Heart of the Matter
Summer 2021
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13 14 In this issue... Welcome
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Simply the best! (well, one of them anyway!)
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We’re listening to you
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Do you need a different format? Help a garden grow 9 The Future is Bright Round Two 10 Apprenticeship scheme
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Bringing Good Food to Blaenau Gwent
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Newtown Litter Pick
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Our Tractor has a name!
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Meet Mathew
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Coming your way!
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South Wales Fire Service
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Cosy Place Scheme Update
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HEART OF THE MATTER
If you would like this newsletter in a different format (e.g. large print, audio or braille) or in a different language please contact the Customer Service Team on: Telephone: 0300 303 1717 Email: talktous@taicalon.org Text: taicalon to 60030, followed by your message 0300 303 1717 www.taicalon.org
talktous@taicalon.org
Welcome
to our Summer newsletter
I
am pleased to introduce our newsletter. We hope you find it interesting and as always your feedback is welcome. This edition has a wide variety of articles, hopefully something for everyone. Now I could introduce each one, but my summary will be a poor substitute. Therefore, I will pick just one, and it is the one that focuses most on our objective of improving your satisfaction with Tai Calon. The other articles are important as they give the wider picture of what we do. However, our mission is to serve our customers in the county and if we don’t then please let us know so we can improve. previously our main source of customer feedback was from our annual survey. This was usually undertaken in the autumn. We would ask about 2,000 Tai Calon customers what they thought of the service they received. That was on a range of topics from value for money of your rent, repairs undertaken in your home, your local community etc. That gave a great snapshot, but it could mean we were asking for your opinion about a repair job possibly undertaken three years ago. So, we have made a significant change – introducing
Rant & Rave! This intercative system gives you the chance to give feedback immediately about the service you receive from Tai Calon. Obviously, we hope for more rave than rant, but of course negative feedback is free advice to help improve. The other great thing about Rant & Rave is that because your feedback is immediate, then our response can be immediate. Thereby we can quickly improve, and/or follow up with you if required. This is one of the many ways that we will further improve your satisfaction with Tai Calon. With the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, we can increase the frequency of estate walkabouts. I will join as many as I can so if you get the chance then please come along. We can chat about your suggestions, even have constructive face to face, rant and rave if you like. That would be great. Stay safe.
Howard Chief Executive SUMMER EDITION 2021
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Simply the best! (well, one of them anyway!)
A
s part of our annual survey for Tai Calon staff, we conducted the Best Companies survey in February. We are very pleased to announce we have placed in the Top 25 Best Housing Associations to work for. Chief Executive Howard Toplis says: “Our new Corporate Plan 2025 is exciting, with its focus on customer satisfaction. However, great strategies don’t succeed unless the culture is right. So, getting into the Best Companies top 25 housing associations is great as it shows we are on the right track, creating a culture to deliver.” Well done to all in Tai Calon for achieving such a great accreditation, especially during such a challenging year for everyone.
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HEART OF THE MATTER
WE’RE LISTENING W TO YOU hen you have a repair done, contact our customer service team, move into a new home or get advice about your rent you will be sent a survey asking you to tell us what you think about the service you received, but we want to know more. We want to know what you think about Tai Calon not just when you have a repair but every day. We want to know when we have got it right, when we have got it wrong and what we can do to improve things. You can either scan this QR code or use the link https://survey.taicalon.org/s3/ListeningPost?V1=NewsLetter to take you to a survey where you can give us your feedback . Keep an eye on our social media too, we will post the link to this survey regularly so you can tell us what you think at any time.
Cosy Place Scheme Update
T
ai Calon is working in Partnership with Blaenau Gwent Housing team and Welsh Government on a flagship project called ‘Housing First’. The project includes the refurbishment of Cosy Place in Brynmawr. The refurbishment began at the beginning of the year and is due to be completed in July. Tai Calon believes everyone has the right to a home, treating people with humanity and dignity. Housing First is a housing and support approach which gives people who have experienced homelessness and chronic health and social care needs a stable home from which to rebuild their lives. SUMMER EDITION 2021
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Newtown
Litter Pick
BACK IN MAY, MEMBERS OF STAFF TOOK PART IN A LITTER PICK IN NEWTOWN, EBBW VALE. THE LITTER PICK GAVE STAFF THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THEIR NORMAL WORKING ENVIRONMENT WHILST GIVING SOMETHING BACK TO THE COMMUNITIES WHERE WE WORK.
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HEART OF THE MATTER
MEET MATHEW Mathew lives with his partner and together they have two small children. Before the Pandemic, Mathew had been off work with mental health issues, was receiving sickness payment from his employer and he was hoping to go back to work when he was well enough. His partner had been working 16 hours a week. However, she was unable to continue working, which meant the family found themselves struggling financially.
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ur Income and Support team contacted Mathew and talked to him about applying for Universal Credit. We explained the process for him to apply online and gave him information such as, his rent could be paid from his Universal Credit payment. Mathew managed to complete the process himself, but he was very worried by it all and needed reassurance that it would be ok.
