Intouch Autumn 2012

intouch ISSUE 72 | AUTUMN 2012 | FREE

The magazine for residents of Wales & West Housing

Editor’s Le er | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 03

Editor’s

Le er

Hi everyone Welcome to the Autumn 2012 edi on of In Touch. We’re concentra ng again on benefits changes in this edi on, or welfare reform as some people call it. In par cular we are looking at the bedroom tax. This change will come into force next April and we want to make sure that everyone who may be affected by this knows about it, has had the chance to talk things through with their Housing Officer, and is as well prepared for any changes they may be facing as possible. See pages 14 and 16 for more details.

We’ve also got a piece about our new approach to tackling an social behaviour (page 19), more details of work and training opportuni es that we are able to offer (page 33), informa on about the new way in which we are handling complaints, and a full round -up of our Making A Difference Awards 2012.

You can also win a Xmas hamper worth £50 if you enter our Christmas e-card compe on.

And last but not least, please keep an eye on our website www.wwha.co.uk as we update this on a daily basis with useful informa on for you, as well as news about WWH and projects with which you are involved.

Warm regards Sarah Manners, PR & Marke ng Manager

Contact Us

Contents WWH News and Info Going Green Development update WWH News and info Quarterly report Money Ma ers An Social Behaviour Healthy Living Planned maintenance Making a Difference Awards You said we did Employment Agenda Healthy Living Charity Update Birthdays and Anniversaries Christmas E-card Compe on

4 6 7 8 9 14 18 20 22 24 30 32 35 37 42 43

Did you know that you can now get more news and updates online?

Follow us on twi er

@wwha

intouch in other languages and formats If you would like a copy of this edi on of In Touch in Welsh or in another language or format, for example in large print, please let us know and we will help you.

Wales & West Housing, 3 Alexandra Gate, Ffordd Pengam, Tremorfa, Cardiff CF24 2UD. Telephone: 0800 052 2526 | Text: 07788 310420 Email: contactus@wwha.co.uk | Website: www.wwha.co.uk Minicom: 0800 052 5205. You can also contact members of staff direct by their email. For example, joe.bloggs@wwha.co.uk

04 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | News and General Informa on

News and General Informa on | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 05

Cambria

expansion

into North Wales As you know, we set up our own maintenance company in 2011, taking us to a Group structure. Cambria Maintenance Services has just seen a very successful first 20 months of trading, undertaking repairs as well as kitchen and bathroom renewals for us in South and Mid Wales. Many of you will have seen our smart new Cambria-branded vans on our streets on their way to their next job.

As the first housing associa on in Wales to introduce the ‘Living Wage’, we are leading the sector with this ini a ve.

With a turnover of £2.8m in its first year, we an cipate that in the next couple of years that this will triple.

Currently £7.20 per hour (for workers outside of London) the ‘Living Wage’ is a lot higher than the legal minimum wage which is currently £6.08 per hour.

We’re now building on the success of its opera ons in South and Mid Wales, and prepara ons are well underway for Cambria to expand into North Wales.

This move will secure the future of 40 skilled jobs in North Wales, as well as

We have more than 340 people working for us across Wales, and our decision to adopt the Living Wage means that no-one working for us earns less than £7.20 an hour. Since this August 40 of

our employees have seen their wages go up as a result of this policy.

Rhys Moore, Director of the Living Wage Founda on, said: “We are delighted to award Wales & West Housing the Living Wage employer mark. This is a significant moment as they become the first housing associa on in Wales to achieve the mark.”

A family-friendly firm Worklife balance charity Working Families have ranked us in the Top 30 family friendly firms to work for in the UK for the second year running.

At their recent na onal awards ceremony we also won the Working Families Award for Career Progression for Flexible Workers. We were also finalists in the following categories: Best for Carers and Eldercare, Best for Engagement, and, The Na onal Grid Best for Innova on Award.

providing another secure pla orm for further work placement and appren ceship opportuni es. The division will become opera onal in early 2013.

We an cipate that Cambria within the next five years will install 4,000 kitchens and bathrooms across Wales.

Congratula ons

Jordan

Eighteen-year-old Jordan Evans has just completed a two year plumbing appren ceship with Cambria. Jordan, from Bridgend, combined on-the-job training with Cambria with a day a week study at Ogmore College.

“I would recommend this as a good way to earn and study,” said Jordan. “Several of my mates have asked me if this is a good thing to do, and I have told them that it definitely is.”

Cambria is now looking to take on an addi onal 3 appren ces across its opera ons in North and South Wales over the coming months.

06 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | News and General Informa on

News and General Informa on | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 07

Green Deal

Development update

On October 1st the UK Government’s launched its ‘Green Deal’. This offers householders the chance to do eco-improvements to their proper es without paying anything upfront.

Works are funded by ‘green deal finance loans’ a ached to the property to be repaid by householders through cash saved on reduced energy bills.

Owen Jones, Environment and Sustainability Officer, said: “We’ve just about insulated all our cavi es and lo s so our residents are already benefi ng from cosier homes, which are cheaper to heat. So as things stand the Green Deal may not be relevant to many of our residents. However we will con nue to monitor the roll out of the Green Deal, watch energy prices and keep residents updated through In Touch and our website.”

Did you know that our Environment Fund supports residents who form gardening clubs in order to grow their own fruit and veg? Like to find out more? Simply speak to your Scheme Manager, Asset Management Officer or Housing Officer, agree a plot of land that could be used, and invite me, Owen Jones, to a mee ng of your gardening club for a chat about your plans and any poten al funding we may be able to provide.

Owen.jones@wwha.co.uk.

Did you know that within the next 12 months we will be either on site, or about to go on site, across Wales to provide another 393 affordable homes? And that within the next five years we will have built, or acquired, a total of 850 affordable homes?

We’re currently developing in nine local authority areas up and down the country.

Two of our largest projects are our £17 development in Wrexham, on Kingsmills Road and Rivulet Road, where works are progressing well.

Also in North Wales is our £8.5m Extra Care scheme in Mold, Flintshire. Llys Jasmine will be the first Extra Care scheme in Wales to combine dedicated demen a care apartments with extra care living and interest in the scheme has

been high from people aged 6o or over with care and support needs.

