Community News, July 2017 edition

July 2017 Bron Afon Community Housing Edition 28

Community News

Great doing

business with you!

Helping out George Street Primary school's Year 6 Enterprise Group

Universal Credit -

what it means for you

Got a great garden?

Show it off in our fab competition

Fire safety - how you

can reduce the risk of fire in your home

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...

July 2017 Bron Afon Community Housing Edition 28

Community News We’ve all been affected by the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower in London. We’ve had queries and concerns from some residents about the safety of our own high rise blocks, so I’d like to reassure everyone that we are doing our best to answer any questions. Please take a look at page 14 to find out about the products and systems we use and some general tips to keep you and your family safe from the risk of fire.

The commitment made by Torfaen residents to get involved to help us improve our services. You can read on page 10 about some of the great activities and groups we’ve set up in the past few months.

We’ve held two Mutual Futures events this year for members to challenge how we do things and to tell us what we can do better. Both times, I sat among some enthusiastic people as they talked about what should be in our new Corporate Plan, the document that makes sure all of our services are working to the same aims. Have a look at page 7 to find out more about the plan and how important it is for us to get it right.

If you get any benefits, from July, most of them will be combined to form one payment called Universal Credit. On pages 8 and 9, we’ve set out some key information on what you need to do.

Our That Works Training Academy goes from strength to strength, supporting local people into training and work. Check out page 11 to find out how our expert team could help you.

what’s inside Answering your questions Support Service

pg 4 pg 12

Beautiful Southville photo competition pg 15

Best wishes Alan Brunt chief executive

?

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

Jackie Jones, 52, is a Bron Afon tenant from Pontypool.

In 28 years, she had never had a paid job. Her confidence was gone, she had money worries and was behind with her rent.

Got a story?

A taster of

/bronafon /bronafon /bronafonvideos Cover stars:

“ I've got

my identity back”

Year 6 Enterprise Group, George Street Primary school, Pontypool.

“I was in a bad way. Once the children were old enough to go to school on their own, I only went out about once a fortnight to do the shopping. I couldn’t even visit friends - they would come to my house to see me.

“Things changed when I decided to go to the job club at Tˆy Cyfle in Garndiffaith. I heard about the Decorating That Works scheme there and signed up for it.

“I enjoyed working on the painting projects and made new friends through it.

“The team helped me to write a CV and gave me tips on how to do well at interviews. I went on courses, which gave me some basic qualifications in social care.

“Ria from Bron Afon was great. She helped me to get an interview with a local care provider - and I got the job!

“I didn’t think it was for me at first but I love it, it’s a brilliant job. I like helping people in the community.

“Bron Afon also supported me with a regular payment plan and helped me to get food parcels, electricity and gas and a new cooker.

Looking for work?

“I have good days and bad days but I’m a lot better.

My confidence has definitely got better.

“I’m Jackie but I’d been classed as a mam for the past 28 years. I lost my identity and now I’m called Jackie again. I’ve got my identity back.”

Our Job Club is open every Wednesday from 1pm to 3pm at our office in Llantarnam. Everyone is welcome - you don't have to be a Bron Afon tenant to come along.

Page 3

Answering your questions

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Our Customer Services Team handles all kinds of queries every day. Here are some of the questions they are asked most often.

• What am I responsible for repairing or fixing in my home?

Some of the main tenant responsibilities we get queries about are:

Replacing lightbulbs and starter motors. You should ask a friend or family member to help you if you can’t do it yourself.

Unblocking a toilet and sink if you live in a house. You must attempt to unblock your toilet or sink but as a last resort, we can give you the details of the contractor we use.

Replacing keys or getting copies of keys cut. If you lose your keys or have them stolen and you become locked out of your property, it is your responsibility to call a locksmith. We can give you details of a trusted contractor.

You can find a full list of tenant responsibilities on our website: www.bronafon.org.uk.

• What happens when I end my tenancy?

Contact our Customer Services Team, who will talk you through the process. You’ll have to fill in a short survey and book an end of tenancy inspection with one of our surveyors. They will bring along a notice for you to sign after the inspection.

• How do I get verified?

Universal Credit will be going live in Torfaen on 12 July. If you think you’ll have to make a claim in the next few months, you must prove who you are through UK Government’s ‘Verify’ process on the internet. You’ll need at least two forms of identity, such as a provisional or full UK driving licence, passport or debit card. The process takes around 15 minutes.

