homes & people Bringing you all the news that matters to you
October/November 2018
Dedicated to excellent customer service
2017-2018: OUR YEAR IN NUMBERS Living in our communities and the city www.yhn.org.uk
Emergency contacts Housing Anti-Social Behaviour and Enforcement ASB can take many different forms, ranging from threatening behaviour and hate crime to loud music to untidy gardens. Don’t suffer in silence, report now to our dedicated officers on 0191 278 8740. Repairs and Maintenance service YHN is jointly responsible with you for looking after your home. We rely on you to inform us of repairs as soon as possible so that work can be arranged. To report a repair call 0191 278 7878, text “FIX” to 80800 or visit www.newcastle.gov.uk/repairs. Housing Options Centre To speak to someone about applying for a new home, contact us on 0191 277 2020. Housing Advice Centre If you need housing advice, are at immediate risk of homelessness or are homeless and have nowhere to stay, please contact the Housing Advice Centre on 0191 277 1711 or visit us at 112 Pilgrim St, Newcastle NE1 6SQ.
Income If you’ve made a claim for Universal Credit, want to make a rent payment, set up a Direct Debit, need some budgeting help or have any queries about your rent account call your income officer on 0191 278 8600. Envirocall Envirocall are your single point of contact for environmental services delivered within Newcastle. This includes things like reporting fly tipping, street cleaning, rubbish and recycling, planting and vandalism. Call Newcastle City Council on 0191 278 7878 or report and track online at www.newcastle.gov.uk. My Leasehold YHN manages properties that were sold under the Right to Buy on a leasehold basis. If you are a leaseholder and have any queries call us on 0191 278 7725 or email us at leasehold@yhn.org.uk. My Concierge We provide Council tenants and leaseholders and Byker Community Trust tenants living in flats across Newcastle with a concierge service that includes things from building cleaning to a response service. To contact your concierge service call 0191 278 8600.
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This information is also available in easy Right to Buy 这是有关租客有权购买他们的市政房屋的信息。如果您需要此信息的普通话版本或其它语言版本，请致 GB Z_¨ nj Avgv‡`i †jwUs mvwf©m( fvov welqK) m¤^‡Ü| GB Z_¨ hw` <evsjvq> A_ev Ab¨ †Kvb fvlvq cÖ ‡qvRb nq YCH Repairs 這是關於如何要求維修您住房的信息。如果您需要此信息的廣東話版本或其它語言版本，請致電 read, large print, and audio tape. We can also arrange for you to see a British Sign Language interpreter. 0191 电Braille 0191 索取。 Zvn‡j GB278 bv¤^8633 v‡i †dvb Ki“b- 0191 278 8633 278 8633 索取。 Tenancy 这是有关您作为纽卡斯尔市政租客所需要承担的责任的信息。如果您需要此信息的普通话版本或其它语 Newcastle Furniture informations concernent le service « mobilier de Your Homes qui fournit du mobilier GB Z_¨ nj BDi †nvgm wbDK¨vmj mg‡Ü| Ges Avgiv » wKfv‡e `vwqZ¡ cvjb Newcastle, KiwQ †m mg‡Ü| BDi †nvgm wbDK¨vmj, YHN + Ces Rightgeneral/Homes to Buy 這是關於租客有權購買他們的市政房屋的信息。