Your update from the Housing Team June 2024

YOUR update

FROM THE HOUSING TEAM

Message from LISA BARKER, HEAD OF HOUSING

Welcome to our summer newsletter, we hope you are enjoying warmer and brighter days.

In this edition we are pleased to report on the progress being made on our action plan of improvements to our service outlined in last September’s audit.

We also have news of our Residents Influencing Group, who now have a regular schedule of meetings with our team and are actively looking for more of you to get involved.

Having now left Riverside House, the Council has a new customer service hub based at the Royal Pump Rooms for those of you who need face to face support, details of the opening times and addresses opposite.

Enjoy the sunshine!

NEW CUSTOMER SERVICE HUB

Warwick District Council’s Customer Services team has officially relocated to the Royal Pump Rooms, The Parade, Leamington Spa.

Open Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 4.30pm, the new hub offers in person support and advice on a range of Council services. There are also private areas available for those needing a one-toone meeting with a member of staff.

Please note that our offices at Saltisford, Warwick and the Town Hall have no public access, so all visitors to the Council need to come to the Pump Rooms.

Our new postal address is Warwick District Council, Town Hall, The Parade, Royal Leamington Spa, CV32 4AT.

JOIN OUR RESIDENT INFLUENCING GROUP

We’re excited to share the launch of our new Resident Influencing Group (RIG), set up to ensure your views are heard when we are reviewing our services. Comprising both residents and members of the WDC Housing Services team, the RIG has been meeting since December. Members of the group can join us either in person at our brand-new offices or from the comfort of your home via Microsoft Teams.

As we grow, we’re eager to welcome more residents into the RIG community. Your perspectives are invaluable, and we’re keen to hear your thoughts on a variety of important topics, including:

• The way we run our services

• Our policies on lettings, maintenance, and addressing anti-social behaviour (ASB)

• How we manage and respond to complaints

• What you’d like to see on our website

• Ways to effectively monitor tenant satisfaction.

The Council is committed to embracing a diverse range of voices and encourages residents of all ages, backgrounds, and cultures to get involved. This is your chance to make a real impact on how we serve you and your community. We hope you’ll consider joining us and help shape the future of our services!

If you would like more information or are interested in joining the group please complete the form on our website www.warwickdc. gov.uk/xfp/form/413 or email talktohousing@warwickdc.gov.uk

Meeting

Thur 11 Jul 1pm – 2.30pm

Thur 22 Aug 1pm – 2.30pm

Thur 3 Oct 1pm – 2.30pm Thur 14 Nov 1pm – 2.30pm

GET INVOLVED!

As well as the RIG there are also a number of other ways you can get involved in shaping our services.

• Armchair Reviewer review draft policies and procedures to help shape services when the time suits you.

• Community Advisor give feedback on your area from a resident’s perspective and attend pop up consultations on specific topics within your community.

• Resident Writers review communications and resident information before it’s published and suggest content for leaflets, newsletters and the website.

• Estate Walkabouts - see our feature below

• If this is of interest to you or you would like further information please complete the form on our website www.warwickdc. gov.uk/xfp/form/413 or email talktohousing@warwickdc.gov.uk

INCOME RECOVERY TEAM

YOUR CONTACT DETAILS

We want to be able to contact you quickly and efficiently by phone, text messaging, and email. It saves time, money and is more environmentally friendly, by reducing paper usage.

Please ensure that we have your up to date contact information - phone number and email, and also, let us know how you prefer to be contacted. If you would prefer to go paperless for example, and receive this newsletter by email and not through the post, please let us know.

In the height of the Covid pandemic our rent arrears rose considerably to almost £1.4m. Since we introduced a new monitoring system for the recovery of arrears our small team has managed to bring the arrears down to the lowest, level ever recorded by WDC, whilst still supporting residents to enable them to remain in their homes and avoid possible eviction. The arrears are now just 3.5% of our rental income. Over the last 12 months 77% of our tenants in debt have seen a reduction in their rent arrears and even more impressively 66% are now completely out of debt.

If you are facing any difficulty with paying your rent, please do not delay contacting the rent team on 01926 456129 option 3, who are here to help you.

SIGN UP TO OUR E-NEWSLETTERS!

Would you like to have your copy of the Housing Newsletter and all the latest news from Warwick District Council delivered straight to your inbox?

Our e-newsletters include news about Council services, initiatives and local events.

To subscribe and view our privacy notice visit Warwickdc.gov.uk/newsletters

IT'S AS EASY AS 123+ WITH OUR APP!

