Issue 24 - Greater Manchester Housing Providers Anti-Poverty Newsletter Spring 2019

SPRING 2019

ISSUE 24

The poverty issue

Welcome to Issue 24 of the Greater Manchester Housing Providers anti-poverty newsletter, shining a light on the work we do to help reduce poverty and some of the projects and communities we work with. Our cover picture shows the Boost4Youth Panel at Salix Homes, more on page 12.

Also in this issue we have contributions from; 

Motiv8

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Salix Homes

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Bolton at Home

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Southway Housing Trust

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ForHousing

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Stockport Homes

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Jigsaw Homes

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Wythenshawe Community Housing

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WWW.GMHOUSING.CO.UK

SPRING 2019

ISSUE 24

Since our last issue…

Supporting the work of the Food Poverty Alliance We’ve pledged to support some of the actions in the GM Food Poverty Alliance action plan.

Several organisations have made their own pledges and a copy of the pledge made on behalf of GM Housing can be found here. Please continue to share your stories on what you are doing to support this work.

A Food Strategy for Greater Manchester Housing providers met with Food Matters to discuss our potential role in a sustainable food system. Food Matters are carrying out an independent review of the food policy landscape in GM which will be used to inform a Food Strategy for GM. Thank you to all those who supported this and I will continue to keep you posted on developments.

Tameside Strategic Food Partnership It’s great news that Tameside has become the fourth GM borough to establish a strategic food partnership who are now working towards Sustainable Food Cities membership. I hope to be able to bring you more news on that as their work progresses.

Joseph Rowntree Research—Making a House a Home A small group has met to look at how we could respond to the recommendations that  Social housing could be more effective in reducing poverty if basic decoration, flooring and the option of low-cost furniture packages were provided with it.  Social housing providers can respond to tenants needs by providing a higher void standard and furniture packages.

We still need more people to contribute to this piece of work so if this is your area of interest/expertise or if you’d just like to try to make a difference please do get in touch.

As usual you are very welcome to send your feedback or suggestions for the next issue to Julie.Ralph@boltonathome.org.uk

You can find out more about the work of Greater Manchester Housing Providers by following them on Twitter @GMHousing Or visit the website for the latest news www.gmhousing.co.uk 2 2

ATHENA MOTIV8 PROGRAMME

Get back on track with Motiv8 Motiv8 is a Greater Manchester programme to help unemployed people aged 25 and over. It supports some of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people in society to overcome a wide variety of complex issues and barriers to improve their lives and help move them closer to work.

It is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and the European Social Fund.

Here is Ledora’s story When Ledora came to the Motiv8 programme she had lots of complex challenges and issues in her life. She had been out of work for a long time, had mounting debts and there was a very real threat of eviction. She also has severe dyslexia.

She said: “I was angry about the situation and also very depressed. I had been out of work for a long time, and although I had previously done a college course in textiles, I was not in a good place to start job-searching. I was also struggling to access jobs online as I don’t know much about computers and I was getting frustrated with the lack of support to help with this.”

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ATHENA MOTIV8 PROGRAMME Ledora was signposted to Motiv8 by her local job centre coach who thought that she could benefit from Motiv8’s personalised approach and that they would be able to help her with some of the barriers that were holding her back.

Since then, Motiv8 has been able to support Ledora with her housing situation through their specialist partners at Shelter. Motiv8 has also enabled Ledora to access debt advice helping to put a payment plan in place and maximising her income and reducing her bills. She has also been supported to apply for a personal independence payment and has been helped with the transition over to Universal Credit.

Ledora is particularly grateful for the support because she has severe dyslexia and sometimes feels she is overlooked. She said; “What I appreciate most is that the Motiv8 team listened to me and realised that I needed extra support. They referred me to a ‘Healthy Minds’ course to help with my self-esteem and self- confidence too. They have always been at the end of phone for me and they understand me!”

Claire, Employment Engagement Officer for Motiv8, said: “Ledora is a completely different person to the one I met at the start of her Motiv8 journey.

She has turned significant corners and has become much more positive. She felt the world was against her, but she has accepted all the support we have been able to offer and is in a much better place to move forward.

With support from Motiv8’s self-employment specialist partners at ForHousing, and with the fantastic donation of a professional sewing machine from ‘500 Acts of Kindness’, Ledora is about to start work as a self-employed seamstress.”

