Community news December 2017 edition

December 2017 Bron Afon Community Housing Edition 29

Community News New homes, new lives =

better futures

Win ÂŁ50 worth of Argos gift cards Page 15 Mutual respect.

Mutual support.

Mutual learning.

Mutual goals.

Getting involved

- more ways to

make a difference Pages 8-9

Universal Credit -

talk to us. We can help Page 5

If you would prefer to be sent Community News in an email, large print, braille, audio, Welsh or any other language, then please let us know.

The magazine for tenants, leaseholders and Members of Bron Afon Community Housing

In my own words...

December 2017 Bron Afon Community Housing Edition 29

“ What a nice area you've made here”

Community News

It’s hard for me to believe but I’ve been chief executive of Bron Afon for eight months. We’ve had our fair share of challenges during this time and I’m sure there will be many more to come but I’m pleased to say we’ve also been making lots of progress.

Mike Hilton and Michelle Gumm are Bron Afon tenants who live in Talywain.

With help from some of their neighbours, they’ve transformed a neglected, overgrown area near their homes into a colourful community garden for everyone to share.

Mike said: “We cleared it up because we were fed up of trying to keep it neat and tidy all the time.

It was messy and wasn’t very nice to look at or for the children to play.

“Bron Afon gave us permission to do something about it, so we got to work removing hedges, digging up roots, turning over the soil and planting seeds for flowers to grow.

Michelle said: “Last year, between us we’d had enough. We thought we’d come out and try to make the area nicer to live in.

“We’ve now started to maintain the area ourselves. I’ve noticed people aren’t letting their dogs out here to foul. They’re looking at the garden and they’re thinking, “what a nice area you’ve made here.”

Our plans to build 450 affordable homes over the next five years are well underway. On page 4, you can read about some of the housing we have already built and other projects we’re working on.

From the support we’ve been giving tenants affected by Universal Credit, we know that it’s having a big impact in more ways than one. Remember, we can help you if you’re struggling. Take a look at page 5 to find out what you can talk to us about and what to look out for when you’re making a claim.

Best wishes Getting involved with Bron Afon has never been easier. On pages 8 and 9, Alan Brunt chief executive you can read about some of the projects and activities we’ve run recently with local people. You can also get a taste of what we’ve got lined up in the coming months.

Have you ever thought how you would replace all of your belongings if you had a fire, flood or burglary? We encourage all of our tenants to get home contents insurance. Check out page 14 for details of our low-cost scheme and read some advice from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service about keeping safe in your home. Hope you enjoy this edition.

Got a story?

A taster of

what’s inside Tenant satisfaction survey Love Where You Live Competition

p7 p11 p15

If you have a story or photo for this magazine please let us know. Maybe you have a tip you want to share or a letter on an interesting subject?

You can tell us your news in lots of ways.

Call Vicki Morgan-Curtis

on 01633 620 110 Email communitynews@bronafon.org.uk Write Bron Afon Community Housing Limited, Tˆy Bron Afon, William Brown Close, Llantarnam Industrial Park, Cwmbran, Torfaen NP44 3AB

A fyddech cystal a gofyn os hoffech unrhyw ran o’n gwybodaeth yn Gymraeg, Gallwch wneud hynny drwy ymweld â ni neu ysgrifennu atom yn y cyfeiriad isod neu drwy ffonio 01633 620 111.

Os yw’n well gennych siarad â ni drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg gallwn drefnu i siaradwr Cymraeg fod yn bresennol mewn apwyntiad.

Page 2

“We witnessed the residents working on the garden during our first property viewing. It was explained to us what the work was trying to achieve. It made our minds up that this was the type of place my family would want to live in and feel proud of.”

Daniel Teppett-Walker

/bronafon

“It’s wonderful when coming in and out of my home to see colourful, beautiful flowers, butterflies and bees bobbing about.

“Who said community spirit is a thing of the past? Here’s to happy times ahead in Talywain!”