Did you know that if you are a WDC housing tenant you can report a repair using our app? You can also get reminders of waste collection days, check what you can put in your bin, report missed collections, find the nearest car or cycle parking, leisure facilities, where to eat out and loads more.

Download it from the App Store or Google Play by searching "Warwick District Council".

SCAN ME

Residents and WDC Staff at RIG meeting

WAYS TO PAY YOUR RENT

Direct Debit

Convenient, simple and secure with a choice of payment dates on either 2nd, 8th, 14th or 23rd of the month. Apply online at: www.warwickdc.gov.uk/xfp/form/332 or telephone: 01926 456408/01926 456409 to set up over the phone or ask for a bank mandate form. You will need your rent account number as a reference.

Standing Order

Set up a standing order which means you pay a set amount every week or month. You can complete a standing order form online: www.warwickdc.gov.uk or telephone 01926 456408/01926 456409 or email: hsgfin@warwickdc.gov.uk to set up over the phone or ask for a bank standing order form. You will need your rent account number as a reference.

Online

You can pay online 24 hours a day, seven days a week at www.warwickdc.gov.uk You will need your rent account number as a reference.

Telephone

You can make automated telephone payments to us using your debit or credit card 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call: 0800 0283377. You will need your rent account number as a reference.

Post Office

Pay by cash, debit card, or cheque at any Post Office using a barcode that is sent to you on all letters about your rent to include rent statements. If you don’t have one handy you can access your rent statement online at warwickdc.gov.uk/housing

Pay Point

Pay by cash or card at any retail outlet displaying the Pay Point logo using a barcode that is sent to you on all letters about your rent to include rent statements. If you don’t have one handy you can access your rent statement online at warwickdc.gov.uk/housing

CAMERADOS –PUBLIC LIVING ROOMS

Public living rooms have sofas and cuppas, maybe some tunes, maybe some board games. They are warm welcoming places with people who listen, who treat everyone the same, who don't judge or try to fix each other.

Each public living room is different. They are not manned by staff, but are set up and organised by camerados for their communities and are open to all.

Some are pop ups for short periods, some are at regular times each week and others are open daily, and you'll find them all over the place.

To set up your own public living room or find your nearest one, please visit https:// camerados.org/ or email communitywellbeingteam@ warwickdc.gov.uk

COMMUNITY CONNECTOR

Managed by our Community Health and Wellbeing team and funded by the Integrated Care Board (ICB), residents living in the Lillington East area have gained the services of a Community Connector whose function is to improve outcomes for those living with respiratory conditions such as COPD, Asthma and Long Covid. This is a new role specifically for this area, where many residents have remained in their homes since lockdown. The Community Connector will be based at the new Health Hub in Lillington and will work alongside local GP practices to help drive take up of COVID, flu and COPD vaccines, increase referrals for smoking cessation and to signpost help for residents who are suffering with long covid. They will also seek to empower and encourage residents who are isolated or lonely to become more involved with the local community and take advantage of the numerous Lillington based groups and activities, such as the wellbeing walks and warm hubs.

Residents of Lillington East will be referred to the Community Connector through their GP, so are advised to check with their surgery if they are eligible for support.

YEOMANRY CLOSE REFURBISHMENT

We’ve recently worked in partnership with Seddon Contractors to refurbish and make safety improvements to the sheltered accommodation at Yeomanry Close in Warwick. Important work has been carried out to improve the fire safety of the building, this has included installing new doors and upgrading fire stopping throughout.

Residents at Yeomanry Close also have a new communal kitchen and toilets, along with redecoration, flooring, and new furniture throughout. The feedback from residents is fantastic, and they are over the moon with their new look homes. We would like to than everyone for their patience and understanding while this work was taking place.

DIGITAL NOTICE BOARDS

Residents of Eden Court, Southorn Court, Ashton Court, Radcliffe Gardens, Stamford Gardens, Wesbrook House and Sayer Court can find out the latest information about your building via new digital screens recently installed in the lift area. The screens will notify you of work taking place, meetings and community events as well as reminders of evacuation procedures, contact information and safety information, so don’t forget to look at them when you pass by.

HOUSING OMBUDSMAN

Did you know you can contact the Housing Ombudsman at any time for support to help resolve a complaint? The Housing Ombudsman Service is set up by law and is free, independent and impartial. For advice and help to find a resolution, you can contact the Housing Ombudsman at any time while a complaint is going through our complaints process, although the Ombudsman cannot make a formal decision on a case at this stage. More information about the Housing Ombudsman, including contact details, can be found at www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk

To get a quote please refer to;

Or call RSA on 03456 718 172, lines are open Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.