In Cardiff we are working with developers Taylor Wimpey and Bellway to provide 16 new homes in St Mellons and Cyncoed, while across the city works will start in the new year on ten new affordable homes at Elm Street in Roath.

These are just some of the schemes where we are currently developing.

For more informa on please go to www.wwha.co.uk / Our Services and Ini a ves / New Developments.

To find out more go to: www.decc.gov.uk

Christmas 2012 opening hours ❆

❆

❆

Please note that our offices in Cardiff and Flint will be closed from 4pm on Friday, December 21st un l 8.30am on Wednesday 2nd January, although our Emergency Alarm Control Room will be opera onal 24 hours a day throughout this period, as will our freephone number 0800 052 2526.

Group of WWH staff and volunteers (Chris Walton, centre), a er the first day’s work on the project.

We’re also working hard with residents to help improve the areas in which they live. One such example is in St Mellons, Cardiff, where plans are progressing for WWH residents to develop their own community garden, working in partnership with Linc and Hafod as part of the St Mellons Compact. “It’s early days yet,” says Chris Walton, Housing Manager, “but we’re really excited about this project and what it offers everyone involved.”

Watch this space and our website for updates.

08 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | News and General Informa on

Quarterly Report | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 09

What ma ers to you?

Suppor ng Tŷ Hafan Representa ves from Wales & West Housing were recently delighted to hand over a cheque for £600 to Tŷ Hafan, the children’s hospice for Wales.

The money was part of a pot of more than £2,500, raised by the successful GE Avia on Wales Welsh Three Peaks team from WWH’s contractor partner Solar Windows Limited.

Ian Davies, Mark Anderson, Jeff Collins, Gary Seldon, Paul Miller and John Lewis, all employees of Solar Windows Ltd, completed the gruelling three peaks in 15 hours in a marathon climb in June.

A er presen ng the cheque, Kathy Smart, Chair of WWH and Anne Hinchey, Chief Execu ve, joined the Solar Windows team to take a tour of the hospice which provides respite care for life-limited children, their families and carers.

Anne Hinchey, Chief Execu ve of WWH, said, “We are very pleased to have been able to support this much needed facility, through Solar Window Ltd’s sterling efforts in the Welsh Three Peaks challenge.”

Lazarou Cardiff Sunday League team Roman Villains have secured sponsorship from Wales & West Housing for a second year running.

You may recall that we asked you for your feedback about our first ar cle covering this subject and we were very pleased that members of the Resident Par cipa on Steering Group (RSPG) took some me out to discuss it. They gave us some ini al feedback which was very posi ve and we have tried to incorporate their sugges ons.

We are keen to make this as user-friendly and relevant as possible, so we will be discussing this sec on with the RSPG in the near future to help us to further refine it so that we are making it as useful and easy to read as possible. And we’d welcome all comments and feedback on improving this sec on from all residents too.

Focus on Repairs

The 21 strong squad, based in the Ely/ Caerau area of the city, were presented with their new WWH branded shirts by WWH’s Chief Execu ve Anne Hinchey.

Kyle Offer, Roman Villains’ captain, said: “A massive thank you to Wales & West for sponsoring us again. We had a good

Here is the second edi on of our new regular feature on performance across all areas of service delivery.

season last year and we’re hoping to do even be er this me around.”

In this edi on we have focused on repairs.

Residents tell us that the repairs service is one of the most important things to them which is why we have featured it first. In delivering this service we focus on several areas which we believe are the most important. How do we know what’s important? Well, we contact hundreds of you each year a er we have completed a repair in your property to discuss the

service and what you think could be improved.

You have told us that these things ma er the most to you and therefore this is what we are concentra ng on: • I know when the repair is going to be fixed • The repair is carried out when it suits me • It stays fixed • The repair is carried out in one visit with minimum disrup on to me • I’m kept informed of what’s happening

Do you agree with these? Are we focusing on the right things for you?

If not, tell us what you would want to see instead. For example we used to have ‘the repair is done quickly’ as a key feature but residents told us that doing the repair when they wanted was more important than how quickly it was done. While we are learning how to measure this we are s ll keeping an eye on the average me it takes us to complete all types of work.

10 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Quarterly Report

Quarterly Report | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 11

So how well are we doing?

(All figs are between Jan-Jun 2012)

71%

99%

89 remaining proper es where a gas service is required

Repairs completed in one visit

Gas Safety Compliance

Repairs

98%

21

9,833

Average number of days to complete a repair Number of completed repairs

246/601 Planned Maintenance

done so far

Boiler renewals

Kitchens completed

520/1079 140/253 55% completed so far

Window renewals

We have collected 97.7% of rent due from residents

Repairs that stayed fixed

41% completed so far

321

97.7%

Paying Rent

48% completed so far

Bathrooms completed

393 12

Le ng and building Homes

Proper es let

Number of new build houses

8 Number of new build flats

12 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Quarterly Report

Quarterly Report | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 13

So what do you think about our performance and our repairs service to you?

33

Seconds Average answering me

98.3% % of calls to Emergency Alarm answered within 30 seconds

99,402 Customer Service Centre

9

7.8 Dealing with An -Social Behaviour

Le ngs (new residents)

9.5 Repairs (Day to day)

Number of calls answered

Resident Sa sfac on

8.8

How sa sfied were you with our services? score out of 10

Planned maintenance work (kitchens, bathrooms)

If you have any comments or feedback on anything we have told you please let us know. You can contact us about this or any other issue at any me.

Feedback can be given in a variety of ways: online via our website email le er phone text or in person to a member of staff or at our offices.

• We are always happy to hear from you whether you want to ask a ques on, tell us something, make a sugges on, pay a compliment or make a complaint.

• When you give us feedback, we will answer any ques ons you may have and address the issues you have raised.

• We also consider all sugges ons, complaints, compliments and comments that we receive and use them to review our services.

• This feedback helps us to make decisions about our future plans and improvements to our services.

Thank you!

Remember you can text us too now!

