SBHA Spring newsletter

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Photo by Spring photo competition winner Leah Walker

Welcome to the Spring edition of your Tenant newsletter.

At SBTO we are looking forward to another year of Tenant Participation activity. We are particularly keen to increase the diversity of our membership and in Tenant engagement more generally.

There are many ways for you to get involved and we would be delighted to chat to you about how you can do so in a way that best suits you. We can also give you more info about becoming an SBTO member, if this is something that interests you.

This Summer we will once again be undertaking a Scrutiny project - see page 9 for details about how you can get involved.

And if you have designs on entering our popular annual Gardening Competition, now is the time to get growing! Big gardens and small, there’s something for everyone.

Julia Mulloy, Chief

In this issue, you’ll find information on our plans for investing in homes and places this year. We also have an update on our revised Neighbourhood Standards, plus we have some exciting community projects that you can get involved in to help improve your neighbourhood.

We value your feedback and are always looking for ways to improve our services. If you’re interested in your neighbourhood,

Remembering Allen

We are deeply saddened by the recent death of Allen Tills, a valued member of SBTO, SBHA Board and numerous sub-committees over the years.

Allen enjoyed spending time with his family in and around the Kelso and Gordon area. If he wasn’t at home, he could be found at his regular haunt enjoying a coffee and a natter with some of the locals.

why not join us on a walkabout? Or, if you’d like to review our services, consider joining a Scrutiny team. With 94% of Tenants happy with the opportunities to participate, we encourage you to get involved. There are many ways to do so, and as SBTO can confirm, your voices impact our decisions.

Housing pressures across Scotland continue to be a challenge, with an increase in people seeking homes, rising levels of homelessness, and a reduced number of homes available to let. However, we are committed to playing our part in meeting housing needs across the Scottish Borders, building new homes in Burnfoot, Jedburgh, Lauder, Kelso, and Hawick over the next few years.

Best wishes, Julia New homes for the Borders

We are now on-site at our new-build development site at Burnfoot in Hawick, which will see the creation of 16 homes to meet a variety of needs.

We have also:

• Secured planning permission for 70 new homes in Jedburgh.

• Purchased 5 new homes in Kelso’s town centre. (pictured)

More details in our next edition!

He also loved music, enjoying buying vinyl records and selling them from a stand in the coffee shop or online.

He was also a big fan of Norwich City Football Club and keen on his garden.

Allen’s sense of humour that he brought to meetings will be missed and our thoughts go to his family and those who knew him as a friend.

Dominic Brookes, Joint Vice-Chair, SBTO

Gordon Saunders, SBTO Chair, on behalf of the Editorial Panel

Executive

Marion Ross, rent consultation winner £8.9m in upgrades for homes

Health & Safety cyclical works £1.35m

Thank you to everyone who took part in our rent consultation earlier this year.

85% of you told us that you thought a 6% increase was the best option, and this means that we can keep rents as affordable as possible while allowing us to maintain our commitments to investment in your homes and communities. The figures below show some of our investment priorities over the coming year.

You will now have received your letter setting out what your rent is for the coming year. This also sets out how

Roads and footpaths

your rent will be affected by our rent restructure. If you have questions about this, there is a handy FAQ on our website - sbha.org.uk/rentrestructure-faq. If you can’t see what you’re looking for here, please do not hesitate to give us a call on Freephone 0800 0193 222.

The winner of our rent consultation was Marion Ross from Newtown St Boswells, who wins a £50 voucher.

In the coming year we will invest £8.9million in planned upgrades in Tenants’ homes - see page 4 for more.

Investment headlines

Repairs and empty homes £4.7m

Cyclical painting

Did you know you can pay your rent...

.

Great Places

Tree maintenance

Estate improvements

...at any Post Office branch, or any outlet displaying the Paypoint logo (right)?

You can also pay by calling SBHA during office hours, using a credit or debit cardcall us on Freephone 0800 0193 222. Or you can pay online anytime, by logging on to www.allpay.net, which can be accessed via SBHA’s website - www.sbha.org.uk.

You can also pay by Direct Debit, or by Bank Transfer.

Investing in a greener future

In line with our More Sustainable Steps Strategy, we want to ensure that we have the skills here in the Borders to meet the challenges of a Net Zero future.

The Scottish Government recently consulted on proposals to create a new Social Housing Net Zero Standard, to support its aim to achieve Net Zero by 2045. Along with many others in the sector, SBHA faces huge challenges to ensure that our homes and communities are ready.

We are upskilling our Team as well as local contractors with courses at Borders College on a range of Green Skills, including sustainable construction, renewables and ventilation, so that we’re able to collectively meet these challenges.

