December 2018
REMEMBER
EBuzz is put together following John’s briefings every other month. This is your newsletter and it would be great to hear some of your stories! If you have anything you want to share, please get in touch with Louise Davies via In House, 01495 761104 or email: louise.davies@ monmouthshirehousing. co.uk We look forward to hearing from you and hope you enjoy this edition.
John’s Briefing Fire Doors
We have identified 1,041 fire doors that require inspection and have received three proposals from accredited companies to carry out visual inspections to replace these doors but we have to be certain we are obtaining the right product before the programme of works commences to replace the doors making it safe for tenants. Testing of smoke alarms has continued with 196
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now outstanding. To date no supplier has come forward with a reasonably priced product that will be endorsed by all key players and will fully meet fire regulations as they are now applied. Until such time as this happens we are stuck and once it does happen there may be such a demand for the product that lead in periods from manufacture to installation might be quite long. Therefore in the meantime vigilance and a
real implementation of our “Don’t Walk By” policy is essential.
CX Update
CX will go live on 18th March 2019 and training will be provided to all staff throughout January and February.
Staff Survey Results
An overview of the staff survey results will be given at the next staff briefing.
Smoke Alarm Servicing/Testing
There are 431 properties that do not have a confirmed smoke alarm test, wherever possible the majority of smoke alarms are tested at the time of the boiler servicing. However, while our records confirm the servicing of the boiler, some anomalies have been identified in the recording of smoke detector servicing. A programme to re-check smoke detectors in 431 properties is underway and new simplified reporting, quality assurance and record management processes have been put in place.
Off-Site Manufacturing
I recently visited a factory site in Walsall to look at a facility to be able to build houses off site. The usual issues with building on site are delays due to weather and quality control of work completed. Building in a factory environment should cut build times by up to half, thus getting a rents stream earlier than was the case before. Importantly it will also allow MHA more control over its supply chain to ensure consistency in price and quality. Should we pursue this option it would mean us setting up a factory with partners, further discussions will be held at Board where options will be placed before them.
Affordable Housing Review
Rent Review – still no direction on this but worryingly the advisors have presented the Welsh Government with a set of figures from the North West and West Midlands of England showing that rents in Wales were more expensive. Community Housing Cymru has asked for a copy of the figures so they can be challenged. The issue ultimately for the Government will be to decide between conflicting priorities, more affordable housing – which stacks up better with higher rents, or more affordable rents which make fewer properties viable at point of construction. With the average income 14.5k working households unless Government increases wages e.g. increasing significantly the minimum wage, rents will eventually become unaffordable.
IT Security
This is in place but what is the impact if we are targeted. Cyber security Facebook messages and activity - these people will get targeted because of their activity. Password renewals are essential to maintain security. Try using a combination of three random words rather than usual character changes.
John's Goals 1. Highly efficient, delivering tenants excellent value for money. 2. Have estates and developments that people love to live in/ aspire to live in. 3. Have 5,500 properties. 4. Be the largest housing developer in Monmouthshire with a rock solid reputation for quality and price. 5. Deliver great properties, well designed and high quality, for all sectors of the market. 6. We would build our own homes either on our own or in partnership with others. 7. Active in market rent and been seen as great landlords in that sector. 8. Employ 300 people directly. 9. There is a stampede for every property we let or sell.
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Who the elf is it?
As part of our 10 year celebrations we have identified the 10 longest serving MHA (previously MCC) employees. Can you work out who's been elf'd? Fill in the sheet on In House or email inhouse@monmouthshirehousing.co.uk with your answers. The person with the most wins a tub of festive treats. If there's a tie, names will be drawn from a hat.