Most of us have a mobile phone and tex ng is usually cheap and easy. Just to remind you that we are trying out a new tex ng service so that you can use this method to tell us what you think.

Our number is 07788 310420 and the cost of a text to us will be the same as you pay for all other texts you send. We really value all your comments, sugges ons, ideas, enquiries, complaints and compliments because it’s through this sort of informa on that we can learn and con nually improve.

hello!

But don’t worry if you don’t have a mobile phone, because you can s ll contact us by freephone, le er, email or in person. If you want to report a repair please remember to call us on freephone 0800 052 2526, or if you’re calling from a mobile you can use 02920 415300.

14 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Money Ma ers

The bedroom tax - and you

We know we are star ng to sound like a broken record but in this Money Ma ers we’re talking about the bedroom tax – again.

Why? Because we want to make sure that all everyone who will be affected by this: • Knows that it’s going to happen and when • Knows by how much their benefit will go down as as result of the bedroom tax • Has sought advice from their housing officer or other agencies • Has thought through their op ons • Has made an informed choice about whether to move to a smaller property, or stay put and find a way to make up the difference in cost

Please remember the bedroom tax will only affect people of working age so if you were born on the 1st October 1951 or earlier you should not be affected.

This is the minimum age that you can receive Pension Credit so if you receive any type of Pension Credit you will not be affected.

Not sure if you can receive pension credit? Go to www.direct.gov.uk and use the pension credit calculator.

So what is the bedroom tax?

How much will people lose?

The Government has said that it will introduce new size criteria for housing benefit claims in social housing. This will apply from 1st April 2013 to tenants of working age (currently those born a er 1st October 1951).

It depends. The cut will be a fixed percentage of the Housing Benefit eligible rent. The Government has said that this will be set at 14% for one extra bedroom and 25% for two or more extra bedrooms.

Who will be affected?

Full details are on our website under Benefits Changes Update.

Ask your Housing Officer if you are not sure.

All claimants who are deemed to have at least one spare bedroom will be affected.

Money Ma ers | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 15

So what can I do?

If you think you are going to be affected by the bedroom tax you need to consider what you are going to do.

First off, talk to us. Call us to have a chat with your Housing Officer as soon as possible – we are here to help. We can discuss with you op ons including the possibility of a mutual exchange or transfer.

Please talk to us first before you agree to any swaps as we can’t allow exchanges, or transfers, without first giving our permission.

to Homeswapper, the UK’s biggest home swap service.

As a Wales & West Housing resident you can do this for free, giving yourself access to a wide range of proper es across the country.

It’s easy to do, just log on to www.homeswapper.co.uk and input your details, making sure that the accommoda on you’re looking for matches your needs. Homeswapper will then automa cally match you to possible homeswaps.

As your Landlord we will do whatever we can to help you move if you are affected by this. We will be contac ng you in the near future to discuss your op ons but if you are worried about this change please don’t hesitate to contact us.

£ Winner £ £ If you do not know of anyone who wants to exchange, is thinking of moving to a different area or if you want to consider a wider range of proper es then sign up

Direct Debit WIN £100 by paying your rent by Direct Debit.

lived at the re rement scheme for the past seven years.

Maureen Jenkins, of Hanover Court, Barry, was the lucky winner of £100 for our last quarterly Direct Debit draw.

To qualify for an entry in the draw all you need to do is to pay your rent by Direct Debit. It is as easy as that and it is so easy to set up.

“I was very delighted to win, and it will come in very handy par cularly at this me of the year,” said Maureen, who has

Please contact your Housing Officer who will help with any queries you may have or call our Customer Service Centre on 0800 052 2526.

16 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Money Ma ers

The Bedroom Tax

Helen’s story Helen lives in a 3 bedroom house in Cardiff with her son, aged 3, and her four-year-old daughter.

A er reading the ar cle in the last edi on of In Touch regarding the changes to Housing Benefit in April 2013, she realised she would be classed as under-occupying her property as her children would be expected to share a room.

Helen’s housing officer visited her to discuss the forthcoming changes and to talk things through with her, including what she might be able to do to manage the changes.

A er talking things through with her we es mate that Helen will be around £13 per week worse off.

Helen felt that this was unaffordable for her, especially considering that she is also facing having to make a contribu on towards her Council Tax bill (see opposite for more details).

“It doesn’t sound like much to some people but with increased fuel bills I know that money will be ght so I won’t have spare money to pay this” said Helen.

Money Ma ers | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 17

“I don’t want to move but I don’t really have an op on.”

Wan ng to remain in the area close to her daughter’s school and to her mother who is unwell, Helen has been looking out for people who would be willing to exchange their proper es with her.

She has registered on the Homeswapper website and has been contacted by someone through this who is looking for a property similar to hers.

“I want to get Christmas out of the way and then move a er that,” says Helen.

“I would advise anyone in a similar posi on to me who wants to move to start looking now rather than leaving it un l their benefit goes down.”

Council Tax Benefit

is changing In April 2013 the Government is doing away with the na onal Council Tax Benefit (CTB) scheme.

What is this?

It is the way in which people on low incomes are helped to pay their Council Tax at the moment.

What’s coming in its place?

To replace the Council Tax Benefit scheme, the Welsh Government along with Local Authori es are going to develop their own Council Tax support scheme to con nue to support those on low incomes to pay their Council Tax.

Very li le is known at present as to how this scheme will operate, however what is known is that funding for the scheme is going to be lower than its current level.

This means that people are likely to receive less CTB next April than their current award and are therefore going to have to make increased contribu ons towards their Council Tax bills.

Look out for updates on our website home page and in future edi ons of In Touch regarding this change.

Neighbourhoods 18 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | An Social Behaviour

An Social Behaviour | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 19

that work

We always try to deliver the services you want. So how do we know what you want? And how do we know if we’re ge ng it right? Well, we ask you!

We’ve been looking at how we respond when you make complaints about other residents causing nuisance to you or others.

We listened to the calls that were made to our customer service centre. We also looked at the comments you made in the most recent Resident Sa sfac on Survey, and we looked at the comments and

scores out of 10 from residents who had experienced the service.

