Seasons Greetings From The CEO...The Pioneer Uniersa Creit 1 Ashton Pioneer Homes Ltd Margaret...

1The Pioneer -Universal Credit

Ashton Pioneer Homes Ltd Margaret House, Margaret Street, Ashton-u-Lyne,

OL6 7TH

0161 343 [email protected]

Seasons Greetings From The CEO

Putting You At The Heart Of Your Community

This flat on Margaret Terrace certainly puts us in the Christmas mood!

AUTUMN/WINTER 2019

I would like to thank tenants, residents, community volunteers, our voluntary Board members and my APH colleagues for all their hard work and support not only for this past year but for the previous 20 years since APH was formed in 1999.

This year has been a challenging year in so many ways but also a year in which we have been able to plan ahead. Our new corporate priorities (see page 11) are taking us forward for the next three year years and our 30 year Business Plan is on a sound financial footing. Following consultation with colleagues and resident groups we have changed our mission statement from “working together towards a better place to live” to “Putting You at the Heart of Your Community.”We feel that this better reflects what Ashton Pioneer Homes is about today and will continue to reflect our focus for the next 20 years.

• We will continue to listen to our customers and make suretheirprioritiesarereflectedinourcorporatepriorities.

• We will continue to provide opportunities for residents to “get involved” digitally or through other means.

• We will continue to support our residents to be socially, financiallyanddigitallyincluded.

• We will be looking to measure our social impact and our social value on the communities we serve and we will be sharing this information with all our stakeholders.

• Wewillcreatemoreaffordablehomesforthelocalcommunity.

Next year we will start the re-render of some High Rise Blocks and we have some exciting new opportunities to create more affordable homes. This includes McLellan House which is named after our oldest resident May McLellan who sadly passed away this year.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my very best season’s greetings to all our residents and everyone connected with Ashton Pioneer Homes.

Tony BerryChief Executive, Ashton Pioneer Homes

2 The Pioneer - Contents 3The Pioneer - Customer Updates

CONTENTSCUSTOMER UPDATES CUSTOMER SERVICES TAMESIDE EAST FOOD BANK RESIDENT CAR PARKING CHRISTMAS OPENING HOURS COLLEAGUE UPDATE - NEW STARTERS20 YEARS ON 20TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONANNUAL REPORT FINANCE AND GOVERNANCE HOW WE SPENT OUR INCOME VALUE FOR MONEY GOVERNANCE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY

OUR COPORATE PRIORITIES 2019/2022

CHAIR OF ASHTON PIONEER HOMES

YOUR NEIGHBOURHOODREPAIRS

HOUSING MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE 2018/2019

2019/2020 53 WEEK RENT YEAR

REMEMBER YOUR BENEFIT PAYMENT DATE MAY CHANGE IF IT IS DUE ON A BANK HOLIDAY

RENT PAYMENTS OVER THE CHRISTMAS PERIOD

BE SMART - USE THE BINS APP

3 - 11 and 20

12 - 15

PIONEER PEOPLEAPH AND OUR SOCIAL VALUERESIDENT INVOLVEMENT COOKING ON A BUDGET FOR BEGINNERS ROUGH DIAMONDS MY STORY GARY PIONEER COMMUNITY ACTION GROUP DIGITAL DIAMONDS WHATS ON GUIDE

16 - 1916 - 1718 - 19

1213

1414

15

15

Throughout November, APH staff have been having ‘dress down days’ in exchange for donations to the Trussell Trust’s Tameside East Food Bank.

This is something that we aim to do at this time of year to help our local Food

Bank at a time when resources may be stretched.

If you would like to make a donation in the run up to the Christmas period, then feel free to use our office as a drop-off point.

We are seeing an increase in tenants who rent a parking space from us receiving parking penalties.

If you do not properly display your permit, you will be issued with a penalty notice

which carries a minimum fine of £100.00.

Notices will only be cancelled in unavoidable circumstances, even if you pay for a bay!

Please ensure that your permit is clearly displayed on your dashboard at all times.

If you need a new permit, please contact the Customer Services Team.

The office will be closing on Tuesday 24th December 2019 at 1pm and will re-open on Thursday 2nd January 2020 at 9am.

If you have an emergency to report during the closure period, our Neighbourhood Services Team will still be available 24hrs a day and can be contacted on 0161 339 9377 or via the ‘Concierge’ option on your intercom.

TAMESIDE EAST FOOD BANK

CUSTOMER SERVICES

Hi, I am Jamie 30 years of age and since starting at Ashton Pioneer Homes on 26th October this year I can say it has been a pleasure to have joined the Neighbourhood Services Team.

