Housing
Summer 2012
News and Views Star performance drives improvements More than four out of five (83%) tenants have told us that they are satisfied with the housing service we provide. We have now begun analysing the feedback sent in by over 4,700 of you as part of the Survey of Tenants and Residents (STAR) we sent you in January. The graph on the right breaks down how satisfied different resident groups feel. The survey results show a significant increase on satisfaction levels shown in the 2008 Status Survey. Nine out of ten tenants (89%) agreed that our staff are friendly and approachable. You also reported very high levels of trust in Dacorum Borough Council as your housing landlord. However, you showed us where improvements are needed:
General Needs Housing
86% (79%) Supported Housing
93% (89%)
Car parking and litter are a concern throughout the Borough. Satisfaction with repairs and maintenance is not as high as it could be, particularly when it comes to the time taken before the job is started and getting the repair ‘right first time’. Satisfaction with grounds maintenance (especially planted areas) is lower than with other areas of our service. You sometimes find it difficult to get hold of the right person to answer your queries. Car parking, litter and improved repairs form part of our Local Offers to you and so have already been identified as priorities. We will look into the other issues and let you know how we intend to address them in a future edition of
Leaseholders
71% (54%) Key: 2012 (2008) Satisfaction with Dacorum’s housing service overall
News and Views. We will be sharing our performance with other landlords to establish how our results compare. For a copy of the full results of the Dacorum 2012 STAR Survey please call 01442 228000 and ask for Tenant Involvement or email tenantinvolvement@dacorum.gov.uk
Calling all to the conference We are starting to prepare for this year’s annual Tenant and Leaseholder Conference – so please put Saturday 29 September in your diary. The conference gives you the opportunity to take part in workshops which explain more about the housing service, and put questions to managers face-to-face. It runs from 10am until 4pm and will be based at the Civic Centre in Hemel Hempstead. You’re welcome to stay for the whole day or just part of it. There will be refreshments and lunch, competitions and prizes plus children’s entertainment and activities.
Selina Burris or email tenantinvolvement@dacorum. gov.uk by Friday 13 July 2012.
We would like more tenants and leaseholders to help us organise the day so that you all get the most out of it. To have your say in what goes on, call 01442 228000 and ask for
If you would like to attend the conference, you can call Selina now and she will send you an invitation with full details nearer the event.
02 | News and views
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Keeping up appearances Do your communal flower beds need revamping? If so, let us know and we’ll see what we can do. We’ve been busy recently improving the planting on a number of estates. At Figtree Hill in Hemel Hempstead Old Town (picture inset) the shrub area was at the end of its life, so new young plants have now been planted and a weed-proof membrane with wood chippings placed on top. A small strip of land has been pebbled so that we can access the building for maintenance. New planting has also been carried out at Hetchleys (main picture) and Wood View in Gadebridge. To find out if similar improvements can be made in your area, call 01442 228000 and ask for the Estate Improvement Officer or email tenantinvolvement@dacorum.gov.uk
Communal areas feedback Over the last six months, housing staff and colleagues have spent a total of five whole weeks clearing personal items from the communal areas of flats that residents should have removed themselves. We want to make sure that access and escape routes are free from trip hazards should you and your family need to evacuate the building.
Keep clear Don’t clutter!
However, it is your responsibility to keep communal areas such as landings and stairwells clear – for your own safety and to reduce the time and rent money the Council spends clearing them. Residents living in flats with communal areas need to keep them completely clear of all belongings, including doormats, shoes and bikes. Items that have been found in the communal areas will be removed and residents will be charged to have their items returned. For more information on keeping landings clear please call 01442 228000 and ask for the Estate Improvement Officer.
