Bridge Brief A4 Summer 2013

Summer 2013

Our aims:

Celebrating

success

We are committed to delivering excellent services and will endeavour to do so by meeting the standards set out in this Customer Charter.

Summer 2013 Telephone: (01633) 381111 Minicom: (01633) 211672 Website: www.newportcityhomes.com Email: enquiries@newportcityhomes.com

Public Notice:

Please note our offices are closed on: •14 June 2013 • 26 August 2013

Y

ou will notice that some of the articles featured in this edition have a gold star on them. These articles are about a topic or area that has been identified through feedback via your Resident Panels and will update you on changes we have made as a result of your feedback.

Events and dates: Date

Description

Time

Venue

Contact

10

Citywide Panel meeting

10am - 1pm

Nexus House

Sian Nicholas

11

Board meeting

4.30pm

Nexus House

Diane Leigh

12

Sheltered Housing Forum

2pm - 4pm

18

West Area Panel

2pm - 4pm

20

Quality Improvement Panel

9.30am - 12.30

Aneurin Bevan Court Pat Hill Duffryn Community Jonathan Conway Centre Pat Hill Nexus House

Date

Description

Time

Venue

JuLY 2013 Contact

08

Citywide Panel meeting

10am - 1pm

Nexus House

Sian Nicholas

09

Board meeting

4.30pm

Nexus House

Diane Leigh

11

East Area Panel meeting

10am - 12.00

Ringland Community Centre

Pat Hill

18

Quality Improvement Panel

9.30am - 12.30

Nexus House

Pat Hill August 2013 Contact

Date

Description

Time

Venue

12

Citywide Panel meeting

10am - 1pm

Nexus House

Sian Nicholas

14

Sheltered Housing Forum

2pm - 4pm

Church Court

Pat Hill

15

Quality Improvement Panel

9.30am - 12.30

Nexus House

Pat Hill

20

West Area Panel

2pm - 4pm

Tydu Hall, Rogerstone

Jonathan Conway

Please note that this information is subject to change. Please check our website for updates or contact us for details.

2

June 2013

To attend a meeting or for more information, contact the appropriate person on the numbers to the right:

Sian: (01633) 227752 Diane: (01633) 227759 Jonathan: (01633) 227754 Pat: (01633) 227753 www.newportcityhomes.com

Summer 2013

Apprenticeship programme Our Apprenticeship programme received the ‘Investment in Skills’ award at the recent Building Excellence & Newport Construction Initiative Awards ceremony.

s s e c suc T

o date 70 apprentices have benefited from our programme one of which is Sanni Salisu who was awarded the ‘Outstanding Achiever’ award at the same event.

Be a Day Tripper!

of £2.50 per person or £5.00 for a family of 2 adults and 2 children.

Our annual residents’ summer trip takes us to Weston-Super-Mare on Saturday 20 July 2013. Why not join us at a cost

To find out more, please contact Pat Hill on (01633) 227753.

Newport City Homes Housing Association Limited

3

Summer 2013

Sanni and Tony -

Award Winners!

We are proud to celebrate the achievements of two colleagues who have been recognised by external organisations for their outstanding achievements.

Here they tell us in their own words about accepting their awards.

Sanni Salisu

Tony Chant

S

T

Sanni says: “The event was very interesting and an opportunity to find out more about the work that is planned for the city centre.

Tony says: “I was surprised to be told that I had been nominated by Communities First and subsequently won an Extra Mile Award. These awards recognise people who live or work in Newport that have gone the ‘extra mile’ in helping others within the community.

anni is an Apprentice Plumber and received the ‘Outstanding Achiever’ award at the Building Excellence & Newport Construction Initiative Awards ceremony from the Mayor of Newport, Cllr John Guy.

“I was nominated for this award by my manager and feel very proud to receive it.

I am really enjoying my apprenticeship and I want to learn as much as I possibly can and I have recently achieved NVQ2 in Plumbing and am now working towards my NVQ3 in Advanced Plumbing and Heating.