Catriona Robinson

/bronafonvideos

Watch a short video about the garden. Go to:

/bronafon

/bronafonvideos

Cover star:

Nicola Janneh with the keys to her new Bron Afon home in Cwmbran.

If you are part of a community group or would like to start one, get in touch with our Community Involvement Team to see how they can help.

You’ll find their contact details on page 9.

Page 3

Building homes, creating jobs and improving lives Here’s an update on some of our latest developments.

Commodore Lane: we bought six homes from ButlerWall Homes, who have built a new development on the site of the former Commodore Hotel in Llanyravon. Torfaen Council’s Help 2 Own scheme was also involved.

How you pay your rent is changing If you are on benefits, most of them will become a single, monthly payment called Universal Credit.

We can help you. You can talk to us about:

• Getting online and the Verify process • Rent payment options • How much rent you need to pay each month • Help getting a job • Tenancy support • Setting up My Account to help you keep an eye on your rent balance

We handed over the homes to tenants in September.

Nicola Janneh, who is in the photo with her mum, Angela, was the first one to move in and is over the moon with her new home. She said: “I am very lucky and feel blessed to be moving into my new house. It’s also a new start for me and for my two children.”

Important things to remember • You must tell us about your claim and any changes in your household circumstances.

• Get in touch with us to agree a plan for paying your rent if you haven’t already done so. Your rent should be one of the first bills you pay, otherwise you could go into debt and be evicted.

Kennard Court: In partnership with Aneurin

“Over the past few months, we’ve learned a lot from supporting tenants who have made claims for Universal Credit. Here are some of the things to look out for:

We asked Mike Rippon, our Money Solutions manager, to list five key things that will delay your claim if you don’t get it right.

Bevan Health Board, we recently opened six fantastic new bungalows in Blaenavon for people with additional needs. Luke Caston (cutting the ribbon in the photo), is a trainee from our Trade That Works Training Academy. He was involved in the build and impressed P & P the builders so much that he ended up getting a job with them.

1 2 3 Market House, Pontypool: the

Front of Market House, which has stood in Pontypool since 1730

Rear of the building following demolition

Homes for the future: great news! Thanks to funding from Welsh Government, we could be building twelve new homes in Garndiffaith for young people under the age of 35.

Even better news is that we hope to get young people involved in the building of these homes to learn new skills that could help them find jobs.

Page 4

refurbishment of one of the oldest buildings in Pontypool is well underway and will provide a commercial premises as well as six flats.

4 5

Make sure that you keep logging back into your journal to check you have no “to do’s” left in the list.

You’ll need certain information to complete your claim such as your rent charge, details of any service charges and you’ll need to answer that at Bron Afon you have two “rentfree” weeks.

If you make a joint claim, you’ll both need a separate e-mail address. It’s also quicker if you’re both present when making the online claim.

You’ll need to set up a bank account.

Once you know when your Universal Credit payment date will be contact Bron Afon to set up a Direct Debit or a recurring card payment for the same date every month. If you pay your rent on the same date as your Universal Credit payment, it’ll help you to budget for the rest of your bills and general living costs.

“If you’re currently receiving Housing Benefit, then now is the time to start saving a little bit each week, maybe into a savings account or by building up credit in your rent account. When you move onto Universal Credit, it will be at least five weeks before you receive any money.”

Get in touch

Call us on: 01633 620 111 Email us: enquiries@bronafon.org.uk Message us on Facebook or Twitter: /bronafon #HowWillYouPayYours

#TalkToUs

Page 5

How we are doing A round-up of our performance from April 2017 - September 2017

Customer Services

e resolved 75.16% of calls at the first point of contact.

•W • I t took on average 19.16 seconds to answer a call.

We want to say a

big thank you

to the 1,600 tenants who took the trouble to answer our questions in this year’s Tenant Satisfaction Survey.

What you tell us is always important as it helps us to make sure our services are on track.

Service

2017

Satisfaction with overall service

84.5%

82%

All of our staff have received the same customer service training to help them give you a better standard of service.

