Our Voice - Autumn 2018

LONGHURST GROUP CUSTOMER MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2018

INSIDE… HOW EMPLOYMENT ADVISOR CHANGED MY LIFE GARDEN COMPETITION WINNER IS CROWNED CUSTOMER SURVEY RESULTS REVEALED

CUSTOMERS COME TOGETHER FOR COMMUNITY DAY Customers in Derby enjoyed some summer fun at their very own community event. Read more on page 7.

In the picture…

Our gardening competition - more on page 18–19

CONTENTS In this issue…

4–5 6–7 8–9 10–12 12–13 14–15 16–17 18–19 Back

News from around Longhurst Group Around our way A Day in the Life...

Customer Survey results Health and Wellbeing Money talk Around our way Get involved Competition Time

 longhurstgroup.org.uk  /FriendshipCandH /LandHHomes /spirehomes  @longhurstgroup @AxiomInvolved  communications@longhurst-group.org.uk

LONGHURST GROUP CUSTOMER MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2018

HELLO and welcome to the autumn edition of Our Voice – Longhurst Group’s customer magazine.

As ever, whether you’re an Axiom, Friendship Care and Housing, Spire Homes or Longhurst and Havelock Homes customer, there’s something for everyone in the latest edition of the magazine.

Once again, we’ve got plenty of news and stories to share with you from across the Group, including our involvement in a new ITN film looking at how we’re helping to fix the country’s housing crisis, a fun-filled community day on one of our estates in Derby and details of Axiom’s new phone line for customers.

In the latest in our popular ‘Day in the Life’ series, we join one of our Neighbourhood Impact Assistants, Maurice Hegarty, on a typically varied working day to get an insight into his unique role and the work he does to deliver a fantastic service to customers on the Beechdale estate in Walsall.

After launching our gardening competition in the summer edition, we were delighted to receive photographs of your blooming marvellous gardens, so thank you to everyone who entered!

Turn to pages 18-19 to see who our panel picked as the lucky winners.

Elsewhere in this edition, we also sit down for a chat with Angie Noble, one of our brilliant Money Advisors, who is here to help you with your money worries and get the latest top tips from our fantastic Employment and Training Advisor Rob Friday.

As well as all that, we’re happy to share with you the results of our first ever Group-wide customer satisfaction survey. Overall, we’re satisfied with the results, but we know that there are areas that we need to improve in and the article details how we plan to do it.

I hope you enjoy the magazine and we look forward to bringing you the next edition later in the year.

Matt Dannatt

4. NEWS

WORK BEGINS ON STATE OF THE ART CAMBRIDGESHIRE CARE SCHEME IN WHITTLESEY The development has received Work has begun on our state-of-theart £9.3million care complex for the support from Cambridgeshire County Council, Fenland District Council and elderly in Cambridgeshire.

Homes England, which has provided Due for completion in October 2019, £3.6m of funding.

The start of work at the site was Willow Court, delivered by Peterboroughbased Axiom Housing Association – part celebrated with a sod-cutting event, of Longhurst Group – and builders attended by key figures from Longhurst Lindum Group, will provide 60 new Extra Group, Lindum and Axiom as well as Care apartments for rent in the town of local councillors, dignitaries and care providers.

Whittlesey.

Speaking at the event, Louise Platt, We operate a number of similar Extra Care schemes across the Midlands and Longhurst Group’s Executive Director East of England, which combine high- of Care and Business Partnerships, said: quality, modern accommodation with “Willow Court will significantly improve an on-site provision of tailored care and the lives of elderly people in the local support, enabling customers to maintain community, one in seven of whom are currently struggling to access the social their independence.

When finished, Willow Court will offer care that they need because of their rural 47 one-bedroom apartments and 13 location and the lack of this kind of facility.

“It’s an ambitious project of 60 two-bedroom properties as well as a residents’ lounge, restaurant, hair salon apartments, but the key criteria is that it and therapy room, micro-shop and will be affordable. It will be a fully-rented scheme, which is becoming a rarer communal gardens.

commodity in today’s market, and I think it’s going to be a real asset to the area.

“There has been a lot of determination and commitment from all partners to get to this point because there have been many challenges along the way.

“It’s a testament to the strength of the relationships that Longhurst Group and Axiom have – particularly in this region – that we’re able to get to that stage.”

Stephen Wenham, Chair of Longhurst Group’s Homes Board, added: “This is an excellent example of strong partnership working, at its most effective. I’ve always believed that you can achieve more together and this is the proof of it, so full congratulations to everyone involved in this project.

“This particular development is needed in the area and the local demographic.

Willow Court absolutely demonstrates how Longhurst Group, as one team with one vision, works together to improve the lives of our customers.”

NEWS .5

ITN Productions’ Natasha Kaplinsky presents the film, which has been produced in partnership with the Chartered Insitute of Housing.

