Soha Housing’s residents’ magazine Spring 2018Hometalk Soha Housing’s residents’ magaine T...

Soha Housing’s residents’ magazine Spring 2018

Time for a change? PAGE 4

Top tips for Universal Credit PAGE 6

Freshen up your finances PAGE 7

Our performance for 1 October to 31 December 2017

How we’re doing

*based on MEL rolling telephone survey

Overall satisfaction

Tenants satisfied with Soha’s service

Annual target: 90% How we did: 90%

Arrears

Arrears for current tenants

Annual target: 2.0% How we did: 4.3% Net of Housing Benefit: 3.2%*

Your views

Tenants satisfied that Soha listens to their views and acts upon them


Repairs

Average time to complete repairs

Annual target: 8 days How we did: 7.6 days

Repairs fixed at the first visit


Going online to Soha website

(monthly average over the period October – December 2017)

Number of users 3,816

Number of sessions 7,246(a session is a period of time a user is actively engaged with the website)

Number of page views 28,111(a page view is when a user looks at a particular page on a website)

*However, housing benefit was due at the time these figures were produced. We have 149 households receiving Universal Credit, with around 1/3 awaiting their first payment.

www.soha.co.uk2

Hometalk | Soha Housing’s residents’ magazine | Spring 2018

How are we doing? 2

Time for a change 4

Do it online! 5

Top tips for Universal Credit claims 6

Freshen up your finances 7

Homes news 8

Diary/news in brief 9

DigIt! with David 10

Help beat the loan sharks! 11

Contact usThe Editor, Hometalk magazine, Soha Housing, Royal Scot House, 99 Station Road, Didcot, OX11 7NN

Call 01235 515 900/0800 014 15 45 (Freephone) Email [email protected]

Join the conversation on Twitter @SohaHousing or tweet direct to our Customer Services team at @AskSoha Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SohaHousing

Designed by: Toast Design www.toastdesign.co.uk Print managed by: Baker Goodchild www.bakergoodchild.co.uk Audio services by: Transcriptions Direct www.transcriptionsdirect.co.uk Sub-editor: Meriel Lewis, 2m Partnership www.2m.org.uk

Hometalk is also available in large print, audio and electronic formats. If you would like to receive a different version, or unsubscribe from receiving Hometalk altogether, please email [email protected] or call us on the telephone number above. To read this (or any Soha publication) in another language, or to add English speech so that it is read aloud to you, go to www.soha.co.uk/translation for easy-to-follow instructions.

In this issue...

ContributorsMaureen AdamsDirector of Customer Service and Operations

Jackie LoganResident Involvement Manager

Steve LynchDirector of Property and Development

David KentEstates team

We listened: Throughout this edition of Hometalk you’ll see examples of where your feedback made a difference.

www.soha.co.uk 3


This has been a difficult decision for me. However, Soha is in a good place with sound

finances, great services and growth and a true track record of involving tenants. I believe this is the right point for new leadership to build on our successes and keep improving Soha as a community-based housing association.

I have been fortunate to do a job I love and I am immensely proud of Soha and the great staff and residents who have made my job so rewarding. I am, of course, especially proud of leading the change in our structure making us one of the few mutually-owned associations where tenants can have real control.

I believe that Soha’s local community base has underpinned our success

Welcome to HometalkThis introduction is rather different from previous updates I’ve written for Hometalk because it’s about me! I am writing this to inform you all that I have decided to retire next summer.

Richard Peacock Chief Executive

and would like to thank you all for your support over the years.

The Board has begun recruitment for a new Chief Executive and an update will be posted to Soha’s website in due course.

In the meantime, I’d like to remind all tenants that you can become members of Soha very easily and have a real say in the future of your housing association. Simply look at the back page of this Hometalk or www.soha.co.uk/membership to find out more. I look forward to welcoming many more members.

Annabel was looking for jobs and needed to show she was serious. “I wanted to refresh

my skills,” she explains. ““I did a Customer Services course at Soha which covered what makes good customer service (the answer is being a problem-solver for your customers), how to write a winning CV and where and how to look for jobs. I was only half way through when a company in Abingdon asked me for interview. I was in work within days, and

I did it and you can too! Time for a change?

promoted within two weeks. I’d say to anyone thinking about picking up the phone to Soha – you’ve nothing to lose! The training is a short time commitment, it’s free, and it does what it says on the tin: it really was a Launchpad for me!”