Satisfaction with quality of home

85%

82%

Satisfaction with neighbourhood

84%

86%

We’re finalising steps to give new tenants a certificate to show their home meets WHQS (Welsh Housing Quality Standard).

The Love Where You Live and Work form on our website enables you to report problems with areas outside your home.

Satisfied your rent provides value for money Satisfied with the way Bron Afon deals with repairs and maintenance Satisfied Bron Afon provides expected service Satisfied Bron Afon listens to views and acts on them

86%

83%

We’ve introduced service charge statements for tenants.

74%

72%

84%

76%

Our new scheduling and appointments system means you can choose a convenient time for us to visit your home.

Our customer service standards set out how you can expect us to act.

72%

64%

I have trust in Bron Afon 83%

75%

Bron Afon publishes fair and balanced information Bron Afon treats customers fairly

87%

79%

85%

78%

82%

74%

% satisfied

2016

Repairs

• I t took on average of 9.93 days to complete repairs.

•W e completed 91.42% of emergency repairs within 24 hours.

Re-letting homes

• T he average time to re-let a property was 34.57 days.

•W e provded 276 homes to people looking for accommodaton in Torfaen.

My Account

• 491 people registered for My Account. easy it is to set up.

Community Action Plans -

have your say

We are working with our communities and partners to develop local action plans, so we can work together on improvements that are important you.

To have your say, either complete the survey on our Facebook page /bronafon

or contact our community involvement team. Email: community.involvement@bronafon.org.uk or call 01633 620 111.

Page 6

See page 12 to find out how

Bringing a mural back to life A great example of what can be achieved through the action plans is a recent activity in St Cadocs. Residents told us about a mural in the neighbourhood that needed a bit of sprucing up. Armed with paint brushes, paint and a determination to make a difference, some staff from Bron Afon along with volunteers including Leanne Adshead and councillor Sue Malson, rolled up their sleeves and set to work. The mural is now clean and shiny and has a lovely white wall to show it off.

Sue, Leanne and Ria

Bron Afon is well run and easy to do business with

Satisfied with the way 58% Bron Afon deals with anti social behaviour

What we have done/are doing

% satisfied

Not asked

Our community involvement strategy offers lots of ways for people to get involved and share their ideas to improve our services.

We’ve got an IT system in place that can keep track of your service requests.

We check to make sure any information we give out is open and honest.

Our Equality and Diversity Reference Groups play an important part in making sure we are fair to everyone.

Our independent Scrutiny Team reviews aspects of our services to keep them on track and to make sure Bron Afon is running at its best.

We give as much support as possible to complainants and witnesses and carry out regular case reviews.

Page 7

Mutual respect.

Mutual support.

Mutual learning.

Mutual goals.

We're better together!

Last year, we introduced lots of new ways for you to get involved.

Since then, we’ve worked with over 460 people who have helped us to develop and improve our services and run projects and activities in our communities.

In previous copies of Community News, we’ve given you a flavour of some of the things we’ve worked on together. Here are more examples of what we’ve done since the last edition.

Garden competition awards Thank you for all your entries of beautiful gardens. Our communities really do look amazing thanks to you! The overall winner was The Beeches retirement housing scheme, so congratulations to them.

Annual Members' Meeting

Northville Community Group

Never Too Old

We held our AMM in September, when our members received information about our performance and annual review. We had a great turn out and were pleased to have so many people joining us.

We supported them to get £3,300 from The Gwent High Sheriff’s Award to deliver their Give and Take Project.

The project provides valuable opportunities for people of all ages to meet and work together to improve outside spaces. By giving their time, they get a chance to take part in a series of events and day trips at a reduced cost.

In the last 12 months, 140 people have taken part in activities run by the Never Too Old project, which was set up by members with our support. In September, we spoke at the Ageing Well In Wales conference.

We shared how the project has gone from strength to strength and is helping people feel more socially included, more active and less lonely.

