SPRING 2016
weslonews
A great place to work
Trust, engagement and leadership are key to creating
a great employer, business and brand
e were delighted to be
named by Great Place to
Work® as one of the UK’s
Best Workplaces in the Medium
category (organisations with 50499 employees) in their annual
Best Workplaces ranking
announced at a gala dinner in
London on 27 April.
W
The methodology behind this list and
Weslo’s success is one of the most
rigorous available and uniquely
comprises both an employee survey
and an audit into an organisation’s
management and HR practices. The
award recognises the strength of our
leadership and the range of
innovative, creative and effective
HR policies which creates the
workplace culture.
Ranked number 37, this is
the first time Weslo has
entered these national
awards, which recognise the
company as having a hightrust, high-engagement
workplace culture.
to see Weslo on our Best Workplaces
list this year for the first time. It is a
validation of the strength of their
leadership and their commitment to
creating the kind of culture where
employees enjoy coming to work and
want to do their best. The hallmark of
a great workplace like Weslo is that
their policies and practices are
designed around the employee; this
employee focus helps attract and
retain the talent essential for driving
and sustaining competitive
performance”.
Sarah Bickerstaff Weslo’s Head of
Human Resources summed up: “Our
culture at Weslo is built around
mutual trust and empowering our
staff. Our commitment to upholding
these values and encouraging
employees to share their opinions and
ideas as well as creating a fun place
to work, has created the foundation
for our success in receiving this
prestigious award”.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Chief Executive Mike Bruce said: “It is
a great honour for us to be selected,
especially as the award is based on a
trust-based workplace culture. This is
the driving force behind our ability to
attract and retain talent which helps
drive our success and keeps us up
there with the best Registered Social
Landlords in the country. I’d like to
thank all our employees for the role
they have played in our success”.
Tom O’Byrne, Great Place to
Work® CEO, said: “We are delighted
High Hopes
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We’ve moved in
4
Weslo Works
6
Update on Welfare
Benefit Reform
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Staff Changes
10
Supporting Communities
12
Tenant Involvement Survey 15
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High Hopes – a celebration
of 21 Years of Weslo
Unique study reveals how Bathgate-based
social landlord “has changed the face of social
housing in Scotland”
In March 2015 Weslo celebrated
its 21st birthday and to mark the
event a book was commissioned to
chart the fascinating rise of one of
Scotland’s most successful
independent social landlords.
‘High Hopes – The Weslo Story’ was
launched on Monday 30 November
2015; the result of a full year’s
painstaking research by renowned
author and academic Dr Raymond
Ross who takes an independent and
objective analysis of the Weslo story.
Weslo emerged from the
controversial large-scale voluntary
transfer of Scottish Homes’ housing
stock in the early 1990s, and its early
years were dominated by the many
political factors dictating Scottish
social housing policy at the time. The
book charts the rise of the Bathgatebased company as it strove to
differentiate itself from the typical
housing association model,
campaigning for reform and good
governance throughout the Scottish
social housing sector.
Weslo now owns in excess of
2,300 properties throughout
West Lothian and Bo’ness
with an annual turnover of
£8.5 million, employing 83
members of staff. The
company also acts as estate
manager to some 3,500
private tenants who have
acquired their property
through Right to Buy.
High Hopes tells the story of this
unique journey from an objective
perspective taking into account the
views of the many involved – including
Weslo directors, employees and
tenants as well as 'outside' observers,
housing experts and others in the
social housing sector. The result is a
compelling social and political
narrative on both local and national
social housing policy and priorities
over the last two decades.
Author Raymond Ross explains:
“This has been a unique commission
which soon became a fascinating
journey in social history. There are
many voices in the book who argue
that Weslo has changed the face of
social housing in Scotland for the
greater good, and I have tried hard to
show how the company has
influenced and indeed pioneered
critical policy areas such as
community outreach and tenant
participation and engagement.
“Right from the start, it was made
clear that this was to be an
independent and objective analysis of
the Weslo story, and I hope it will be
one which will add substance and
interest to students of housing, social
and local history alike.”
High Hopes, which takes its
name from the Frank Sinatra
crooning classic of the
1950’s, is the brainchild of
Weslo Chief Executive Mike
Bruce who was instrumental
in the company’s formation
in 1994 as it negotiated the
initial and sometimes
difficult separation from
Scottish Homes.
www.weslo-housing.org
PRIZE DRAW
ARE YOU INTERESTED
IN READING ABOUT
THE HISTORY OF
WESLO TO DATE?
He adds: “Much like the lyrics of
the song High Hopes, this is a
celebration of how the little guy can
succeed against all odds, learning
some important lessons along the
way. Our story is one of perseverance,
passion and sometimes bloodyminded obduracy – but it is also a
fitting testament to the dedication and
commitment of our directors and staff
members over the years who have all
shared our goal to do things
differently and improve the lives of the
people and communities we serve.”