如果您需要此信息的廣東話版本或其它語言版本，請致 言版本，请致电 0191 8633 索取。 dans leur logement. Si vous avez besoin de ces service aux locataires pour les278 aider àKvDw݇ji s’installer wbDK¨vmj wmwU8633 KvDw݇ji c‡¶ Ni evox e¨e¯’vcbvi `vwqZ¡cÖvß| GB Z_¨ hw` <evsjvq> A_ev Ab¨ †Kvb People 電 0191 278 索取。 YCH 这是有关我们的出租服务的信息。如果您需要此信息的普通话版本或其它语言版本，请致电 0191 278 informations oubv¤^ dans une autre téléphonez 0191 278 8600 fvlvq cÖ‡qvRben nqfrançais Zvn‡j GB v‡i †dvb Ki“b- langue, 0191 8633 au : 0191 278 8633. Tenancy 這是關於您作為紐卡素市政府租客所需要承擔的責任的信息。如果您需要此信息的廣東話版本或其它語 8633informations 索取。 Rent Ces concernent votre loyer. Si vous avez besoin de ces informations en français ou YHN general / Homes + dans 这是有关代表纽卡斯尔市政府（Newcastle City Council）负责管理市政房屋的 Your Homes Newcastle 言版本，請致電 0191 278 8633 索取。 une autre langue, téléphonez au : 0191 278 8633. People （您的纽卡斯尔住房）组织的信息，内容解释了我们是如何运作。如果您需要此信息的普通话版本或其 Repairs Ces informations concernent les demandes de travaux pour votre logement. Si vous avez 0191 besoin de YCH 這是關於我們的出租服務的信息。如果您需要此信息的廣東話版本或其它語言版本，請致電 278 它语言版本，请致电 0191 278 ces en français ou8633 dans索取。 une autre langue, téléphonez au : 0191 278 8633. 8633informations 索取。 Right to Buy / Homes + Ces informations concernent les droits des locataires relatifs à l’acquisition de leur logement social. YHN general 這是關於 Your Homes Newcastle（您的紐卡素住房）機構的信息，內容解釋了我們代表紐卡素市政府 Si vous avez besoin de ces informations en français ou dans une autre langue, téléphonez au : People （Newcastle City Council）負責管理市政房屋以及如何運作。如果您需要此信息的廣東話版本或其它 0191 278 8633. 語言版本，請致電 0191 278 8633 索取。 @ói@óäb îŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷@m‹ Šòì@óÜ@çbmŒóyŠó ó÷ @NóäbmóØòìíäb‚@ñòìó䆋ÙØbš@üi@ðîŒaí‚a†@ðmóïäüš@ói@pòŠbió@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷ Tenancy Ces informations concernent vos responsabilités en tant que locataire de la municipalité de Repairs HN general / Homes + Nç‹i@ñ‡äòí—q@ 0191 278 8633 @ðäüÑïÝm@òŠbàˆ@ói@óîóè@óÙî†@ðÙ—äbàŒ@Šóè@bî@ñ†ŠíØ@ðäbàŒ Si vous deآن ces informations enدرfrançais dans uneدرﺑﺎره autreاﻃﻼﻋﺎت langue, ،Newcastle. ﺷﻬﺮدارى ﻧﻴﻮﻛﺎﺳﻞ از ﺳﻮىavez ﺳﺎزﻣﺎنbesoin اﻳﻦ.اﺳﺖ ﻋﻤﻠﻜﺮد ﻧﯿﻮﮐﺎﺳﻞ« و ﻫﺎى ﺷﻤﺎou ﺧﺎﻧﻪ » ﺳﺎزﻣﺎن اﻳﻦ eople téléphonez au :ﻫﺎى 0191 8633. @ói@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷@m‹ Šòì@óÜ@çbmŒóyŠó ó÷ @NòŠb’@ñaŠü’@ðäbØòìíäb‚@î ‹Ø@üi@çbåï“å–‹Ø@Àbà@ói@pòŠbió@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷ دﻳﮕﺮ ﺑﺎ ﺷﻤﺎره ﺗﻠﻔﻦ زﺑﺎن278 ﻳﺎlíngua, ﻓﺎرﺳﻰ زﺑﺎن اﻃﻼﻋﺎت ﺑﻪ ﻧﻴﺎز ﺑﻪoﺻﻮرت .دارد ﻣﺴﺌﻮﻟﻴﺖ اداره ﺧﺎﻧﻪﻫﺎى دوﻟﺘﻰ را ﺑﻪ ﻋﻬﺪه <português> ou noutra queira ligarاﻳﻦ para 0191 در 278 8633. Right to Buy YCH Ces informations concernent notre service location. @óîóè@óÙî†@ðÙ—äbàŒ@Šóè@bî@ñ†ŠíØ@ðäbàŒ Si vous avez besoin de ces278 informations en Nç‹i@ñ‡äòí—q@ 278 8633de .