To verify yourself, visit: www.signin.service.gov.uk/start.

You’ll only need to do this once.

If you’re under 20 years old, don’t have these forms of ID, or bank with Nationwide, at the moment you can’t be verified online. Instead, you’ll need to prove your identity at your local Job Centre.

• Am I eligible for a mutual exchange?

Is your rent account clear? Are you an assured tenant of ours with no breaches of tenancy? Then you could be eligible for a mutual exchange. If you have already found a property you’re interested in, please get in touch so we can send you an application. You can also search available properties and register your own property for a move via Homeseeker: www.torfaenhomeseeker.org.uk/ HouseholdRegistrationForm For more locations in the UK, visit www.homeswapper.co.uk Page 4

Building homes, creating jobs In the last Community News, we told you that we have £30.5 million to invest in creating 450 affordable homes in Torfaen over the coming years. We also featured some of the projects we’ve been working on, which have brought new construction jobs and training to the borough.

Here’s an outline of some of our other building developments that will bring the same great benefits to local people: Kennard Court, Blaenavon: we are working with Torfaen Council and Aneurin Bevan University Health Board to build six adapted bungalows to help people with learning difficulties to live independently. We plan to finish the project this autumn.

Alan Brunt, Bron Afon’s chief executive, Patrick Harkness, vice chair of Bron Afon’s Board and David Jenkins, chair of the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, cement in the first brick.

Market House, Pontypool: built in 1730, this is the oldest building in Pontypool. With funding from the council and Welsh Government’s Vibrant and Viable Places scheme, we are transforming it into six one-bed flats and a retail space. It will take around a year to complete. front of Market House Pontymoile school: work has started on the construction of 39 homes on this site. 11 of them will be sold through Torfaen’s low-cost home ownership scheme, Help2Own. We hope to finish the development early next year.

Carl Sargeant, Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children, visited our building site in Pontymoile in March to see how we are creating jobs and building new homes.

Staying safe on building sites

With the summer holidays fast approaching, we thought it would be a good time to remind everyone about building site safety.

Staff and contractors are trained to know how and where to look for hazards and risks but children don’t always have the same level of awareness. They can put themselves in danger without even realising it.

You can help keep children and young people safe by helping them understand that building sites aren’t adventure playgrounds but dangerous places that can cause harm.

If you see someone who shouldn't be on a Bron Afon building site, you should call the police on 101.

!

Page 5

How we are doing A round-up of our performance for April 2016 - March 2017

Customer Services

e answered 105,836 calls out of 123,569 we received.

•W e resolved 80% of calls at the first point of contact.

•W • I t took 18 seconds on average to answer a call.

Community Environmental work

•

4 ,297 reports were logged via our Love We Live form on our website.

We dealt with 3,647 reports and the rest were picked up by the council. Thanks to you, we carried out 1,933 fly tipping clean-ups, sorted out 961 waste and recycling problems and 621 grounds maintenance issues.

Repairs

Re-letting homes

• I t took us an average

• T he average time it

•

•W e provded 660 homes

•

of 12.14 days to complete repairs.

W e carried out 34,581 responsive repairs.

W e completed 93.93% of repairs at first visit.

took to re-let a property was 29.87 days.

to people looking for accommodaton in Torfaen.

My Account

Investment and Inclusion

• 1 ,264 people

We supported 159 people into employment. We also supported 632 people into training and education.

registered for My Account.

One for all and all for one We’re committed to making our services fair and equal to everyone. To help make this happen, we’ve been: • g etting to know you better. The more we know about you, the more it can help us improve our services. From our recent survey for instance, we noticed that a small number of tenants told us that English is not their first language, so now we can arrange Page 6 translation services for them.

• m aking sure we consider the needs of our customers before taking decisions.

• m aking links with organisations which provide •

advice and support on gender and sexual identity, diversity and equality for all ages.

Umbrella Cymru and Stonewall Cymru are good examples. b ecoming dementia friendly. We recognise our tenants include people who are affected by dementia. We’re keen for staff to have a greater understanding of what it is like to live with this disorder, so we’ve been holding sessions to learn more about it and its impact.

