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SUMMER 2022

Somewhere to feel at home

Welcome to the summer 2022 edition of HOME. In my last article I spoke about the impact of Covid-19 and how Swan needed to adapt to ensure that we could continue our services.

Although we are now out of restrictions and are all adapting to living with Covid-19, the impact of the virus, as well as other global impacts, are having a significant effect on the cost of living.

WELCOME Welcome to our summer edition of HOME – our customer magazine.

In this issue you can find out how we’re listening more to our customers and using your feedback to shape our services, the financial support we can offer you, what’s on in your community, how we are taking steps to love the planet and lots more.

NEED TO KNOW

NICE TO KNOW

Benefits advice

Backyard Nature

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Page 14

YOUR HOME

COMPETITION

Enter our monthly prize draw to win one of five £30 Amazon vouchers page 8

At Swan, we are keen to look at how we can support our customers during this time. This edition focuses on what support is available, including the services provided by our dedicated Welfare Benefits team.

Our Employment and Training Manager, Abdullah Hossain, also talks about the various training and employment opportunities that Swan offers.

We will also be updating you on how our communities have been working together on great projects like Backyard Nature in Basildon and Women on Wheels in Blackwall Reach.

Finally, you will have heard about the proposed partnership between Swan and Orbit Housing. An update on this can be found next to this article.

We hope you enjoy this edition, and as always welcome your feedback on how we can improve. Please get in touch at information@swan.org.uk

Fire Safety

In it to win it!

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Page 8

Pete Morley-Watts Executive Director of Customer Experience

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Swan / Orbit Potential Partnership Between Thursday 3 March and Tuesday 19 April, both Swan and Orbit consulted with their customers for six weeks on the proposal that would see Swan become a subsidiary of the Orbit Group.

Thank you to everyone who responded to our request for feedback. We were very pleased to receive your responses. They have all helped us to understand your thoughts on the proposed partnership and the questions you have at this stage in our discussions with Orbit.

Based on the feedback we received, we have updated our frequently asked questions. You can read these at: www.swan.org.uk/swanand-orbit-group We will provide an update on our proposal later in summer 2022 and, should the partnership go ahead, we would expect it to be formalised in autumn 2022.

somewhere to feel at home

NEED TO KNOW

Somewhere to feel at home

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Case Study Miss O contacted a member of our Welfare Benefits team after she received arrears letters because her full rent was not being paid and she owed money on her rent account. She was struggling financially and asked for help from Swan.

Unable to work due to her health, she was receiving less money than she needed to pay her rent.

A member of our Welfare Benefits team completed a benefits check and was able to support her to make a claim for Personal Independence Payments (PIP). This can be a long process and they helped her to complete the application form and gather supporting evidence to provide to the Department for Work and Pensions.

Despite being rejected twice, the team continued to appeal and eventually Miss O was awarded PIP, which was backdated. She was also assisted to access a severe disability premium, and Discretionary Housing Benefit Payment (DHP) to clear her arrears.

Total benefits received:

Benefits advice Our Welfare Benefits team is here to provide advice and support, to help you understand the benefits system. Between April 2020 and March 2021, we helped Swan residents gain an extra £906,301 in benefits that they may not have otherwise received.

We are here to offer advice and assistance specific to your circumstances, whether it’s about applying for welfare benefits, managing your budget, or dealing with debt.

SDP £67.30 per week – backdate £2624.70 PIP £59.70 a week – backdate £2211.68 DHP £14.20 a week for 52 weeks

We can help you to identify where you may be eligible for certain benefits, assist you in claiming, and if necessary, we will represent you at appeal tribunals. Our team can provide information and support about the changes to the benefit system due to the Welfare Reform including the social size, benefit cap and Universal Credit.

You can use our online benefits calculator at www.swan.org.uk/benefits-advice to work out if you are entitled to receive a state benefit.

Coming soon!

We will be running workshops on cooking on a budget, energy saving and more ways to make every penny count starting later this summer – stay up-to-date on swan.org.uk.

Miss O said: “I just want to say thank you so much for all your help. Getting PIP has been a life changer for me without you I would have not been able to achieve this, I can’t thank you enough”.

Most people will face a financial difficulty at some point, and we are here to support you in finding a solution. If you need assistance, contact our Welfare Benefits team on 0300 3030 2500 or email benefits@swan.org.uk – we’re here to help!

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Welfare benefits in numbers In 2021/22 our Welfare Benefits team helped our customers to secure over £900,000 in benefits, among other successes. See statistics below.