ﺑﮕﻴﺮﻳﺪ ﺗﻤﺎس ٠١٩١٢٧٨٨۶٣٣ 0191 8600 Rent Esta informação refere-se à sua0191 renda. Se @ðäüÑïÝm@òŠbàˆ@ói precisar desta informação em <português> ou noutra françaisqueira ou dans une autre langue, au : 0191 278 8633. @m‹ Šòì@óÜ@çbmŒóyŠó ó÷ @Npara óîa‡Ý—bØüïä@óÜ@Šb’@ñaŠü’@ðÙ—åï“å–‹Ø@íØòì@òí—÷@ðäbØóïmóîb‹qŠói@ói@pòŠbió@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷ língua, ligar o 0191 278téléphonez 8633. Tenancy YHN general / Homes + Esta Ces informations concernent Your Homes Newcastleem : qui chargé gérer les logements sociaux Repairs informação refere-se ao8633 pedido de reparações suaest casa. Se de precisar desta informação em Nç‹i@ñ‡äòí— q@0191 278 @ðäüÑïÝm@òŠbàˆ@ói@óîóè@óÙî†@ðÙ—äbàŒ@Šóè@bî@ñ†ŠíØ@ðäbàŒ@ói@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷ People au nom de ðäbàŒ@ la ou municipalité de Newcastle et para comment nous procédons. Si vous avez <português> noutra queira ligar o 0191 278 8633. ói@ pòŠbió@ @Šóè@ bî@ ñ†ŠíØ@ ói@ óäbîŠbïäaŒ@língua, ãó÷@ m‹ Šòì@ óÜ@ çbmŒóyŠó ó÷ @ Nóîóá—÷@ ð–‹Ø@ ðäbØómóà‚@ óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ ãó÷ besoin de ces Right to Buy YCH Esta informação refere-se direito os langue, inquilinos têm de comprar a sua social. Se informations en français ouao dans uneque autre téléphonez au : 0191 278habitação 8633. Nç‹i@ñ‡äòí—q@0191 278 8633@ðäüÑïÝm@òŠbàˆ@ói@óîóè@óÙî†@ðÙ—äbàŒ
0191 278 8455 0191 277 1484
Right to Buy Rent
Tenancy YCH
YHN general / Homes + People
Repairs
YHN general / Homes +
People Right to Buy
Tenancy YCH YHN general / Homes + People
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precisar desta informação em <português> ou noutra língua, queira ligar para o 0191 278 8633. @òìóÝ—bØüïä@ñŠb’@ñaŠü’@çóîý@óÜ@óØ@óîóØó䆋؊bØ@ðmóïäüš@ì@ Your Homes Newcastle @ói@pòŠbió@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷ Esta informação refere-se às suas responsabilidades como inquilino social em Newcastle. Se precisar desta informação em <português> ou noutra língua, queira ligar para o 0191 278 8633. @ðäbàŒ@ói@óäbîŠbïäaŒ@ãó÷@m‹ Šòì@óÜ@çbmŒóyŠó ó÷ @NpbÙi@ðmóîaŠóiòí–Šói@Šb’@ñaŠü’@ðäbØòìíäb‚@óØ@òìaŠ‡—q@ñòìó÷@ðØŠó÷ idioma, llame al 0191 278 8633. Esta informação refere-seNç‹ ao serviço0191 de 278 arrendamento. Se precisar desta informação em i@ñ‡äòí—q@ 8633@ðäüÑïÝm@òŠbàˆ@ói@óîóè@óÙî†@ðÙ—äbàŒ@Šóè@bî@ñ†ŠíØ 8600 Ésta es información sobre cómo pedir quepara se realicen reparaciones en su casa. Si necesita esta <português> ou noutra língua, queira ligar o 0191 278 8633. Esta informação refere-se a organização información en español oà enYour otroHomes idioma,Newcastle, llame al 0191 278 8633. responsável pela gestão da habitação social em nome e a anossa situação actual. municipal. Se precisarSidesta Ésta es información sobredo losMunicípio derechosde deNewcastle, los inquilinos comprar su vivienda necesita informação em <português> noutra para278 o 0191 278 8633. esta información en españolou o en otro língua, idioma,queira llame ligar al 0191 8633.