I work within a great team at NCH who have given me brilliant training and support over the last two and a half years.”

4

ony is an Estates Caretaker and received an ‘Extra Mile Award’ from Cllr Bob Bright, the Leader of Newport City Council.

“After the presentation several residents and other award winners from the areas I cover thanked me for the work that the Estates team carries out. The award put a spotlight on the work we do daily and I was able to hear firsthand the difference members of the local community actually think we make.” www.newportcityhomes.com

Summer 2013

Sheltered scheme brochures get a ‘make over’ The Sheltered Housing Forum recently launched the newly ‘made over’ sheltered scheme brochures.

O

ur Lettings team has worked closely with involved residents to develop brochures for each of the schemes and the services on offer.

Lettings Manager, Paul Winter said: “In order to promote the fantastic services we provide in our sheltered housing schemes, we recognised the need for a ‘make over’ for our brochures.

“We provide spacious, self-contained accommodation, along with security and

peace of mind, not to mention the many social activities and opportunities on offer for residents and the local community and this was a great way to publicise this.

“With recent Welfare Reform changes we are aware that older, working age residents are considering moving to smaller, more manageable homes. These brochures give details about what is available and allows those individuals to make a more informed choice about their housing.”

The new brochures are available at our offices, sheltered schemes and on our website. If you would like more information or to discuss your options please contact Helen Betteridge, Supported Housing Officer, on (01633) 227856.

Newport City Homes Housing Association Limited

5

Summer 2013

Supporting residents in their community Our Tenancy Support service provides housing related support to residents both within our sheltered housing schemes and general needs housing.

H

ousing related support promotes and maintains independence through reducing risks to your tenancy and/or premature entry into residential services.

Examples of support provided include: • accessing benefits • making your home safer • accessing adaptations • making new friends and accessing social activities • managing, understanding and responding to correspondence • leading a healthy lifestyle • accessing more suitable accommodation • accessing services to meet your needs.

The service is available to persons who are 55 or older and in receipt of Housing Benefit.

Referrals can be made via a: • self-referral • family member • friend, or • other service providers.

Referrals can be made over the phone and you do not need to complete any lengthy or complicated forms. There are some questions we need to ask but this should take no longer than five minutes.

If you would like further information about this service please contact Sarah Burt on (01633) 227862 or Paul Turner on (01633) 227781. Alternatively, you can call into one of our sheltered housing schemes and have a chat with the Scheme Manager.

Asbestos explained

Asbest in your os home

A

sbestos is a naturally occurring strong fibrous material which can resist heat and chemicals. It was commonly used in building materials between the 1950’s and 1980’s.

With this edition of Bridge Brief, we enclose a leaflet providing information about asbestos and how it can be managed.

6

Understa nding as minimisin besto our hom g the risks aros and und es.

www.newportcityhomes.com

Summer 2013

QIP in action – Tower Blocks inspection visit Our Quality Improvement Panel (QIP) has undertaken a site visit at Milton Court to inspect the recently completed show flats.

QIP also looked at existing empty flats/bedsits in order to make direct comparisons.

A

n evaluation questionnaire was then completed by each panel member to assess the quality of work. The results of which were extremely positive, with specific comments being made in relation to good use of space, as well as the high standard of finish, and the improved door entry system.

QIP will continue to carry out investment programme site visits throughout the city, including visits to Greenwood and

Hillview tower blocks, where they will meet with affected residents in order to discuss their experiences.

The panel would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the invaluable contribution made by Peter Champion following his recent decision to stand down as Chair of QIP. Peter and the panel’s hard work and passion for improvement has led to significant developments for residents across the city.

We wish Peter well for the future.

We are currently reviewing panel membership. If you would be interested in joining our QIP please contact Matt Betteridge, Community Involvement Officer, on (01633) 227826.

