Our Voice - Winter 2018

LONGHURST GROUP CUSTOMER MAGAZINE | WINTER 2018

INSIDE… ‘THANKS TO YOUR ADVISOR, MY KIDS ARE PROUD OF ME’ DAY IN THE LIFE OF…A HOUSING SUPPORT OFFICER FESTIVE ‘THANK YOU’S TO WORTHY CAUSES!

FANTASTIC FORMER FOYER RESIDENT’S INSPIRING STORY Read how Nora overcame the odds to start the journey to her dream career on pages 18–19

In the picture…

More worthy causes receive good deeds – pages 12–13

CONTENTS In this issue…

4–5 News 6–7 Around our way 8–9 A day in the life…

10–12 Around our way 12–13 Good Deeds 2018 14–15 Around our way 16–17 Just the job 18–19 Customer story Back Competition time

FESTIVE OPENING HOURS Please note that our offices will close over the festive period. Most of our offices will close their doors at 3pm on Christmas Eve, Monday 24 December. They will reopen following the festive break on Wednesday, January 2, 2019.

However, our offices in Rutland and Lincoln will close at 1pm on Christmas Eve, re-opening at 10am on January 2, while our office on Beechdale will close at 1pm on December 24, re-opening at 9am on January 2.

If you have any questions, or need to report an emergency repair while the offices are closed, please contact your landlord on the numbers below. `` Friendship Care and Housing – 0300 123 1745 `` Spire Homes – 0300 123 66 11 `` L&H – 0800 111 4013 `` Axiom – 0300 123 7598

LONGHURST GROUP CUSTOMER MAGAZINE | WINTER 2018

Hello and welcome to the Winter 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 plenty of interesting news and features for you in this 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 ground-breaking new partnership of organisations which is aiming to combat homelessness in Peterborough as well as details of our latest developments in Northamptonshire, which is transforming an ASB hot-spot into brand new homes.

In the latest in our popular ‘Day in the Life’ series, we join one of our Housing Support Officers, Brian Noble, to get an insight into his role. For the first time in the series, we’ve followed football-mad Brian after he clocks off from work, to find out about the other ‘job’ that he does in his spare time.

With this edition being the last before Christmas, we’ll also update you on our Good Deeds of Christmas campaign, which sees us give back to worthy causes in our local communities.

Elsewhere, we also sit down for a chat with Jo Marsden, our brilliant Community Engagement Support Worker at Trinity Apartments in Birmingham, and the truly inspirational story of Nora Mohammad – a former customer at our Wisbech Foyer in Cambridgeshire – who has succeeded against all odds.

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

In the meantime, on behalf of Longhurst Group, I’d like to wish you and your family all the very best for the festive season.

Matt Dannatt

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

4. NEWS

The launch of the Safer Off The Streets campaign

AXIOM SIGNS UP TO NEW HOMELESSNESS INITIATIVE Axiom Housing Association has joined forces with 16 other organisations to launch a campaign aimed at ending street homelessness in Peterborough.

The partnership, called Safer Off the Streets Peterborough, brings together seventeen organisations from voluntary, faith, community and public service agencies, who will work together to help those who are sleeping rough on the city’s streets.

Axiom manages more than 2,000 homes and care and support services across Peterborough, East Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire and Fenland.

Axiom itself operates a range of initiatives to combat homelessness in Peterborough, including the Severe Weather Emergency Provision (SWEP), which offers shelter for homeless individuals at its Fair View Court supported housing project.

Fay Moore, Head of Supported Housing at Axiom, said: “I was extremely proud to represent Axiom and Lonhgurst Group at the launch of the Safer Off The Streets campaign as one of the partner organisations involved.

“Axiom offer a number of services in Peterborough for Rough Sleepers and, this year, we are doing more than ever by working with the City Council’s

Outreach Officers to provide additional Crash Beds at Fair View Court for those sleeping rough.

“We have also appointed two new Floating Support Workers to specifically support those who have been homeless in the past to ensure they can sustain their accommodation. In addition to the extended Winter Night Shelter from The New Haven and the SWEP, we can help even more people in need.

“Safer Off The Streets is an exciting opportunity for all of the organisations involved to reach its aim of ending street homelessness in Peterborough.”

Christine Graham, Chair of the Safer Off The Streets Partnership and Co-

NEWS .5

Card donation point A new contactless card donation point at the Argo Lounge in St Peter’s Arcade, allowing people to make an instant £3 donation using their bank cards. The ‘Tap and Go’ device can be used through the glass and is available at all hours, with donations going directly to the partnership to help rough sleepers in the city.

The Safer Off The Streets partnership So far, 17 organisations have joined the partnership: `` Axiom `` Care Zone `` Children of Adam `` Citizens Advice `` Cross Keys Homes `` Hope into Action `` Kingsgate Community Church `` Love & Humanity Peterborough `` Peterborough City Council `` Peterborough Food Bank `` Peterborough Soup Kitchen `` Peterborough Street Pastors `` Safer Peterborough Partnership `` Salvation Army `` The Light Project `` Veterans for the Homeless UK `` YMCA Trinity Group

ordinator of Peterborough Street Pastors Scheme added: “Rough sleeping is the most visible and unacceptable consequence of homelessness.