The book contains a ringing
endorsement from political firebrand
and ex-‘Father of the House’ Tam
Dalyell, who served as MP for West
Lothian and latterly Linlithgow and
whose wife Kathleen was on Weslo’s
Board of Directors between 1994 and
2005. He says: “My judgement of
Weslo is based on the view of the
tenants. They’re the ultimate judges
and you can’t argue with their
judgement which has always been
one of excellence. Tenant satisfaction
is typically very high. You cannot argue
with that. Excellence is excellence.”
High Hopes was officially
launched on St Andrews Day
at Howden Park Centre,
Livingston, where a specially
invited audience heard
excerpts from the book
and were entertained by
Scottish folk musicians Alison
McMorland and Geordie
McIntyre.
Make a minimum donation of £5
to Weslo’s Charity of the Year –
Carers of West Lothian – and you
can pick up a copy from
reception staff.
In addition to obtaining a copy
of High Hopes, if you provide your
contact details you will be
entered into a prize draw with
the chance to win a Kindle.
The draw will take place on
31 August 2016.
Help support Carers of West
Lothian – a voluntary organisation
that provides information and
support on a wide range of issues
to unpaid carers in your
communities.
On the left we see Mike Bruce and
author Ray Ross at the event.
Keen to bring the book to a wider
housing audience, we exhibited at the
Chartered Institute of Housing Annual
Conference in March.
This was held at the Edinburgh
EICC and provided an additional
opportunity to promote the activities
of Weslo Housing Management and
Weslo Property Management.
We want to make it as easy as possible for you to read this edition of Weslo News.
You can ask for this to be provided in large print if you think this would help you to enjoy reading weslonews; please
get in touch with Margaret whose details are at the end of this article.
If you have access to the Internet, you can log on to our website at www.weslo-housing.org where you will be
able to view, listen and even translate the articles you are interested in, making it easier to access the content
whenever and wherever it suits you.
If you would like more information on anything in this edition please contact Margaret Walker on 01506
639121 or email [email protected]
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We’ve moved in
almost on time
Three man job as they fit the new clock to the exterior of the building.
Mike Crozier, Weslo’s
Operations Director, is
happy to report that after
some slippage in the
contract work, we were
able to move into the
new extended office
space in January.
We are delighted with the excellent
work Hutton and Read carried out
during this major office refurbishment
project, the quality of the work and
the reliability of their team.
On site, the job was controlled very
well and the quality of the
tradesmen’s finish is excellent. We
were kept fully informed of progress
especially when, as inevitably
happens, a few unforeseen issues and
changes arose, and these were dealt
with promptly and professionally.
Staff have now settled into
their offices and are
delighted with the quality of
their new accommodation.
Jackie Ferguson and Alan Semple
have relocated from an open plan
office into a shared office space.
“Alan and I have a lovely bright
airy office which offers an
excellent working environment.
Having our own office allows more
privacy to complete tasks which
are of a confidential nature, while
still being next to the Finance
Team to work on joint tasks and
provide assistance when required.”
Jackie
The IT staff now have their own office
with sufficient space to work on and
set up equipment. The ICT Manager,
Kevin Cairns, also has a new office in
the refurbished office space.
“Due to the previous lack of
space within the offices at
66 North Bridge Street, the
IT Department was somewhat
nomadic. Following the purchase
and refurbishment of the new
offices, it has been good to
finally ‘put down some roots’,
so to speak.”
Kevin
As a result of the additional
workspace staff within the estates
team have relocated and now occupy
two office spaces in the original
building. Liz White, Housing Manager,
had the following comment to make:
“Estates have benefited from
increased work space and the
ability to have all of the team
members in the same area of the
office; this has helped with the
integration of the teams.”
Liz
As summer approaches, we are all
looking forward to making use of
the new outdoor space at the rear of
the building.
www.weslo-housing.org
Thank you for your feedback
If you have had reason to make
use of our repair service you
will have been asked to
complete a survey; it is only
four short questions as you can
see in the example on the right.
We use the information from
these surveys to monitor
satisfaction levels but also to
identify any areas of the service
that we might need to review.
Between September 2015 and
February 2016, 3,694 tenants
completed repair surveys. Of those,
3,642 (98.6%) said that they were
very satisfied with the repair and
that the service had met their
expectations. It is reassuring when
feedback affirms that we are
providing a good service but we are
also interested in learning about
the times that we fail to meet
those expectations.
When a tenant indicates
dissatisfaction with any aspect of
the service provided, staff will be
alerted by email and they will
contact the tenant to offer
reassurance that their concerns
have been noted and advise that
the matter will be investigated.