To view Ledora’s story visit: https://motiv8mcr.org/success-stories/ledoras-story Want to find out more about Motiv8?

Further information about Motiv8 and the eligibility criteria for the programme, can be found at www.motiv8mcr.org or call 0161 331 2048 or email info@manchesterbbo.co.uk Jigsaw Group is leading the Motiv8 programme with support from other Manchester Athena housing providers at Stockport Homes, ForHousing, Wythenshawe Community Housing Group and Bolton at Home.

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BOLTON AT HOME Bolton at Home employment scheme up for housing award An initiative to give people in Bolton the confidence for job interviews has been nominated for a northern housing award.

Working Wardrobe, launched in June 2018, is a key part of Bolton at Home’s support network and offers people appropriate clothing to wear for job interviews, as well as final interview preparation.

It has been shortlisted in the Resident Employment and Training Initiative of the Year at the Northern Housing Awards 2019.

Tony Cottam, Head of Employment and Enterprise at Bolton at Home, said: “We knew when we set this project up that clothes were an important element in our support network, but we didn't realise how important a part they played in our customers achieving a successful outcome. “A visit to Working Wardrobe can literally be the difference between them getting the job or not. Our team has so far helped 141 customers prepare for their job interview and 69 of those have gained employment.

It is one of a number of initiatives that form part of Bolton at Home’s support network for giving people the confidence to look for and secure employment. Bolton at Home offers a wide range of support through its UCAN centres, including help with job searches, writing CVs, interview coaching and preparation. The UCAN centres can also arrange for a range of other support to help people overcome barriers like low confidence and self-esteem, money or health worries.

Bolton resident John Fallows, pictured above, made use of the Working Wardrobe and support from Bolton at Home’s UCAN centres when he was made redundant from his job at a 5 5

BOLTON AT HOME fencing company. John, who lives in Tonge Moor, said: “At 47, I didn’t think it would be easy to get another job, but I knew that if I went to my local UCAN centre, I’d get the support I needed to get back into work. I’ve always struggled with interviews. I tend to seize up and I find it difficult to talk about myself and sell my skills to an employer. But with coaching from UCAN centre staff, and some practice, I’ve learned how to handle interviews better.”

This support came in handy when, just weeks later, John got an interview with online retailer, Amazon, for a job at its depot in Over Hulton. John was offered the job at the end of his interview and three weeks later started work as Fulfillment Associate.

He said: “I was invited down to Bolton at Home’s Working Wardrobe where they fitted me out with a new suit for the interview. I felt like a million dollars when I stepped out of the changing room, wearing my new pinstripe suit.

“My advice to anyone struggling to find work would be to give your local UCAN centre a try.

I remember feeling a bit nervous when I first walked in. I had no computer skills at all. But everyone is so friendly and the staff are all experienced and know how to help you.”

More awards recognition for Bolton community wellbeing scheme A community project that’s encouraging Bolton residents to get the right support to look after their health and wellbeing has been nominated for a second award.

The ‘Peer Navigators’ project was shortlisted at the prestigious Tpas Awards 2019 in the Excellence in Community Action category.

Piloted in Johnson Fold since March 2018, the Peer Navigators have so far helped 212 local families access support from community projects and public services, as well creating new groups to encourage healthy eating and better mental health.

Three Bolton at Home tenants - Bernadette Kelly, Sara Fearns and Shelley Butler - have gained long-term employment as Peer Navigators to help and encourage their neighbours to get the right support. Lisa Bradley, Community Development Officer for Bolton at Home, said: “We recruited the Peer Navigators because they are the ones who know their neighbours best. “Their role is to listen to people in the community and understand local issues. They can then support individuals to access appropriate services, promoting self-care and positive behaviour change.

Managed by Bolton at Home, in partnership with Bolton Council, the Placed Based Integration (PBI) Team and Bolton Community and Voluntary Services, the Peer Navigators have focused on four themes – families and food, employment, environment and women’s wellbeing.

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BOLTON AT HOME Using social value to tackle poverty There are some clear overlaps with our anti-poverty work and some of the themes on the Social Value agenda and we work with other organisations across Bolton on this.

