Annual report oct14

Special Edition Housing Annual Report

2013-2014 Written with tenants for tenants

house

Edition 27 October 2014

This Issue...

A Summary of the Year Tenant Involvement and Customer Care Maintaining Your Home Tenancy Services Neighbourhood and Community Services Older Persons Housing Value for Money The Tenants’ View

Win an iPad mini – see page 15 Housing Line 01962 848 400

edition

27

October 2014

thebigword telephone interpreting service The Council uses a 24-hour Telephone Interpreting Service, which also provides written or recorded translations.

If you, a relative or a neighbour would like to talk to the Council through an interpreter, please contact your Area Housing Manager on 01962 848 400.

on disc On the house is available in large print or on CD (audio). Please call Tenant Involvement on

Freephone 0800 716 987.

TEXTPHONE This facility is available for readers who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Please telephone 01962 878 982.

If you have any particular needs which affect how you are able to use or be involved in our services or how you would like to receive information - for example translation, interpreters, Braille, audio tape, large print, sign language - please contact the Customer Service Centre either by telephone: 01962 840 222 or by email: customerservice@ winchester.gov.uk

Winchester City Council, City Offices, Colebrook Street, Winchester, SO23 9LJ. telephone 01962 848 400 fax 01962 841 365 email housing@winchester.gov.uk website www.winchester.gov.uk Telephone calls may be recorded.

Printed on 75% recycled paper.

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Dear Tenants Despite the current climate of public sector pressures and cuts, the Council has continued to increase investment in Housing and 2013/14 saw a number of really positive improvements to services.

Many tenants felt the impact of welfare reform changes but I am really pleased to note that those affected have sought the help of Council staff and other agencies.

New services, such as the Wise Move incentive scheme and Money and Benefits advice have helped tenants cope with the changes. It is really positive to see that rent arrears actually reduced last year, when the national trend has seen large increases.

Programmes to repair and maintain existing homes and to build new housing have progressed well. I would also like to thank all tenants for allowing access to your homes so we could complete our Stock Condition Survey.

The information we have gathered is currently being reviewed and will help make sure future repair programmes focus on the most important areas. In the last year, we have also concentrated on new programmes to help improve the health and wellbeing of our residents.

The Exercise Referral scheme and outdoor activities, such as health walks, outdoor gyms and sports events have seen much greater participation by Council tenants. Training programmes which help tenants with key skills, such as writing CVs, interviews and generally preparing for employment, have all proved really popular.

My predecessor, Councillor Tony Coates, was always such a positive advocate for improving Council housing services and I intend to continue his good work.

We desperately need more affordable housing. Whilst I am keen to ensure that existing services continue to improve, I do intend to focus efforts on building more homes and helping those in housing need improve their prospects of securing a tenancy.

Cllr Ian Tait Portfolio Holder for Housing Services w w w. w i n c h e s t e r. g o v . u k

Annual Report 2013/2014 This report sets out how your Housing Services have performed in the year 2013/2014 against the national standards expected of all social landlords and also standards that the Council has agreed with you, the tenants.

The 4 national standards for social housing are: Tenant Involvement and Empowerment – including customer service, choice and equality Home – including quality of homes, repairs and maintenance Tenancy – including allocations, mutual exchanges and tenure issues Neighbourhood and Community – including managing local areas, joint working and addressing anti-social behaviour Once again, tenants have worked with us to ensure the report is readable and accurate. A formal response from those involved is included on page 14.

Summary of the Year Building New Homes – 13 brand new homes were built in the year as part of a plan to build at least 300 new Council Homes by 2024.

Repairs – £12 million was spent on repairs or improvements to your homes. This included 472 upgraded central heating systems, 470 upgraded kitchens and 395 bathrooms also upgraded.

Rent – 99% of all rent was collected with a surprise drop in arrears to 0.9% from 1.2% last year.

Tenant Involvement – Welfare reform matters, such as the benefits cap and benefit restructure on those with extra bedrooms, were the main themes again this year.

Improving Estates – The council spent £200,000 on a variety of improvements across our estates.

Disabled Adaptations – 522 adaptations were made to properties.

Tenant Satisfaction – Tenants are generally happy with the service they receive from the Council. The survey carried out in February 2013 had a response of 63% of all tenants and of those that took part 88% were satisfied with the overall housing service.

Party in the Park

The Council’s Local Standards – Our Offer to you

Bourne Close before

Bourne Close after

The local standards agreed with you are set out in the Tenants Handbook. They are also summarised in a leaflet that is available on our website or at the Customer Service Centre.

