The Communicator - Summer 2018

SwanFest 2018 Summer is here Saturday 28 July

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SwanFest

WWW.SWAN.ORG.UK

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3

Fire Safety

SUMMER 2018

5

TPAS Award win

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6

Home Contents Insurance

FIND US ON

7

Study Support Club

THE COMMUNICATOR PAGES 01/02

Welcome Welcome to the Summer edition of your Communicator.

As the days get warmer and the sun shines we are busy preparing to meet you all at SwanFest. If you haven’t come along to SwanFest before please consider joining us at the Olympic Park for the day – it is a free event and it is simple to sign up, just visit www.swanfest.org.uk and reserve tickets for your family, you can even book transport! The day is packed full of fun activities and there is a chance to chat to Swan staff about your home and neighbourhood.

This issue is packed full of information designed to keep you safe, from fire safety information to tips to help you spot if your friends or neighbours are victims of cuckooing. We’ve also included some information on home insurance on page 6 so make sure your belongings are protected if the worst should ever happen.

On page 5 you can read all about Hollie, an inspirational young woman who is through to the national finals for the TPAS Awards. Hollie regularly volunteers at Swan’s Foyers helping residents learn how to manage their finances.

You are at the heart of everything Swan does and we’ve been out meeting lots of residents at award ceremonies, coffee mornings and parties so why not make yourself a drink and grab five minutes to read about what has been going on!

If you have any comments on anything in this issue, or if there is something you would like to see in The Communicator you can email CommunicationsTeam@swan.org.uk or come and speak to me at SwanFest.

Jo March, Editor

Contributors

Sandra Fawcett Executive Director – Operations

Ian Haworth Assistant Director Neighbourhood Services

Andrea O’Callaghan Head of Business Improvement and Allocations

Nicholas Kyprianou Head of Partnership and Compliance

Anna Williams Housing Diversity Manager

Caroline Richardson Head of Resident Involvement and Community Development Jorgen Dyer Head of Estate Services

If you’d like to learn more about getting involved at any time, please call the Resident Involvement and Community Development Team on 01277 844242 or email involvement@ swan.org.uk

@swaninspires

FREE

SwanFest 2018 Summer is here Saturday 28 July Pack a picnic and join us for our annual residents’ event at the Olympic Park on Saturday 28 July 2018 between 10am and 2pm.

There will be lots of fun activities happening throughout the day with information stalls, interactive games and opportunities to learn more about Swan and help us to improve our services for you! It’s a great opportunity to meet Swan staff and other Swan residents, all whilst spending quality time with your family, friends and neighbours.

The Olympic Park has great transport connections and Swan will be providing coaches for residents and their families travelling from some of our estates in London and Essex.

If you would like more information please call the Resident Involvement and Community Development Team on 01277 844242 or visit the website below.

www.swanfest.org.uk

THE COMMUNICATOR PAGES 03/04

FIRE SAFETY Fire Safety is important. Please read these key messages and for more information go to www.swan.org.uk and search for â€œÂżUH VDIHW\â€?.

WHAT ARE WE DOING TO KEEP YOU SAFE?

WHAT CAN RESIDENTS DO TO HELP?

• $QQXDO ¿UH ULVN DVVHVVPHQWV • Regular servicing of specialist ¿UH VDIHW\ HTXLSPHQW • Inspections of all blocks • Programme of planned maintenance • $OO WHQDQWHG KRPHV DUH ¿WWHG with smoke detectors • Support for vulnerable residents and those that need extra help • Removal of all bulk rubbish and items blocking the landings/ stairs

• Test your smoke alarm regularly and report any faults to Axis on • Keep corridors, landings and balconies clear • Place rubbish in the bins or hoppers provided • Do not use a barbecue on a balcony under any circumstances • Report any dumped rubbish or large items to Estate Services on • Follow our Fire Safety in the Home advice on our website

In the event of a fire call 999 ,I WKH ¿UH LV LQ \RXU KRPH DQG LW V VDIH WR OHDYH WKHQ GR VR ,I \RXU KRPH LV QRW DႇHFWHG WKH )LUH 6HUYLFH DGYLFH LV WR VWD\ SXW.

