat lunch. Books are great time fillers so why not pop to your local library? They can explore the shelves for new characters, stories and topics. Most libraries offer a story time too. Many towns have free galleries or museums open to the public. It’s a great way to learn more about art, history and your local
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area. Sometimes they hold free activity days for children during the holidays. Kids love a good session in the park - it’s a perfect way for them to let off steam and get a healthy dose of exercise. Remember to take photos so you can look back on the fun. In the South East we’re spoilt with beautiful countryside, so take your little explorers for a stroll through the country and enjoy the wildlife, trees and fresh air. Pick a windy day and head to the hills to fly a kite. You could take a flask of hot chocolate as a treat and time the children to see how long they can keep the kite in the air for.
Spotlight l Summer 2015
Grab a bat, ball and a group of friends and family and have an afternoon of rounders in the park. Choose local walks with plenty of sights, smells and objects to touch and feel. Local woodlands, parks, ponds, rivers, lakes, old castles are all packed with interesting things to do and see. If you enjoy fishing, why not take your little ones along too? They will be interested to learn how the rod works and will be excited to see the fish. There are usually lots of local events throughout the holidays so it’s worth checking your local newspaper to ensure you don’t miss out on anything.
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Future events We’ve got lots going on this summer here is a selction of events.
We s t K e n t Showfields Fun Day on Saturday 4 July Pop Up event outside Number One Community Centre. Rusthall Village Fete, Southwood Playing Fields on Saturday 11 July. Summer Fair at St Marks School, Ramslye on Saturday 18 July from 12 noon - 2.30pm
Tunbridge Wells Mela in Calverley Grounds, Tunbridge Wells on Sunday 19 July.
Kent High Weald Partnership holds lots of events, to find out more visit www.khwp.org.uk.
Festival of Eid on Friday 21 August held by Tunbridge Wells Muslim Women’s Forum.
Grosvenor and Hilbert Park hold lots of events throughout the summer to find out what’s planned visit: www.fogh.org.uk.
Tunbridge Wells Job Fair on Wednesday 16 September at Assembly Hall in Tunbridge Wells.
East Kent Thanet pop up on 28th July 11am-1pm at Boundary Road, Ramsgate: chance for you to input into future plans for refuse collection and get information about health, wellbeing and employment opportunities in the area. Meet your Neighbour hood Housing Manager and new contractors. There’ll be activities for kids and free food. Family sessions with ‘Be Change’ a support charity on 6th August and 25th August at Old Park 10am until midday– free arts, crafts and activities.
Old Park Family Fun Day on 8th August 10am - 3pm. Lots for kids to do, big event with loads of entertainment plus free food. There’ll be a focus on community cohesion, employment support and we’ll be consulting on what you would like to see in the area. Dover Urban Fete Pencester Gardens on 26th September. Community groups, focus fun activities and celebrating Dover. Food, lots of entertainment, family activities. Launching the new lantern parade, a graffiti
Town & Country Housing
workshop, music, all completely free. 11am – 4pm. Employment support is taking place in Dover – more to come over the summer – contact the Foundation on 01892 501426 for more info and dates. I.T training support programmes (like access all areas) – Old Park and across East Kent. Coming soon – contact the Foundation on 01892 501426.
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West Kent r o u n d - u p
Play area officially open! Ramslye play area was officially opened with over 155 attending. Last year local children chose the equipment they wanted to see in their park.
Kent High Weald partnership also attended and planted sunflower seeds to promote the BUGGS (Broadwater Urban Garden Giving Scheme).
There were plenty of activities to keep the children entertained such as a hula hoop performer, balloon modeller, a free BBQ and even an ice cream van!
Residents also chose their highest priority themes for the new resident engagement scheme and found out various ways they can be involved.
More than 40 residents came out to a Pop-up event at Ashbys Point, Tonbridge to discuss the final plans for their new communal rooftop garden, designed by Mary Nightingale. Whilst the adults looked at the plans, children decorated pots, planted seeds and enjoyed a free Easter egg hunt!
Fun at Ashbys Point 18
A week later residents joined Mary and staff members to plant, flowers, vegetables and fruits. Mary will hold more sessions on garden maintainance and growing tips in the future.
Spotlight l Summer 2015
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Dr Dolittle project launched
Town & Country Foundation launched it’s new pet project Dr Dolittle at Grosvenor and Hilbert Fun Day with some special pet portraits. Residents were encouraged to have their photo taken with their pet whilst the Foundation team promoted responsible pet ownership such as dog training classes and clearing up after your pets.
The Foundation are working with a vet in Tunbridge Wells to subsidise the cost of neutering and micro-chipping to help our residents.
