Link Housing Tenants Newsletter October 2012

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The newsletter for Link tenants

news

AUTUMN 2012

housingINSIDE

Annual General Meeting

How good is ourEstate Management?

0

20

40

60

80

100

80.3%

97% 96.4%

RSL Average2011/12

Link Emergency2011/12


How did we perform?

Improvement plansfor repairs service

You have told us thatour top priority shouldbe improving yoursatisfaction with therepairs service.

In consultation with tenants, weare progressing plans to developan in-house trades team to carry

out repairs in yourhome. Thismeans that wewill employ ourown trade staffrather than usingan externalprivate contractorto carry outrepairs. The teamis due to startwork in Spring2013, with theCentral areabeing the first toreceive repairs(comprisingproperties inFalkirk, Stirlingand Northand SouthLanarkshire).

We then aim toroll the service outover the next fiveyears until the

majority of repairs are carried outby our trades team. It is hopedthat other benefits to thecommunity may be achieved asthe team grows – for example,employment and trainingopportunities.

We will form partnerships withother contractors and providersto deliver specialist services, but

the large majority of day-to-dayrepairs will be completed byLink’s staff by the time all areasare covered.

Our aim is to develop servicesthat can better meet your needsand expectations and so wehave greater control over ourservice performance.

Link Housing – 08451 400 100 or 0330 303 0013 or [email protected]

Link’s Annual General Meeting

Link Chief Executive Craig Sanderson, Housing and WelfareMinister Margaret Burgess and Link Chair Peter Foreman.

Link celebrated its 50thbirthday at its AGMand drinks reception atThe Sheraton,Edinburgh on 14thSeptember 2012.

Among the 200 guests were staff(past and present), tenants,members, supporters and otherswho have helped Link grow andevolve into one of the leadingand most respected socialenterprises in Scotland.

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Margaret Burgess, the newlyappointed Minister for Housingand Welfare, said:

“Over the last 50 years Linkhas consistently demonstratedan outstanding commitmentto affordable housing. It is arespected, nationwide housingassociation that has grownbeyond its Edinburgh roots, tooffer a range of housingservices to communities in theHighlands, the central belt andthe Borders. Link are to becommended for 50 successfulyears that have beenpunctuated by commitmentsto the welfare of tenants, tosocial justice and to socialinclusion, which are alsopriorities for the ScottishGovernment.”

If you would like to find outmore about Link’s Historythen check out the specialbook that was produced tohighlight and celebrate ourachievements over the past50 years. You can find it onour website herehttp://linkhousing.org.uk/about-us/history-of-link/ oremail [email protected] request a hard copy.

Residents from Oatlands with Link’s birthday cake.

www.linkhousing.org.uk www.facebook.com/LinkGroupLtd @Link_Group_Ltd

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Edinburgh TenantsFederation

Link wants to increase the number of tenantsinvolved in tenants’ groups in Edinburgh and thesurrounding areas. Supported by Link, theEdinburgh Tenant Federation (ETF) will provideLink tenants with advice and training.

Who are they?

The Edinburgh Tenants Federation is a voluntary organisation thatseeks to represent tenants and residents across Edinburgh, and tohelp tenants’ and residents’ associations throughout the city to workwith their landlords to ensure that they have a say in the running oftheir communities.

What it does

ETF helps and supports the establishment of local groups byproviding information, advice and training. It has members fromhousing associations such as Dunedin Canmore, Castle RockEdinvar and Port of Leith as well as tenants of the City of EdinburghCouncil.

How it works

ETF members elect an Executive Committee which meets monthlyand takes responsibility for the day-to-day running of the Federation.ETF has specific groups to deal with major ongoing work such asrepairs, regeneration and multi-storey flats. These groups are opento all interested tenants. They respond to every request for supportfrom tenants’ organisations and individuals who wish to set up localgroups. They keep their members and supporters informed of theirwork through their newsletter, Tenants Voice, and through regularmailings reporting back on their activities.

How they help you

ETF has an office in the Leith area of Edinburgh where staff arehappy to provide information, advice or support. They respond toevery request for support, either by offering practical advice or bydirecting callers to someone better placed to help.