The Bolton Family is a partnership of public and private sector organisations with a particular emphasis on food poverty, homelessness, training and employment and Bolton at Home are proud to be members. One of their recent initiatives was to encourage others to do more on these themes and they’ve created a social value challenge which is being shared widely across the borough. The challenges include something for everyone and range from challenges for business to pay the living wage and recruit local people to challenges for individuals such as donating to Fresh as a Daisy, our local period poverty charity, or collecting for our local foodbank.

Green heat and lower fuel bills An ambitious project is underway at Green Lane in Horwich, which will see up to 85 homes fitted with the very latest, environmentally friendly, renewable heat technology. Heat pumps, which are fitted externally to the property, work by extracting energy from the outside air, to warm radiators inside the property, even in sub-zero temperatures. As well as being good for the environment, the pumps will be much more efficient to run – making fuel bills cheaper.

Residents living at Green Lane will be among the first in Greater Manchester to benefit from this new technology. A series of consultation events with the local community have taken place, which generated huge interest and excitement in this pilot project. The project has been supported through funding from the Greater Manchester Warm Homes Fund. We’ll monitor how much fuel bills reduce as we’d like to do more of this type of work in the future.

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FORHOUSING The art of Tenancy Sustainment Mr & Mrs X were referred to our Tenancy Sustainment Service from Social Services.

The elderly couple were owner occupiers of a property and were due to be evicted for mortgage arrears and the property be repossessed.

Mrs X was experiencing a long term life limiting illness having acquired a brain injury and was unable to talk. She had also been diagnosed with cancer.

Mr X was the main carer for his wife and the couple were in receipt of disability benefits ESA and PIP. Due to the diagnosis they were struggling to manage their finances on a day to day basis and unfortunately accumulated mortgage debt of ÂŁ30,000. The bank had instigated repossession proceedings.

Our tenancy Sustainment Service liaised with other housing providers over possible suitable accommodation, with no immediate success. In the mean time their property was placed on the open market for sale as there was a large amount of equity available in property to release. Eventually the couple were offered a 2-bed bungalow in the location of their choice.

The Tenancy Sustainment Officer applied for Housing benefit which was awarded and our officer supported the couple to set up their new tenancy to include all utilities.

Luckily, the property sold before the repossession date and the Mr and Mrs X were able to pay off the mortgage and the arrears in full and was then left with a surplus amount of ÂŁ59,000.00.

The couple are now able to live without the threat of eviction and are enjoying their savings.

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JIGSAW HOMES Housing group celebrates first year of merger with neighbourhood investment and new £500,000 Jigsaw Foundation Newly-merged housing association Jigsaw Homes Group marked its first anniversary on 3rd April by opening applications to its new £500,000 community fund and launching new action plans to improve neighbourhoods across the North West and East Midlands.

Jigsaw Group, which owns c34,000 homes across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside and Nottinghamshire has earmarked half-a-million pounds of investment for local projects in 2019/2020 as part of its new Jigsaw Foundation. Residents, charities, social enterprises, voluntary groups and local agencies are invited to bid for a share of this money towards projects involving health and well-being, employability, financial inclusion, the environment and encourage enterprise and training.

Jigsaw tenants signed up to Jigsaw Rewards surveys will also be able to vote on where bids of up £25,000 should be spent. Entries in excess of this amount will be decided by Jigsaw’s executive team. A £50,000 hardship fund has also been set up to pay for essentials like beds and cookers for tenants who cannot provide their own. Referrals will be made by Jigsaw.

Hilary Roberts, Chief Executive of Jigsaw Homes Group said: “Since we merged, we’ve focused on improving our services to tenants and communities as a new, larger organisation and I’m delighted to celebrate our first year with significant neighbourhood investments and extra support for those most in need. “Our new Jigsaw Foundation builds on the success of former neighbourhood funding programmes and it’s also a chance for tenants to have their say on how money should be spent in their areas. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for local projects in all our communities to get the support they need to make a positive impact and we look forward to receiving applications.”

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JIGSAW HOMES Applications to Jigsaw Foundation will also be assessed alongside Jigsaw’s new neighbourhood plans. To find out more visit www.jigsawhomes.org.uk Tameside Jobs Fair The annual Tameside Jobs Fair is being hosted by Jigsaw Homes Group for the third successive year at our Head Office in Ashton under Lyne on the 10th May. This will be the 4th time we have hosted this event which is always popular and successful attracting over 500 residents on each occasion.