£405k

£428k

£300k

£50k

£110k

Upgrades for your home

We are pleased to be bringing £8.9million worth of investment to Tenants’ homes over the coming financial year, underlining our commitment to create great places to live.

If your home is to receive upgrades in the coming financial year, you will receive a letter by the end of April to tell you about work that will take place.

We’ll contact you again to give you three weeks’ notice of work starting.

If you have any questions about the work in your home, please call 01750 724444 / Freephone 0800 0193 222 or email enquiries@sbha.org.uk.

Getting involved - your choices

This year we will deliver

We want you to be delighted with the upgrades to your home. That’s why, if you’re getting a new kitchen, you’ll be offered a choice of colours for work surfaces and flooring, as well as cabinet doors and handles. If you’re receiving a new bathroom you will have a choice of colours for your wall boards, as well as for your flooring. Tenants receiving new front doors will also be able to choose between several styles and colours.

Very professional, friendly, polite team. Done an amazing job tidying up after themselves, Minimum disruption. Overall very pleased.

Our future investment plans

We are also planning works for future years. You may have already received a letter advising you that we need to carry out a stock condition survey in your home. These surveys ensure that our plans are informed by the best information, meaning that we can deliver the right upgrades to your home at the right time.

The team really enjoy meeting Tenants and will be pleased to help with any enquiries or queries you have, so please do get in touch or speak to them when you see them out and about. If an appointment for an inspection of your home isn’t suitable, please let us know. We’ll be happy to arrange an alternative more suitable for you.

Tenant feedback following installation of new windows

David Cassidy, the newest member of our Assets Team

Our Neighbourhood Standards

In the Summer of 2022, SBTO’s Customer Audit Team (CAT) carried out a Scrutiny project looking at SBHA’s Neighbourhood Standards, to highlight good practice and suggest areas of improvement.

Satisfaction with management of the neighbourhood has since increased from 61% to 70%. We are thrilled that more of you are now telling us that you’re satisfied with this service.

You said... We did...

A key recommendation of the report was around improving the lighting in blocks. We are delighted to confirm that alongside our commitment to improve communities, as part of our journey to Net Zero, we are about to begin a five-year programme of communal LED lighting.

Tenants satisfied with SBHA’s management of the neighbourhood

2022-23

61%

2023-24

70%

The new lights are motion-sensitive, switching on and off automatically - resulting in a 98.57% energy saving per block. The upgraded lighting will also add to the overall feeling of safety. Other advantages of the new lighting include: a longer lifespan - the new lights last up to 100,000 hours per fitting easier to maintain made of more environmentally-friendly materials

This year we are also:

Customer Audit Team members noted that this block in Gala Park, Galashiels was very dark, partly because of the choice of paint. This has now been redecorated.

ensuring that all homes have their gutters cleaned out once a year, helping to prevent a range of issues including water damage around windows and doors.

commencing a new Grounds Maintenance contract, which includes a range of community benefits, including a Modern Apprenticeship for a local person, creation of / improvements to allotments and support for local projects through the provision of plants, tools and advice. We look forward to bringing you more news of these soon.

For more information on work in your area, contact your Neighbourhood Housing Officer or Property Officer - see overleaf for details.

Damp and mould - our commitment to you

Damp and mould can be a serious problem for your home and health, and can affect properties of any age. If damp and mould are becoming a problem in your home, please don’t hesitate to

get in touch with us. We will investigate all reports of damp and mould to determine whether there are any underlying issues, and arrange to carry out any required works.

You can report problems to us on 01750 724444, on Freephone 0800 0193 222 or by emailing enquiries@sbha.org.uk. Alternatively, you can complete the online contact form on our website here - www.sbha.org.uk/damp-and-mould, and we’ll be in touch within one working day. You’ll also find some handy tips on this page on ways to avoid a build-up of condensation in your home.

New Team Members

Clark Durnion, Property Officer

Stacey Aitken, Housing Officer

Damian Annan, Property Officer

Galashiels - Galabank St, Hill St, Huddersfield St, Croft St.

Melrose, Newstead, Bowden, Darnick

Newtown St Boswells

Join us on an Estate Walkabout

We recognise the importance of getting out and about in your communities, and as part of our revised Neighbourhood Standards, we will undertake a minimum of two walkabouts annually of all areas we serve. Tenants, residents, and local partners such as SBC Environmental Health, Councillors, and Police Scotland are all welcome. The purpose of these walkabouts is to:

• Identify repairs and give timescales for these to be carried out.

• Help you understand where responsibilities lie and how we can. liaise with partners when SBHA is not responsible.

• Work together to find solutions and improvements. We will publish a programme in advance on our website, social media, and noticeboards. See our website for further details.