Often we are able to resolve any
issues during this initial contact;
sometimes it is a simple error
completing the survey or the
tenant is unaware of our policy
relating to timescales. If it is
established that we have not
handled the repair in the proper
manner, then the tenant will
receive compensation under our
Repairs Compensation Scheme.
The scheme, which has operated
since 1997, allows tenants to
claim a compensatory payment of
£15.00 if we fail to complete
repairs, which have been agreed
and ordered, within our published
response times.
We aim to give you a quality
service. However, if at any time you
are unhappy about the service you
have received it is important that
you tell us so we can put it right.
QUARTERLY PRIZE DRAW
If you have completed a repair
satisfaction survey, you will
automatically be included in a
quarterly prize draw and be in with a
chance to win a store voucher to the
value of £80. The winners in the past
12 months were:
NOVEMBER 2015
MRS MCKAY, WHITBURN
Mrs McKay was delighted to have won
and it came as a complete surprise.
She told Nicola Hughes, who
presented her voucher,
MAY 2015
MRS MCKEND, WHITBURN
Mrs McKend on receiving her voucher
from David Jordan said,
“I am pleased to have won, I
normally never win anything.
The vouchers will come in very
handy. Thank you Weslo.”
“I have always received good
service from the tradesmen
when in my home; they always
are polite and take care to
either take off their shoes or
cover them.”
FEBRUARY 2016
MRS QUINN, LIVINGSTON
Mrs Quinn was unavailable to have
her photograph taken but she told us
“I am looking forward to an
unexpected shopping trip this
weekend.”
We hope that all our previous draw
winners have enjoyed the vouchers
that they chose.
AUGUST 2015
MS CAMERON, BROXBURN
Ms Cameron called into the office to
collect her vouchers from David
Jordan. We enjoyed meeting her
daughter and new grandson who was
very likely to be in for a bit of spoiling.
REMEMBER, if you want to be
in with a chance of winning an
£80 voucher, please ensure
that you fill in the satisfaction
survey whenever you have a
repair completed.
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weslonews
Weslo Works
As you are no doubt aware in recent years we have been directing our
resources to achieving Scottish Housing Quality Standard compliance by 2015.
We were able to report that 95% of all our properties were compliant at
31 March 2015 but the work doesn’t stop there. We have to continue to
ensure that all of our properties continue to meet the standard.
During the next nine months the
2016/17 Planned Maintenance
Programme will be undertaken at a
cost of almost £1.6m.
300 homes will benefit from having
new modern bathrooms installed. The
work proposed includes homes in:
•
•
•
•
•
Barbauchlaw, Armadale
Kirkton, Bathgate
Mansefield, East Calder
Parkhead, West Calder
Bomains and Kinneil, Bo’ness
The work involves fitting new
bathroom suites, electric over bath
showers, wet wall panelling, vinyl floor
covering, new light fitting and painter
work. Tenants have a choice of wet
wall colours and vinyl floor covering.
This ensures we leave the house with
the entire bathroom completely
refurbished.
Cunnigar Gardens in Mid Calder
where residents recently benefited
from having external wall insulation
installed to their homes.
A number of individual central
heating boilers have been identified
for replacement throughout the stock.
It is expected that replacement of
these older, inefficient boilers will
ensure that the heating systems
operate effectively and efficiently. It is
also expected that the energy
efficiency of the property will be
improved, thereby increasing the
number of properties complying with
the energy efficiency requirements of
the Energy Efficiency Standard for
Social Housing (EESSH). This has
been developed by the Scottish
Government to help improve the
energy efficiency of the social housing
stock in Scotland and we are working
towards meeting the 2020 timescale.
As well as replacement heating
systems we will also be applying
external wall insulation to
approximately 20 no fines concrete
properties in:
• Dawson Place and Pennelton
Place, Bo’ness,
• Letham Avenue and Letham
Grove, Pumpherston, and
• Kaimes Crescent, Kirknewton.
Also included in this year’s contracts
will be:
• Painting of timber fences in
Dedridge, Livingston; Blaeberryhill,
Whitburn and Kirkhill, Broxburn.
• Installation of mechanical
ventilation and fitting mains
smoke alarms and heat detectors
to identified properties.
If you have any questions or comments on the Planned Maintenance
Programme, please contact Stewart Whyte,
Reactive Maintenance Manager, Weslo Housing Management,
37 Glasgow Road, Bathgate, EH48 2AQ
Tel: 01506 639149 Email: [email protected]
www.weslo-housing.org
Garden Maintenance
Since 2010 we have operated a
Garden Maintenance Scheme in West
Lothian which has proved popular with
those who benefit from the service.
The scheme aims to assist those
tenants who are unable to maintain
their garden due to frailty, old age or
disability. To benefit from the scheme
applicants and all members of the
household must be either:
• Aged 16 - 65 and in receipt of
Disability Living Allowance /
Personal Independence Payment,
or
• Aged 65 - 70 with the application
form signed by a doctor, or
• Aged 70 years or over, or
• Registered blind.
