Your customer newsletter - Issue 36, February 2015 Building an affordable Stockport Roger Phillips and Andrew Gwynne MP opening Fir Tree Inside: • 51 new homes built in Reddish • Guide to shared ownership » Pages 8-9 Also in this issue: Brinnington Pantry opens its doors! » Page 2 Offerton’s June Young meets the PM » Page 3 Get involved in developing our website » Page 6 Universal Credit extended to families » Page 10 www.stockporthomes.org Tr a n s fo r m in g L i ves /StockportHomes @StockportHomes memberships available a week Maureen and volunteers at Brinnington Pantry opening An exclusive food club located in First House. Brinnington Pantry opened its doors to customers for the first time on Monday 12 January. The pantry is the second community store under Stockport Homes’ ‘Your Local Pantry’ umbrella, following Penny Lane Pantry at Lancashire Hill. Monday 9.30am – 12.30pm Tuesday 1.00pm – 4.00pm Thursday 3.00pm – 6.00pm Maureen Dalzell (top left), the first customer to shop at Brinnington Pantry said, “The pantry is smashing, it’s a really good idea. It will make a huge difference to me as I can now save money on my food bill.” For just £2.50 each week local residents can become members of the pantry and access a whole range of benefits. Members can choose 10 items each week from a huge variety of groceries, fresh fruit and vegetables plus all the usual store cupboard favourites. The average shopping basket is worth more than £15 at retail value, saving members over £600 on their food bill each year! Helping the Homeless into Housing www.h-3.org.uk 2 Charity number – 1147113 Stockport at home To become a member or to volunteer, please contact Anna Jones, Food Sharing Officer on 0161 474 4760 or [email protected] www.stockporthomes.org/pantry /StockportHomes News in brief From Dialstone Lane to Downing Street: Offerton’s June Young meets the PM Imagine waking up one morning and finding a letter from the Prime Minister on your doorstep. That’s exactly what happened to June Young, a volunteer with Friends of Offerton (right). She received the official invite after Hazel Grove Councillor William Wragg visited Offerton Community Centre. named ‘Contractor of the Year’ The councillor said he could take two volunteers to Westminster on 19 January as part of an initiative to celebrate local community champions. June said: “I was shocked by the invitation. I’m honoured to be representing Friends of Offerton when there is so much great voluntary work going on across Stockport.” Residents to prepare to ‘swap’ properties at: The Judges at the 24Housing Awards were particularly impressed by high customer satisfaction rates and the team’s commitment to providing training for young and unemployed people. Stockport Homes was also highly commended at the awards for supporting customers with Welfare Reform, and particularly with the under-occupancy charge. Exchange Stockport Town Hall’s Ballroom will be transformed into a social lettings fair on Thursday 9 April. Residents are invited to come along between 1.00pm - 5.00pm if they’re interested in moving somewhere bigger, smaller or just different. Stockport at home Stockport Homes’ Repair 1st team is celebrating after being named best in the country by a leading housing magazine. Along with Kids’ Corner to entertain the children, there will be plenty of information stalls and social housing properties on display. Why not come along and see what’s on offer? www.stockporthomes.org/news The winners were announced at a ceremony at Villa Park in Birmingham in November, home to Aston Villa Football Club. /StockportHomes 3 Transforming communities Community buildings now open for a range of activities Stockport Homes is now managing nine community buildings in Brinnington, Woodley, Adswood, Bridgehall, Offerton, Heaton Norris and Lancashire Hill. With bookings increasing every month, the buildings are a great local place to meet and they cater for many different interests. Residents can keep fit in 2015 with activities such as line dancing, Zumba, yoga, martial arts or indoor bowling. They can meet with friends and neighbours at coffee mornings, lunch clubs, bingo and other groups and learn new skills at computer clubs or Stockport Homes’ Skills for Life courses. Children can get involved with toddler groups, youth clubs, Rainbows and Brownies. The centres can be booked at very reasonable prices. Contact us to enquire. For information about the activities at each centre, or to book a room for your group or party, telephone 0161 474 2222 or [email protected] Can cook, will cook Young people learn tenancy skills A group of young people have gained valuable tenancy and cooking skills thanks to a programme run by Stockport Homes and partners. Through taking part in the programme the young people gained an Asdan Foodwise Award and qualifications in food hygiene and health and safety. Teaming up with Stockport Action for Voluntary Youth and social enterprise 4Lunch, weekly sessions were held to improve meal planning. Two of the young people involved are now following through on the course by volunteering regularly, with one helping at a college kitchen and the other at a museum. They also completed a series of bite size workshops to improve their knowledge of the housing register, bidding, money management and their rights and responsibilities as tenants. 