£

£

122

£139,350 £906,301 £126,301

Successfully awarded 122 Discretionary Housing Payments

£139,350 awarded in payments for Discretionary Housing Payments

Secured £906,301 in additional benefits for residents

Benefits increased by £126,301 from last year

£ 4459

20

186

46

Contacted 4459 customers to provide financial advice and support

20 families were supported through the hardship fund

Agreed 186 Alternative Payment Arrangements to help residents sustain their tenancies

Helped 46 households to apply for Personal Independence Payment

104

13

22

Weekly

Provided help and support to 104 households impacted by Covid-19

Attended five successful tribunals and 13 benefit appeals

Provided food vouchers for 22 households and helped 8 families to secure white goods for their homes

Delivered weekly Welfare Benefit surgeries in London

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Look out for loan sharks A loan shark is an unlicensed moneylender who often targets people on low incomes or who find themselves in difficult times.

Licensed moneylenders are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and must follow the FCA's codes of practice. Loan sharks are not licensed and operate outside the law. If you borrow from them it's likely you'll: •

get a loan on very bad terms

•

pay a huge rate of interest

•

be harassed if you get behind with your repayments

•

be pressured into borrowing more from them to repay one debt with another

If you've borrowed from a loan shark If you have borrowed money from a loan shark you are under no legal obligation to repay the debt. If a lender isn't licensed by the FCA then they have no legal right to recover the debt.

Loan sharks sometimes frighten people by saying they'll be prosecuted and even sent to prison if they don't pay up. This can't happen - not repaying a loan from an unlicensed lender isn't a criminal offence.

You should contact your local Trading Standards office immediately. They will help you deal with your situation and the loan shark.

Other ways of borrowing money If you need a loan, always go to a licensed lender.

There are reputable lenders who'll consider lending to you even if your income's low, your credit rating's poor or you only need a small amount for a short while. Always shop around for credit though - just because a lender is licensed it doesn't necessarily mean you are getting a good deal.

If you need to borrow a small amount for a short time, look into borrowing from a credit union.

Credit unions encourage you to save what you can and only borrow what you can afford to pay back.

The most you'll pay in interest is one per cent a month, so interest on a £100 loan won't be more than £1 a month.

If you are struggling to manage your money, help is at hand. There are organisations that can help you to set a budget, become debt free a start to save money.

If you’re threatened by someone who lends you money

Step change debt charity: freephone 0800 138 1111 or visit www.stepchange.org

If someone who has lent you money threatens you or is violent, contact the police straight away.

Turn to us national charity: freephone 0808 802 2000 or visitwww.turn2us.org.uk

Do this even if it’s an informal loan from someone you know, such as a friend or family member.

National Debtline: freephone 0808 808 4000 or visit www.nationaldebtline.org Christians Against Poverty: freephone 0800 328 0006 or visit www.capuk.org

NEED TO KNOW

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In it to win it!

Competition time Would you like to have your rent balance at your fingertips? Pay your rent online?

Log a repair online? Our customer portal, MySwan, enables you to do all of that - and Love the Planet by going digital.

Your rent We want to let you know in advance that we will be increasing the rent for our social housing tenants in the autumn by 4.1%, in line with the Government Rent Standard. This rent increase will apply to all our social and affordable rent tenants.

We understand there are real pressures on the cost of living and this was not an easy decision for us to make. The rent you pay will continue to be far below the average in the private sector.

Q. How do you set my rent?

A. Each year we carry out our ‘annual rent review’.

This is where we review the amount of money we charge you for rent to make sure that it’s in line with the rules laid out by the Regulator of Social Housing. The Government’s 2022 Rent Standard allows an increase of last September’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) plus an extra 1%. So, rents will be increasing by 4.1% from autumn 2022.

Q. What does CPI mean?

A. CPI stands for the Consumer Price Index. It is a measure of inflation that is made every month. We are required to use September’s CPI (which was 3.1%) to set your rent. This can be increased by 1%.

Q. What will my new rent be?

A. You will receive a letter later in the summer outlining what your new rent and service charges will be.

When will my rent increase from?

A. The increase will take place at the end of October if you pay your rent weekly and from 1 November if you pay monthly.

Q. Why is my rent increasing?

A. As a not-for-profit organisation (we invest every penny of profit make back into the communities where our customers live) we rely on the rent you pay to provide safe, high-quality homes. It also allows us to build new homes for those people who urgently need them, invest in the safety and condition of our existing homes and improve the services that we offer.

We understand that you may feel worried about this upcoming rent increase. Our Welfare Benefits Team is here to help. They can work with you to make sure that you are claiming all the income that you are entitled to. They can also offer advice on how to help manage your money if it is needed.

We will be writing to you with more information nearer the time of the rent increase.

We want as many of our customers as possible to sign up to the portal, so we are running a competition! All customers who create a portal account between now and the end of August 2022 will be entered into a monthly prize draw* to win one of five £30 Amazon vouchers up for grabs.