Twenty four companies and organisations will be attending offering a wide variety of employment opportunities on the day, including The Jigsaw Homes Neighbourhood Engagement Team and Motiv8 staff promoting our employment and skills support services and accredited training available to residents. Employers attending the event comprise of a varied selection of industry sectors including construction, retail, hospitality, care and support and manufacturing.

Jigsaw Homes understand the importance of providing employment and learning opportunities within Tameside and the neighbouring boroughs, and it is encouraging to see this vision is recognised by our local employers and partner organisations. In April this year we launched or new Neighbourhood Plans which include looking at the levels of unemployment in our neighbourhoods which enable us to plan interventions such as our work clubs which continue to be popular with job seekers and achieve job outcomes for people year on year.

The Tameside Job Fair is planned and delivered in partnership with Tameside MBC and Job Centre Plus (DWP). Jigsaw Homes would like to thank all businesses, exhibitors and 10 10

JIGSAW HOMES volunteers that have agreed to support the event and for providing a wide variety of vacancies, support services and learning opportunities to improve resident’s job seeking prospects, creating worthwhile and sustainable jobs.

Women from Oldham learning to develop and improve sewing skills Recently we have had 18 women starting the 5 weeks Sewing and Employment course at Oldham Millennium Centre working in partnership with Oldham Lifelong Learning. This encouraged woman to build their confidence in being around other people and enjoying their social time. These women learning how to sew could lead to a potential career, as a machinist, and a dressmaker. Some women have commented that it has helped them to feel better mentally and socially and also enabled them to learn new skills.

The Sewing and Employment course is designed to support women allowing them to learn new skills and improve existing one which include:  Developing and improving sewing skills to a professional standard  Building a portfolio of work to reflect your technical expertise  Improving their health and well-being  Building self-confidence in a safe and professional working environment After completion of the course these women will progress onto a specialised sewing course held at Oldham Coliseum where they would be involved with the costume making team. As this would enable these women to pursue a qualification in textiles or fashion, or consider employment / self-employment options in this sector.

Youth Can Do It Jigsaw Homes are working with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to deliver the Team programme for young people living in Hyde. The Princes Trust funded programme involves a series of challenges designed to improve employability, such as a Community Project, Team Challenge and a team building residential. Participants will also complete a two week work placement and training exercises with the Fire Fighters. Three out of four people on Team go on to work or college courses within three months.

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SALIX HOMES Salix Homes offers young people share of £10,000 A £10,000 funding pot is up for grabs for young people in Salford.

Salix Homes has launched its Boost4Youth fund, offering grants of up to £500 a time to help fund youth projects or initiatives that will directly help young people living in Salford.

The Boost4Youth Panel at Salix Homes

The funding is part of Salix Homes’ wider Springboard grant programme, which has so far awarded more than £90,000 to local projects that boost community spirit, improve the environment, reduce isolation and promote health and wellbeing.

Young people are invited to bid for a slice of the funding and applications will be considered

by Salix Homes’ very own youth panel – Boost4Youth.

Boost4Youth is made up of a group of Salford teenagers who act as the voice of young people in Salix Homes’ neighbourhoods. The talented teens work with Salix Homes to provide more opportunities and improve the prospects of young people in Salford.

Fathiat Abdul-Quadri, aged 14, said: “The Boost4Youth Panel at Salix Homes is all about the youth of Salford. We have the independence to make things happen, and we get to make decisions and shape how things are done.

“We’re all really excited to launch the Boost4Youth fund and provide more opportunities for young people. You often hear of teenagers complaining that there’s nothing to do around here, but this is their opportunity to make a difference and we can’t wait to see what ideas we can support that will benefit the community.”

Applicants don’t have to be a Salix Homes tenant, but the project must benefit young people aged up to 17 living in Salix Homes neighbourhoods.

Jeanette Green, neighbourhood manager at Salix Homes, said: “Our Springboard fund has been really successful, ploughing thousands of pounds into worthwhile causes across Salford, so now we are opening it up to young people.

“Young people often hit the headlines for the wrong reasons, but our fantastic Boost4Youth Panel are a fantastic example of what a positive difference young people can make in our 12 12

SALIX HOMES communities and they’re looking forward to dishing out grants to help even more youth projects.

“Whether you’re an apprentice who’s after some new tools for the trade, or a youth club in desperate need for some new equipment, I’d urge you to apply to the Boost4Youth fund.”

