April 2013
a newsletter for tenants of Crosby Housing Association www.crosbyhousing.org.uk
Welfare Reform Many of you will be familiar with the Welfare Reform changes that the government has brought in this April. Commonly referred to as the „bedroom tax‟, the under occupation charge applies if your home has more bedrooms than the government says you need and you are under pensionable age. If this is the case then your housing benefit may be reduced by either 14% or 25%, depending on how many „spare‟ bedrooms you have.
The Housing Services team at CHA has been in contact with all those tenants who will be affected by this change and tried to help with what is going to be a difficult period of adjustment. Some tenants have expressed a wish to downsize to a smaller property so they will not be under occupying. We have approved changes to our allocations policy to give preference to tenants affected by under occupation charges. 4 tenants have transferred into smaller homes. Tenants wishing to downsize but who have not been able to find suitable alternative accommodation at this time will remain on the transfer list and will be considered for any future vacancies. Tenants that have chosen to stay and pay the charge have been informed of the amount they will have to pay. Several tenants have set up new standing orders making payments simpler for tenants and this remains the best way to ensure that your rent is paid on time. It‟s simple and easy to set one up, contact the office and we will help you. Please remember that your rent is due weekly in advance and that Crosby Housing has a responsibility to all its tenants to collect the rent and continue to function as a financially viable organisation. We want you to talk to us if you are having difficulty, so that we work with you to explore all the options available to you.
Inside this issue ... Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 -
Business Planning 2013-14 Foodbanks, Rent Increases Local Offer performance update Charity Shop, CHART, Communal Inspections
Page 6 - Something Fishy, William Gladstone Page 7 - St Vincent de Paul, Staff News Page 8 - Contact Details, Loan Sharks
Crosby Housing Association is an exempt charity incorporated as an Industrial and Provident Society No 19175R
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Business Planning for 2013-14
The new year seems a while ago now but in January we held our annual business planning event. This is a key event in our calendar and we take time out with staff, tenants and board members to look at how we need to change to keep pace with our challenging operating environment. The Board took the lead in delivering the day and we heard about the history of social housing from Lol Walters. This reminded us of why Crosby Housing was set up over 40 years ago and in the context of Welfare Reform introduced by the government, why our organisation will remain extremely important to people for years ahead. Our key priorities were defined as follows:Good governance Strong leadership from the board Strong organisation Healthy financial position efficient systems / processes Income management Low rent arrears Asset management Making best use of our homes and offices Customer Focus Supporting tenants through difficult times and providing quality services
Community Working with partners to improve our neighbourhoods Effective partnerships Collaborating with others to make limited resources go further New initiatives Taking opportunities to develop our business to meet changing needs
We looked at: CHA financial strength to deal with the risks we face. The Association has self-financed over ÂŁ4 Million of reinvestment in its stock between 2007-2012. Our reserves have paid for this but we now need to work hard to build them back up so that we continue to invest in your homes. How we can achieve better value for money. Not just in terms of spending less but in using our assets better. Making sure that our staff work flexibly to meet your needs and that we set our rents at the right level. We looked at how much our stock needs in terms of repair and if we need to make decisions about whether we should keep all stock or try to replace some with stock that is less expensive to maintain. We also looked at the type and size of properties we own and considered the benefits they provide in todayâ€&#x;s society. Welfare reform has created issues around under occupancy, almost overnight, and we need to ensure that our homes continue to meet tenant needs. Page 2
Foodbanks Did you know that 4 foodbanks are being established in Sefton ? With the introduction of Welfare Reform and the general backdrop of rising costs in many areas, CHA is well aware that many households may struggle to meet the day to day costs of living. Sefton CVS in partnership with faith organisations, Sefton MBC and the Trussel Trust are establishing 4 food banks throughout the borough. Our nearest are in Bootle, at St Leonards Community Centre Peel Road and Waterloo, at Waterloo Town Hall on Great Georges Road. Two others will serve Maghull and Southport. Each foodbank will serve a couple of distribution centres and for our area these will be based at the Caradoc Mission and Linacre Methodist missions .
To use a foodbank you must be referred by a local distributor. These are currently being identified so keep an eye out for advertisements. These are likely to be front line professionals or organisations such as a health visitor, the CAB or the Job Centre Plus. You will be given a voucher and helpful advice at the foodbank to assist you over the crisis. You can exchange the voucher for a 3 day supply of food for an individual or family at the distribution centre. A maximum of 3 vouchers will be supplied equivalent to 9 days supply of food. For more information on foodbanks, please contact Paul, Ami or Esther in the office or visit www.crosbyarea.foodbank.org.uk Or the Seton CVS website at www.seftoncvs.co.uk
Rent Increases for 2013 - 2014 All Assured tenants have had notification of this yearâ€&#x;s rent increase effective from April 8th. If you claim Housing Benefit and it is paid directly to you, it is important that you take your notification letter to Sefton Plus at the One Stop Shop 324-342 Stanley Road Bootle, if you pay by Standing Order, please notify your bank. Tenants who do not have Assured Tenancies will be notified of their rent increases separately. If you have any queries regarding your rent please contact the office, we are happy to help.