The scheme is delivered by Weslo’s
gardening staff who will:
• cut the grass regularly between
April and October
• strim small rough areas and edges
• prune hedges twice per year.
Outwith the growing season and when
time permits the team will carry out
additional duties including clearing out
empty houses, removing rubbish and
general tidy-ups on the estates.
Falkirk Council operate a similar
scheme for residents in their area.
You should contact your local One
Stop Shop to enquire about their
service.
If you think that you might qualify
for the scheme please email
[email protected]
or contact:
Weslo Housing Management
66 North Bridge Street
Bathgate
EH48 4PP
Tel: 01506 634060
Weslo Housing Management
15 North Street
Bo’ness
EH51 0AQ
Tel: 01506 639100
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8
Update on Welfare Benefit Reform
and how it will affect you!
Universal Credit (UC) has been introduced for single
claimants in all of the communities we serve.
However, UC will continue to be rolled out to all
working age claimants by March 2021.
As a recap, UC will combine different benefits, including
housing benefit, into a single monthly payment. This
means that anyone receiving UC will receive their housing
benefit in their benefit payment and will be responsible to
ensure they make their rent payment to Weslo.
If you are a Weslo tenant and have to claim UC please
ensure that you have the following information to hand:
•
•
•
•
•
Postcode
National Insurance number
Bank, Building Society or Credit Union account number
The type of accommodation e.g. rent from Weslo
How much rent you pay, quote your full rent charge
even if you currently get housing benefit
• Details of how much you earn from work,
e.g. recent payslips
• Details of any income that’s not from work,
e.g. from a pension or insurance plan
• Details of any savings and any capital investments,
e.g. shares or property that you don’t live in
• How much you pay for childcare (if you are claiming
childcare costs)
• Weslo’s office address
• Weslo’s phone number:
Bathgate – 01506 634060
Bo’ness – 01506 639100
You need to provide evidence of these details when you go
to your interview e.g. tenancy agreement (or a letter from
Weslo with your rent amount on it), payslips, bank
statements, etc. and this will help with the claim process.
The benefits system is becoming tougher and tighter
with claimants having to meet strict conditionality and
there is an increase in the number of sanctions,
exclusions, reclassifications and suspensions of payments
so please ensure that you advise DWP of any changes in
circumstances as soon as they happen.
There are other changes that have already been
introduced in 2016 and others that will be introduced later
that may affect you. Some of these changes have been
summarised below:
ONGOING
HB Size Criteria
“bedroom tax”
The bedroom tax has not been abolished; however help is still being
made available from your council through discretionary housing
payments.
FROM 2016
Benefit Rates
Most benefit rates have been frozen for the next four years. This
includes Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA), Employment and Support
Allowance (ESA), Housing Benefit, and Child Benefit.
Only some benefits for pensioners and disabled people will increase.
APRIL 2016
National Living Wage
The National Living Wage of £7.20 per hour for those over 25 in full
and part time work was introduced.
The minimum wage still applies for workers under 24.
Housing Benefit (HB)
HB backdating has been reduced from six months to one month
for all claims.
Housing Benefit
The ‘family premium’ will be withdrawn for new claims from April 2016.
Housing Benefit
From April 2016 the amount of rent that HB will cover in the social
sector will be capped to the relevant local housing allowance (LHA).
AUTUMN 2016
Benefit Cap
The annual benefit cap will reduce from £26,000 per family to
£20,000 across the UK. Any household receiving more than the cap
will have their housing benefit reduced to bring them back within the
limit while still having to pay full rent to their landlord.
APRIL 2017
Change to
Unemployment rules
Parents of 3 and 4 year olds will have to be available for work (currently
they don’t if they are looking after children).
There are many additional changes planned for 2017 and we will update you again in the next edition of Weslo News.
www.weslo-housing.org
WELFARE RIGHTS SURGERIES – HELP AVAILABLE ON
YOUR DOORSTEP
Ann Kerr has been
holding Welfare Rights
surgeries in Bo’ness,
Whitburn and Broxburn
for some time and in
March she started a new
drop-in surgery in
Livingston at West
Lothian Connected,
Almondvale Centre.
On the left we see Linda Gibson,
Housing Officer, with Jade Hamilton
and her daughter Sophia who were
the first Weslo tenants to call into the
Livingston surgery for advice.
Jade, who lives in Dedridge said:
“I had a pleasant experience at my
first visit to Livingston Connected and
the Weslo staff were very helpful.
I was also delighted to receive a £30
Asda voucher in the prize draw to
celebrate the opening of the new
drop-in surgery.”