MySwan is available 24/7, 365 days a year on a desktop or mobile device such as a desktop, laptop or smartphone. It’s simple, fast and safe. Download MySwan today at www.swan.org.uk/customer-portal *Competition terms and conditions apply and can be downloaded at www.swan.org.uk

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NEED TO KNOW

Somewhere to feel at home

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Ten top energy saving tips You can save around £55 a year just by remembering to turn your appliances off standby mode.

Draught-proof windows and doors using DIY techniques such as using self-adhesive foam strips to block small gaps around window frames or squirting filler into gaps along skirting boards. (Just be careful that you don’t block needed ventilation such as wall vents.)

  

Turn off unneeded lights Reduce the temperature on your washing machine from 40 degrees down to 30 degrees and cut out just one run per week for a year Avoid using the tumble dryer – drying clothes on racks inside where possible or outside in warmer weather

  

Shorten the length of your shower to just four minutes Swap your bath for a shower Be careful in the kitchen – for example, overfilling the kettle uses lots of unneeded energy



Only run your dishwasher when it is full and reduce your dishwasher use by one run per week for a year



Top up the insulation of your hot water cylinder - even if you have thin spray foam or a loose 25mm jacket, you can benefit from increasing the insulation to a British Standard Jacket 80mm thick, saving up to £35 a year

Add up the potential £££ savings available for each energy saving action. (figures show a potential reduction per year)











Switch off standby

Turn off the lights

Avoid using the tumble dryer

Swap one bath a week to a shower

Reduce dishwasher use











Drought-proof gaps

Wash at 30 degrees

Take a fourminute shower

Don't overfill the kettle

Insulate your hot water cylinder

£40

£20

£28

advice on reducing the amount of energy used in your home and to find out what support your energy provider has in place if you’re struggling to pay your energy bill.

Information from www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

How much could I save?

£55

Check out the website www.askbill.org.uk for solutions and

£55

£65

£11

£33

£14

£35

*Savings are for a typical three-bedroom, gas-heated home in Great Britain, using a gas price of 7p/kWh and electricity price of 28p/kWh (based on April 2022 price cap). Water savings are based on average occupancy. This household is projected to spend a total £1,971 on energy annually, including standing charge. Figures updated 3 February 2022.

Heating your home to at least 18°C (65°F) is important for your health and immune system, especially if you are 65-years-old or over, have reduced mobility, or an existing health condition such as heart or lung disease.

Myth busting advice!

Heating bill rises are having an impact on lots of people. Below are three guidelines for a comfortable house and lower heating bills.

Some people say that it’s cheaper to leave the heating on at a low level all day, rather than having it on at full blast when you’re in and off when you’re out.

There are three basic principles for using heating controls effectively: 1.

Only heat the house when you need it to be hot.

You may want to set your heating to come on only when you need it using a timer.

2.

Only heat the rooms that you need to be hot.

(Turn off radiators in rooms that you do not need to heat and close the door.)

3.

Only heat the house to the temperature you need to be comfortable, and no more. Why not try turning your heat down by one degree and seeing if you still feel warm?

Isn’t it cheaper to leave the heating on all day?

You could save money by having the heating set lower, but the house will be colder when you’re at home. You can then turn the heating off altogether when you’re out, and you’ll save even more.

You can’t save money by leaving the heating on when you’re out. You’ll just end up paying extra for heat that you don’t need!

Information from www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk

NEED TO KNOW

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Preservation Culture workshops Helping customers do their bit to love the planet, Swan’s Customer Involvement and Community Development (CICD) team has been hosting food preservation workshops at The Reach Community Hub on its Blackwall Reach development in East London.

For those who took part, it was not only learning a new skill that they found most valuable, it was being given the opportunity to meet new people and connect with other members of their community. Many participants agreed that this was what they enjoyed most about the workshop.

Holiday Hunger Help We know that the school holidays can be challenging for some families, with the cost of childcare, food and social activities putting extra pressure on finances.

During the past year, Swan’s community hubs, located at The Reach and Exmouth, in East London, and The Beech, in Basildon, have played host to a series of Holiday Hunger clubs for children aged 6-16 years old.

Working in partnership with Essex Boys and Girls Clubs, Active Essex, Feeding Britain, the London Tigers and Newark Youth, Swan has provided 1,209 much-needed meals to children living in the communities where we work.

The sessions have not only provided healthy and nutritious meals, but the children attending have also been able to take part in fun activities such as arts and crafts, dodgeball and team games.

Parents with children attending our recent sessions commented on how nice it was for their children to interact with others, developing their social skills and improving their confidence.