Go to www.salixhomes.org/boost4youth to apply Flat recovered from fraudsters now used to support homeless

Anne Marie Bancroft tenancy specialist at Salix Homes

A flat in Salford recovered from fraudsters is now being used as a safe haven for homeless people. Last year Salix Homes, which owns more than 8,000 homes in Salford, ran a major crackdown targeting tenancy fraud as part of International Fraud Awareness Week.

One of the properties recovered during the clampdown is now being used for the ‘A Bed Every Night’ project, which commits to providing a roof over the head of roughsleepers in Greater Manchester.

Salix Homes officers discovered that the one-bed flat in the Greengate area of Salford was being illegally sublet and was the subject of a fraudulent Right To Buy application, which had it been successful, would have meant the property was sold at a discount of more than £30,000 and been lost from the city’s social housing supply. After officers uncovered the fraudulent activity, the tenancy was terminated, and the property was reallocated to support the homeless project, launched by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham last November.

A Bed for Every Night aims to provide roughsleepers in the region with access to a bed, hot meal, a shower and additional support if they want it, throughout the cold winter months.

Lee Sugden, chief executive at Salix Homes, said: “Salix Homes takes tenancy fraud extremely seriously, as for every home that is misused or obtained by deception; it means one less home available for people in genuine housing need.

“Thanks to the success of our recent crackdown and the recovery of this particular property, not only have we saved a social housing property that would have been lost forever, we’ve also ensured that the property in question is now being used to make a difference to the lives of roughsleepers in Greater Manchester.

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SOUTHWAY HOUSING TRUST Spring into Work events: Helping Manchester residents into Jobs Helping tenants and South Manchester residents find jobs and prepare to move into employment has remained a key priority for Southway and during April we organised a series of ‘Spring into Work’ events aimed at linking job seekers with major local employers.

Aldi presentation at Ladybarn Community Centre

The Spring into Work month got off to a great start on 3rd April at Barlow Moor Community Centre in Chorlton where the Airport Academy and Marriott Hotels delivered presentations on the many work opportunities now available due to expansion of Manchester Airport. Around 45 local residents attended and found the session extremely useful. Many planned to attend one of the employer engagement days organised at the airport where they can apply for jobs they are particularly interested in.

On Friday 12th April around 50 residents booked onto an Aldi presentation at Ladybarn Community Centre in Fallowfield. Many were keen to find out what opportunities were available at the company and learn how best to apply. The majority were surprised at the variety of jobs available at Aldi, not just supermarket assistant work. Opportunities included apprenticeships, driving and warehouse work, office and graduate roles and management positions. Due to their popularity we plan to organise more employer engagement sessions in the near future.

The Spring into Work Jobs Fair Our month of employment activities culminated in a Spring into Work Jobs Fair at Burnage Academy on 18th April, opened by local MP Jeff Smith and Southway’s CEO Karen Mitchell.

Over 20 of South Manchester’s largest recruiting companies including, Vodafone, Stagecoach, the Army, Kids Allowed, NW Ambulance Service, Service master cleaning and many more had stands, and 100s of live vacancies, apprenticeships and training opportunities were available. Organisations that support people into work were also invited including Breakthrough UK, NHS, DWP, Be Well and Manchester Colleges providing quality advice and guidance for attendees.

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SOUTHWAY HOUSING TRUST A series of workshops were also delivered throughout the day and proved to be a great success. Those who attended were helped with writing CVs, applying for jobs and given tips on how to have a successful interview. Others covered self- employment and gave tips on setting up your own business.

Those who attended the workshops said they were now much more confident about producing a CV and learnt a lot about how to complete applications for jobs and get through interviews successfully.

Over 130 individuals attended the jobs fair and found the event very worthwhile.

Feedback on the day was very positive. Around 25% of visitors found positions they were interested in and many secured jobs on the spot with an immediate start.

We were extremely grateful to Burnage Academy for allowing us use of the building, which was an amazing venue, and for their fantastic support. We hope to work more closely with the school in future helping to deliver mock interview sessions with students to provide useful feedback and improve their skills. Many of their year 11 boys and parents attended the jobs fair event to check out the career and training opportunities offered by different companies.

The whole atmosphere was welcoming and supportive, giving many people the chance to get face to face with employers and giving exhibitors the chance to boost their profile and meet potential recruits. We will be keeping in contact with employers and attendees to see how many moved into work as a result of the event.

