Tel: 0300 303 1190
Email: info@ss-ha.org.uk
Web: www.shropshirehousing.org.uk
For all the local news about your community
Issue 66 – Spring 2011
! g n u r p s s a h g n i r Sp started 2011 let’s get
In this issue... Comments and Complaints on our services... Page 2 57001_The Key_Spring_2011_HR.indd 1
Locksmith Training for TRL operatives... Page 3
100
100
80
80
60
60
40
40
20
20
0
0
100
100
80
80
60
60
40
40
20
20
0
0
100
100
80
80
60
60
40
40
20
20
0
0
100
100
80
80
60
60
40
40
20
20
0
0
100
100
What you said about our services and what we are doing to improve... Page 10 80
80
60
60
40
40
20
20
0
0
100
100
80
80
60
60
3/7/11 11:28 AM
CONTENTS 2 3 4 5 9 10 12
Meet The Board/Comments and Complaints Our Service To You/Total Response Local Projects Group News Tass Page What You Said About our Services Competitions
If you require this document in audio, braille, large print or if English is not your first language then please contact us.
HOW TO CONTACT US
Si vous avez besoin de ce document en audio, braille, gros caractères, ou si l’anglais n’est pas votre langue première veuillez nous contacter. French Jeśli wymagasz tego dokumentu w audio, Braille’a, duże wydruku, lub jeśli angielski jest nie pierwszy język prosimy kontakt. Polish Если вам требуется этот документ в аудио, Брайля, крупных печатных, или если английский является не ваш первый язык напишите нам. Russian Os oes angen y dogfen hon mewn ffurf wahannol, er enghraifft Braille, llythrennau mawr, tâp audio neu iaith wahanol, gadewch i ni wybod os gwelwch yn dda. Welsh Se ha bisogno di questo documento in audio, Braille, grande stampa, o se inglese è la prima lingua contattaci. Italian
Meet the board DAVID MULLINS has lived in the area since 1989 and was a member of the original SSHA Board from 1994 to 2002. He returned for a second term on David M SSHA Board in SSHA Buloalinrds M ember December 2007. David is a Professor of Housing Policy at the University of Birmingham and has published widely including two books on the housing sector and housing policy: After Council Housing: Britain’s new Social Landlords (with Hal Pawson, 2010) and Housing Policy in the UK (with Alan Murie, 2006).
COMPLIMENTS
1 2 3 4 5 6
Here are some of the compliments our staff have received recently:
Mrs Jones is extremely happy about the repair to her front step.
Mrs Buy is very happy with fencing repair.
You can contact us in a number of ways:
Mr Langley. John Dorricot and TRL are both brilliant – John worked very hard and Mr Langley is grateful for the spotlight in his kitchen.
COMPLAINTS
PHONE 0300 303 1190 REPAIRS FREEPHONE 0800 592418 EMAIL info@ss-ha.org.uk IN WRITING by sending your letter to us at South Shropshire Housing Association, The Gateway, The Auction Yard, Craven Arms, Shropshire SY7 9BW. IN PERSON by coming along to the reception desk at Craven Arms. OFFICE OPENING HOURS Our normal office opening hours are:
9.00am - 5.00pm Monday - Friday.
We received a complaint stating there was severe damp to the walls and floor in the property, that the plaster and wallpaper was peeling off and the radiators were not getting hot.
In our response we arranged for the heating system to be completely flushed out and the controls on the radiators to be checked as the loss of background heat was contributing to the severe condensation.
The complaint was upheld and the tenant was sent a leaflet on how condensation could affect the property, and a £30 decoration voucher.
2 | The Key Spring 2011 | Tel: 0300 303 1190 57001_The Key_Spring_2011_HR.indd 2
3/7/11 11:28 AM
1 1 2 2 1 1 2 1 2 1 333 442 4 4 3 4 3 555 5 6466 5 5 66 Tenant Involvement and Empowerment standard
has nts Services Authority Our regulator, the Tena produce ‘local offers’ to s rd lo nd la al ci so l asked al of the that cover all aspects through six standards work we do.