Stay fire safe in your home advance • Close all internal doors when you go to bed • Take care in the kitchen, never leave your cooking unattended and take extra care with hot oil • Never leave lit candles unattended • Make sure cigarettes are stubbed out and disposed of carefully. Never smoke in bed Swan has Primary • Don’t overload electrical Authority Partnership status sockets with London Fire Brigade • Keep matches away from (LFB) and we continuously children review our fire safety • Do not store flammable procedures in line with their liquids such as petrol in latest guidance. Here's your home, bin store or some general advice: chutes • Remember to check your smoke alarm at least one If a fire breaks out in your home a month • Leave the room where the • Familiarise yourself with fire is straight away and your building; make sure close the door everyone knows where • Tell everyone in your home your nearest exits are and to leave immediately plan your escape in

Fire safety is everyone’s responsibility and we all need to do our bit to keep each other safe. We would like everyone to understand Swan’s fire safety procedures, especially in blocks of flats where it is very important to always keep corridors and walkways clear of obstructions.

• Close the front door • Do not stay behind to put the fire out • If there is a lift - do not use it • Call the Fire Service dial 999 • Wait outside for the emergency services, away from the building Blocks of flats are designed to restrict the spread of smoke and fire, so evacuation advice is different if you live in a flat: it is usually safe for you to stay in your flat if a fire breaks out elsewhere.

Please familiarise yourself with the fire safety information displayed where you live, and stay put unless you have been explicitly advised to evacuate.

If a fire breaks out in your block of flats, LFB's advice is that you should remain in your home until the fire service says it’s safe to leave.

• Call the Fire Service on 999 and let them know where you are so they can find you • You should leave immediately if smoke or heat affects your home or if you are told to by the Fire Service • If you leave, close the front door • Use the nearest fire escape - if there is a lift do not use it • Wait outside for the emergency services, away from the building

You can find out more information on www.swan.org.uk and www.london-fire.gov.uk or if you have any concerns about fire safety please call the Business Improvement Team on 0300 303 2500 or email improvement@swan.org.uk

Shutting the door on fire safety

Did you know that your front door is your main weapon against fire? If you live in a flat your front door helps to prevent fire from spreading into communal areas and escape routes – all front doors in blocks of flats should be fire resistant because they help to prevent fire from spreading.

In flats, current fire safety guidance says that front doors should have a self-

closing device so this should never be removed.

You must also be aware that altering your letterbox or adding a cat flap to your door will affect the fire safety of your home and the entire building – even minor alterations can compromise the design of the building’s fire safety systems.

If you have a fire resistant door in your home you must first seek written permission if you wish to make alterations to it so that Swan can properly assess the fire safety implications. If you live in a flat and your door or

letterbox has been damaged please report it to Axis for inspection .

Leaseholders are responsible for repairing their own front doors.

Your home has been designed with fire safety in mind so there are various things such as signage, smoke alarms, heat detectors, door closers, fire resistant glazing, fire resistant panels, sprinklers, automatic opening vents on some stairways and other fire safety features that help to keep you safe.

Everyone’s safety depends on these safety features, so please do not remove or

damage them, for example by drilling holes through walls, e.g. to install cables.

If you spot any damage that could impact fire safety, such as broken smoke alarms, letterboxes, heat detectors and door closers within your property or communal areas in your block please call Axis on 0800 783 276.

If you have any additional concerns please contact the Business Improvement Team on 0300 303 2500 or improvement@ swan.org.uk

THE COMMUNICATOR PAGES 05/06

Inspirational Hollie through to TPAS Award National Finals!

Hollie, a former resident at Swan House Foyer, has been named as the TPAS Young Tenant of the Year for the Southern Region and is now on her way to the national TPAS finals in July!

The TPAS Awards recognise excellence in tenant engagement and Hollie is a true inspiration and proof of how life changing something as simple as engaging with her landlord and support workers can be; her success story is also testament to her sheer dedication.

Web4Residents retires

We are unifying all of the online information you need about your tenancy and Swan to just one website so that it is easier for you to find what you need. The important information currently found on www.Web4Residents.org.uk is being moved to our main website, www.swan.org.uk.