Newport City Homes Housing Association Limited

7

Summer 2013

A new look for Church Court Community Kitchen One of our contractors, Mi-space, in partnership with subcontractor, Fairfield Building and Maintenance, has completed a full kitchen refurbishment for the Church Court Community Centre.

N

igel Loxton, Mi-space Senior Project Manager, became aware of the need for a new kitchen after refurbishing our neighbouring sheltered scheme.

The Church Court Community Centre is used for a range of community activities such as bingo and birthday parties and is a well-used drop in centre for local people allowing them to socialise away from home on a regular basis.

Breakfasts and dinners are prepared daily, and the kitchen, like any home, is the beating heart of the building providing a steady supply of refreshments and hot food.

The old kitchen was dated, and as you can see from the picture, was in need of some TLC!

Julie, the Community Centre Warden, was delighted with the results but was equally impressed at the speed of the refurbishment as it enabled the centre to carry out their popular Christmas events without disruption.

8

Michelle Cole, Mi-space Community Engagement Manager, commented: “Mi-space’s commitment to practical community investment made it a perfect project to complete in time for the festive season.”

A member of the team was heard to say: “A kitchen is not just for Christmas, it’s for life”. We could not agree more!

www.newportcityhomes.com

Summer 2013

Customer

Charter Our aims:

mitted We are com cellent g ex to deliverin d will services an to do so by endeavour standards meeting the is set out in th Charter.

Customer

Our commitment to you – introducing our

Customer Charter W

e are pleased to enclose a copy of our new Customer Charter with this edition of Bridge Brief. This was developed by a focus group involving both residents and staff and has recently received the Resident Approved Stamp from the Citywide Panel.

The Charter sets out our commitment to consistently high service standards as well as fulfilling a requirement set out by the Welsh Government in our 2012 regulatory assessment.

Improving communal entrances As part of our commitment to improving homes and neighbourhoods, we have carried out surveys on all communal entrances of blocks of flats over the last 18 months.

R

esults have shown the need for improvement work to virtually all blocks and we plan to make the communal entrances more inviting and appealing for residents. A major refurbishment of all these areas will be undertaken towards the end of the year.

Final designs are currently being drawn up, which will incorporate health and safety requirements and residents will be consulted on these.

A new lighting system will be fitted which will use sensor activated lights, avoiding the need for wall switches.

We appreciate these works will lead to some noise and disruption and we will do our best to keep this to a minimum.

We will also inform you when work will start in your block and would ask for your assistance and understanding during this time.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those involved in its development.

Newport City Homes Housing Association Limited

9

Summer 2013

getting whatthinkyou to know In November and December 2012, we asked you for your views on our services. Our thanks to the 2,119 residents who completed the survey which was developed by a task and finish group of residents and staff.

The survey results allowed us to understand: • How well you think we are doing • What services you think we should develop and • How opinion differs across the city allowing us to tailor services to the community’s needs.

How are we doing?

Many residents told us they were satisfied with our services but that there were

opportunities for further improvement.

The results show what we need to improve on and where we need to work with residents to do so.

Improvement actions identified and currently being undertaken are to: • Make it easier to contact the right person within the organisation • Change the way we carry out repairs to increase the number of the repairs completed on the first visit • Review the work to empty homes, in order to deliver consistency in quality.

However, the survey gave us a snapshot of how well we were doing at that one moment in time. To assist us to understand how effective our actions to improve our services are, we plan to carry out sample surveys in key service areas.

These will happen four times a year, to ensure that your views continue to shape future services.