4 Stockport at home The group produced a cookbook stuffed full of recipes and tips from the programme. Look out for it soon on the Stockport Homes website! If you, or someone you know aged under 25 and would be interested in this programme, contact Nicola Green, Customer Involvement Officer on 0161 474 5811, 07800 617695 or [email protected] www.stockporthomes.org /StockportHomes Drilling cabinets, opening doors: Mobile Classroom helps young people get jobs A ‘Mobile Classroom’ programme in construction skills has provided a group of young people with improved life chances and a way into apprenticeships and jobs. weekly sessions, participants learn different trades such as joinery and tiling, and painting and decorating. Previous groups have played an important role in the community too, The programme aims to get young people between the ages working on projects such of 16 and 30 back into training as the renovation of a local community centre. or employment. Over the If you’re interested in this course, please contact Marley Brougham, Customer Involvement Assistant on 0161 474 2862 [email protected] or Participants gain a National Open College Network Qualification in ‘Multi Skills in Construction’, qualifying them for a provisional six month Construction Skills Certification Scheme card which is proof of health and safety training, and a requirement to work on construction sites. Qualifications for community champions A newly accredited course in participation, run by Stockport Homes, has seen 13 customers learn valuable skills in ‘community organising’. The students learn presentation skills, how to promote their communities, how to run meetings, and to improve their practical abilities such as problem solving. The Level 2 Participation course has grown in popularity, with other landlords recommending it to their tenants. It was recently rated ‘outstanding’ by assessors. Putting down roots Seven customers have completed a City & Guilds course in Horticulture, held at Woodbank Nurseries in Offerton. The 12 week course qualifies the participants in the basics of planting and growing. If you’re interested in this course, please contact Christopher Hughes, Customer Training Officer on 0161 474 2862 or [email protected] Correction to brochure Saturday 18 April: Green Fingers: April showers Thursday 4 June: Green Fingers: Summer baskets Stockport at home www.stockporthomes.org /StockportHomes 5 Getting digital Get involved in developing our website New IT qualification available from Stockport Homes courses The new courses will take just four half-day sessions to complete, and give customers a qualification at City & Guilds Entry Level 3 in Basic IT. Another option is now open for customers who already have some basic computer skills and want to gain a qualification to help them in to work. They will be run regularly in several venues, so there should be one to suit you. If you are interested in booking a place, please contact Liam Knocker, Welfare Reform Support Officer on 0161 218 1496. Get the app! Stockport Health and Care Finder If you have a smartphone you can download a new Health and Care Finder app. The app provides a directory of local pharmacies, GPs, and other health and social care services. There are also links to videos on how best to look after yourself if you are ill. We are always trying to improve and develop our website to make it easier for you to find the information you want. Now is your chance to get involved and have your say about the website. Interested? Please contact Nicola Poulter, Marketing and Communications Officer on 0161 474 3768 or email nicola.poulter@ stockporthomes.org Privacy Notice We have made some changes to the Privacy Notice on our website which explains our policy on data protection. There is a link to the new notice on the bottom left of our website homepage. Search for Stockport Health and Care Finder in your app store. Digital Heroes scheme reaches a milestone! We have now helped over 100 customers to get online through our Digital Heroes scheme. Digital Heroes are volunteers who have been trained by Starting Point to support