Gateway magazine - spring 2015

15 G 20 SPR IN

The magazine for residents of Watford Community Housing Trust

3 Prize draw win a tablet!

6 New ways to have your say on what we do

Coming in June: Thursday evening and Saturday morning repair appointments.

Look out for more details soon!

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Thinking of starting a small business?

We can help you get there!

Details on page 2

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Welcome

to Gateway Magazine We want to provide you with the best possible service while also providing the best value for money, and we are working hard to achieve this at the Trust.

One of the changes you might have noticed recently is our new ‘follow on’ card for repairs. If we are unable to complete a repair in one visit, one of our operatives will leave you a card to let you know the next stage in the job. It’s a small change but it has led to a big reduction in calls to our Customer Services Centre. It is one of many improvements you can expect from us over the coming year.

As our members, you can play an important role in helping us to identify and deliver these improvements. That is why our members have agreed to make some changes in our governance arrangements, making it easier for you to monitor our work and hold us to account.

You can read more about this on page 6.

There are lots of ways in which you can have your say on our services, so I hope you’ll take the opportunity to help us move forward together.

Tina Barnard Chief Executive

Ever dreamed of starting your own business... why not give it a try?

Have you ever thought you could make money from your hobby? Perhaps you have a talent for arts and crafts and can sell your creations to the public? Or maybe you’re a foodie like our cover stars Helena and Jim, owners of Fruit for Fun. They have recently started selling jams and chutnies, with proceeds going to the Peace Hospice (find out more at www.fruitforfun.co.uk).

If you want to have a go at being your own boss, come along to our free business startup taster session on 21 April. We are running this in partnership with the Enterprise Cube, which has worked with lots of other housing

WatfordCommunityHousingTrust

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associations around the country to help people turn business ideas into reality.

You can see more about their work at www.enterprisecube.org This taster session will explore what’s involved in setting up a business, and if it goes well there is the opportunity to take part in a 13 week course to help you get up and running.

There will also be an opportunity to apply for a business start-up loan of up to £5000!

To register for the taster session, contact Robert Lock at robert.lock@wcht.org.uk or on 01923 209134.

watfordgateway

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Why wait to go digital?

You could win a tablet!

We want to make it easy for you to access our services – whenever and wherever it is convenient for you.

Our tenant portal is easy and safe to use. You can access the following services without having to wait on the phone: f Report and check your repairs f Check your rent account fC heck and update your contact details f F ind out what’s new at the Trust f a nd much more!

Holywell tenant: “The online portal saves time and money compared to waiting on the phone. If I can go digital, anyone can – it’s easy!”

New to using the internet?

We understand that digital services can be difficult to get used to, and we can offer you full support. Simply email us at doitonline@wcht.org.uk or call 01923 209068.

Last month we ran a tablet prize draw to encourage you to get online, and Carol Harper from Garston was the lucky winner. She was thrilled and is looking forward to contacting the Trust from her new tablet.

You could win too. To enter you simply need to log in to our tenant portal and fill in a brief entry form.

If you haven’t used the portal before you will need to register for an account - this is a quick and easy

process. Simply go to: www.wcht.org.uk/myaccount, click Register and follow the steps.

You will need your tenancy number to hand (you can find this on any recent rent statement).

If you already have an online account, simply log in as usual at www.wcht.org.uk/myaccount.

If you have any questions drop us an email at doitonline@wcht.org.uk or call 01923 209068.

Good luck!

Don’t forget to visit www.wcht.org.uk/godigital to read our full prize draw terms and conditions before entering!

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DIY Videos Why wait for a repair appointment when you can do it yourself? We’ve created the first of many DIY videos to help you complete simple, small jobs quickly and efficiently. This first video tells you how to unblock your sink by giving step by step instructions – simply go to www.wcht.org.uk/diy What video would you like to see next? Send your suggestions to communications@wcht.org.uk

A message from our Community Navigator

news

Hi, my name’s Atiyah and I’m working as the Community Navigator for Watford. I’m here to help you if you’re not sure where to turn for advice on your health and care needs.

The Hub 2015 – our free community event We’re planning our next big community event, this time with a new name: The Hub 2015. Following on from Watford 2014 last year, this will be an event for all of Watford and Three Rivers and will include local business stalls, food, entertainment and much more.