Mathew was also worried that he was a little behind with his rent, so we spoke to the rents team and made them aware of the situation. There was only a small amount of arrears on his account and that would be cleared as soon as he received his first Universal Credit payment.
We spoke to Mathew about other ways we could help him and his family, for example, foodbank deliveries or assistance with fuel.
He told us he was concerned about how he was going to afford his fuel bills for the next few weeks, so we helped him contact his suppliers. That phone call resulted in Mathew receiving credit on his meter. If you or anyone you know is in need of support or assistance please give our team a call on 0300 303 1717 or drop us an email at TalkToUs@taicalon.org
SUMMER EDITION 2021
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TAI CALON WERE CONTACTED BY THE SOUTH WALES FIRE RESCUE SERVICE ASKING IF WE WOULD ASSIST THE SOUTH WALES FIRE RESCUE SERVICE BY USING ONE OF OUR LONG-TERM VOIDS FOR TRAINING REQUIREMENTS.
south wales Fire Rescue Service
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t was arranged to meet with the Ebbw Vale White Watch Crew Manager Jon at some potential properties that are marked for demolition. Four different crews throughout the borough would be using the site for training so getting the right property was important as
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HEART OF THE MATTER
there would be lots of people using it! Flyers were delivered to the residents explaining what and when it was taking place and some of the residents commented that they were quite looking forward to it especially after the last year of lockdown. Jon from South Wales Fire Rescue Service
explained that one of the many roles of SWFRS is “heavy rescue” where they use an appliance equipped with a crane with which they frequently assist the Ambulance Service. The use of our property proved a huge success and a massive benefit to each station contingent
that trained there but more importantly to the wider community which they serve. When visiting one of the training sessions the crew captain mentioned the police are also interested in using the site for police dog training – so watch this space.. Photos by Stephen Davies www.stephendavies.me.uk
Helping a garden grow. WE WERE RECENTLY INVITED TO VISIT SIX BELLS PRIMARY CAMPUS IN ABERTILLERY TO LOOK AT THEIR LARGE OUTDOOR SPACE WHICH INCLUDES RAISED BEDS TO GROW VEG, A LOG SITTING AREA AND EVEN A BUG MANSION.
T
he teachers and pupils have been able to create a space that not only provides a much-needed break from the classroom but a place to enhance creativity, increase social skills and improve the selfconfidence of those who use it. Gardening is a healthy activity that can be enjoyed by people of all abilities and stimulates the five basic senses of sight, smell, touch, taste and sound. A garden such as this does require some planning and attention to detail
and the children in Mrs Webber’s class have been greatly involved in designing these plans. Ideas included a willow hide, herb wheel and a toad-a-bode! To help, we provided garden sheds to the various campuses where garden tools and supplies can be easily stored away. Gardening is such a positive activity for all, and Tai Calon will continue to find ways to roll up our sleeves, get our hands in the dirt and help the Abertillery learning community.
Our Board member Malcolm Day taking a closer look.
Students found a snail and named her Lily.
SUMMER EDITION 2021
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The Future is
Bright
round two
WORKING WITH OUR SUPPLIERS AND CONTRACTORS WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO GIVE EVEN MORE BACK TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY OF BLAENAU GWENT.
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he Brighter Future Fund is a funding pot we created for community groups to help them with any work they do. We have already completed one round of funding and we are very excited to present the winners of our second round.
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HEART OF THE MATTER
We received some excellent applications, making it hard to shortlist the applicants. We left the voting to tenants and residents of Blaenau Gwent on our Facebook Page. Thank you to everyone who voted, here are your round 2 winners!
Cwm Lighting Group:
Coed Cae Community Hub:
“Three years ago, our small village of Cwm was going to be without Christmas lights, a few of us called a meeting 6 weeks before Christmas and we put a plea out for help. We managed to raise £5000 in a very short time, with that money we bought lights, had 3 trees donated one for the statue, one for our local cub’s hut and one for St Paul’s church. Our group Cwm lighting committee was then formed and has gone from strength to strength lighting a little bit more of the village every year, the cost of erecting these lights are very expensive but we have an amazing community always donating and support us in everything we try to do to light our village.”
“Brynmawr Rotary was delighted to receive a grant to grow our Coed Cae Community Hub vision, we await a property on the Coed Cae estate which we hope will open opportunities for many groups to use and widen a range of services for intergenerational groups to use, which will increase the educational, physical, and mental well-being of us all. We believe the community hub will help after the year of isolation we all have endured to relieve social isolation as we each support each other in a focussed manner.” The group now need more local volunteers to help manage the exciting upcoming projects, to become
group advocates and activity volunteer leads, please contact; email: contact@ brynmawrrotary.co.uk or go to Brynmawr Rotary Facebook page and drop a message.