Housing celebrates Animal Action Week We are hosting a week of events around the borough to celebrate Animal Action Week in July, offering free dog health checks and flea treatment, and free neutering vouchers for cats: Wednesday 4 July, 10am to 5pm
Queens Square, Adeyfield
Thursday 5 July, 10am to 5pm
Cowper Road Car Park, Boxmoor
Friday 6 July, 10am to 5pm
Rossgate shops, Gadebridge
Saturday 7 July, 10am to 5pm
Highfield Community Centre
Sunday 8 July, 10am to 4pm
Ashridge Visitor Centre
We have invited the RSPCA, PDSA, Cats Protection and Appledown Dog Rescue to join us – so there will also be loads of free advice on hand about caring for your pet. Tenants can bring their dog along to be microchipped for free. Please bring your rent statement/card for identification. (It’s only £10 for everyone else.) We are also drafting a new pet policy which will give you guidance on keeping animals in Council-owned properties. Please talk to us at the events if you have thoughts on this. See our website www.dacorum.gov.uk nearer the time for more details, or call Lindsey Walsh or Sarah Lewis on 01442 228000.
01442 228000 tenantinvolvement@dacorum.gov.uk
Ideas needed for community clean ups We are teaming up with tenants and local residents to run a series of Community Clean Up days at locations across the borough over the coming year. The aim is to tackle issues such as:
Street cleaning Removing graffiti Clearing weeds and ivy What else would you like to see us tackle – and where? All suggestions are welcome. The staff involved will all be
Behind the scenes Who are the people who make up Dacorum’s Housing Service? In this issue we meet Risk, Compliance and Health and Safety Officer Liz Hine. “I am relatively new to the Asset Team within Property and Place, having joined at the end of 2011. My previous roles have been in the private sector so social housing is a new challenge for me.
Fly tipping (dumping rubbish illegally)
Tidying up drying areas
News and views | 03
volunteering their time and we would like as many tenants and residents as possible to join us to make these days a success. Please call Simon Smith on 01442 228000 or email simon.smith@dacorum.gov.uk
Garages to let It now costs Council tenants just £8.50 each week (£10.20 for non-tenants) to hire one of our garages. Call Lettings on 01442 228000 to see if we have any near you. You can apply to rent a garage using the form on www.dacorum. gov.uk/garage or call us and we will post one to you. If you are a Council tenant you can pay by adding the cost to your weekly rent. Non tenants will need to pay by monthly direct debit. There is limited availability in Tring and Berkhamsted but it is possible to go on a waiting list for these areas.
“I look at a range of health and safety issues relating to the Council’s housing stock, acting as a point of contact for managers, tenants and staff. Health and safety legislation changes frequently so I support staff and contractors in keeping up-to-date and ensuring that the housing department is compliant. “I enjoy getting out and visiting our properties across the borough and am keen to meet representatives from similar organisations to share knowledge. Unfortunately health and safety can get a bad press, but by encouraging a positive, common sense approach at all levels I hope to remind people that health and safety is everyone’s responsibility.” You can call Liz on 01442 228000 or email elizabeth.hine@dacorum.gov.uk
Garage users – please be considerate In the nicer weather it’s good to get out and about more – but we’ve also been receiving more complaints about people who rent our garages. Householders have reported cars blocking the way by parking in front of garages and drivers working on vehicles on the forecourts. Other garages are underneath bedsits and noise can be particularly disturbing to the residents who live above. We would therefore like to ask all garage users to please be considerate of others.
04 | Tenants and Leaseholders Committee
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Keeping a close eye on housing By Stuart Parker and Mavis Cook The Tenants and Leaseholders Committee plays a vital role on the Housing and Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HCOSC), which guides and examines the policies and performance of the Council’s housing service. Two members from the Tenants and Leaseholders Committee represent the voice of tenants on the committee. Who are we? TLC members Stuart Parker and Mavis Cook, tenants from Tring and Hemel Hempstead. When did we join? We were co-opted to the HCOSC in 2011. Why were we co-opted? So that tenants are represented on a key committee of the Council that affects council tenants and leaseholders. Having tenant representatives present at HCOSC meetings provides the committee members with an instant response to questions posed about tenants, and Councillors hear an independent view. We are fully involved in HCOSC debates on all housing matters, reporting directly back to the TLC. This ensures transparency and keeps tenants’ interests at the heart of everything discussed. Being co-opted also lets us see how things are run at the Council and why
decisions are made. This knowledge is passed back to the other TLC members, and minutes of these meetings are published online for all tenants to see at www.dacorum.gov.uk This two-way communication aims to enhance the partnership between tenants, the Council and Councillors, so that tenants are actively involved as part of the decisionmaking processes. How often do we meet? Meetings are held approximately every four to six weeks, with a full agenda at each meeting. What areas have been looked at so far? Housing performance, the 2012/13 housing budget, hard standing for creating additional parking, tenant policy reviews, community alarm monitoring – and much more.