This work will be complete by 30 June 2018 and Web4Residents will then be retired. Anyone who visits Web4Residents after 30 June will be redirected to the main website.

If you have any questions, please email the Communications Team on CommunicationsTeam@ swan.org.uk

Hollie was just seventeen when she became a Foyer resident and she quickly engaged with the full programme of support offered there. She discovered that she has a talent for maths and budgeting and Swan’s Foyer Team encouraged her to help with the budgeting sessions they offer for young residents.

She developed the skills and confidence to run these sessions and quickly became a valuable asset to Swan’s team because she is an inspiring and credible advocate for the advice she delivers.

“I am very proud of myself for winning an award at the TPAS Awards 2018. I was so shocked to be nominated. I’m glad that I am able to give back and help others. Being at Swan made me realise my potential and that I can change my life. They helped me to get my confidence back.” said Hollie Hollie lives elsewhere now but she returns to volunteer at the Foyers twice a week. She is aiming to become a

Financial Advisor for young people and continues to volunteer to help her achieve this.

Swan residents improve their job prospects after completing certificated training courses Sixteen residents recently celebrated successfully completing a certified training course at an award ceremony held at The Reach at Blackwall Reach. They completed courses in Level 1 Childcare and Mobile Phone repairs.

The residents all took an accredited course as part of Swan’s sector-based skills development and employability (SED) programme which has been developed to help support them to develop their skills to help them access employment. The two courses were facilitated by Swan and delivered by Riverside Cares and the Mobile Phone Repair Training School (MPRTS).

The Level 1 Childcare course was completed by eight residents. It is an entry level course suited to people who would like to work with children. The sessions ran over a number of weeks and residents who were successful in completing the course are now being

supported to gain employment or further qualifications in this area.

Eight residents completed an intensive five-day Mobile Phone repair course.

They learned how to repair and service a variety of mobile phones. One resident who completed the course has already said that he would like to open his own mobile phone repair shop!

If you would like more information on the courses available to residents, please contact the Resident Involvement and Community Development Team on 01277 844242 or email: Involvement@swan.org.uk

Home Contents Insurance Are you covered?

This is a true story. At the end of the last cold snap in March thousands of pipes burst in homes across the country as the snow and ice thawed.

In one home in Essex the residents were away and their burglar alarm was triggered by running water just after 7am. When the neighbours (who have a key) went in to investigate there was water pouring from the ceilings, running down the stairs, the walls and from light sockets. It was raining indoors. The stopcock in the kitchen had seized. Water couldn’t be

switched off so it just kept pouring through the home.

At noon, someone arrived who was able to turn the water off at the meter in the road outside the property.

A few hours later an emergency plumber arrived. He identified and fixed the source of the leak as a burst pipe leading to a shower. He estimated that it started at 5am so, in total, there was water flowing through the house for about seven hours.

The damage was catastrophic – 80% of the furniture in the home was damaged including the

resident’s beds, sofa, TV, computer and music system. Lots of the resident’s clothing, shoes, bedding and towels had to be thrown away. All of the carpets also had to be ripped out and thrown away as they were saturated.

This family has home contents insurance so will be able to replace many of their damaged belongings.

The insurance claim runs into thousands of pounds.

They are currently in temporary accommodation

but will be able to move back into their home when it is repaired.

Organising home contents insurance is your responsibility - see p.16 of the Tenants Handbook. It is also a condition of many of Swan's tenancy agreements. It doesn’t need to be expensive, in addition to a number of mainstream providers, MY Home Insurance specialise in providing insurance policies to people who live in social housing.

You can find out more info by contacting “My Home” on 0345 450 7286 or visit thistlemyhome.co.uk

RECRUITING NOW! Swan Care and Support Services are based in Essex and provide quality care and support to people living in the community.

• • • • • • • •

Competitive rates of pay above living wage Mileage allowance Induction and ongoing training Flexible Hours Varied work across Essex Mobile phone & uniform Continuous professional development Caring and supportive team approach

0345 683 8809 www.swan.org.uk

For more information contact our friendly recruitment team:

@Swancares

THE COMMUNICATOR PAGES 07/08

Study Support Club launch

Swan has teamed up with the Inspire Academy to offer innovative educational sessions for more than thirty young people who live on or near the Blackwall Reach estate. The Study Support Club has been funded by a generous grant from Cory Energy.