“A recent count showed that 35 homeless people were sleeping rough on Peterborough’s streets.

“Alongside the number of people sleeping rough in Peterborough, there are many other individuals and households living in temporary accommodation and experiencing homelessness in our city.

“Although there are many agencies across the city doing much to tackle the issue of rough sleeping, we felt a more targeted approach was needed.

All the partners in Safer Off The Streets believe that everyone has the right to a home, to have hope and to feel part of a community.

“That’s why charities and organisations across the city have joined up to create a network of support to help people who are sleeping rough, but also to look at ways to prevent and support people so they don’t end up on the streets in the first place.”

Christine added: “We also felt that although the people of Peterborough

Safer Off The Streets website A Safer Off The Streets website (saferoffthestreets.co.uk) – an information hub which allows people to make online donations quickly and easily, as well as providing details on locations where people can give food, furniture or other items or volunteer their time.

The website also details where rough sleepers can find support across the city and sources of help.

Cash donation boxes Cash donation boxes at Peterborough Town Hall, the Visitor Information Centre as well as other spots across the city.

Social media Dedicated Twitter, Facebook and Instagram social media channels providing up-to-date information, support available and donations needed – @sospboro.

Peterborough Winter Night Shelter The night shelter has been running since 2015 and has supported over 150 homeless people in Peterborough. This Winter season the night shelter will be running from 26 November until 18 March.

Ten churches are working together to host our homeless guests and provide warm meals and beds.

FIND OUT

MORE

Drop-in support hub A new Safer Off The Streets drop-in hub at The Garden House – led by Light Project Peterborough – will be reaching out into the city to offer practical support to rough sleepers who want to move off the streets.

In partnership with Peterborough Cathedral, numerous churches and the wider community, The Garden House drop-in hub, located in Wheel Yard, will be open six days a week and offer support such as GP and health advice, housing guidance, volunteering activities and CV/job search.

Outreach officers Outreach officers will work with individuals offering personalised plans and a clear offer to support them off the streets. Safer Off The Streets will co-ordinate schedules for night shelters, food donations, cooked meals, volunteers and transportation, as well as in-shelter support services.

Rehabilitation package A Rehabilitation package will be set up to help rough sleepers, aiming to take them from the first point of contact into night shelters, training, and ultimately housing and/ or employment. These will offer training, jobs, and workshops, and give people the chance to participate in a ‘befriending’ scheme, which will see volunteers acting as sponsors for rough sleepers in their first 12 months off the street.

 saferoffthestreets.co.uk    @sospboro

are already empowered to help, they are unsure about the best way to do this. Donations, however big or small, make a real difference to homeless and vulnerable people in Peterborough.

“We’ve now made it easy to donate money online, at cash donation points and a contactless card donation window. The website and social media will also keep people up to date on support available and to find out what items are in need.”

Donations will primarily go towards funding the day-to-day running costs of the drop-in hub, which will provide advice on support services and health and wellbeing with any additional funds being used for personalised budgets for rough sleepers to encourage them to leave the streets for good.

To mark the launch, partners pledged their support to work together to tackle street homelessness by signing the Safer Off The Streets charter.

6. AROUND OUR WAY

VOLUNTEERS COME TOGETHER TO SPRUCE UP ALLEN ROAD Colleagues from Longhurst Group joined forces with staff from contractors Burleys to spruce up the outside space at one of our developments in Northamptonshire.

The team of volunteers spent a week at Allen Road in Rushden to pick up litter, pull weeds and plant new bulbs.

Another of our contractors, Wates, also donated £150 for supplies, which went towards the purchase of 900 flower bulbs, which will brighten up the area next Spring.

Assistant surveyor Megan Sanger, who organised the volunteering effort, said: “I’m really proud of what we’ve managed to achieve together as a team of volunteers. It was a busy week, but the final result makes it all worthwhile.

“As well as the other volunteers, we have to say a huge thank you to Wates and Burleys for their support as well as Aaron Services, who donated £100 towards this project.”

Simon Folwell, Project Manager for Allen Road, added: “As an affordable

housing scheme, we need to keep our costs down, so that our service charges to the residents are as low as possible.

“So with this volunteering effort, we wanted to enhance what is already there and make better use of what we have already got.

“So as well as weeding and litter picking, we planted new plants and bulbs to help fill out what was already there and help prevent the weeds from growing!

“We’ve done all this with the help of our contractor Burleys and a donation from Wates, who also donated plants, bulbs and equipment.

“We hope, with all that we’ve done, it will really help make it an attractive area for residents to enjoy and use.

“It was all down to Meg, who pulled this together and made it happen.

Meg worked with colleagues and the contractor to help make things better for our customers – a great example of Longhurst Group’s One Team, One Vision.”

We wanted to enhance what is already there and make better use of what we have already got. We hope it will really help make it an attractive area for residents to enjoy and use.”