For more information, contact the Federation office on0131 475 2509 or email [email protected]

Listening andacting on customerfeedback

Link has recentlyadopted a new way todeal with all complaints.This is known as the“new model complaintshandling procedure”issued earlier this yearby the Scottish PublicServices Ombudsman(SPSO).

The new procedure is morestreamlined, reducing thenumber of stages to two –front-line resolution and fullinvestigation. If customersare not satisfied with Link’sresponse to complaintsafter a full investigation,they can then refer them tothe Ombudsman.

We are reviewing ourworking practices to ensurethat we achieve satisfactoryoutcomes at the front-linestage wherever possible.

Link values customerfeedback, both negativeand positive, and we areupdating our computersystem to enable us torecord, analyse and reporton all issues raised by ourcustomers. We willregularly report on ourperformance in this area,including any serviceimprovements which resultfrom customer feedback.

If you need to make acomplaint please completeour online complaints format www.linkhousing.org.ukor call 08451 559 559.

valuing people, providing homes, building communities, working together

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Future tenantmeetings We are reviewing ourallocations policy and wewant to make sure it is future-proofed to ensure it takes intoaccount any changes causedby Welfare Reform. As alandlord, our allocationspolicy is heavily influenced bylegislation and cannot bechanged. Nevertheless, thereare some decisions that wecan make for ourselves andwe would like your views onissues such as:

● What priority should wegive to current tenantswho need a smallerproperty?

● What occupancy standardshould we have, i.e., thenumber of bedrooms wegive to new tenants?

● How should we define“unsatisfactory housingconditions”?

We would also like to hearyour thoughts and views onthe way we set our rents andwhat we should take intoaccount when we do so.

If you would like to attendthese meetings please callEleanor Henderson or LeahWebb on 08451 400 100 oremail [email protected] Transport andrefreshments will be provided.Tuesday 30th October1.30-4pm Premier Inn, 187George St, Glasgow, G1 1YU.Tuesday 6th November5.30-7.30pm Link Office,Watling House, Falkirk FK1 1XR.Tuesday 6th November1-3pm Premier Inn,1 Morrison Link , Haymarket,Edinburgh EH3 8DN.

Tackling Anti-SocialBehaviourAnti-social behaviour is a blight on any communityand impacts negatively on people’s lives. Link iscommitted to ensuring tenants feel safe and securein their homes and neighbourhoods and will supportand work closely with those involved to achieve this.

Anti-social behaviour comes inmany shapes and forms andoften occurs at times outwithnormal working hours. Not allanti-social behaviour can beresolved by Link, as the powerswe have are limited to what yourtenancy agreement says.

In the first instance and wherethe behaviour is lower level (e.g.occasional loud music, doorbanging etc.), tenants areadvised to speak to theirneighbours about this if they feelit is safe to do so. This approachcan often lead to resolving thematter very quickly andamicably, as very often theperson causing the disturbanceis not aware they are upsettingtheir neighbours.

Mediation is often a verysuccessful way of reaching asolution and most councils offera free independent mediationservice that Link can use.

Where the behaviour is moreserious it needs to be reported tothe Police in the first instance,and then to your Housing Officer.Unfortunately, there is often no‘quick fix’ solution to situationslike this. We are committed,however, to working closely withother agencies andorganisations to reach asatisfactory outcome for all thoseaffected, including in manycases the alleged perpetrator.

On the occasion that asolution or agreement can’t bereached, and if we have enoughcorroborated evidence, we willproceed with more formal actionagainst the person causing thedisturbance. We cannot act onhearsay or rumours, therefore itis very important that you involvethe Police and/or get neighbourswho have also witnessed theevent to contact us.

In our experience there isoften a reason behind someonebehaving unreasonably. Thesereasons can include alcohol ordrug dependency or mentalhealth issues which affect theirbehaviour. In circumstances likethis, there is a need to tap intothe services of other agencies,for example Social Work or otherSupport Agencies. This multi-agency approach often results ina positive outcome to thesituation for all involved.

If you are suffering becauseof unreasonable behaviourcaused by someone livingnear to you, then you needto tell us about it. We cangive you advice on what canbe done and what steps youcan take. Don’t suffer insilence – if you want furtheradvice contact Link on08451 400 100.