One parent said: “Because of the pandemic, he’s not had much interaction with friends, so socially it really benefits him. It’s also improved his confidence, ready for when he goes to secondary school in September. Just travelling here gives him that little bit of freedom, being able to go from here to the park, allowing him to slowly detach from me.”

Another parent commented: “For them to get out of the house and have somewhere to go and just play with other kids, it’s just a lifesaver. We have a tiny little two-bedroom place so they can’t really move.”

Swan has also supported Preservation Culture (an independent local business) to train three talented people, two of whom are Swan customers, to deliver the workshops to their local community, sharing their knowledge of how to turn leftover ingredients into jams, chutneys, and pickles.

Another commented that they enjoyed learning how to use spice, while others said how much fun they had.

As well as being environmentally friendly, helping customers to be mindful about food can save money and is a great new skill that could even be turned into a business.

This summer, Swan will be continuing to run the Holiday Hunger Programme for young people living on our Blackwall Reach and Exmouth estates in London and Beechwood in Essex.

To find out more or sign up, contact our Community Development team, by emailing Involvement@swan.org.uk or by calling 0300 030 2500

To find out more or sign up, contact Community Development Project Officer, Gaurangi Patel, by emailing gpatel@swan. org.uk or by calling 07719 957096.

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HUG panel Do you want to help shape the way Swan interacts with customers? Do you want to have your say on our strategies and procedures?

Do you want to be involved in decisions about community grants?

If you’re interested in sharing your views with Swan, join our Help Us Get it Right (HUG) panel – our new formal Customer Involvement group.

It’s just one of the ways that you can help to shape our services. The feedback from HUG helps us to understand what matters most to our customers and is used throughout Swan to help us deliver brilliant customer service and great places to call home. They are a newgroup who only launched in November of last year but are keen to make an impact.

What have the HUG been up to since the group began? The group have decided how they want the meetings to run, the topics they would like to be covered and who should attend. They have

asked to have presentations brought to them around potential changes to services, as well as to review policies and strategies alongside Swan’s performance data. They will also have responsibility for allocating the community and estate improvement grants.

Some of the items that have been reviewed include: The draft Valuing Customer Outcomes framework, the tenant satisfaction measures, our hardship fund procedure and our complaints procedure to name but a few.

The feedback from these discussions is being used to help shape and improve services. For more of an update, or if you’re interested in getting involved please contact Chloe Heaps at 0300 303 2500 or involvement@swan.org.uk

Count Me In

The survey results will be used to help us make changes to our services. We know that transparency is important to you, so we’ll be sharing our progress with you regularly. For example, the platform will be updated continuously to make sure you know what we’re doing.

“I’m grateful to both Swan and Axis, for always helping me with the issues I’ve reported. They are definitely the best. I had Anthony from Axis visit me to do a survey regarding the boiler and he’s been brilliant.

I started to cry thinking I was going to have no heating or hot water for weeks, but the boiler was installed the next week. I was so very grateful when I got the installation call from Axis.”

We love to hear from you! The feedback that you share with us helps us to continually improve our services. We regularly share this feedback with Swan team members. Our people really appreciate it when you take the time to let us know when we have done a great job.

Here’s a selection of the recent compliments you’ve sent us. Thank you - we really appreciate it!

“I have a friend who I visit at Dobsons House in Rayleigh. Having worked in supported housing for 15 years, I have to say how impressed I am with both the scheme and the staff at Dobsons House.”

- a visitor at Dobsons House

- a Swan customer at Loxley Court

It is now even easier for you to tell us what you think.

•

Fill in our online feedback form at www.swan.org.uk/enquiry-form

•

Talk to us via Live Chat at www.swan.org.uk

•

Call us on 0300 303 2500 selecting Option 4.

Service with Respect

We have recently launched our new and refreshed ‘Count Me In’ platform, exclusively for you, our customers.

The platform is available online and is a place where you can tell us your views. It hosts surveys and you can pick which ones you’d like to complete. We want to make it easy for you to see the results too – so we’ll be publishing the results of all surveys on the platform for you to see.

We love to hear from you

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Did you know?

Nearly 80% of the UK’s workforce work in customer-facing roles

We want you to know we value your feedback. We hope this new platform will help you feel listened to and valued.

Visit countmein.swan.org.uk

Recent research shows that more than half of all customer-facing staff in the UK have experienced abuse since the start of the pandemic.

This ranges from verbal abuse, such as shouting and abusive language, to physical assaults.

Swan is one of over 200 companies that have signed up to the Institute of Customer Service’s (ICS) Service with Respect campaign. The campaign aims to tackle the issue of abuse against public-facing workers.

Swan has signed up to the campaign. We have a zero-tolerance approach to hostility and abuse to our employees. We hope that you agree and will support us.