To add to the excitement, this year our event is going to be on Halloween! So mark Saturday 31 October in your diaries and get ready for a spooktacular day with the whole family.

Fix it Days Our Fix it Days are back this year, bigger and better than ever before!

A number of Trust staff members from different departments will be on site in your community area to answer your questions, help with repairs and much more. Our first few Fix It Days take place on the dates below – they will then be happening in all our community areas right up until August. For the full programme go to www.wcht.org.uk/fixitdays f Courtlands: Hollytree House – 23 April f Hillside: Estate Office – 29 April f Foxhill: Outside the shops – 7 May

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Sometimes people find it difficult to get the information they need to help them stay well. That’s where I come in. If you, or someone you know, feel anxious or vulnerable then I can point you towards local organisations who can help.

There are Community Navigators working across West Hertfordshire, and the scheme is jointly funded by the NHS Clinical Commissioning Group and Herts County Council. To help us in our roles we are based at ‘host’ organisations, and my host is Watford Community Housing Trust – I’m delighted to be working towards the Trust’s goal of healthier, friendlier communities.

If you or someone you know requires help, advice or support on keeping well, contact me on 01923 209017 or at atiyah.shah@wcht.org.uk Alternatively you can get advice from Herts Help on 0300 123 40 44.

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Money matters How to save money on energy bills We may be using the heating less but now is still a good time to think about saving money on your energy bills. Our Energy Surveyor Jason Ademola tells you how.

Is your fixed energy rate coming to an end? If so you could pay an extra £100 or more a year so check your contract or contact your supplier.

The best way to switch and save is through a comparison website such as www.moneysupermarket.com or www.uswitch.com. It is important to shop around before taking up any deal offered by your existing supplier, as you are more likely to find a cheaper deal through comparison websites.

Finally, always read the small print for exit fees. If you have an exit fee on your existing tariff and it is due to end soon, you should be able to change within 49 days of the tariff ending without an exit fee. If in doubt read your contract or call your existing supplier.

Things to look out for with suppliers fH ave you received a letter from your energy supplier saying your direct debit payments are going up? There could be a couple of reasons for this. They might be increasing your rate based on an estimate of how much energy you are using. Or, your existing tariff deal may have come to an end.

Make sure they explain the reason and that you understand it. It is

also worth switching afterwards to a cheaper supplier if you can. f A lot of customers get bills or statements telling them that they are in debt. Again, make sure you query this and seek advice from an energy advisor or Citizens Advice (03444 111 444) before suppliers try to talk you into getting a prepaid meter installed – it is possible your supplier has made an error.

What a result!

One of our residents was being hounded by her energy supplier who claimed she owed them nearly £3000. With Jason’s help it turned out that the supplier actually owed the tenant over £200! Jason turned upset to delight and even helped the resident to switch her energy supplier.

Got any more questions on cutting energy bills? Contact Jason on 01923 209000 or at jason.ademola@wcht.org.uk

Money matters Pay your rent on a smartphone or tablet The allpay Payment App is available to download free from the Apple App Store, Google Play or the Windows Phone Store – and it means you can pay your rent from a smartphone or tablet.

It’s the easy way to keep your account topped up, and it securely stores Payment Reference Numbers, bank details and payment amounts – so you can use it anytime, anywhere in confidence. Search for ‘allpay’ in your device’s app store.

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getting involved

A stonger Gateway Leadership Team Speaking up for all our residents

Did you know we’ve made some changes to the way the Trust is run which will make it even easier for you to have a say in what we do?

At our Special General Meeting in January, members agreed to change the composition of our Board to make it fit for the future, and also to strengthen the role of the Gateway Leadership Team (GLT) – the group of residents who have been elected by you to help improve our services.

This group will now have a stronger link with our Board, as well as the power to monitor the service we provide and the way we spend money.

The group will also be working more closely with local communities to find out what you think about the services we provide. They’ll be getting out and about to understand your needs and will be attending our forthcoming Fix It Days in your local community.

They will also be working closely

with the Community Action Group - the umbrella body for tenants’ and residents’ groups in our local areas.

In the meantime you can get in touch with them on their new Facebook group, Gateway Voices at www.facebook.com/groups/ gatewayvoices (for more on this see page 8), or you can email them at glt@wcht.org.uk

Getting to know the Wider World…

Members of the Gateway Leadership Team are getting training in order to support their local communities better.

