Summer Newsletter

TENANTS NEWSLETTER S U M M E R 2 0 2 1 Our Annual General Meeting will take place on Wednesday 8 September 2021. You will receive details about the event over the next few weeks in our Members Report.

Becoming a Board member offers lots of opportunities to have your say and influence the quality of service that you and other tenants receive. It’s also a chance to contribute generally to the work of a major Ayrshire charity. As an Ayrshire Housing tenant, you are a member of the company and can therefore attend the AGM and apply to join our Board. If you have a joint tenancy, both tenants are members with individual votes.

This year, there will be five vacancies within the tenant category. There are lots of ways to apply.

Either through the My Home portal, by email or you can complete the form on the back of this newsletter and return to us by Friday 30 July. If there are more candidates than places, we will hold a postal ballot.

For more information, go to our website: www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk.

We see ourselves as very much part of the community. Each year we support a whole host of community groups and projects. To build on these links, we have created a community and exhibition space adjacent to our current office. This also includes a much enhanced reception area and interview rooms. We hope to give the former pub a new lease of life as a community venue and as a place to get advice.

It’s frustrating that we can’t open our doors at present. We have seen some restrictions ease, especially for the hospitality sector. Unfortunately, the rules governing offices and indoor meetings make reopening our office very difficult at present.

We ask you to bear with us for a little longer. In the meantime, our staff are working efficiently from their homes to provide services to you. We’re pleased that our contractors are now returning to near normal levels of service. Until we can reopen our doors, Know of any local groups who may feel free to contact us if we can help in any way. be interested in using The Local?

Just ask them to contact Shonya for E: info@ayrshirehousing.org.uk more information.

T: 01292 880120

MY HOME - all our services online If you haven't already signed up to My Home, you can do so at any time. To register, go to www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk, click on My Home and fill in your details (you will need your 6-digit tenant number). You can also call us on (01292) 880120 or email myhome@ayrshirehousing.org.uk and we will send you a link.

What can I do on MY HOME? Pay My Rent

Report a Repair

Upload Documents

Manage My Household

Make a Complaint

Give a Compliment

Manage My Tenancy

Giving Feedback on Repairs Reporting a repair through My Home is easy. Click on the Report a Repair button within the My Repairs panel and choose your repair.

Once your repair has been carried out, a black speech bubble will appear next to the repair. Click on this and you can then fill out the short satisfaction survey.

Your feedback is important to us and helps to improve the services we provide.

Are you happy with how your street/local area looks or do you feel something could be done to improve it, such as sprucing up any open space areas with extra shrubs, or is there a grassed area used as a short cut where a pathway could be created? These are just a couple of examples of things we could consider with a view to making small improvements to the area you live in.

Did you also know that you can arrange an estate walkabout in your area with your Housing Officer? This would allow you to point out any problems or issues that you, as a tenant, are experiencing.

We want to let you know that we are here to listen and encourage you to work with us so that you can continue to enjoy the environment that you live in.

For further information, please contact your Housing Officer. Their contact details are available on our website - www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk. Go to the ‘Contact Us’ tab and click ‘Our Housing and Maintenance Team’.

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We can supply this document in a print size to suit. It is also available in Braille, audio and other formats, and in other languages. Our website also has several accessibility features which you may find useful.

Work is progressing well on site with the first batch of timber kits arriving and houses starting to take shape. Our contractor Cruden is actively working with our colleagues at South Ayrshire Council’s Employability and Skills Programme to recruit local candidates for apprenticeship and labour positions for the site with an apprentice joiner and bricklayer joining the team.

Well done to Repairs Assistant Sarah on comp leting the Omfax Effective Repairs Reporting e-learning course and achieving a gold level certificate.

Call us on 01292 880120 or Text us on 07860 020459 Write to us at Ayrshire Housing, 119 Main Street, Ayr, KA8 8BX Email us info@ayrshirehousing.org.uk

We have recently applied for planning permission to build 12 new homes at Bolestyle Road, Kirkmichael and hope to start work early next year.

If you have a talent we’d love to hear from you. Whether it’s playing the piano or juggling, get in touch and we might feature your story in our next newsletter.

You can also: • like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ayrshirehousing • follow us on Twitter @ayrshirehousing • keep up to date at www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk or on My Home.

You can now send us a message through our website! Just go to www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk and click on ‘Contact Us’.

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In the last year we have seen a big increase in working age people claiming Universal Credit.

There can be complications around when is the right time to claim Universal Credit and we do not always see this working out well for tenants. If you are in any doubt as to whether you are better or worse off on Universal Credit, or if you need advice on whether you need to claim it, please get in touch with us before you claim. Often, tenants have claimed Universal Credit without needing to and have become worse off financially.

We have been able to assist several tenants with fuel bills recently through the fuel support fund initiative and we have seen other small pockets of funding pop up from different sources. Please check My Home and our social media pages regularly as we advertise any available funding on these platforms.

In the year ending March 2021 our money advice service helped 470 tenants with enquiries and claims, with an average increase in income of £79 per week. We can help with benefit advice, basic benefit checks, disability form filling, budgeting, appeals etc. We can also signpost you for specialist advice if needed. To arrange for Jacqueline or Wendy to contact you go to the ‘Money Advice’ tab in My Home or phone the office on 01292 880120.

Sue Ryder provides vital hospice and neurological care for people facing a frightening, life changing diagnosis. They are currently looking for volunteers in their Prestwick branch.