The Otters Swimming Club for the Disabled: “We were very pleased to receive a donation. It’s been a difficult 15 months not being able to have any Swim sessions. We are starting back on the 2nd June and the donation will go a long way in getting our members back into swimming. A couple of weeks and hopefully we will be competing in the many galas that are held all over Wales.”
Abertillery Bluebirds AFC: “Abertillery Bluebirds AFC is a local club run by dedicated volunteers which is currently based and playing out of the picturesque area of Cwnantygroes pavilion and sports fields in the Six Bells area of Abertillery. Like all clubs throughout the country, the Covid situation has made things extremely difficult for us to provide that local community facility for both youth and adult to enjoy a sense of togetherness that a local football
club brings to the community. Thankfully with restrictions now easing we can again concentrate on preparing for the forthcoming season. A big thank you must be said to Tai Calon who have provided us with substantial funding that we have used to purchase much needed maintenance tools, such as strimmer’s, blowers, chainsaw and multi tools. Alongside some other items which we are currently sourcing, this equipment is paramount to the upkeep of the sports fields and the pavilion surrounds which will
Congratulations to all the winners, the next funding pot will be opening soon so keep an eye on our website and social media!
be carried out through self-help by club members. On behalf of everyone involved with Abertillery Bluebirds AFC, thank you for the generosity by awarding the club the Brighter
Future Grants and providing the club with the much-needed funds.”
Beaufort Hill Ponds & Woodlands Preservation Society: “Following our success in the Brighter Futures Fund, we awaited enthusiastically and patiently to begin our project and complete late spring/early summer. We have been able to secure a good amount of mixed wildflower seeds ready to sow when the weather permits. Beaufort Hill Ponds & Woodlands Preservation Society would like to thank everyone for their support in the public vote and invite all residents and tenants of our community to come and celebrate the bloom during the summer months.” SUMMER EDITION 2021
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Process Map THE NEXT ROUND OF FUNDING WILL BE OPENING SOON SO KEEP YOUR EYES ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE MOR DETAILS. AGE AND WEBSITE FOR MORE HAVE A LOOK AT HOW TO APPLY HERE:
ND WE CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU AND FOLLOW YOUR STORIES! GOOD LUCK!
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HEART OF THE MATTER
A APPRENTICESHIP Scheme Y
ou may have seen that Tai Calon has this year advertised its first trade apprenticeship scheme for several years. Apprenticeships give people the chance to earn while they learn; offering a fulltime wage and work experience alongside fully funded training.
This year, Coleg Gwent and Coleg Y Cymoedd have partnered with Tai Calon to provide these opportunities.
Applicants for our trade apprenticeships were encouraged to submit a video as part of their application, and the response we had was fantastic. Our
employment and skills team also supported a number of people to apply. During the summer we’ll be putting candidates through their paces with some practical skills tests and interviews. The competition for spots will be intense, but
by September we’ll have identified our two new apprentices. We’ll be documenting their experiences and posting their stories on our website, so keep your eyes peeled to see how they are doing.
SUMMER EDITION 2021
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Bringing Good Food to Blaenau Gwent. T
ai Calon, in partnership with Natural Resources Wales, GAVO and ABUHB, have recently appointed a Sustainable Food Coordinator to help deliver a Good Food Plan in Blaenau Gwent. We want to work with residents, communities, groups and organisations who are interested in changing their food system for the better through a sustainable food programme.
What is a sustainable food? Sustainable food is anything connected to food which improves how we produce, buy and consume food. A sustainable food system should help people’s health and wellbeing and protect the environment.
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HEART OF THE MATTER
By creating a Good Food Plan in Blaenau Gwent, we can work towards ideas that matter in the community. This could be things such as making healthy food an easier and more affordable option, helping groups start their own community food shop or grow their own food, as well as looking at ways to reduce food waste and promoting the local food economy. To find out more and be part of the conversation, please contact our Sustainable Food Coordinator, Chris Nottingham, chris.nottingham@taicalon.org
you named our tractor...
OUR POOR TRACTOR HAS HAD SOME TROUBLE WITH ITS NAME! UNFORTUNATELY, THE INDIVIDUAL WHO CAME UP WITH THE MOST POPULAR NAME DIDN’T COME FORWARD, SO WE’VE GONE WITH THE SECOND BEST! SO, MEET LITTLE MOW!
e l t Lit w! Mo
SUMMER EDITION 2021
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COMING
your way! W
e want you to be happy and satisfied in your home which is why we want to achieve 90% customer satisfaction by 2025.
To help us hit the target we need to know how we are doing and where we can improve so to enable us to do this we will be conducting a Customer Satisfaction Survey this summer working in partnership with The Institute of Customer Service.
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By using The Institutes Business Benchmarking survey, it will not only tell us how we are doing against other housing associations but also companies such as Amazon and John Lewis. So, look out for the first survey coming in the summer of 2021! Please complete the short online survey as it will help us to understand where we can improve our customer service to you.
HEART OF THE MATTER Resource Reg. No. 2110