Earlier this year two members of the group, Mary Daniel-Fearon and Mazie Gibson, went on the ‘Wider World’ course at Trafford Hall to understand more about how government changes to benefits and housing are affecting you.

Mazie says: “It was an absolute eye opener! We received really in-depth information and the important thing for me is the fact that simply because I am a member of the Trust, I was able to attend this course at no cost to myself and gain a certificate which would enhance my CV if I was job hunting.

“Plus, I now have a better understanding of government policies that will really affect our tenants such as Universal Credit – whenever it is finally rolled out nationally! It is not only useful for me, but crucially I can pass that information on to other tenants.”

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Speaking up for new homes

Halls for hire in your community We are proud to provide two community hubs which are perfect for classes, parties or community activities at affordable hire rates.

Leavesden Green Community Hub Clarke Green, off Clarke Way, Watford WD25 0BN State of the art community venue with a range of halls and meeting rooms, including a Youth Room. The ‘large hall’ is suitable for groups of up to 150 people.

Harebreaks Community Hub The Harebreaks, Watford WD24 6NJ First floor hall (serviced by a lift) with space for 80 people – includes kitchen facilities.

Both hubs have onsite parking facilities and free high speed wifi. For booking enquiries go to: www.wcht.org.uk/hallhire or call 01923 679664

Last month, residents and staff of the Trust joined the Homes for Britain rally to call for an end to the housing crisis.

Millions of people across the UK are living in unsuitable housing because there are not enough homes to go around. If you… f l ive in an overcrowded home f c an’t start a family because you can’t afford to move, or f are worried you or your children will never have a home to call your own …then you are a victim of the housing crisis too. We are doing our best to address this in Watford and Three Rivers, and are well on the way towards hitting our target of building 500 new homes by 2017.

That’s why we are backing the Homes for Britain campaign, which is calling on politicians to solve the housing crisis within a generation. The rally, which took place in Westminster, was the biggest gathering of its kind for a generation and featured speakers from all the main political parties.

To find out more, go to: www.homesforbritain.org.uk

Searching for the hidden gems Do you care about the services we provide to you?

Think we can do better? Would you like to have more of a say in what we do? We will be holding elections in the summer for tenants to join our Board or become part of the Gateway Leadership Team and will also be holding training programmes so you’ll know exactly what is involved. Watch out for more information very soon!

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talk to us online

Speak to us via Facebook or Twitter Facebook and Twitter can be a quick way to connect with the Trust. You can send us ideas, stay up to date with what’s going on in your community and ask questions (but remember this is a public forum – so be careful with your personal details). During our working hours, we will aim to respond to your comment within an hour, and any posts after these hours will be looked at on the next working day.

Gateway Voices on Facebook As mentioned on page 6, our Gateway Voices Facebook group is a new way to share views about your neighbourhood with other local residents.

Anyone from Watford and Three Rivers can join in the conversation – if you want to speak to other residents within our community areas, this is the place to go!

It’s a great platform if you find it easier to talk online rather than in person. To join the group, simply go to www.facebook.com/groups/gatewayvoices

Recently on Facebook...

Following a post on Facebook about fencing, we put a resident in touch with our Project Surveyor, Matt, who passed on some useful information.

Watford Community Housing Trust Thank you very much for your help. I’ve just spoken to Matt and he’s informed me on all of the plans and was very helpful. Thank you for your help and speed in dealing with my enquiry. Very much appreciated.

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/watfordcommunityhousingtrust

@watfordgateway

Twitter and Facebook chats about new homes Last month we used Twitter and Facebook to have a live chat with local residents about our plans to build new affordable homes in Watford and Three Rivers. Euan Barr, our Head of New Business, who is responsible for housing development at the Trust, was online to answer your questions and take your suggestions. Many thanks to those of you who took part - topics included our Meriden development proposals; whether we should use our garage sites for affordable homes; and possible locations for new housing. We plan to hold another live chat in the future and would welcome your suggestions of topics to discuss. Please email your ideas to communications@wcht.org.uk

Speak to us via our website!

We have now created forums on our website so that anyone can comment on our developments.

If you haven’t been able to make it to a consultation session and just want to voice your opinion, you can comment here and even make yourself anonymous.