I have been welcomed into the Company and enjoy working with a great Team.

Before joining APH, my time was spent with my 10 month old little girl and family.

In my spare time I like to enjoy watching and teaching my daughter grow up and just spending time with my family.

Jamie Berry Neighbourhood Services Assistant

RESIDENT CAR PARKING

CHRISTMAS OPENING HOURS

COLLEAGUE UPDATE - NEW STARTERSHi, I am Hollie the new Customer Services Modern Apprentice.

Before this role I worked for a small landscaping company as an Administrative Assistant.

I am also experienced in animal care as this was my most recent course.

I am interested in American football, learning aboutdifferenttypesofanimalsandtheiroriginsand facts about them.

I am very excited to begin my new role and look forward to getting to know my colleagues and tenants.

Hollie KeatingCustomer Services Modern Apprentice

We would like to wish all of our customers a

very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

3

4 - 5

6 - 11

20

4 5The Pioneer - Customer Updates

20 YEARS ON Day one 1st February 1999; the transfer vote had taken place and tenants had voted for Ashton Pioneer Homes to take over the ownership of their homes from Tameside Council.

We were really excited, meeting new members of staff and moving out of our portacabin into the new office in Margaret House.

The new office space was great, only we didn’t have any computers and started off the day using Caths typewriter!!

Soon the office equipment arrived and we got ready to face the challenges ahead. Though we were all excited about the huge investment in the area, we were also nervous, what if it didn’t work out? What if we ran out of money? Can we keep the rents low and keep the promises made in the transfer guarantee?

When we took over a third of the properties were empty, we had maisonettes and a green on the West Park estate, a precinct of shops on the Richmond Park estate, and the reputation of the estates was in tatters. I remember on my first day on Richmond Park (way back in 1997) being told not to go in the tower blocks on my own as they were too dangerous!!!

All the staffs hard work and dedication gained residents trust and together set about turning around the estates.

The refurbishment and development of properties was a huge task, new kitchens, bathrooms, secure doors, Richmond Park maisonettes received new roofs, demolition of the West Park maisonettes to make way for new family homes, environmental works to both estates to improve the aesthetics and security.

As part of the improvements we introduced a new lettings policy and worked hard to ensure that new applicants were checked out and promoted our properties with a stall on Ashton Market, we now have a ten year waiting list for our houses! We also have a few residents who moved out in the past due to personal circumstances and ended up coming back home to APH again.

Originally there was a night security and caretaking service with staff on site 8am to 4pm, with security coming on site between 8pm and 3am. This meant the majority of crime and anti-social behaviour occurred on the estate during the gap in service. We consulted with the local Police, staff and residents and set about providing a new 24hour service with CCTV and developed the Neighbourhood Services Team in 2002. I believe the NST have given tenants peace of mind that there is a member of staff available 24hours a day to speak to about any issues they may have and offer a completely unique service to our residents; I don’t think we could be without our NST.

Soon the estates looked better and residents began to take pride in where they lived. Gone are the days when people walked past you, their heads down. Now neighbours speak to each other and smile as you walk through the estate and the community is flourishing.

The company has grown and developed the services that are available for our residents at the Linda Fletcher Community Base with our fabulous Community Worker, skill sharing, supporting each other, cooking lessons and day trips out, all bringing our community together and helping each other.

Many ex-colleagues and former residents have commented that they hardly recognise the area compared to how it was twenty years ago. I’m really proud of the commitment and hard work that the residents and Ashton Pioneer Homes have made, proving that we do put our residents at the heart of our community.

From a personal point of view our community feels like extended family, and I thoroughly enjoy working here. I would also like to pay to tribute to May McLellan who had lived in her flat since it was built and sadly passed away this year, I will miss her and remember her with love.

Alison KenworthyHousing Services Officer

On Saturday 27th July, we held our 20th Birthday Party. The theme was Playa del Pioneer and everything had a Beach feel to it.

The weather wasn’t the best – but we didn’t let it dampen our spirits!

The Steel Band were a massive hit as was our Tiki Bar that offered sweet and refreshing APH inspired mocktails, as well as slices of pizza, hot dogs and refreshments on offer inside Welbeck Street Baptist Church served by our very own Rough Diamonds.

The Pioneer Community Action Group (PCAG) presented a marvelous display showcasing 20 years of APH from transfer to the present day, and our mascot Darwen provided entertainment and party dancing throughout the day …

Thank you to all that attended, including the Civic Mayor of Tameside and His Consort, Councillor Joyce Bowerman and the APH Chair, Jane Atherton.

We can’t wait till our 25th!