To receive a free copy, please call Freephone 0800 716 987.

Looking Ahead The Council is embarking on the biggest house building programme for decades and some delayed projects, such as the Loft Conversion programme and the Stanmore Estate Improvement programme, will move towards completion. We will continue to offer advice on benefit changes, including the introduction of Universal Credit

Annual Report 2013 - 2014

and and helping tenants who want to downsize, through the Wise Move incentive scheme.

We will continue our mission to involve tenants more, especially in the rural parts of the District and we are ‘going digital’ with a self-service ‘app’ for tenants to download onto their devices.

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Tenant Involvement & Customer Care We aim to provide tenants with accessible, relevant and timely information about our services, how we perform and how tenants can get involved with making our services better.

Involvement and Empowerment The Council continues to support tenant involvement in many ways, including supporting tenant groups, organising focus groups, estate walkabouts,street meets and summer events.

Tenant representatives make comment on every housing report considered by Councillors.

The Council’s whole approach to promoting resident involvement has been formally reviewed by tenants.

Tenant Training We held a variety of Life Skills classes in February 2014 which were well attended and worthwhile to tenants taking part.

The five classes which took place were: Cooking on a Budget

Meeting Tenants’ Diverse Needs The Council recognises the huge diversity of its tenants. Our officers are trained so they have the skills to adapt services to meet various needs.

Training sessions have included Deaf Awareness, Dementia Awareness, Mental Health Awareness and a briefing on Former Service Personnel.

Housing officers are not specialists, but will have the details of groups that can provide specialist support if needed.

We are also improving how we work together with support groups such as the Drug and Alcohol Recovery Service at Georges’ in Winchester and the Winchester Young Carers’ project.

Basic Computer Skills Employability for Job Hunters Confidence Building First Aid Because they went down so well, we plan more later this year so watch this space!

Scrutiny Groups Tenants have continued to scrutinise the Council’s Housing services. 4 Scrutiny Groups have met regularly with officers to review and challenge services to tenants.

Housing Management Scrutiny Group – This group has focussed on how quickly we re-let empty properties and also how we have helped tenants affected by welfare changes.

Repairs and Maintenance Scrutiny Group – This group has monitored how effectively repairs are carried out and how the Council’s Customer Service deals with enquiries from tenants. They have challenged the Council to improve the quality of the service it provides.

Sheltered Housing Scrutiny Group – This group is reviewing how older persons’ services are changing and the impact of Hampshire County Council’s Supporting People funding cuts on tenants in sheltered housing.

Landscape Scrutiny Group – The Group continues to work with officers and has also met with Councillors to find ways of improving the Grounds Maintenance contract. We are all too aware that this remains a cause for concern in many areas.

Why not get involved and help improve services to tenants? If you would like more information, please contact the Tenant Involvement team on Freephone 0800 716 987.

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Customer Service and Choice

Tenant Comment General Tenants’ Response

What you think of us

Older Persons’ Response

Our National Rank

% of respondents very or fairly satisfied with the services/overall service provided by us

86% satisfied

94% satisfied

Above Average

% of respondents very or fairly satisfied that their views are being taken into account by us

67% satisfied

74% satisfied

Average

Monica Gill Chair of the Landscape Scrutiny Group said: "I have been Chairing the Landscape Scrutiny Group for about 18 months. As Scrutiny Groups are tenant led, it gives them the opportunity to monitor how both the Council and their contractors perform and to make suggestions on how they can improve performance and get value for money."

Responding to You In 2013/14, our average time to respond to a letter was 9.8 days 62% of letters were answered within 10 days 87% of letters were answered within 20 days 50% of calls were answered within 20 seconds We are aware of delays you may have had in getting through to the Council switchboard and we are taking action to make sure this improves in the near future.

www.facebook.com/ WinchesterTenants

Youth Football

Complaints

For another year we ran football coaching at several venues, including Highcliffe and Winnall.

Lots of children came along to take part, with the tournament at the end rounding things off nicely.

We held sessions in February, April and August in 2014.

We know we don’t always get it right and we certainly want to hear from tenants when they feel things are not going well. This really does help us to monitor and improve the service we give.

Last year we received 111 complaints, of which 45 were upheld and 2 were escalated to the Ombudsman.

Our target of responding is 10 days, but we managed an average of 13 days.

Looking Ahead We will continue to monitor and update the information on Tenant Satisfaction from data collected back in 2012. We also welcome our new Resident Involvement Staff, Trevor Lynas and Heather Wensley. We are keen to build on our changes to how we involve residents and reach even

more tenants, both in the City and more rural areas. We are very excited about a new app that we hope to launch before Christmas.