Tenant Services Forum

Our Tenant Services Forum has chosen a list of performance targets they’ll be keeping a close eye on and making sure Bron Afon continuously improves. These targets include how satisfied customers are with how we handle their anti social behaviour cases and repairs, as well as how we are managing our rent arrears. The group makes sure members are always involved when we review or develop customer-facing policies or strategies.

Tenant repairs handbook In October, we spoke to members about our draft tenant repairs handbook and they gave us some great suggestions. The handbook will be published on our website soon.

Page 8

Lots of people have already told us about their communities and given their suggestions, so why not join in?

Miss Cleary at Maendy Primary school tweeted: “Thanks @bronafon for listening to our views about what makes a community good and ways it can be improved.”

Pet policy 13 members joined us in August to talk through what’s most important for us to include in our new pet policy.

They were keen to see pet ownership was allowed but that it should not have a negative impact on neighbours, communities or properties.

100%

All 78 active members have

said the Retirement Forum is informative.

2,148

we have 321 new members, bringing us to a total of 2,148.

Do you want to influence housing decisions made by Welsh Government?

Why not join the Tenant Pulse network?

It’s open to all tenants. For more information and to join, go to: tpas.cymru/about/tenant-pulse

Coming soon...

Our Power We are thinking about switching energy provider when our homes become empty to make bills cheaper for new tenants and to give them the benefit of smart meters. We will work with members and talk with them to find out the best options.

Hate crime We’re developing a policy for how we will deal with hate crime. If you’re interested in sharing your views on this then please contact us.

Money Solutions policy We’ll be looking at how we do rent collection and how we give financial guidance and support to our tenants. There are challenging times ahead with changes to benefits, so it’s important we get this right.

Let us know if you want to get involved.

Bron Afon Community Grant Scheme In September, we launched our new grant scheme to help local groups and clubs run projects and activities that are important to them. A panel of four members decided where the money should go. We read some amazing applications and have granted a total of £6,000. If you missed this round, then please contact us for more information on how you can apply next time.

Want to get involved?

Get in touch!

• Email community.involvement@bronafon.org.uk • Facebook or Twitter /bronafon • Call 01633 620 111 • Join online at bronafon.org.uk2 Page 9

Love where you live We are committed to creating communities where people feel proud to live and work.

Here’s an idea of what we’ve been up to and some reactions from tenants and residents.

Scrutiny Team update Jill Wadley, a Bron Afon tenant and member of our Scrutiny Team, tells us what the team has been up to recently.

“We’re coming to the end of our review called, “how well does Bron Afon communicate to its tenants what their responsibilities are and what Jill Wadley tenants’ responsibilities are regarding responsive repairs.” This is the second time we've looked at this. We always go back and look at the recommendations to see if they are being carried out and ask if not, why not? This review has grown in how many departments are involved as Bron Afon has grown since we first looked at it.

“The Scrutiny team has had a few changes this year: we said goodbye to Pam Bartrop, who had served as chair of the team from the time we started. We thank her for all her hard work over the years and are very appreciative of the input she gave. We have new members, Michael Weedall, David Haylins and Colleen Du Plessis, who is our newest recruit. The team has a good mix of life experiences and the Colleen working world. We look forward to choosing our next review once we Du Plessis have completed our present ones.

“We’ve also had a change in facilitators. We now have on board Sarah Clayton and Gemma Webster and really appreciate them making themselves available through many different stages of our reviews.”

If you’re interested in becoming a member of the Scrutiny Team, please contact either Sarah or Gemma on 01633 620 111. Watch a short video about our Scrutiny Team. Go to: /bronafonvideos

One for all and all for one Here’s a round-up of what our Equality and Diversity Reference Group has been talking about since the last Community News.

We welcome two new tenant members to the group - Allan Giles and Peter Hayes.

Finding out more about you means we can improve our services, for instance, you may need time to answer the door or you need information sent to you in large print. We’re still Page 10

keen to hear from you if you haven’t filled in our tenant profile survey. You can fill one in online or give us a ring and we’ll send you a copy.

There will be some changes to the way we deliver services in Welsh later next year. We’ll keep you updated on when this will happen.