We are redesigning how we respond to complaints of nuisance and an social behaviour which is being shaped around us ‘working with residents to resolve problems where they exist.’

From this we’ve understood that you want: • • • • • •

To speak to the right person.

To receive a speedy response.

For us to do the right thing for you in your circumstances.

To be kept informed of your complaint as it is inves gated.

To feel, and be, safe in your home and where you live.

You want us to stop the nuisance happening again.

Pictured is Jane Styles from Cwrt Leighton, Connahs Quay – one example of a neighbourhood that is successfully working together

We understand that our role is to: • Understand what you want us to do.

• To be clear what we can do to resolve the issue or what we can do to make it more bearable.

Currently we’re pilo ng our redesigned approach in the Caerau area of Cardiff and as we learn how best to meet your needs we will expand this to eventually cover all areas.

We are now iden fying what it is we need to measure to make sure we

deliver a service that meets your needs. And your views are key to this.

If you would like to find out more please contact me, Bridget Garrod, on bridget.garrod@wwha.co.uk. And we keep you updated on how things progress.

20 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Healthy living

Top ps to beat

winter bugs

Sleep more: a good night sleep is one of the most effec ve ways of building up your energy and helping your immune system. Going to bed and ge ng up at roughly the same me each day improves sleep pa erns.

Drink less: An easier one to follow

a er Christmas and New Year is to drink less than three units of alcohol per day. (www.drinkaware.co.uk for more informa on)

Wash your hands: Wash your hands regularly and if you’re out and about, carry an an -bacterial gel to sani se your hands without the need for water.

Eat well: Ea ng hearty, comfor ng

food in winter as part of a balanced diet

is ok. Think meat and three veg with the meat por on covering no more than ¼ of your plate, and the remaining ¾ made up of winter veg. Fibre in breakfast cereals can keep you from snacking during the day. If you’re tempted, s ck to small por ons of nuts, fruit, chopped carrots and celery.

Exercise: Half an hour a day of

moderate exercise improves your overall health and energy levels.

If you already have the sniffles, use paper hankies to cover your mouth when you sneeze, bin them and wash your hands. Break the cycle, don’t give it to others.

Healthy living | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 21

The risks of passive smoking Did you know that cigare e smoking is the greatest single cause of illness and early death in the UK? And did you know that breathing in smoke from a cigare e being smoked by someone else – passive smoking – is es mated to raise the risk of lung cancer in non-smokers by between 25 and 50%?

With the smoking ban throughout Wales, there are now many places where you are not permi ed to smoke – it’s against the law.

However the ban does not cover your own home. Whether you smoke at home, or not, is up to you.

We would, however, ask all our residents to be mindful of the effect that passive smoking has on our staff and contractors working on behalf of Wales & West.

So a plea to all our residents who smoke. Please can you avoid smoking while a member of staff is in your home, and avoid smoking for at least an hour in your home before a

member of staff, or contractor, arrives, as smoke lingers.

By respec ng our request and doing this you will be helping us to comply with our duty of care to our staff and make their visit to your home more pleasant.

For advice on how to stop smoking, go to: www.ash.org.uk

22 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Planned maintenance

Planned maintenance | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 23

Thank you Wales & West

These are the schemes that we plan to upgrade for the remainder of 2012:

for a job well done

Kitchens

Maes y Fynnon, Crickhowell Trem y Mynydd, Treorchy Maes Cefndy, Rhyl

Resident Pamela Williams has just had a new kitchen fi ed by GKR Maintenance & Building Ltd – here she tells us how it went.

Bathrooms

Pamela (pictured right), who lives at Cwrt Y Castell in Builth Wells, Powys, has lived in one of our proper es for almost two years.

Ty’r Porthmon, Brecon Llwyn y Mor, Swansea Ty Gwaunfarren, Merthyr Tydfil Hanover Court, Barry

If your property is due for a kitchen upgrade this is what will happen. Before our contractors begin any work in your home a consulta on vehicle will visit your area to allow you to view and choose your kitchen from a range of finishes.

Windows / Doors

“I must say how pleased I am with the results and I was kept informed and involved from the very beginning to the completed kitchen,” said Pamela.

“The workmen were very efficient and they moved all the heavier appliances with great care. All the work was checked and they answered any queries or worries I had with clear explana ons and a great deal of pa ence. Nothing was too much trouble.

St Donats Close, Llantwit Major Teilo’s Drive, Brackla, Bridgend Maes Hyfryd, Wrexham Ystad Goffa, Flint – doors only Cwrt Leighton, Connahs Quay - doors only

“All the workmen took a great deal of pride in their work and I have no hesita on in recommending them for any future work. I wish them all good luck and best wishes in any future endeavours. It is a pleasure to write in praise of a job well done.

“Many of the residents in Builth Wells have men oned how fantas c the workmen were and how pleased they are with their new kitchens” said Donna Steven,

Wales & West Housing Officer for the area.

£ ££

Win £250 if you have your boiler serviced 1st me around

Miss Sylvia Thomas from Pentwyn, Cardiff, was the lucky winner (1st quarter) of a cheque for £250, flowers and champagne.

She was thrilled to have won and says she is planning to use the money to take her children away over the holidays.

You too could be a lucky winner. All you have to do to ENTER is have your gas boiler serviced on the FIRST appointment, or if you give us at least 48 hours’ no ce to postpone the visit. All who qualify will be entered into the FREE DRAW to WIN £250.

Miss Thomas with Craig Hardaker, Lead Engineer from PH Jones.

24 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Making A Difference Awards 2012

Making A Difference Awards 2012 | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk wha.co.uk | 25

ur ighbo e N d Goo l Terry, Va e’s

therin St Ca erphilly , Ca Court

Chris Dennis - GKR, Val Terry, Kathy Smart - WWH Chair, and Anne Hinchey - WWH Chief Execu ve

Making A Difference Awards 2012

and our heroes are…

We asked you to tell us about ut who makes ommunity or a real difference to your community neighbourhood - and you have told us in style.