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Closing Date: Friday 21st December
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AND THE Winners ARE... Do you think your colleagues should be recognised for their additional work efforts? Then award them a pickle via In House. A prize will be awarded to the employee with the most deserved pickles during the quarter. Here are a selection of “Pickles” that you have awarded to your colleagues recently:
Quarter 2 (18/19)
Rebecca Evans Inclusion Team
2 Pickles RECEIVED
Nathan Cook has ‘pickled’ Alisa Price for… "volunteering on data day and helping us to update some of our tenant insight info on Capita.” Cath Murray has ‘pickled’ Graham Harvey for… "providing a brilliant work experience placement to MHA tenant Adam, making him feel welcomed and valued and providing a great level of support. This has enhanced this young person's engagement in school, with MHA and has given a great view of the world of work.” Toby Wales has ‘pickled’ Rebecca Evans for… "tirelessly fighting with the envelope stuffing machine and helping get consultation letters sent out on time.” Suzanne Powell has ‘pickled’ Carwyn Lothian for… "saving a whole block from going on fire when investigating a smoke alarm going off. Tenant had left something on the cooker and the pan was on fire. Called fire brigade and office to contact tenant who was at the local shop. Fire brigade took out the pan that was on fire.”
Quarter 1 (18/19)
Alisa Price
Neighbourhoods Team
2 Pickles RECEIVED
Quarter 4 (17/18)
Graham Harvey
Corporate Services Team
2 Pickles RECEIVED
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Success for female apprentices
Monmouthshire Housing Association (MHA) is celebrating after two of its female apprentices won awards at the CITB National Apprentice of the Year Awards. The double success saw Plumber Cath Campbell win the award for Regional Apprentice of the Year, East Wales and named runner up in the All Wales category. Painter and decorator Kelly Bennett, picked up the award for Inspirational Achievement, at the ceremony earlier this month. The award winning pair have had a number of achievements this year, with Kelly being given the CITB award for Outstanding Achievement and Catherine being named Coleg Gwent’s Work Based Learner of the Year. “It still does not feel real. I’m so proud of everything we have achieved” said Catherine Campbell speaking after their win. Kelly Bennett said; “It feels truly amazing to win. I didn’t expect it.” John Keegan said; “I am incredibly proud of them for their much deserved award. We hired them as they were the best calibre candidates and it shows.” Peter Thomas said: “They have excelled right from the start, they have a professional work ethic and always give their best to provide our tenants with a high quality, caring service. The CITB National Apprentice Awards show just how good they are.”
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Top 10 Xmas Gifs P’
s in
your pod?
Everyone loves a gif so we've put together a list of our favourite Christmas ones to get you in the festive spirit... See if you can guess the film/programme they're from.
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As you’ve seen, Project P is up and running on In House and it is great to share the huge amount of positive feedback we receive about you from our customers. The purpose of the project is to celebrate the positive experiences our customers are having from us and encourage all staff to deal with customers in a professional, patient, positive, prompt and polite manner, delivering excellent services and making everyone feel good about themselves! Project P as it stands is just the beginning! Over the next few months we will be developing the page, sharing positive examples of great customer care as well as adding learning material, hints, tips, interviews and blogs. So keep your eyes ‘pea’led and feel the love for Project P coming next month!
Click here to see some of the fantastic compliments that your colleagues have received.
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Christmas Gi Petface Mega Moose - £8.99 Over a metre long, this luxuriously soft Christmas moose is the perfect playmate for large dogs to carry round and chew, and for smaller dogs to chase and roll around with. Or, hold one end and drag your dog around the house for hours of fun the squeaker inside also gives them an entertaining extra challenge.
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Lily’s Kitchen Advent Calendar for Dogs - £9.95
Charley Chau Cotton Snuggle Beds - £70
FroliCat Cheese Automatic Cat Teaser - £25
House of Paws Catnip Turkey Toy 2 Pack - £3.99
Doggy advent calendars - who knew such a thing existed. But why not give your pooch a treat every day during the countdown to Christmas? Especially when it's been made by the clever cooks at Lily's Kitchen. From training treats to bedtime biscuits, these naturally wholesome, delicious, organic goodies will definitely go down a storm with your pup.
For dogs that like to burrow and make a nest when they sleep, these Charley Chau beds are perfect for cosy winter nights. The Ferrari of dog bedding, these are an investment, but well worth every penny. Who knows? Maybe after all that Christmas turkey you could snuggle in too!