For more information on the Dr Dolittle project please contact Karen Warner at karen.warner@tchg.org.uk
Spring spruce-up
Sherwood Community Herb Garden was given a spruce up attended by more than 120 residents of all ages.
Activities included making instruments and building an arch for the garden. People also wrote pledges of what they will do for the garden in the future on a label and tied them to a pledge tree. Volunteers were rewarded with a barbecue from our Foundation. A raffle raised a total of ÂŁ87.75 for the herb garden to purchase new equipment and materials with.
Town & Country Housing
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East Kent r o u n d - u p Health checks at Hughenden Reach
Our health and well-being themed pop up at Hughenden Reach, Maidstone, saw 40 residents have a free health check MOT, chat to a health trainer from the NHS and talk to Maidstone Borough Council about recycling and refuse tips. We consulted with residents about the way we engage with them and they told us how interested they are in wildlife, especially as they have a swan’s nest on the bank of the river near their block.
Want to know more?
For more information on these and any future events in East Kent please contact sara.hutchinson@tchg.org.uk
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Grow your own in Dover! You could be growing fresh food for you and your family! Old Park has a community allotment and would love to help you grow seasonal fruit and vegetables, advice is available and this opportunity is open to all. We will also be holding gardening training days in the allotment.
Community Day
in Strood We met lots of families at the Community Day at Albert Place organised by the Gun Lane Children’s Centre. We signed up community neighbours and discussed the possibility of doing something with their green space for the community to use as well as encouraged people to use the centre. There were also spring themed arts and crafts too.
Mini Beast Safari at Old Park, Dover Twenty-five people came along to a Mini Beast Safari delivered by Kent Wildlife Trust through a grant from Up On The Downs, which works to celebrate and conserve the wonderful landscape and heritage in the Dover and Folkestone area. Families explored the Old Park nature reserve, looked for bugs then made badges in the community centre. More activities like this will take place through the summer holidays.
Spotlight l Summer 2015
Your magazine from
FREE
IT training PLUS advice on how to get a job
When and Where Every Wednesday from midday to 1.45pm St Philip’s Church | Birken Road | Tunbridge Wells | TN2 3TE
in partnership with
Tunbridge Wells
For further information contact either
Dawn Grant: 07736 946333 Roisin Donovan: 01892 501480
Is your child taking the 11+? Would he or she benefit from free tuition to prepare for the 11+ exam? Why not try free local classes with a professional tutor at Number 1 Community Centre. It runs in term time and holidays but places are limited.
For more information
If you would like more information please contact Zoe on 07932 740 171 alternatively you can email zoebrowne@hotmail.com.
Town & Country Housing
Spotlight l Summer 2015
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Grays Tea Rooms
celebrate at Business Charity Awards The owner of social enterprise tea room ‘Grays’ in Brenchley celebrates after being announced as runner up at this year’s prestigious national Business Charity Awards. Sue Gray attended the event with members of her team and staff from Town & Country Foundation who along with the Trustees of Brenchley memorial Hall and local residents helped her turn a run down sports bar into a viable business and vibrant community asset. Sue, who was delighted to have reached the finals, said: “Although we didn’t win, it was a real achievement to get this far and fantastic that after only a year in business we have won Ethical Business of the year in 2014 and been highly recognised by another award.”
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Sue’s vision was to open a tea room as a place to train people with learning difficulties who had no access to work placements or training and therefore limited job opportunities. She found a run down working men’s club in Brenchley and approached Town & Country Foundation, our charitable arm, to see if they would help fund her tea room. They then worked together on a viable business plan granting them £5,000 to transform the tea room and bar also providing access to legal advice and business support. The success has been the result of Sue’s dedication and commitment to make this into a successful social enterprise that makes a significant difference to local village life and one of the most marginalised groups in society.
Spotlight l Summer 2015
Grays Tea Room (Brenchley Road, Brenchley, Kent, TN12 7NX) is open 6 days a week from 10am-4pm and for events in the evenings.
Contact Centre highly placed Our Customer Contact Centre has been placed third in the London & South East Contact Centre Forum Awards in the category of Best Contact Centre under 50 Seats. Trevor Butterworth, Managing Director of UK Contact Centre Forum, said the judges were very impressed with the work we do. We are very proud to come third out of all the entrants, a higher position than a number of seasoned award entrants. This is a great achievement and we are striving to further improve our services.
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! s n i w Quick
Saving energy isn’t just about being environmentally conscious - it’s also a great way to save money. With just a few simple changes to your lifestyle and your home, you could be saving hundreds of pounds on your heating, gas and electricity bills. •
Turning your thermostat down by 1°C can save you as much as £60 per year.