Fresh Sta rt Keith Rob e r ts, Hano ver Court , Llandudn o

Kathy Smart, S Gay Baynes - Scheme Manager - Keith Roberts Hinchey and Anne A

We had nearly 60 nomina ons from across Wales for this year’s Making A Difference Awards and the winners were revealed at our gala dinner on Friday, October 19th.

The Siren Sisters

t Star ) h s e Fr uild , w wB (Ne n Barlo , r o ô d Gor nt y M Na statyn Pre

Claire Anwyl, An Yveline Hands - Scheme Manager, Gordon Barlow, Mathew Anwyl - Anwyl Construc on, and Kathy Smart

26 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Making A Difference Awards 2012

Making A Difference Awards 2012 | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 27

ct Proje r, y t i n u ste Comm d Roly Fo n a June formerly ,

on ampi d h C o Ec an i on Eric F Adams, ie Charl Môr,

r y Mô Nant tyn a Prest

y Nant tyn a s e r P t

Chris Williams - CJS Electrical, Charlie Adams, Eric Fi on and Kathy Smart

Bob Jenkins - Solar Windows, Kathy Smart, Roly Foster, June Foster and Anne Hinchey

Green Fin gers (Re rement) Margaret Ingram -Williams , Lime

David Tay lor Local Hero Award Andrew H urd, Bronrhiw Fach, Caerphilly

bourne C ourt, Cardiff

Sinead O’Neil and Rob Bevan - Ian Williams, Margaret Ingram -Williams, Kathy Smart and Steve Lenahan - Ian Williams -Willia ms

ers Fing ds) n e Gre ral Nee s, en ne (Ge aia Gard am C

Kathy Smart, Brian Williams, Margaret Guillain, Richard Leyshon - Wates Living Space, and Anne Hinchey

xh Wre

Chris Eccles, E City Satellite, Andrew Hurd and Kathy Smart

We also presented Special Inspira on Awards, sponsored by Cambria Maintenance Services, to our two resident paralympians Rob Davies, from Brecon, and Jordan Howe, from Cardiff (although unfortunately Jordan was unable to a end on the night).

The standing ova on Rob received was perhaps one of the most moving moments of the en re evening.

Peter Jackson, Head of Cambria with Robert Davies, Kathy Smart and Anne Hinchey

28 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Making A Difference Awards 2012 Now firmly established as a highlight of Wales & West Housing’s year, our MAD Awards celebrate the great efforts of all our unsung heroes and heroines – as well as being a wonderful night out.

Of course, winning an award is wonderful and it was a pleasure to meet all the shortlisted nominees at our evening celebra on in the Village Hotel, Coryton, where everyone enjoyed a three course dinner and entertainment from The Siren Sisters before the awards themselves got underway.

But we think that just to be noninated in the first place is a real achievement, so in recogni on of everyone’s sterling efforts, here is a list of all our 2012 Making A

Difference Awards nominees:

Val Terry, Caerphilly Jimmy Layton, Llandrindod Wells Church Road Ac on Crew, Cardiff Bill Hollis, Rhyl Margaret Ingram-Williams, C ardiff Cwrt Leighton Residents’ Associa on, Connah’s Quay Janet Meredith, Cardiff Reshma Sojan, Aberystwyth Mary Smith, Newtown Sally Thomas, Cardiff Glenys Sullivan, Merthyr Tydfil Irene Davies, Cardiff Jillian Tylor, Cardiff June & Roly Foster, Nant y Môr UNITY, Cardiff Caia Gardens, Wrexham ENIGMA, Cardiff Nigel Farmer, Bridgend Brackla Live, Bridgend Vicky Lloyd, Maria Horn, Nina Williams & Simon Murphy, Rhyl

Glan yr Afon Sunday Lunch Club, Bridgend Leon Balen, Penarth Jeff Johnston, Penarth Ron Evans, Wrexham Brian Davies & Verna Dallimore, Penarth Eric Fi on/Charlie Adams, Prestatyn Norma Robertson, Barry Mandy Hopkins, Bridgend Maes Y Ffynnon Gardening Club, Crickhowell Keith Roberts, Llandudno Margaret Donne & Kath Williams, Bridgend LIBERTY, Cardiff Adam Hawksford, Wrexham Sian Hope, Wrexham Gordon Barlow, Prestatyn Glan yr Afon Gardening group, Bridgend Amy and Ashley Roberts, Wrexham Langford Close Gardeners, Wrexham Robert Davies, Brecon Derek Rose & Jeff Bunce, Bridgend Ty Gwyn Jones gardening group, Abergele David Roberts, Llandudno Lillian Hardy and Jean Ashley, Caerphilly Hanover Court Gardeners, Rhos on Sea Eric Fi on, Prestatyn Margaret & Jennifer, Cardiff Patricia Edwards, Wrexham Llys Bryn Felin, Tonyrefail David Fuller, Ron Evans and Peter Whitaker, Wrexham Caerau Po ers, Cardiff Ron Perry, Cardiff Pauline Coombes, Bridgend Kathleen McCarthy, Bridgend Jordan Howe, Cardiff Andrew Hurd, Caerphilly Ros & Peter Whitaker, Wrexham Frank Price, Crickhowell Brackla Events Commi ee, Bridgend

The categories were: Good Neighbour Fresh Start Fresh Start (New Build)

Making A Difference Awards 2012 | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 29 Eco Champion Green Fingers (Re rement) Green Fingers (General Needs) Community Project David Taylor Local Hero.

Anyone was able to put forward someone, or a group, for an award, and entries were open to WWH residents, groups of WWH residents (including non-residents) and / or a member (or group of members) of the public who has directly impacted on residents in a voluntary capacity.

We’re busy making a video of the night which will be posted on our website www.wwha.co.uk as soon as possible, as well as on YouTube. Please also watch this space for details of future such events.

At this point we must also say a huge thank you to our very generous contractor sponsors who not only helped to fund the evening, but who made the evening extra special by coming along on the night, some to present the awards themselves, while others kindly sponsored the wine and the awards brochure.