Simon Folwell, Project Manager for Allen Road

AROUND OUR WAY .7

Residents and colleagues at Cranwell Court in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire

SPECIALIST DEMENTIA CARE FACILITY RECEIVES GLOWING INSPECTION REPORT Longhurst Group’s specialist dementia care facility in Grimsby has received a glowing report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Care Manager, Angela Kirman, said: “The team have worked very hard to achieve this outcome and I’m so proud.

“We are in a very positive position and look forward to improving over the next Cranwell Court, which is operated by two years, with the aim of achieving L&H Homes (part of Longhurst Group), ‘outstanding’ CQC status. has been praised for its ‘positive and “This excellent result is down to the inclusive atmosphere’ following a recent dedication of all the fantastic people who work at Cranwell Court.”

CQC inspection.

Louise Platt, Longhurst Group’s Inspectors from the CQC rated the service as ‘Good’ in all aspects of its Executive Director of Care and Business delivery, from its safety and effectiveness Partnerships, added: “We have been to how caring and responsive staff are to delighted to read the CQC inspection findings for Cranwell Court. residents’ needs.

“Cranwell is undoubtedly one of the Providing residential care for up to 56 older people who may be living with leading care home facilities in its area. As dementia, Cranwell Court also has a well as extensive facilities, including enseparate wing, known as the Enhanced suite bedrooms and inclusive communal Dementia Unit, which provides support areas, it provides an extremely varied and to older people living with more complex popular activities programme.

“Its strong reputation and popularity needs.

Cranwell Court also received a ‘Good’ is demonstrated by its consistently high rating for how well it is led. This represents level of occupancy, compared to the an improvement in that category since its 79 per cent average occupancy in other previous inspection in 2016. Registered homes in the area. We are very proud of

Cranwell Court and our dedicated team of staff who work tirelessly to improve the lives of those in their care.”

The inspection team, which included an expert and a specialist professional advisor, visited Cranwell at the beginning of October. They spoke with residents of the service and their relatives, as well as staff.

In the report, the inspector said: “Positive feedback about the caring staff was given by all the people we spoke with.

“One person told us; “The staff are all friendly and kind. They treat me very well.” A relative told us, “The staff all care about the residents and the family too, they are very kind and caring.””

“Throughout our inspection, we saw staff working in a relaxed and unhurried manner and had time to respond to people’s needs.

“People were treated with kindness and respect. Staff knew people well and had built trusting relationships and people were supported in a dignified and respectful manner.”

8. A DAY IN THE LIFE

My plan for the day can change at any moment – you never know what you’re going to get when you turn up in a morning, which keeps me on my toes!

Brian Noble, Housing Support Officer

Housing Support Officer, Brian Noble, at our offices in Grimsby

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A HOUSING SUPPORT OFFICER Brian Noble is one of our brilliant Housing Support Officers in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, where L&H Homes (part of Longhurst Group) owns and manages over 1,600 homes.

Brian oversees a team of passionate and dedicated Housing Support Workers, who provide support and guidance to vulnerable people both in supported accommodation and in the community.

We asked Brian to tell us about a typical day, to get an insight into varied role and understand the lengths he goes to help improve the lives of our customers.

As you’ll read, while by day he’s a Housing Support Officer, in his spare time, he’s got an altogether different role!

 8.45am–10am I usually get into our offices about 8.45am to check my emails and get myself prepared for the day ahead. As well as the usual general emails, there are often messages from members of my team.

As a Housing Support Officer, I supervise a team of 13 Housing Support Workers.

My team members often want an impromptu chat about the cases they are working on and these can often mean that my plan for the day can

change at any moment – you never know what you’re going to get when you turn up in a morning, which keeps me on my toes!

I also actively support three customers myself, who each have quite complex issues, so it’s also about supporting them in any way that I can.

These issues can range from drug and alcohol use, homelessness, mental health issues, isolation or vulnerability.  10am–12pm As the morning progresses, I check in with another Housing Support Officer called Jo, who also supervises another 13 Support Workers. Between us, we oversee and manage the support of between 450 to 500 customers who are referred to us by North East Lincolnshire Council.

The referrals come through to Jo and myself and we assess each individual case and allocate each referred customer an appropriate Support

A DAY IN THE LIFE .9 Worker. The support we provide links to everything from helping them to attain and maintain a tenancy to the prevention of homelessness.

Assessing can be a big part of the day, depending on how many we have to process at any one time. We work in partnership with various local housing providers as well as the Local Authority, Police, health and probation services, the YMCA, the Salvation Army, the DWP and a range of voluntary organisations.

We are in regular contact with the above organisations to ensure that the customer is properly supported.

three years of studying while working full-time.

I’m now doing the PGCE course in my own time and at my own expense. It’s helping me and Sam prepare and deliver in-house training to our own teams as well as other local support teams such as our Older People’s Floating Support and the Emergency Accommodation Support team.

 5.30pm–7pm Usually, this is where the Day in the Life diaries end, but not for me!

For the last ten years, I’ve also been a part-time coach for Grimsby  12.30pm–1.30pm Town Football Club’s Academy and I After a busy morning, it’s time to break absolutely love it. for lunch, so I grab a quick bite to eat I spend a lot of my time preparing and check up on the latest football news and planning training sessions as well as (more about that later) before getting getting the team ready for matches. ready to take on the next task.