Simple yet surprisingly effective, this cheese-shaped cat teaser from FroliCat features two little yellow mice which automatically dart in and out of holes in the triangle block. The teaser uses randomised movements to make sure the movement of the toy mice never becomes predictable to a watching cat, meaning that each time you turn it on, it feels to them like a brand new game.
Treat your feline friend this Christmas to a festive themed cat toy. Engage your cat’s natural instincts to hunt and chase with this pack of two little turkeys. The feather tails adds an extra texture to help keep your pet entertained.
ifts for Pets Rosewood Boredom Breaker Play Tunnel - £3.99 Animal behaviourist Rosie Bescoby says; “These tunnels are great for rabbits, as they will spend hours pushing them about, hiding in them and chewing on them. They're also 100% safe because they're made from natural materials and don't have any glue, metal or plastic fastenings. Plus, you can stuff them with hay, so your rabbit can make a little bed for themselves.”
Pet Treat Maze £6
Hy Santa hat for horses - £7.50
Our treat maze challenges your pet with tasty hidden treats and helps prevent boredom. They'll have to work to get at the marigold petals, carrot, herb and pea drops. The hay coated tubes are great to gnaw and can also be filled with pieces of fruit or veg. Ideal for rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, gerbils and chinchillas (feed sparingly to chinchillas).
This Hy Christmas Santa Horse Hat means that your horse can join in the fun with this festive hat specially designed especially for horses! The red fleece with synthetic white fur and white bobble fits perfectly over one of your horse’s ears and attaches the hat securely on to a head collar or bridle. The easy to fit design makes dressing up quick and simple.
Suck UK Scratching DJ Deck £16.49 This one is for the sillier cat owners among us. Suck UK is a playful brand with a difference, which does a brilliant range of scratchable cardboard structures including a cat DJ deck (our personal favourite), a Cadillac, a plane, a fire engine and a laptop (which comes complete with a bouncy toy mouse in place of the usual computer mouse). Each structure is designed so that
it looks like the cat is engaging with an unexpected piece of machinery, which is bound to brighten the day of even the most cynical visitor. The corrugated cardboard is great for their claws too – gentle yet effective.
Rosewood Christmas 4 Course Meal Cat Treats - £2 Make sure your kitty doesn’t feel left out of the Christmas foodie treats and spoil them with a four course treat meal.
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NEEDS YOU! We're always on the lookout for interesting stories. If you have any stories. events or achievements you'd like to share with MHA staff, please email Inhouse@ monmouthshirehousing. co.uk with the details.
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Kids get advent calendars, cats get them, even pooches get to enjoy a daily treat in the build up to Christmas, so why not donate to a food bank this year? Try doing a reverse advent calendar – so instead of getting something each day, set aside something for a food bank. Here are some top items that food banks always need:
Toiletries: (shampoo, shower gel, deodorant, shaving gels) it’s not just food that can make a difference, those gift packs that are usually on sale in Boots e.t.c. come in handy, too.
Toilet roll: pretty self-explanatory really because everyone always needs loo roll! According to the Trussell Trust one food bank needed to restrict their rations to one roll per household, so throw this stuff round like glitter.
Baby food: often overlooked, baby food can also be in short supply.
Sanitary towels and tampons: chances are if you can’t afford food, items like this are going to be difficult to afford, too.
Long life fruit juice: Abergavenny food bank recently put out an appeal for fruit juice and cordials – which shows that it’s worth checking what’s in short supply at your local food bank.
Tin openers: one of those “why didn’t I think of that?!” items, since food banks get a lot of tinned food it makes sense to provide an opener for those tins that don’t have a ring pull. Remember that people who’ve needed to relocate quickly – such as those leaving domestic abuse won’t have these.
Tinned fish: a good source of long life protein, canned fish is on every food bank’s wish list
Tinned vegetables: another good source of longer life vitamins. Festive goodies: at this time of year, biscuits and chocolates provide treats.
