Star Newsletter

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Tenant Survey Rest in peace Mr George Evans George Evans played a big role in the community and helped us to shape our services. He was a committed Area Panel member and well known across the organisation. George lived in his home for 56 years, since it was first built and will be missed by everyone at STAR and in the community.

We would like to pass on our deepest condolences to George’s family and friends.

During the Coronavirus Pandemic we have been working hard to make sure we continue to provide our services to our tenants but that has meant we have had to find new ways of working. A survey was recently sent out, asking how you prefer to be contacted. If you would like to receive a survey, please email

Involvement@starhousing.org.uk or if you would like a paper copy you can request one from the Involvement Officers.

Get Energy Smart for winter inside

Our offices will close on 23rd December 2020 at 5pm and reopen on Monday 4th January 2021 at 8:45am.

To find out how to access our services during the Christmas period go to

www.starhousing.org.uk

Customer Newsletter

Domestic Abuse

Get Energy Smart for winter

Dealing with domestic abuse is a key priority for us. Along with most landlords we have seen an increase in cases of domestic abuse following the pandemic.

The Get Energy Smart campaign is all about helping you save money and stay warmer this winter.

We will not tolerate domestic abuse against any person, we will support all victims and are committed to preventing domestic abuse by allowing everyone to live free from fear, intimidation and violence.

1. Get a smart meter. Smart meters send information straight to your supplier and show you exactly how much your energy is costing, so that means no more estimated bills or nasty surprises.

We will:

Getting help:

You can get started today with our three Smart Steps:

2. Check your tariff. Energy costs can creep up over time so it’s worth thinking about a switch. Switching is surprisingly easy and could save you £100’s of pounds.

• Move victims of high level cases to alternative accommodation where they have requested us to do so.

If someone is in immediate danger call the police on 999, alternatively, victims can contact:

3. Cut out the waste. Simple changes such as installing LED lightbulbs and switching off appliances at the plug can help you save energy and reduce your bills.

• Take decisive action following multiagency appraisal and agreed with the victim.

The National Domestic Violence Helpline Freephone 24 hour run in partnership by Women’s Aid and Refuge on

Keep Shropshire Warm are here to offer free, impartial energy advice and can support you with any of these steps (and much more). Call us on 0800 112 3743 or email advice@mea.org.uk

• Deal with each case of domestic abuse consistently • We will work with partner agencies that specialise in the care and support of people suffering from domestic abuse, and ensure that the best service is provided to victims

0808 2000 247

Men’s’ Advice Line on (for men who are victims)

0808 801 0327

Shropshire Domestic Violence Helpline

0800 783 1359

Central Heating & Servicing Update COVID 19 Winter Plan COVID 19 has presented our central heating team with many challenges over the last 7 months. The UK government has insisted that Registered Social Landlords continue to ensure that boilers are safe to use and have a valid annual gas safety certificate.

To find out what this means to you and how you can stay safe during the visit go to www.starhousing.org.uk

Liberty Gas Winter Plan Our contractor Liberty Gas will continue to attend to any heating breakdowns that occur throughout the busy winter period but please be patient.

Our contractor, like any other business, may have engineers off sick or having to isolate. This can put extreme pressures on the excellent service levels they usually provide. You can help us minimise these pressures by accessing our contractor’s customer hub. The hub provides self-help information which may help solve your heating issues without the need for an engineer visit www.liberty-group.co.uk/customer-hub

Rent Arrears

Do you pay your rent weekly?

YES

If your rent account is in arrears and you Is your rent are struggling to make payments, please account up to date? call your local rents team to discuss a YES NO payment plan on 0333 3212 200.

We do not charge You should also use the non-chargeable We do not charge rent for the weeks rent for the weeks rent weeks in December to continue commencing commencing paying towards clearning your rent 21st Dec, 21st Dec, 28th Dec, 28th Dec, arrears. These are weeks commencing 22nd Mar 22nd Mar the 21st & 28th December 2020. & 29th Mar & 29th Mar. You MUST use If you do not know how much you these weeks to should be paying, call the office on bring your account 0333 3212 200 and a member of the back up to date. rents team will be happy to help.

NO

Do you pay your rent monthly/4 weekly?

YES

NO

We have already taken into consideration the weeks in which we do not charge rent when calculating your monthly figure. You MUST continue paying the same amount each month.

We do not charge rent for the weeks commencing 21st Dec, 28th Dec, 22nd Mar & 29th Mar. If you are in arrears, you must use these weeks to bring your account back up to date.

FIRE SAFETY

OVER THE CHRISTMAS PERIOD WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER SOME FIRE SAFETY TIPS, TO ENSURE YOU HAVE A SAFE CHRISTMAS: y Do not overload electrical sockets, and only use one extension lead per socket. y Take special care when using Christmas lights and always turn the plug off before leaving the house or going to bed. y When using candles, no matter now big or small make sure the candle is placed in a heat proof solid candleholder. y Never place candles near furnishings, decorations or Christmas trees. y Never leave a burning candle unattended and always extinguish before leaving the house or going to bed. y Test your smoke alarm regularly and make sure it is in good working order, replace the batteries when needed. Use Christmas as a reminder to clean it and remove any dust.

STAY SAFE, BE KIND AND MERRY CHRISTMAS

Customer Newsletter

Do you want to be a Tenant Board Member?

If you are passionate about housing and want to make a difference, this could be the role for you. You need to be enthusiastic, a strong team player and have time to commit. We know that times are challenging in the sector and we want to strengthen our Board in readiness for facing these challenges.

In exchange we can offer you new experiences, training and development and the opportunity to be part of the decision-making process at STAR Housing.

For more information and to apply go to

www.starhousing.org.uk

If you would like an opportunity to examine and challenge the way we deliver our services, to provide feedback on Policies that may affect you or to help us make decisions on funding local projects and community groups then we would like to hear from you.

All you need is to; • Be able to volunteer a small amount of time occasionally • Have an email address and be able to receive documents and respond online If you would like to join us in making a difference, then please drop us an email at involvement@starhousing.org.uk or direct message us via our Facebook page www.facebook.com/ShropshireTownsAndRuralHousing

For more information about Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing

visit us online at www.starhousing.org.uk