This season, I’m coaching the club’s under-14s with sessions taking place on  1.30pm–5pm three evenings a week and games on a As a Housing Support Officer, I am also weekend – it keeps me busy! responsible for managing the training As well as training and matches, to and supervision needs of the Housing support their development as players, Support Workers and so this can take up I also evaluate them on a computer a large chunk of my day. system called the Performance To this end, I have recently taken on a Management Application (PMA), helping Post Graduate Certificate of Education – them to become the very best they can PGCE for short! - along with one of our be.

Housing Support Workers called Sam. After bringing training to a close, It’s after I completed my Bachelor sending the players home with their of Science Degree, with Honours in parents and collecting the football and Sport, Health and Exercise Science. The cones, my day comes to a close. It’s University of Hull, in collaboration with time to head home and enjoy the rest North Lindsey College, awarded the of my evening, ready to get back to the degree after I successfully completed day job tomorrow morning!

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.

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 Brian at his other ‘job’ - as part-time coach with Grimsby Town’s Youth Academy

10. AROUND OUR WAY

TRANSFORMING DERELICT NORTHANTS SITE INTO AFFORDABLE NEW HOMES We are transforming a derelict row of terraced housing in Northamptonshire, which was once plagued by anti-social behaviour, into a collection of affordable new homes.

Spire Homes (part of Longhurst Group) and developer Snowdon Homes have recently finished clearing the site on High Street in Irthlingborough to make way for the construction of six new properties for affordable rent.

The project, which has received a £300,000 grant from Homes England, comprises three two-bedroom and three, three-bedroom homes.

Work to demolish the existing century-old buildings finished earlier this month, in preparation for the next phase of the development, which is due to be completed in April 2019.

Spire manages more than 4,100

homes across Northamptonshire, with 3,600 of those located in East Northamptonshire.

Longhurst Group’s Executive Director of Portfolio and Investment, Ian Jackson, said: “We are really pleased to

have started work on this development.

“This site has attracted anti-social behaviour in the past and we are very proud to be giving the area a new lease of life by transforming it to provide muchneeded affordable family housing.

“This project has not been undertaken to generate profit, but rather to improve the lives of our customers and the communities in which they live.”

Leader of East Northamptonshire Council, Cllr Steven North, added: “We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Spire Homes to deliver affordable family homes in Irthlingborough.

“We are committed to transforming unused areas of our district in order to provide homes for our residents, which will continue to make East Northamptonshire a wonderful place to work and live.”

HELP TO SHAPE YOUR SERVICES Please share your views about YOUR scheme!

By taking part in our satisfaction surveys, you will be helping us to improve the services we deliver.

These surveys are sent to customers on schemes who pay for communal cleaning and/or grounds maintenance through their service charge. Each quarter of the year, we email a survey to each of these customers that we have email addresses for, asking them to score their satisfaction with the services.

These surveys have evolved each quarter, as we recognised that, for some of our schemes, we only had email addresses for a handful of customers, while in other cases, none at all.

In response, we are in the process of distributing postcard surveys to those schemes where it was felt this method of communication would work better.

These surveys can really help to shape the services that customers receive.”

Helen Bird, Customer Engagement Manager We have also now added a tick box to enable customers to highlight areas of dissatisfaction or in which we can improve.

Once the results have been collated, they are sent to the Property Services Assistant responsible for the scheme to analyse – they can then review pictures or visit the scheme and make necessary changes where required.

We are also in the process of creating posters for some schemes to communicate with residents how the survey is used.

However, in order for the initiative to benefit all customers, we really need to hear your views.

Response rates to the latest survey that we sent out were low, with less than 15 per cent of customers taking part.

Helen Bird, Customer Engagement Manager said: “These surveys can really help to shape the services that customers receive from Longhurst Group.

“We want your feedback – positive or otherwise – so that we can take the necessary action. It only takes a few minutes to complete a survey and it could make a huge difference.

“Next time you receive a survey from us, whether that be via email or one of our postcard surveys, please fill it in and share your views.”

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Gwendoline Mason surrounded by her family and friends at her birthday celebrations

GLORIOUS GWENDOLINE CELEBRATES 100th BIRTHDAY The secret to a long and healthy life is simple according to one of our customers who recently celebrated her 100th birthday; never being idle!

my wonderful family and friends to became a solo soprano.

Upon their retirement, the couple celebrate.”

Born in High Wycombe in October moved to Dorset, but when Joseph 1918, Gwendoline was a gifted student passed away, Gwendoline moved to and excelled in music. Her father was Wales in 2000 to be closer to Joseph’s Gwendoline Mason, who lives on our a painter and decorator for high-profile sister.

Remington Drive scheme in Cannock, clients, including titled people and She remained there for eight years, Staffordshire, recently marked the Maharajas, while her mother was a when she relocated to Cannock, to be with her daughter. milestone with a party, which was Court Dressmaker. organised by Longhurst & Havelok (L&H) Among the invited guests at the party Speaking at her party, she recalled Homes and attended by her family and her childhood with fondness and was Cannock Chase District Councillor, friends. remembered walks with her father Paul Snape, who also passed on his She was presented with a around the grounds of Hughenden well-wishes. cake, bouquets of flowers and her Manor, the home of Benjamin Disraeli.