The employment events were so successful that we are planning to run similar ones in the autumn.

Working with Breakthrough UK to improve employability skills Breakthrough UK who help people with disabilities move into work spent the day at Southway where our staff conducted mock interviews with a group of their clients. The intention was to improve their self-confidence and employment chances by experiencing what it was like to go through the interview process.

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SOUTHWAY HOUSING TRUST The participants were a bit apprehensive at the start but in the end found it a very positive experience. They found the feedback particularly useful and said they felt much more confident about attending job interviews in future.

Our ‘Serving 4 Success’ course continues to bear fruit Two years ago Southway developed a hospitality course with Manchester College to provide students with front of house skills and work experience opportunities that would improve their chances of getting employment in one of the many restaurants and bars that exist in the South Manchester area. Most who completed the course found work as a result and some continue to update us on how they are progressing, claiming the course inspired them to achieve more in their lives.

One ex-student Madiha, who was one of the least confident of the Serving 4 Success class has recently completed a 3 month public speaking course and last week invited us to attend a Speak Up Challenge event where she delivered a speech on The Importance of Inner Healing to over 100 people at The Friends Meeting House in Manchester, a huge achievement.

We are so proud of the progress she has made and her new self-confidence should prove invaluable in developing her aspirations.

Madiha is pictured above after delivering her speech with Elaine Wilkinson, Southway’s Employment and Money Coordinator.

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STOCKPORT HOMES Our Warm Home Discount Campaign At Stockport Homes we have two dedicated Energy Advisors who work with our customers to help tackle fuel poverty. The Warm Home Discount scheme is vital for many of our customers to be able to keep their heating on over the winter period and our campaign is designed to breakdown any barriers for people to access the scheme.

The Warm Home Discount Scheme is a rebate you can apply for from your energy suppliers to help with your winter electric bill. The Home Energy Advice Service have helped customers apply previously, however year on year we build on our campaign to make sure as many of our customers are aware of the scheme and most importantly know how to apply.

Two groups qualify for the Warm Homes Discount Scheme:  Core Group  Broader Group Those who fall into the ‘Core’ group receive the discount automatically. However, those who fall into the ‘Broader’ group have to apply every year to receive the discount. We identified in previous years that customers who may qualify for the scheme were either not aware of it or did not know how to apply. This year the majority of suppliers only accepted applications online; this is a significant barrier for the most vulnerable customers who may not have access to the internet.

How we reached our customers?

Rent statements – Rent statements sent out in October included a flyer to inform customer of the scheme and provide our contact details if they required more assistance. This ensures we reach over 10,000 households.

Our dedicated Warm Homes Discount Helpline – To ensure we have enough resources to deal with enquires when the rent statements drop through our customers doors we set up a separate phone line. This phone line was manned by four trained staff to be able to answer any queries and complete applications over the phone.

Flyer/Poster Campaign – We conducted targeted flyer drips in all tower blocks and low risers. All communal areas including Food Pantry’s and Community Centres were provided with posters and flyers Coffee mornings - We recognised that elderly people are quick to dismiss any discount or benefits that they could receive. By attending coffee mornings, we were able to chat to them and explain the scheme.

Social Media - Regular updates on twitter and Facebook. We used social media to alert customers when specific suppliers had opened up their applications as well as any deadlines.

Website – We used the website page to keep customers and staff up to date of when suppliers have opened and closed their applications as well as providing all the details to apply.

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STOCKPORT HOMES One Number – Customer service operatives were provided a script to ask customers if they know about the Warm Home Discount Scheme, the operative could then refer them to the Warm Home Discount team. If a customer were on hold, a recorded message would also inform the customer about the scheme.

Frontline Staff– We conducted awareness sessions with frontline staff who see our customers face to face. We recognised that every engagement with a customer is an opportunity to help them potentially benefit from £140 towards their energy bills.

This year we helped complete applications for our tenants to the value of over £64,000. This is the second year in a row we have seen a significant increase in applications.

We will continue to promote the Warm Homes Discount Scheme through new avenues and hope to keep on increasing the number of tenants we are able to assist.

For more information, please contact our Energy Advice Team at energy.advice@stockporthomes.org

OWLS turn 3!