What’s Launchpad all about?

Launchpad is all about helping you think about your options for employment and to support you to take your next step. That might be training or borrowing a tablet to get online, individual mentoring to think through the training or support that you need, interview practice or something else... We’ve helped more than 100 people to take their next step.

Who’s it for?

We can support any Soha tenant, shared owner or leaseholder through Launchpad and, thanks to ESF funding, can also offer support to many other people in Oxfordshire*. So get the word out to your friends and neighbours!

How can I find out more?

Get in touch by email [email protected], check Soha’s Facebook page for events and training, or phone 01235 515 900/0800 014 15 45 (Freephone) and ask for the Launchpad team.

Where does Launchpad happen?

A Launchpad mentor will typically meet you one-to-one for an in-depth talk about what you’d like to achieve, and what your options might be. They can help you to think through any barriers and point you in the direction of other support or training.

Training takes place across Soha’s area and online. We’re really pleased to work with partners including The First Step Forward Learning Hub in Cholsey, The Berin Centre in Berinsfield, Oxfordshire Libraries and Abingdon and Witney College.

Dates For The Diary:

Play-WayLearn understanding & support of children’s play

The Berin Centre, Berinsfield, 28 Feb, 7 & 14 Mar, 9.30am - 1.30pm

Popup Business Workshop

Learn practical ways to get a business idea off the ground

The Orchard Centre, Didcot, 19 - 23 Mar, 10am - 3pm

Prepare to Care

Learn about what it’s really like to work in the Care sector

Soha Boardroom, Didcot office, 12, 19, 26 Mar, 9.30am - 2.30pm

Get in touch to book your place! Phone 01235 515 900/0800 014 15 45 (Freephone) & ask for the Launchpad team.

*Free subject to eligibility


www.soha.co.uk4

Rent paymentsWe all lead busy lives so the more things we can do simply and quickly and 24 hours a day the better. When it comes to paying rent, download the allpay app available on the App Store, Google Play Store and Windows Phone.

Rather pay by phone? Easy! Call the allpay automatic payments line 0844 557 8321 any time of day or night.

Have your allpay swipe card and your debit card handy when you ring.

Save time: Do it online!

by Maureen Adams

Repairs orders When we’re closed, our out of hours phone service handles any emergency repair. Use the same numbers you use to call Soha during the day – 01235 515 900/0800 015 15 45 (Freephone) Non-urgent repairs can be reported any time you like

• On our website www.soha.co.uk/report-a-repair

• by emailing us on [email protected]

• by using the contact form on the website: www.soha.co.uk/about-us/contact-us we’ll let you know right away we’ve got your message.

Coming soon …We are developing a new Soha App you can use on your phone or tablet.

In the meantime you can find out more ways to pay your rent on our website www.soha.co.uk/ways -to-pay/

Quick questions?If there is something else you want to know you can use the form at www.soha.co.uk/about-us/contact-us on the website and email us a quick question. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

Needing help?We will always take calls from those that need us – especially residents who don’t use mobiles or computers. In fact, In fact, we are hoping to have more time for those that need us and will visit older or vulnerable households, particularly to help people set up direct debits, or discuss complex or sensitive issues. How can we say this? Because it costs us less as a business to handle your enquiries online, so any money we save goes back into developing our homes and services.

WebchatMany people now use webchat when they are online to us.

See a rectangular blue box on the bottom left hand corner of our website screen? Just click and get chatting online during office hours.

We listened: Two tenants living in a row of ten houses said their doors were draughty. We checked the whole street and replaced all the front doors.

www.soha.co.uk 5


Universal Credit (UC) is one payment, monthly in arrears, for a number of benefits rolled into one. Here’s what you need to do to get UC paid correctly and on time.

Gather all the information you need before completing the online form.

The process can take up to 40 minutes and you will need to have at hand:

• your National Insurance number

• your bank account details (for both you and your partner) and any payslips

• your childcare costs and your child benefit payments with the reference number. The Child Benefit reference starts with ‘CHB’ and is made up of 8 numbers and 2 letters, e.g. CHB1234567 AB – phone the Child Benefit Office on 0300 200 3100 if you need help.