Speaking at the celebrations, he said: commemorative card from The Queen After leaving school at the age of “It’s absolutely wonderful to be here to and enjoyed a buffet lunch in Remington 14, she worked in various industries, celebrate your 100th birthday with you, Drive’s community room. including chair-making and engineering. Gwendoline.

When asked about the secret to her “I’m 61, so I’ve got 39 years to go yet Through her involvement with long life, she said: “Never being idle, the Church, she met and married and you look better than I do now!”

Scheme manager Karen Cooper, always being orderly, being tolerant and her husband Joseph and they had a added: “Gwendoline has lived a long patient and learning by your mistakes! daughter, Pauline, in 1953.

“My drive and ambition is summed up Five years later, the family moved and interesting life.

“She lives independently, can play by this quote; Good, better, best – never from Buckinghamshire to Hertfordshire let it rest, ‘Til your good is better – and as both Gwendoline and Joseph had the piano note-perfectly and uses her your better, best! been offered jobs. Alongside her work, computer regularly. She has a wealth of “It has been lovely to be around Gwendoline took signing training and knowledge and is an inspiration to us all!”

12. GOOD DEEDS 2018

THE GRIMSBY FOOD KITCHEN The Grimsby Food Kitchen, run by the incredible Cath and Ken Homewood and their army of kind-hearted volunteers, is a vital lifeline for the areas homeless and vulnerable. Demand for their help often increases over the festive period. On Christmas Day the Food Kitchen runs a special service, when they’ll also dish out free breakfasts, deserts and selection boxes.

LONGHURST GROUP HANDS OUT FESTIVE ‘THANK YOU’S Kindhearted individuals and worthy causes from across Longhurst Group’s operational area are being recognised for the difference they make in their communities as part of our Good Deeds of Christmas campaign.

Staff from across the Group were asked for their nominations for which groups and individuals they felt deserved a festive hamper in the run-up to Christmas.

Over 20 nominations were received in total, with 13 different causes receiving Good Deeds in partnership with our contractors Keepmoat, Kier, Burleys, J R Allen, and Aaron Services.

Representatives from each contractor and colleagues from across the Group were on the judging panel, along with two of our customers.

Customer Engagement Team Manager, Helen Bird, said: “The Good Deeds of Christmas provides

an excellent opportunity to thank those people in our community who voluntarily carry out good deeds to help others.

“Spire Homes had successfully delivered good deeds such as hampers, shopping vouchers and gifts for people in the Northamptonshire area in the past and after that success, last year, we decided to open this out to Longhurst Group as a whole to include, L&H, FCH and Axiom as well as Spire Homes.

“It’s been a huge success once again this year and we’re very pleased to be able to hand out hampers to deserving Helen Bird, causes as our own way of saying ‘thank Customer Engagement you’ for all they do.”

Team Manager

“We’re very pleased to be able to hand out hampers to deserving causes to say ‘thank you’ for all they do.”

GOOD DEEDS 2018 .13

AMY LAMBLEY

GOLDHAY ARTS

JOHN AND JANET HARNESS

Amy is a volunteer with the Skegness and District running club. She gives up her time to help new runners on a ‘Couch to 5k’ programme and also supports runners to increase their speed and distances.

Goldhay Arts is an extremely worthwhile cause that works with adults with learning disabilities in Peterborough, specialising in performing and visual arts activities. They are the only charity/organisation that offers this much-needed daily support with lots of activities.

John and Janet have visited Marlborough Court in Nottinghamshire for the past 10 years, providing the residents with a church service. They attend once a month and supply the cakes for the residents free of charge, make the tea and even fill the dishwasher with the crockery!

VOLUNTEERS WITH JERRY GREEN DOG RESCUE RACHAEL GROARKE Jerry Green Dog Rescue is run by an amazing group of people including volunteers. In 2017 they rehomed 1,007 dogs across Lincolnshire who potentially would have been abandoned or put down if they had not been taken in by Jerry Green.

JOHN AND ANN LUFFMAN John spends hours maintaining the grounds and club at Woodhall Spa Cricket Club. Ann is a driving force behind the club’s fundraising events, she deals with all the membership renewals and chasing of fees, and she also washes both first and second team kits every week.

KARENA HALL Karena gives up her free time volunteering at the Citizens Advice Bureau. Last winter, she spent evenings looking for homeless people and referring them to the council for bed and breakfast. She collects toiletries for Women’s Aid as well as bedding and food for animal charities.

Rachael works in the local community, spending each weekend picking up litter. She does this with help from friends and family and also Peterborough City Council. Rachael is also a Cross Keys tenant andwas recently presented with a ‘Making a Difference award’. This has encouraged others in the local community to join her mission and others to think about how they discard their litter.

SAM BEESON (THE BIZ) The Biz is a theatre school for kids of all ages in Boston. Sam makes sure every child is thought of and looked after. The Biz really is a warm and inclusive place for any budding theatrical to attend.

SUE AND TEDD QUINN

FAY COX

They provide physical, emotional and social support to other customers at Remington Drive in Staffordshire. Despite both having illnesses, they regularly organise events and take residents to weekly meals and social events to a local church centre.

