Summer 2012 Newsletter

TENANT’S NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2012 TEXT MESSAGING

Due to the success of our recent text messaging pilot we have decided to purchase the software so that we can use this service permanently to improve further our repairs and rent collection services.

If you wish to use this facility, we will need details of your mobile phone number and/or email address.

It is vital to the effectiveness of this service that your details are up-to-date. You can help by providing this information on the enclosed Household Survey Form, when you call the office or by sending an email to c.donald@ayshirehousing.org.uk. We would be extremely grateful for your help by providing these details.

Our text number for this service is 07572360360. Please save this number into your mobile phone’s contacts. This number is for receiving and sending text messages only and is not able to make or receive calls.

COMPETITION REMINDER There is still time to submit your entry to this year’s Garden and Pet Competitions. If you’ve got the perfect pet or if your neighbours are always complimenting your gardening skills be sure to get in touch!

You can enter by emailing: info@ayrshirehousing.org.uk or by calling (01292) 880120 or by letting your Housing Officer know you are interested in getting involved. Entries can also be posted to Ayrshire Housing, 119 Main Street, Ayr, KA8 8BX. Please remember to include your name and address.

Yogi

You can also contact our very own pet competition organiser at yogi.culzean@ayrshirehousing.org.uk. Please remember to include your pet’s name and photograph.

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. www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk Telephone (01292) 880120 or Lo-Call 0845 2712 327

CONSULTATION PANEL To involve tenants in improving our services, we wish to establish a Consultation Panel of interested tenants. The Panel would be supported by Ayrshire Housing staff or other external agencies where considered appropriate. In addition, the Panel would provide an opportunity to raise issues of general interest to all tenants. There are a number of ways in which you could become involved, each takes a different amount of time and commitment so you can choose those that suit you best:     

Text Alerts — we will text you to tell you of news and information posted on the website which you can then look at and take part in if you wish.

Telephone Surveys — we will call you to ask for feedback on our services two or three times a year. This will take no more than ten minutes each time.

Postal Surveys — we will send you short questionnaires asking for feedback on a specific issue or service two or three times a year. These will take ten to fifteen minutes to complete.

Surveys by Email — we will email you questionnaires and other information asking for comments two or three times a year. These will take no more than ten minutes to complete.

Focus Group Meetings — the group would meet no more than a few times a year to consider for example, a review of our repairs service.

Please note that all expenses for attendance at any meetings will be met by Ayrshire Housing. All participants will be entered into a draw for £25.00 worth of High Street shopping vouchers. If you would like to contribute or require any further information please contact Sharon Ritchie on (01292) 885577 or by email s.ritchie@ayrshirehousing.org.uk.

GAS REPAIRS & SERVICING We have appointed GasSure (James Frew Ltd) of Stevenston to

carry out our gas repairs and servicing. Gas Safety Regulations require landlords to carry out annual inspections of your gas appliances. We have a gas servicing programme in place for all our properties and we have introduced a 10-month servicing schedule in order to complete the servicing programme within the statutory period. Failing to provide reasonable access means you are in breach of your Tenancy Agreement which may result in action being taken to force access if necessary. Should forced access be required, you will be held liable for all costs involved and your tenancy may be at risk.

GasSure staff are scheduling appointments for the summer months and you will have the opportunity to reschedule if the proposed date is unsuitable. Text reminders will be sent the day prior to the scheduled date. The servicing programme is ongoing and to date we have achieved a 100% success rate.

Cyclical Maintenance Works Programme The 5 year cyclical painting programme for 2012-13 is underway and the properties to be treated this year include Castleview and Earl Crescent/ Earl Rise in Dundonald; South Harbour Street and St Leonards Road in Ayr; Arran Avenue in Ballantrae; St. Cuthbert’s Street/St. Cuthbert’s Road in Maybole and individual houses in Symington.