Owls (Ongoing Women’s Local Support) is a volunteer-led peer support group for women who have experienced domestic abuse. Recently celebrating their 3rd birthday they are going from strength to strength, offering a weekly coffee morning, 1 to 1 support and a buddy system for appointments and meetings.

In January, with support from Stockport Homes, they started delivering the Freedom Programme, a nationally recognised course designed to support survivors of domestic abuse understand the tactics and beliefs of abusive partners, the effect this can have and warning signs for new relationships.

One women who is currently on the course said: “Thank you so much for allowing me to do the course, I’m already beginning to see that it wasn’t my fault!”

If you want more information on SHG is supporting the OWLS group, please get in touch with Nicola Green, Customer Engagement Officer, 0161 474 5811.

Future Build event inspires Stockport residents In March Three Sixty and B4Box held ‘Future Build’ an informative and hands-on open day aimed at introducing interested local residents to the world of construction.

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STOCKPORT HOMES Those attending were able to take part in practical building demonstrations, construction and DIY sessions and activities such as tiling and bricklaying within the B4Box workshop.

As well as getting hands-on, the group learnt how we are improving homes in Offerton, taking a tour of the site. They also found out more about non-manual opportunities available in the industry and how to best progress up the career ladder.

Many members of the group found the support and information offered extremely helpful when it came to thinking about their future.

Levi said: “Currently I do agency work but want to get into something full-time. Finding out about the courses and training available has helped me work out how to get onto an apprenticeship. Hearing about the salaries for different trades was really interesting too.”

Jessica said: “I enjoy doing practical things and wanted to become multi-skilled in trade. I have three children and getting a qualification and job would help me to give them a better life. I’ve really enjoyed learning new things, it’s helped me to find out what I want to do and I hope to join an apprentice course next.”

Local Jobs for Local People Over the past 12 months Stockport Homes has supported 419 local residents into work with local companies such as Northern Restaurants, B4Box, Bamford Doors and even at Stockport Homes itself. Here is what some of those customers have said: Shannon – “The Blackshaws restaurant training course that I completed has provided me with the platform to have a successful career in an industry I did not envisage myself working in. Having moved from job to job, I was quite down about my career prospects and thanks to Stockport Homes, I am now really happy and loving my job. The staff were extremely friendly, I was able to come out of my shell and felt like someone actually believed in me. It has genuinely been life changing, and I love my new job!”

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STOCKPORT HOMES Natalie – “I was suffering with mental health, especially around anxiety. I was stuck at home with my children. I felt so isolated. I found the training course through social media, and I have not looked back since. The Stockport Homes staff were amazing, they took me out of my comfort zone and changed the way I thought about myself. I started to realise I could achieve new goals. I am now in a secure job, and without Stockport Homes I would still be at home worried about leaving the house. It’s not just improved my life, it’s helped to improve everyone around me, especially my children.”

Damian – “I am an ex-royal marine commando, who was struggling to fit back into society.

After leaving I was pushed into training as a carpet fitter, it was something I didn’t want to do, I didn’t enjoy this role. My mental health suffered greatly, and I was pretty down about my prospects. I’m now living in Stockport Homes temporary accommodation. Things are starting to get better for me, I’ve recently participated in some training with Stockport Homes. Since I was a kid I’ve always wanted to be a chef, Stockport Homes are helping me to achieve this goal. My aim now is to secure a role within this industry, something Stockport Homes is helping with. They are running a training course, with guaranteed interviews with the new Produce Hall in the town centre. With their support, I’m slowly getting back on my feet.”

For more information contact Jo Claridge, Employment and Support Services Manager on 0161 474 3716 or joanne.claridge@stockporthomes.org Stockport Homes Furniture Recycling Project– contributing towards ending furniture poverty Stockport Homes Furniture Recycling Project was established in March 2017, initially with the aim of recycling furniture and white goods from Stockport Homes’ Void Properties.

In April 2018 the project secured a contract with the Stockport Local Assist Scheme (SLAS) to deliver the furniture element of this service, after the closure of the long standing Stockport Furniture Station, since then the project has grown exponentially.

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STOCKPORT HOMES The Furniture Recycling Project now collects and recycles furniture and electrical white goods in good working condition from across the borough. These items are then donated to families or residents in furniture poverty who lack the basic items that make their property a home.