customers to get online and make the most of the internet. Digital Heroes provide support in an informal way personalised to your needs, including: • staying safe online; • searching and applying for jobs; • applying for benefits; • banking online; • using email and social media; and • accessing services online. HEROES For more information, please contact the Social Inclusion Team on 0161 474 2854 or [email protected] 6 Stockport at home www.stockporthomes.org Digital /StockportHomes Funding and sustainability G DIN FUN £ g Searchin g in d n u f r fo for your ? project Projects funded by: FOREVER MANCHESTER Over the last 12 months, we have continued to support community groups apply for funding: H3 (Helping the Homeless into Housing) has secured funding Helping the of £278,000 over four years to Homeless into Housing deliver the “H4 Hospital” project with Stepping Hill hospital. This will www.h-3.org.uk Charity number – 1147113 help support potentially homeless people with health issues by funding a number of posts with H3. Friends of Heaton Norris Park received funding from Forever Manchester to purchase IT equipment and made a successful bid to the Equity Foundation for Cherry Tree Residents Association to deliver a ‘for a bike’ project. Oldham Drive Estate Tenants Group continues to benefit from outside funding, with a successful bid to Manchester Airport for the installation of a new commercial grade dishwasher at the Arthur Greenwood Centre, which helps volunteers cope with the popularity of the Lunch Club. Community Fund Stockport Homes, in partnership with the Greater Manchester FO UNDA Centre for Voluntary Organisations, has received £60,000 of ‘Talent Match’ funding for a ‘talent coach’ who will help workless 18 to 24 year olds living in temporary accommodation to gain employment. Do you have a project or idea that requires funding? If so, please contact Mark Rogers, Funding Officer on 0161 474 3463 [email protected] Is winter time quiet for gardening? Not for Green and Edible volunteers! Customers in Adswood and Bridgehall have been taking part in a range of ‘greenspace’ activities this winter, including sowing vegetable seeds, foraging for fruit, and making jams and Christmas wreaths. At Bridgehall Orchard, overgrown shrubs were trimmed, bulbs planted and litter cleared to improve the area. 5,000 spring bulbs have also been planted to spread some spring cheer. If you would like to get involved with Green and Edible projects please get in They’ve completely transformed community spaces such as St Gabriel’s touch with Gemma Russell, Greenspace Officer on 0161 474 2914 or Church garden, working with the [email protected] Princes Trust. Stockport at home www.stockporthomes.org/funding /StockportHomes 7 TI Building homes 51 new homes in Reddish Stockport Homes has officially opened our its largest new build development to date, with 51 new homes being built in North Reddish on the former site of Fir Tree Primary School, for completion at the end of March. The Fir Tree development has been part funded by the Homes and Communities Agency and has seen Stockport Homes work with Stockport Council and Seddon Construction to deliver 29 x two bedroom houses, 21 x three bedroom houses and one x four bedroom house. 15 of the properties are for shared ownership, supporting local people to gain a foothold on the housing ladder, with the remaining 36 properties being available to rent. 112 affordable homes built over last 12 months! Fir Tree, North Reddish 51 homes Essex Road, Brinnington Turves Road, Cheadle Hulme 18 homes 11 homes 8 Stockport at home 17 homes Peacefield, Marple Berlin Road, Edgeley 10 homes www.stockporthomes.org Other properties around Stockport 5 homes /StockportHomes What is shared ownership? If you want to own your home but are currently renting, getting on to the housing ladder can be difficult. Shared ownership is a different route to home ownership that aims to solve this problem. You buy part of the home, while a landlord such as Stockport Homes buys the rest and rents it out to you. Your payment to live in the home is made up of both mortgage and rent. For example, you may pay for a mortgage on 50% of the home, and pay the landlord rent for the other 50%. As time goes on, there are usually options for you to buy a larger percentage of your home from the landlord over time until you own the home completely. Properties available for shared ownership from Stockport Homes Fir Tree, North Reddish Two and three bedroom semi-detached homes with great transport connections, children’s play area, close to Reddish Vale. Essex Road, Brinnington Modern and eco-friendly two and three bedroom semi-detached homes with large gardens. Two-thirds are already sold. Carpets are