Fiona Mallin / Greig

Jill Robertson / Duncan Combe May 1st, 2pm. Start St Dunstans Park.

Jill Robertson

Upper Langlee

Selkirk - Bannerfield

Kelso

Scott Ramage / Duncan Combe

May 8th, 11am. Meet at Bannerfield shop.

The next stage for Universal Credit

Universal Credit is replacing 6 benefits called ‘legacy benefits’. These are:

• Housing Benefit

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

• Child Tax Credits (CTC)

• Working Tax Credits (WTC)

• Income Support

Currently in the Borders, people receiving Income Support, Tax Credits or Housing Benefit are receiving letters or ‘migration notices’ advising that their legacy benefits will be ending.

You won’t move onto Universal Credit automatically. Instead, you will have to make a claim. Don’t do this until you receive your letter - you’ll have three months from the date on your migration notice within which to make a claim for Universal Credit. After this, your legacy benefits will stop. The DWP can extend this three-month deadline if there are good reasons.

For more info, go to gov.uk/guidance/tax-credits-and-some-benefits-areending-move-to-universal-credit

Need some help?

We can help you navigate the benefits system, as well as providing support with budgeting, debt payment and keeping your home affordably warm.

Get in touch with us by calling 01750 724444 / Freephone 0800 0193 222 or by emailing enquiries@sbha.org.uk to make a confidential appointment with your Housing Officer or a member of our specialist team (right).

Debbie Mzee, our Welfare Benefits Officer, recently helped Joyce from Galashiels with her Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claim, as well as Housing Benefit, Council Tax reduction and Pension Credits.

Joyce says: “I was lacking motivation because I had been knocked back a couple of times. I had been through two tribunals, and I felt put off by the long forms I needed to fill in.

“A family member recommended that I contact Debbie, and she was amazing. She came up to the house, explained everything and filled in the forms for me. She stayed in touch through the whole process - she couldn’t have done more. It’s made such a difference. I want other people to know that this help is available!”

Useful websites

Many benefits, like Pension Credit (to top up your pension) and Attendance Allowance (for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision because of an illness or disability) are under claimed. If you’re unsure what you’re entitled to, these websites are a good place to start:

• betteroffcalculator.co.uk

• entitledto.co.uk

• benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk

Don’t forget

If you receive Universal Credit, it’s really important that you let Universal Credit know via your online journal about your new rent amount if you haven’t already. This will ensure that you’re getting the correct amount to enable your rent to be paid.

Get involved - your way!

Recognising the diverse needs of our Tenants, we offer a variety of ways to get involved.

In our most recent survey, carried out by independent survey company, Research Resource, an amazing 94% of you told us that you were happy with the opportunities you have to participate in SBHA’s decision making!

Find our more about how you can take part in a way that suits you.

Contact us: communications@sbha.org.uk or Freephone 0800 0193 222.

Community garden consultation

Demonstrating our commitment to creating great places to live, we are exploring a range of community initiatives to help transform outside spaces.

Along with partners we recently consulted on a project for Orchard Park, Kelso, (above) which will will be managed by Abundant Borders, a well-established local food growing charity. As well as providing a place for local people to come together to socialise, learn new skills and produce food for themselves and their community, Abundant Borders

will also deliver workshops on food growing, teaching skills that people can apply in their own gardens.

We are also looking at options for community green spaces in Walkerburn and St Boswells.

Do you have an idea for an outside space near you? Contact us using the details above - we may be able to help you make your vision a reality!

Gardening competition

It’s time to get your gardening gloves on for SBTO’s Annual Gardening Competition!

This year, we’ll be judging in mid-July, so don’t forget, as well as the overall Best Garden category, there are prizes on offer for Best Container Garden, Best Window Box, Best Food Grown in Garden or Home, and Best Amenity Garden. And this year we have the brand new category of Most Improved Garden! You can enter yourself, or why not show your appreciation by nominating a neighbour? Simply send us an email to communications@sbha.org.uk, or Freephone 0800 0193 222. And good luck!

Hannah Newson of Abundant Borders

Scrutiny - improving services for all

Scottish Borders Tenants Organisation (SBTO) are planning our Summer Scrutiny project.

To make the Scrutiny project a success we need your support - we will be looking for feedback from Tenants on your experience of using an aspect of SBHA’s service.

If you have a bit more time, you might want to consider being a a part of the Customer Audit Team (CAT), which carries out the research and prepares the report including recommendations to help improve the service that all Tenants receive from SBHA.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in or wish to know more about, please get in touch with our Tenant and Community Engagement Facilitator,

Louise

We look forward to your involvement!