Housing ces you want Shropshire Local offers are the servi t out in the . Our current service is se Group to offer in the future Tenants Report 2010. local on how we are shaping the We will give you updates ll be wi ur newsletter. The updates offers in each issue of yo for the priate sticker (see right) highlighted with the appro standard it applies to.
Tenancy standard
Value for Money standard
Home standard
Neighbourhoods and Communities standard
Governance and Financial Viability standard
Our annual prize draw for the gas servicing 1st time access and audit checking took place recently. The winner of the 1st time access prize draw was Mr Harris from All Stretton who won £250 of Tesco shopping vouchers. Mr Harris was presented with his prize by TRL operative, Richard Ince.
The winner of the gas audit prize draw was Mr Heiron from Ludlow who won £100 of Tesco vouchers. Mr Heiron was presented with his prize by Mike Bates from TRL.
is r Harr ner M RL n i w T cess e from me ac 1st ti ichard Inc and R
Recently two TRL operatives attended locksmith training. One of the operatives has already put his new-found skills into practice, when he gained access to a property in seconds, causing no damage and potentially saving £500 on a replacement door and frame.
Gas aud it Mike Ba winner Mr Heir tes from on and TRL
www.shropshirehousing.org.uk | The Key Spring 2011 | 3 57001_The Key_Spring_2011_HR.indd 3
3/7/11 11:28 AM
Tel: 07896 866299
Email Valerie.meehan@ss-ha.org.uk
Welcome to our new Community Gardener, Leila Smith. As well as working with local people and schools in the two community gardens and three school gardens, Leila is talking to budding gardeners who want to take advantage of the Grow Cook Share garden mentoring scheme. As well as practical help and advice, thanks to funding from TASS, Grow Cook Share may also be able to provide resources to get your garden ready to get you growing your own fruit and vegetables. The Rockspring Community Garden in Sandford Road, Ludlow is starting regular Thursday morning sessions at 9:30am from March onwards, where we will be growing lots of fruit and veg! The Craven Arms Community Garden at Onny Meadows, has nine new plots up for grabs! If you are interested, please contact Grow Cook Share for more details and information.
If you live in Craven Arms or Ludlow East and would like to have a go at growing fruit and veg, then come along to the Get Leila Growing! Workshops and Vale rie are starting this spring for new growers. Grow cook share is running free cookery courses. Don’t miss the opportunity to get expert tuition in producing economical, healthy tasty meals. Grow Cook Share also provides a free crèche if you have children under 5.
We are planning some fun day trips in 2011. Get in touch if you’d like to visit the wonderful Ryton Organic Gardens in Warwickshire this summer!
Homegrown has run free short courses since January for young people aged 16 to 25. If you are not in full-time work or education and you’d like to develop skills that could help you to earn a living, please contact Helen Vaughan on 01588 676235. Homegrown runs courses covering a wide range of activities from catering to rural land management. Young people from Bishops Castle completed a course on how to present themselves for interviews, followed by work experience with a local company and the opportunity to write about it in the Shropshire Star.
Opportunities on your doorstep
The GOTV team (media and film making skills) get set to make a documentary about small local businesses during half term week.
Learning Dry Stone walling skills with Natural England on the Stipperstones.
4 | The Key Spring 2011 | Tel: 0300 303 1190 57001_The Key_Spring_2011_HR.indd 4
3/7/11 11:28 AM
Group News
eir annual tenants’ day. th g in ld ho e ar p ou Gr g Housin es Once again, Shropshire ts of events and activiti lo th wi y Da n Fu ily m Fa ga ry This year we will be havin will be held at Shrewsbu y Da n Fu ily m Fa e Th . mily to entertain the whole fa ay 13th August. Sports Village on Saturd ming your way soon! co n io at rm fo in e or m r Look out fo
Meet the Resident Involvement Team The resident involvement team encourages tenants to become involved in shaping our services to you.
Mike Cott Involveme on - Resident nt Offic er (SSHA )
The team also plans events and supports the residents groups, TARCA and TASS. To find out how to get involved, please contact them on 0300 303 1190.
t tmen Plat Involve h a Sar ident Res
ager Man
Sheila Standley - Resident Involvement Officer (MMHA)
www.shropshirehousing.org.uk | Group News Spring 2011 | 5 57001_Group_News_Spring_2011_HR.indd 1
3/7/11 11:26 AM
Changes to Welfare Benefits Non-Dependant Deductions to Housing and Council Tax Benefit What is a non-dependant?