Whether on an iPhone or an android, tenants will be able to access their rent account and update their personal information and contact details.

Annual Report 2013 - 2014

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Maintaining Your Home We shall ensure all our homes continue to meet the Government’s minimum Decent Homes standard, provide cost-effective repairs and maintenance and work with other partners to ensure homes are adapted to meet customer needs.

Spending More on Your Home

Stock Survey

Government changes introduced in April 2012 mean that councils that still manage housing can invest properly in maintaining and improving homes, as well as building new homes. This has meant we have been able to spend twice as much as last year on maintenance, as well as start building new homes for the first time in 20 years.

Thanks to everyone for allowing the Council to complete surveys of your homes. We carry out the full stock survey every ten years and this time a team of ten surveyors spent six months on the project surveying between eight and ten homes each day. They visited 93% of the 5,000 homes in Winchester. The information is being analysed so we can draw up long term investment plans for future maintenance. The aim is to identify what needs doing, when it needs to be done and how much it will cost.

This will be used to assess future maintenance programmes.

The table below shows how we have spent your rent money on improving your homes. We aim to invest similar amounts every year for the next 10 years and you will all see real improvements over this time.

Where have we spent your money?

Amount

Kitchens, bathrooms and central heating systems etc

£6.2 million

Small works (day to day repairs)

£3.6 million

Disabled adaptations

£0.8 million

Estate/Environmental Improvements

£0.25 million

Other works

£1.15 million

Updating your Home Number of upgrades completed during the year: Heating 472 Kitchens 470 Bathrooms 395 Insulation 132 Doors 650

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Disabled Adaptations 522 households received disabled adaptations, improving access to their homes. These included: Number of level access showers installed 233 Number of stair lifts installed 25 Number of assisted access works completed 42

Monitoring Quality of Repairs Works

Our monitoring suggests tenants are satisfied with works completed in 98% of cases. Would you agree?

Do you complete your “green customer care card”?

It is essential that cards are returned as this is the best way of ensuring works are completed to your satisfaction.

Last year, 32% of cards were returned.

We have been working with the Repairs and Maintenace Scrutiny Group to provide a better follow up of negative comments on Green Cards. This year we introduced a new system to respond to your comments providing feedback from both the council and the contractor. Let us know how we get on!

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How we are Performing How we perform against our standards

Tenant Comment Target 2012/13 2013/14

Comment

Responsive Repairs - % of jobs completed within target

90%

90.4%

86%

Under review

Responsive Repairs average time to complete a repair

8 days

10 days

8.5 days

Under review

Gas Servicing - % of homes with a current gas servicing certificate

100%

99.9%

99.9%

1 certificate outstanding at end of the year

80%

new target

81%

95% were completed within two visits

new target

97%

32,164 jobs completed

Repairs completed within one visit

% satisfaction for repair jobs

95%

Miss Arthur, of Highcliffe said:

“I’m pleased with the overall service but would like a response if I raise a negative comment on a green card”.

Weather Delays/Winter Storms In the winter months we experienced some of the most extreme weather ever seen in the area. Storms at Christmas caused significant damage to fencing, roofs and property. We are still working through the backlog of work caused by the storm and the floods that followed. Thank you to all tenants affected for the patience you have shown.

Looking Ahead Investment plans In addition to kitchens and bathrooms, the maintenance priorities for the Council this year are roofs, windows and walls.

Upgrading heating and insulation at the Winnall flats We had hoped to complete this project last year but there was an unavoidable delay when our initial partner withdrew from the contract. Work is underway again and we have found a

new partner for the project, which is now awaiting planning permission.

Work is due to start next spring but it depends on European Funding still being available.

Building new homes The Council is really excited about being able to build new council homes for the first time in over 20 years.

We are looking ahead to building more homes for young people, families and pensioners.

Annual Report 2013 - 2014

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Tenancy We will let our properties in a fair, open and efficient way, charging affordable rents whilst sticking within government policy. We are also here to support tenants in maintaining their tenancies.

Allocations

Benefit Reform and Wise Move

2,143 people were registered on the housing waiting list - that’s a reduction of 42% on last year. The reason for the big drop was because of the changes to the Hampshire Home Choice Allocations Framework which came into effect in April 2013. The table below shows the number of people on the waiting list broken down by the band they are in and the size of property they need:

Wise Move was launched in April 2013 and has been extremely popular.