The small group sessions (groups are limited to 10) aim to expand on what the young people learn at

school to help give them a deeper understanding of the national curriculum, enhance their examination grades and ultimately, expand their aspirations for the future.

A launch event, attended by many of the children and their families, was held at The Reach and, excitingly, reporters from Channel S, the local community television channel, came along to film.

Equality Scheme

Celebrate Diversity with Swan

Swan is passionate about Equality and Diversity and our new Equality Scheme 20182022 has recently been published and can be found on our website. We would like to thank everyone who spoke to us about the equality, diversity and inclusion issues that matter to you as they have helped to inform our new scheme.

This summer Swan will be proudly supporting the LGBT+ community by participating in Essex Pride and London Pride.

Swan will be at Essex Pride (Saturday 16 June 2018, Central Park, Chelmsford), the annual celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT+) life in Essex and beyond for the whole community that inspires everyone to embrace equality and celebrate diversity. For information and tickets visit www.essexpride.org.

Swan will also take part in the Pride in London festival which takes place from 9 June to 7 July 2018.

The parade and main events are on Saturday 7 July and UK Black Pride on Sunday 8 July. For more information:

prideinlondon.org / ukblackpride.org.uk.

If you live in the Basildon area, Basildon Council are inviting members of the Basildon LGBT+ community to join them on their London Pride float as part of the parade.

If you would like more information please contact; Ndunge Kivuiti 01268 207955 ndunge.kivuitu@ basildon.gov.uk Shamrika Sydes 01268 207975 shamrika.sydes@ basildon.gov.uk

If you would like more information on this or any other matter regarding equality and diversity please contact Anna Williams, Housing Diversity Manager on 01277 314960 or email: awilliams@swan. org.uk

100% Gas servicing success The Swan-Axis partnership recently achieved 100% compliance for Gas Servicing for the fifth consecutive year. This means that every single property managed by Swan, (including Newham PFI and Hera properties) has been inspected and has a valid Gas Safety certificate.

Axis, Swan’s Repairs and Maintenance partner, has worked in close partnership with many departments across Swan including Neighbourhoods,

Supported Housing, NHS, Hera, Forest Gate and Estate Services Teams to arrange access and, where necessary, legal enforcement to achieve this. This milestone achievement demonstrates how we are all ‘Better Together’.

Gas Safety regulations were recently amended to give landlords more flexibility on when they can carry out Gas Safety checks. Gas Safety certificates now work in the same way as an MOT certificate on your car –

Friendships across generations A group of young people and their babies who live in Swan’s Foyers in Basildon recently travelled to Dobsons House, an extra care scheme for residents aged 55 and over in Raleigh to take part in an innovative Afternoon Tea event designed to help bridge the generation gap.

With up to 70 years and many generations between them, everyone soon discovered that there are many similarities in the things they enjoyed doing as children - all of them had played with skipping ropes and dolls or action figures!

The young babies entertained the older residents who shared

memories from when their own children were small they shared stories of cloth nappies and handmade outfits, very different to today! One of the most obvious generational difference they noted was how nearly all of the older residents had grown up in homes without a telephone whereas today almost everyone carries a mobile phone.

they can now be carried out within a window of 1012 months from the previous check without affecting the existing expiry date of the existing certificate.

Swan and Axis are now working together to bring as many Gas Safety checks forward to the summer months as possible so that they can have more operatives available to attend urgent

breakdowns in the winter months. Axis will soon be contacting some residents about a safety check ahead of their anniversary date.

For more information or to move your Gas Safety check to a summer month

email swanservicing@ axiseurope.com or call Axis on 0800 783 2768.

St. George’s Day party!

Residents in Forest Gate enjoyed a traditional East End knees up when they came together to celebrate St. George’s Day. Stella, the chair of the London Residents’ Consultative Committee, organises the event every year with support from a Swan Community Grant.

Swan’s Community Grant programme offers grants of up to £500 to

community, voluntary or resident groups who would like to set up a small project in their neighbourhood.