Ésta es información sobre sus responsabilidades como inquilino municipal de Newcastle. Si necesita esta información en español o en otro idioma, llame al 0191 278 8633. Ésta es información sobre 0191 278nuestro 8600. servicio de adjudicación. Si necesita esta información en español o en otro idioma, llame al 0191 278 8633. Ésta es información sobre Your Homes de Newcastle, que es la responsable de gestionar las viviendas municipales en nombre del Ayuntamiento de Newcastle, y sobre nuestra manera de hacerlo. Si necesita esta información en español o en otro idioma, llame al 0191 278 8633.
Your Homes Newcastle Limited. Registered in England and Wales. Registration number 5076256. Registered office: Newcastle Civic Centre, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8PR. A company controlled by Newcastle City Council. Follow us on Facebook. Search Your Homes Newcastle Follow us on Twitter: @NewsfromYHN Designed by: barkingdog design and layout. Printed by: Mosaic Print Management Plc
Hi everyone
Dedicated to excellent customer service
Welcome to this special edition of Homes & People which focuses on customer service and the work YHN does that goes above and beyond rents and repairs. Our Customer Service Committee is nearly a year old and, as a member of this Committee, I want to update you on what’s been happening on your behalf. Although the committee was the brainchild of the YHN management team, its sole purpose is to support, learn and keep improving on the services YHN provides to you, the customer. Thus we are an independent voice acting on your behalf. By now, you might have met some of us at the various housing offices and hopefully we have learnt which services are important to you as a customer. Being a YHN customer myself for circa 15 years I know what some of these ‘niggles’ are, but let’s hear from you. Let’s get your point of view to the right people. Having been myself to two national conferences on social housing and a meeting with Shelter, and put our questions and queries to the (then) Housing Minister, I can report to you that YHN are miles ahead of some of the other housing providers. In fact, I was shocked to learn that
Fire safety
whilst some of these housing providers were talking about “doing something”, YHN were already implementing many of the initiatives others were just talking about. Phew! So glad I am a YHN customer! But still lots more to do. And we need your help to learn what else is required to ensure your homes are safe and secure, so you can be truly happy in your homes and the surrounding areas. So speak up! Remember shy bairns get nought! Cheers, Jackie Greenwood, Tenant and Customer Service Committee Vice Chair.
We’re so much more than rents and repairs!
Did you know we can help you with:
We have been talking to customers living in multistorey accommodation to understand if they need more support from us. We have concentrated on people who: • are living in accommodation that is designated for people over 55; or • have a physical disability or mental health concern which could make it difficult for them to leave their home in the event of a fire in the building. This is so we can share up-to-date information with Tyne and Wear Fire Service in the event of a fire, or when they are doing fire safety checks in buildings. If you feel your circumstances have changed and you fall within this category, please call your local housing office or contact our Enquiry Centre, which is open for calls around the clock, on 0191 278 8600.
Looking after your garden
Energy bills
Getting a job
Finding a new home
Budgeting
Getting online
Living safely and independently
Safeguarding
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The Government wants your views about how to improve social housing The Government has recently published a green paper consultation document called ‘a new deal for social housing’ and wants to hear your views on their plans, which are based on the following principles. Principle 1: a safe and decent home The Government wants to:
• more power for the agency that supervises social housing (known as the regulator) to make sure homes are well managed
• improve the way landlords share information and engage with residents on building safety
• an independent, national body that speaks on behalf of tenants to the Government.
• review the ‘Decent Homes Standard’ and make it tougher on fire safety and energy efficiency.
Principle 2: complaints The Government’s suggestions include: • raising awareness of how to complain • speeding up landlords’ complaints processes • more opportunities for mediation and access to independent advice for residents • better and quicker access to the Housing Ombudsman.