Specialthankstoallstaff and volunteers that helped to

put the event together.

InBoarddiscussions,it’ssometimesdifficulttokeepinmindtheCommunitythatlivesontheestate, the many families, deep bonds of friendship, and memories that make APH the place that it is.

The 20th Birthday Party brought all of that to life in way that even the rather dull and dreary sky couldn’t overshadow.

Special gratitude to Natalie Nixon and Nicola Woods who brought the whole event together, commandedthedancefloor,andescortedtheexhaustedDarwenfromplacetoplace.

For this and so many other things these two, along with all other volunteers on the day deserve the gratitude of the Board. Great job!

Jack Gould – APH Board Member (attended 20th birthday party)

APH 20TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION


During 2018/19* we collected £4.6m in income from rents and service charges. We spent £3.8m on managing and maintaining our properties and paying our loan interest. Our surplus for the year was £0.8m.

The chart shows where the money was spent in more detail

In addition, we spent a further £432k investing in new cctv/communication equipment, replacing property components and pre render works.

*extracted pro-forma financial statements for the 12 months 2018/19

FINANCE AND GOVERNANCE

Our social housing costs per unit were below our North West peers. We made cashable savings of £139k against a budget of £36k and we have budgeted for future savings of £200k+ each year going forwards. These savings will ensure we are providing the best services for our residents in the best and most efficient way and will enable us to deliver the services needed to meet our corporate priorities, invest in our current homes and to increase the number of affordable homes by 50 over the next 3 years.

We enabled our residents to access £90k of additional income via Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) and prevented 2 evictions due to issues with Universal Credit.

During the year we focussed on improving our internal controls and how we monitor and manage our risks.

We will continue this work to strengthen the sound governance practices already in place.

14% Service charge costs26% Housing management12% Routine repairs4% Planned & major repairs17% Depreciation10% Interest charges18% Surplus

Efficiencysavings£000's

250

200

150

100

50

0

2018/19 budget 2018/19 actual 2019/20 actual

VALUE FOR MONEY

GOVERNANCE

HOW WE SPENT OUR INCOME

The Pioneer - Customer Updates

During June and July of this year TLF the same independent research company that carried our last customer satisfaction survey carried out another survey with APH tenants. This was another telephone survey which enable TLF give us a great deal of qualitative feedback which is extremely helpful in helping us improve our services.

TLF made over 3,000 phone call and spoke to 134 APH households, with 84 households refusing and only 20% ofrespondents wished to remain anonymous. This helps us to carry out some follow up interviews where there may have been areas of dissatisfaction so that we can hopefully address theseissues in the future.

The survey helped us to identify areas that our customers see as most important and it also helped us to find out the key drivers to help improve customer satisfaction.

These areas have been identified in a 5 point plan which we will keep tenants informed on our progress inthese 5 areas. The survey also helped us to develop our new Corporate Priorities for 2019 to 2022 which will be reported on in this edition of Pioneer News.

The survey itself was pleasing in that it shows our customers on the whole are very satisfied with APH. In fact APH is in the upper quartile of UK HousingAssociations in the Satisfaction Index.

With regard to the top 5 areas our customers identified as the mostimportant APH is above average in all areas. In terms of helpfulness of employees our tenants gave us anaverage of 9 out of 10 which is particularly pleasing.

The Board and colleagues would like to thank all residents that took party in the survey.

Interviewing Statistics — 25 May - 05 July 2019

Sample size shown in ().

611usable

contactsprovided

134Interviewed

84Refusals

262Called 5+ times

38Other

(Language problems, hard of hearing,

unavailable during data collection period etc).

93Invalid sample

(Including unobtainable numbers & duplicates)

3272Phone calls

made to achieve 134 interviews

134GeneralNeeds

customers interviewed

27.9%response rate

20.1%(27)

wished to remain

anonymous

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY

INTRODUCTION AND SAMPLING

Sarah Sharrock - Director Resources


WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS FEEL IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT THE SERVICE WE PROVIDE

IN THE AREAS OUR CUSTOMERS VALUE THE MOST WE SCORED ABOVE UK AVERAGE SATISFACTION SCORES

Helpfulness of employees

Treating you with fairness and respect

Overall quality of your home

Helpfulness of contractors

Your rent providesvalue for money

5 6 7 8 9 10

Helpfulness of employees APH average 8.8 UK average 7.98

Helpfulness of contractors APH average 8.7 UK average 7.98

Your rent providesvalue for money APH average 8.5 UK average 8.01

Treating you with fairness and respect APH average 8.8 UK average 8.47

Overall qualityof your home APH average 8.00

UK average 7.81

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

APH SATISFACTION

SCORE

<< WORST AVERAGE >> BEST>>

ASHTON PIONEER HOMES IS IN THE TOP 20%

OF UK HOUSING ASSOCIATION IN TERMS OF THE UK

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION INDEX (CSI)