And the results are …

• Satisfaction with the service provided by NCH

• Satisfaction that NCH listens to views and acts upon them

Very Satisfied

35%

Fairly Satisfied

43%

Neither

13%

Fairly Dissatisfied

6%

Very Dissatisfied

4%

%

0

10

20

30

40

73%

13%

Satisfied Disatisfied

50 85%

10% 5%

83%

13% 5%

NCH has friendly and approachable staff NCH publishes fair and balanced information about its activities

76%

16%

8%

NCH is open about what it does 70%

18%

12%

NCH has a good reputation in my area Agree

10

Neither

Disagree

%

0

20

40

60

80

100

www.newportcityhomes.com

Summer 2013 • Satisfaction with the home and neighbourhood Satisfaction with the overall appearance of the neighbourhood Level of satisfaction with the neighbourhood as a place to live Satisfaction that the rent provides value for money Satisfaction of the safety and security of the home Satisfaction with the quality of the home Agree

Neither

%

Disagree

0

73%

14% 13%

81%

7% 12%

79%

13% 9%

78%

9% 13%

82%

6% 12%

20

40

60

80

100

• Change in the neighbourhood in the past three years Greatly Improved

13%

Slightly Improved

23%

Stayed the same

46%

Slightly Declined

11%

Greatly Declined

7%

%

0

10

20

30

40

50

• Contact with Newport City Homes

73%

Satisfaction with the final outcome of the query Satisfaction with the ability of staff to deal with the query quickly and efficiently Whether staff were helpful or unhelpful

Neither

Dissatisfied

%

0

20

19%

79%

10% 11%

81%

12% 7%

61%

Getting hold of the right person Satisfied

8%

40

13%

60

25%

80

100

• Our Repair Service 68%

The repair being done ‘right first time’ The overall repair service you received on this occasion Being able to make an appointment

Dissatisfied

%

9%

80%

9% 7%

87%

The attitude of workers Neither

23%

76%

79%

Keeping dirt and mess to a minimum

Satisfied

9%

0

Newport City Homes Housing Association Limited

20

40

15% 11% 14% 5% 7%

60

80

100

11

Summer 2013

Academy success!

We are pleased to celebrate the completion of our first Academy training programme. The scheme began in October 2012 and ran for six months, providing paid work placements for the young and unemployed in the city.

O

ne success is that of Wesley Ford.

Following the completion of his Academy placement, Wesley successfully applied for a Customer Services Assistant role and started work at our Nexus House office in April.

The Academy is recruiting again! If you want to work but are finding it difficult to find a job due to a lack of experience or no qualifications, then you really should apply!

We will be holding an open day for you to find out more information on Friday 7 June at our Nexus House office (Mission Court, Newport, NP20 2DW). Closing date for applications is 13 June.

To request an application pack please visit www.newportcityhomes.com or contact us on (01633) 227770 or email us on recruitment@newportcityhomes.com.

Wesley said: “The Academy scheme helped me secure a permanent position with the organisation which I was ecstatic about. The experience I took from my old position as a Finance Trainee has brought me a long way down a very long road which I hope to travel gaining more experience, learning new skills and delivering the best customer service possible to internal and external customers as an individual and as a team.�

Wesley was not the only Academy success.

Sorcha Harford, a trainee in the IT team, has been offered a fixed term contract to work on the IT service desk and will complete a qualification alongside her new role.

Three further Academy trainees have had their work placement contracts extended and given the opportunity to complete a vocational qualification.

12

www.newportcityhomes.com

Summer 2013

An update For over 12 months, our ‘Getting to know you’ resident insight programme has allowed us to gain a better understanding of our residents and their households.

Training opportunities

for you

Our new Training Brochure for April – Sept 13 is now available and offers training opportunities such as ‘IT for residents’ and ‘Being a procurement champion’.

F

or more information, pick up a brochure from our offices, download from our website or speak to a member of the Community Involvement team.

W

e are grateful to the 4,950 households who have taken the time to complete the survey.

The information received has helped us to shape our services through understanding the different needs of our residents.

We will continue to collect information to assist us in improving our services.

In order to ensure our information is up to date, our staff will use the opportunity of every resident interaction to check if phone numbers and other relevant data is correct.

Newport City Homes Housing Association Limited

13

Summer 2013

Regeneration

at work It’s ‘Bin’ tackled…

Thank you to all residents who took part in our Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) environmental community walkabouts.