Fay (73) has unfortunately recently been diagnosed with cancer but despite this, she’s always helping others. She’s one of the most kind and caring people; picking up things from the shops for her friends and family, visiting her elderly friends and making meals for them.

CHRIS AND RACHEL BRAY Rachel has worked tirelessly to raise money and awareness to try and keep vital services at Boston Pilgrim Hospital. Rachel and her husband Chris worked through the night during the bad snow in March, collecting stranded hospital staff to take them to work.

We are already thinking about next year’s Good Deeds and welcome your suggestions throughout the year – not just at Christmas time. Please send your ideas to customerengagement@ longhurst-group.org.uk

14. AROUND OUR WAY

GETTING TO KNOW… JO MARSDEN In this edition, we get to know Jo Marsden, our Community Engagement Support Worker who supports customers at Trinity Apartments – our purpose-built Extra Care service for people with a disability in Solihull, near Birmingham.

as they move into a new season of their lives. I like them to feel that someone understands that situation.

As they move in, I send them a ‘welcome to your new home’ card with a letter inviting them for coffee so that we can chat and start to get to know each other. I’ve found this to be most How long have you been in your helpful and believe that residents have current role? too. We then meet and I explain who I am, what my background is and a little I started working at Trinity Apartments in about my role. This is when I start to March 2017 as Community Engagement build a picture of who they are, their Support Worker. history and what makes them tick.

Depending upon their capabilities, I Could you explain the role and how signpost them to activities and groups you work with customers? which run in the area and I tell them all about the things we have going on in During the 18 months in my role, I have our own community at Trinity. As much developed what we see as an ‘ideal’ as my time will allow, I like to check on process for newcomers. them as time goes by to ensure that As residents come to Trinity (I like they are settling in and offer an ear to to see them before they move in, if those who want to talk and try to find possible) I offer support explaining that support they need. As a member of a for some, moving into our community local church, which is very active in the is a life-style choice which they make as community, I have access to some very they recognise and acknowledge that useful resources! they may need care support in the future.

For others, it may not have even been What are the highlights from the last their choice. They may have been moved 12 months that you’re particularly because they couldn’t return home proud of? after a period in hospital, for example.

Whatever their circumstances, they may I think that probably our biggest suffer a sense of loss and bereavement achievement is the way we’ve created

a slowly growing community of people who want their lives to be rich and fulfilling. I’ve said ‘our’ because the residents have to want to be part of a community in order to do so. We are doing this by bringing the local community into Trinity and taking Trinity into the local community.

On Thursday afternoons, you will find Rachel Holland from Solihull Christian Fellowship who comes along with her bag full of lyrics to play piano for Trinity Singers. We sing a great range of songs and have even started singing in rounds (great for the brain) and changing lyrics to fit a couple of songs around Christmas for this year’s Christmas concert.

Friday mornings are brilliant. We have an arrangement with a group called Home from Home (HfH) Childcare.

They have been coming into Trinity for a year now and in April they approached me about bringing into Trinity ‘Moo Music’ (a professional provider of music and movement for Early Years children) to do some chair exercises with the residents alongside the children in their care.

Moo Music is expensive and I don’t have a budget, but the arrangement is that we provide the physical space for MM to carry out the activities with the children and adults and HfH childcare provide the funding. The result is fascinating to

AROUND OUR WAY .15 watch as the different generations come together for a time of fun and fellowship and also exercise without effort. It’s wonderfully touching to see the older people and those with disabilities coming together with under fives who don’t see disability/age difference.

Saturday mornings are also wonderful in our art workshop. Inspired by a book of paintings by a young girl with autism, we are taking on the challenge of painting using different techniques. One of our residents was determined that she couldn’t paint but copied a picture of a cockerel which was so good that we framed it and put it on show in reception!

Residents created a wall display which stated that we should ‘keep your heart open to dreams, for as long as there’s a dream, there’s hope and as long as there’s hope, there’s joy in living’.

As much as possible, we try to do activities that are purposeful and not just for the sake of it. In preparation for the Royal Wedding earlier this year, we made ‘save the dates’ for each of the residents, telling them the date of the wedding and advising them that we would be having an indoor street party and be celebrating together.

We then made masses of red, white and blue bunting and flower arrangements for the big day. We dressed the dining tables as they would have been for a street party and we all dressed up in our Sunday best and enjoyed a wonderful cocktail reception, followed by lunch while watching the wedding together. It was hard work but so worth it!

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

Seeing people, who come to live at Trinity nervous, anxious and sometimes a bit scared, find new ways to live their lives purposefully, leading to improved mental health.

One particular lady, who has memory problems, has definitely improved since she arrived. Another resident, who has Huntington’s Chorea, now spends more time during the day in the communal lounge than she does in her apartment watching the television.

Seeing people with a smile on their faces is so rewarding. Seeing them develop new skills and having the confidence to get out of their comfort zone gives me a real buzz.

Trinity is unique in that it accommodates people from late 30’s to 104. Some have physical problems with sharp minds, others have mental health challenges with no physical issues.