50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

APH 2019: 83.2%APH 2016: 83.7%


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Service charge provides value for money

Neighbourhood as a place to live

Overall quality of your home

The way they deal with repairs and maintenance

Listening to you views and acting upon them

5 6 7 8 9

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0% 0.0% 2.2% 2.2%0.0% 0.0%

COMPLETELY DISSATISFIED

8.7%15.2% 8.7%

63%

COMPLETELY SATISFIED

TLF ASKED RESIDENTS

"Howsatisfied ordissatisfiedwere

you with the way you last repair was handled?" Our Tenants on

average gave us 9 out of 10 or our Repairs

Service2019 MEAN: 9.12016 MEAN: 9.1

55% OF TENANTS SAID IF APH PROVIDED MORE WAYS FOR YOU TO CONTACT/INTERACT WITH THEM USING YOUR SMARTPHONE, TABLET, OR

COMPUTER THEY ARE LIKELY TO USE THEM. 82% OF TENANTS USE SMARTPHONE APPS

20192016

IMPORTANCESATISFACTION

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

COMPLETELY DISSATISFIED COMPLETELY SATISFIED

NEVER

NO 15.6%

YES 82.6%

WE COMPARED OUR CUSTOMERS SCORES FOR "IMPORTANCE" WITH "SATISFACTION" SCORES.BASED ON CUSTOMERS COMMENTS AND TLF

EXPERT ANALYSIS OF THE DATA, THE FOLLOWING AREAS ARE'WHATMATTERSMOST' TO OUR CUSTOMERS


During June and July of this year TLF the same independent research company that carried our last customer satisfaction survey carried out another survey with APH tenants. This was another telephone survey which enable TLF give us a great deal of qualitative feedback which is extremely helpful in helping us improve our services.

TLF made over 3,000 phone call and spoke to 134 APH households, with 84 households refusing and only 20% of respondents wished to remain anonymous. This helps us to carry out some follow up interviews where there may have been areas of dissatisfaction so that we can hopefully address theseissues in the future.

The survey helped us to identify areas that our customers see as most important and it also helped us to find out the key drivers to help improve customer satisfaction.These areas have been identified in a 5 point plan which we will keep tenants informed on our progress in these 5 areas. The survey also helped us to develop our new Corporate Priorities for 2019 to 2022 which will be reported on in this edition of Pioneer News.

The survey itself was pleasing in that it shows our customers on the whole are very satisfied with APH. In fact APH is in the upper quartile of UK HousingAssociations in the Satisfaction Index.

With regard to the top 5 areas our customers identified as the mostimportant APH is above average in all areas. In terms of helpfulness of employees our tenants gave us anaverage of 9 out of 10 which is particularly pleasing.

The Board and colleagues would like to thank all residents

that took party in the survey.

Over the past few Months, working in partnership with residents, colleagues and the Board, APH has been reviewingour corporate objectives as part of our Business Planning process.

It is very important that we adapt to our operating environment within the housing sector and that we also listen to customers and colleagues when we plan ahead. Residents in particular have helped us to shape the key priorities through the TLF Customer Insight Survey and the Pioneer Community Action Group (PCAG).

Following the consultation we have focussed on 4 key areas which are:-

1 Customers

2 Colleagues

3 Community and

4 Governance

All teams at APH have their own operational plans which reflect the Corporate priorities. The senior management team will be reporting to Board on performance and progress.Residents will be kept informed via Pioneer news and through social media. Managers will be working closely with PCAG and the newly formed Resident Scrutiny Group to ensure delivery of the priorities to the satisfaction of all concerned.

1 To ensure customers are receiving Value for Money with their Service Charge. Each service will undergo a full review starting with the 24/7 Neighbourhood Service in January 2020

2 We will work closely with local residents and the Local Authority to address concerns about the neighbourhood as a place to live

3 We will survey every APH home by the end of 2021 and this information will enable us to plan, maintain and manage our assets more efficiently

4 We will create more opportunities to give tenants a voice and scrutinise our services holding us to account

5 We will look to develop a new digital offer. This will enable tenants to book repairs, give us feedback digitally or even access their rent account through a computer or via a smartphone.

THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY HAS ENABLED ASHTON PIONEER HOMES TO FOCUS ON 5 KEY AREAS TO IMPROVE OUR SERVICE.