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Turn the pressure down on the power shower. You’d be surprised how much more water a power shower uses - often more than a bath!
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Keeping your fridge and freezer full means they’re not working as hard and so will use less energy. You can fill any spaces in your freezer with bottles of water to help it run at its economic best.
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Save time and stock up. If you’re going to use the oven, try baking a few meals at a time to get the most out of having your oven on. You can then freeze them and just microwave on another day. Unplug appliances you don’t use regularly - even chargers continue to use electricity when they’re left plugged in not charging. Don’t leave appliances on standby - you will save energy by turning them off at the wall socket.
Use water wisely l
l
l
l
l
Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth Take a shower instead of a bath Use a water butt to collect rainwater for your garden Place a water saving device in the toilet cistern Wash your car using a sponge and bucket instead of a hose
For more money saving tips www.southeastwater.co.uk
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Have we WOWed you? We strive to provide our customers with an excellent level of service and to be the best we can. We’ve teamed up with The WOW! Awards to recognise our staff that do good work. This will help us see better what we do well and then work towards giving you an even better service. When you contact a member of staff about an issue, if we come to visit you about an issue or if you have a repair completed, we may ask you if we’ve Wowed you. We’ll either give you a card with a link to the online nomination form or a postcard you can fill in and send back. You can also nominate an employee directly to us at: www.tchg. org.uk/wowawards Staff who wow our customers will be recognised by the organisation.
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Share your views with Customer Net
Customer Net is our online consultation panel, where we ask you what you think about our services. It’s done by email and is a really quick and easy way to share your views.
How does it work? Each month we will email you asking for your views on a service we provide or some improvements that we want to make. We may ask you to fill in a short survey to share your views and sometimes we offer a prize draw in return for your views. We promise not to bombard you with requests and fill up your inbox, but we do want you to share your thoughts with us. Surveys usually take just a couple of minutes but make a big difference to the way we work!
Spotlight l Summer 2015
Recent consultations have included •
Repairs service for Scrutiny Panel
•
Social value in procurement
•
Engagement Strategy
•
Estate improvement works
How to join If you don’t receive emails from us and would like to join Customer Net and share your views please email us at info@tchg.org.uk and ask for your email address to be added to our database.
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Who won Colouring competition last time?
www.hellokids.com : Print page Knight in front of a castle
12/06/2015 11:54
There are two age categories for the colouring competition: l up to age 7 and l ages 8-12.
There is one prize of a £10 voucher for the winner of each category.
Wordsearches Adult wordsearch Aimee Chalkley from Lamberhurst Child wordsearch Penny Barnes from Tunbridge Wells
Find the snail Elaine Cooper from Cranbrook
!
Can you find the castles? Can you find the ten castles (not including this one) hidden throughout this issue? Write down on the entry form which pages you find them on and send this page to us by Friday 28th August. Open to everyone This competition is open to all ages with a £10 voucher to be won, so why not give it a try?
Please complete all of the details below and send this page to: Spotlight, FREEPOST RTJS-HTYR-LJKB, Page 1 of 1 Town & Country Housing Group, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1LQ
http://www.hellokids.com/templates/print.php?id=22334
Deadline for entries: Friday 28th August 2015. Name Age Address
Colour me in: ‘Summer’
Phone
Castles are on pages
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Get on the housing ladder Did you know? There are lots of ways you can get a foot on the housing ladder. If you would like to know more about any of these schemes or to find out if you are eligible, please contact our Sales & Marketing team on 01892 501677 or email sales@tchg.org.uk.
Shared ownership
Right to Buy
Right to Acquire
Sometimes known as part-rent/ part-buy, shared ownership is an ideal way to get a foot on the property ladder.
The Right to Buy scheme allows most council tenants to buy their council home at a discount. Tenants who transferred from Tunbridge Wells Borough Council in 1992, or from Dover District Council in 1999, have what is known as the ‘Preserved Right to Buy’ their home from us.
You might be eligible to buy your home through Right to Acquire if you’ve been a public sector tenant for five years.
You take out a mortgage to buy part of the property – typically between 25% and 75% – and pay a discounted rent to us on the remainder. You can choose to buy a bigger share in the property if your circumstances change in the future. This is called ‘staircasing’. If you are already a shared owner and want to buy a bigger share, please contact us.
If you qualify for Right to Buy, you can get a discount on the market value of your home when you buy it. The current maximum discount is £77,900. The discount is based on the length of the tenancy.
Your home must qualify for the scheme too, and must either have been: •
built or bought by a housing association with public funds from 1 April 1997 onwards
•
transferred from a local council to a housing association after 1 April 1997.