Our Annual Report explains our progress with our Welsh language commitments. It’s on our website: bronafon.org.uk.

We are members of Stonewall Cymru. Do you identify as LGBT or do you have an interest in equalities? Get in touch with Helen Bevan-Jones, equality and diversity advisor, on 01633 620 111.

Working together

Pride

“My son loves the garden and likes to help with sweeping up and litter picking.

The flowers look amazing and the grass smells fresh.”

Kirsty Watkins, Talywain tenant, on a community garden started by a group of neighbours (see page 3 to read their story).

From August 2016 to August 2017 we dealt with just over 4,600 concerns people had about the appearance of the places around their homes. Nearly a fifth of these reports came from people like you.

2,381 reports related to fly tipping and other mess.

We dealt with all concerns raised within 48 hours.

Feedback “Thank you very much for helping out with grounds. I must applaud you and your staff for the pro active response.”

Sharing responsibility and ownership

“Thank you for such a quick response in getting the fly tipping removed.”

We supported 74 people to become Environmental Champions who have taken the next step in having a say about the places around their homes.

We have worked with the community to reduce the time we spend dealing with fly tipping and mess by 20%. The time saved is used to tackle priorities they suggested.

“It’s easy to take responsibility and report litter by using the Bron Afon website.

If you see your local caretaker, talk to them. They really are approachable.”

Colin, resident, Pontypool.

“You called within 24 hours of reporting this issue. Fantastic job. Well done.”

If you fancy becoming an Environmental Champion, please contact Steve Caddy, environmental team leader, on 01633 620 443 or email: steve.caddy@bronafon.org.uk Take a look at our short video about how Greenmeadow Community Group have helped to transform the “Pixie Park” in Greenmeadow.

Go to: /bronafonvideos.

Page 11

....News in brief...News in brief...News in brief...News in brief...News in brief...

News in brief •

L ooking for advice about matters such as managing your money, help to pay your rent or finding a home? Dewis Cymru’s website has information about people and services in your area who can help with these things and lots more. To find out more, go to dewis.wales or dewis.cymru.

•

Dozens of families had a bargain holiday this year thanks to The Woodlands Field in Penygarn. They have a six berth caravan for hire at Brean Sands. It’s equipped with a TV, fridge, microwave and a fully fitted shower/bathroom. Prices range from £200 per week in February to £450 per week in July/August. For more information, call 01495 742 127 or email: logcabin@torfaen.gov.uk

•

“It’s saved my life.” “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you don’t stop!”

“Stay focused and never give up!” These are just some of the positive comments from young people involved with Cwmbran Centre for Young People. CCYP is an awardwinning training and drop-in centre, which aims to provide young people in Torfaen with the support they need to achieve their goals. Whether it’s training, qualifications, applying for jobs, apprenticeships, counselling or getting a food parcel and making friends, CCYP’s friendly, expert staff are there to help. For more information, call Kayleigh Thompson, youth work coordinator, on 01633 875 851 or email info@ccyp.org.uk

•

Have you set up My Account? You can check your rent balance, latest rent statement, report a repair, tell us about anti social behaviour or ask us any question via your smartphone, tablet or computer. Go to bronafon.org.uk/my-account. You’ll need your rent account number, which you’ll find on your rent statement. You can also use the app on the top of our Facebook page.

....News in brief...News in brief...News in brief...News in brief...News in brief...

Our Corporate Plan

Hi everyone Over the last few years, Bron Afon has faced and will continue to face, Andrew a lot of challenges. As a Board, we need to make sure we have the Lawrence range of skills and experience to meet these challenges and make informed decisions that allow us to deliver on our plans in Torfaen.

The Board used to be made up of four tenants, four councillors and four independents.

Following advice from Welsh Government, we’ve been able to change our rules. This has enabled us to: • increase the number of independent Board members to eight while reducing the number of councillor Board members to two and the number of tenant Board members to two. The independents will be recruited based on the knowledge and expertise they can bring to the Board.