They are: • GKR Maintenance & Building Ltd • Solar Windows Limited • CJS Electrical • Bri sh Gas / PH Jones • Anwyl Construc on • Ian Williams • Wates Living Space • City Satellite • Cambria Maintenance Services • Symphony • SMK Buildings & Maintenance Finally, a massive thank you to everyone - WWH staff, residents, contractors, the Village Hotel, Coryton, The Siren Sisters, Drake Audio Visual, Media Wales and Simon Ridgway Photography, partner agencies who nominated people and finally, and perhaps most importantly, all our wonderful nominees who really do so much to make a difference - who have together made this year’s MAD Awards so incredibly special.

30 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | You said we did

Complaints

our new approach

You said we did | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 31

??*!!* ...

!

?

Having spoken to many residents about their experiences of making an official complaint, we felt it was me to make changes to our complaints service, writes Claire Bryant, Policy and Diversity Officer.

What do we mean by a complaint/concern?

What you can expect if you make a formal complaint

We will have 2 defini ons:

We accept that some mes things can go wrong and we want to learn from things that happen.

• Informal – if you are approaching us for the first me about an issue such as repor ng a faulty boiler or reques ng a transfer then you should give us a chance to respond to your request.

• Formal – these are not ‘everyday’ issues and they have been brought to our a en on before and either we failed to deliver a service that you should have had; you are unhappy with the level of service received; or there has been an unreasonable delay in providing the service.

We will ask you how we can remedy the problem and keep you informed of what’s going on. The person looking at your complaint will establish the facts. If there is a simple solu on, such as where you asked for a service and we see straight away that you should have had it, we will make arrangements to provide it as soon as possible. Once we have inves gated we will let you know what we have found.

We will explain how and why we came to our conclusions. If we find we got it wrong we will explain what happened and what we will do to put it right. If we got it wrong we will apologise. We will plan to stop it from happening again in the future.

We received and inves gated 52 complaints in 2011 which covered issues such as property maintenance, housing management, staff conduct and le ngs. As part of the review during 2012 we looked at complaints that had been made and what we did to resolve the problems; listened to residents who had used the complaints process; spoke to staff about their experiences of inves ga ng complaints; looked at recommenda ons made by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales (PSOW) and spoke to our Resident Par cipa on Steering Group.

What residents said Residents who had used the service were frustrated that: • The inves ga on took too long • We didn’t take me to understand how the problem had affected them/their family • We didn’t always apologise in cases where we got things wrong

So we knew we could do a lot more to put things right. Given that the PSOW has made sugges ons on how to deal with complaints we have decided that, instead of a 3-stage process which we were using, we should “inves gate once and inves gate well”. In addi on to this we will also: • Make sure the complaint gets to the right member of staff that is in a posi on to be able to resolve the issue • Ask the resident what they want to happen to fix the problem (if it’s possible to fix) • See the problem from the resident’s perspec ve and understand how it has affected them • Say sorry where we need to • Deal with first me and lower level issues ‘informally’ – making sure these are dealt with quickly and effec vely, but also closely monitored to make sure they don’t have a chance of escala ng into something more serious.

We value compliments, sugges ons, ideas, comments and complaints from all those that have contact with us, so if you have any anything to say please let us know!

How can I make a complaint?

Le er or in person at our offices: Head Office: 3 Alexandra Gate, Ffordd Pengam, Tremorfa, Cardiff, CF24 2UD North Wales Office: Unit 2, Acorn Business Park, Aber Road, Flint, CH6 5YN Email: contactus@wwha.co.uk Website: www.wwha.co.uk Phone: 0800 052 2526 Text: 07788 310420

In person to a staff member Direct to Ombudsman

32 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Jobs Update

Work. Skills. Experience

Congratula ons Lyn and Howard

We’re commi ed to providing as wide a range of opportuni es for our residents as possible. If you’re in Years 10 or 11 at school and fancy a career in the law, or know of someone who does, then read on...

Lyn and Howard, who came to us as part of our Back to Work scheme in Bridgend, have been successful in obtaining jobs.

Both thoroughly enjoyed their me with us and felt that the experience they gained would serve them well in their future careers.

“Though our new jobs aren’t directly linked to our roles at

Over 60 and

crea ve?

Art and crea vity can go a long way towards helping us all to feel good and stay healthy. Now if you are aged 60 or over, and an amateur ar st, you could win one of 35 prizes totalling over £3000 in the EAC Over 60s Art Awards 2012.

Prizes of £125 will be awarded to the best entries from Beginners to More Experienced Ar sts in the following categories: Landscape; Cityscape; Seascape; S ll Life; Botanical/Nature; Animal; Portrait; Figura ve; 3D Work – Cra ;

Jobs Update | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 33

WWH, being back in a work environment definitely gave us the confidence to apply and ul mately be successful in ge ng back into work” said Lyn. We wish them every success for the future.

Tex le; Abstract; Photography; Cartoon/ Illustra on.

As well, two winners will receive £500 each in the Angela Farnell Memorial Prize, in memory of the founder of Elderly Accommoda on Counsel, a na onal charity for older people.

Would you like to find out more? Call Keri on 02920 415315 for a chat and an applica on form. Deadline for entries is December 31st and entry is £5 per work (maximum five entries per person). All mediums accepted.

Morgan Cole LLP are a well-established law firm who this year launched their Growing Ambi ons scheme to work with social landlords like WWH to support young people at a me of high youth unemployment. This work experience scheme is aimed at 15 and 16 year-olds who may not have ever considered law as a career or thought that they have the skills needed to succeed in this field.

WWH supported one young person to par cipate. Gwilym Bury (pictured) from St Mellons was successful in being chosen for the Growing Ambi ons scheme, and spent a week with us in our Cardiff office doing work experience as well.

Growing Ambi ons allows par cipants to experience real situa ons in a law firm.

The young people experienced a mock-up of a nego a on session, undertook their own research, visited a court and got to speak to a range of staff in the firm, from senior partners to junior staff recently qualified.

The scheme has proved a great success and Morgan Cole have been shortlisted for the pres gious Law Society Awards to be held in London and closer to home, the Welsh Housing Awards.