OUR CORPORATE PRIORITIES 2019/2022



Customers2019/2020 By 2022

Complete independent Customer Insight Survey in 2019

Achieve improved customer satisfaction

Develop a Digital Tenant Offer enabling digital resident

engagement opportunities

Target digital engagement with the majority of APH

tenantsDevelop a Customer Pledge that

maps out our Customer Offer Demonstrate 10% increase

in resident participation

Colleagues2019/2020 By 2022

Ensure the continuation of APH Apprentice Model supporting

local Young People work

Support local at least 2 local People into full time employment work

Improve Colleague Engagement of the Business Planning

process

Demonstrate greater employee insight and engagement

Invest in IT and Communication infrastructure

Review of Agile working opportunities for colleagues

Community2019/2020 By 2022

Create 30 new Affordable Homes

Create 50 new Affordable Homes

Complete a Stock Condition Survey on 30% all APH

properties

Completion of Survey for 100% of stock into Asset Management

Module

Adopt a Social Value and Impact Assessment Model

Increase our Social Value and Return on Investment

Governance2019/2020 By 2022

Achieve revenue value for money efficiency savings of 5%

Maintain ongoing Revenue Budgets

Carry out Process Reviews of the Neighbourhood Services

Team

Carry out Process Reviews of all Teams and Services

Ensure compliance with the Code of Governance

Review Governance processes

12 13The Pioneer - Customer Updates The Pioneer - Customer Updates

VOID AND LETTINGS

We had 73 new voids in the year and we relet 78 properties giving a turn-over of 8%.

Once again a brilliant performance by the Maintenance and Housing Management Teams in ensuring properties are empty for as short a time as possible, the sector average is 28 days

THE AVERAGE TIME IT TOOK APH TO

RELET A PROPERTY WAS 11.72 DAYS.

ARREARS Despite the uncertainties of welfare reforms our performance on rent arrears was excellent collecting a little over 100% of the rent due and reducing overall arrears on the previous 12 months to £84,499.90

Universal Credit !! the Housing Officers Alison, Nicola and Vicki and Katy our Welfare Advice Officer have worked tirelessly in trying to reduce the impact UC has had on our tenants.

At the end of March we had 164 tenants on Universal Credit and whilst the arrears on these cases was 52% of the overall arrears the collection rate was still 100%

WELFARE ADVICEKaty our Welfare Advice Officer supported 158 tenants throughout 2018/19, helping tenants to maximize their income, ensuring they were claiming the correct benefits and helping them to reduce their outgoings.

ANTI SOCIAL BEHAVIOURThere were 134 reported incidents of Anti Social Behaviour between April 2018 and March 2019 this was a reduction of 23% on the previous 12 months.

A massive 43% were resolved immediately by our fabulous Neighbourhood Services Team.

HOUSING MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE 2018/19

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar

NEW VOIDS IN THE PERIOD

16.0014.0012.0010.008.006.004.002.000.00

Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Total

NEW VOIDS IN THE PERIOD

CURRENT TENANT ARREARSHB ARREARS

120000.00

100000.00

80000.00

60000.00

40000.00

20000.00

0.00


£ CURRENT TENANT ARREARS

CTAUOCCUC

120000.00

100000.00

80000.00

60000.00

40000.00

20000.00

0.00


WELFARE REFORM ARREARS INDICATOR

If your property has a balcony, can you please ensure that you regularly check it for leaves and debris as a build of this can block the drainage holes and the gullies.

This ultimately causes leaks to properties below, particularly in very wet weather.

Thank you for your cooperation.

BALCONY GULLIES/DRAINAGE

We plan to carry out 300 stock condition surveys before the end of March 2020, with the rest being completed over the next two years.

This is to report on the overall condition of our stock and help us to plan for future repairs and maintenance.

It is a visual inspection of the inside and outside of your home and takes around 20 minutes. We will assess the age and condition of major elements in your home such as the kitchen, bathroom windows and doors.

We will notify you in advance of our attendance to arrange a suitable appointment

All of our properties should have a mains wired smokealarmfitted.

If this is not the case, please get in touch and we willarrangeforonetobefitted.

0161 343 8128

Ellison house will be re rendered from January 2020 to July 2020 and is being completed by our contractor Casey. The programme will also include new windows and a new roof.

The render design will resemble that on both Grosvenor and Ellison House.

We aim to complete this work with as little inconvenience to you as possible, however if you have any questions or queries, please contact the Customer Services Team.

REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE

STOCK CONDITION SURVEY

MAINS WIRED SMOKE ALARMS

RENDERING WORKS – ELLISON HOUSE

14 15The Pioneer - Your Neighbourhood The Pioneer - Your Neighbourhood

Please note that due to the way the financial calendar falls between 1st April 2019 and 31st March 2020 there are 53 Mondays during this financial year and therefore 53 rent weeks. This is something which happens every 5 or 6 years.