Helping us to design a better future - our Corporate Plan Our Corporate Plan is the document that will set out a framework for what we aim to achieve over the next five years - how we will do it, the areas of work we feel are the most important and the kind of organisation we want to be.

Putting together the Corporate Plan is a big task and we’ve been keen to get input from members, residents and staff.

Back in February, we had conversations with over 100 people who turned up for our Mutual Futures event. Lots of ideas, comments and views were shared about what’s important to people in our communities. We then took everything we were told to help us decide some big themes for the plan. They are: our business, people, homes and communities.

We held a second Mutual Futures event last month to review the plan so far and to make sure we hadn’t missed anything.

There’s still a lot of work to be done to develop the Corporate Plan but we will keep you updated A big thank you goes to everyone who’s taken part to help us design a better future.

Our members have worked with us through our Mutual Futures events.

They came up with some amazing suggestions to help decide our priorities for the next five years.

Do you grow

Marvellous marigolds?

Tremendous tomatoes?

If you live in Torfaen, then why not enter this year’s garden competition?

It’s free and there are some great prizes to be won!

Our garden competition group will be judging entries for first, second and third prizes in these categories: • Best wildlife garden • Best community garden • B est potted plant, raised bed, hanging basket or window box • Best vegetable patch • Best school garden

The closing date is: Thursday 31 August For more information and an entry form, please email Helen Clutterbuck, community involvement officer at community.involvement@bronafon.org.uk Best of luck!

Page 7

Get yourself verified

Universal Credit is here From July this year, if you receive any benefits from the government, most of them will eventually be combined together to form one payment called Universal Credit.

Q: When will I go onto Universal Credit?

A: If you’re already claiming benefits, your local Jobcentre Plus or Tax Credits office will tell

To be entitled to Universal Credit you must prove who you are through UK Government’s ‘Verify’ process on the internet. You’ll need at least two forms of identity, such as a provisional or full UK driving licence, passport

or debit card. The process takes around 15 minutes.

To verify yourself, visit: https://www.signin.service.gov.uk/start You’ll only need to do this once.

If you don’t verify yourself online, you’ll need to go to the Job Centre three times within 48 hours.

Bear this in mind as it may delay your claim.

you when you have to move to Universal Credit. This will happen if your circumstances change. Here are some examples: you start or end a relationship, your working hours change, you go from Job Seekers Allowance to Income Support due to the birth of a child, you become a carer.

Q: What benefits does Universal Credit replace?

A: These include:

Income-based Jobseekers’ Allowance Housing Benefit Child Tax Credit

Income-based Employment and Support Allowance Working Tax Credit Income Support

Q: How will I be paid?

A: You’ll be paid in a single monthly payment in arrears. Universal Credit is paid monthly but rent is due weekly. You’ll get your payment after your rent is due, so you must make sure you have enough money available to pay it.

Q: How does Universal Credit affect how I pay my rent?

A: Universal Credit will include an amount towards the cost of your rent. If you receive

Universal Credit, you’ll have to pay your rent yourself as it will no longer be paid on your behalf by the Council.

Remember, your rent should be one of the first bills you pay, otherwise you

could get into debt and be evicted.

Q: How do I make a claim?

A: Once the Jobcentre or Tax Credits

office tell you, you'll have to make a claim for Universal Credit online. Once you’ve completed your application, you’ll be invited to the Jobcentre to meet with a work coach.

There are lots of places in Torfaen where you can use a computer and the internet for free.

Call the Council on 01495 762 200 to find out more.

The council will have officers available every weekday morning at Cwmbran Customer Care Centre and at the Civic Centre all day to help you if you are claiming Universal Credit.

Citizens Advice in Cwmbran have five laptops for Universal Credit claimants to use, with or without support, on weekdays from 10am to 3pm.

Speak to us Remember, if you are not sure about anything or need any advice, please get in touch with us as soon as possible. Call us on 01633 620 111.

Here are some details of other useful contacts:

• Department of Work and Pensions: 0845 605 7064 • Check to see if you are entitled to any benefits online at: www.entitledto.co.uk • Citizens Advice Bureau: 08444 772 020 or visit: www.torfaencab.co.uk

Page 8

Page 9

Our That Works Training Academy gives unemployed local people a chance to improve their lives through training in all kinds of areas, from decorating and trades to boxing and beauty. From April 2016 to March 2017, 488 people went through the Training Academy. Here are some of the outcomes: an ital d club lific

t into trainin en g w

This means people who are working with contractors who upgrade and maintain our properties or new build. They offer local people jobs during the duration of their contract.