Our members play • change the number of Board members we need at an essential role in meetings from each category to make decisions. the Board member We have always promoted the importance of having recruitment process Board members with the right skills and abilities to and we are pleased that support the business. We have been clear that even they will be helping us though a Board member may be from a particular make these important category/constituency, their views must be their own and not the group that they are appointed from. We decisions. believe these changes will help us to make sure the skills and experience of the Board will be strengthened to meet the future needs of the business.

I want to say a big thank you to members who have helped us to recruit four new Board members. We will shortly have a vacancy for a tenant Board member but if you want to register your interest, please contact Jill Jones on 01633 620453 or jill.jones@bronafon.org.uk Best wishes, Andrew

Could you help us with translation?

We’re looking for Welsh translators or BSL interpreters in particular. Get in touch with Helen Bevan-Jones, equality and diversity advisor, on 01633 620 111.

Your repairs appointment If you’ve booked a repair appointment with us but are not at home when we arrive, we’ll cancel the appointment.

We’ll leave a card like the one shown opposite, asking you to rebook the repair.

you

We’ve been working with members, staff and partners to decide what will go into our Corporate Plan. This is the document that sets out the kind of organisation we want to be and the work we think will be most important for us to do over the next five years.

We’ve put people, homes, communities and business at the heart of the plan, which also spells out our values: • Respect: we value everyone and treat all fairly, politely with dignity and respect.

• Engage: we are proud to be owned by the community. We support and involve others in shaping what we do to make better lives.

• Ambition: we bring passion, creativity and commitment to what we do and want to be the best. We take pride in our work and celebrate successes.

• Listen: we listen to understand what’s important. We are caring, responsive and open to change and improvement.

Page 12 We will be launching the Corporate Plan in March next year, so keep an eye out for more details nearer the time.

issed

At our last Mutual Futures event, members reviewed the work so far and were happy with themes of the plan and our proposed work priorities.

We will be inviting them to the launch of the plan next year.

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Is your total household income £15,000 or less? You may be entitled to Welsh Water’s HelpU tariff. The yearly charge is capped at £190 and is backdated to 1 April (if applicable). You can find an application form on Welsh Water’s website or staff from our Money Solutions team will be happy to help if you want to apply. More information on the scheme is available at: www.dwrcymru.co.uk/en/My-Account

What’s occurring

Smart meters

Stay safe at home Accidental fires involving cooking and electrical appliances are on the increase.

Here’s some advice from the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service to help keep you safe in your home: • Please make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions when you use appliances such as dishwashers, tumble dryers, cookers and washing machines. This includes not leaving them running overnight or when the house is empty, if they are not designed for this purpose.

• Always switch off appliances such as televisions at the plug before you go to bed.

• It’s important to register appliances such as your dishwasher, tumble dryer, cooker and washing machine. Go to: registermyappliance.org.uk for further information.

• Poor installation (for example, a heavy appliance sitting on a power lead) and poor maintenance (like not defrosting a freezer) can increase the risk of a fire.

• Be wary of installing appliances in outbuildings such as garages and sheds where an even temperature cannot be maintained.

• Make sure that ovens, grills or filters are cleaned regularly to stop a build-up of grease or fat catching fire.

• Don’t keep using appliances if they start to make unusual noises, smells or don’t operate properly. Get a professional to check them out.

• Test your smoke alarms every Tuesday: #testittuesday

For general fire safety advice, follow Neville Brown, our senior technical officer, on Twitter: @TheNevBrown.

• Make sure you have contents insurance. We have a great deal for tenants - have a look below for more details

Home contents insurance

Could you afford to replace everything you own in your home?

What would happen if your belongings were damaged by a fire?

Contents insurance gives you peace of mind. Get £9,000 of cover from 90p per week.

90p per week

£9,000

If you’re over 60, you can get £6,000 of cover for 60p per week.