Universal credit does not take this into account and calculates the housing

costs element of your UC over 52 weeks, meaning there is a potential shortfall in the amount you are paid for housing.

With this in mind we are reminding and encouraging all tenants on UC to pay a little extra each month if they can to cover the shortfall.

Those tenants in receipt of Housing Benefit will automatically have their award adjusted.

2019/2020 53 WEEK RENT YEAR

158 TENANTS SUPPORTED BY WELFARE ADVICE OFFICER BETWEEN 1ST APRIL 2018 - 31ST MARCH 2019

14%

31%

6%5%

30%

1%7%

2%4%

DEBTBENEFITCOUNCIL TAX SUPPORTUC APPLICATIONS2 MONTH VISITSBAILIFF INTERVENTIONSDHP APPLICATIONSPIP APPLICATIONSOTHER

There are 2 non collection weeks over the Christmas period in which rent is not being debited on to your accounts.

The weeks are as follows:Week beginning 23rd December 2019Week beginning 30th December 2019

If you are in rent arrears we urge you to take advantage of this time to reduce your rent arrears.

Tenants who currently have an agreement or Court Order must continue to adhere to the agreement or Order; failure to pay will put you in breach of your Court Order and put your tenancy with Ashton Pioneer Homes in serious jeopardy.

Direct Debits will be automatically stopped over the Christmas period for those residents who have a clear account.

Please remember to put weekly standing order payments on hold until week commencing 6th January 2020.

Ifyouhaveanyqueriesordifficulty paying your rent please contact yourHousingServicesOfficerat the earliest opportunity.

RENT PAYMENTS OVER THE CHRISTMAS PERIOD

UNIVERSAL CREDIT PAYMENT DATES OVER CHRISTMAS 2019

Payment due: Wednesday, December 25 Payment sent: Tuesday, December 24

Payment due: Thursday, December 26 Payment sent: Tuesday, December 24

Payment due: Saturday, December 28 Payment sent: Friday, December 27

Payment due: Sunday, December 29 Payment sent: Friday, December 27

Payment due: Wednesday, January 1 Payment sent: Tuesday, December 31

TAX CREDITS



Payment due: Wednesday, January 1 2020 Payment sent: Tuesday, December 31

STATEPENSION,CARER'SALLOWANCE, DISABILITY LIVING ALLOWANCE AND PENSION CREDIT



Payment due: Wednesday, January 1 Payment sent: Tuesday, December 31

REMEMBER YOUR BENEFIT PAYMENT DATE MAY CHANGE IF IT IS DUE ON A BANK HOLIDAY

CHILD BENEFITAs Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day fall on a Wednesday and Thursday and child

benefitisusuallypaideveryfourweeks,eitheronaMondayorTuesday,thisshouldn’tbeaffected.

THE smart way to know which bin to put out and when is to use Tameside Council’s bins app.

The free app – which is available to owners of Apple and Android phones – has thousands of users.

It’s simple to operate and, because Tameside refuse collection wagons are online, crews can be swiftly alerted so that problems are promptly resolved. Information about fly-tipping and littering can be also acted on very quickly.To use the bins app, simply enter your house name/number, street and town including postcode, and it will search for collection dates and tell you which bins need to be put out. You can also report a missed collection and get automatic reminders.

For more information visit www.tameside.gov.uk/

refuseandrecycling

WHAT TO PUT IN EACH BIN

We are not able to recycle PLASTIC BAGS, YOGHURT POTS and PLASTIC FOOD TRAYS at this time. These should be disposed of in your GREEN LANDFILL BIN Use this page to find out what you need to put in your bins.

NEED MORE CADDY LINERS?Tie a liner or carrier bag around the handle of your brown bin on collection day and we will leave you a free roll.

BE SMART - USE THE BINS APP

16 17

Resident scrutiny

24/7 Service

Welfare benefit Advice

Resident Involvement

Social Value & Social

Impact

Coffee Mornings

Soup Club

Energy saving

courses

1st aid Courses

Job Club

Cooking on a

budget

Computer mentoring

Loan Shark Training

Social evenings

Christmas Meal

Tenants IT Base

The Pioneer - Pioneer PeopleThe Pioneer - Pioneer People

RESIDENT INVOLVEMENT

ROUGH DIAMONDS - JINGLE AND MINGLE

Moving forward into 2020 APH will be demonstrating our Social Value in the communities we work.