What can you do?
A non-dependant is someone who normally lives in your property but who are not dependent on you financially. These can include:
It is important that you take advice before taking any rash steps. In particular, it is important to think carefully before you ask any non-dependants who may be living with you to leave home, in order to avoid the non-dependant deduction being applied to your benefit. This is for two reasons:
• Your children over the age of 18 • Other relatives living in your household • Anyone else that lives in your household that is not related to you Any non-dependant that lives with you can affect the amount of housing benefit and council tax benefit you are entitled to. Deductions are usually made from your benefit for non-dependants over the age of 18. No deductions are made if you or your partner are registered blind or get Attendance Allowance or the care component of Disability Living Allowance. If you have more than one non-dependant living at home then a non-dependant deduction will apply to each of them.
1. The non-dependant may struggle to find somewhere to live with 8,000 households already registered on Shropshire Homepoint’s waiting list. Housing benefit is also going to be restricted for single people aged under 35 from April 2012. 2. From 2013 the Government plans to limit housing benefit to the number of bedrooms a household needs. So, any household that under-occupies a property will lose housing benefit for every unoccupied bedroom.
The amount of deduction is increasing in April 2011. This means that the amount of housing benefit you receive will go down and you, as the tenant will have to pay more rent directly to Shropshire Housing Group. If you believe that you may be affected by these changes we suggest that you need to think about taking the following steps: • Visit a benefits advice agency to establish how much money you will lose each week. • Talk to the people who live with you and explain that they will have to pay you a contribution each week, in return for living in your home, to make up for the reduction in your benefit.
6 | Group News Spring 2011 | Tel: 0300 303 1109 57001_Group_News_Spring_2011_HR.indd 2
3/7/11 11:26 AM
Deductions to Housing Benefit
Weekly deductions: 2010
Weekly deductions: 2011
Aged 25 & over, and on: Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance (Income Based) or Main phase Employment & Support Allowance (Income Related) Or aged 18 or over & not in paid work
£7.40
£9.40
Deductions to Housing Benefit
Weekly deductions: 2010
Weekly deductions: 2011
Gross income (before tax & deductions) less than £122.00 per week
£7.40
£9.40
Gross income is £122 to £179.99 per week
£17.00
£21.55
Gross income is £180 to £233.99 per week
£23.35
£29.60
Gross income is £234 to £309.99 per week
£38.20
£48.45
Gross income is £310 to £386.99 per week
£43.50
£55.20
Gross income is £387 & above per week
£47.75
£60.60
Deductions to Council Tax Benefit
Weekly deductions: 2010
Weekly deductions: 2011
Gross income (before tax & deductions) is under £180.00 per week
£2.30
£2.85
Gross income is £180 to £309.99 per week
£4.60
£5.70
Gross income is £310 to £386.99 per week
£5.80
£7.20
Gross income is £387 or more per week
£6.95
£8.60
Others aged 18 or over
£2.30
£2.85
Non-dependant’s income if on benefit
Non-dependant’s income if aged 18 or over and in paid work
Non-dependant’s income if aged 18 or over and in paid work
www.shropshirehousing.org.uk | Group News Spring 2011 | 7 57001_Group_News_Spring_2011_HR.indd 3
3/7/11 11:26 AM
SHG and You We want to provide the best possible service we can to all our customers, whoever they are and whatever their needs.
To enable us to do this well, we need to have detailed, up-to-date information about you, the people we’re working for. We will shortly be sending out a questionnaire to all our tenants and customers. By completing this questionnaire you will be helping us ensure you get the service you need.
You don’t have to answer every question if you don’t want to. It will help us, though, if you answer as many questions as you can.
By returning your form quickly, you will be automatically entered into a free draw with a choice of prizes worth £100 each. If you have any questions please contact the Resident Involvement team on 0300 303 1190.
Decent Homes
Re-letting our homes
All social landlords had a responsibility to reach the Governments Decent Homes standard by December 31st 2010.