We currently have forums for the Meriden estate development, Hemming Way, Lincoln Court and Boundary Way – more to come soon!

You can access these forums by visiting www.wcht.org.uk/development and clicking on the relevant tabs in the left-hand column. We’d love to know your views.

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In your community…

What you’ve told us about your neighbourhood You may remember that our option studies were taking place in Meriden, Vicarage, Harebreaks and Hillside last year. We asked communities what they thought about the area and what needs improvement through surveys and a video diary campervan. We have now analysed the results from both the video and surveys, and some findings are listed below: For the Meriden area Your concerns were mainly around: f Traffic f Drug issues f Bus service fM ore activities (especially for younger people) In Vicarage Amongst other things you were concerned about: f The lack of affordable housing f The tidiness of the area f Concerns about public transport f Occasionally people hanging around drinking (by the church) But you loved living there because of: f All the different languages used f It’s close to the hospital f It’s close to shopping areas f Nice and friendly people

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But you told us the following are great: f T he sense of community - nice, friendly people who talk to each other f Green spaces and parks f Cheap local shops fW ell maintained grass cut all the time For Hillside We had many positive comments about the green space, the local residents’ association and the great sense of community spirit in Hillside You said the following need improving: f Anti social behaviour around the shops f There is nothing for teenagers to do fW ould like a coffee shop of some sort

In Harebreaks You said the following things need improving: f Cars parking on the pavement f There should be more activities for local people at Harebreaks Hub f Better youth service provision f Need affordable sports and fitness classes And that you loved: f The playgrounds f The Children’s Centre f Good neighbours f Green spaces We will work hard to fix these common issues raised within the communities, and will keep you up to date with progress. The new Community Option Studies for the coming year are in Radlett Road, Central, Croxley Green and Leavesden Green so if you live in one of these areas you will be hearing from us soon! Don’t miss out on having your say, we value your opinions.

For more information on our Community Option Studies, contact Jackie Tyrrell on 01923 209293 or Tina Olowookere on 01923 209251.

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performance

Your feedback Our current feedback procedures have now been in place since April 2013.

The aim is to make it easy for you to tell us if you have a complaint or indeed if you want to compliment us on something that we do well. You’ve told us that you want us to listen to you and put things right quickly without having to be too formal, so that is exactly what we try to do.

Over the last three months we managed to acknowledge a whopping 95% of customers within 24 hours of them contacting us. We also settled 95% of complaints within 10 working days – in fact with more than half of these it only took

48 hours for us to agree a happy outcome for our customers.

We have been able to reduce the number of formal letters we used to send to those making a complaint.

Instead we now make more home visits to discuss your feedback, or simply resolve things by phone or email – which saves your time and is more efficient.

Although we received 80 complaints during the last three months we see these as an opportunity to regain your confidence and to learn from any mistakes that may have been made.

We also thank the 43 customers who took the time to compliment members of our staff who had made

them happy and exceeded their expectations. This really makes our hard work seem so worthwhile.

Please remember that we always value your Feedback, be it good or bad, and you can contact us in any of the following ways: f Online: www.wcht.org.uk/feedback f Email: feedback@wcht.org.uk f Telephone: 01923 209000 f I n writing – pick up a Feedback form from Reception or write to: Feedback, Gateway House, 59 Clarendon Road, Watford WD17 1LA Talk to any member of our staff and they will make sure your concern gets to the right person.

You said, we did looking after your neighbourhood Recent customer surveys show that satisfaction with your neighbourhood has increased from 75.8% to 80.8% over the last three months.

You are also routinely scoring the work completed by our grounds maintenance and cleaning contractors in the high 90%.

To ensure satisfaction with grounds maintenance remains high, we are starting to complete extensive tree works across our communities to ensure that trees on our land remain safe following. This follows a survey of the 2500 trees we own and the two woodland areas.

You’ve told us that when the shrubs are cut in your neighbourhood, it makes a big difference.

We have therefore agreed with Glendale, our contractors, that they will reduce the grass cuts from 20 per year to 19 and cut the estate shrubs three times a year instead of two.

Glendale have agreed to keep their prices the same even though a shrub cut is more expensive than a grass cut.