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Why not say hello to all the new starters on
Since May 2018
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Casey O’Halloran
Tracy Breadmore-Lammas
Carpenter
Rise 2 Inspire Facilitator
Carol Smith
Fiona McLellan
Engagement Officer
Trainee Benefit & Money Advisor
Hannah Wham
Toni Kelly
Financial Accountant
Apprentice Business Administration
Rebecca Evans
Dawn Gallagher
Administrative Assistant
Apprentice Plumber
Lee Davies
Thomas Murray
Dads Can Development Worker
Apprentice Electrician
Vicky Smith
Victoria Hall
Marketing & Communications Officer
Administrative Assistant
Lee Jones
Ceri Lewis
Repairs Manager
Risk & Insurance Officer
Samuel Morris
Clare Evans
Maintenance Officer
Tenancy Coach
Luc Simmonds
Rebecca Philpot
Network 75 Placement
Engagement Officer
Carley Norval
Katherine Pritchard
Homesearch Officer
Social Inclusion Support Officer
Jayne Painter
Joanna Pembridge
Wellbeing Support Manager
Neighbourhood Officer
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Requesting Design Work We've put together some useful guidelines on requesting design work.
Step 1:
Submit a Design Request Form (found on In House).
Step 2:
The Designer will arrange a meeting to discuss your requirements.
Sticking to these will help the design process run smoothly Step 3: and more efficiently. Get all you text and images together ready to send to the designer by the agreed date.
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Do...
• Be aware of MHA’s brand guidelines • Give plenty of time and plan your project • Supply ALL text copy in a Word document • Supply ALL images as jpegs or hyperlinks • Supply ALL the copy and images together • Make sure the copy you send has been proof read by everyone who needs to see it and spell checked • Ensure the copy you have sent is consistent and grammatically correct - If you’re not sure you can check with a member of the Corporate Services team before you send the text • Obtain any necessary logos from partners / sponsors in ‘vector’ format - Contact the company directly • Know your quantities Print does not come is set amounts, you can order as many or as few as you want • Supply mailing lists if your job requires a mail merge • Feel free to book some time in to discus projects / amends to project
Don’t...
• Leave it to the last minute to request promotional materials • Supply large handwritten bodies of text • Import the images into Word - I won’t be able to use the images • Take pictures or logos off the internet - Not only will these be subject to copyright laws, the quality is usually poor and can not be used for print • Supply too much text - Keep poster text to a minimum and if writing an article leave enough space for any images you want including, sometimes less is more
Resources...
Unsplash - High quality FREE images Adobe Stock Subscription stock images. Note down the identification number and send it to the designer We Transfer - Large file transferring site Issuu - MHA’s back catalogue of publications In House - All the information and recourses you need under one roof
S N E E R C S DIGITAL
BYE BYE BLU TACK! Just like the dinosaurs, blu tack will soon be a thing of the past at MHA HQ. Posters will now be displayed electronically around HQ. To request a poster please complete the Design Request Form on In House.
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Who am I? Below are some interesting facts about 3 members of staff, can you work out who's who?
Fill in the sheet on In House or email inhouse@monmouthshirehousing.co.uk with your answers. The person with the most wins a tub of festive goodies. If there's a tie, names will be drawn from a hat... Good luck!