You can find out more information by calling the Resident Involvement and Community Development Team on 01277 844242 or email: involvement@swan. org.uk

THE COMMUNICATOR PAGES 09/10

Swan helps ‘Cuckooing’ victim Don’t suffer behind closed doors

Swan has recently worked in partnership with Essex Police and other agencies to support a resident who was the victim of cuckooing, which is where gangs target the homes of vulnerable people and use the property as a base for drug dealing or other criminal activities.

Just before Christmas 2017, Swan’s Neighbourhoods Team was contacted by Operation Raptor South, a dedicated Police unit that targets drug gang activity.

They had received a call from a young woman whose home had been taken over by two drug gang members. The gang members used

intimidation to gain access to the young woman’s home so that they could use it as a base to prepare and deal Class A drugs.

The resident, a single mum with a young child, was the victim of ‘cuckooing’.

The woman and her son received extensive support from many departments across Swan and other external agencies. They are now trying to rebuild their lives and have settled into a new, permanent home.

The Police successfully prosecuted the two dealers through the Courts and both were sentenced to 30 months imprisonment.

Victims of ‘cuckooing’ are often drug users but can include those suffering

from mental or physical health concerns, female sex workers, single mums or those living in poverty and older people. Victims may suffer from other forms of addiction, such as alcoholism. Signs of 'cuckooing' include: • An increase in people you don't recognise entering and leaving

• Curtains may be closed most of the time • Possible increase in anti-social behaviour • A build-up of litter • Signs of drugs use • Lack of healthcare visitors

If you suspect one of your friends or neighbours is a victim of cuckooing, you can call the Police on 101 or you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Hall Hire Are you looking for a venue for a social event, party or celebration? Swan has four spacious venues available to hire in great locations in Essex and London.

The Reach Community Hub in Poplar

Bow Cross Community Hub in Bow

Exmouth Community Hub in Stepney

The Beech Community Hub in Basildon

If you want more information call the Resident Involvement Team on 01277 844242 or email involvement@swan.org.uk

Mayor celebrates Swan’s Award Success in Borough Unveiling John Biggs, The Mayor of Tower Hamlets and Sirajul Islam, Deputy Mayor for Housing (Statutory Deputy Mayor) recently congratulated Swan on being named as the WhatHouse? Housing Association of the Year 2017 by unveiling new van livery at Swan’s Regional Office in Tower Hamlets.

The WhatHouse? Award celebrates all aspects of Swan’s performance from the design and build of new properties, value for money, management and marketing. It also recognises the innovative solutions Swan uses to assist buyers onto the home ownership ladder or

Everyone knows sunshine is good for you so why not take a look at our top tips to help you get outside and top up your levels of vitamin D!

into rented accommodation, according to their needs and status.

Sandra Fawcett said: “We are delighted that the London Borough of Tower Hamlets is keen to help us celebrate our success. We are dedicated to delivering the highest standards of services and facilities to our residents and to working in partnership with the Borough. We hope our new livery raises awareness of our recent award successes as the vans travel to our developments throughout Tower Hamlets, East London and Essex.”

My BIG idea...

Swan is always on the lookout for comments from residents suggesting how we can make our services better.

Residents’ suggestions help us to improve our business.

Your Big Idea may also be useful for us to share with other residents and help us to deliver the services you really want.

If you have any suggestions or ideas don't delay - send them to us today!

Tell us your Big Idea! We will award £50 in Argos vouchers for any ideas that we can use.

So, tell us what you think about how we can:

• Improve services.

• Offer new services.

• Save money or reduce waste.

All suggestions are considered by our Resident Consultative Committees. Any we implement will be published in The Communicator.

Enjoy our green spaces this summer...

Mayor John Biggs said: “I’m delighted that Swan has achieved this accolade as Housing Association of the Year and was also recognised as a great place to work.

I congratulate them today.”

Send us your idea by post using this form or online at swan.org.uk or by emailing Improvement@swan.org.uk

My Big Idea is...

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

Your name .....................................................................................................................................

Address ..................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................................... .....................................................................................................................................