included in the sale package. Available now! Berlin Road, Edgeley Two bedroom homes in established residential suburb close to Sykes Reservoir and park. Town Centre and shops are within walking distance. If you are interested in the shared ownership properties, please contact Andrea Jackson, Assets and Development Administrator on: Stockport at home www.stockporthomes.org 0161 474 3462 /StockportHomes 9 Money ! Changes to benefits to be extended to families Universal Credit is a new benefit which brings together a number of other benefits, such as Housing Benefit, Working Families’ Tax Credits and benefits that are paid to job seekers and those who are long-term sick. It is now being paid in Stockport to singles and couples but will soon be extended to families. Most people of Pension Credit age are NOT affected. If this applies to you, you will have to wait five weeks from claiming before you receive your first payment. You will receive payments on a monthly basis, straight into your bank account, and be responsible for paying all of your rent to Stockport Homes. This first payment will only cover four weeks worth of your rent, not five, so you will also need to make up the difference yourself. Call us now for support and help on 0161 474 2668 (west area) or Pay your rent by for your chance to win a grand of Stockport at home If you feel you will struggle to cope with this because you have problems managing your money, mental health difficulties, drug or alcohol problems or any other issues, please contact us straight away. In some circumstances it is possible to get the payments made directly to Stockport Homes or paid to you weekly or fortnightly. 0161 474 2677 (east area). Rent Gas Electric Water bills. The housing rents initiative encourages people to switch to the ease and convenience of Direct Debit, with a fantastic prize of £1,000 in Love2shop vouchers up-for-grabs. To be in with a chance of winning you simply have to be an existing Direct Debit payer. 10 shopping vouchers! Direct Debit is a simple and convenient way to pay regular outgoings, such as your housing rent, with payments taken automatically so you don’t have to worry about falling behind with your Ever wondered what you would do with £1,000? Well, 2015 could be the year you find out as Stockport Homes is joining a national campaign run by Bacs, the not-for-profit organisation behind Direct Debit in the UK. Welfare Reform To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize, switch to paying your rent by Direct Debit before 30 October 2015. www.stockporthomes.org To set up your Direct Debit simply call our Customer Finance Team on 0161 474 2668 (west 0161 474 2677 area) or (east area) – it will only take a couple of minutes. /StockportHomes Beating Cancer in 2015 Over £13k raised for Council and partners’ bid to boost cancer survival The Council and partners are working hard to increase the uptake of bowel, cervical and breast cancer screening in Stockport. Cancer screening tests can help detect the disease before symptoms have a chance to develop and some are even able prevent it. If you’re invited for screening, go, and if you’re worried about symptoms, see your GP. Stockport Homes’ decision to choose The Christie hospital as our charity of the year coincides with a major campaign by Stockport Council and partners to improve cancer support and prevention over the year ahead. New medicines and lifestyle changes mean people are twice as likely to survive cancer as they were 40 years ago and, if it is diagnosed early, the chance of survival is much better. More than four in 10 of all cancers diagnosed in the UK are related to lifestyle factors. 86% of lung cancer cases in the UK are attributable to tobacco use alone. A total of £13,799.38 has been raised for our staff charity, Millie’s Trust, over the last year; smashing our target of £10,000. The charity aims to make first aid training available to everyone, no matter what their situation in life, to give more people the ability and confidence to respond in emergencies. For free, confidential and local advice on healthy lifestyles, including help to stop smoking visit www.healthystockport.co.uk or call Healthy Stockport on 0161 426 5085. Campaign launched against dangers of second hand smoke When someone smokes second hand smoke is produced. This is a toxic cocktail of chemicals which when breathed in by others will damage their health. The only way to make sure your family and pets aren’t put in harm’s way is to make sure your home and car is smoke free all of the time. Stockport at home Staff got involved in activities such as the Manchester 10k run and residents really showed their generosity during community events. To find out more about the campaign and how to sign up for a free Smoke Free Home and Cars pack visit www.nhs.uk/smokefree or call 0161 474 2463 www.stockporthomes.org Thank you to everyone involved. We look forward to a successful campaign this year too, raising money for The Christie hospital which specialises in the treatment of cancer and related illnesses. /StockportHomes 11 How we are doing New customer feedback process Performance October 2014 - January 2015 Stockport Homes checks how it is performing by monitoring a set of indicators chosen by customers. They are called The Customer Super Six and they are published on our website every quarter. We are on target... 