Knockout!

David Withers, 20, took part in our Boxing That Works programme run by Empire Fighting Chance at Coed Eva Amateur Boxing Club.

As well as training in non-contact boxing, David got support with cv writing, interview techniques, job searches and filling in application forms. He also gained qualifications in health and nutrition, life skills and confidence building.

David said: “It changed my life. I now have a job, my own property and life is looking good.”

To find out more about Boxing That Works, have a look at our short video on You Tube. Go to: /bronafonvideos Interested in our That Works Training Academy?

Get in touch with the Inclusion Team at InclusionTeam@bronafon.org.uk or call 01633 620 111.

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• Sign up using My Account • Email community.involvement@bronafon.org.uk • Facebook or Twitter /bronafon • Call 01633 620 111 • Visit www.bronafon.org.uk

went into work

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Page 10

Talk to us about getting involved

159 in total

b

t par icip

We hosted the Scrutiny Network in May. 40 people came along from eight organisations across South Wales. We had a fantastic guest speaker, Peter Hall, who told us about Value for Money and how it fits in with scrutiny. A member said: “This has been the best South Wales Scrutiny Network yet.”

Last year, we supported Ti a Fi, a mother and toddler group, to write a successful funding bid for £2,420. They held their family fun day in May and lots of children and their parents attended. The group borrowed our candyfloss and popcorn machines and raised £48 to go towards other activities.

47

g • 156 furt he inin ra

Scrutiny Network Meeting

Ti a Fi

k place

rk o wo • 75 int

Our new Tenant Services Forum has been looking at areas of our performance to decide which ones would be most important to keep tenants updated about progress.

The forum asked members at Mutual Futures for their ideas to develop a list of indicators that will be used to hold Bron Afon to account.

32

326

340

own busin ed

ancial s fin

Tenant services forum

a

ments

In April, 16 members helped us to shape our new anti social behaviour policy. They felt good communication, relevant support and appropriate action were the most important things, so we’ve used these as the main principles in our new policy.

We now run training courses for our community group members. In June, eight people achieved first aid and food hygiene certificates. In May, members made it into The Argus when they attended our communications training to get tips on how to share their stories with a wider audience.

One member said: “I really enjoyed this training today and feel I’ve come away with a lot of new ideas.”

If you are part of a group or would like to start a community group, contact us to see how we can help.

ua

tions

Community group training

s through T es

Anti social behaviour policy

merac nu

Here’s a taste of some of the groups and activities that have taken place with input from our members over the past few months:

ants

We’ve been working with and listening closely to lots of people to give them a say in how Bron Afon is run and we continue to support over 30 locally-based groups.

Get the training, get the skills - get the job with our That Works Training Academy

port up

We're better together!

Mutual respect.

Mutual support.

Mutual learning.

Mutual goals.

How Boxing That Works helped David get a better life

Page 11

Do you have a long-term disability?

Do you have difficulty accessing any part of your home?

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

What’s occurring

News in brief

on the Board?

Our Occupational Therapy Team can help

Hi everyone

• What can we do? We can provide equipment, adaptations and help

There have been some exciting changes at Bron Afon over the last six months. Some of the new people who have joined us include chief executive, Alan Brunt and director of property and development, John Holman. We have also started our programme of building new homes.

with rehousing.

• H ow do I get an assessment? To get an occupational therapy assessment, you’ll need to call the council’s Customer Care team on 01495 762 200.

•W hat happens next? An occupational therapist from Bron Afon will come to your home to talk through your needs and make recommendations to help you.

•W hat if I need adaptations? If this means large adaptations like a walk-in shower, one of our technical officers will visit you to make sure your home is suitable.

For small adaptations like grab rails or lever taps, you don’t need a visit from an occupational therapist but again, a technical officer may visit you to check that the work can be done in your home.

•W hat if my home can’t be adapted? We will work closely with the council’s Homeseeker Team to help you move to a suitably adapted property that will be better for your needs. We will write a report to Homeseeker, give advice and help you with viewings of appropriate properties and organise equipment or adaptations.