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Our Partners

Free part-time courses with West Herts College West Herts College have been working closely with the Trust to deliver courses free of charge to our tenants.

The College are running a Learn how to use a digital camera course. You can bring your own camera or use one of the cameras provided. The course is delivered in four sessions over four weeks at Leavesden Green Community Hub and will run from Monday 20 April to Monday 18 May, between 9.30am and 11.30am (excludes Bank Holidays).

Residents have recently attended a course in using tablet devices. Lifting the lid on tablet technology shows you

Small Acts of Kindness Are you over 55, living in Watford and feeling cold?

Small Acts of Kindness is a social enterprise that organises warm winter gift packs for older people in Watford. The packs contain a blanket, socks, gloves, a hat, a mug and a selection of hot drinks and soups. These can be delivered to your home for FREE, or you can collect your pack from Watford Library. For more information, call 01923 372717 or email lynne@ smallactsofkindness.com

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how to use tablets, such as Apple iPads, Samsung Galaxy Tabs and all other tablets. The courses have been very successful and some of the residents have been lucky enough to win a tablet for themselves.

Tenant Wendy Else said: “It’s very cool, I’d never even used a tablet before but I’ve learnt so much!”

Remember both these courses are free to our tenants so this is a fabulous opportunity to boost your skills. If you are interested please contact the Communities Team on 01923 209183, or email communities@wcht.org.uk

A message from Disability Watford We know that accessing transport is a real issue for many of you, and for some it’s the main reason for you not getting out and about in your area. We are working on putting together the facts on problems that those of us with a disability, and those who assist and care for us, encounter while using different types of transport. These include buses, trains, taxis, mini cabs, the Underground or even Dial-a-ride.

You can help us with this by telling us your experiences – then we will have real evidence to give to the people who make the decisions.

Email us at info@disabilitywatford.org.uk, call us on 01923 245944, or speak to us when we’re out and about in May. Also, next month we will be putting an online transport survey onto our website at www.disabilitywatford.co.uk

Quiz Night 2015 Our quiz night this year is being held on 21st July at 7.15 and includes a fish and chip supper and accessible transport if needed. Tickets will be under £10 – for more details or to book places please contact us using our details above.

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get in touch

Email us:

Why do we ask for your details?

enquiries@wcht.org.uk Postal address: Gateway House, 59 Clarendon Road, Watford WD17 1LA Useful contacts – the Trust General enquiries Repairs (free from a landline)

Rent enquiry Anti-social behaviour

01923 209 000 0800 218 2247 or 01923 209 247 01923 209 111 01923 209 222

The Trust cannot answer questions about the following: Please call the numbers below...

For questions about:

f Housing Benefit f A pplications for housing f Pest control f C ouncil tax ...call Watford Borough Council or Three Rivers District Council

You might have noticed that our Customer Service Team will ask you to confirm three pieces of information (usually your name, address and date of birth) when you call the Trust.

01923 226 400 01923 776 611

This is because of the Data Protection Act: a law that protects personal privacy and upholds your rights.

Anyone who handles personal information as part of their job must follow the Act. Data Protection is very important to both staff and residents of the Trust.

020 3567 6900 01923 776 611

The Act states that we must take reasonable steps to ensure our Customer Service Team have checked and confirmed the identity of anyone calling the Trust.

Anyone ‘pretending’ to be you would be breaking the law. Our Customer Service Team cannot give any of your personal information without first checking your identity through the Data Protection check.

For questions about:

f R efuse collection / recycling ...call Veolia/Watford Borough Council or Three Rivers District Council For questions about:

f Water supply For issues with the clean water supply to the whole house/street/area call Affinity 0845 782 3333 For issues with blocked drains and sewage please call Thames Water

0845 9200 800

For questions about:

f D isabled parking badges ...call Hertfordshire County Council

0300 1234 050

For questions about:

f L ost energy top-up card ...check with your supplier.

Your Feedback is important to us. You can let us know what you think in many ways: • Via our website: www.wcht.org.uk/feedback • By email at: feedback@wcht.org.uk • By telephone on: 01923 209000 • In person to any member of staff • In writing to Gateway House, 59 Clarendon Road, Watford, Hertfordshire WD17 1LA • And by completing satisfaction surveys

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Don’t forget you can check your account online. Simply go to: www.wcht.org.uk and click ‘My account’.

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