Mick Papworth, managing director of Lindum, also spoke of his delight at starting work on the project.

He said: “We are delighted to once again be working with longstanding clients Longhurst Group and Axiom on this project, which is just seven miles from our office on the Lindum Business Park.

“Our team worked with the clients to manage the final design of the development and the planning process, meaning we were able to ensure it remained in budget, despite rising inflation.

“As a local construction company, it is satisfying to work on a development which will provide much-needed care facilities for vulnerable members of our community.”

Local dignitaries have welcomed the new development, hailing the scheme as ‘much-needed’ in the region.

Mayor of Whittlesey, Councillor Julie Windle, said: “I’m delighted to see the start of work at this development – I know it’s taken a while and a lot of hard work from all involved to get to this stage but it’s a very exciting development for the town of Whittlesey.

“It is something that is much-needed in the local area and to see how everyone has come together to bring this to fruition is fantastic.

“It probably won’t be completed during my time as Mayor, but as a local resident, I look forward to seeing it finished and open.”

HOW LONGHURST GROUP IS HELPING TO TACKLE THE HOUSING CRISIS Longhurst Group is proud to have worked with the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and ITN Productions on ‘Solving the Housing Crisis’; a film that explores the issues around the housing crisis and features the organisations, people and communities that are tackling the problem.

housing ladder, people living in the private rented sector are having to put up with sub-standard housing, we know people are on waiting lists for social housing, and, of course, the worst manifestation is rough sleeping and people being forced onto the streets.

“There’s no doubt that Housing Associations have a vital role in helping us solve this crisis.”

Longhurst Group Chief Executive, Julie Doyle, added: “It’s really important that we play our part in solving the housing crisis.

“We’ve got really ambitious, but realistic development programmes and I have every confidence that we will provide thousands of new homes over the next few years.

“But of course, it’s much more important than just providing homes for people; it’s about providing the support, it’s about providing the care and doing everything that we can as an organisation to improve people’s lives.”

As well as being part of a 20-minute film that displays the great work being done by housing associations and other organisations across the sector, we worked with ITN Productions to tell our story.

Our film shows how Longhurst Group is helping to tackle the housing crisis by developing more homes, showing commitment to our communities, providing quality care and support and improving the lives of our customers.

Speaking in the video, Terrie Alafat, Chief Executive for the CIH, said: “I think it’s worth recognising just how big a challenge we have now in this country in terms of housing and that challenge is having a personal effect To watch the full programme visit, on so many people’s lives.  http://www.cih.org/ “Young people can’t get on the  https://youtu.be/GGlPsw1GcrE

6. AROUND OUR WAY

Streamlined call handling system for Axiom customers As part of our continued commitment to providing the best possible service to our customers, Axiom has replaced its three existing telephone numbers with a single 0300 number.

This number -0300 123 7598is part of an improved call handling system that will help us manage your calls more effectively, improve how quickly we can respond and enhance the customer experience.

You now only need to use one number when contacting us.

From this number, you are able to choose from three options, depending on whether your call relates to repairs, income or a general enquiry.

If your call is about rent, then our dedicated Income Team can deal with your enquiry and, from this number, you will also be able to use our automated system to pay your rent, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To help us continue to improve our service, we will also be able to record and listen to calls for training and monitoring purposes.

The system will also bring added benefits in the future, and we plan to set up a new web chat facility in the coming months.

Of course, you can also continue to contact us via our website which features links to all of our social media channels and other contact details.

WHETHER IT’S OVER THE PHONE OR IN PERSON, WE’RE HERE TO HELP! The hours that you can contact any of our member companies over the phone have now been made consistent across Longhurst Group.

Whether you’re a customer of Axiom, Spire, Friendship Care and Housing (FCH) or Longhurst & Havelok (L&H) Homes, you can call us between 8:30am and 5pm Monday to Friday.

We’re also delighted to announce that, in November, we will be opening a reception service at our L&H offices in Lincoln. More details will follow soon.

The new reception will be open from 9:30am to 1pm on weekdays – except on Wednesdays, when it will be open from 10am to 1pm.

Receptions at Axiom’s head offices in Peterborough and Spire’s offices in Oakham have also changed their opening hours.

For more information on opening times and our offices please visit: ¬¬ longhurst-group.org.uk/contact-us

Our reception opening hours across the Group are: Axiom Axiom House (Peterborough):  9am–5pm, Mon–Fri FCH Newhall Hill (Birmingham)  9am–5pm, Mon–Fri Beechdale (Walsall)  9am–1pm, Mon–Fri L&H Boston  9am–5pm, Mon–Fri Lincoln (opens in November)  9:30am–1pm, Mon, Tue, Thu and Fri. 10am–1pm on Wed. Spire Homes Crown Way (Rushden)  9am–5pm, Mon–Fri Oakham  9:30am–1pm, Mon, Tue, Thu and Fri. 10am–1pm on Wed.