Find out more at www.instituteofcustomerservice.com

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Backyard Nature We’ve been helping our customers to love the planet by getting involved in UK-wide Backyard Nature project. Backyard Nature helps connect young people and their families with nature in their local community by teaching them to look after their existing green spaces and sustain them for the future.

Mural revealed at The Lovely Jubbly Festival on the Exmouth Estate Swan’s Customer Involvement and Community Development (CICD) team, in partnership with Newark Youth, hosted 'The Lovely Jubbly Festival' with over 400 customers in attendance. There were a variety of activities, from bouncy castles, face painting and henna tattoos to sporting competitions and raffles.

As part of the celebrations, the new Brayford Square mural was revealed to the community on the day of the festival. Bablu Miah (Trapped in Zone One) was commissioned to work with the local community to develop the design for the mural. The design concept grew from five different community consultations held with residents and young people from the estate.

The artwork aims to reflect on the estate’s history, current situation and future aspirations. Customers wanted to showcase that Exmouth is a diverse estate, where everyone can come together and feel like they belong. The tagline ‘Together Forever’ was suggested by one of the young people in attendance.

Customers and partners involved in the project shared their feedback.

"The mural has most definitely brightened up Brayford Square and Exmouth."

"I would like to thank Newark Youth for their endeavours in making this community event so entertaining and enjoyable for those of us who attended" "It was a fantastic event and it brought the estate together."

Bablu Miah said: "The reason we chose to participate in this project was to continue our community work in Tower Hamlets using creativity and engaging with young people and the wider community, working towards a more inclusive and united borough."

Newark Youth commented: "Newark Youth has been working in the Exmouth Estate for over 10 years. We wanted to do a street party to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and bring the community together through arts and a community festival."

In October, 20 Swan customers from the Beechwood and Craylands estate in Basildon, Essex, worked together to revive the Beechwood Village Community Garden. More than 50 large bags of green waste were collected throughout the day making the area ready for bulb planting in December. Thanks to the hard work of our customers, the space is now looking beautiful in bloom. It is now an area that every member of the community can visit to find peace and tranquillity, catch up with friends or simply take in their surroundings.

The Backyard Nature project will see the development of a group of Guardians aged 6-16-years-old, who want to connect with nature, explore wildlife, and help the environment.

Interested? Contact Will Oldham at woldham@ swan.org.uk

Green Consortium Our Backyard Nature projects are just one part of the work being done by a Green Consortium of nine housing associations from across England which is led by Clarion, and includes Swan, Peabody, Livewest, Sovereign, Catalyst, Ebbsfleet Development Trust, Phoenix, and Orbit.

Working together they are running a programme of activities for young people, teaching them how they can help to tackle climate change and other environmental issues. These young customers are part of a national Green Youth Board of young people aged 8-22-years-old.

Their work is being match funded to the sum of £120,000 via the Government’s #iwill fund , which is aimed at giving young people the opportunity to take part in social action projects while developing skills for life and work, with a focus on including people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Earlier this year more than 30 young people and staff from the Green Consortium attended an interactive event that encouraged young people to have a voice on climate change and other environmental issues. Both the young people and housing associations took a pledge to take care of nature.

If you would like to find out more or get involved, contact Ade Adelekan at aadelekan@swan.org.uk

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We’re listening

Award wins for Foyer residents

Update from Sarah Sargent, Director of Customer Services

Three of the young people who live in Swan Foyers took home trophies at this year’s Room 4 Young People Inspiration Awards. This made Swan the provider to take home the highest number of these awards nationwide in 2021.

Since joining Swan in April 2021 it’s been my mission to listen to all our customers – tenants, leaseholders, shared owners and residents – to find out what makes you tick, what you think of the service you receive from Swan, and what you’d like us to do to improve. We’ve done surveys, run focus groups, learned from complaints and set up a new customer group, the Help Us Get it Right (HUG) group, to find out what you think. You shared with us your top three priorities:

Where would you like Swan/ Hera to focus

•

Investing in existing homes

•

Making homes greener

12% Investing in local community

•

Improving customer services

5% Wider neighbourhood

We’ve listened. Here’s just some of the things we’re doing as a result of your feedback and there’s lots more to come.

33% Maintaining existing homes 13% Building new homes 17% Improvong Customer Services

Investing in Existing Homes

20% Making homes green / energy efficient

•

We are investing £1.5M into our homes to make them greener and more efficient helping to reduce bills.

•

We will be spending more than £5m on upgrading our homes; installing kitchens, bathrooms, windows and boilers.

•

Working with Axis to ensure we can access the Government’s energy efficiency funding when it’s released.