Over 100 tenants have been helped to move to smaller accommodation.

The help included a payment of up to £1,000 which can help with removals, carpeting, decoration etc. The other added benefit of course is that when someone frees up a larger family home, a family that badly needs the space moves in. A win win!

1 bed

2 bed

3 bed

4 bed

Total

Band 2

118

53

8

17

196

Band 3

1081

426

137

41

1685

Band 4

229

23

8

2

262

Total

1428

502

153

60

2143

Average Wait Time So how long does someone have to wait to get a home?

The average time for someone who has a high priority.

(Band 2), is 1 year 4 months. For a medium priority applicant (Band 3), the time from being included on the waiting list to getting a home is a minimum of 3 years.

The scheme was initially promoted to tenants affected by the Government changes to the Housing Benefit system.

Tenants who have been faced with a reduction in their Housing Benefit, due to the new size criteria rules for having ‘spare’ bedrooms, have been given priority for help under Wise Move and other housing policies.

Nearly half of those who have downsized were previously affected by the size criteria regulations.

The moves have helped these tenants to improve their financial circumstances through eligibility for Housing Benefit, together with other benefits of living in smaller accommodation, such as reduced bills and having a home that’s easier to manage.

Letting our Empty Homes Houses remained empty for an average of 20 days after someone moved out. In other words it took less than 3 weeks to re-let a property. 249 of our empty homes were advertised on Hampshire Home Choice and we received an average of 74 bids per property. Our most popular property was a one bed first floor flat in Fivefields Road which had over 345 bids. The successful applicant was in Band 2 and had a priority date of 08/03/2012.

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Rents

Tenant Comment

Why not pay your rent by Direct Debit?

Mr and Mrs Smith downsized from a two bedroomed house to a ground floor one bedroom flat.

Mr Smith said:

Over 40% of tenants already do. At the end of this year, all those who pay by Direct Debit will be entered into a prize draw to win £100 “Love to Shop” vouchers. If you want to switch to Direct Debit, contact the Rent Accounting team on 01962 848 400.

Our average rent is £98.99 a week

Bedroom number

Bedsit

1 bed

2 bed

3 bed

4 bed & above

No. of properties

32

1626

1663

1603

52

Average weekly rent

£74.64

£87.33 £100.89 £115.47

“My wife has back trouble, and I had leg problems and stairs were a problem. The flat is lovely, just right. We couldn’t ask for anything better. I am back to around 200 yards from where I was born! The council organised new carpets and the removal people. We have settled in very well!”

£125.64

Looking Ahead There’s a lot going to be happening over the next year. We will be acting on information sent to us by tenants who kindly filled in our Tenant Information Forms last winter. We will contact all those who asked for advice and help with matters such as: Getting ready for Universal Credit Managing money and budgeting, including a Housing Benefit Check Finding work Accessing and using the internet Moving to a smaller or larger property Look out for future events and publications on these topics.

Direct Debits – making it easier to pay your rent From January 2015, we are making it even easier to pay your rent by Direct Debit with our new improved paperless system. Tenants will be able to contact us by phone to set up a Direct Debit, rather than waiting for us to send out a form for you to complete and send back to us. Direct Debits are simple, convenient and safe a way to pay your rent if you have a current account with a bank or building society. If you would like more information, please contact the Rent Accounting team on 01962 848 400 who will be pleased to help you.

Annual Report 2013 - 2014

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Neighbourhood and Community We will work with other agencies to make our estates and homes clean, safe and have a peaceful environment for people to live in.

Estate Improvements

Greyfriars

Cromwell Road

The Estate Improvement Programme continues to be extremely popular. Lots of positive and beneficial improvements have been made across the district as a result of suggestions from tenants, Councillors and Housing staff.

These included: Additional parking at Meryon Road, Alresford Additional parking at Cromwell Road, Stanmore near the shops Installation of parking at the junction of Wavell Way and Wolfe Close, Stanmore Provision of lay by parking at the bottom end of The Valley, Stanmore Additional parking at Beech Grove, Owslebury Lighting at Wykeham Field, Wickham Door entry system at Woodrow House, Central Winchester Improved parking at Greyfriars, Central Winchester Parking at Churchfields, Twyford

Communal Areas Regular meetings are held with City Cleaning to discuss performance and any concerns with the cleaning contract.

Following the article in a previous edition of On The House, Housing Services are continuing to implement a new approach to managing items in communal areas.