AROUND OUR WAY .7

CREWTON WAY COMES TOGETHER AT FUN-FILLED COMMUNITY DAY There were plenty of smiles in the sunshine at a community event organised by Longhurst & Havelok Homes for customers living on the Crewton Way estate in Derby.

Organised by Housing Officers Jade Fearn and Alex Lee, the event gave customers of all ages the chance to try their hand at a range of arts and craft activities, take in guided tours of a police van and a fire engine, or simply have some fun on the bouncy castle!

The event, which was held at Crewton Way’s Community Room, formed part of Jade and Alex’s work to improve the estate and bring customers together.

Alex explained: “We wanted to put on an event for the whole community to enjoy. There are lots of families on the estate and we wanted to bring everyone together through an event that everyone could enjoy and that would help build community spirit.”

Jade added: “We put up a bouncy castle and games outside and then had

some arts and crafts activities inside the community room. We’re also really grateful to the fire brigade and the police for coming along with their fire engine and police van for the kids to have a look around.

“The event went really well and everyone had a great day. The sunshine definitely helped and it was great to see the smiles on the children’s faces. They were happy and that’s the main thing!”

Following the success of the Community Day, Alex and Jade said that they hope to explore the possibility of working with customers to help them host their own activities at the community room in the future.

Jade continued: “The community room has been closed for a while and that is a shame. We’ve come on board as the new housing officers for the area and we want to change that.

“We think that the community room is a great resource for the estate and we want to make the most of it to ensure that everyone is involved and benefits from it.

“It’s all part of our work, in conjunction with the Neighbourhood Impact Assistants, to try and make this estate a great place for people to live.

“Alex and myself have been out litter picking – sometimes with help from customers – tackling any incidents of flytipping and we’re also currently looking at getting some CCTV for the area.

“For us, it’s about working with the local community to make it a better place to live. We know that there have been issues in the past, but we’re going to work hard, with the residents, to change it for the better.”

Alex added: “We want this estate to be somewhere where people are proud to live, and, by working with the community, we’re confident it will be.”

The Community Day also saw the presentation of a Playstation 4, kindly donated by Longhurst Group’s repairs contractor, Wates Living Space. The console will be made available at the community room for customers to enjoy.

8. A DAY IN THE LIFE

It’s all about keeping our customers safe and their homes in the excellent condition that they should be.

Maurice Hegarty, Housing Officer, Longhurst Group

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

A NEIGHBOURHOOD IMPACT ASSISTANT For almost four years, Maurice Hegarty worked as Neighbourhood Impact Assistant (NIA) on the Beechdale Estate in Walsall, responsible for delivering an excellent service to the estate’s 1,246 homes and over 1,600 customers.

Recently, Maurice has switched roles to become a Housing Officer, but before he handed over the reins to the estate’s new NIA, Stuart Green, we asked him to keep a diary of a typical day, to get an insight into the varied role and understand the lengths he would go to, to help improve the lives of our customers.

the day by checking my diary and taking note of the day’s appointments.

As ever, it looks like another busy day in store! Another element of getting prepped for the day ahead is printing off the rent statements and tenancy forms for the visits that I have booked in. Before heading out, I also check to see if there are any other issues for me to address throughout the day. These could be anything from incidents of flytipping, unauthorised encampments or damage to Friendship Care and Housing property. I plan these in around my existing diary commitments and get ready to head out for the day.

 9am-10am: After getting into the office, I switch on the laptop and start

 10am–11am It’s time for my first ‘6-8 week visit’ of the day. While they are

initially an opportunity to check that the customer is actually living in the property, these visits also help us to ensure that they have settled well into their new home. It is also a chance for us to go through their rent account with them and have a chat if they’re in arrears. I have a chat with the customer to see how they’re getting on in the first couple of months of their tenancy.

They seem to be happy and settling in well, with no problems so far. If there had been any issues with their rent account, I might have referred them to one of our Money Advisors, who may be able to help find the support they need. While I’m there, I double-check that the customers haven’t made any unauthorised alterations to the property – which thankfully they haven’t – so I’m soon on my way.

A DAY IN THE LIFE .9

 11am–12:30pm Another element of the NIA role is to undertake routine estate inspections, in essence, to check that everything is as it should be and report back on any issues. I spend the next part of my day taking a look around different areas of the estate, identifying and reporting any areas of concern to the relevant department or team. I also check back on the system to see if any additional jobs have come in throughout the morning that require immediate action, such as dealing with low-level Anti-Social Behaviour like noise nuisance.  1pm–2pm After a busy morning, it’s time to break for lunch, so I grab a quick bite to eat before getting ready to take on the rest of the day.  2pm-3pm The next job on the list is a block inspection. These visits help us to monitor any maintenance work that may be required and generally keep on top of the blocks – or flats – to ensure that they are as they should be. During this visit, I check that the pathways and guttering are all in good condition, and take notes of any work required to the outside of the building before heading inside to take a look around the internal communal areas. This is to make sure that they are free from anything that could represent a fire hazard or create an obstacle in the event of an emergency.