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Estate Management Tenant-ledinspection completed

The tenant-ledinspection team is agroup of tenantsworking in the interestof all Link’s customersand staff.

The team believes that tenantsshould be involved with Link asthe landlord, to make sure thatyou get the services that youdeserve and pay for. A tenant-ledinspection is a way for tenants tomonitor and evaluate Link’sperformance and be in a positionto make suggestions to improvethe service. Recently, the teamcarried out surveys, estatewalkabouts and interviews withstaff and contractors and spoketo over 70 people to include theirviews across 10 sites in thecentral belt.

The topic of estatemanagement was chosen by theinspectors because the estatemanagement policy andprocedures are due for review,and the landscaping contractsare due for renewal. So, the teamfelt it was a good time to

influence the future of theseservices. From the inspection itwas found that:

● 7 of the 10 sites were wellmaintained and in goodcondition

● Flytipping is an issue in 4 outof 10 sites

● Residents’ views of Link staffwere overwhelmingly positivein 9 out of 10 sites

● There were excellentexamples of residents takingcare of their area and gardens

● People feel safe living in amajority of the areas

● Graffiti and vandalism is notan issue in the areas visited

A number of recommendationswere made by the team. Thesewere:

● Joint inspections ofHousing and MaintenanceOfficer to be re-established.Tenants to be invited to takepart in walkabouts at leastonce a year

● Communication withtenants to be improved, forexample information to besent out letting tenantsknow what they can expectfrom landscaping and closecleaning services

● Tenants to be involved indeciding who the nextlandscaping contractor is

● Monitoring systems to beestablished to analyseinformal complaints relatingto estate management

● Contractors to improveonsite supervision of staff

● Monitoring system to beestablished to show howservice charges are spent,to ensure that all moneycollected for estatemanagement is investedon site

● Some sites to haveinvestment in communalareas

Look out for the action plan inthe next edition of thenewsletter. If you are interestedin joining the tenant-ledinspection team contact LeahWebb on 08451 400 100.


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How did we perform in 2011 – 2012?

Every year all RegisteredSocial Landlords (RSLs) aremeasured against a range ofperformance targets.

The Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) publishesthis information which allows us to compare ourperformance with other similar RSLs and identifyareas for improvement. The SHR’s information isnot yet available for 2011/12 so we have comparedour performance with the average performance ofthe 49 RSLs which participate in an independentgood practice group – the Scottish Housing BestValue Network.

Emergency repairs carried outwithin timescale

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20

40

60

80

100

80.3%

97% 96.4%

RSL Average2011/12



The graph shows that Link’s performance onemergency repairs has improved significantly from2010/11 when the percentages were lowerbecause our repairs contractor went intoadministration. Link’s performance is slightly betterthan the average RSL performance.

Customer satisfaction withreactive repairs

100 93.6%84.0%

80 73.6%

60

40

20

0Link Satisfaction Link Satisfaction RSL Average

2010/11 2011/12 2011/12

Customer satisfaction with reactive repairs, whichwas adversely affected by the changes to ourrepairs contractors, also improved significantlyduring 2012/13. It is a priority for Link to improvethis figure further during 2012/13.

Average time it took to relet aproperty (in calendar days)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

RSL Average2011/12

Link2011/12

Link2010/11

35

29

22.5

Days


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It is important for us to let our properties quickly sowe can keep our rents affordable and providehomes for people in need. During 2010/11 wewere not able to meet our targets due to thechanges to our repairs contractors. We improvedour performance during 2011/12 and indicationsare that performance has continued to improveduring 2012/13.

Percentage of non-technicalrent arrears

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

RSL Average2011/12

Link2011/12

Link2010/11

2.71% 2.94% 2.40%

During 2011/12 our rent arrears rose slightly fromthe previous year. Helping tenants to sustain theirtenancies by reducing rent arrears will continue tobe a focus for our work, particularly with thechallenges of Welfare Reforms and the changes toHousing Benefit.