When a tenant moves out of their home, Shropshire Housing Group then starts work on it, to make sure it is up to our lettable standard to be re-let to someone else. We try and carry out this work in the shortest time possible, to reduce the waiting time for the new tenant to move in.
Meres and Mosses and South Shropshire Housing Associations have reached the target. The Decent Homes Standard is only a minimum standard and both Association’s are targeting a higher Shropshire Housing Group Standard. The higher standard will include fighting fuel poverty, agreeing communal area standards and working towards Decent Estates. Plans for the new Shropshire Housing Group Standard will be discussed with tenant groups over the coming months resulting in a new Shropshire Housing Group Investment Plan from 2013.
Please contact us if you would like to become involved
We monitor the time this work takes as part of our performance monitoring programme. The results below show the average number of days properties were empty for, from the end of one tenancy to the start of the next.
Target SSHA January MMHA January
25.3 days 27.9 days 24.1 days
8 | Group News Spring 2011 | Tel: 0300 303 1109 57001_Group_News_Spring_2011_HR.indd 4
3/7/11 11:26 AM
AGM
Tass rec ently he ld its An General nual Meeting , where was aga Joan Gr in voted ant as Chair Dennis , Lanman voted V Amie Sm ice Chai out as S r, ecretary Graham and Gordon as Treas urer.
.uk ss-ha.org
ss@ email: Ta 5 8 2 6 7 6 588
Tel: 01
Gordon is reunited with his family
Some of you may know Graham Gordon, as a member of Tass and a resident of Boraston Drive, Burford. Recently Graham had a tentative phone call which led to a surprising turn of events. The Children’s Social Services in Cornwall rang Graham out of the blue and asked him to confirm his identity, as they may have someone who was looking for him. Graham confirmed that he was born in 1946 and adopted to the Gordon family of Nesscliffe in 1947. He then received a phone call from his sister Jenny from Launceston in Cornwall, who he had never met. Jenny informed him that he had 5 half sisters in all and the pair arranged to meet. Since then Graham has met 4 of his sisters, some of whom don’t live too far away, and he hopes to meet the remaining sister, Sylvia, who has not yet been traced. Graham said ‘Finally a big hole in my history has been filled and I feel a greater sense of who I am’.
lar contact with most Although we have regu that it is important to of our tenants, we feel ncy visits. carry out routine tena t tenants are able to talk These visits will ensure tha needs, ensure that we are to someone about their t to support them, and tha doing everything we can about them is correct. the information we hold
ember , Tass M n o d r o G Graham
Tenants En h Charter Up ancement date
Over 90 pro jects have b een comple and £85,00 ted 0 spent on enhanceme to propertie n ts s.
1 3 4 5
out by Community The visits will be carried e next three years, and Housing Officers over th e opportunity to ask will also give tenants th out s, and give feedback ab questions, report repair the services we offer.
information, If you would like more er services. please contact custom
www.shropshirehousing.org.uk | The Key Spring 2011 | 9 57001_The Key_Spring_2011_HR.indd 9
3/7/11 11:29 AM
1 W2hat you said s e ic v r e s r u o t u o b a 3 4 5 6
n survey. m our 2010 customer satisfactio We’ve recently had the results fro tional independent organisation, the Na an by out ried car s wa vey sur The sing vices on behalf of a group of hou Housing Federation’s Feedback Ser sses Mo Housing Association, Meres and e hir ops Shr th Sou – s ion sat ani org e Housing. Housing Association and Severnsid
100
our a big improvement in satisfaction with We are pleased that there has been tion sfac sati rall ove s, 8 and that, for all tenant services since the last survey in 200 ntry cou associations across the is as good as that for the top 25% of 10%. and in some areas as good as the top 100
80
80
60
60
What did you say about our services? 40
40
20
20
0
0
Satisfied with the services provided by SSHA
Satisfied with the quality of their home
100
100
100
96% 80
80
96%
97%
87%
80
82% 60
60
60
40
40
40
20
20
20
0
0
0
100
100
80
80
60
60
40
40
40
20
20
20
0
0
0
2008
KEY
84%
97% 88%
2008
2010
2010
100
2008:
General Housing
2010:
General Housing
80
Sheltered Housing Sheltered Housing
60
10 | The Key Spring 2011 | Tel: 0300 303 1190 100
100 10 57001_The Key_Spring_2011_HR.indd 80
100
3/7/11 11:29 AM
80 100 80
80
80
60 80 60
60
60
40 60 40
40
40
20 40 20
20
20
0
0 Satisfi ed with the overall repairs and 20 maintenance service 0
0 their rent is value for money Said
1000 100 100
100
92%
96%
94%
80 100 80
80
60 80 60
60
60
40 60 40
40
40
20 40 20
20
20
0 20 0
0
0
84%
89%
80
84%
85%
80%
2008
2010
2008
2010
0
Tenants felt that SSHA kept them informed 100
100 80 100 80 60 80 60
94%
89% 81%
83%
We have already invested in a new system which will help us to monitor action we take. We are also working with the Council to look at ways to make reporting anti-social behaviour easier and to provide extra staff training.