We were very pleased to have been able to offer a young person the chance to

take part in this great learning opportunity. Morgan Cole are dedica ng themselves to giving young people a glimpse of what a career in the legal profession can offer them and to improving their awareness of career op ons.

Opportuni es like this are few and we are very pleased to have been asked to par cipate again in 2013. We will be launching the compe on to find our Growing Ambi ons young person in January 2013. Any young person living in one of our proper es or related to one of our residents can apply. Entry forms will be included in the January edi on of In Touch and you can also check out our website for further details.

34 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Jobs Update

Hightown, Wrexham

Jobs Update

Healthy Living | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 35

The Equality Act 2010 so what does this mean for me?

More than 50 people have so far expressed their interest in poten al employment, skills and training opportuni es set to result from our £17m development in the Hightown area of Wrexham.

Contractor Anwyl Construc on a ended Hightown Jobs Fair on September 20th along with representa ves of WWH. Vy Cochran, WWH Community Development Par cipa on Officer, said:

“It was great to see such a posi ve response from everyone including students, self-employed and unemployed people from Hightown and the surrounding areas enthusias cally seeking a variety of opportuni es.

“Many came with a range of skills to offer and others were also keen to take advantage of poten al skills training with local training providers working in partnership with Anwyl Construc on and WWH.” The jobs fair followed a very successful ‘Meet the Contractor’ event which took place two days previously. This saw more than 20 contractors meet with

representa ves from Yale College, Caia Park Partnership, Go Wales and Jobcentre Plus to discuss the crea on of poten al work and training opportuni es for local residents.

In total more than 130 local people a ended the jobs fair at Hightown Community Centre which was organised

by Hightown Communi es First.

Bridget Garrod, Neighbourhood Ini a ves Manager, said: “Hightown

Jobs Fair was a very successful event. However, local people should in no way regard this as being the only bite of the cherry where training and skills opportuni es are concerned. As specific opportuni es are made available they will be well publicised on our website www.wwha.co.uk , Anwyl’s website and www.hightownflats. com.”

Marriage and civil partnership This is the 4th in a series of ar cles which explain the Equality Act 2010 – in the last 3 edi ons we looked at Age, Disability and Gender reassignment, writes Claire Bryant, WWH Equality & Diversity Officer.

There are 9 ‘protected characteris cs’ within the Act and the aim of these ar cles is to break down the legal bit into something that’s easy for everyone to understand.

What are the 9 protected characteris cs again?

Age, disability, gender reassignment, sexual orienta on, marriage and civil

partnership, pregnancy and maternity, sex, ethnicity, and religion or belief. In this ar cle we are looking at marriage and civil partnership.

Same-sex couples can have their rela onships legally recognised as ‘civil partnerships’. The Civil Partnership Act gave same-sex couples rights and responsibili es similar to those in a civil marriage.

36 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Healthy Living

Civil partners are en tled to the same property rights, the same exemp ons on inheritance tax, social security and pension benefits as married couples.

They also have the same ability to get parental responsibility for a partner’s children as well as reasonable maintenance, tenancy rights, insurance and next-of-kin rights in hospital and with doctors.

More than 18,000 civil partnerships were formed in 2006, the first year they were legal in Britain. Since then 6,000 to 8,000 a year have been performed.

One of the most ground-breaking legal cases since the Equality Act came into force is that of 2 gay civil partners who successfully sued a hotel for refusing to allow them to stay in a double room.

In the ruling the judge said “the right

of the defendants to manifest their religion is not absolute and can be limited to protect the rights and freedoms of the claimants”.

He described the regula ons as a

“necessary and propor onate interven on by the state to protect the rights of others”.

The couple said “When we booked

the hotel we just wanted to do something that thousands of other couples do every weekend - take a relaxing weekend break away. We checked that the hotel would allow us to bring our dog, but it didn’t even cross our minds that we would have to check whether we would be welcome ourselves”.

The roots of civil marriage legisla on stem a bit further back. In 1975 the Sex Discrimina on Act gave protec on from discrimina on to married persons. The introduc on of the law came about as a result of the common prac ce of employers dismissing female workers when they married. In the 30 years or so since the introduc on of the Act, employers’ views regarding working married women have changed significantly. Marriage discrimina on is now only rarely cited as a ground of complaint by claimants and the protec on afforded by the Act is less o en relied upon, thank goodness!

Charity Updates | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 37

Almost

£20,000

raised for Help for Heroes The generosity of WWH staff, residents and friends has increased the grand total in our Help for Heroes ki y to £19,789.97.

Events at both Flint and Cardiff offices have included a raffle for ckets, kindly donated by SWALEC Cricket Stadium in Cardiff, staff dress down days and salary

rounding dona ons, various collec ons from WWH re rement schemes and Christmas card sale.

Strawberry Tea raised £632 for Breast Cancer Care On the 14th September staff in our Flint and Cardiff offices, with match-funding from WWH, raised a fantas c £632.00.

As well as delicious homemade cakes donated by members of staff, the various raffles made the day a huge success. Meryl Thomas and Emma Makin helped Lucy Bowen organise the day. www.breastcancercare.org.uk Jay Sheppard, Fundraising Execu ve, Breast Cancer Care accep ng the cheque from Lucy Bowen, Customer Services Assistant, WWH Cardiff.

38 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Charity Updates

Charity Updates | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 39

Ready, steady, go...

Herman helps new school

bike ride in 4 days

Herman Valen n, WWH Community Development Project Officer, took part in the Taff Trail Challenge 2012 in May this year.

Cardiff to Paris WWH sponsored Lisa Childs to cycle the 300 miles from Cardiff to Paris to raise funds for Shelter Cymru.

The ride started from Cardiff Millennium Stadium on Sunday 23rd September.

Tired and wet, the sixteen members of the group had cycled through rainstorms, hilly terrain and some picturesque French villages. “I have raised £1,854.50 for Shelter and Wales & West Housing were my very first sponsor for £250, and this really did set me on my way to reaching my sponsorship target and to ge ng me to Paris” said Lisa, pictured below. www.sheltercymru.org.uk

He was one of a 100-strong group of volunteers which cycled 60 miles from Brecon Canal Wharf to Cardiff to raise funds for the Acacia Partnership Trust.