Restrictions: Please note there are many restrictions that apply with Tenants Right to Buy and Tenants Right to Acquire and some homes are excluded.
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Spotlight l Summer 2015
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HOMES FOR SALE in Ashford
NEW 2 and 3 bedroom houses from £68,000* We have a collection of new 2 and 3 bedroom houses available to buy as shared ownership at Newtown Works, Ashford. Full market value from £170,000 (£68,000 based on a 40% share), with a discounted rent payable on the remainder. Shares* are available from 40% with discounted rent payable on the remainder. Service charges may apply.
To register your interest
Call our Sales & Marketing Department on 01892 501677 or email sales@tchg.org.uk
Young entrepreneurs take competition by storm The five West Kent Young Start-up Talent finalists came forward to pitch their carefully composed business plans to a panel of leading business professionals.
The professionals on the panel, who have a wealth of business knowledge, grilled the entrepreneurs on the flaws within their plans as well as offering some stellar advice.
The youngsters were bidding to be chosen as West Kent’s 2015 winner and walk away with the prize fund worth £50,000.
The finalists’ business ideas included: a soft play centre for all ages and that have a disability; an Independent Games Studio - Greenlight
Town & Country Housing
Games; an Airsoft business; Urban Panther, an original fashion shop selling urban clothing to the market and AutoMosys which provides people with an app and adapter that diagnoses car problems. The West Kent winner will be announced on the 20th July at Trinity Theatre. Find out more at www.youngstartuptalent.co.uk.
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Regenerating e t a d p our estates an u Lakewood Sherwood
Tunbridge Wells
Clifton Road and Burslem Road
Phase two and three – 122 new homes, including 40 homes for older people, a neighbourhood park and a community square are due to be completed in late autumn. Some of the flats are due to be handed over next month. Phase four includes the flats further up Greggs Wood Road past the TN2 Centre. We will be consulting with local residents again on a revised scheme and will let you know when that will be as soon as we can.
Clifton Road has handed over and Burslem will be completed by the end of June 2015.
Paddock Wood Our new sheltered scheme at MacDonald Court in Paddock Wood, providing 39 one and two bedroom modern flats with communal facilities, is complete an residents have moved in. Turn to page 10.
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Spotlight l Summer 2015
New pic in the folder
Your magazine from
How are we doing? Here is a summary of our performance figures for the period January to March 2015. *Figures correct as at April 2015.
Customer satisfaction with repairs
4
Actual
Target
Actual
Target
94.2%
90%
100%
100%
Repair appointments kept
4
Emergency repairs completed in 24hrs
Actual
Target
99%
98.5%
4
Homes with a valid gas certificate
4
Target
100%
100%
Average time to re-let homes
Rent owed to us (arrears)
4
Actual
Actual
Target
Actual
Target
1.8%
2.5%
18 days
15 days
Complaints resolved within 10 working days Actual
Target
33%
75%
6 Town & Country Housing
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Complaints Of the 27 complaints received, 13 were for repairs and maintenance, nine for housing management and five for other departments. Complaints usually go over target because investigations are on-going and extra time is needed to fully resolve issues. Where complaints have been open for longer than 10 days residents are kept informed & updated.
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lates t news
from
The following Board appointments were made for a further term of office: Marianne Hay, the Chair of TCHG Foundation, was appointed as the Group Board’s Equality & Diversity Champion. Marianne will be working with TCHG’s Officers to ensure Town and Country continues to focus its efforts in the right areas and in the correct manner. Christine Pointer was re-elected as the Chair of the Remuneration & Appointments Committee, as well as a TCHG Board Member.
Jenine Langrish was re-elected as the Chair of the Investment & Finance Committee, as well as a TCHG Board Member and a member of the Remuneration & Appointments Committee. Chris Starke was re-elected as Member of the Audit Committee. Mark Easton was elected as the Chair of the Customer Services Committee.
Sanaya Robinson was re-elected as a TCHG Board Member and member of the Audit Committee. Charles Leigh-Dugmore was re-elected as a TCHG Board Member and member of the Customer Services Committee. Graham Hill was re-elected as the Group’s Vice Chair and Chair of the Audit Committee, also as a TCHG Board Member.
Other Board news The Board was informed that a contract had been agreed with Mears for them to provide a responsive repairs service for our properties in East Kent.
Following much discussion the Board approved rent increases of 2.2% with effect from 1 April 2015 in line with the Government’s rent formula.