40 60 40 20 40 20 0 20 0
2008
0
2010
100 100 Thought SSHA took account of their views 80 100 80
86%
60 80 60 40 60 40
Whilst we are pleased with the results overall, there are areas of our service that we need to improve. For example, we know that many tenants are not satisfied with the way in which we deal with anti-social behaviour.
79%
69%
64%
20 40 20 0 20 0 1000 100
2008
2010
Tenants are also not very satisfied with some of our grounds maintenance services. We will be working with you over the coming year to find out what you want from this service and how we can improve it whilst keeping an eye on costs. Satisfaction with some aspects of our customer service has dropped slightly – for example, a slightly smaller number (73% of tenants compared with 77% in 2008) found it easy to get hold of the right person. We have made some changes to how tenants contact us and over the coming months will work with you to make sure you know how to contact us and that our staff are able to deal with your enquiries more effectively. We also know that younger tenants, leaseholders and those people who occupy shared-ownership properties are generally less satisfied with our service and will be digging a bit deeper to find out the reasons for this and how we can improve
80 100 80 60 80 60 40 60 40 20 40 20 0 20 0 0
57001_The Key_Spring_2011_HR.indd 11
www.shropshirehousing.org.uk | The Key Spring 2011 | 11 3/7/11 11:29 AM
Competition Winners The winner of the Christmas Quiz was Ann Booton from Cleobury Mortimer who won a £30 ‘Love to shop’ voucher.
Adults Competition Find the words listed below for your chance to win £30 worth of ‘Love to Shop’ Vouchers. A S C A G I P R Q U B A L W O M S N S S O E M H S E S T R S
T L N I I B I N I R D O B T G
R L S N N Y T E A R A U L R N
O A P R I M S L P R A W A I T Y G N E R Y O T X A A N I M A D H N T L S R G F L R O L S E E I N H R H Y T L B T W R S M O O M S U M W E B D I N E D R
APRIL ANIMALS BIRTH PLANTING BUDS THAW
GARDENING GROWTH MILD BLOSSOMS SHOWERS FLOWERS
L I H E N L H O T G I D A L A
N O M I B N G B E I T H E S R T S A E D D H E N S S O A D S E W S W U W E R S S I R C E H T S I T M S G R H T L I M A R B T L E A V E H O U G A D A Y
BABY BIRDS MAY BLOOMS RAIN EASTER UMBRELLA
Kids Competition for under 16s Design a Thank You card
Shropshire Housing Group would like to have a Thank You card designed and printed. The cards would be used for many different things, including thanking tenants for a particularly well looked after garden or for tenants who have gone ‘the extra mile’ to help someone in their community. If you would like to design a thank you card, please draw your design on an A4 piece of paper and send it along with the entry form to the address below.
Enter now for your chance to win a £30 toy or games voucher. Name Parent/Guardian Address
Name Address
Postcode Telephone number
Postcode Telephone number
Please send all entries to: Vicki Coleman, Communications Officer, The Gateway, The Auction Yard, Craven Arms SY7 9BW by Friday 15th April.
57001: 07/03/11
✃
57001_The Key_Spring_2011_HR.indd 12
3/7/11 11:29 AM