Getting advice on getting involved In April, Mavis Cook and Barry Stoker from the TLC, along with Jules Goodridge and Sue Prowse from the Tenant Involvement team, attended a Tenant Scrutiny in Practice conference called ‘Secrets of your success’ to pick up some hints and tips on setting up a tenant scrutiny panel. The conference was run by three of the leading organisations championing coregulation and tenant scrutiny: the Tenant Participation Advisory Service, Chartered Institute of Housing and HouseMark. Mavis said: “It was a really informative day and I’ve learnt lots about how other organisations are working to scrutinise their landlord services”, while Barry felt that “It was good to see that other organisations are in the same position we are – just starting the process.” If you are interested in getting involved, call Jules Goodridge on 01442 228000 or email her at tenantinvolvement@dacorum.gov.uk
What have we been scrutinising? Procurement for housing repairs and planned maintenance, implementing Choice Based Lettings, CCTV, analysing the move to self-financing, refurbishment and re-decoration of sheltered housing schemes, and the Housing Service Annual Report. The HCOSC in our opinion is managed and organised very well by the Chair, Cllr Janice Marshall, who has a broad and balanced view. The next HCOSC meeting is on Wednesday 18 July. Anyone is welcome to attend this public meeting at the Civic Centre in Hemel Hempstead at 7.30pm. If you want to speak about something on the agenda, just call Member Support on 01442 228000 first to let them know. The agenda is published the week before on www.dacorum.gov.uk
Contacting the TLC Please remember the TLC represents you, the tenants and resident leaseholders from all over Dacorum. To get in touch, email us at tlc@dacorum.gov.uk We promise to respond to all emails that are addressed to us. You can also write to us, in confidence, c/o: Tenant and Leaseholder Committee, Hemel Hempstead Civic Centre, Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 1HH.
01442 228000 tenantinvolvement@dacorum.gov.uk
Help and advice | 05
Struggling to pay your rent? If you’re thinking of going away this summer, please don’t forget to put money aside to pay your rent and Council Tax first – and keep yourself out of debt. If you are struggling, please remember that our Income Team are here to help. We can help you prioritise your existing debts, sort out your finances and, if necessary, arrange an individual payment plan to get you back on track. Income Team Leader Katie Kiely says: “It can be tempting to just pack your suitcase and get away for a while, but if you are having problems it’s important to face them. Please get in touch – and together we’ll work out a plan.”
Reduce your fuel bill without spending a penny We are looking at which of our properties would benefit from improved insulation to save you money on your fuel bills and make homes more comfortable.
A quarter of a house’s heat can be lost through an uninsulated roof. Insulating a loft is a simple and effective way to save waste and reduce heating bills. If you have a loft, please clear out any clutter
Citizens’ Advice Bureau or CAB Call 08444 111 444 from a landline or 0300 33 00 650 from a mobile Drop in to your local branches: the Civic Centre, 161 High Street, Berkhamsted, HP4 3HD; and Dacre House, 19 Hillfield Road, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 4AA. Please call for opening hours. Get advice from the CAB website www.adviceguide.org.uk Dacorum Borough Council Call 01442 228000 and ask for Housing Income Visit our website www.dacorum.gov.uk/dontforgettopay
Heads up on benefits system changes Major changes to the benefits system are planned for April 2013. These involve replacing means tested benefits and tax credits for working age people on a single benefit.
Thanks to a successful bid to get Government funding, we will be able to make these improvements at no cost to you. We have asked surveyors from Interglow to check if cavity walls have been insulated and, where appropriate, look at the amount of insulation in lofts. You will get a letter confirming when they are visiting and all representatives will carry identification. Please always ask to see this.