Complaints monitoring

The complaints table onthe right shows thatrepairs and maintenancehas been the mostsignificant area ofconcern (see articles onpage one and page threeto see how we areaddressing this). N

o. o

f Com

plai

nts

78

15

6 4

16

1 28

Complaint Type

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10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Anti SocialBehaviour

Staff ArrearsPlannedMaintenance

Allocations ContractorFactoringRepairs

Performance monitoringnext year

From next year we will be measured against theScottish Social Housing Charter Outcomes. TheCharter has seven sections covering: equalities;the customer/landlord relationship; housing qualityand maintenance; neighbourhood andcommunity; access to housing and support;getting good value from rents and service charges;and other customers. It contains a total of 16outcomes and standards that social landlordsshould aim to achieve. As a Registered SocialLandlord, Link will have to report on 14 of the 16outcomes. More information will be publishedonline at www.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk


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Annual asbestos surveys

Usually, stories on asbestosonly appear in the headlinesif something has happened.This can sometimes give outthe wrong message aboutwhat asbestos is and how itcan be treated. Link wants tokeep you properly informedabout asbestos, so that youknow what to do if you findasbestos in or around yourown home and when tocontact Link (if you have anyquestions or concerns).

Asbestos is a naturally occurringmaterial that was commonlyused in buildings from the 1930’sbut most extensively during the60’s and 70’s. It was still beingused to a lesser extent until themid-1980s, but it is very unusualto find the material in properties

built or refurbished since the mid1990s. It was used for itsinsulation, strength and fireretardant properties and wouldbe most commonly found in thefollowing places:

● Corrugated cement roofingon garages etc.

● Guttering and downpipes

● Bath panels

● On the back of cupboarddoors or behind electricitymeters

● Boxing to pipes

● Plastic floor tiles

● Textured decorativecoatings e.g. Artex

Link carries out annual surveys tocheck for and record all placeswhere asbestos exists in

common areas and hasextended these surveys toincluded information on whereasbestos may be in our tenants’homes. The surveys also notethe condition of the asbestosand this prompts any repair orremoval actions needed. Toensure that the risk of exposureto asbestos in Link properties isprevented we have a policy andprocedures in place which arereviewed annually.

Once the annual surveys havebeen carried out we will contactthose tenants whose propertiesmay have asbestos-containingmaterials in their homes toprovide more information anddetail any actions required.

If you want to carry outany DIY or alterations to yourhome and have concerns theremay be asbestos within yourproperty, then please contactLink, where guidance and advicewill be provided.

Please remember, asbestos isquite safe until it is disturbed(drilling, rubbing down orremoving the material containingasbestos). The Health andSafety Executive (theGovernment department withresponsibility to control the useof asbestos) says:

“Asbestos is not a risk if it isin good condition and is notdisturbed.”

For more information youcan go to the Health andSafety Executive’s websitewww.hse.gov.uk/asbestosor phone Link on 08451 400 100.


Moving on up

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Tenant feedback through the satisfaction survey said that you would likemore information on the range of options Link can offer for you to buy orrent a home in addition to our choice-based lettings through Homehunt.

Whether you want to rent, buy or own a part share, we can help you find the housing option that’sright for you:

Shared Ownership

You choose to buy either a25%, 50% or 75% share in aproperty and pay anoccupancy charge (or rent) toLink on the remainder. Youare the home owner andresponsible for repair andmaintenance costs for theproperty. We have a numberof new and previously ownedproperties for sale.

Shared Equity

The Scottish Governmentfunds a number of schemeswhere you choose to buy anequity stake in a property(normally 60% to 80% to theoutset ) and receive a loanwith no interest chargeswhich is repayable when youmove or decide to buy out theGovernment’s remainingequity stake. You can eitherbuy a property on the openmarket (OMSE) or a newbuild property (New SupplyShared Equity) from Link orone of the developers wework with.

Intermediate Rent

Link is developing a new typeof home with rents significantlyless than current market rents.These homes are targetedtowards working householdswith low priority on ourHomehunt allocation system.These properties come withfitted flooring, window blindsor curtains and some kitchenwhite goods. These are let ona short assured tenancysubject to a satisfactoryapplication and tenancyreference with the requirementto pay one month’s rent assecurity deposit.