Volunteers are highly valued and appreciated and help in certain or all aspects of the charity’s work, from serving customers to processing stock, from merchandising displays to marketing and campaigning both in the shop and out in the community. They will support you with training, building confidence skills and overcoming anxiety by getting back into a routine in a safe space.

There is much to gain from this type of role.

If you are: friendly, helpful and able to work as part of a small team, interested in charity work, retail, merchandising, supporting others, promoting campaigns and, can ideally commit to two hours per week ...then you may be just who they are looking for!

You can apply online here https://bit.ly/3xg12fe or contact the Shop Manager, Aaron Mullins, direct on: 01292 471222 / prestwick7040@suerydercare.org Address: 35/37 Main St, Prestwick KA9 1AD 4 3

Did you know that your rent payments fund all of the services we provide?

A large part of your rent goes directly into repairing, maintaining and upgrading your home.

Another part goes towards building new homes. By failing to pay your rent you are impacting on Ayrshire Housing’s ability to maintain our current properties for our tenants and to provide new homes for applicants on our waiting list.

Most of our customers pay their rent on time and in full however there are times that people find it difficult to pay. We know that people can find themselves in rent arrears for all kinds of reasons, and we understand that it can be difficult facing up to your situation. However, your Housing Officer is here to help! If you are not able to pay your rent for whatever reason, don’t delay, contact us now for advice.

What will happen if I contact you about my arrears?

At the moment, we are not able to carry out house visits or invite tenants into the office, but we will arrange for your Housing Officer to telephone you. Contact details can be found on our website - ayrshirehousing.org.uk.

How can a Housing Officer help me?

Housing Officers are trained to deal with things in a friendly and confidential way. They can:  discuss paying your rent in instalments;  help identify benefits you may be entitled to but are not currently claiming;  refer you to our Money Advice team who are dedicated to helping you maximise your income and assist you with benefit applications or appeals.

What will happen if I ignore my arrears?

Every year across Scotland, an increasing number of tenants risk eviction by failing to pay their rent – our tenants are no different. We will do everything in our power to help you stay in your home, but we may consider taking legal action against you if you ignore your arrears, and we want to avoid this. By working together we’ll make sure this is a last resort.

So, if you are worried about your arrears, please let us help you.

If our Money Advice or Housing Officers are assisting you with benefits or other matters, it’s vital that we have your permission. We recently sent all tenants a consent form. If you have not already done so, please complete and return this to us. If you need another form please contact us.

Not having your consent on file could result in delays to you receiving your benefits.

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Ayrshire communities are being urged to help stop preventable house fires – by making a five-minute phone call.

Carers, families and friends of people who are at risk of serious injury or even death because of an accidental fire in the home are being asked to help put local firefighters in touch with them.

This follows several accidental house fires across South Ayrshire.

Between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021, 73 homes were affected by accidental fires. Area Commander Ian McMeekin is the local senior officer for East, North and South Ayrshire. He said: “All too often the fires we attend in homes are completely preventable with some advice and guidance. The greatest challenge for us has always been reaching the most vulnerable people in our communities to make sure they have the potentially life-saving advice and support that they need. Cooking remains the number one cause of house fires and often alcohol is a contributing factor.”

“We have some fantastic tips and advice on our website and our crews are happy to offer guidance as part of a Home Fire Safety Visit or you can use our online safety checker. As restrictions ease the service is now conducting visits in accordance with Covid-19 guidance.”

For more information visit www.firescotland.gov.uk. Get in touch with SFRS: call free on 0800 0731 999 or text ‘FIRE’ to 80800.

In summer we often see an increase in reports of ants, and bees and wasps nests. We understand that they can sometimes cause problems for our tenants so it’s important to know how to deal with them. You can reach our repairs team on 01292 880120 (option 1) or email repairs@ayrshirehousing.org.uk.

ANTS If you have ants in your home, you should try to deal with these yourself in the first instance. Ant sprays and bait stations are readily available from larger supermarkets and are usually quite effective. Remember to keep kitchen surfaces and floors clean. If you are still having problems with ants then please contact our repairs team for advice.

BEES AND WASPS Bees will not usually cause any harm and some species are protected. If you have a bees nest on your property, it is usually best to leave it for a week or two to see if they leave on their own. However, if they are near doors or windows then please contact us to arrange for a visit from A-catch. We are only able to remove wasps nests if they are on your property, if they are in a shed then this is your responsibility. Please contact our repairs team if you need any further advice.

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Our annual Garden and Pet Competitions are still open with great prizes up for grabs. Send us your pics of your pets and gardens/window boxes and you could win National Garden Centre vouchers or pet shop vouchers. You can enter via My Home - go to the ‘My Documents’ panel, select ‘Upload Documents’ and add your photographs. You can also email your entries to us: info@ayrshirehousing.org.uk, via our Facebook Page or by speaking to your Housing Officer.

Please remember to include your name, address and contact number.

Closing date for entries: Friday 6th August 2021.

 Name: ______________________________________ Address: _____________________________________ __________________________ Postcode: _________ Tel: ___________________ Email: ________________ SUPPORTING STATEMENT (no more than 100 words please):

To apply to join Ayrshire Housing’s Board, you can either go to the My Home portal - see the ‘My Tenancy’ panel for details. You can also email us at: info@ayrshirehousing.org.uk, or complete and return this form to us: Ayrshire Housing, 119 Main Street, Ayr, KA8 8BX. E nt ries must be rec eived by Friday 30 July 2021.

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