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BISF Properties Ayrshire Housing’s external refurbishment of the remaining untreated, steel framed BISF properties located in the Forehill Estate in Ayr commenced in May and is progressing ahead of schedule. The completion is expected in October 2012. www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk

LOCKUP AVAILABLE TO RENT IN ROWAN ROAD, GIRVAN

Monthly Rent £26.87 For more details, please contact Ann Tosh on (01292) 885578 or by email to a.tosh@ayrshirehousing.org.uk

The Scottish Housing THE SCOTTISH HOUSING Regulator (SHR) is REGULATOR TENANTS’ asking for your views CONSULTATION on its proposed report to tenants on their landlord’s performance against the Scottish Government’s Social Housing Charter. The consultation runs from 1 June to 24 August and a series of events are being run across Scotland for tenants. You can get the consultation document and more information on the events on SHR’s website or by contacting the Regulator.

Website: www.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk Phone: 0141 271 3810 Email: Consultation@scottishhousingregulator.gsi.gov.uk

Scottish Social Housing Charter Consultation with Tenants

We are also working along with our colleagues in South Ayrshire Council and an invitation has been extended to our tenants to attend a discussion event regarding the Charter. This will be held in Ayr on Tuesday 7 August 2012 from 10 am until 12 noon. If you are interested in attending this event please contact our Housing Manager, David McGivern.

STEAM DAYS 2012

Tenant Aaron Hollingsworth spends most weekends in the summer volunteering at the Scottish Industrial Railway Centre, Dalmellington Road, Waterside, Patna. Aaron is photographed beside an old steam roller he has recently finished painting.

Steam days with an engine are held on Sundays in: July 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd & 29th and August 5th, 12th, 19th & 26th and September 2nd & 23rd. Opening times on all above dates are 11:00am to 4:30pm

HOUSEHOLD SURVEY

It is extremely important for us to have the most up to date information on your household and how we can contact you. This is particularly so at the moment for a number of reasons.

The welfare reforms which are taking place will negatively affect some households more than others.

In order that we can offer appropriate advice and assistance to these households we need to know the details of all who are residing in the house.

We are also extending the range of services we are providing and looking at more efficient ways of communicating with you. For example, if you report a repair we can now acknowledge and receipt your request immediately by text.

To allow us to gather the information we need we would be very grateful if you could take a few moments to complete the enclosed Household Survey and return it to us in the pre-paid envelope provided. We would also be extremely grateful if you could remember to keep us up to date with any changes to these details.

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www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk

WELFARE REFORM WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CHANGES TO HOUSING BENEFIT The Government is reducing the amount of housing benefit some people can claim. If you claim housing benefit to help pay your rent you may be affected by changes from April 2013.

The changes mean that some people will get less benefit than they did before. We know that many of you will be worried about what this could mean for you and your family. This information is to help you find out what’s happening and what you can do to prepare.

How many bedrooms do you have?

From April 2013, if you have one or more ‘spare’ bedrooms your housing benefit may be reduced.

This could affect you: If you are 16 to 61 years old Even if you only get a small amount of housing benefit — for example if you are working.

Even if you are sick or disabled You won’t be affected if: You live in a one bedroom flat or bedsit, or if you or your partner are old enough to receive pension credits.

In April 2013 the pension credit age will be around 61 years and 6 months.

What is a ‘spare’ bedroom?

Under the new rules if you have more bedrooms than the Government says you need, you will lose part of your housing benefit. The new rules mean you will be allocated one bedroom for: Each adult couple Any other person aged 16 or over Two children under the age of 10 regardless of their sex Any other child A carer (who does not normally live with you) if you or your partner need overnight care.

It does not matter how the ‘spare’ bedroom is used, the new rules will apply even if: You or your partner need to sleep apart because of a medical condition The main residence of your children is another address, but you have a spare room for when they stay with you.

What happens if you have a ‘spare’ bedroom?

If you have one spare bedroom your housing benefit will be cut by 14% of the rent you pay every week. If you have two or more spare bedrooms, you will lose 25%. If your benefit is cut you will have to pay us the difference between your housing benefit and your rent.

Example 1 Mr and Mrs Smith live in a two-bedroom flat costing £70 per week in rent.

At the moment housing benefit covers the full cost of their rent. Under the new rules they will have one spare bedroom. Their housing benefit will be reduced by 14% of their rent (14% of £70 = £9.80). Their housing benefit will be reduced by £9.80 to £60.20 per week. They will have to pay £9.80 per week towards their rent.