Email us on enquiries@bronafon.org.uk or call 01633 620 111 to get an application pack. /bronafon /bronafon Page 14

are the new generation of gas and electricity meters, which will replace the traditional ones in our homes. Installed by your energy supplier, they are the simple way to keep control of your energy use.

Smart meters come with an in-home display, which shows how much gas and electricity you’re using as you use it and what it is costing in pounds and pence. They take regular readings and share these automatically with your energy supplier, meaning you can get accurate bills instead of estimates.

Between now and 2020, every household in England, Scotland and Wales will be offered a smart meter at no extra cost.

Contact your energy supplier for more information.

Not all homes are suitable to have smart meters installed. If you decide to have one put in, please let us know.

Wildflower meadows Do you and your neighbours and friends care about the environment? Would you like to provide a food source for bees and butterflies?

Why not become a community group so that you can apply for funding to grow a wildflower area?

Get in touch with Steve Caddy, environmental team leader. He can give you advice on developing the project and put you in touch with one of our community involvement officers, who can help you apply for funding.

Interested?

Call Steve on 01633 620 443 or email him at: steve.caddy@bronafon.org.uk

Competition We’ve got £50 worth of Argos goft cards up for grabs. To be in with a chance of winning, answer this question: What is the name of our project for older people?

Never Too Much Never Too Old Never Too Soon Email your answer to communitynews@bronafon.org.uk or send it with your name, address and daytime phone number to: Vicki Morgan-Curtis Communications and marketing officer Bron Afon Community Housing Ty Bron Afon William Brown Close Llantarnam Business Park Cwmbran NP44 3AB Closing date: Friday 29 December. Good luck!

Page 15

Just for leaseholders Leaseholders helping us to recruit a new leasehold officer A big thank you to Sandra Cook and Lynda Kay Perrett for helping us recruit a new leasehold officer. Sandra joined the recruitment team in August when unfortunately, we weren’t able to find a suitable candidate. After advertising the post again, Lynda was part of the interview process. We now welcome Tom Moore as our new leasehold officer, who replaces Kevin Fuller.

Involving leaseholders in the recruitment process has been a really positive step forward, giving service users a chance to shape our service.

“I found the day most enjoyable and stimulating. It was insightful to see behind the scenes. You were all most welcoming and I would have no hesitation in helping in a similar way again if I were to be asked.”

Sandra Cook

Fire safety doors update Audits of fire safety doors have now been carried out on all blocks of leasehold and tenanted properties. There were a lot of properties where we couldn’t gain access and where officers’ “no access” cards weren’t responded to, so we’ll be writing to all leaseholders to arrange another audit. A small number of leaseholders refused access or refused to comply with the regulations, so they will now enter the escalation process. We hope they will change their minds before legal action is taken. Remember, not all doors will need replacing and some may only need slight improvements, which Bron Afon will pay for.

Free Home Safety Visits South Wales Fire and Rescue Service is offering you the chance to have a free home fire safety check on your home that takes about 30 minutes. They will provide and install free 10-year smoke alarms where necessary.

Specialist visits and smoke alarms for people who are hard of hearing are also available.

When you book a fire safety check, the Fire Service will arrange a convenient time to visit you and carry out an inspection. They will give life-saving advice on how to identify fire hazards in your home, what to do in the event of a fire and how to make a fire escape plan.

Phone 0800 169 1234 or visit: southwales-fire.gov.uk to fill in a registration form.

Leaseholders’ website page is now more interactive There are new opportunities for you to get involved with us: • Satisfaction survey: let us know what your last experience with the leasehold service was like.

• Involvement opportunities: tell us if and how you would like to get involved with the service.

• Your information: make sure all the information about you is correct and let us know how you would like to communicate with us.

Our Customer Services Team will also be calling leaseholders who have contacted us to see how we performed and how we could improve.

Tax for residential landlords is changing If you’re a landlord, make sure you understand the tax implication.

This link: gov.uk/government/news/changes-to-taxrelief-for-residential-landlords explains the changes and gives some examples of different circumstances that you may find helpful.

December 2017 Bron Afon Community Housing Edition 29