It’s all about keeping our customers safe and their homes in the condition that they should be.  3pm-4pm Stuart – who’ll soon be taking over from me – accompanies me for the next job, which is to investigate some reports of white goods – officially referred to as waste electrical and electronic equipment, or WEEE for short. As part of the handover process, Stuart is gradually taking the lead with

some issues and has already taken over handling new cases of fly-tipping.

Removing white goods that have been dumped is difficult because contractors require a specific licence, so in this case, we have to use Walsall Council.

We make them aware and arrange for the removal. For other fly-tipping, we usually photograph the waste, get a quote for the removal and then arrange as required. I’d encourage anyone who spots any fly-tipping around the estate to report it to us so that we can take action.  4pm-5pm I round off the day by updating any file notes that I’ve taken throughout the day on the computer system to ensure that all our records are complete. It’s also a chance to have another chat with Stuart. I’ve been involved with his training ahead of him taking over the NIA role and he’s shadowed me on occasions while I’ve been out and about.He’s well-suited to the job and will serve the estate well.

I wish him all the best in his new role as I look forward to a new challenge in mine.

What is a Neighbourhood Impact Assistant (NIA)?

Our Neighbourhood Impact Assistants provide a visible service on our estates; delivering excellent customer service within our communities and neighbourhoods.

The main purpose of their job is to support and promote safer, cleaner estates by proactively resolving anti-social behaviour, neighbourhood disputes and environmental crime.

They act as the point of contact for customer enquiries regarding estate management and general housing enquiries.

Stuart Green

NIAs carry out regular estate inspections; identifying and reporting areas of concern and also help to improve the physical condition of their local environment by ensuring that they are well maintained.

10. CUSTOMER SURVEY RESULTS

WE ASKED, YOU ANSWERED – YOUR CUSTOMER SURVEY RESULTS REVEALED THE QUALITY OF YOUR HOME

80%

THE SURVEY In total, 21% of general needs customers shared their views with us when asked, while 27% of those living in supported housing responded. Our leasehold customers took part in a separate, dedicated survey.

Over three-quarters of people that responded (78%) told us that they were satisfied with the overall service we provide.

A video, with a full breakdown of the statistics from the survey and our response is now available on our website at  www.longhurst-group.org.uk

WHAT MATTERS TO YOU LOOKING at the survey, we can see that the most important factors for our customers are how we deal with enquiries and the quality of the repairs service.

In total 71% of customers were satisfied with the repairs and maintenance service.

While this figure is okay, we recognise that things need to improve. We know just how important the repairs service is to our customers so ‘okay’ needs to become ‘excellent’.

We have done a lot of work to find out that you’d like: `` Improved communication from the contractor `` Fewer cancelled appointments `` More first-time fix repairs `` Better customer service `` The ability to easily report repairs online.

We have used this feedback to shape the new service and to help us choose Wates Living Space as our appointed contractor.

It’s still early days and we are aware that more hard work will be needed to ensure the new repairs service provided by Wates reaches the standard that we want, but good progress is certainly being made.

Here are some examples of the improvements we have already made: `` Text message confirmation and reminders of appointments made `` The ability to report routine repairs online `` Improved monitoring of calls `` More customer feedback collected.

COMING SOON...

We know that we need to improve our heating repairs service, particularly the customer service you receive and the way our contractor communicates with you about it. Over the next six months, reviewing and improving this service will be a major priority for us. We will keep you up-to-date with any changes and improvements.

We are pleased that 80% of you are satisfied with the quality of your home.

Over the next five years, we will continue to improve our homes through a planned programme of work.

We will also spend millions on new kitchens, bathrooms and heating installations.

The stock condition surveys we have already carried out will help us to decide where to prioritise this investment.

YOUR ENQUIRIES

75% Around 75% of you were satisfied with the way we deal with enquiries. We believe 75% we are doing okay, but know that we need to aim higher. You told us that we need to be more responsive and that the customer service our contractors provide needs to improve.

You also told us that our online services work well but that you would like to be able to do more digitally. As a result, we have launched our new online portal for repairs.

In due course, we will publish a new ‘Services Offer’, which will detail the service standards you can expect from us across all of our services.

CUSTOMER SURVEY RESULTS .11

VALUE FOR MONEY

76% Just over three-quarters (76%) of the customers surveyed were satisfied with the value for money they receive for the rent that they pay.

These results are good but we recognise we need to do more.