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Here are details of the properties that we have available (or which will be available soon)in each of these housing options. For more details on any of these properties please go towww.linkhousing.org.uk/our-services/find-a-property/buy-a-home-from-us

Shared Ownership New Build

Location Property type / size Cost

Kings Place, Craigmillar,Edinburgh EH16 4NZ 1 Bedroom Flats £23,750

2 Bedroom Flats £28,750

2 Bedroom Duplexes £32,500

All prices based on a 25% Share Purchase with Occupancy Charge due on the remaining 75% Share

Shared Equity New Build

Location Property type / size Cost

Kings Place, Craigmillar,Edinburgh EH16 4NZ 1 Bedroom Flats £57,000 (based on

60% Equity Purchase)

4 Bedroom TerracedTownhouses

£102,000 (based on60% Equity Purchase)

2 Bedroom Duplexes £32,500 (based on60% Equity Purchase)

Lomond View, Barrhead G78 2EG 2 Bedroom, UpperCottage Flat

£52,800 (based on60% Equity Purchase)

Broadwood Cumbernauld G68(COMING SOON)

2 BedroomTerraced Villa Price to be confirmed

For more information contact our dedicated team on:

Telephone: 08451 550019Email: [email protected]

Or check out our website: www.linkhousing.org.uk


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Shared Equity with DevelopersThese are just some of the developments that are currently available.Call the developer listed for more information.

Developer Project Number of Units

Hagan HomesSales Office tel: 0141 556 5000

Smithcroft Road,Glasgow2 Bedroom Flats

3

Persimmon HomesSales Office tel: 0131 334 2095

Ashwood Gait,Edinburgh2 Bedroom Homes

6

Persimmon HomesSales Office tel: 01563 524359

Bowmore Road,Kilmarnock,East Ayrshire2 Bedroom Flat

1

Ogilvie Homes LimitedSales Office tel: 01786 811811

Dovecot Steading,Haddington,East Lothian1 & 2 Bedroom Flats

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Intermediate Rent Call the Link2Let team on 08451 550019 for more information.

Location House Type Available

Baker Street, Stirling 1 & 2 Bedroom Flats September 2012

Kinnaird Village, Larbert, Falkirk 2 & 3 BedroomTerraced Houses

December 2012(estimated)

Park Terrace, Brightons, Falkirk 2 Bedroom Flats December 2012(estimated)

St Mungos Gate, Cumbernauld 2 Bedroom Flats February 2013(estimated)

Niddrie House Park, Edinburgh 2 BedroomTerraced Houses

March 2013(estimated)

Malletsheugh, Newton Mearns 2 Bedroom Flats July 2013(estimated)

Carradale Crescent, Broadwood,Cumbernauld

2 Bedroom Flats &3 Bed Terraced Houses

April 2013(estimated)


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CustomerScrutiny Panel

Are you interestedin learning new skills andmeeting other tenants?

We are looking for tenants tojoin a new panel that will workto ensure that tenants have arole to play in monitoringservices and making sure youare getting the best servicepossible. The panel will meetat least four times a year toidentify (from your perspectiveas a tenant) what issues andservices Link should befocusing on and ensure wemeet the requirements of thenew Scottish Social HousingCharter. For example, thegroup will decide topics fortenant-led inspections,discuss tenantcommunications, helping toproduce tenant report cardsand finding ways to test thatservices are working.

Support with personaldevelopment, accessing theinternet, childcare andtransport will be provided.The next session is on Friday30 November from 1-3pm, TheTeacher Building, St EnochSquare, Glasgow, G1 4DB.Lunch is provided.

Contact Leah Webb, TenantLiaison Officer on 08451400 100 if you would likemore information.

Christine McBane, Coldstream.

Moira Laverty, Linwood.

Gardening competition winners

Well done to Christine McBain (1st place) and Moira Laverty(2nd place) who were the winners of the B&Q vouchers.We want to expand the competition next year to includecommunity groups and hold a best scheme competition. If youthink your area would be interested, please contact Leah Webbon 08451 400 100 or email [email protected]

Link will produce this information on request in Braille, Audio Tape, Large Print andCommunity Languages. To find out more, please telephone the Customer Service

Centre on 08451 400 100. Link Housing Association Limited is a companyregistered in Scotland. Company registration number SC216300.

Registered Office: Link House, 2C New Mart Road, Edinburgh EH14 1RL.Part of the Link group. © LinkGroup Ltd 2012.


Link Housing Tenants Newsletter October 2012

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