Person 1
1. Been to Disney World in Florida 23 times and Disney Land in Paris once 2. Was in the swimming team for Wales 3. Has been in prison 4 times (Don’t panic, this was when she was working in Prison not incarcerated haha) 4. Has an A Level in Dance – modern, tap & jazz 5. Has 2 fur-babies called Dennis and Vinnie 6. Is a designer bag hoarder 7. Has OCD 8. The Queen of stationery 9. Has a car called Tweety 10. Makes a mean bolognese
Person 2
1. Has the same birthday as Beyonce 2. Thinks that pineapple should always be added to every pizza topping 3. Loathes mushrooms: they’re the food of the devil 4. Loves sausage dogs 5. Worked as a runner on TV show “The Valleys” 6. Is the adoptive mummy to a sloth in London Zoo 7. Plays netball 8. Has one pupil bigger than the other 9. Dan Carter follows them on Twitter 10. Has a twin
Person 3
1. Been on The One Show 2. Played the clarinet for 15 years 3. Served Rob Brydon a ham salad 4. Loves a rave! 5. Got chased by a rhino in South Africa 6. Is an animal rights campaigner 7. Canoed up to the edge of Victoria Falls 8. Had a hug from Ben Fogle 9. Held a tarantula to get over my fear of spiders... It did not work! 10. Ridden horses since the age of three
Closing Date: Friday 21st December
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Board Changes 2018 came with a few changes on our Board. Here they are: Dimitri Batrouni: Councillor Dimitri Batrouni serves as the Councillor for St Christopher's Ward covering the parish of Chepstow. He is a passionate supporter of providing services and support to the people of Monmouthshire. Zena Beirne: Zena has devoted 35 years of her career to community development; "I’ve worked with Newport City Council for 35 years and know that openness and transparency are critical to building trust with communities and residents. Openness in decision-making is an important part of enabling people to feel part of something significant and giving
them a say in their futures. I am passionate about people and enjoy working in a community where I can give something back.”
Armoured Corps before serving four months in Northern Ireland. It was back to Germany until 1973 when he moved back to the UK.
“I feel it’s important to listen to people’s views and those that drive the future and feel that MHA is not just an organisation, but one that cares about people and believe there is a drive for change and to be listened to."
In May 1973 he moved occupations to the Kent County Constabulary and served in Royal Tunbridge Wells, taking charge of his own rural beat outside of Ashford, Kent between 1975 & 1979.
Colin Marsh: Originally from Kent, Colin joins us from his retirement in Raglan. Starting out as a Trainee Linesman with the South Eastern Electricity Board, he joined the British Army in 1964 as a Battery Surveyor. Having moved to Germany in 1965 he changed Regiments joining the Royal
Adaptable as always, he retired from the Police in 1993, taking a post of Registration and IT/Communications Manager with Pilgrims Language Courses in Canterbury. His latest move was to Wales in 1999 where he worked on computer and network systems for British Aerospace at Glascoed and General Dynamics at Oakdale until retiring.
We also bid a fond farewell to... John Barrow: John married his partner in September and will be moving away from Monmouthshire to enjoy married life with his wife. We wish Mr & Mrs Barrow all the best and thank John for his fantastic service on the MHA Board. Andrew MartynJohns: Having served a maximum of nine years – plus an extra year to assist with the transition of last year’s new Board Members. Andrew has seen MHA transfer to the organisation we are today and we will miss his guidance and support.
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He’s behind you! Are you a panto lover? Here’s what’s on this Christmas:
Dick Whittington meets Puss in Boots
The Congress Theatre, Gwent Square, Cwmbran, NP44 1PL 14th December 2018 – 24th December 2018
Dick Whittington - The Cat’s Tale
The Savoy Theatre, Church Street, Monmouth, NP25 3BU 19th December 2018 – 2nd January 2019
Jack & The Beanstalk
The Coliseum Theatre, Mount Pleasant Street, Trecynon, Aberdare, CF44 8NG 30th November 2018 to 9th December 2018
Sleeping Beauty
The Riverfront Theatre, Newport South Wales 4th December 2018 to 6th January 2019
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Peter Pan
Blackwood Miners' Institute, High Street, Blackwood, Gwent, NP12 1BB 6th December 2018 to 30th December 2018
Beauty and the Beast
New Theatre, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3LN 8th December 2018 to 13th January 2019
Sleeping Beauty
Redhouse, High Street, Merthyr Tydfil. CF47 8AE 13th December 2018 to 22nd December 2018
Cinderella
Grand Theatre, Singleton Street, Swansea, SA1 3QJ 14th December 2018 to 13th January 2019
Elf - The Christmas Spectacular
Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Mary Ann Street, Cardiff, CF10 2EQ 14th December 2018 to 16th December 2018
records when in contact with tenants. A workshop was also held with tenants to consult on how we collected tenant insight information in the future.