GROUNDS MAINTENANCE SERVICE We have recently appointed officers who will be responsible for monitoring our grounds maintenance contracts. We are reviewing our specifications for each contract to make sure that all areas requiring maintenance are included. We have also improved our specification to include more ‘cut and collect’ grass cutting. We will continue to use your feedback to help us monitor the performance of the contractor.

YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD

75% Three-quarters (75%) of you are satisfied with your neighbourhood as a place to live.

However, you’ve said you want us to deal with neighbour nuisance better.

In response, we have introduced a new antisocial behaviour process and will be monitoring it closely.

We have also launched our new Estate Champion scheme to get your feedback on the grounds maintenance. We will let you know the results in due course.

WHAT WE WILL DO NEXT `` We will produce and publish our first Group-wide Service Offer.

This will include our service standards across the different services we provide `` Further communication about our grounds maintenance and cleaning service to let you know what it does and does not include. `` Tell you more about our antisocial behaviour service and how to report incidents of ASB.

We will also train our Customer Services team so they can deal with more of these enquiries while you are on the phone. `` Fully launch our new estate champion feedback scheme so it covers both the grounds maintenance and cleaning service. This will provide regular feedback that we can use to monitor our contractors. We will tell you what the results are and how we will use the feedback to improve the service.

EXTRA QUESTIONS ASKED JUST FOR SHELTERED HOUSING CUSTOMERS To help gain feedback on our more tailored services to our customers who live in older persons accommodation we asked questions about the lifeline call system and grounds maintenance service.

• 78% of sheltered customers were satisfied with the lifeline call system • 56% of sheltered customers were satisfied with the grounds maintenance of communal areas

12. CUSTOMER SURVEY RESULTS

SUMMARY OF RESULTS 80%

EXTRA QUESTIONS ASKED JUST FOR CUSTOMERS LIVING IN SUPPORTED HOUSING •

•

90% (90 out of every 100 customers) are happy with the overall service provided by their support worker 85% are happy with the help received to reach goals in their support plan

We are really pleased with these results, so thank you for your feedback.

of you are satisfied with the quality of your home

76%

71%

satisfied with value for money for rent

Satisfied with the repairs and maintenance serivce

78% 75%

75% satisfied with the way we handle queries

SATISFACTION WITH OVERALL SERVICE PROVIDED

of you are satisfied with your neighbourhood as a place to live

YOUR PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE

1

Energy efficiency of homes

2 3

Improving the repairs service

Building more homes in our communities

HEALTH AND WELLBEING .13

It will allow us to offer a place to stay for more people, whilst they work with us and the council, to move off the streets.

Fay Moore, Head of Supported Housing, Axiom

AXIOM TO INCREASE HOMELESS PROVISION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CITY COUNCIL Peterborough-based Axiom Housing Association is to expand its work to help rough sleepers off the streets as part of the city council’s plan to tackle homelessness.

Axiom’s Severe Weather Emergency Provision (SWEP) was among the initiatives included in Peterborough City Council’s bid to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to secure £285,000 worth of funding to support the delivery of the authority’s Homelessness Reduction Strategy.

It will see Axiom – which manages more than 2,000 homes and care and support services across Peterborough, East Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire and Fenland – expand the SWEP service, which currently offers shelter for homeless individuals at its Fair View Court supported housing project during periods of cold weather.

At the start of this year, due to an increase in rough sleepers and the periods of prolonged severe wintry weather, the shelter was regularly at capacity, meaning even more vulnerable people were helped off the streets and offered an escape from the sub-zero temperatures.

However, having been approached by the local authority, Axiom will now be adopting a year-round approach

to Emergency Provision throughout 2018/19, rather than only during periods of severe weather.

Fay Moore, Head of Supported Housing at Axiom, said: “We were pleased to be approached by Peterborough City Council to expand our Emergency Provision for rough sleepers in the city.

“The Severe Weather Emergency Provision has grown in recent years and it’s pleasing to see this being recognised within the funding bid.

“It will allow us to offer a place to stay for more people, whilst they work with us and the council, to move off the streets.

“The team work very hard to run this additional service and are dedicated to reducing homelessness in the city.

“I am very proud of them and would like to thank them for all their hard work.”

Peterborough City councillor Irene Walsh, cabinet member for communities, added: “We have worked hard to secure extra funding and are pleased that the government has recognised our bid.

“This extra funding will make a significant difference to positive work already underway with partners across the city, and will support the delivery of our new Homelessness Reduction Strategy which was approved by full council last month.”

Supporting Fire Door Safety Week We are proud to be supporting Fire Door Safety Week.

As a leading housing association with over 40,000 customers and 23,000 homes we are committed to fire safety.

To show our support for the initiative, throughout Fire Door Safety Week, we will be sharing key facts about Fire Door safety and promoting some top fire safety tips.