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www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk

WELFARE REFORM (Cont’d) Example 2 Mr and Mrs Bell live with their two teenage boys, aged 13 and 15, in a three bedroom house.

Their rent is £100 per week and they receive £10 per week in housing benefit. Under the new rules their children will be expected to share a bedroom and so they will be treated as having one spare. Their housing benefit will be reduced by 14% of £100 (£14), and so they will lose all their housing benefit.

What should I do? If you are worried about being able to afford to pay your rent from April 2013 you should ask for advice now. Mr As a result of these welfare reform changes Ayrshire Housing are working jointly with a number of Ayrshire housing associations to expand the range of services that we currently provide for our tenants. It is particularly important at this time with the welfare reforms that are taking place that we try and ensure that our tenants have access to the most appropriate financial advice and assistance to help prepare for the changes. We have been in discussion with a local credit union, 1st Alliance (Ayrshire) with the aim of forming a partnership for the benefit of our tenants. We will continue to update you on developments.

1st Alliance (Ayrshire) have provided us with the advertisement below.

1ST ALLIANCE (AYRSHIRE) CREDIT UNION 1st ALLIANCE (AYRSHIRE) CREDIT UNION is a local community based financial co-operative owned and run by its members. As well as being an established and forward thinking credit union we also offer services to our members such as: Saving accounts; current accounts; pre-paid debit cards; insurance; junior accounts and low cost loans.

We are different because we treat you, our member, as an individual not a number. We all have different financial needs and we always look to tailor our services to match these needs. Being a low cost option for loans means that many people choose to borrow from us instead of other lenders. We are based at 147 Main Street, Kilwinning, KA13 6EQ and can be contacted by telephone (01294) 557123 or by email allianceayrshire@btconnect.com.

More information about our services can be found on our website www.allianceayrshire.co.uk.

DID YOU KNOW ....... CHANGES TO INCOME SUPPORT FOR LONE PARENTS:  Changes to Income Support (IS) for some lone parents were introduced in November 2008. The age

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of the youngest child for which you would no longer qualify for IS was reduced from 12 yrs old (in 2008) to 5 yrs old from May 2012.

Exceptions to the above include: lone parents who have children are entitled to the middle or highest-rate care component of Disability Living Allowance or in receipt of Carer’s Allowance; or have a foster child living with you.

If you no longer qualify for IS then you may be able to make a claim for another benefit e.g., Job Seekers Allowance or Employment & Support Allowance.

Jobcentre Plus will contact you before your IS is due to stop.

Please see www.direct.gov.uk for further information or contact Jobcentre Plus on 0800 055 6688. www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk

One of the real strengths of Ayrshire Housing’s Board is the participation of three South Ayrshire Councillors. After the May election, the Council has nominated: John Hampton, Philip Saxton and Corri Wilson. John is an old hand since he previously served on our Board for a number of years. Philip is the Council’s Portfolio Holder for Housing which shows the high regard the Council has for our contribution to the quality of life in South Ayrshire. Finally, it is a pleasure to see Forehill resident Corri switch seats at our Board table. She was, until her election in May, one of our tenant members. Another tenant will have a chance to take her old seat in our own elections this September.

BOARD NEWS

CORRI WILSON — A BOARD MEMBER’S STORY

After becoming a tenant of Ayrshire Housing, I quickly realised what a supportive, tenant friendly organisation they were. We, as tenants, are kept up-to-date with regular newsletters and it was in one of those newsletters that I saw the advert for board members. I decided to give it a go. I think having tenants on the board is a great idea as it brings a balance to the decision making process. You are representing the tenant body and are looking at the decisions that need to be made from a tenant's perspective. This helps to make the organisation fairer.

Prior to my first meeting I received a package with paperwork which I thought looked a bit daunting, however, at the meeting the Chair, Paul Torrance and the other members soon put me at my ease and were happy to explain anything I didn't understand. Running a housing association can be complex and there are a wide range of issues the Board has to look at. I was able to give my opinions and thoughts based on my own tenant (and possibly other tenant) experiences. I hope you will consider joining this worthwhile Board and have your say on things that could affect your tenancy.