If you’d like any more information, get in touch with our friendly Occupational Therapy Team on 01633 620 111.

Andrew Lawrence

These changes will continue as we begin developing our new Corporate Plan for 2018-2023. This document will highlight our key aims and objectives for the next five years and most importantly, will set out our priorities for investment. The Board is responsible for overseeing its delivery.

As Chair of the Board, I am really keen that the Corporate Plan reflects the views of local communities, staff, members and other stakeholders.

We’ve had lots of conversations over the past few months to make sure our plan is the right one for Bron Afon.

Thanks to all those who have taken part. Please keep an eye out for details on the next steps.

Best wishes, Andrew

Free support for anyone over 50

Service users worked with us to review our adaptations policy.

• If you’re aged 50 or over, rent, own or

They came up with key principles around dignity and respect and how we work with carers and those who receive care.

•

lodge in Tofaen and need support, our free service is for you.

We can help you with lots of things such as: Getting benefits Reducing rent debt Reading and writing Making new friends Finding suitable housing Living a healthy lifestyle

Find out how we could help you.

Call 01495 766 447 or email: gateway@torfaen.ov.uk Page 12

•

•

Is buying enough food for the week a challenge for you? Cwmbran Centre for Young People (opposite The John Fielding Weatherspoons) sells food parcels (until stocks last) for £3 each up to 3pm every Wednesday. The parcels will feed a single person for a week and there are no criteria to meet. All you need is £3 and your own shopping bag.

A re you someone who cares about the area where you live? Wants to change the places around where you live and is proud to make a difference? Is willing to work with others to solve problems? Why not get involved and become one of our Environmental Champions? To find out more, contact Steve Caddy, environmental team leader, on 01633 620 443. You can also check out our You Tube video: /bronafonvideos to see how a Pontypool resident is doing his bit to improve where he lives.

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

My Account - It’s free and easy to use

Have you set up your own online account with us yet? It only takes two minutes and once you’ve registered, you’ll be able to check your rent account balance, report a repair, tell us about anti social behaviour or ask any questions.

Visit www.bronafon.org.uk/my-account to Use the app set up your account. You’ll need your tenancy reference number, which you can find on your rent statement.

We’ve made it even easier to access My Account - just go to the top of our Facebook page /bronafon and click on “Use App”.

Page 13

Fire safety Since the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower in London, we have been answering questions from residents who have fire safety worries.

Let’s do business!

All three of our high rise blocks have been fitted with sprinklers.

The products and systems we use meet all current British safety standards and fire safety requirements. External wall insulation isn’t 100% fire-resistant but the way it is enclosed between a masonry wall and cased in render means it meets all the building regulations and fire safety standards when fitted. This method means there is no cavity so oxygen, which is needed for anything to burn, can’t reach the insulation.

The Fire Service advises that the biggest danger of a fire starting is from inside your home. You can get a free home fire safety check by calling 0800 169 1234.

Here are some top tips from the Fire Service.

• Check your smoke alarm every week. The Fire Service promotes ‘Test It Tuesday’ to remind people to press the ‘test’ button.

• Make a fire action plan so that everyone in your house knows how to escape in the event of fire.

• Take care when cooking with hot oil and think about using oven chips.

• Never leave lit candles unattended.

• Ensure cigarettes are stubbed out and disposed of carefully.

• Never smoke in bed.

If you have any questions please email enquiries@bronafon.org.uk, message us on social media or call 01633 620 111.

Look out for our

fire safety roadshow this summer

From late July, we’ll be visiting our retirement housing schemes along with officers from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service to talk to residents about fire safety.

We’ll be covering topics such as reducing the risks of fire, our stay put policy, home contents insurance, Test it Tuesday, electrical safety, personal home safety check referrals and what to do if a fire breaks out.

For a full list of where we’ll be and when, have a look at our website: www.bronafon.org.uk

“You never think it’s going to happen to you” Carolanne Batty, 23, is a Bron Afon tenant from Cwmbran. A faulty grill caused a fire in her home.

She had just finished cooking when she noticed a burning smell. She opened the grill on her oven and huge flames shot out.

“My first thought was to grab my two children and I got out as fast as I could, then I dialled 999. The fire service turned up in minutes.