Principle 3: empowering residents and strengthening the regulator The Government wants to introduce: • landlord league tables (similar to school and NHS league tables) so customers know how their landlord compares to others • national performance indicators (so all housing organisations report the same information)
Principle 4: tackling stigma and celebrating thriving communities The Government’s ideas include: • telling positive stories about social housing and celebrating the contribution of successful communities • embedding great customer service across housing • promoting good housing design and planning.
Principle 5: building new homes and supporting home ownership Proposals include: • freeing up money to help local authorities to build more affordable homes • supporting community-led housing • investing in affordable housing • helping more people buy their own homes.
What do you think about these ideas? Do you think the Government has got the right ideas about how social housing can get better? You can tell the Government what you think before the proposals are finalised by: • Giving your views via the Newcastle Independent Tenant Voice (NITV) survey through their Facebook page or website www.newcastle.gov.uk/nitv or by emailing nitv@newcastle.gov.uk by 23 October 2018 • Completing the Government’s online survey at www.survemonkey.co.uk/r/A_new_deal_for_social_housing by 6 November 2018 • Writing to Social Housing Team, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Third Floor, Fry Building, 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4D.
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Christmas is coming... We mentioned in April that, as part of the changes to your tenancy agreement with Newcastle City Council, you will no longer have “rent free” weeks three times a year. As we explained back then, these weren’t actually free – rather you paid a little more on the other weeks to compensate for them – but it does mean that you no longer get a little break from paying your rent around Christmas time. This might not affect you if you already pay your rent monthly by Direct Debit or following a Universal Credit payment, but if you pay rent on a weekly basis then you’ll need to do so every single week of the year now. Your weekly payments will have reduced slightly due to the change, so the overall amount you pay across the year is the same. We know it’s still a little while until the festive season is upon us, but if you’re trying to get prepared for the additional expense it can often bring, then please also keep in mind that you’ll now need to make rent payments the last
week in December and the first week in January. You may find it useful to get ahead by starting to save a little each week in preparation for spending more on presents and social activities. Our local credit union, Moneywise, can offer some really useful advice about this and you can contact them on 0191 276 7963 or visit their website at www.moneywise.org.uk. If you’re concerned about making ends meet and keeping up with your rent payments then please don’t suffer in silence – if we don’t know, we can’t help you, and we want to help you. You can contact our support and progression team via your local housing office or on 0191 277 1144 and you can also speak to your income officer about any general rent enquiries.
The easy way to report repairs We’ve improved our online repairs portal so it’s easier for customers to report non-urgent repairs. The portal has been redesigned based on feedback received from customers and is now much more user friendly and works on computers, smart phones and tablets. We’ve also simplified the steps you need to take to report a non-urgent repair, so you can simply select the repair you need and a time that is convenient for you.
So, next time you need to report a non-urgent repair, don’t wait on the phone, report it online at www.newcastle.gov.uk/repairs. There’s also a link to a feedback form on the portal, so if you’ve used it and have an ideas about how we can make it even better, please let us know. www.newcastle.gov.uk/repairs
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4. IMPROVING HOMES
• 836 houses
• 454 low rise properties
• 659 mid rise properties
• 410 high rise properties
• 121 bungalows
Let 2,480 properties in total:
3. ALLOCATING TENANCIES
Invested £47.9 million in tenants’ homes
Collected £108.29 million in rent
2. COLLECTING RENT
In March, we started working more closely with our contractor, so the team is now managed by YHN to ensure a more efficient service.
• 11,942 emergency repairs • 25,968 urgent repairs • 50,629 routine repairs • 7,042 external repairs
95,581 responsive repairs completed on average in 4.5 days at a total cost of £8.7 million
1. REPAIRING AND MAINTAINING PROPERTIES
Our new Customer Service Committee, made up of 10 tenants, meets regularly with our Board to ensure customers’ views are heard at every level. Hear more from the Committee on page 3.