Useful contact details
The way you are paid for your housing costs will be affected. If it is considered that too few people live in your house for its size (that it is underoccupied), the amount you get paid will be reduced.
to enable us to lay insulation. Not all properties have cavity walls, but where they do, insulating the cavity keeps the warmth in and makes the property more energy efficient. Please contact Ricky Lang or Peter Farrier on 01442 228000 if you have any questions.
The way you receive benefit for Council Tax will also change. However, this will be phased in over several years, starting with new claims. We will do our best to guide you through these changes and will provide more information nearer the time. For help and advice on the current benefit system, call 01442 228000 or visit www.dacorum.gov.uk/benefits
06 | Children and young people
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Calling all children and young people Today’s children and teenagers may be our future tenants, so it’s important to us to know what they think about living in our homes. If you can spare a few minutes, we’d like to ask them some quick questions. Please bring them along to our Olympic Torch Event in the Marlowes on Sunday 8 July between 11am and 4pm and in return for completing a short survey they can have a free go on the fantastic Aqua Zone underwater simulator ride (pictured - minimum age five years). If you don’t want them to take part in the survey then they can still have a ride for just £2. All proceeds raised will be donated to Dacorum’s Olympic Legacy Fund.
Play area improvements Children will soon be seeing a difference to nine of our play areas, including: Jocketts Road, Chaulden Coronation Fields, Bennetts End Warners End Valley Lower, Warners End Hyde Lane, Bovingdon Lockers Park, Boxmoor Butts Meadow, Berkhamsted Miswell Lane, Tring Lagley Meadow, Berkhamsted Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead We are carrying out improvements this summer, such as installing new and servicing existing equipment, catering for wider age groups and improving safety surfacing. For more information contact Joe Guiton, Neighbourhood Action Team Leader, on 01442 228000 or email joe.guiton@dacorum.gov.uk
Re-ramp for Gadebridge skate park Are your children into skateboarding or BMXing? Gadebridge Skate Park is the place to go. Back in March, we refurbished the skate park in Gadebridge Park, strengthening and re-concreting the ramps. Since then, we’ve been working with a newly established skate park users’ group to make sure that we continue to make the improvements that the skaters and BMXers using the facility want to see. An impressive 138 local users gave us their feedback in a recent survey. Louis Smith, BMXer at Gadebridge Park and member of the user group said: “We’ve set up a group to have a say in what needs doing at the skate park and what we would like to see in the future. … All of us on the group are really into skating and BMXing and we want to see more people taking it up. We’ll be organising some skate-jams and BMX-jams for everyone to join in.” For more information about the group, please contact Robert Cassidy on 01442 228000.
01442 228000 tenantinvolvement@dacorum.gov.uk
Supported Housing | 07
Schemes wave the Jubliee flag Supported housing schemes across the borough held Jubilee celebrations over the June bank holiday weekend. To set the scene, we provided each scheme with a start up box of red, white and blue flags, bunting, balloons and table wear. Age Concern Dacorum, which runs active living clubs for residents, organised afternoon tea parties at Southernwood Close, Christopher Court, Phyllis Courtnage House and Gilbert Burnett House. Phyllis Courtnage residents also enjoyed watching the Coronation on a big screen and ended the afternoon with a group sing song. Other schemes joined up with
Above: Gilbert Burnett House gets festive Right: Doreen from Gilbert Burnett goes the extra mile
neighbours to celebrate, while residents at Mayflower Avenue booked a meal at The Midland pub to celebrate. Evelyn Sharp House and Field Road organised commemorative mugs, a tombola and a street party buffet.
On your marks, get set, grow! The fiercely contested annual Supported Housing gardening competition has an Olympic Games theme this year. There’s still time for last minute entries if you get your application form in quickly.