The Board of TCHG Living Limited approved a transfer of its assets and liabilities to TCHG in a move to improve efficiencies within the Group. The transfer was undertaken on 31 March 2015. All tenants affected by the transfer were advised of the terms and that there would be no changes to their tenancies, except the change of landlord.
Key Performance Measures:
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The Board was pleased to see that we continued to perform well in relation to ensuring gas safety certificates were in place for all of its properties. TCHG was not being complacent in this important area and continued to monitor activity closely.
Spotlight l Summer 2015
The Board recognised the work of the income management team in difficult times. The Board expressed some concerns over the call centre waiting times and said that these needed to be carefully monitored to minimise the impact on customer satisfaction. The Board felt that we needed to keep on top of the number of complaints which exceeded the 10 day target completion time. Those that exceeded this target were
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Town & Country Boards those where it was not possible to resolve the issues within the timeframe. In such cases clear communication lines should be maintained with the customers. A review of the expectations and consultations arising from Pop-Up events was to be undertaken. It was noted that there had been successful outcomes from the pilot. The Board heard how we were providing advice and support to tenants who would be affected by the introduction of Universal Credit and other welfare reforms and that we would be monitoring the roll out of Universal Credit and the impact on tenants. We made a fresh start with the Resident Panels and we are working with them to ensure their work programmes are relevant. The Group’s Customer Services Committee will monitor activities going forward. The Board has been interested to learn about our continued work to help improve service delivery to all of its customers. The new service delivery model will strengthen our services and partnership working across all geographical areas of the business.
A series of contractors have been agreed to provide our estate services; the contracts started in April 2015. The Resident Scrutiny Panel’s second review, covering repairs, have been completed and its report would be published to the Board in June. The Board was informed that Town & Country have received Living Wage employer accreditation. The Board was pleased to learn that Town & Country have been awarded a 2 Star Status by Best Companies and ranked 45th in the Top 100 Best Not-for-Profit Companies to Work For.
TCHG Foundation Board A new PR pack was agreed for the Foundation to be used as part of its efforts to recruit new trustees to serve on the Foundation’s Board. The Board agreed its Delivery Plan for the next 12 months. It will focus on the core themes of: Learning skills, employment and enterprise; Health and wellbeing; Facilities, community assets and new build; and Environmental enhancements. It would work in partnership with other organisations to help social regeneration of various areas developing sustainable social enterprises.
Planned Works Survey Every time we carry out planned work such as fitting a new kitchen or bathroom or adapting a home, we send out a survey asking how satisfied the tenant was with the work that was done. Complaints and compliments are then fed back to the contractors who carried out the work. Every quarter a winner is drawn at random and wins £50 in shopping vouchers. The winners of the last two draws were: Mr & Mrs Austin of Pembury and Mr & Mrs Griffin Cranbrook
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Our Customer Service Standards We aim to provide a high level of service, and have a set of service standards that show our customers what level of service they can expect to receive.
When you telephone us, we aim to: •
Announce who we are by name.
•
Answer your call in less than 20 seconds,
•
Give you the choice to wait for an advisor to become free, if we are busy, or leave a message.
When you visit us, we aim to: •
Ensure our reception areas are clean, tidy and accessible to all customers.
•
Try and arrange for a private interview room on request.
•
Not keep you waiting for more than 10 minutes for someone to see you.
•
See you on time, if you have an appointment.
•
Provide free information in leaflets which are accurate and up to date.
•
ormally, you will only come through to N an answer machine when we are closed.
•
ll messages left on our answer machines A will be responded to within 2 working hours on the understanding that you leave your name and contact details.
•
Try and arrange an appointment at a mutually convenient time.
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Introduce ourselves and the purpose of the visit.
•
nswer at least 90% of all calls first time, A and minimise the need to ring back.
•
Always provide identification, and leave your property clean and tidy.
•
nsure that someone will assist you if the E member of staff you are trying to contact is not available.
Where we get it wrong, we aim to: •
Tell you and apologise.
ry and resolve your query at first point T of contact, but if we cannot we will direct you to the appropriate people.
•
Publish information on our complaints process.
•
Listen to your complaint, attempt to rectify it in a timely manner, and at a local level.
•
Use your feedback to identify root causes in order to continuously improve our service.
•
For letters and e-mails, we aim to: •
cknowledge the receipt of your letter A or e-mail where applicable, within a maximum of 5 working days.
•
Where a more detailed response is required we will respond in full within a maximum of 10 working days.
•
eep you informed and let you know K who is dealing with your request.
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Spotlight l Summer 2015
Visit you at your home, we aim to:
Equality & Diversity •
We will communicate with you in such a way that is most suitable to your needs.
•
We will treat all customers fairly.
•
We always welcome your views and comments about improving our service.