The aim is to ensure communal areas are kept clear and tidy and to reduce risks associated with cluttered areas. The good news is that we are seeing positive results being achieved already. page 10

The Valley

Wavell Way

Estate Maintenance

We know that many of you are not happy with the standard of grounds maintenance provided by our contractor. The Landscape Scrutiny Group, chaired by Monica Gill, a Council tenant, is meeting regularly with Council Officers and client officers at East Hants District Council, challenging the performance of the contractor, The Landscape Group (TLG).

Around 40 tenant ‘monitors’ are helping keep tabs on the contractor’s performance and comments, good and bad, are fed back to us from all over the district. We are taking action. Tenants and council officers, along with representatives from TLG, made three road trips, with the aim of highlighting specific areas of concern. Representatives from the Group also attended the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee to present their concerns about the performance to Councillors. Housing Services is continuing to work with the Joint Client team to ensure that improvements are being made.

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Estate Events Estate walkabouts took place during 2013/14 in a number of areas across the district. Residents and officers identified estate issues, such as car parking, grounds maintenance, damaged fences and fly tipping.

Street Meets were held at Stanmore, Highcliffe, Weeke, Alresford, Denmead, Wickham, Swanmore and Bishops Waltham, offering fun activities for children and an opportunity for residents to talk to officers about any issues.

Other community events included Party in the Park, Spring into Action, Winnall estate and heating improvements consultation event, Woolford Close, Stanmore estate refurbishment consultation event, Easter Eggstravaganza and a Wise Move downsizing event. We will be holding further events, so look out for details on what will be happening near you soon.

Tenant Comment David Chafe, Vice Chair of TACT said:

“Parking is a problem across the Stanmore estate and it’s good to see a number of improvements now being made.”

Neighbourhood Management We have been working in partnership with Victim Support, an independent national charity which helps people find their strength again after crime and anti-social behaviour.

In 2013/14, tenants accessed the service with very positive outcomes. The scheme has been extended for a further year due to the success and the help it provides to tenants.

Looking Ahead For the rest of the year and into 2015/16, the Estate Improvement Programme is packed with exciting schemes: Winnall high rise flats - we will be demolishing garages and installing open air parking.

Refurbishing and replacing the fencing on some parts of the Highcliffe estate.

Regeneration work at Woolford Close, Stanmore, which includes a new pedestrian route (the introduction of a public stair case to connect Woolford Close with Thurmond Crescent/Road), improvements to the parking and highways layout, soft landscaping and improved amenity space, creation of additional communal accesses to two of the blocks and additional bin stores.

Annual Report 2013 - 2014

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Older Persons’ Housing Sheltered Housing The Council provides dedicated housing for older people at 15 sheltered housing schemes across the district. We also provide over 800 bungalows, which are generally let to over 60 year olds.

Tenant Comment Miss Barbara Jacques, of Danemark Court said:

Why Sheltered Housing?

The schemes provide a warm and welcoming environment for older people. They allow independent living, but with the added security of a 24 hour emergency alarm service, as well as additional support when it is needed.

Most schemes have lovely, well maintained grounds with easy access for all residents to enjoy them. Common rooms and other community facilities mean residents can get involved in social activities as they choose.

“I have lived in sheltered housing for 11 years and have made some very good friends.”

Our Schemes Schemes include: Richard Moss House, St Peters St, Winchester Hyde Lodge, Worthy Lane, Winchester Hyde Gate, Winchester Eastacre, Bereweeke Rd, Winchester Godson House, Lawn St, Winchester Lawn House, Lawn St, Winchester King Harold Court, Christchurch Rd, Winchester Mildmay Court, Eastgate St, Winchester Chester Court, Water Lane, Winchester Simonds Court, Chaundler Rd, Abbots Barton Normandy Court, Station Rd, Wickham Greens Close/Blanchard Rd, Bishops Waltham Makins Court, Windsor Rd, New Alresford Spring House Close, Colden Common White Wings House, Ashling Park Rd, Denmead

Extra Care With Winchester residents living longer, the demand for “Extra Care” housing is increasing.

Extra Care housing provides all the benefits of sheltered housing, but with the added benefit of a 24 hour on site care team providing specialist care and support as it is needed.

There are currently two schemes in the city centre, providing 55 homes for older tenants who have an assessed care need.

In the last year, the Council has invested significantly in upgrading the scheme at Matilda Place to ensure it meets all the requirements of a modern Extra Care scheme.

Looking Ahead The Council is planning to build a new Extra Care scheme in central Winchester. The Government and Hampshire County Council have both agreed grants towards the

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cost and a local resident also left a significant bequest to help build the scheme. If planning approval is given, building will start in 2015.