“Nearly everything in the kitchen was ruined - the ceiling had to be replaced and the

one in the living room had to be repainted because of smoke damage. It took me ages to get things clean.

“Staff from Bron Afon were really good.

They arranged for us to stay in a hotel for a week so that the damage could be assessed and the work could be done. We moved back in when we were told it was safe.

“It all happened so quickly and it was very scary but it could’ve been a lot worse. I was careful before but I’m much more cautious about fire safety now.”

Home contents insurance gives you peace of mind.

Page 14

Get £9,000 worth of cover for 90p per week (if you’re over 60, you can get £6,000 of cover for 60p per week). Email us at enquiries@bronafon.org.uk for an application pack.

Beautiful Southville What do you think is beautiful about where you live in Southville? Enter our photo competition and you could be in with a chance of winning a gift voucher.

All you have to do is take a photo of a building, flowers, trees, wildlife, bees or butterflies and share it on our Beautiful Southville Facebook page (just search for Beautiful Southville).

A panel of judges will pick the winning entries in September.

There are three age categories: 13 - 16, 16 - 25 and 25 and over Why not have a go and share what you like about where you live?

There’s lots of time to take your photos and upload them - the closing date is Friday 22 September.

You can use a mobile phone, tablet or any camera.

Three photos per person are allowed. Gift vouchers will be awarded to winners in each category.

Good luck!

By the time you read this, you may well have seen some Year 6 pupils from George Street Primary school selling some pretty awesome bird boxes in Pontypool Market.

It’s all to do with Enterprise Week, which is aimed at giving primary school children an understanding of the business world and how it links with their local community.

The pupils had to design, make and promote a product for selling to the public, so they came up with the idea of creating bird boxes.

Some of our staff were involved with the project, including Paul Williams, involvement officer, who gave the pupils a helping hand.

Paul said: “It was great working with Year 6’s enterprise group. It was nice to see them applying themselves with such enthusiasm to learn more about how businesses are run.”

Miss Barry, Year 6 teacher at George Street Primary school, said: “It has been a fantastic opportunity for the children to gain an insight into how a real business runs. They have developed and applied a wide range of skills and are very excited to sell their finished products on July 7th at Pontypool Market.”

Daisy Drinkwater, a Year 6 pupil at the school said: “I have really enjoyed the whole experience. I have particularly enjoyed using my ICT skills effectively to create a promotional video about our product.

Check out our Twitter handle @CaerphillyGSPri to view the video.”

The week rounds off with a special awards evening at Torfaen council.

Page 15

Just for leaseholders Fire safety Since the tragic event at Grenfell Tower, we have put information on our website relating to all of our properties that have external wall insulation. Please take a look at www.bronafon.org.uk. If you don’t have access to the internet, you can call us on 01633 620 111 and we’ll give you the information.

We’ve been working hard to make sure that where needed, doors in our blocks meet fire safety standards. Please look out for a calling card with further information.

Satisfaction Surveys We are keen to find out how effective our service is and how it can be improved, so we’ll be carrying out satisfaction surveys throughout the year. You’ll get them in the post, via email and on the phone, so please use the opportunity to let the team know what you think of the service and what experiences you’ve had, both good and bad. We are looking to put the survey on the website for you to access when you want to.

New service charge recovery process You’ll be aware that any service charges should be paid within 30 days of issue. If you don’t pay or if you haven’t made an arrangement with your leasehold officer within that 30 days, we will start a recovery process. We have shortened this process and the number of letters we usually send has been reduced but please be aware there is now a charge if we have to send you a recovery letter. There’s no charge for the first reminder letter but every letter after that will cost £30, which will be added to your service charge account. This change will not affect the majority of leaseholders who pay on time, or who make arrangements to pay with the Leasehold Team.

When you call us for the first time We’ll ask you to set up some security questions. This will enable us to verify who you are when you contact us in the future.

‘My Account’ and profiling ‘My Account’ allows you to check your annual service charge account, report block repairs and contact us online. It only takes two minutes to set up. You will need to contact the Leasehold Team, go through a few security questions and give your date of birth.

At the same time, the team will complete a profiling form for you. This will include noting your preferred method of communication, whether you would like to get involved with Bron Afon and making sure the details we have about you are correct. We can also send the profiling form to you by post and email for you to fill in and return to us.

July 2017 Bron Afon Community Housing Edition 28