Even if your property does not have fire doors installed, these tips and facts will still be applicable and help to ensure that you stay safe in your home.

For more information on Fire Door Safety Week, visit www. firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk

My Account My Account is the quick and easy way to manage your tenancy online.

It’s secure, free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Here are just a few of the things you can do with My Account: `` View your rent statement `` View your personal details `` Pay your rent (using Allpay) `` Report a repair To log on, visit your landlord’s website and follow the My Account link.

My Account will be launched to Axiom customers in early 2019.

14. MONEY TALK

GET TO KNOW: AXIOM’S MONEY ADVISOR, ANGIE NOBLE We caught up with Longhurst Group’s Money Advisor Angie Noble, who helps Axiom customers manage their money, to learn more about her role…

Q – How long have you been a money advisor?

A – I’ve been in this role for 12 years.

Previously I worked in supported housing. In total, I’ve been with Axiom for 14 years in August.

Q – Could you explain your job and how you help customers?

A – Put simply, I’m here to help people with their money. This includes benefit checks to make sure people are receiving what they are entitled to and if they’re not, assisting them to make claims.

Sometimes, I make referrals to other services, such as debt advice, social services and occupational therapy.

The majority of my work is around Housing Benefit or the impact of Universal Credit as this relates to customers’ rent.

Q – What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

A – Definitely being able to help people. It’s very rewarding when I see a customer who was in financial trouble get themselves sorted.

I am aware that not everyone is entitled to more money. Often my role is simply to explain how benefits work, signpost to other services for support, or helping with budgeting.

However, I am only part of a bigger jigsaw; I believe that people need to be listened to as well as helped.

Q – Is there a highlight that you are particularly proud of?

A – A customer came to me when her husband left her and her five children.

Her only income was Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for one of her children.

We managed to get her awarded Child Benefit, Child Tax Credits, Housing Benefit and maintenance. She found part-time work, so then began receiving Working Tax Credits and had her Housing Benefit

amended. In total, she gained £31,699 in benefits for the year. This was very rewarding as the customer had absolutely nothing when she first came to see me and due to English not being her first language, we had a number of issues to overcome in getting benefits awarded.

I’m happy to say that she is now working and getting on with her life.

Q – What would be your advice to customers who are struggling financially?

A – Talk to myself – or the relevant money advisor for your landlord – and see if there is any extra help available.

There is support out there Q - How do customers get in touch with you for help?

Axiom customers can call me on 01733 347135, or email BenefitsAdvisor@ longhurst-group.org.uk.

All of the member companies now have their own money advisors, see the facing page for more details.

MONEY TALK .15

MEET OUR OTHER MARVELLOUS MONEY ADVISORS! ALL of the member companies now have their own money advisor, who are here to help YOU if you’re struggling with your finances.

In addition to Angie, we have Pam Malhi, who is based in Birmingham and works with customers of Friendship Care and Housing, while Steve Thomas, at our Rushden office, is here to help Spire Homes customers.

Longhurst and Havelok Homes’ money advisor Stuart Dearden is the newest member of the team and is based at our offices in Boston, Lincolnshire.

Licensed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), our money advice service exists to support customers and always has their best interests at heart.

Angie, Pam, Steve and Stuart can find out if you are under-claiming benefits, provide support with dealing with your debts, discover additional support and provide help with budgeting.

Depending on your circumstances, they will be happy to visit you at home, speak to you over the phone, or arrange for you to visit one of our offices.

If you feel you are in need of their help, simply call them on the numbers below.

Friendship Care and Housing 0300 123 1745 Spire Homes 0300 123 6611 L&H 0800 111 4013

Stuart Dearden

Paramijt ‘Pam’ Malhi Award-winning Pam is the reigning Housing Professional of the Year after being crowned at last year’s 24Housing Awards.

She was recognised for helping our customers to save or reclaim a total of almost £300,000 between 2016 and 2017.

The newest addition to our team of Money Advisors, Stuart has been busy helping customers across his regional area to manage their money better and ensure that they’re receiving the benefits they’re entitled to.

Steve Thomas Known affectionately by his colleagues as ‘The Money Man’, Steve has an encyclopaedic knowledge of benefit entitlements, built up over more than 20 years in the field. He was shortlisted at the 2017 24housing Awards in recognition of securing almost £90,000 of additional benefits in one year.

16. JUST THE JOB

DWAYNE’S WORLD HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED THANKS TO ADVISOR WHEN Dwayne Hadland needed help to turn his life around, our Employment and Training Advisor Rob Friday was there.

This is his story…

“Four years ago, I moved to the Beechdale area in Walsall. I was a recovering alcoholic at the time and I was looking for help.