As it’s the ten year edition of EBuzz, we thought we would give you an overview of MHA’s tenant insight journey which started back in 2011. Here’s what we’ve been up to over the years. 2011 – The first phase of MHA’s first tenant insight exercise ran from May to September to start collecting insight information about our tenants. 2012 – Data collection continued with the second phase of the exercise being carried out from July to October. Following the completion of this, MHA’s first tenant insight report was produced. 2014 – A full tenant insight survey was carried out to update the information that was collected in 2011/12. 2015 – The information held on the records continued to be updated using other systems such as Advice Pro and Locata. By carrying out the survey and using other systems the coverage of the core information on the records (date of birth, contact numbers, income, employment status, disability, support needs etc.) increased significantly. 2016 – A full tenant insight update report was produced to provide an update on the information collected in 2012. Question of the Month was also launched so that teams could help to update information held on
2017 – As a result of the feedback at the tenant workshop, a series of 3 shorter surveys began. The final short survey will be sent out to tenants at the start of the New Year. A staff workshop was also held to gather thoughts about data collection and ways to overcome any barriers to collecting information. 2018 – In January 2018 a data week was held to relaunch tenant insight under its new name Insight Out. During the week there were different themed days based on the information we collect, Capita Clinics where staff could drop in with any Capita related queries and a data day where staff volunteered to contact tenants to update their records. During the year the information that we collect about tenants was reviewed due to the new GDPR regulations and in preparation for the new CX system. Some information has already been removed from records and some of the information will need to be merged, this task is still ongoing.
It’s been a busy few years for tenant insight! If you would like to find out more about the information that we collect about our tenants or would like some analysis of some of the information, please contact Claudia Blair or Nathan Cook in Corporate Services. Remember – Handouts are available on In House to give guidance on how to update tenant insight information. We also offer training on how to update the information. Just contact us and we will arrange a time with you.
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news The last year has been a busy time for Capsel. Capsel Homes online estate agency launched earlier this year, alongside its traditional estate agency and lettings service. The online package allows people the chance to manage their property sale themselves and get their home listed on Rightmove, social media and the Capsel Homes website for just £275 including VAT. Sellers can then add optional extras – from photography to accompanied viewings.
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Over the summer Capsel attended a number of events to promote all the services on offer, with two highlights being the St David’s Kolor Dash and a rather wet Tour de Gwent. From covering runners in paint at the Capsel paint station to cycling 20 miles, Capsel were on hand talking to those taking part and spectators about everything Capsel has to offer and signing people up to find out more. The fidget spinners were a big hit amongst some of the younger visitors to the stand. Capsel’s development arm has continued to go from strength to strength. As well as being appointed to the Welsh Procurement Alliance’s Housing Construction Framework. Work is well under way at Capsel’s fifth housing development, and the first outside of Monmouthshire, Cae Castell in Llangynidr, Powys. The 14 high quality family homes are due to be completed in 2019 and will be available for sale, with one property earmarked as a low cost home ownership option through Powys County Council.
Winter is always a busy time of year, with the colder days keeping our gas and heating engineers in demand. Don’t forget Capsel can keep you warm all winter and gas safe with an annual boiler service for only £55. Pop down and see the team to find out more about the services Capsel offer and how they can help you with all of your home maintenance needs.
10 Years of Apprentices 2008
2009
2010
2013
2015
Richard Morris Electrician
Danny Barnes Painter
Hayni John Facilities
Chanelle Baker Tenancy Coach
Karolina Gola New Homes
2017
2011 Lewis Maggs Electrician
Tyrone Morgan Heating Engineer
Owen Charrington Electrician
Daniel Yandle Painter Nico Edwards Plumber
Jake Cohen Heating Engineer
Martyn Lynch Carpenter Gavin Plumley Plumber
James Bannister Carpenter
Catrin Lewis Engagement Nigel Wade Plumber
Emily Townsend Engagement
2016 Cath Murray Inclusion
Levi Mineur Plasterer
Joel Thomas Painter
2014
Cath Campbell Plumber
Jessie O'Connell Engagement Tracy Riggs Plasterer
Mollie Morris Income Team
Kristina Leek Homesearch
2018
Toni Kelly CSA
Kelly Bennett Painter & Decorator
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10 Year Mural Having turned ten we decided to go large with our celebrations and shared our achievements on a wallsized mural. Let’s face it, a wall was going to be the only thing big enough to fit ten years of dedication and passion to creating homes and communities where people can have a brilliant quality of life!