•

More than £2m will be invested in internal and external decoration- more than any year previously.

•

We will be rolling out changes to make Swan homes more energy efficient.

•

We are investing more than ever before in making your homes safe and investing in building safety works.

•

We have worked with Axis, our repairs partner, that has invested £1m in new software systems which when fully installed will improve visibility, give you more flexibility and improve communication about your repairs.

Making homes greener •

Training Swan staff on how successfully make our customers’ homes more energy efficient.

Improving customer services sub-heading] You told us that we don’t always get the basics right, like answer emails quickly or calling you back when we say we will. Here’s what we’re doing: •

We’ve already made changes to our phone system so that you can get through the right person more easily.

•

We’re making changes to improve how we handle emails.

•

We’ve started a programme of customer service training with the Institute of Customer Service and we’ve already trained more than 20 staff.

Our Foyers provide a safe, caring place for young people aged 16-25-years-of-age who are provided with supported housing to live, learn and make the transition to independent adulthood.

Aimee Tyner, won the Duck to Water category, Kieran Peck received the Innovative Action Award and Shannon Derby took home the Flying the Nest Award, at the awards which celebrate the successes and achievements of young people from across the social housing sector.

Aimee lives in Dove Cott House In Basildon, a specialist Foyer for pregnant young women and single parents. During the pandemic, Aimee felt that she needed to do something to help those in need in the community, so she applied for a job as a domiciliary carer. Aimee was successful in applying for the position. Despite having no transport, she carried out the role by using public transport to drop her son off at her sister’s before walking to each customer’s house. Aimee continues to deliver this service despite long gaps between customers.

Despite having no background in care work, Aimee has taken to this like a ‘duck to water’, making her the winner of this year’s award.

Kieran lives in Swan House Foyer in Basildon and is an active member of the foyer community. Kieran has been inspiring residents with his love of plant growing and has used this passion to help maintain his own mental wellbeing. Kieran has spent time with other residents, even going shopping with them and helping them to learn about the plants they are buying which has inspired them to make their own indoor gardens in their flats. This has helped with so many of his peer’s mental wellbeing, making Kieran the recipient of this year’s Innovative Action category.

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Shannon also lives in Swan House Foyer. She has completed a catering apprenticeship and secured herself a full-time job which she remains in despite facing significant mental health challenges. During her time at the foyer she has worked hard to accept her mental health status and eventually came to realise that it does not define the person that she is and there is more to her than her mental health issues.

Speaking about her experience, Shannon said: “I found the courage to do this because Swan made me feel that I was and am the most important person in my life and that the courage I have is amazing, (because I never saw it before) …. Yeah, they can nag a little… but you do get the most understanding and gentle people. They have made me see I am worth it…

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Supporting NHS staff We have three Key Worker Accommodation Schemes that have been specially developed in partnership with the NHS to provide high-quality, affordable rented housing to NHS key workers and those working in the emergency services and public sector. Our schemes are conveniently located in Colchester, Broomfield, and Oldchurch, with the former two on site at their respective hospitals, and the latter a five-minute walk from Queen's Hospital and the shuttle bus to King George's Hospital.

All accommodation is fully furnished to a high standard and ranges from studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom flats to shared accommodation and three-bedroom family houses. We provide a range of accommodation types, from short-stay bookings for on-call staff needing to be near the hospital to long-term shared or self-contained family homes.

Stella - Care & Support Case Study Customer thanks Swan Care team from ‘bottom of her heart’ Swan’s dedicated Care and Support team tailors the service they provide to every customer to meet their specific care needs, from encouraging independence to providing end-of-life care. The following case study demonstrates how this approach can make a difference to the lives of our customers.

When Stella broke her wrist at the end of last year, she didn’t know how she was going to care for her husband. After being referred to Swan Care North then onto its plaster of paris (POP) pathway things started to look up.

She received daily help from the team including with personal care, dressing and undressing, meal and drink preparation and assistance with medication.

Stella said: “Every single one of them was brilliant and I want you to know what a great team you have. They came into my house like a breath of fresh air, bringing with them their good cheer.

They put me at ease with their professionalism, their ability to communicate and the kindness shown to me.

Stella says she loves each and every member of the team as they are “truly committed” to the job and thanked them from the “bottom of her heart”.

Having regained her confidence after a six-week recovery period, Stella is able to go about her life again but says her husband never would have coped on his own for that long. She added that he also enjoyed the twice daily visits.

Registered Care Services Manager, Melissa Garrod, added: “When Stella started her journey with Swan, she scored herself 40% on how she manages daily, when she left on the 23 April, she scored herself 100%, which is a major achievement for Swan and for her.