Return your suggestion slip to: The Customer Relations Officer, Swan Housing Association, FREEPOST ANG10361, Billericay CM12 9ZZ

Go for a walk – walking is the best exercise and the summer is the best time to get outside and stretch your legs!

Go for a picnic – picnics needn’t be complicated, grab a blanket, some friends, a sandwich and a drink and head outside to share a meal in the sunshine.

Take a trip to your local park – parks are free and provide some great spaces for young people to run around and enjoy themselves Use an outdoor gym – there lots of outdoor gyms around (you can even find them on some of Swan’s estates), why not see if you can use one?

Swan encourages all residents and their children to get outside and enjoy the open spaces on our estates in a considerate manner. This means respecting your neighbours, playing sensibly and not damaging property or using bad language.

THE COMMUNICATOR PAGE 11/12

How did we do?

April 2017 to March 2018

STAGE #1

81.6%

83.9% Satisfied with quality of home (Target 85%)

we received 209 complaints in this period

Stage 1 complaints responded to within 6 working days (Target 98%)

People satisfied with the complaints procedure (Target 76%)

99.2%

98%

97%

100%

13.3

Satisfied with overall service (Target 85%)

209

100%

Repairs completed in target (Target 99%)

Repair appointments made and kept (Target 97%)

People satisfied with their last repair (Target 90%)

Properties with a valid gas safety certificate (Target 100%)

72%

2.24%

72.4%

135

Satisfaction with our letting service (Target 93%)

Current arrears as a % of rent due (general needs) (Target 2.6%)

People satisfied with how their ASB report was dealt with (Target 80%)

We have had 135 compliments during this period

74%

Average number of days taken to re-let an empty home (Target 15)

Swan Rewards

Our way of saying thank you

Bush 32 Inch HD TV

Here is your chance to win some fabulous prizes as part of the Swan Reward Scheme. Please check that you qualify by visiting www.swan.org.uk and then just choose which of these great prizes you would like to win. The closing date for entries is Friday 27 July 2018.

iPad 6th Gen 9.7 Inch

Bush Fridge Freezer

n Two n Three n Four

n Run n Walk n Swim

Address..........................................................................

Address..........................................................................

In which month does the longest day occur?

How many flavours make up a Neapolitan ice cream?

Name ................................................................................

Name ................................................................................

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

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

n June n July n August

Address..........................................................................

Front crawl, back stroke and butterfly are ways to…

Name ................................................................................ ................................................................................................

Phone no......................................................................

Phone no......................................................................

Phone no......................................................................

De'Longhi 900W Microwave

£100 B&Q decorating voucher

2 x £50 Argos Vouchers

n Buzz n Woody n Rex

n Swan n Axis n The person who is named on the tenancy agreement

What is the name of the cowboy in Disney’s Toy Story?

Name ................................................................................

Address..........................................................................

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

Phone no......................................................................

Who is responsible for insuring your home contents?

Name ................................................................................

Address..........................................................................

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

Phone no......................................................................

Where is SwanFest being held?

n Olympic Park n Southend-on-Sea n Tower of London

Name ................................................................................

Address..........................................................................

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

Phone no......................................................................

If you qualify just answer the questions and cut out the coupon for each prize you wish to be entered for.

Then post all entries in ONE envelope to: Swan Housing Association, FREEPOST ANG10361, Billericay, CM12 9ZZ or email us at improvement@swan.org.uk quoting 'Swan Reward Scheme competition’ with your answers, name and address. Winners may be asked to appear in the next edition of The Communicator.

Images are for illustrative purposes only and prizes may vary

THE COMMUNICATOR PAGES 13/14

Airbnb and your Swan Tenancy

Some residents are telling us that they have concerns about people sub-letting their homes through sites such as Airbnb and that this could cause ASB, noise nuisance, particularly late at night, and additional safety risks from unknown persons in their block.

Subletting is a breach of your tenancy agreement and is not allowed in any circumstances without the consent of Swan.

Subletting without consent will result in formal action being taken.

If you have concerns about any illegal subletting in your area including the use of sites such as Airbnb then please contact Swan's Tenancy and Fraud Officer on 0300 303 2500

or contact the team on tenancyenquiries@ swan.org.uk

Swan reviews the contract gardening service Swan has recently awarded a new gardening contract to NEUK following a sixmonth contract review and procurement process.