These surgeries have proved very
popular and if you need help or advice
on Welfare Benefits, Fuel Poverty,
Debt Advice, Housing Benefit,
Disability Benefits or any associated
appeals, please come along to one of
the surgeries:
WHERE
DATE
TIME
Weslo
15 North Street
Bo’ness
Thursday 2 June 2016 and
the first Thursday of each
month thereafter
9.3012.30
Strathbrock Partnership Centre,
Room 5
189A West Main Street
Broxburn
Monday 13 June 2016 and
every fortnight thereafter
9.3012.30
Whitburn & District Community
Development Trust
61 West Main Street
Whitburn
Monday 6 June 2016 and
every fortnight thereafter
9.0012.00
West Lothian Connected,
Almondvale Centre
Livingston
Tuesday 31 May 2016 and
weekly thereafter
*Alternate Tuesdays this
surgery will be operated by the
Housing Officer from this area
1.004.00
In the past three years, tenants who were advised by Ann have
benefited from her in-depth knowledge of the Welfare Benefits
system but they have also gained financially to the tune of
£818,042. This is a huge gain to those households and the
communities in which they live, as well as a great reflection on
Ann and her expertise.
Client Financial Gain
YEAR
FINANCIAL GAIN
2013 -2014
£229,984
2014 – 2015
£238, 251
2015 – 2016
£349,807
Total
£818,042
More information and help is available from
Weslo’s Welfare Rights staff. Please contact
Ann Kerr in the first instance on 01506 639160 or
email [email protected]
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Staff Changes
There were lots of tears as staff said goodbye to three long-serving members of
staff at the end of February.
cheerio to . . .
David McLaren
David McLaren retired after 22 years
as Housing Manager with Weslo; he
previously worked with Scottish
Special Housing in a variety of roles
and was appointed Housing Manager
for the then Scottish Homes Bathgate
office in 1993 during the stock
transfer negotiations.
David said: “There have been
enormous changes in housing over
the years but I have had the pleasure
of working with a great team. I would
like to thank everyone at Weslo for
the opportunity but I am now turning
a page and this is a new chapter in
my life which will bring about many
changes. One that I will not be sorry
to lose is the daily commute between
Penicuik and Bathgate which over the
years has got worse. The positives
will be spending more time with
my grandson Joey, getting fit and
playing golf.”
Below we see David as he formally
opened the new garden to the rear of
the offices at 64/66 North Bridge
Street – his final task as Housing
Manager.
Jessie McCue
Jessie McCue, Housing Officer, also
retired at the end of February. Like
David, Jessie also started her housing
career with Scottish Special Housing
Association as a Repairs Assistant.
However, it wasn’t long before she
had the opportunity to become a parttime Housing Officer, a role that she
excelled at. Jessie has always been a
popular member of staff and was
surprised at the number of tenants
who took the time to pass on their
best wishes when hearing about her
plans to retire. Her colleagues will
miss her enthusiasm when raising
money for the Charities of the Year in
recent years. We will especially miss
her baking – her scones and coconut
cakes were worth a mention but I’m
sure that all will agree that her
meringues are irreplaceable!
Above we see Jessie as she
enjoyed her farewell party with
colleagues.
Jessie said: “I am looking forward
to having time to work in my garden,
do some travelling and I might even
find time to fit in some voluntary work.
Most importantly, I am looking forward
to being a lady who lunches with my
friends. I would like to take this
opportunity to wish all of you, tenants,
colleagues and other professionals
that I have come into contact with
over the years a fond farewell – it has
been a pleasure.”
www.weslo-housing.org
more about the RSL sector. Recent
retirements have changed the team
dynamics and has presented new
challenges. She is looking forward to
helping shape future services.
June Harper
We would also like to say farewell to
June Harper, Housing Officer. June
originally came to Weslo on an agency
contract and was made permanent in
November 2004. June will be missed
by tenants and colleagues.
We would like to take this
opportunity to thank David, Jessie and
June for their commitment to Weslo
over the years and to wish them all a
happy and healthy retirement – you
will be missed.
“I have a nine-year-old son who
ensures that any time outside work is
busy. My main interests are sport –
especially football – cinema and
reading.
“I am looking forward to assisting
Weslo owners and my colleagues in
any way possible over the coming
months.”
In April 2016, Weslo’s Owner
Liaison Officer, Alison Barker
went on maternity leave. There
was not much time for rest and
relaxation though as Alison had
a baby boy, Ben, on 6th May.
Her colleagues send their
congratulations and best wishes
to Alison and her family.
Louise Coyle
and hello to . . .
Liz White
Alan
Cunningham
Following David’s retirement, Liz White
was appointed Housing Manager. Liz,
who has over 28 years’ experience in
housing, joined Weslo in July 2013 as
Assistant Housing Manger.