“On departing from our services, we asked two questions, the first being how she rated our services. Stella scored us very good – the highest possible score. The second question is how likely she was to recommend our services on a scale of 0/10 (10 being the highest) and again Stella scored Swan 10/10, which is amazing.”

Here’s what our customers had to say: “I just wanted to say a big massive thank you to the team for doing such an amazing job. They deep cleaned the flat thoroughly, they are always so helpful, friendly, caring and always doing such an amazing job every week. I know their job is not easy however I just wanted to say thank you for everything they do in trying to make this flat more of a home for me and my flatmates.”

“Thanks for looking after us this year. It has been hard all round, but you have done all done a great job and it’s not gone unnoticed.

You are lovely hard-working people.”

Find out more at www.swan.org.uk/key-worker-living

YOUR HOME

Somewhere to feel at home

20

Gas servicing improvements Most of us would agree that there is no worse time for your boiler to break down than over the winter months when it is cold.

In the winter of 2020/21, we had a lot of gas boiler breakdowns that could not be fixed first time as well as needing to complete legally required gas servicing. Our customers told us that having to wait to have their boiler repaired was a poor service over the winter. So, we listened to your feedback and changed how we delivered this service.

In 2021-22 we moved the legally required gas servicing checks forward to the summer months so that our engineers were available to quickly deal with any breakdowns during the colder winter months.

99.36%  This improved our ‘right first time’ customer feedback score from 90.65% in 2020/21 to 99.36% in 2021/22

1.48 days  Our time to complete repairs went from 2.87 days to 1.48 days

Lisa has been a Swan resident for over eight years living in Halstead. Axis recently fitted a new boiler for her. Here she describes her experience: “Anthony Davies, Axis Supervisor, told me I was getting a new boiler. I suffer with anxiety and mental Health and post-traumatic stress disorder which Anthony knew. At the time it was freezing cold and I cried as I thought it would be over a month to wait, but it was fitted within a week and a half. He was lovely and cleared up very well after himself and explained how to use the meter.

Since it’s been fitted my gas bill has gone down an awful lot to which I’m grateful. My praise goes to Anthony for making it all happen so much faster than I thought. I’m always happy with the way Swan have treated me and I have lived here eight years this June coming.”

99.27%  The number of appointments made and kept went from 88.40% to 99.27%.

Lisa Swan Resident

Regulatory Notice On 25 May 2022, the Regulator of Social Housing published a regulatory notice stating that Swan’s management of statutory health and safety compliance had breached the requirements of the Home Standard. This is one of the four consumer standards that we must comply with as a registered provider of social housing. The notice related to the completion of fire risk assessments and remedial actions; the completion of asbestos management surveys in communal areas; systems to record recommendations of water safety risk assessments and the quality of our data and performance reporting.

The safety of our customers is an important responsibility and we have already put in place and completed many actions of an improvement programme. The programme includes a new health and safety framework with new teams,

systems, and processes. We have also put in place robust safety measures to ensure the safety of our customers while these works are carried out. You can read more about this on our website at swan.org.uk/news/2022/swan-statement-regulatory-notice/

If you have a question or concern that relates to fire, water or asbestos safety, please call us on 0300 303 2500 and ask to speak to a member of our Building Safety Team or email fire-related queries to firesafety@swan.org.uk and water or asbestos-related queries to buildingsafety@swan.org.uk. You can report a repair in the usual way by contacting Axis by calling 0800 783 2768 or emailing swanresidents@axiseurope.com.

YOUR HOME

Somewhere to feel at home

Fire safety

If any of your smoke alarms go off, never assume that it is a false alarm

There are more than 70,000 fires in homes across the UK each year. You can reduce the risk of a fire starting in your home by being aware of the risks in the kitchen, being sensible with cigarettes and candles, and handling electrical appliances with care.

You should test your alarm weekly by pressing the small button marked 'test'. If working correctly, the alarm will sound for 10 to 20 seconds then stop.

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Once a month it is also advisable to run a vacuum nozzle over the alarm (if you can reach it safely), to remove any dust or cobwebs

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If you think your fire alarm is broken or it starts to 'beep' (this means the backup battery needs replacing), you should contact Axis

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Don’t smoke in bed or overfill ashtrays

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Don’t leave candles alight when you are not in the same room Don’t leave hot oil or fat unattended while you are cooking

Don’t waste time investigating what’s happened or rescuing valuables Don’t tackle fires yourself, many people are injured this way

Balconies and outdoor areas Fires can occur on balconies and outdoor areas, which can easily spread to inside the building. To ensure the risk of a fire starting is reduced:

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Never use BBQs (including disposables) on your balcony - they pose a fire risk that can easily spread to other homes