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Value for Money We will explain how tenants’ rents are spent and how tenants can get involved in prioritising our spending.

Tenant Comment

How Your Rent is Spent Maintenance & New Build

In the last year, each £1 of rent you pay has been spent in the following areas:

(incl. repairs, adaptations & improvements)

Housing Services

Debt Repayments (cost of borrowing)

Staffing

48p

21p

(incl. estate management, tenancy services, etc)

12p

Judith Steventon Baker, Chair of TACT said:

“It’s really good to see the Council investing more in Housing and the new homes built last year are fantastic!”

Overheads

11p

8p

Comparing with Others

Our Costs in 2013/2014 “Value for Money” is a balance of good performance with reasonable costs. We have shown you our performance and what you think of the services we provide in the earlier pages. The table below shows how our costs compare with the unit cost for services provided by other social landlords in the South East of England.

We compare our costs and performance with hundreds of other landlords. A “Dashboard” showing how we compare for all services can be viewed on www.winchester.gov.uk/ housing/council-housingtenants/performance

Our Average Cost

Local Average Cost

How we compare locally

Housing Management

£330

£426

Top 25%

Resident Involvement

£26

£44

Top 25%

Repairs and Empty Property Servicing

£635

£802

Top 25%

Estate Management

£79

£150

Top 25%

Annual cost per property

Looking Ahead We will be testing tenant satisfaction again early in 2015.

Housemark, an independent Housing Benchmarking organisation, will continue to

review our costs and compare them with other landlords. All results will be published on our website and in next year’s Annual Report.

Annual Report 2013 - 2014

page 13

The Tenants’ View – A Response TACT has continued to work hard on behalf of fellow tenants.

Judith Steventon Baker, John Bond and David Chafe, have used our places on Cabinet and Housing Cabinet to our best advantage. We have made TACT comments, for inclusion in many papers which affect tenants and are presented to the Council. We are also fortunate to have a Chair who is willing to allow us to make verbal comments at the Cabinet meeting.

During the course of the year, TACT has continued to be involved in the City Council’s New Council Homes programme. We saw the cutting of the ribbon, in partnership with the Winchester Housing Trust, of new homes in Micheldever in March and were in attendance when the first tenants were able to move into their homes.

Then even better, in July we were in attendance when the Mayor and former Mayor, Neil Baxter, cut the ribbon to open the first new Council built homes at Baxter Cottages, Itchen Abbas and a month later at The Terrace in Otterbourne. The homes are designed to be homes for life, with room for a pram and then for a wheel chair, not to mention provisions for a lift if it were ever to be needed.

We are pleased to see that Winchester City Council is making use of smaller sites and are building higher quality, more economical houses that fit the needs of local people.

TACT Management Group We are glad that older housing stock has started to be upgraded and that areas on the housing estates in and around Winchester are being improved.

Apart from this, we have been involved with the Welfare Reform Group, to help those tenants who are affected by the changes in the way benefits are paid. We also worked with the Wise Move Group, helping tenants to understand downsizing and its benefits - we even got on television with this message!

We have continued to strengthen our working relationship with our Service Providers. Osborne was awarded the Winchester Excellence Award for Community Relations, which confirmed to us that we had the best people looking after us and they had the award to show for it!

During the year, we have had to cope with the loss of both our Tenant Participation staff. Heather Wensley left in February 2014 and then David Lumby left in April 2014.

We were fortunate that members of the Housing Department were able to step in and help to keep us going whilst new appointments were made. In July, Heather Wensley rejoined us and Trevor Lynas was also appointed, as Tenant Involvement Officers. We are looking forward to working together and hopefully re-shaping and streamlining TACT.

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COMPETITION Would you like the chance to win an iPad mini? Have you read this report?

The answers to all four questions are included somewhere. Can you find them?

1. How many scrutiny groups do we have?

0

3

4

5

2. What was the level of repairs completed within one visit in 2013/14 by the Council?

66%

71%

81%

99%

3. How many 2 bed homes does the Council manage?

504

780

1663

1618

4. How many sheltered housing schemes are there across the district?

8

15

17

21

5. How many pennies in the pound are spent on maintenance and new build?

46

48

50

53

Just circle the answers you think are correct, then cut out this page, fold as indicated in the next page and send back to us by 16 November 2014.

Name:....................................................................................................................

Address:................................................................................................................ ..............................................................................................................................

Tel:........................................................Email:..................................................................

Tell us what you think of this Annual Report

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