12. INVOLVING CUSTOMERS
• 6 sales contracts
• 34 rental contracts
• 5,334 furniture packs provided
10. PROVIDING AFFORDABLE FURNITURE
A new tenancy agreement was introduced in April, following extensive consultation at roadshows and online. 825 customers took the opportunity
13. REVIEWING THE TENANCY AGREEMENT
• Supported 1,921 customers to access employment or training
11. HELPING CUSTOMERS INTO WORK
Our 24 hour alarm, response and support service, Ostara, enables people to live safely and independently at home. This year we carried out 4,571 emergency home visits.
9. PROMOTING INDEPENDENCE
In September, we took the opportunity to look back at the last financial year and what we did to provide excellent customer service and show we are so much more than just rents and repairs. Here’s a picture of the year in numbers.
2017-2018: OUR YEAR IN NUMBERS Dedicated to excellent customer service
• 71 formal complaints received, 29 of these upheld
Improved our complaints process so we resolve most complaints as soon as we get them (read more on page 12)
6. ACTING ON COMPLAINTS
• 1002 environmental cases • 99.5% cases successfully resolved
• Helped 42 16-17 year olds to remain at home
• Supported 90 young people to live independently
www.yhn.org.uk
Like to hear more about any of these? Phone 0191 278 8600 or e-mail communicationsteam@yhn.org.uk
• 1147 community cases
• 171 personal harm cases
2,320 cases of anti-social behaviour were reported to us:
16. KEEPING COMMUNITIES SAFE
In November, we helped remove 32 tonnes of fly-tipping and rubbish to prevent deliberate fires and arson in the run up to Bonfire Night.
We took part in the Great British Spring Clean and collected 395 bags of rubbish and were finalists in the Keep Britain Tidy Network Awards for our work to help keep estates tidy.
15. KEEPING COMMUNITIES TIDY
We joined up with Q-Bot to use robots to install underfloor insulation in properties. 1,500 homes will benefit in the next three years.
14. USING ROBOTS TO KEEP HOMES WARM
to share their views and feed into the updated agreement.
• Supported 569 young people in total
8. SUPPORTING YOUNG PEOPLE
• Moved 125 customers from hospital or supported accommodation into tenancies
• Rehoused 66 refugee households
• Supported over 3000 customers, helping them access £6.9m of benefits and grants, including £1.35m that went directly into customers’ rent accounts.
7. PROVIDING ADVICE AND SUPPORT
• 4 new bungalows in Dinnington
• 74 new apartments in North Kenton
5. BUILDING HOMES
• 856 roofs replaced
• 1277 fire doors replaced
• 662 windows fitted
• 882 new bathrooms
• 113 new kitchens
• 181 boilers installed
Positive People Positive Places We launched our Positive People Positive Places funding pot in April to give community groups the chance to apply for £250-£750 to help deliver good ideas. We received 61 applications and shortlisted 36 for a public vote – nearly 1,000 customers voted and 19 projects won their bid. Here’s a snapshot of some of the projects delivered so far.
Happy Mondays
Dedicated to excellent customer service
for the summer fair, the All’s Fair in Walker team delivered some sessions for local people to make things to sell at the fair. The sessions brought families and local people together; they even made homemade jam using produce from the Pottery Bank allotment and fruit donated by a local supermarket – these went down a treat!
Beach Tuesdays Happy Mondays received £500 to set up an arts and craft group for people aged over 55 to help them learn new skills and make friends. Catherine from the group said: “I’ve never been a good mixer and preferred talking to people on a 1-1, but since coming to Happy Mondays I can now talk to people without being shy.” Ann said, “it gives me a reason to get out of the house”. The group has been learning and sharing lots of new skills such as jewellery making, knitting, model making, painting, and picture framing and meet regularly for social events too.
Streetwise Over the summer holidays, Streetwise organised Summer Street Fests in Benwell and Blakelaw, which gave nearly 200 young people the chance to take part in activities such as urban street art workshops, jewellery making and t-shirt designing. This gave the Streetwise youth team the chance to talk to the young people about issues that affect them.