Wanted: Youth action entertainers Young people delighted residents of William Crook House in April (pictured) with music, singing and Irish dancing – and are now calling on others to join them. They were part of a group called Youth Action Entertainers who visit older people in supported accommodation across Dacorum to provide entertainment, serve refreshments and chat with the older residents. We are looking for more people, between 10 and 19 years old, to join. You don’t have to perform; we also need people to help organise. The group has been set up by Age Concern and Dacorum Borough Council. Call Susan Lea on 01442 228000 or email susan.lea@dacorum.gov.uk
There are two categories: supported housing schemes and individual tenants under the care of our Supported Housing service. Prizes will be awarded to the best three gardens in both categories. Gardens will be judged by a panel of members from the Tenants and Leaseholders Committee at the beginning of July and winners will feature in the next issue. To get an application form call 01442 228000 and ask for Supported Housing.
08 | Involving you
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Street Champions make a difference
Residents in Adeyfield have been showing how much their community means to them by donating their spare time to make a difference. 29 volunteers have registered as Street Champions, a scheme launched in April in Maylands Woods (pictured).
recycling were collected from Maylands Woods and we are making arrangements to remove the fly tipping that was found.
They have pledged to improve the area by reporting faults, looking after the environment and encouraging neighbours and friends to get more involved in community events and activities.
New volunteers are always welcome. To sign up or find out more please call Neighbourhood Action on 01442 228000 or email neighbourhood.action@dacorum.gov.uk
14 sacks of rubbish and six sacks of
Going walkabout in Grovehill The Local Area Walkabout around Grovehill back in March was a big success, bagging an unbelievable four tons of rubbish. Councillors Ann Ryan and Alexander Bhinder joined council staff and local residents, who responded after receiving a hand delivered invitation. Litter is an issue which residents bring up regularly, so a team of litter pickers also got stuck in. Other walkabouts which took place in Tring and Berkhamsted during May highlighted faults such as pot holes, blocked drains and road signs that need renewing. We will be working with colleagues at Hertfordshire County Council to tackle these. The dates and times of walkabouts in July will be publicised on www.dacorum.gov.uk/walkabouts, and on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/dacorum Please come and join us and improve your own local environment.
Estate improvements bids all granted In the last issue of News and Views we asked: how you would improve your area if we gave you some money? We received ten bids of up to £1,000 from the housing service’s new Estate Improvement Budget – and we were pleased to be able to grant each request. Sheila Stapleton from Florence Longman House (pictured with fellow resident Edward Matthews) asked for a new shed and a lawn mower to enable her and other green-fingered residents to look after the communal garden. Sheila wrote to us saying: “I just wanted to show my appreciation for the wonderful shed ... We are making very good use of it. The guy who took the old shed down and put the new one up was so very helpful. Once again thank you.” Would some new planters in your drying area or a new patio, bench or water butt benefit your local area? Have a think as we’re hoping to open up the fund again later this year. For more information and details of how to apply please call 01442 228000 and ask for the Estate Improvement Officer.
Your tenancy | 09
01442 228000 tenantinvolvement@dacorum.gov.uk
Time for tenancy agreement review We are updating the agreement which all tenants sign before getting the keys to their door.
How should tenancies be let in the future? How do you think we should grant tenancies to make the best use of homes in Dacorum? We have been considering how we will respond to changes brought in by the Government's Localism Act 2011 which requires us to create a tenancy strategy by January 2013. This needs to explain how different types of tenancies will be granted and clarify how they will be renewed. We have prepared a draft Strategic Tenancy Policy and we would like to hear your views on it. The Portfolio Holder for Housing, Councillor Margaret Griffiths, said: "These proposals do not affect existing tenants. Their rights are protected permanently. But we do need to be more flexible in how we allocate homes in the future to ensure they are more widely available to the next generation. This proposed new policy aims to get the right people in the right accommodation and set out the rules openly and fairly." "I hope that all parts of our community – tenants, owner occupiers and people already on the housing register – look at the proposals and let us know what they think."
The policy contains the following recommendations: Current tenants will not be affected by the proposed policy. You will be able to keep your existing tenancy length and conditions if you transfer to a new property. All new and re-let properties (except supported housing in sheltered schemes) will be let as five year fixedterm tenancies. There will be a presumption to renew a five year fixed-term tenancy if the household's circumstances do not change. Councillor Griffiths concluded: "We need to achieve a balance between ensuring that the housing is used by those who need it most while providing the level of stability that households need – particularly those with children." From July you can complete the consultation paper on our main website www.dacorum.gov.uk or on our housing register website www.movingwithdacorum.org.uk For more information call 01442 228000 and ask for Jack Burnham.