Congratulations to all our staff past and present for helping make this happen!
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Launch
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#MHA All Change
The Housing & Communities directorate got all mixed up and swapped roles with fellow colleagues.
@MHA_CST
@cally_mac87
Managed to pin down Paul Thomas the estates officer for a cheeky #MHABigDayOut selfie! As you can see he was ecstatic to have his photo taken!
Just completed first visit in Monmouth grabbing a coffee on the go.
Paring up, grabbing lunch and heading off gave everyone the opportunity to try out different roles and see what working life is like - check out the tweets posted throughout the day opposite.
Remember, if you want to experience another role within MHA you can ask HR to job shadow.
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@Cheryl_Tracy1
@DadsCan Lorraine meeting one of our dads Nicky for a game of badminton @WalesVelodrome on #MHABigDayOut
Looking after the office today, whilst our teams enjoy #MHABigDayOut Getting to know each other, their roles and spending time in our communities.
ABigDayOut @Staceyduggan84 @AbiMoneyAdvice @JulieNicholas_
@KerrisWinter
Let's provide some excellent customer service.
Just heading off to Raglan with Karen.
My turn to do some appts with Ali now. We Found Gemma & Matt loitering in Old Hereford Road. Ali is in the background chuckling.
@KerrisWinter Karen and I are having a cuppa to go on our #MHABigDayOut
It's Clawdd du with a chance of meatballs at #MHABigDayOut Glorious Monmouth.
@DadsCan @Staceyduggan84 After a successful morning of home visits we're now enjoying a well-deserved packed lunch.
It's all happening, Shane and Rhiannon are double teaming on the customer services desk, 2 heads are better than one.
@J2wMha A great afternoon shadowing our resettlement officer. It highlighted there's not just the need for practical support, but the emotional support matters too. We even identified that another tenant may benefit from a referral to J2W.
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Advent of Motivational Quotes Below a are some motivational quotes to build up to Christmas and power you through the new year! See if you can guess which films some of the qutes are from...
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You either find an excuse or you find a way. - Anon
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There is no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing. - Toby Wales
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We buy things we don’t need, to impress people we don’t like. - Tyler Durden
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Be excellent to each other. - Rufus
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A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new. - Albert Einstein
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All that is gold does not glitter. Not all those who wander are lost. - Bilbo Baggins
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You have the same hours in the day as Beyoncé. - Vicky Ferris
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If it’s not a “Hell yeah!” it’s a no! - Louise Davies
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If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door. - Milton Berle
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It’s impossible to look at a penguin and remain angry. - Anon
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If it's flipping hamburgers at McDonald's, be the best hamburger flipper in the world. - Snoop Dogg
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We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams. - Roald Dahl
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Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. - Ferris Bueller
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Don't be afraid to have dreams. - Chris Coleman
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Do, or do not. There is no “try”. - Yoda
In a gentle way, you can shake the world. - Mahatma Gandhi
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If you’re 70% sure – do it! - Emma Assender
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Don't count the days, make the days count. - Muhammad Ali
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Oh yes, the past can hurt. But, you can either run from it or learn from it. - Rafiki
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We know what we are, but know not what we may be. - William Shakespeare
What’s the worst that can happen? - Dr. Pepper
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It always seems impossible until it's done. - Nelson Mandela
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You cannot live your life to please others. The choice must be yours. - White Queen
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What we think, we become. - Buddha
Office opening over Christmas Friday 21st December Office closes at 3pm
Monday 24th December Office Closed
Tuesday 25th December Office Closed
Wednesday 26th December Office Closed
Thursday 27th December Office Open 8:30pm - 5pm
Friday 28th December Office Open 8:30pm - 5pm
Monday 31st December Office Open 8:30pm - 5pm
Tuesday 1st January Office Closed
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Summer fun events Summer Sun brings Community Fun
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The summer holidays flew by with a wide variety of events organised by MHA’s Engagement Team. With wall-to-wall sunshine, a rarity in Wales, we were able to hold lots of events with outdoor activities such as bouncy castles, art and crafts, cake decorating, volley ball, football, cricket, golf, archery and so much more. We were celebrating MHA’s 10 year anniversary while also engaging with the wider community. Everyone could feel the benefit of the growing community spirit with each event. We thank all of our community members who attended. 707 people attended the events which were held in Caldicot, Abergavenny, Chepstow, Monmouth, Usk and Newport.