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Target
Cumulative Performance up to 31/12/12
Are we on target?
100%
99.69%
Near Miss!
Emergency repairs completed within target time this qtr (41/41)
100%
100%
Urgent repairs completed within target time this qtr (57/57)
100%
100%
√ √
Routine repairs completed within target time this qtr (546/555)
99%
98.38%
Near Miss!
Repairs completed right first time – based on TSS responses
90%
94.7%
Tenants satisfied with the repairs service this qtr(170/170)
99%
100%
√ √
Local Offer performance update up to 31st December 2012 Your Home Offer Properties with an up to date gas certificate 326/327)
Involvement & Empowerment Offer A meeting of the Tenants Advisory Panel was held on the 11th December 2012, Items discussed included Welfare Reform, the Energy Efficiency Programme, the tenant‟s survey, The Local Offer and the Christmas Newsletter. CHA website continues to be updated regularly and carries information regarding current activities, helpful information and includes a copy of the most recent newsletter. Tenancy Offer The allocations policy has now been refreshed to allow priority to those tenants affected by Welfare Reform. All tenants that are affected by the bedroom size element of Welfare Reform have been notified of the additional financial contribution that they will have to make from April 2013. There have been 7 properties become void in the quarter and 6 properties let including one tenant who has transferred within CHA due to Welfare Reform legislation. We did not achieve our target turnaround time of 18 days for void properties, we undertook extensive works on some properties that became void and relettings were delayed Average time it took to re-let empty properties
18 days
21 days
X
Neighbourhood and Communities Offer We remain concerned that satisfaction rates for our communal services are low. We have encouraged tenants to tell us why via satisfaction questionnaires and we include these in our quarterly newsletters. We monitor the contracts closely via our monthly communal inspection regime and have discussed performance issues with contractors when appropriate in order to improve the services. Several tenants have identified that the wash and reach window cleaning system is not effective and we pay particular to this on our monitoring visits. We will work with the Scrutiny Panel to review the specification of works and re tender these contracts. Tenant satisfaction with communal cleaning (13)
100%
92.86%
X
Tenant satisfaction with gardening (15)
100%
100%
√
Tenant satisfaction with window cleaning (13)
100%
86.67%
Block Inspections (8/9)
monthly
88.8%
X x
Neighbourhood Offer Once again Crosby Housing Association was at the forefront in co-ordinating the annual Christmas light celebrations at Waterloo and Seaforth, but we couldn‟t have done it alone. Many partners joined in to ensure that the events went smoothly several hundred residents from the area joined us in the celebrations held at the interchange in waterloo and the Expect centre in Seaforth. Anti Social Behaviour Offer There have been 3 incidents of Anti Social Behaviour reported in quarter 3, each of these has been responded to within the target time of 5 days. Analysis of the spread of cases reveals that 2 were in Bootle, 1 in Waterloo. Each of the incidents was categorised as noise nuisance creating ASB. There have been no reports of hate crime or other serious cases that have warranted response within 1 day or referral to a Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC). We consider each incident of ASB as serious and work with the alleged perpetrator and potential victim to resolve as promptly as possible . CHA signed up to a data sharing agreement with Sefton Safer Communities Partnership to assist in the reduction of hate crime incidents and victimisation in Sefton. Page 4
Charity Shop If you have some spare time, we could use your help in our Charity Shop. Any time you can give will be greatly appreciated - we would particularly like to hear from you if you are available to help out on Saturdays. For further information and an application form contact Steph Morris at the Charity Shop, Lorne Road, Waterloo tel 0151 928 6120. We are also in desperate need of donations, particularly men‟s, women‟s and children‟s clothing, but please remember do not leave donations outside the shop when it‟s closed as they can easily be damaged, stolen or create a nuisance for those living nearby.
CHART team CHART, the mental health housing support team based within the Association, has been busy over the last 12 months working to provide accommodation solutions for people with severe and enduring mental illness. Due to the team‟s success, funding was successfully awarded to the team last year to branch out into Kirkby, allowing the team to recruit 1 full and 1 part time member of staff in June. The new members have integrated into the team and are working hard to emulate the same positive „can do‟ approach with existing health support services in Kirkby.