Since joining Weslo Liz has enjoyed
working with the team and learning
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Alan has been appointed to cover
Alison’s maternity leave. He has
worked in social housing for 30 years
for Glasgow Council and a number of
Housing Associations. His roles in the
past have included Housing Officer,
working in Repairs & Development,
Housing Benefit and as a Cashier.
Alan has worked with owners in some
of these roles and is keen to have the
opportunity to utilise his knowledge to
assist Weslo owners.
Alan said: “I am from Glasgow and
have worked most of my working life
there. More recently I have also
worked in Falkirk & Clackmannanshire.
I am the newest member of staff in
Weslo and have just taken up my role
as Housing Officer in the estates
team. Previously I worked with Horizon
Housing Association for almost ten
years, most recently as a Housing
Officer. Having worked in a specialist
housing association committed to
providing services to support the
development of diverse communities
which include disabled people, I am
looking forward to working in the
mainstream sector.
I am married and live locally with
my husband and two young sons. As
a working mum, I don’t really have
“free” time as we all enjoy spending
family time together.
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weslonews
Supporting Communities
2015-16 was another fantastic
year for Weslo’s Community
Budget Committee which saw
almost £12,500 being disbursed to
75 different local community
groups and individuals. The money,
vouchers or goods that we donate
accrues through savings that we
are able to make on purchasing
materials and negotiating deals
with suppliers.
We are committed to giving something
back to the communities that we
serve and each request for funding is
reviewed by the Community Budget
Committee, a staff group that has
been in operation since 2004. Each
year we donate raffle prizes, provide
sporting equipment and clothing to a
number of local clubs, sponsor
individuals participating in fundraising
events and give financial support to a
variety of organisations.
The option for groups to receive a
Kindle Fire, which can be used as a
raffle prize, has continued to be a
popular choice for many groups to aid
their fundraising events and in the
past 12 months we have donated 19
to local groups.
Each year we receive a number of
requests from individuals who are
looking to participate in physically
challenging fundraising events in
support of various charities.
We were delighted to be able to
offer financial support to Vince
Manning, a local police officer, who
was looking to cycle from John
O’Groats to Glasgow. He successfully
completed the 300-miles cycle in
support of the Genesis Research
Trust.
This was part of a 1,000 mile bike
ride from John O’Groats to Lands End
being led by Fern Britton as Patron of
the Genesis Research Trust. The
challenge was to raise £57,000 to
support research into miscarriages but
in excess of £150,000 was raised in
total. Well done Vince and all who
took part.
MND (Scotland)
organise a large number of
fund raising events
throughout the year to
raise funds for research
into Motor Neurone
Disease (MND).
This is the name given
to a group of similar
illnesses that cause
damage to the nerves that
carry messages controlling
our muscles.
It is a progressive
disease that means that
the damage gets worse
with time.
In May last year Linda
Gibson a Housing Officer in
the Bathgate office, along
with some of her friends,
agreed to take part in the
“fun run” that was
organised at Strathclyde
Park, Motherwell, on 16
May 2015 in support of
MND. On the right we see
Arlene MacMillan and Linda
Gibson after they successfully
completed the six-mile course with
their medals – well done girls!
Each year the Community
Budget Committee select a
charity as Weslo Charity of
the Year and during 2015-16
they chose to support the
Dogs Trust at West Calder.
Over the year staff raised a fantastic
£2,550 from a variety of activities
including our monthly
“Treat Wednesdays”, Easter and
Christmas fundraising events, a highly
successful Quiz night (hosted by
Jessie McCue) and Weslo’s 21st
Birthday staff raffle – (the prize which
was a voucher for Hotel Connexions
was won by Lesley Shade). Weslo
acknowledged the fantastic
fundraising efforts by staff and topped
up the donation to £2,800.
www.weslo-housing.org
13
Another local charity
has been selected as
Charity of the Year 2016
-2017 and that is Carers
of West Lothian.
This is a voluntary organisation
providing information, support and a
listening ear to carers in West Lothian.
A carer is someone who looks after
another person who through illness,
disability or age is unable to manage
in the community without help.
If you know a carer in need of help
or advice please contact:
Above we see Kerrie-Jean
McAlister, Assistant Manager, and
“Jess” receiving the cheque on behalf
of West Calder Dogs Trust from
Housing Assistant Nicola Hughes.
Kerrie-Jean told Nicola: “We are so
grateful to receive this donation. The
money will be used to improve the
environmental enrichment area which
provides the dogs with a variety of
activities to stimulate them and break
up their day to keep them happy.”
Leila Farndell, Corporate
Partnerships, Head Office
said: “Thank you so much
for your fantastic support of
Dogs Trust, we really do
appreciate it”.
If you would like more information
on Dogs Trust West Calder you can
check out their website at
www.dogstrust.org.uk/ourcentres/west-calder/
Carers of West Lothian,
Sycamore House,
Quarrywood Court,
Livingston, EH54 6AX
Phone: 01506 448000
Times: Monday - Friday
10.00am - 3.00pm
We wish staff every
success in their
fundraising activities in
the coming year.