98.4% satisfaction with the quality of service during investment work programmes. Target: 96% 15.2 days Average repair cost per property per year: £223 We are almost there… 97% Target: 98% of anti-social behaviour complainants were satisfied with the outcome of their case. Average number of days taken to re-let empty Target properties. in days: Customer complaints 16 87.6% of repairs were completed right Target: 82% first time. 96.8% of estate inspections were rated at least Target: 96% ‘good’. Four out of 118 ASB complainants were not satisfied with their case outcome. Each reason for dissatisfaction is investigated. For more information, please contact Katalin Szavai, Performance and Improvement Officer 0161 474 3764 or on [email protected] 12 Stockport at home www.stockporthomes.org A new customer feedback process was launched in February 2015 to benefit anyone making a complaint. This includes ‘fix-in-five’, meaning staff have the option of responding within five working days in simple cases. However, for a more complex complaint, the ten day timescale stands. The final stage of the process will see complaints being considered by an appeal panel made up of a Head of Service and two independent customers. Between October and December 2014 we received 130 complaints. We welcome all feedback from customers, and use it to improve our services. To make a complaint, or a compliment, contact our Performance and Improvement Team on 0161 474 2600 or [email protected] Compliment “You were excellent when Alice could not get up after a fall, and the equipment Carecall used ensured dignity… an excellent service.” Mr and Mrs Catledge, Compstall /StockportHomes News from the Board Preparing ourselves for 2015: a year of change Stockport Homes’ Board has been learning about Welfare Reform. This helps us to prepare for changes ahead and make sure we continue providing the best possible services to meet need. Planning ahead, we’ve been looking at new strategies to improve the services we provide for older people and making sure we continue to be a responsible organisation that improves the environment and wellbeing in our communities and beyond. With the forthcoming signing of a new management agreement with Stockport Council, we are also thinking about how this will change the way we work as a Board in the coming months and years. Our services Wherever you are For any questions about the Board contact Jeremy Beatty, Governance Manager on 0161 474 2850 or [email protected] Get Involved – Make Things Better: Taster Day, Friday 27 March 2015 There’s lots of exciting ways you can get involved in improving Stockport Homes’ services to customers, including joining our Quality Panel, Customer Scrutiny Panel or Board. Come along to the Taster Day on Friday 27 March 2015 at 10.30am - 2.30pm to find out what it’s like to do mystery shopping, review services or make big decisions about the future of the company. There will be refreshments provided and we can provide support with childcare and ‘out of pocket’ expenses. Customers who are on the Quality Panel, Customer Scrutiny Panel and the Board make new friends and develop valuable new skills. We always looking for new members, from right across the Borough - there’s a role to suit you! To book your place or for more information contact Jill Holt, Customer Involvement Team 0161 474 3511 or Leader, on [email protected] Stockport at home www.stockporthomes.org Report repairs wherever you are with Stockport Homes’ mobile phone app. Download it free via the Google play store or Apple app store. The app also includes quick links to our website, Facebook and Twitter pages, Universal Credit website, Money Advice Service and Universal Jobmatch. So, why not install the app now? /StockportHomes 13 Spotlight on scrutiny Customer Scrutiny Panel On Target Money and financial advice services Improvements made after repairs review Is it easy or difficult to get the information you need from Stockport Homes when it comes to issues such as money and debt? That’s one of the questions the Customer Scrutiny Panel is looking at as