By working together we make a whole! I am hugely proud of the residents I serve at Trinity.

LEARN MORE ABOUT… WATES LIVING SPACE Wates Living Space is our appointed repairs contractor and bring with them lots of experience in working and supporting local communities.

But how much do we know about the company and its history?

Established by Edward Wates and his three brothers in 1897, Wates was initially a furniture business.

Edward’s sons expanded into house building and then general contracting.

During the Second World War, Wates built aerodromes, army camps, factories and, developed a speciality in constructing pre-cast and in-situ reinforced concrete structures, barges and floating docks.

Most notably, Wates constructed large parts of the floating Mulberry Harbour used on the Normandy beaches after D-Day. After the war, Wates used this concrete technology to massproduce prefabricated houses, which were built in their thousands as part of the post-war reconstruction effort.

Today, Wates’ contract with Longhurst Group sees them maintain 18,000 of our homes across L&H Homes, Spire Homes and Friendship Care and Housing.

As part of the partnership with Longhurst Group, Wates have set-up new offices in Boston, Birmingham and Wellingborough.

Since coming on board, Wates has supported community events across Longhurst Group, including a litter

pick and Community Day on Crewton Gardens in Derby and sponsored a charity walk for the Helping Harry Trust; one of the many causes Longhurst Group supports.

In the future, Wates will contribute 300 man-hours per year to a new Handyman Service across Longhurst Group’s three member companies.

The service will support vulnerable and elderly customers with general DIY assistance.

Wates will also work with our local teams to arrange introductions with dedicated operatives, who will visit our communities on set days, providing confidence and reassurance to our customers.

Wates and Longhurst Group are keen to gain feedback from customers and welcome your ideas on any community projects that would benefit from Wates’ support.

Tell your ideas by emailing  customer.engagement@longhurstgroup.org.uk.

16. JUST THE JOB

HOW OUR EMPLOYMENT ADVISOR HELPED TO ‘COMPLETE THE JIGSAW PUZZLE’ FOR CUSTOMER “I wanted the kids to be able to look at “I knew I needed Rob’s help,” she said. me and be proud of their mum – Rob “I knew I needed a better income for the has helped me to achieve that.” house to make the kids’ lives better.

“It was daunting and my mind was Those are the words of one woman who racing, but he really helped me and put turned to Rob Friday – our Employment me at ease. and Training Advisor – for help when “We used to meet a lot in the early she needed it most. days. He started by asking me what my “I didn’t have a penny to my name and hobbies and interests were, which really I had two children to look after, I didn’t stayed with me. know where to turn,” she explained.

“He told me to do something that “After I had successfully applied for I would love, which would make me my house with Friendship Care and happy and would last – you don’t get Housing (FCH), I found out that Rob that advice in other places. It was a helps people to get into work. different way of looking at it.

“I turned up to his office with my “I had gone to the Job Centre in the youngest child in my arms and it all past, but it was a world of difference went from there.” going to see Rob. He had a lovely That was almost four years ago. attitude and a lovely sense of humour.

Today, the woman, who wishes to He made me feel confident about remain anonymous, is training to be a myself again.”

Teaching Assistant after finally finding a Together, the pair began to explore career that makes her happy. options and discussed a range of But it wasn’t always like this. When potential career paths, but, initially, none the 38-year-old first went to see Rob, seemed to fit. she admits that she was, in her own “I originally thought about training to words, ‘lost’. be a driving instructor, but that didn’t Having never worked since having suit me,” she added. children, the single parent was desperate “Hairdressing and beauty was to find a job. something we looked at it too, but we

When I started all this, all I wanted was for the kids to be able to look at me and be proud of their mum and they do that now. The jigsaw puzzle is coming together thanks to Rob.” Friendship Care and Housing customer realised that it wouldn’t work either.

“It quickly became clear to me that it was important to Rob to get it right. He didn’t just push me into the first thing

JUST THE JOB .17 that we found and that showed me that he really cared about me as a person and my career.

“He knew that I didn’t want a job that would mean I would have had to leave the kids, because it’s just me and them.

“So we realised that if I could work in a school, it would fit in with my life and it was something that really interested me.

“I thought I was too old and couldn’t do it, but Rob made me believe that I could and I can’t thank him enough for giving me that belief.”

In September, with Rob’s support, she applied to college for a place on a Level 2 Teaching Assistant course and went through the process of a Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS).

Rob then helped her to draft a letter to apply for a placement at her children’s school.

I handed it in, they offered me an

interview and then offered me the placement – I couldn’t believe it!” she said. “I’ve now got a job that does make me happy and Rob gave me that confidence to go and find it. He showed me what it’s meant to be like and now I’ve passed that on to others now.

“I’m at home when my kids are at home and I’ve found a balance. There is a lot of coursework but I can fit it in and around my life.

“My course finishes in June and then hopefully I want to do Level 3 to improve my prospects even further. It’ll be hard work but I know I’m doing it for the right reasons.

“When I started all this, all I wanted was for the kids to be able to look at me and be proud of their mum and they do that now.

“The jigsaw puzzle is coming together and that’s thank to Rob.”

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 need 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.