All’s Fair in Walker Pottery Bank Community Centre won a bid of £750 to help them hold a summer and winter fair. To prepare
The YMCA organised Beach Tuesdays to get young people from different communities together by giving them the chance to experience a day at the beach and enjoy the tradition of fish and chips.
Summer Fun in Throckley Throckley Community Hall organised this playscheme to tackle issues such as holiday inactivity and isolation for school children who said: “It was so good, I made friends that I can play with when I go back to school too” “The games were fun, but I liked learning how to cook and making the pizzas was fab”.
Keep an eye on our Facebook page for more updates from the successful projects.
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Brand new bungalows built to suit customers’ needs
Ferguson’s Lane, a development of 42 new build bungalows, has recently opened in Denton Burn. The bungalows are exclusively for people over 55 or who have a recognised medical need, and have enabled people living in larger houses to downsize into accessible properties that suit their lifestyles better, while at the same time freeing up family homes for people who need them. There are 22 one-bedroom and 20 two-bedroom bungalows on the site that previously housed much smaller one-bedroom bungalows on Broadmead Way, Muswell Hill, Whickham View and Yewcroft Avenue. We’ve worked closely with older residents to make sure that the design of the new homes is accessible and
Dedicated to excellent customer service
meets their needs. The new build, high spec bungalows each consist of a fitted kitchen, living room, one or two bedrooms and level access bathroom. Each bungalow benefits from a private parking space and a back garden. Christine Boyd, pictured, and her husband Robert have just moved into one of the new bungalows from a three-bedroom house just a stone’s throw away. Christine said: “It’s the best move we’ve made. My husband has health problems and the stairs were getting too much, I was frightened one of us would have a fall. We’d lived in our old house for 29 years and raised four kids but it was time for us to downsize. “Our family and friends are close by so it was important we stayed in the area. I was born here, was married here and had my kids here; I didn’t want to move far. “When I first saw the bungalow I was surprised at just how spacious it was. It’s lovely to have our own garden and my husband loves sitting out; it’s a proper little suntrap. The grandkids love it too, as soon as they came round it was ‘Right Nana, where’s the bunkbeds?!’”
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Spread love, not hate It’s Hate Crime Awareness Week from 13 - 20 October this year, so we wanted to remind customers of what they can do if they think they’ve been a victim of a hate crime. This year, Stop Hate UK’s campaign is all about spreading love not hate, and YHN is completely behind that. Unfortunately, though, we know that some of our customers still experience hate crime, and we want you to know what you can do if this happens to you. If you, your family or friends are having problems because of your ‘race’ or skin colour, this is a racist incident.
If you, your family or friends have been targeted because you have a disability, then this is a disability hate crime. Some types of these incidents, such as verbal abuse and threats, are obvious. Other examples, such as damage to your property, bullying or rude gestures are harder to identify, but if you believe you have experienced a hate incident, even if you have no proof, please report it.
If you, your family or friends are having problems because of your sexual orientation or transgender identity, this is a homophobic or transphobic incident.
How do I report hate crime? By phone
Phone ARCH on 0800 032 3288 for free 24 hours a day.
There is a translation service for over 100 languages. Everyone will believe you and take your complaint seriously. They can help you to get support from YHN, the police and lots of other organisations, but you decide what happens to the information you provide – so you can decide whether or not the police are informed.
Online Visit www.report-it.org.uk/home and report hate crime to True Vision which is a website where you can report hate crime online if you do not want to report it directly to the police. All the reports are sent to the police, but it is your choice whether you want to provide your details or report anonymously. If you choose to make an anonymous report, it may still be investigated by the police, however anonymous reports are mainly for information as without your details, the police will have a very limited ability to prosecute the perpetrator. If you decide to provide your details, you will be able to specify how you want to be contacted and if contacting you would cause you any difficulties. The police will not pass on your details without your consent and would ask you to consider
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giving your details confidentially. The online reports are not an emergency service and take some time to be processed, so please do not use True Vision if: • The offender is still present • You or anyone else is seriously hurt or in danger • You think the offender may return • In the above circumstances, we would urge you to call 999 and the police will respond immediately.