Opera on Christmas Child Once again this year staff at WWH will con nue to support the Samaritans-led ‘Opera on Christmas Child’ to bring smiles to children in need. Last year enough goodies were received at Head Office to fill 100 boxes. This brings to life the true meaning of giving at Christmas.

We are asking for empty shoe boxes in the first instance and then all those goodies that you think boys and girls from ages 2-14 would like to receive. Examples could be: soap, flannel, toothbrushes and paste.

Pens, paper, colouring pens, crayons etc.

Gloves, hats, scarves, socks, not forge ng any toys like Teddy Bears, dolls, puzzles and cars.

For Scheme Managers who have kni ng circles, or anyone who enjoys kni ng, sewing and croche ng, please spare a thought for Opera on Christmas Child.

The closing date to receive dona ons is 16th November.

For more informa on or help with any queries you may have, please call Louise Carpanini on 02920 415306.

Thank you once again for your con nued generous support. www.opera onchristmaschild.org.uk

The £11,164.10 they raised is helping to build a school in Gorom Gorom in West Africa.

Well done to all involved.

Suppor ng Macmillan’s

Na onal Coffee Mornings Lots of you, especially in our re rement schemes, supported this year’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning on September 28th to raise funds for Macmillan. So far Macmillan have raised almost £10m from this ini a ve, and so many of you have played a big part in this.

In the next few pages you can read about just a few of the events which you have shared with us.

A group of residents from Sydney Hall Court, Connah’s Quay, took part in the Macmillan na onal coffee morning where they raised £325 for the charity.

This event included card making and selling raffle ckets. The organiser, Kath Oldfield who has lived at the scheme for

two years, would like to thank everyone who supported the event.

Scheme Manager Rob Holmes said “It’s really pleasing that the residents have been able to raise this amount of money, and it was good to see so many of them taking part and contribu ng.”

40 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Charity Updates

Charity Updates | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 41 Residents at Ty Gwyn Jones, Abergele raised a staggering £315.15

for the charity. Suzanne Smith and Be y Roberts, Scheme Managers, would like to say a massive well done and thank you to all those who donated and helped on the day.

Hope Court re rement scheme in Cardiff raised £434.82 for Macmillan by

taking part in the ‘World’s biggest coffee morning.’ The funds were raised by the coffee morning club through the sale of refreshments, such as tea/coffee, bacon rolls and cakes, plus a fun quiz and a game of bingo. A good me was had by all. Pictured: a cake with bun ng at Hope Court.

Ystad Goffa re rement scheme in Flint, North Wales, raised £100

for MacMillan and a huge thank you must go out to all who the supported the event, as well as to resident Mandy Doran who provided the cakes and Louise Davies, a volunteer at the scheme. Pictured: a terrific spread at Ystad Goffa.

Shirley Wynne, resident at Nant Y Mor, Prestatyn, organised an event at the extra care scheme. It was a huge success and a racted people from around the community as well as friends and family of residents. A cupcake tower and tombola as well as other delicious treats helped raise a grand total of £360.50. Pictured here is the cupcake tower, plus some of the special cakes on offer on the day.

Residents, family members and friends at Four Elms Court, Cardiff, held their coffee morning in support of Macmillan and raised £290 for the charity. The raffle and the amazing spread of delicious cakes and sandwiches meant that everyone le a few pounds (£) lighter but a few pounds (lbs) heavier on the hips. A big thank you to everyone. Pictured above is Inez White, resident of Four Elms Court, with some of the goodies.

The Spring Chicken Club at Oldwell Court, Cardiff, raised a wonderful £315.02 for Macmillan. Money was raised by holding a tabletop sale, raffle and coffee & cake morning. “Thank you so much to everyone involved, especially Wendy whose chocolate cake was fantas c!” said Sandy Houdmont, Scheme Manager

Well done to

everyone!

Wendy McCarthy, member of the Spring Chicken Club.

42 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Birthdays and Anniversaries

Birthdays and Anniversaries Happy 90th birthday to Doreen & Carrie

Centenarian Vera celebrates with five genera ons Vera Vaughan celebrated her 100th birthday in style on the 2nd September at Christchurch Court, Llandrindod Wells, with a grand buffet set out in the communal lounge. The Mayor and members of the local community also arrived to join in the celebra ons and to recognise her interes ng work in many areas throughout her life, including the Civil Nursing Reserve and Queen Alexandra’s Nursing Corps during World War II. Her work in the community included running a local drapers shop and café with her sister, and as a member of the Bri sh Legion she represented Brecon & Radnor at a Garden Party in Buckingham Palace. She met the Queen Mother and presented a purse to Princess Margaret at the Royal Albert Hall. Par es for her were held throughout the week at the Day Centre, the Blind Club and the local church.

Doreen Jimson celebrated her 90th birthday on the 18th September with friends and family at The Beeches re rement scheme in Doreen with her 90th Bridgend. Her birthday cake. friend Jean Ward would like to say a big thank you to everyone who helped to organise the celebra ons.

Carrie with some of her birthday presents Elsewhere in Bridgend, Carrie Lewis, a resident at Western Court, has also recently celebrated her 90th birthday with celebra ons at The West House in Bridgend on the 10th September. Her son and his wife travelled from Cornwall to help her celebrate, along with her many friends at the scheme.

Cambria Maintenance Services, part of the Wales & West Housing Group, helps to maintain and develop Wales & West Housing’s proper es. Our staff are our greatest asset and central to delivering a great service. We are interested in hearing from fresh new talent to support our on-going expansion across Wales and develop our business at all levels.

We are especially interested in hearing from Mul Skilled Trade Opera ves, Electricians, and Labourers with experience in domes c property maintenance, kitchens and bathrooms.

So, if you are interested in joining us, know someone who would be, or would like to learn more please get in touch.

Please forward your CV and a covering le er to Jobs@Cambria-ltd.co.uk or Cambria Maintenance Services Ltd, Unit B1, The Laurels, Heol-y-Rhosog, Wentloog, Cardiff, CF3 2EW or call 02920 847600.