HOUSING AUDIT

As a social housing landlord, the safety and wellbeing of our tenants and leaseholders is of the utmost importance to us. In September 2023 we wrote to you regarding the outcome of an independent audit of our housing stock. This health check was proactively commissioned by our housing and assets team to determine whether our homes met the rigorous standards required by the Regulator of Social Housing and to help us to understand what improvement work might be required.

The aim of the housing audit was to review seven key areas – gas and heating, electric, fire, asbestos, water, lifts and building safety. As most of you will be aware this report found that work was needed to meet the necessary standards in a number of these.

As a result of the report findings the Council immediately set about the implementation of a comprehensive action plan and referred itself to the Regulator of Social Housing.

Since then we have been making good progress on an action plan of improvements with the independent advice and support of a consultant.

We will continue to work closely with the regulator and all of our residents as we take the next steps.

Further information about the housing audit can be found on our website www.warwickdc.gov.uk/housingsafety.

HOUSING CONTACTS

All phone lines are available between the following hours:

Monday to Thursday: 8.45am to 5.15pm Friday: 8.45am to 4.45pm

Housing: 01926 456 129

• Option 1 for Repairs

• Option 2 for Homechoice and Homelessness

• Option 3 for Rents and Housing officer enquiries

• Option 4 for Supported Tenancies

Council Tax and Benefits: 01926 456 760

Neighbourhood (Recycling and Refuse, Parks and Trees) 01926 456128

Emergency out of hours

All phone numbers apply outside of Council office hours and bank holidays. Homelessness: 0300 303 5573

Council Housing Emergency Repairs: 01926 456129

Lifeline Services: 0300 303 5573

Car park emergencies: 01926 314009 or 01926 456128

NEW CLEANING CONTRACT

We have recently entered into a new long-term contract for the cleaning of communal areas and windows of the council residencies. The terms of the contract have been based on the feedback we received from you through the STAR Survey. This has addressed some of the anomalies under the previous contract and has standardised the cleaning of these areas. We look forward to your feedback.

STONELEIGH VIEW

Just in time for the May halfterm break over 20 local families including Isabella, aged three joined our portfolio holder for Housing and representatives from the Vistry Group to open a new playground in Kenilworth and officially hand it over to the Council as a public space.

The play area is centrally located for the enjoyment of current and future families living at Stoneleigh View, off Glasshouse Lane, a mixed-tenure development which over the next four years will provide 620 homes for the town, half of which will be available for social rent, shared ownership or private rental,

Stoneleigh View is the result of a successful collaboration between the Vistry Group, Warwick District Council and our wholly owned housing company Milverton Homes.

178 properties are already occupied with eleven families/individuals living in the new council properties all of which benefit from air source heat pumps and solar panels to improve energy efficiency, with more homes to be made available in the coming months.

“They have finished my park! I am so excited I got to cut the red ribbon and play!”

ISABELLA, AGED 3, SAID:

DIANA, AGED 21/2, ADDED:

“It’s amazing! I love it!”

WDC’s Cllr Wightman and April Knapp join the Stoneleigh View community and Vistry team to celebrate playground opening

Are you ready to vote at a polling station? Check out a few tips to help you:

You are allowed to deliver 6 postal votes, including your own, to the polling station and will be asked to complete a form.

Are you a Proxy Voter? Remember, you can now vote on behalf of a maximum of 2 people living in the UK and an additional 2 living overseas.

Do you have an accepted Photo ID? You must show the original document to obtain your ballot paper.

If you arrive at the polling station without an accepted form of ID, you will be asked to return with ID that is accepted. The polling station closes at 10pm.

Check if your Photo ID is accepted –scan the QR code or go to www.warwickdc.gov.uk/voterid

JOIN OUR ESTATE WALKABOUTS

Every month members of the Housing Team will be doing a walkabout tour of different locations across the district.

Come and meet the Estates and Housing Officers covering your area, let them know what’s important to you and how we can help.

Walks start at 11am on the following dates.

Wasperton Lane and Sandy Lane, Barford

Thur 27 June 2024

Walk starts from flats 1 to 15 Wasperton Lane

Mason Avenue, Lillington

Thur 25 July 2024

Walk starts from Eden Court

Bishops Tachbrook

Thur 29 August 2024

Walk starts from 26 Mallory Road

Whitnash

Thur 26 September 2024

Walk starts from 1 Clarkson Drive

If you would like further information regarding these walkabouts please call 01926 456 129 or email hsgem@ warwickdc.gov.uk