New post – new start
...WE CONTINUE TO DELIVER FIRST
CLASS SERVICES WHILE
SUPPORTING AND DEVELOPING
OUR PEOPLE TO MEET BUSINESS
OBJECTIVES.
SARAH BICKERSTAFF started as our
new Head of Human Resources on
the 30 November 2015. This is a new
post in Weslo to which Sarah brings
her extensive HR experience. She has
worked with Registered Social
Landlords in Northern Ireland and
Scotland and is a fully qualified
member of the Chartered Institute of
Personnel and Development.
Sarah is part of the Executive team
and during 2016/2017 will take a lead
role in projects which will further
develop Weslo’s people management
strategies ensuring that we continue to
deliver first class services while
supporting and developing our people
to meet business objectives. Sarah will
also be reviewing the company’s
policies and procedures ensuring that
they reflect best practice.
One of the key priorities for
2016/2017 will be building on our
success in achieving the Investors in
People Gold Standard, Investors in
Young People and the Investors in
People Health and Wellbeing awards in
October 2014.
“I am absolutely delighted to
have joined Weslo and cannot
believe that I have been in post
for almost six months now, it’s
been a whirlwind but I’m loving
every minute. It’s a very
challenging but exciting time
for RSLs and I’m committed to
supporting the Board, and
Management team, to develop
its resources so that Weslo can
continue to be a successful
RSL in Scotland.”
14
weslonews
Do you want to make a difference and
influence the services you receive?
You have a voice!
We are keen to make sure that the services
we provide are the kind of services you expect
and that they are delivered to the best
possible standard. Every three years we ask
you to take part in a tenant satisfaction
survey; this survey gives a picture in time of
what you think about Weslo. The next survey
will be undertaken by the Knowledge
Partnership this autumn and we hope you will
take time to complete it.
In the meantime we are really keen to get you talking; we
want to work with you to improve services but to do so we
need to know:
• what you think is good and bad, and importantly
• what could be better!
The Tenant Participation Committee (TPC) is a small group
of tenants who have been working for a long time to help
improve services, policies and tenants information – it’s
not just a talking shop. The TPC gets things done, it is
taken seriously and it helps us improve what we do for
you! It’s about recognising what we do well and identifying
what needs to get better.
The TPC wants to know what your thoughts are in
regards to how we involve you in decision making, how you
can influence those decisions and how we communicate
with you. They are working with the Tenant Participation
Advisory Service (TPAS), an independent organisation, to
help find out what you would like to be involved in and how
you would like to be involved.
If you have an interest in your home or the services that
are available then you can get involved. You don’t have to
come to a meeting, you can take part in the comfort of
your armchair by completing occasional surveys, but
remember – it’s always good to talk!
If you are interested in finding out more contact:
Liz White, Housing Manager on 01506 639164 or
email [email protected], or
Lesley Baird, TPAS SCOTLAND, Freepost, GW7454 or
email [email protected]
TELL US HOW YOU PREFER US
TO TALK TO YOU
We aim to provide a range of methods of communicating
with tenants. To help us tailor ways to involve you we
would appreciate if you could take time to complete this
short survey. We have tried to make it as easy as possible
for you to complete the questionnaire and return it and it
will only take a minute or two of your time.
If you have a smartphone, scan the QR Code on the
right so that you can complete the questionnaire and
press done at the end.
If you have an internet connection, go to
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/T8ZMRW2.
Again just complete the questionnaire and press done.
You can of course fill in the paper form (right), cut it
out and post it to:
Lesley Baird at TPAS SCOTLAND, Freepost, GW7454
(no stamp needed) or email
[email protected]
PRIZE DRAW
All completed surveys will be entered into a prize
draw for a £50 voucher (from a store of your
choice). To contact Lesley, phone
0800 269 645 (Freephone) or email
[email protected]
www.weslo-housing.org
15
Tenant Involvement Survey
Did you know that you can get involved with
Weslo in the following ways?
How would you like us to get your
views and ask your opinions?
Yes I knew No, I would like
to know more
Tenant Director on the Board
Tenant Participation Committee (TPC)
Local meetings
Improving services to tenants
Occasional phone/paper surveys
The website
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At an open day
At a local event
At a tenants/residents group
Surveys
Open days
Join our list of interested tenants
Other
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....................................................................................
Can you suggest any other ways to get involved?
....................................................................................
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Would you be happy for Weslo to phone you to
ask two or three questions on your views of
local issues?
Which of the following methods would you like
us to use to give you information?
Please tick all you would like
Newsletter
Personal letters
Open days
Conference/gala day
Annual report
Getting together with other tenants
Information leaflets
Email
Other – please let us know
I want to know more
 Yes

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....................................................................................