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Eight Sleep-Out in an ark for Llamau Our very own Noah’s Ark slept rough this November to raise a fantastic £1,539 for Llamau.
Winning the Shelter competition with an impressive cardboard version of Noah’s Ark, the #MHArk Sian, Cally, Stacey, Claire, Emily, Jayne, Gemma and Katie spent a night out in the freezing November temperatures. Dressed as various forms of giraffe, tiger, panda and polar bear they raised money and awareness for those who won’t have a family, a warm bed or Christmas dinner waiting for them this festive season. Claire Osman said, “For me when I woke up freezing at 5am I had the thought that I could go home and get in to bed. The reality for someone sleeping on the streets is they have to do that over and over again and that really highlighted the importance of the money we raised to go into preventing that.” Katie Double said, “It’s horrific to think that we live in a society where homeless people are treated like vermin. These people have often seen their lives fall apart in an instant or experienced years of abuse and trauma.” Donations are still pouring in so get in touch with any of ‘The Animals’ if you want to help someone alone on the streets this Christmas.
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in your pod?
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It’s the most wonderful time of the year, so join in with the Christmas cheer! In the last 12 months, more than 70 compliments have been posted!
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Ha-Pea Christmas to all MHA from Project P!
Congratulations to Claire Osman on winning the ‘Compliment of the Year’ for this heart felt compliment from one of our tenants: "I am writing this letter to ask for special consideration/ accreditation for my Housing (Support) Officer, Claire Osman. As since losing my job back in March. I then subsequently receiving a JSA sanction for 3 months, Claire immediately put me on to the Money Wise section, asking for help with a possible reconsideration on the sanction. As well as food prevision referrals, financial assistant and she has helped me re-do a DHP app for Bedroom Tax. She also submitted an application form on my behalf to MCC benefits to consider making a one off payment. Claire has also referred my again to Money Wise and secured me financial provision through MHA. She is an outstanding housing support officer and I would like an accreditation to be put on her file, for her help, support, patience and consideration through a difficult period at the moment. Claire excels out and about interacting with tenant. She has a firm but fair approach to tenants struggling with rent, financial problems etc. Her housing support skills are second to none, a highly intelligent support worker and adviser. I hope you will recognise her achievements, her tenant liaison qualities and her support capabilities. Claire is an asset to MHA and you should be very proud of her"
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Our Performance Indicators have changed! We now have a new set of performance indicators set by our tenants to help improve our performance going forward.
Click here to see the new PIs
FOOD BANKs
We need your generosity You may have noticed on the digital boards that we have kick started donations for food banks in the Monmouthshire area. These are Chepstow, Caldicot, Abergavenny and Monmouth.
Christmas – it is a time of joy! Friends and families get together and have a Christmas feast with all the trimmings. However, this isn’t an option for everyone. Christmas can be a particularly difficult time and we could help. Why not donate some of the things you will be having to eat this Christmas to the foodbanks. You could make a difference to someone’s Christmas.
Please see below ideas of what to donate: Cereal, Soup, Tea, Coffee, Tinned Meat, Tinned Veg, Sugar, Juice, Christmas Cake, Crackers, Chocolate, Mince Pies, Christmas pudding Any toiletries would be greatly received. Please put your donations in the bins located in the Forum. All bins are labelled for the different food banks. Please choose which food bank you would like to donate to. THANK YOU!
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S A M T S I CHR
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PARTY 2018
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