Dominic

The Scrutiny project is also a great opportunity for a recent graduate to join us for the Summer, to assist the Tenant Customer Audit Team (CAT) on a project that will have a tangible impact on Tenant services. Keep an eye on our social media for further details!

Customer Contact Scrutiny - improving your experience

Last Summer, our Tenant Customer Audit Team conducted a thorough review of the communication channels between SBHA and our customers, using mystery shoppers and real Tenant feedback. We examined every touchpoint, including phone calls, emails, social media interactions, and face-to-face conversations.

As a result, we’ve implemented refresher training for our call handlers, emphasising the importance of introducing ourselves at the outset of each call and are actively working to minimise waiting and enquiry times. Thanks to these efforts, we’re delighted to report a significant decrease in call abandonment rates, from 22% to 6%. This achievement demonstrates the vital role of your feedback in driving positive change.

News from the Board

We would like to extend our thanks to David Cressey and John Paton Day, who with more than 15 years of service between them have stepped down from SBHA’s Board. We are grateful for the skills and experience they brought to the table. We also welcome new Board Member David Bell, who joined us in February and brings with him a wealth of treasury management experience from his many years in the banking sector.

McNeilage at communications@sbha.org.uk

Brookes, Joint Vice-Chair, SBTO

Members of SBTO and SBHA Team members taking part in Scrutiny training with the Tenants Information Service (TIS)

Domestic abuse - there’s no excuse

SBHA has committed to the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Make a Stand campaign, to support people experiencing domestic abuse. As well as regularly publicising sources of help and advice, we have amended our Allocations Policy to award the highest priority to those experiencing domestic abuse. We will provide a supportive and confidential first point of contact and work with partners to provide a range of options to those experiencing abuse to help ensure their safety.

View our Policy here - https://tinyurl.com/3r95x6km, or contact communications@sbha.org.uk to request a paper copy.

Advice and support is available from:

• Domestic Abuse Advocacy Support (DAAS) Service 01835 825024

• Borders Womens Aid 01450 218409

• Scottish Borders Rape Crisis Centre 01896 661070

Why we need your info

At SBHA we are committed to reducing inequality and personalising services, to ensure that every Tenant has their individual needs and rights recognised, is treated fairly and with respect, and receives fair access to housing and housing services.

To do this, we need as much information as possible about the people who use our services. We collect information at a number of points - when you first apply for a home with SBHA, when you sign up to a new tenancy, via Tenant Satisfaction surveys and each time you contact us.

There is a range of questions we might ask you, from your age and ethnic origin to your sexual orientation and relationship status. We really appreciate your help with this!

Sign up to stay alert

Scottish Borders Alert is a free messaging service that allows you to receive regular updates on the local issues that matter to you - crime, scams, weather warnings, road closures, and other emergencies.

You can choose how and when you receive updates - see www.sbalert.co.uk for more

The Regulator’s new framework

The Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) has published a new Regulatory Framework and statutory guidance that came into effect on 1 April 2024.

The new Framework is all about making sure that social landlords listen to Tenants and service users and provide good outcomes for them. See housingregulator.gov.scot for more information.

Tenants

Improving your Repairs service

Although the majority of Tenants (80%) tell us that they are happy with our Repairs service, and our performance on emergency repairs is consistently strong, we know we can do better.

As a commitment to improvement we are working with Tenants through the Repairs Working Group to understand and address parts of the service that you have told us you’re less satisfied with.

Some of the key areas where improvements are already in place are our new telephony system with Freephone number, and a pilot on surveys following work. This allows you to give direct feedback closer to the time of having a repair carried out in your home.

Repairs Group Tenant member Marlen Jones says: “I think it’s brilliant that Tenants are involved in the Repairs workshop alongside SBHA. We’re making changes to benefit Tenants and we’re seeing changes being implemented quickly.

“I would encourage more Tenants to get involved - your views can make a difference!”

Our new vans have arrived!

Have you noticed our new vans out and about? Our new vehicles have enhanced safety features, reduced emissions and superior tracking information including info on idling times, in line with our commitment to work towards Net Zero.

They are also better equipped to allow our Repairs Service to help us get repairs right first time, with a highly organised racking system allowing for a greater variety of equipment and materials to be stocked.

Spring photo competition - thank you!

The weather may not have been great, but your photos gave us reasons to be cheerful! Thank you to all who entered our competition - and congratulations to our winner, Leah Walker from Galashiels.

To send feedback on this newsletter, share ideas for future articles or to find out more about any of the engagement opportunities highlighted in this newsletter, please contact communications@sbha.org.uk, or Freephone 0800 0193 222.

Gillian Currie

Stuart Wilson

Hugh Peebles