Karen and Michelle members of our CHART team
Communal Inspections In our last newsletter we published an item about communal inspections. This is a reminder to all tenants who live in flats and share a communal area. To ensure we comply with health and safety requirements please avoid: The storage of bikes, prams, scooters, trolleys, general clutter in hallways. The storage of goods within main and secondary hall ways and stairwells. Leaving waste bins and items in communal hall ways. Storing items in electric and gas meter cupboards. Laundry hanging in stairwells to dry. Building materials, tools and equipment left in communal areas. Thanks for your co-operation
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Something Fishy by Ian McKay Ian McKay, a Crosby Housing Association tenant and chair of the Tenant‟s Advisory Panel (TAP), has achieved a lifelong ambition by writing a book and having it published. It is available to download as an EBook on Amazon. At the age of 74, Ian, who has always enjoyed writing explained that life got in the way of him writing a book, used his passion for sea angling as inspiration. “Something Fishy”, is a comedy about five Liverpool friends who embark on a fishing trip to Ireland.
It took Ian, who completed a course in film and screen writing at John Moores University about 7 years ago, around 6 months to write the book. He is already working on his second book, a horror story about a family who live in Addison Street in Liverpool, who dabble with an Ouija board and all hell breaks loose! Something Fishy has received four and five star ratings on Amazon from reviewers and one reviewer describes it as “a thoroughly good and chuckle-making read”.
William Gladstone Memorial After 2½ years of planning and tireless fund raising co-ordinated by Brenda Murray and supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, a bust of William Ewart Gladstone was unveiled at Star of the Sea Church in Seaforth. In a career spanning sixty years, Gladstone served as Prime Minister on four separate occasions and Chancellor of the Exchequer on three separate occasions. A unique achievement for the man raised in Seaforth. I think the Grand Old Man - as he was affectionately known - would have admired the tenacity and enthusiasm of Brenda Murray - a grand old woman - whose boundless energy was acknowledged in the awarding of a British Empire Medal for her services to heritage and history. Special thanks must go to Tom Murphy the sculptor of the magnificent bust and the generous benefactors including the Duke of Westminster and Sir William Gladstone. Pictured at the unveiling are: Councillor McCluskey; Colonel Amlot, High Sheriff; Dame Lorna Muirhead, Lord Lieutenant; Brenda Murray BEM; Right Honourable Frank Field MP; and John Smith, stonemason. Brenda‟s next project is the creation of a Seaforth Tapestry. If you would like to be involved, Brenda would love to hear from you. You can contact her via email on: Brendamurray300@gmail.com Page 6
St Vincent de Paul Society Have you ever felt lonely? You are not alone, over 1 million people over 65 are often or always lonely. The St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) can help. SVP is an international christian voluntary organisation who support the elderly and housebound and the local branch is based at St. Edmund‟s and St. Thomas‟ Church, Waterloo. Friendly volunteers can visit you at home for a chat (they don‟t expect tea), escort you out, will visit you in a nursing home and will even collect a loaf for you if you need it. They will come in pairs for your safety and all have enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks. Visits are arranged to suit you and you can expect kindness, compassion, respect, practical advice and confidentiality from the SVP members. If they identify that you are at risk or need specialist help, SVP will contact other professionals to help you. They will lend an ear to you when you need someone to listen and provide visits to those who are in need of company. If you want to get in touch with SVP please contact the parish office of St. Edmund‟s and St. Thomas‟ Church on 0151 928 3629 between 10am and 4pm.
Goodbye to Gayle After more than 20 years with Crosby Housing, we bid a fond farewell to Gayle Shacklady, a key member of our Finance team. Gayle lives in North Wales and plans to spend more time with her family, especially during the early years of her son, William. Mandy and colleagues did not let Gayle leave empty-handed.
Hello to Simon On 1st April, Simon Jones joined Steve in the Finance team to see in the new financial year. Simon lives in Crosby and is progressing with studies in accountancy at Hugh Baird College, Bootle. His previous work experience includes 8 years in the Royal Navy - so give him a wave if you see him. Page 7
Do we have your correct contact details? Over the past year we have contacted many households over a whole range of issues from repairs to welfare reform. Sometimes we find that the contact details are incorrect and next-of-kin details have not been updated since the start of the tenancy. With this in mind, we are checking and updating our records to ensure that the information we have is correct and up-to-date. Could you please spare 2 minutes and contact the office to confirm that we have the correct details for you and your household.
Do you have any loans? Many people are finding themselves in a position where they need to borrow money. Be careful that you understand exactly what the terms are before you go ahead. Enclosed with this newsletter is an information card from the Illegal Money Lending Team, a national team employed by the Government. The card provides some further details including a number you can call for advice. The Illegal Money Lending Team are coming to talk to our tenants at the annual tenantsâ€&#x; conference in July so if you want to know more put your name down for the conference.
Out-of-hours Emergency Repair Service 0845 057 7096 If you would like this document in another language or format, or if you require the service of an interpreter, please contact us.
CROSBY HOUSING ASSOCIATION
Office Address 10 Church Road, Waterloo, Liverpool L22 5NB Tel. 0151 920 7300 Fax 0151 949 0717 email enquiry@crosby-ha.org.uk
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