 No
Please ensure that you provide your name
and address so that you can be entered into the
prize draw.
Thank you for taking a few minutes to tell us what
you think and returning this form. It is important
that you take the time to tell us in order that you
can influence the services that you expect.
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Name ..............................................................................................................................................................
Address ............................................................................................................................................................
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Telephone no .......................................................... Email ............................................................................
16
weslonews
HAVE YOUR SAY
AS A WESLO
BOARD MEMBER
In accordance with Weslo’s constitution there are four places reserved for Tenant Directors to serve on our
Board for a period of four years. Since Weslo began in 1994, we have spent over £30million on the
maintenance and improvement of your homes. We have also increased overall tenant satisfaction levels from
75% to 93%. In July this year two of the current serving Tenant Directors, Janette Wallace and Eileen Porter,
will retire and we are currently seeking replacements to carry on their good work.
So, what is involved in being a Tenant Director?
What qualities are required?
• Attending Board meetings – generally eight per year of
approximately two hours duration.
• A commitment to attend training and development as
and when required.
• Maintaining knowledge of local issues and of housing
related activities.
• Using knowledge to guide the strategy of the company
and to make effective decisions.
• To be part of the collective decision-making process.
• To positively represent and promote the Company
and its staff.
• To support fellow Board members in their roles and to
deal with staff in a respectful manner.
• Ensuring the Company has sound policies, procedures
and systems in place.
• Ensuring a long-term strategy is in place to steer the
organisation.
• Ensuring the Board itself is operating effectively.
• Approving the annual budget and rent increases.
• Ensuring that effective financial and performance
management systems are in place.
• A demonstrable interest in and commitment to Weslo
Housing Management.
• A willingness to devote the necessary time and effort
to attend and participate in meetings as detailed
above and the Annual General Meeting.
• Willingness and ability to represent the Company.
• An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties,
collective responsibilities and Board liabilities.
• An ability to work effectively as part of a team.
The two positions will be filled at our next AGM, which will
be held on 20 July 2016. These positions are voluntary,
training will be provided and reasonable expenses paid.
A letter was sent out to all tenants recently seeking
nominations and at the time of writing a number of tenants
have expressed an interest in the positions. In the event of
a ballot all tenants will receive a vote to elect the Tenant
Directors and the election process will be independently
supervised by Electoral Reform Services.
Reporting emergency repairs outwith office hours, including weekends and holidays please call:
General Repairs: 01506 639143
Gas Related Repairs: 01506 639144
National Gas Emergency Service for gas leaks – Freephone 0800 111 999
Scottish Power – 0845 272 7999 (Energy Network Faults and Emergencies)
Our office opening hours are: Monday – Friday 8.30am – 4.30pm
Weslo Housing Management 66 North Bridge Street, Bathgate EH48 4PP
T: 01506 634060 F: 01506 639122 E: [email protected]
Weslo Housing Management
www.weslo-housing.org
@weslohousing
What do you think of the
Weslo News?
We hope that you are enjoying this latest edition of Weslo News
and we would appreciate if you could take some time to tell us
what you think about the stories, and pictures.
If you have a smartphone just scan the QR code to complete the questionnaire online.
1) How would you rate the
overall quality of Weslo
News?




3) Is the information easy
to read?
Please circle a number where 6 is very easy to understand and 1 is difficult to
understand.
1
2
3
4
5
6
4) How do you find the
articles?
Please circle a number where 6 is the highest and 1 being the lowest.
A
B
C
D
2) Do you read
the Weslo
News?
Excellent
Good
Poor
Very Poor




A
B
C
D
Always
Usually
Very rarely
Never
Interesting
1
2
3
4
5
6
Informative
1
2
3
4
5
6
Well presented
1
2
3
4
5
6
Useful
1
2
3
4
5
6
5) Which of the following
best describes how you
read Weslo News?
 I read the Weslo News thoroughly.
 I skim the articles.
 I only read the articles that affect me directly
6) How would you rate the
selection of articles in
Weslo News?




A
B
C
D
Excellent
Good
Poor
Very Poor
7) What age
group are you
in?




A
B
C
D
Under 25
26 – 40
41 – 55
Over 56
8) Can you suggest any
changes / improvements
to Weslo News?
9) Do you follow Weslo
on social media?
Facebook
Twitter
 Yes /  No
 Yes /  No
If you are not able to submit your completed questionnaire on line through your smartphone, you can
•
•
complete the survey online at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RWFPBSL
complete this form and post the completed form to:
Margaret Walker, Admin Officer, Weslo Housing Management, 66 North Bridge Street, Bathgate, EH48 4PP
We appreciate you taking the time to complete and return this short questionnaire. Thank you.