F

eedback from many areas highlighted concerns in respect of litter, dog fouling and the need for additional bins.

We are pleased to say that we will be installing over 40 additional bins across our communities and our Estates team will be emptying these regularly.

Changes to the way we deliver the Housing and Regeneration Service

A

s of April, we changed the way we deliver services to our residents and communities.

We have adopted a ‘cluster’ approach which mirrors the work of other partners across the city. With this edition of Bridge Brief you will have received a ‘Guide to the Housing and Regeneration Service’ information leaflet.

If for any reason you have not received a copy, please contact us.

14

Areas to benefit will include: Bettws, Caerleon, Gaer, Llanmartin, Pill, Ringland and our sheltered schemes.

Blooming marvellous sheltered schemes Environmental works have been carried out at our sheltered schemes across the city, with garden areas receiving ‘make overs’.

T

he gardens now benefit from beautiful hanging baskets and planters in readiness to bloom and be enjoyed by residents this summer.

www.newportcityhomes.com

Summer Summer2013 2013

Getting involved …

A big thank you to the children and staff of St Patricks and Lliswerry schools whose years 5 and 6 pupils have joined us in class activities and litter picks in Broadmead & Moorland Park to raise awareness of anti-social behaviour, dog fouling and litter concerns.

More than 60 bags of rubbish were collected in total!

EVENTS EVENTS EVENTS To mark the end of Neighbourhood Action Plans for the period 2012-13, events have recently been held in the Pillgwenlly, Moorland and Broadmead and Old Barn neighbourhoods.

E

ach area can proudly boast fantastic achievements during the past 12 months thanks to residents and staff.

Examples of action taken are: • Introduction of a dedicated caretaker service • Nine ‘Keep Wales Tidy Street Quality Indicator’ reports • Siting of public litter bins • Graffiti removal • Removal of boundaries that are no

• • • • • • • •

longer needed (eg fencing of areas that are no longer used) which serve to encourage anti-social behaviour Improved lighting Increased recycling facilities Installation of CCTV cameras at key locations Monthly communication meetings with safety agencies Garden clearance project Neighbourhood walkabouts School projects Quarterly newsletters.

And not forgetting community events that have resulted in a greater level of engagement and involvement from residents. Recent community events have been planned and hosted by residents themselves.

Newport City Homes Housing Association Limited

15

Summer 2013

Fun times in the Neighbourhood Action Areas!

Pill Resident Event This recent event was organised by the Pill Residents' Engagement Forum and was a sunny success!

R

esidents enjoyed and engaged in lots of fun activities at the basketball court such as face painting and a talent competition during the day.

Julie Jones from the Forum said: “It was a great time to get us all together, everyone was enjoying the day.”

The Forum says it was hoping to capture the good feeling created by the Pill residents, and they certainly did that!

Broadmead & Moorland – Party for the Park The ‘Party for the Park’ was full of exciting events in March. Children were fascinated with the fantastic circus skill acts. The whittling and hanging basket demonstrations were also a blooming success.

16

www.newportcityhomes.com

Summer 2013

‘Eggcellent’ time at the

Old Barn

Saturday 30 March turned into an ‘eggstraordinary’ day with residents and children from across the Old Barn solving the Easter egg hunt clues and joining in the fun of other activities such as whittling, face painting and prize draws.

We look forward to developing and delivering action plans with residents for the coming year in our existing and new action areas: • • • • • • •

Old Barn Pill Broadmead & Moorland Park Duffryn Alway Malpas Somerton.

If you are interested in finding out more about your Neighbourhood Action Area or would like to get involved please contact us on (01633) 381111.

Newport City Homes Housing Association Limited

17

Summer 2013

Leaseholder Panel update The Home Ownership team now holds open surgery sessions before all Leaseholder Panel meetings.