One day, I was in the Friendship Care and Housing offices trying to sort out arrangements for a house and my benefits. I explained to the staff that I wanted to get back into work but everywhere I turned, I was getting nowhere.

“They explained that they had an Employment and Training Advisor who visited the offices every Friday. They arranged an appointment for me to meet him and that’s when everything started to change for the better.

“During my first interview with Rob, I was very quiet. I’d never done anything like that before and since stopping drinking, I’d had problems talking to people, my confidence was very low and I had just generally struggled to integrate.

“However, slowly but surely, those weekly meetings with Rob really built up my confidence again. We chatted about the future, wrote up a CV together and discussed what I wanted to do for work.

“As we were talking, Rob noticed that I had an eye and mind for detail. We discussed carpentry and a potential career in that. With his help, I enrolled at Walsall College to do a carpentry qualification, juggling my studies alongside a job that I’d secured in a warehouse for a high street shop.

“I completed the Level Two qualification without a hitch and hope to do Level Three in the future, which is something I never thought I’d be able to say.”

Two years on and for Dwanye, now 34, life has changed for the better.

He married his partner a little over a month ago and now has a secure, fulltime job. He is happy and confident and is four years sober.

He still puts his qualified carpentry skills to good use on a regular basis.

He continued: “The qualification certainly serves me well at home – I’m always busy decorating or doing DIY! I made the post box for the cards at our wedding as well as the cake stand and all the centre-pieces for the tables.

“The plan now is to go back to college and do my English and Maths GCSE equivalents. I didn’t get those at school, so it’s my ambition to do them and it’s Rob who’s helped to give me that drive.

“He thinks that I’ve got the ability to be a manager one day, which is a huge boost for me. After the GCSE equivalents, perhaps I’ll move on to a management course. Every day it’s about getting bigger, better and stronger.

“I’m currently working in a call centre for a tyre company. I help to train the new staff and I’m making really good progress.

“If I look back to that first meeting with Rob, when I hardly talked, I couldn’t imagine that I’d be doing what I do

now; having the confidence to speak to people on the phone all day.

“Back then, you’d have only got yes or no answers from me, but now my confidence is through the roof and that’s thanks to Rob. I owe him a lot.

“I’ve never met someone like him in my life,” he added. “He’s absolutely brilliant and has helped me beyond words. I’ve gone from strength-to-strength and gained so much since that first meeting with him; not least someone who I now call a friend.

“To anyone who’s in the position that I was I’d say; if the help is there, then take it. You’ve got nothing to lose and potentially everything to gain.”

Rob said: “I’m really proud to have had the chance to work with Dwayne, helping him identify and develop the talent within him.

“I am certain that his energy and drive, matched with the determination to do the very best for his family, will lead him on to even greater achievements.”

JUST THE JOB .17

GROW YOUR CAREER WITH OUR CONTRACTOR BURLEYS! Spire Homes contractor Burleys are offering an exciting apprenticeship opportunity, providing a lucky candidate with the chance to sow the seeds of a blossoming career.

As part of a 15-year partnership, Burleys look after Spire Homes’ communal outdoor spaces including those at sheltered schemes, flats and bungalows.

Together, the two organisations provide training, job opportunities and community initiatives for customers. In addition, Burleys and Spire provide work placements, apprenticeships, gardening courses and fund local community projects.

An exciting opportunity has now arisen for a Horticulture Apprentice at

G Burley’s and Sons Ltd, based from the firm’s depot in Northampton.

Burleys are looking for a reliable, energetic and enthusiastic individual with an enthusiasm for horticulture and a determined, flexible and ‘can-do’ attitude.

Working under supervision, the successful apprentice will be providing a grounds maintenance service to a variety of Burleys many different sites on a daily basis.

As part of the apprenticeship, the candidate will undertake a range of horticultural duties including (but not limited to) mowing, strimming and trimming, pruning and hedge cutting as well as weeding, leaf and litter clearance.

The apprenticeship is for 40 hours per week, from 7:30-4pm each day, and, throughout the duration of the placement, the candidate will be expected to complete a NVQ in Amenity Horticulture over an 18-month period.

The successful candidate will have excellent communication skills and be a true team player. As this is an outdoor role, they should be willing to work in all weather and provide a high-quality job, with the ability to promote their own self-development.

To apply for the apprenticeship, please send your CV to ntruesdale@ tclgrp.co.uk

LOOKING FOR A JOB? THEN CALL ROB! Rob Friday is our fantastic Employment and Training Advisor and he works with customers from across Longhurst Group to help them into work, education or employment.

Whether you want to freshen up your CV, sharpen your interview skills or simply need some general advice to improve your career prospects, Rob is here to help.

In 2017/18 alone, Rob helped eight customers into full-time employment,

while a further eight found part-time jobs thanks to his support.

Nine customers were supported to secure voluntary work or work experience, two were helped to find training courses while Rob even helped one customer to become self-employed.