Social value is the ‘why’ of housing associations like Ashton Pioneer Homes – it’s what we do

If we reduce housing associations to bricks, mortar, rents, repairs and relets, we ignore our increasingly important role as an anchor institution in the communities where we operate.

At APH we work with some vulnerable residents who are more likely to experience some form of disadvantage. A home provides shelter, warmth and safety: fundamental human needs. By providing homes, we transform spaces into places and places into neighbourhoods. Often APH employees live alongside our tenants in these places (or close by) and our procurement of materials and services from local businesses stimulates inclusive growth in Tameside communities.

It makes sound social, economic and business sense for APH to be able to understand the impact – the difference – our investment decisions make with and for our tenants.

Housing associations are called‘social’ landlords for an obvious reason: we exist to do more than just provide housing and to balance accounts or make a financial surplus. But what does ‘social’ mean and when we talk about doing ‘more’ than provide housing what does this involve? If we want to show the value of the ‘extra’ that we provide, we need a clear idea of what it is and work out ways to measure it.

WHAT IS SOCIAL VALUE?

It is very easy to find lengthy definitions of ‘social value’, but a simple one is that APH has adopted is:-

“Thewidernon-financialimpactsof programmes, organisations and projects, especially on the wellbeing of individuals and communities and of the environment.”

These are often called ‘soft’ outcomes because they are difficult to measure. This poses a problem for those wanting to assess their effectiveness – When applying a social value test to a service or contract, Social Enterprise UK suggests you ask the question: If £1 is spent on the delivery of services, can that same £1 be used to also produce a wider benefit to the community? In short APH is looking

to be able to demonstrate to our residents and stakeholders a social return on our investments.

The ‘how’ of social value in the sectorThe bad news? There is neither a magic bullet nor a one-size-fits-all method in measuring the impact of our services or the value in the difference we make. APH therefore have appointed Laurel Regen Ltd to support us with a bespoke toolkit that will enable APH to effectively measure our social value and impact in terms of our community investment.

Watch this space in the next edition of Pioneer news to see

how APH is measuring our social impact in the

communities we serve.

The Rough Diamonds held their annual Fundraiser in the Linda Fletcher Community Base. For £3 a ticket you got a Chilli Dog, Mulled Wine, Mince Pie with cream and a chance to win a luxury food hamper! We all had as smashing time and raised a good amount of money enabling us to carry on the good work we do in the Community!

Volunteers worked had manning the raffles and tombola whilst making sure everyone had a jolly good time!

Merry Christmas and

a Happy New Year from the Rough Diamonds!!

COOKING ON A BUDGET FOR BEGINNERSEarlier on in the year we ran a “Cooking for Beginners” Course. It was very well attended and all that joined in reported they had learnt something new. We showed them how to cook healthy meals on a budget. Some rarely cooked for scratch, some never did.

We compared shop bought ready meals too proving that homemade is far more nutritional and cheaper in the long run.

We made big batches and figured out the price per portion.

Here’s Martyn learning how to chop safely.

I have wanted to come on Nicola’s cooking courses for ages but didn’t have the confidence so this time I gave it a go. I have attended things before but never really stuck to it. I came to every session because I loved it!

I felt very relaxed, I thought I would get stressed and worked up. I tried in the past to peel potatoes but couldn’t do it. I can now peel potatoes and chop them. I have peeled and chopped onions and carrots. We have made easy meals that have been delicious. We have made lots of different things as a team and it’s been fun. I want to go on the next one to learn more!

MARTYN HAD THE FOLLOWING TO SAY…

José won the food Hamper!

We are more than just a landlord and a lot of the work we do in the community has a social value. We are working with Laurel Regen Ltd so that we can demonstrate the socialimpact we have on our communities.

Peter Marland - Director of Housing Services

APH AND OUR SOCIAL VALUE

18 19The Pioneer - Pioneer PeopleThe Pioneer - Pioneer People

My name is Gary and I am a funder member of the Pioneer Community Action Group (PCAG) and current Chairman.

The reason I wanted to participate was to help tenants have a voice after the Grenfell disaster.

These past few months I’ve enjoyed my role, brainstorming, speaking to and helping residents with certain problems. We will have a positive impact but we need your help.

I work for the Railway in a management role, so I am always taking part in meetings.

I am looking forward to a great relationship with APH and we will work together I’m sure because our aims are the same.

Finally if you would like to get in touch to speak to me call in to the Base and ask for me or Nicola Woods.

MY STORY DIGITAL DIAMONDSMy name is Claire Moss, I moved into Grosvener House recently with My daughter.

II was invited by Nicola Woods to come t o the Linda Fletcher Community Base and join in with the activities and meet the other residents of Pioneer Homes and other residents who live in the surrounding area.