COMMON HOUSING APPLICATION FORM LAUNCH Filling in several forms with the same information is time consuming. The good news is you now only have to fill in one form to apply for housing with South Ayrshire Council or Ayrshire Housing. In addition to the new ‘one stop’ application form a new housing information booklet has been developed to guide people through the completion of this form. The booklet contains useful information such as location of properties to let; how often properties are let and an explanation of how points are awarded to applicants.

Paul Torrance, Chairperson Ayrshire Housing said: "The launch of the common housing application form and joint housing information guide is an excellent example of the productive efforts of the joint working between our officers and their colleagues in South Ayrshire Council.

We, at Ayrshire Housing, have been delighted with the success of this collaboration which was carried out solely to make applying for a house easier for applicants. Our respective staff teams are also working closely with each other in areas such as welfare reform and the Scottish Social Housing Charter and we hope that these close working relationships will provide further benefits for tenants and residents of both Ayrshire Housing and South Ayrshire Council."

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www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk

Healthy Working Lives Silver Award Ayrshire Housing now has a Silver Healthy Working Lives award to add to its existing Bronze. The Award supports employers and employees to develop health promotion and safety themes in the workplace. They are sponsored by NHS Scotland.

Ayrshire Housing’s Caroline Donald and Sharon Ritchie were delighted to received their “Silver” at this year’s awards ceremony. It was presented by Chris Moon who has motivated many as he conquered the disabling injuries he suffered clearing mines in Mozambique. Caroline said “It’s a real honour to receive the Award from such an inspirational figure. We intend now to work towards the Gold award and hopefully also a Mental Health and Well-being Commendation”.

Everyone is committed to achieving the demanding Gold award.

KEEP COSY FOR LESS

An early action has been to develop our very own herb garden to provide ingredients for healthy lunches or to take home at night. Two teams are also taking part in a Walk at Work Step Count Challenge over the next eight weeks to improve their fitness.

Make your home a toasty haven and stop wasting money on your energy bills. Here are some hot tips to get you started.

Outside If possible, dry your clothes outside during the summer months and save an average of £17 per year.

Bedroom If you have a timer, programme y o ur heating to switch off a short while before you go to bed.

Kitchen Make sure you have a full load before you use the washing machine — one full load uses less energy than two half loads.

Set the heating to switch on just before you wake up so the house is warm by the time you get out of bed. Also try setting the heating to turn off half an hour before you are due to go out the door.

Use the appropriate tog duvet for the weather (low tog in Summer and high tog in Winter).

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Hall Replace a 100W incandescent light bulb with a 20W CFL low energy bulb and save around £6 per year.

Fit draught excluders around the front door and over the letter box and key holes.

Don’t leave the front door open more than necessary — especially if your central heating is on.

Living Room Draw the curtains at dusk to keep the heat in and the draughts out.

Switch of appliances rather than leaving them on standby and save £35 per year.

Turn your heating thermostat down by 1ºC and cut up to 10% off your heating costs.

Look for the Energy Saving Trust Recommended logo next time you buy a new TV.

www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk

ELECTIONS TO THE BOARD Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting of Ayrshire Housing will take place on Wednesday 12th September 2012. In due course, you will receive a formal agenda and a review of our activities and performance in the last year.

As you may know, the Board consists of five tenant directors, five from the community category and three appointed by South Ayrshire Council. All tenants are members of the company and can thus seek election to the Board. If you have a joint tenancy, both tenants are considered to be members.

There are four vacancies within the tenant category. If you are interested in one of the tenant positions, please complete and return the form below by Friday 3rd August 2012. If there are more applications than vacancies, a postal ballot will be organised with the result being announced at the Annual General Meeting. Please provide a short statement of around 50 words in support of your application.

This is a real opportunity to influence the quality of service that you and your fellow tenant members receive.

AS A TENANT I WISH TO STAND FOR ELECTION TO THE BOARD Name:

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Address:

............................................................................ ............................................................................

Tel:

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Email:

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STATEMENT:-

_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Alternatively you can email us at info@ayrshirehousing.org.uk

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