T

hese sessions provide leaseholders with an opportunity to discuss any individual matters with us prior to the meeting. The next opportunity to attend is: Thursday 25 July at Nexus House Home Ownership Surgery - 5-6pm Leaseholder Panel Meeting - 6pm At the last Leaseholder Panel meeting there was a progress report on major works as well as updates on specific matters such as buildings insurance and the leaseholder satisfaction survey.

The Panel is always looking for new members and if you would like to be involved in discussing issues that affect you as a leaseholder or to receive updates

from the Panel please call Louise Anderson on (01633) 227757 or email homeownership@newportcityhomes.com

Who’s your Hero?

Since our last edition we have received a lot of nominations and have had five awards.

February Trudy Evans nominated Ieuan Richards for being “brave and sensible” when his mother collapsed. Ieuan ran to a neighbour’s house to telephone for an ambulance and his mother was taken to hospital and admitted to the critical care unit.

18

8

Ieuan Richards

www.newportcityhomes.com www.newportcityhomes.com

Summer 2013

Rebecca Dance

Rhyan Hathway

sumim nahar

Deborah Loder

Rebecca Dance, Customer Service Assistant, was nominated by Alan Cohen, a member of our newly formed Challenge Panel, for creating “a great first impression of NCH”. Alan Cohen was joined by Margaret Roberts, Vice Chair of West Area Panel, for the presentation.

March Sumim Nahar, Tenancy Support Officer, was nominated by Darren Taylor, a resident from Raglan Court. He said: “her help is first class and superb. She is a star!”

April Jean Watkins, Community Fund Panel member, nominated Rhyan Hathway to be April’s hero. Jean said: “He has put his heart into working in the community.”

Deborah Loder, Project Management Assistant, was nominated by Bronwen Graham, Resident Liaison Coordinator, because “Nothing is too much trouble for her” and “she'll always help you if she can.” However, on the day, Bronwen handed over presentation duties to Nick Hampshire, Director of Asset Management.

Well done to all our winners!

If you would like to nominate a resident or staff member of the Association as your hero, please contact Catherine Eccles, Communications Officer, on (01633) 227855 or email: catherine. eccles@newportcityhomes.com

NewportAssociation City Homes Housing Association Limited Newport City Homes Housing Limited

9

19

Summer 2013

Calling all gardeners!

It’s that time of year when you can nominate your garden for the annual Newport in Bloom competition.

If you’re proud about your petunias, or think a neighbour’s garden is grand, then this is your chance!

Please tick ONE box only between classes 1 to 9, however, you may enter Class 10 in addition to this.

CHAMPION CLASS: Open only to FIRST PRIZE winners in 2012 CLASS 1: Best front garden A flower display to include everything that can be seen from the PUBLIC HIGHWAY CLASS 2: Best flower display Using ONLY tubs, garden containers and baskets to be seen clearly from the PUBLIC HIGHWAY Entry through a property MUST be necessary to judge CLASS 1 or CLASS 2 CLASS 3: Best flower display in Commercial Properties CLASS 4: Best flower display in Public Houses and Hotels NAME:

CLASS 5: Best maintained in Parish or Church Gardens and Cemeteries CLASS 6: Best flower display in Community and Neighbourhood CLASS 7: Best flower display in Residential Homes, Nursing Homes and Health Premises CLASS 8: Best flower display in Infant/Junior Schools CLASS 9: Best school vegetable garden area a) Nursery/Infant School b) Junior School CLASS 10: Any wildlife garden a) Schools b) Residential

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

ADDRESS: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................................................................................................

POST CODE: .......................................................

TELEPHONE: ........................................................................ EMAIL: .....................................................................................................................................................

Complete and return as soon as possible to:- Chairman, 64 Llanwern Street, Newport, NP190BZ. All entries are free.

20

Closing date 22 June 2013 Pre-judging classes 1 and 2 only 6 -7- 8 July Final judging Thursday 11 July 2013 www.newportcityhomes.com