Since it was last reviewed in 1998, there have been many changes to the law and different types of tenancies can now also be granted. We need to have a document which sets out the complex conditions clearly both for tenants and staff to help us to manage our homes more effectively. At the ‘stop while you shop’ road show last December we asked tenants: 1. What is the one most important thing that you would want included in the new tenancy conditions? 2. What one thing do you consider is good about the current tenancy conditions? 3. What one thing would you change in the current tenancy conditions? The feedback we received was varied, ranging from tenants wanting stricter anti-social behaviour sanctions to having more security for family members to take over tenancies. Following on from this consultation, we have set up working groups made up of staff, residents and Councillors to discuss how these specific issues will be covered in the agreement: Repairs Anti-social behaviour Pets Consultation and estate management Rent Support services Legal issues We are now writing a draft Tenancy Agreement and will be asking for your feedback later in the autumn. Look out in the next issue of News and Views for more information.
10 | Repairs
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How are we performing? Reducing re-let times We want to keep you up-to-date with how the housing service is performing and will be putting the spotlight on a different area in each issue of News and Views. In this issue we are looking at how we manage our empty homes to get them ready to be re-let. When tenants move out of a property our repair teams work quickly to get it back up to standard. The faster we can do this, the sooner new tenants can move in. We are doing everything we can to keep the time that properties are empty to a minimum. The graph below compares re-let times over the last three years and shows the target we are aiming for next year.
Average number of days taken to re-let an empty home*
2009/10
39 days
2010/11
29 days
2011/12
28 days
2012/13
Target 25 days
*These figures relate to general needs accommodation
How are we reducing re-let times? As you can see we have already managed to significantly reduce the time taken to re-let empty homes. We have managed to achieve this by:
Pelham Court re-cladding We are replacing the external insulation system on the second block of Pelham Court in Leverstock Green (pictured). The insulation on the first block was replaced in 2006. The second block will be finished by the end of July.
Working together with tenants (represented by the Maintenance Focus Group) and staff from Apollo, MITIE and the Council to examine the process. Visiting the out-going tenants before they move to inspect the property and ensure they are aware what condition they need to leave it in. This means properties are now returned to us in a better condition. Providing a clearance service at a realistic price, should the tenant prefer us to carry out this work. Monitoring every stage of the process to minimise delays. Taking action immediately if tenants refuse to leave their property in an acceptable condition. Introducing the improved Standard for Letting Empty Homes which clarifies what needs to be done. Advertising properties earlier so that we can allocate them as soon as repairs are complete. Allowing new tenants to visit while repairs are still in progress to prepare for the move (where it is safe to do so). However, we have set ourselves an even lower target of 25 days by next year, so will be working hard to meet this.
Carillion engineer Neal Rutherford delivers the latest ÂŁ100 prize
Be gas safe, not sorry An explosion at a house in Gateshead in May which injured seven people was a stark reminder about the need to carry out regular gas safety checks. If you smell gas or are worried about gas safety, you can call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 at any time, day or night. Your call will not cost you anything. As your landlord, Dacorum Borough Council has a legal requirement to carry out a gas safety check on any Councilowned gas installation or appliance in your home. This must be carried out every year by a qualified gas safety engineer. We have appointed Carillion Energy Services (previously known as AFR) to do this on a ten-monthly cycle. Carillion will send you a letter to let you know when your service is due. When you receive your letter, please contact them as soon as possible to confirm or re-arrange your appointment as necessary. All tenants who help us to carry out the check first time are entered into a monthly prize draw to win ÂŁ100. For terms and conditions call 01442 228000 and ask for Pat Coles.
01442 228000 tenantinvolvement@dacorum.gov.uk
Repairs | 11
Apollo meets Keepmoat In late March, our planned maintenance contractor Apollo merged with the Keepmoat Group of companies. From now on it will be known as Keepmoat.