If you would like Rob’s help with finding work, training or work experience, please contact him on 0300 123 1745.

Rob’s top five tips for networking The old saying ‘it’s who you know, rather than what you know’ still applies today. Using your personal network is a great way of increasing your chances of finding work.

1. People you already know Tell family, friends – old and new – and former colleagues about your job search. The more eyes and ears that are looking out for vacancies for you, the better.

2. People you would like to know Use the internet to find businesses and organisations (e.g. trade associations) involved in the type of work you’re interested in. When making contact, explain that you’re not asking for a job but would like to speak to someone about how they got into their line of work.

3. Widen your network When you speak to a contact, remember to ask them who they recommend you should speak to next. They might even introduce you personally to them.

4. Keep in touch If you have made a new contact, send them a quick message to thank them for their time and any advice they gave you. Try to keep in touch with your network on a regular basis.

5. Be prepared for give and take If you are able to support the people in your network, they are more likely to remember you and give you support when the opportunity arises.

In the next edition, we’ll be looking at voluntary work. If you would like more help from Rob, our Employment & Training Advisor, please contact him today on 0300 123 1745.

18. GET INVOLVED

THANK YOU FOR SHOWING US YOUR GLORIOUS GARDENS! THANK you to everyone who took part in our first ever Our Voice gardening competition – we had some blooming marvellous entries!

Throughout what was one of the hottest summers on record, you’ve been carefully cutting, tenderly tending and perfectly pruning your gardens to ensure they were in tip-top condition and we were extremely impressed by the photos you sent us.

This year’s winner is Michael Wiles, who sent us this lovely photo of his flower-filled garden at his home in Martin Court in Werrington, near Peterborough.

He has won £50 worth of Love2Shop vouchers – congratulations, Michael!

Customer Engagement Manager, Helen Mead, said: “It was lovely to receive photos of our customers’ gardens and to see the results of their hard work to keep them looking beautiful.

The winning garden of Michael Wiles at his home in St Martin’s Court, Werrington near Peterborough

Customer gardens at our Borough Court scheme in East Northamptonshire

GET INVOLVED .19

GET INVOLVED! Join one of our customer panels

There are local panel groups for your Housing provider. Each group reports to our Longhurst Tenant Scrutiny Team.

How much time is required?

There are four meetings each year, with lunch provided.

What’s in it for you?

You’ll get access to professional training programmes to improve your skills and knowledge, including CV and meeting skills. We’ll also pay reasonable travel expenses.

What do we need from you?

These panels have been set up to scrutinise and review our performance. You will have an input in developing and changing policies and procedures, reviewing complaints and helping to monitor our service standards. All panels are led and chaired by our customers.

“I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to take part and congratulate Mr Wiles on winning the competition.

We hope he enjoys spending his Love2Shop vouchers.

“With this being the first time that we’ve run the competition, we’re hoping for even more entries next year.

“We appreciate that everyone’s garden looks at its best at different times of the year so we’re encouraging entries for next year’s competition from now, right up to the deadline!”

You can send pictures to us via email to communications@ longhurst-group.org.uk or post them to Our Voice Gardening Competition, Longhurst Group, Communications Team, Endeavour Park, Gilbert Drive, Lincolnshire, PE21 7TQ, including your name and address.

Next year’s competition will be launched in the summer edition, with winners being announced in the

Autumn magazine, so you have until next August to enter and ensure your picture is featured.

If you would like to get involved with judging the garden competition in the future, please get in touch!

If you would like to get involved, please get in touch: ƀƀ customerengagement@ longhurst-group.org.uk Friendship Care & Housing customers 0300 123 1745 L&H Homes customers 0800 111 4013 Spire Homes customers 0300 123 66 11 Axiom customers 0300 123 7598

LONGHURST GROUP CUSTOMER MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2018

COMPETITION TIME Our Voice Wordsearch Find and highlight all 12 of the words listed below for your chance to win a £25 LOVE2SHOP gift voucher. Each of the words relate to a story that featured in this newsletter.

Please post your completed wordsearch to: MMOur Voice Competition, Longhurst Group, Communications Team, Endeavour Park, Gilbert Drive, Lincolnshire, PE21 7TQ. Entries can also be emailed to: ƀƀ communications@ longhurst-group.org.uk The closing date is Friday November 9, 2018 Our winner from last time…

Christine Branigan from Peterborough was the latest lucky winner of our wordsearch competition and has been awarded £25 worth of LOVE2SHOP vouchers.

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We are Longhurst Group, one of the largest housing associations in the Midlands, with more than 22,000 homes, providing care and support services and employing more than 1,200 people. The Group is made up of Axiom Housing Association, Friendship Care and Housing, Longhurst and Havelok Homes, Spire Homes and our development arm Keystone.