ÂŁ25 prize wordsearch Complete the puzzle which contains words found in this issue of Homes & People. But â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one of the answers is missing. To enter the competition all you need to do is identify which word is NOT in the wordsearch then text or email us your answer. Good luck!
F T N G K N F I Z T A T K O W U W V N H V V U C W S T O C V F G M V X Z Z O N M N R T D W E V V Q I Y F P O H D I Z D O V Z F M U V I M J L H I F T Z T M L P H J S X E M F G V T E Z S P O P L K Z K L I P F S R I A P E R H O M I D R X H A P Y I S I B W R M Q R S B R W A A Y B B F Q P Y H R O R M W I P C F A U H E D R J Z W G M E E X Q T H S K P S R P K H E N M L X A H Q S I H E C O M P L A I N T S U A O J W Z V A R M J R I J C J R H T H T T O Y A E F P F M K G T Q H C H N A A H R S P L W K J C E L O M F U J E T N T X O K V D A O F L U T J W V X R F P T E X P J F B Y R J P H V Y H A W X C W U C Y W Y N A V U G J N P D W T H J Q E T R Y G Q O A R O R N V J Q U H S S O G I I R J R O P A W Z U H Y I F Y C M E E O M A X V D X W L X C A B E A G R S S L N E D Q J C R K B A C C N G V O H V Q Y V I
Positive
Complaints
Repairs
Rent
Fire safety
Portal
Hate crime
Review
Customer
Send the missing word along with your name and address to: Email: communicationsteam@yhn.org.uk Text: 07586 493 340 By Friday 30 November 2018 Please note: competitions are only open to tenants and leaseholders with no rent arrears.
Congratulations to Pamela Williams from Walker on winning the prize wordsearch in the last issue.
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We love hearing from you We know that listening to our customers is at the heart of delivering excellent customer service, so we love it when you get in touch, even when you’re telling us about something that has gone wrong. Receiving compliments and complaints helps us to think about how we are delivering our services and find ways to make them better, so we really do want to hear from you. How can I get in touch? If you have something to say about what we do, then please tell us so we can put it right or, if it’s a compliment, carry on doing it. The easiest way for you to make a complaint or give us a compliment, is on our website. Simply search for ‘complaints’ or ‘compliments’ or follow the ‘contact us’ links to find our online reporting form. Does it have to be online? Not at all. You can also give us your compliment or complaint by: • Calling the customer services team on 0191 278 8600 • Emailing the customer services team at yhnccc@yhn.org.uk
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• Visiting one of our housing services hubs and talking to a member of staff (you can find out which hub is nearest to you on page 2). What will happen then?
We recently improved how we deal with complaints so we now deal with most complaints immediately. This means that if you’re making a complaint we will always try to fix the issue at the point you tell us about it. However, sometimes this isn’t possible and we will need to spend some more time investigating the problem as a formal complaint. If this happens, we will tell you what is happening and give you the name of the person investigating your complaint. And if you’re making a compliment, you’ll make our day and we’ll make sure we pass it on to the person or team your compliment is about so they can carry on getting it right!
I need some help with… £
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My money - Advice and Support team t: 0191 277 1144
Getting involved - Customer Involvement t: 0191 278 8600 e: getinvolved@yhn.org.uk
Getting a job - Employability team t: 0191 277 3667 e: employabilityteam@yhn.org.uk
Living independently and finding my feet Young People’s Service t: 0191 277 1190 e: youngpeoplesservice@yhn.org.uk
My energy use - Energy for the Future team t: 0191 278 3842 e: energy@yhn.org.uk
Living safely, remaining independent - Ostara t: 0191 277 7470 e: contactus@ostara.org.uk
My garden - Garden Care service t: 0191 278 8600 e: gardencare@yhn.org.uk Getting online help, guidance and training t: 0191 278 8600
Your Time Your Space
Living safely, remaining independent Sheltered Schemes t: 0191 278 8585 e: shelteredhousingservice@yhn.org.uk
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