Scouting for a new apprentice We are working with Apollo to recruit another apprentice who will become an asset to our partnership. In May, managers and directors from Apollo and Dacorum’s housing team, and the Scout group Chairman Peter Collins, helped trainees (pictured) to renovate the Scout hut in Potten End as part of the Kick-Start programme. Nine NVQ construction students applied to take part in the scheme, gaining hands on experience in basic construction skills as well as learning about team working, CV and interview skills and health and safety awareness. The trainees will now be interviewed for the one apprentice position which will be based in Dacorum. Their participation during the training programme and input during the work experience will also be taken into account.
Age Concern gets a helping hand Our repairs contractor MITIE has been helping Age Concern collect and dispose of large unwanted items such as cookers and armchairs from elderly residents’ homes in Dacorum. Maria McKenna, MITIE’s Dacorum Residents Liaison Officer, has also joined Age Concern’s Befriending Scheme. She will be matched up with an elderly resident and then visiting their home once or twice a week. If you’d like to join the Befriending Scheme, call Age Concern Dacorum on 01442 259049 or email admin@ageconcerndacorum.org.uk Maria has a weekly repairs hot desk at Hemel Hempstead Civic Centre every Thursday from 9.30am to 1pm where you can drop in and talk to her about your repairs.
But nothing is changing overnight. The existing contract between Apollo and Dacorum Borough Council will be completed and letters and staff identity badges will remain with Apollo logos for the time being. If you are concerned at all about the identity of a repairs worker, please call 01442 228000 and ask for Housing.
Heating repairs reminder A quick reminder that during the warmer months (1 May to 31 October) we aim to carry out heating and hot water repairs within three to seven working days. In exceptional circumstances (such as a vulnerable person returning from hospital) we try to carry out repairs faster. During the colder months (1 November to 30 April) heating and hot water repairs will normally be carried out within one working day. More details about when we carry out repairs can be found in your Tenants’ Handbook.
12 | News and views
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Register to vote
Summer Digest out now
This summer we’re asking every household in Dacorum to update their details on the electoral register. Although we normally update the register in the autumn, we are doing it earlier this year to prepare for the Police and Crime Commissioner election being held in November.
Have you read the latest Dacorum Digest, our quarterly residents’ magazine? This issue includes:
You’ll receive a form by the end of June, which includes the names of the electors who are registered at your address. If there are no changes to the information on the form you can confirm your details quickly and easily using our automated text, free phone or internet service. If there are any changes to your details simply amend the form, sign it and return it to the Council in the prepaid envelope.
For more information call 01442 228000 and ask for Electoral Services, email elect-reg@dacorum. gov.uk or visit www.dacorum.gov.uk/registertovote
A message from your local fire service Get free advice and a free home fire safety check from your local fire and rescue service. This can help you and others to get out quickly and safely if a fire does break out. To arrange for your free home fire safety check, and free smoke detectors fitted where necessary, please phone 0300 123 4046 or go on line at www.hertsdirect.org/fire
Contact us... If you would like more information, want to give us some feedback or would like this issue in another format such as large print, audio tape or in another language, please call 01442 228000 and say the name of the person you want to speak to or simply ask for Housing or Tenant Involvement. You can also email us on tenantinvolvement@dacorum.gov.uk or visit www.dacorum.gov.uk Textphone users please call 01442 228656. Find us on facebook and twitter.
A whole programme of events to mark the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. Your latest copy of the Dacorum Card Directory, with full details of where you can get discounts. Details on how you can now recycle more of your plastics. You should have received a copy through your door by now, but you can also read it online at www.dacorum.gov.uk/digest, read it at your local library or pick up a copy from our civic centres.
ASB feedback Have you contacted us recently to report anti-social behaviour? We’d like to know how your complaint was dealt with. If you haven’t already filled one in, please ask us for a satisfaction survey. Contact Tracy Vause on 01442 228000 or email tracy.vause@dacorum.gov.uk Of the 11 surveys returned between January to March this year, eight people said they were satisfied or very satisfied. We are using the feedback to help us improve our service further. The Council is signed up to the Respect ASB Charter for Housing, demonstrating our commitment to tackle this serious issue.