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White good such as fridge freezers and tumble dryers must not be stored on balconies. They are not suitable for outdoor use and are a potential source of ignition

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Don’t overload sockets or leave appliances plugged into the socket when you are not using them Don’t use portable electrical appliances that have not been tested Don’t hang clothes within a metre of a heater

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Do not store BBQs (or any type of fuel or flammable liquid, which includes gas bottles and starter fuel) on your balcony or in your outdoor area close to the building Do not drop cigarettes on your balcony floor or over your balcony. It may cause a fire on another balcony or in the outside area of your building that could spread. We recommend that you don’t smoke on your balcony, if you do smoke on your balcony or in your garden, use an ashtray and dispose of smoking materials carefully and safely If a fire breaks out on your balcony, it could spread much faster than inside your building, while plants and a few items of patio furniture are okay, ideally you should keep your balcony completely clear.

Leave it to the professionals Before you open a door check if it’s warm with the back of your hand. If it is, don’t open it, there may be a fire on the other side If there’s smoke, keep low where the air is clearer Ensure all fire doors are kept closed, including in communal areas Call 999 as soon as it’s safe to do so – 999 calls are free Never go back into the building once you are safely outside.

If you cannot make voice calls, you can contact the 999 emergency services by SMS text from your mobile phone. You will only be able to use this service if you have registered with emergency SMS first. Text ‘register’ to 999.

You will get a reply – then follow the instructions you are sent.

We have more helpful information on our website as to how you can keep your home fire safe. Visit www. swan.org.uk/fire-safety

YOUR HOME

Somewhere to feel at home

24

Gas safety Every year people die from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by poorly installed and maintained gas appliances. When gas doesn't burn, properly carbon monoxide is produced, which is poisonous. You can't see, taste or smell it, but carbon monoxide can kill in a matter of hours.

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Electrical safety A large proportion of domestic fires each year are caused by electrical faults.

Swan carries out electrical safety inspections on its rental properties at least once every five years to keep our customers safe - and we recommend that homeowners do the same. The inspection is required to make sure your mains electrical system is safe and suitable to use.

It is important that you look after your electrical equipment between these inspections – just because something works doesn't mean it's safe!

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To make sure your home is safe, you should inspect electrical fittings and equipment to make sure they're in good condition.

Always be conscious not to overload your sockets.

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Please do not carry out your own electrical repairs. If you think a socket in your property or an electrical supply in a communal area is damaged or faulty, please contact Axis straight away, or if you're a homeowner you will need to arrange for an electrician to attend.

Remember, all electrical work or repairs must always be done by an NICEIC-registered electrician.

The signs to look out for include:

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Yellow or orange flames (except for fuel effect fires) - flames should normally be blue

Open all doors and windows straight away

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Soot or stains around the appliance

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Shut off the gas supply at the mains (a large lever usually next to the gas meter)

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Pilot lights that frequently go out

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Call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999

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Don't smoke, light matches, lighters or cigarettes

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Don't turn electric switches on or off If you suspect a carbon monoxide leak:

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The symptoms of carbon onoxide poisoning include:

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Tiredness

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Drowsiness

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Headache

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Nausea

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Open all doors and windows straight away

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Chest pains

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Shut off the gas supply at the mains (a large lever usually next to the gas meter)

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Stomach pains

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Call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999

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Contact us so we can arrange for a safety inspection

These symptoms are similar to many common ailments and may easily be confused with flu or simple tiredness.

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Remember, you should never:

More information about electrical safety can be found at:

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Use a gas appliance if you think it is not working properly

Electrical Safety First electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk

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Cover an appliance with anything

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Block or obstruct any fixed ventilation grilles or airbricks

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Block or cover outside flues

National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting niceic.com

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If you suspect there is a gas leak:

Carbon monoxide – know the danger signs

If you suspect you or someone else is suffering from the effects of carbon monoxide, you should switch off any fuel burning appliances and seek urgent medical help straight away.

Our offices are open by appointment only. You can also get in touch in the following ways: You can access information about our services on www.swan.org.uk You can find our Live Chat service here too.

If you cannot find what you need online please do speak to us via Live Chat or email us at info@swan.org.uk

You can call us and speak to a member of staff.

somewhere to feel at home

Swan HA Pilgrim House Billericay Essex CM12 9XY

NU living Tramway House 3 Tramway Avenue Stratford E15 4PN

Hera Management Services Limited Tramway House 3 Tramway Avenue Stratford E15 4PN

Tel: 0300 303 2500

Tel: 0300 303 2500

Tel: 0345 683 8812

swan.org.uk

nuliving.co.uk

heramanagementservices.co.uk

@swanhousing

@nulivinghomes

@heramanagement

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

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

All information in this newsletter is correct at time of publication.