Rob’s top five tips for voluntary work Volunteering opportunities come in all shapes and sizes. They can often speed up your chances of finding paid work: 1. ‘Try before you buy’ Volunteering in a new role can help you decide if you’d like to do it for a living.

2. Develop your skills Find a voluntary job that lets you brush up existing skills or try a fresh challenge to gain new skills.

3. Meet new people Volunteering helps you expand your network (see our last edition for more on networking).

4. Get into a new routine A voluntary job can give you something new to look forward to each week (and can count towards Jobcentre job search requirements).

Since January, Rob has supported 20 customers into full or part-time employment, self-employment, apprenticeships, training or voluntary work.

Five customers have secured full-time roles, with a further five finding part-time jobs. Another become self-employed with another becoming an apprentice

5. Check these out Try these websites to find something you’re interested in: • www.do-it.org • www.ncvo.org.uk/ncvo • volunteering/i-want-tovolunteer • www.charitychoice.co.uk/ volunteering In the next edition, we’ll be looking at application forms.

Four of Rob’s customers began qualifications with another four securing voluntary work in the hope of earning a job.

Rob's service returned £92,013 worth of ‘social value’ – a measurement for the impact it has on our customers’ lives!

If you would like more help from Rob, our Employment & Training Advisor, please contact him today on 0300 123 1745.

18. CUSTOMER STORY

Former Wisbech Foyer resident Nora Mohammed, right, with Service Manager Helen Florence

NORA’S INCREDIBLE STORY Meet Nora Mohammed; a recent tenant at our Wisbech Foyer in Cambridgeshire, which provides supported accommodation for up to 17 young people aged between 16 and 25.

For as long as she can remember, Nora has always wanted to be a doctor.

However, at the age of just 15, those dreams were thrown into doubt when, after her father lost his job in Saudi Arabia, the family was forced to move back to her parents’ native Eritrea.

Instability in the country would eventually split the family, with Nora and her brother moving to the UK in January 2015. While Nora was taken into care in Cambridge, her older sibling, who has mental health issues, was moved to Scotland.

Now hundreds of miles from her brother – and even further from her mother and father back in northeast Africa – Nora admits it was a ‘difficult’ period of her young life.

Her situation worsened when, upon turning 18, the support she had been receiving from social services stopped and says she was left feeling totally alone.

But that was to change when she moved into a room at Wisbech Foyer.

Operated by Longhurst Group member company Axiom, the Foyer’s specialist staff help residents develop independent living skills, supporting them with individual training needs, accessing education and employment.

“It was a very difficult time. I had noone,” explained Nora, who is now 19.

“When I was in foster care, I always had

someone to help me but when I turned 18, I didn’t have anyone.

“That was until my personal advisor found that there might be an opportunity for me to move to the Foyer. That’s when things started to change.”

“I came for an interview at the Foyer, I was lucky enough to get accepted and move in to a flat. Here, I got that support that I needed. It really helped me to move forward with my life.”

Having arrived in the UK with no qualifications to her name, the normality and security offered by the Foyer enabled Nora to refocus on her education and begin to plot the route to her dream career.

She began working towards a Level 3 qualification in Biomedical Science, balancing her studies with her new-

CUSTOMER STORY .19

If I hadn’t lived at the Foyer, my life would be very different; I would have struggled.

Everyone has been brilliant.”

Nora Mohammed, former Foyer resident

Nora’s incredible achievement saw her awarded with the Inspiration Award at the 2018 Spark Award from The Foyer Federation

found job as a lab technician and regular trips to visit her brother.

“It was really easy to cope with my studies while I lived here,” she said. “The people at the Foyer helped me to deal with my benefits and things like that and then we had lots of key worker sessions where they kept up-to-date with how I was doing with my studies. They really, really helped.

“I kept going up to Scotland to see my brother regularly and balancing that with my studies and my job was tricky at times, but I managed it thanks to the support I received.”

With her brother particularly poorly during her coursework deadlines, Norah had to submit her work late, meaning she faced an agonising wait for her final results and the decision on whether she would be able to take the next step on her incredible journey by joining the University of Westminster in London.

“I didn’t know if I was going to be accepted,” she said. “But I got better grades than they needed in the end and so they accepted me, which was brilliant. It’s just a dream come true.

“I came to the UK with no GCSEs but now I’m going to university. I can’t believe how much my life has turned around.

“I’m looking forward to moving to London and starting University, but I’ve really enjoyed living at the Foyer. I love my room and it’s exactly how I want it. My room at Uni isn’t as nice as the one I had!

“If I hadn’t lived at the Foyer, my life would be very different; I would have struggled. Everyone has been brilliant.

She added: “I’ve always wanted to be a doctor – a General Practitioner. It’s been a dream since I’ve been young.

“After my four-year degree, I have to do another three years before I’m qualified as a doctor. I’ve definitely taken the long route, but I’m on the right road now.”

Above: Nora’s amazing story has been covered in 24Housing magazine

LONGHURST GROUP CUSTOMER MAGAZINE | WINTER 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 toour involvement in the recent Fire Door Safety week campaign.

Please post your completed wordsearch to: ķķ Our 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 February 28 2019

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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.