it conducts a review into financial inclusion services. As part of this review the Panel has reviewed literature and the website, held meetings with customers, interviewed staff and visited other landlords to compare services. The group has also asked the Quality Panel to carry out mystery shopping into the financial inclusion services available at Stockport Homes to learn more about your experiences. The full report will be published on the Stockport Homes website April 2015: www.stockporthomes.org/CSPreports After a recent review of repairs at Stockport Homes, the Customer Scrutiny Panel made some suggestions which have now been implemented: • Information available to customers is now consistent and up to date in the Sheltered Housing schemes. • All contractors now uphold the same standard of communication as Stockport Homes’ staff. Send your review suggestions about services to: [email protected] or Customer Scrutiny Panel, Stockport Homes, 1 St Peters Square, Stockport SK1 1NZ “A fantastic service. I was able to return to work knowing help for my mother was at the touch of a button .” 14 Are you or one of your relatives older, feeling vulnerable or living with a medical condition? Independence in your own home 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Carecall can provide you with a Telecare monitoring service, from £2.18 per week. We also have a local Mobile Warden Service. Contact us for more details. 0500 130 585 www.stockporthomes.org/carecall facebook.com/carecallmonitoring twitter.com/carecallmonitor Stockport at home www.stockporthomes.org /StockportHomes Safer communities Be Aware of Bogus Callers Positive action against Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) October 2014 - January 2015 Crown Like 42 legal actions were taken. 97% of customers were satisfied with the outcome of their ASB complaint. Crown 99% of customers were satisfied with how we dealt with their ASB complaint overall. 98% of customers were satisfied that they were kept up-to-date with the progress of their ASB complaint. News Time 80.5days Like was the average time taken to resolve an ASB complaint. Give food a thought… being careless in the kitchen can cost lives More than half of accidental fires in the home start because of something to do with cooking. Take extra care when cooking with hot oil and don’t leave children alone in the kitchen when the hob or oven is on. To book a free Home Safety Check, please call Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service on 0800 555 815 or visit www.manchesterfire.gov.uk Stockport at home www.stockporthomes.org 96% of cases were successfully resolved. Bogus callers are criminals pretending to be from the “Water Board” or other organisations. If the caller does not have a prior appointment, leave the door locked. If they say they are from a utilities company, ask them to quote your account number. If they don’t have it, tell them to leave and that you are calling the Police. • Always ask for ID, and check it. • Do not buy goods or services from cold callers. • Do not keep large amounts of cash in your home. • There is no such company as the Water Board, Gas Board or Electric Board. • Always report any suspicious behaviour to the police. • Keep your doors locked even when you are home. Follow the stop, chain and check rule when people call at the door: • STOP - If you are not expecting anybody and they don’t have an appointment - don’t let them in. • CHAIN - Use your door chain or bar before opening the door. • CHECK - Ask to see ID and double check this. /StockportHomes 15 Seen someone sleeping rough in Stockport? If you let us know, Stockport Homes working together with our partners, can visit them within 24 hours and offer help to move off the streets. If you have seen someone, please get in touch and tell us: • where you saw them; • when it was; and • what they looked like. Stockport Homes’ Housing Options Team 0161 474 4237 No Second Night Out 0345 112 8128 Diversity and accessibility You can get free copies of newsletters and other documents from Stockport Homes on audiotape, CD or in large print. For more information, please contact Phil Rhodes on telephone 0161 474 2860, text 07891 949 399, email phil.rhodes @stockporthomes.org This newsletter includes information about Stockport Homes’ events and services. A free interpreting service is available if you need help with this newsletter. Please telephone Stockport Interpreting Unit on 0161 477 9000. Email:[email protected] Portuguese Farsi Chinese Urdu Please recycle this newsletter appropiately. www.stockporthomes.org facebook.com/StockportHomes twitter.com/StockportHomes youtube.com/StockportHomes Arabic Polish
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