I don’t have any family or friends in the area and I was feeling very lonely and isolated.

I joined in with the soup club on The Monday and was made to feel very welcome by Nicola and the rest of the group.

On Wednesday I met more lovely people and enjoyed the coffee morning very much, and then stayed for crafting in the afternoon.

On Thursday evening I met up with the Rough Diamonds for games night and had a brilliant time.

I haven’t looked back since, plans have been made to go on days out, and to the cinema, walks, Christmas meal etc..

I have made some lovely friends and I can’t put it in to words how important this group is to me.

I would have been very isolated and lonely without it and it’s allowed me to meet

people who I would have never come into contact with. It’s a safe place where we can meet up to chat, help, encourage and listen each other... Long may it last!

Does the thought of using a computer or laptop make you quake in your boots? If so get in touch with Nicola as next year we will be running a 8 week “Beginners and Beyond” computer course. We will be starting right from scratch in a relaxed learning environment. Free brews and 1-1 support from our volunteers. You can bring your own laptop or use one of our computers. There has been quite a lot of interest so we will run this course throughout the year so no one misses out!

Call in to see Nicola in the Linda Fletcher I.T Suite or call in to APH

Here’s 1 of our Volunteers Mike helping Sam out

GARY PIONEER COMMUNITY ACTION GROUP

WHATS ON GUIDE - THE LINDA FLETCHER COMMUNITY BASE (RYECROFT HOUSE)

DAY

Digital DiamondsFree Internet Support Drop in 11.30am – 2.15pm

Digital DiamondsFree Internet Support Drop In11.30am – 2.15pm

Digital Diamonds Free Internet Support Drop in 11.30am – 2.15pm



Soup Club11.30 – 12.30pmPay what you can

Room Available to Hire

CoffeeMorning 10.30 -12pm

The Rough Diamonds Free Craft Activity12.30 – 2.30pm

The Rough Diamonds Social Group6pm – 8pmFree Internet Support Drop in

Healthy Minds Drop In10am -12pm

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

IT SUITE COMMUNITY ROOM

If you have any views, comments or recommendations please write to Tony Berry,Chief Executive at Margaret House.

To get this newsletter in Braille, large print or on tapePhone: 0161 343 8128 Text: 07624 802412 Email: [email protected]

Pioneer news is published by Ashton Pioneer Homes

PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOMES IN THE COMMUNITY0161 343 8128 www.ashtonpioneerhomes.co.uk

Facebook: @ashtonpioneer Twitter: @AshtonPioneer Instagram: @ashtonpioneerhomes

CHAIR OF ASHTON PIONEER HOMESWe live in changing times and as I write this at the end of November, I’m very aware that by Christmas we may have a new government in place. Regardless of which political party is in power it is very real that we are in the midst of a genuine housing crisis in the UK. It is more important than ever that we as a board, colleague and customer team do all we can to help with this.

Picking out the highlights of a whole year can be tricky because the last thing I want to do is miss anything important; but it is a pleasure to share with our customers just some of the highlights because it has been a positive year for us, so I will do my best!

It was great to see and meet some of you when we celebrated our 20th Birthday in July. There was a good turnout and we all enjoyed the entertainment and food provided. Typically, the British weather let us down and it poured down – but the rain didn’t dampen our spirits.

The whole team at APH have continued to work hard to provide you with the best services. Across the business, performance is high, and our financial position is sound. I was so pleased to read that I n our recent Customer Satisfaction Survey you said that the ‘helpfulness of employees’ was the most important aspect of the service we provide. It was particularly pleasing that you rated Ashton Pioneer Homes as 8.8 out of 10 in this area. I was delighted to find out that APH is in the top 20% of UK housing associations in terms of the UK Customer Satisfaction Index.

I’d like to pass on my huge appreciation and thanks to all the team.We won’t become complacent about results like these. There is still much for us to do as a high performing landlord. We have used these survey results to focus on five key areas to improve and Peter Marland tells you more about these on page 8 and 9.

The team have worked together with residents to develop our new APH values. These set out how APH operates on a day to day basis and what you can expect to see from all our colleagues at every level.

They are:• We are honest• Weareefficient• We are approachable• We are respectful• We work together.

The customer survey and the work with the teams including the Pioneer Community Action Group (PCAG) have helped the Board and the Executive Team determine the corporate priorities for the next 3 years. More detailed information is contained in the Annual Report section of Pioneer News.

May I take this opportunity to wish you and your families a peaceful festive season and I look forward to working with you in 2020.

Jane Atherton Chair of the Board


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