Senior members of staff from Swan and a resident who sits on the Scrutiny Panel met with six companies who competed for the contract before they awarded it to NEUK.

Residents on the Essex and London Residents' Consultative Committees were asked for their opinions about the service and, following their input, a number of changes have been made to the contract. Swan now has greater powers to ensure that standards of

gardening are maintained and improved. NEUK are committed to improving standards and have recruited additional staff to help them do this.

In the future we hope that the new contract will provide an option for residents to receive a text message if there are delays in the gardening schedule and NEUK will

Universal Credit is here As you may know Universal Credit (UC) is now being rolled out across the country. More than 650 Swan residents are now receiving this benefit and approximately 60 residents are being added to this list every month.

Swan residents living in Tower Hamlets, Southend, Harlow, Braintree, Uttlesford, Thurrock, Brentwood and Basildon have already started using the full digital Universal Credit service. All of Swan’s other areas are due to move over to the new digital service this year.

Universal Credit is paid as a single monthly payment

to cover six former (legacy) benefits: • Income Support • Employment & Support Allowance • Job Seekers Allowance • Child Tax Credit • Working Tax Credit • Housing Benefit

If you live in one of these areas and need to make a claim for any of these six benefits, you will now be asked to make an online claim for Universal Credit instead (if you are already claiming one of these benefits or live in a different area, you will be asked to swop to Universal Credit at some time over the next couple of years).

also display notices when bad weather means they are unable to carry out their scheduled work.

We are currently planning to meet with residents who are interested in Swan’s gardening contract and all residents will be invited to share their thoughts on the new service in the next edition of The Communicator.

Universal Credit is paid monthly so anyone who receives it needs to budget their money monthly. Residents tell us that this can be difficult to get used to but, if done right, can actually save money!

It’s never too late to start preparing for Universal Credit so, if you know that you will be affected, we recommend that you ACT NOW!

Our Welfare Team is here to help you so please contact them on 0300 303 2500 if you have any questions about Universal Credit or email information@ swan.org.uk

The funny zone!

Q: What do you get when you combine an elephant with a fish?

Swimming trunks!

KIDS’ ZONE

Summer is coming and all the bees are in full honey production Find Mrs Bee’s route to the flower and you could win a £25 Argos Voucher.

The two runners up will win a Kids’ Zone Activity Book.

Q: Do fish go on holiday?

No, because they’re always in school!

Q: Why did the dolphin cross the beach?

To get to the other tide!

Q: Why don’t oysters share their pearls?

Because they’re shellfish!

Q: Why do fish like to eat worms?

Because they get hooked on them!

Q: Why are fish never good tennis players?

Because they never get close to the net!

Last issues Word Search winners Winner £25 Argos Voucher Kawsar, age 11

Runners up Swan colouring book

Kayla, age 13 Chadwell Heath

Elana-Rae, age 6 Basildon

When you have found the Your Name route, cut out your entry and .................................................................................................................................... return with your name, age and address to Joanna Your age March, Swan Housing Association, FREEPOST ....................................................................................................................................

ANG 10361 Entries will be drawn on Address Friday 27 July.

This competition is only open to Swan residents aged 16 or under.

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In your language

Please call 0300 303 2500 if you would like someone to explain any of these articles to you.

FREE

Polish

Somali

Punjabi

Swan Housing Association Head Office: Pilgrim House Billericay Essex CM12 9XY

Our main offices are open Monday - Thursday 9.00am - 5.15pm

Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm

Tel: 0300 303 2500

Swan HA www.swan.org.uk @swanhousing

Hera Management Services www.heramanagementservices.co.uk @heramanagement

Repairs: 0800 783 2768 or 020 3597 2067 from a mobile (24 hrs a day)

Email: info@swan.org.uk

Online: www.swan.org.uk For details of other ways to report a repair, make a complaint or compliment and how to contact us by text please visit the Swan website

NU living www.nuliving.co.uk @nulivinghomes

Bengali

Arabic

Urdu

Swan Foundation www.swanfoundation.org.uk @swanfoundation