Stockport Homes recognises how furniture poverty can impact a customer’s ability to sustain a tenancy and therefore aims to alleviate the burdens faced by these customers providing free good quality furniture and an alternative to high cost lenders. Stockport Homes are also working with other local housing providers to provide furniture for the customers living without the basic items in their properties.

Stockport Homes employ a full time Furniture Recycling Officer and a full time Furniture Recycling Assistant to deliver the service alongside a core group of committed volunteers.

The volunteers enrol on a structured programme of volunteering opportunities including training and employment support and are actively encouraged to seek paid employment where appropriate.

The service is reliant on good quality donations from across the borough, the majority of which are public donations through our website. In the last 12 months the project has seen rapid growth, 456 individual items were delivered and 289 collections from properties were made from April 2018 – March 2019. The graph above shows the type and number of items that have been delivered by the project in the last 12 months. All items collected are cleaned and PAT Tested (where applicable) before being gifted out to our customers.

Stockport Homes is committed to ensuring that all customers received high quality second hand goods. Dignity and respect are an integral part of the service, only furniture that would enhance a customer’s home is collected and recycled.

As the project continues to expand there is a need to increase and ensure the level of stock.

The next steps for the project will be to investigate partnerships with high street and online retailers, further develop links with the local authority waste collection services and develop a platform to sell items that are unsuitable for gifting such as large or corner sofas and dressers with all income being reinvested into the project.

Currently the service is only delivered within the borough of Stockport if you would like more information on the project then please get in touch with Rob Niebel or Rebecca Parry on 0161 218 1091 or contact furniture@stockporthomes.org 21 21

WYTHENSHAWE COMMUNITY HOUSING GROUP Real Food – Spring BIG Lunch Real Food Wythenshawe has been cooking up a storm for Wythenshawe Community Housing Group (WCHG) colleagues to help support their Health & Wellbeing programme this spring.

At the end of March the team hosted a taster and cooking demonstration at their Wythenshawe House office to give colleagues the opportunity to see and taste how these healthy dishes are made and ask any questions.

On offer at the event was Cauliflower Soup, Vegetable Fricasse & Jacqueline’s Famous Dahl.

In total they gave out 153 tasters and 81 recipes to colleagues and this is one of several colleague demonstrations they have done as part of the Real Food project.

The team also host a free a weekly 'Cooking with Confidence' course every Fri (10:30 1:30pm) for local Wythenshawe residents at Unit-e, the food storage warehouse in the town centre to help encourage local people to start cook and eat fresh healthy meals.

Kevin Lowry, Interim Group Chief Executive said “The event was really well attended and all the feedback we had was really positive, it was great to see colleagues not only enjoying healthy cooked food but watching the demonstrations and asking questions on how we make the recipes”.

For more information on Real Food visit their website - www.realfoodwythenshawe.com/ or follow them on Twitter https://twitter.com/realfoodteam.

Real Food Support McDonald’s House Wythenshawe Community Housing Group’s Real Food team were at Ronald McDonald House in Manchester in April. The team run ‘Emmie’s Kitchen’ from McDonald House once a month, where they showcase healthy recipes and cook them for the people staying at the facility; which offers free 'home away from home' accommodation to families with children receiving treatment in the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and St Mary's Neonatal Unit.

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WYTHENSHAWE COMMUNITY HOUSING GROUP In March, over 80 parents attended the event which continues to go from strength to strength since it launched back in June 2018.

McDonald House is open 365 days a year and is equipped with everything you would find in a family home. It gives families the chance to get a good night's sleep and prepare their own meals knowing that they're only a moments away from their children.

Interim Group Chief Executive Kevin Lowry, said, “We are very proud of the work that Real Food are doing, not only here in Wythenshawe but the wider community of Greater Manchester.

The team are making a real difference for the people who are staying at McDonald House.

Keep up the good work!”.

If you would like to find out more about Real Food Wythenshawe please contact Susan Law on 0161 946 9115 or Susan.Law@wchg.org.uk Wythenshawe Foodbank Distribution of food—People fed April 18 – March 19: Total 2641 (Adults 1565, Children 1,076) which equates to approx. 24,000 meals distributed to Wythenshawe clients.

Emergency Food Boxes (EFB’s) - We have introduced Emergency food boxes (EFB’s) for specialist agencies with additional safeguarding requirements.

For more information, please contact communications@wchg.org.uk

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