State clearly who your landlord is. Getting this wrong may slow up the assessment. Please explain you are a housing association tenant with Soha Housing.

Respond to any contact from DWP as quickly as possible. They often have deadlines and missing these might give you problems. Under the digital service for UC you will be expected to log onto a ‘journal’ and update that.

Universal Credit: our top tips by Maureen Adams

Many working age people are now actively being transferred onto Universal Credit. What is it, and how can you best navigate the process?

Getting money while you wait – a Universal Credit Advance

When you first claim Universal Credit it will take about 5 weeks until you get your first payment. You can ask for an ‘advance’ if you will face financial hardship while your claim is processed.

You’ll need to explain why you need the advance but DWP will usually let you know on the same day. You will need to repay this ‘advance’ from future payments, so it is best to only ask for what you need. You will need to pay it back, a bit at a time, from your future UC payments.

Setting up your bank account or Direct Debit

UC should make managing your benefits easier to understand once things settle down. However the UC payment includes your housing costs which need to be paid by you to Soha. In the past the housing costs were paid directly to Soha via Housing Benefit.

Now you will need to pay your rent to us out of your UC payment. A Direct Debit is the easiest method.

Contact DWP to set up a claim: www.gov.uk/apply-universal-credit

Contact Soha for a Direct Debit form and advice on opening a bank account: www.soha.co.uk/ways-to-pay-your-rent

We listened: Sonning Common residents wanted the parking improved. We consulted with all residents, installed an extra parking bay and created designated disabled parking.

www.soha.co.uk6


Spring is on the way (allegedly) so what better time to spring clean your finances?

Spring clean your finances!

This article was contributed by our partners at Christians Against Poverty (CAP), a charity determined to reduce hardship in the UK with the help of local churches. It does this through debt counselling centres, job clubs, money management courses, work to tackle addictions and more. All CAP’s services are given freely for everyone regardless of age, gender, faith or background. Find out more at capuk.org.

Other charities which can help include Citizens Advice (citizensadvice.org.uk or 0300 330 1313 and StepChange at stepchange.org or 0800 138 1111 (Freephone).

Soha’s Rental Income team can also talk you through working out a budget. Contact them at [email protected] 01235 515 900/0800 014 15 45 (Freephone).

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Start as you mean to go on by making a budget. Getting your head around your income and expenditure can help to prevent you from running into real financial trouble in the future. There are tons of tools online to help you with this – just search ‘budget planner’.

Start building a bank of savings too. Life can take unexpected turns and it’s so important to have something to fall back on.

If the last two tips have filled you with dread thinking ’I’m already on a low income and struggling to cope as it is!’ then check out caplifeskills.org to sign up for a free, friendly course with practical sessions on shopping, cooking and living for a brighter future within your means.

In the UK, we throw away billions of pounds worth of food every year – much of which is still edible! This year, make the most of your food leftovers and your bank balance will surely thank you. Check out lovefoodhatewaste.com for some great leftover recipes.

Do you often rely on credit and find you’re tempted to buy more than you can realistically afford? This year, make it your mission to opt for cash instead. Draw out your allowance in cash at the start of the month and once it’s gone, it’s gone!

It’s even more difficult to manage your money when you have debts hanging over you. If this is the case for you, don’t bury your head in the sand. Take steps towards finding a solution by calling CAP’s free helpline on 0800 328 0006.

Finally, be honest and open with the people around you. Don’t ever be afraid to talk to your friends, family, partner or children if you’re struggling with money. Managing expectations will help to take pressure off you and give you breathing space to get yourself sorted. Happy 2018!

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We listened: The residents in bungalows at Fullers Field, Great Milton were paying a service charge for a communal lounge they don’t need. We’re going to convert it into living accommodation.


www.soha.co.uk 7

Soha has just completed a programme to improve its least energy-efficient properties.

The average SAP rating on these properties has increased by 20 points. SAP is the the UK national standard for calculating the energy performance of buildings.

Soha Housing offered 127 homes with a SAP rating of 55 or lower a new heating system: gas if the supply was available, or more efficient electrical radiators. The average SAP rating before the works was 47 and the new average is 67. Anna Milczarek of Henley-on-Thames (pictured with her daughter), who had gas installed for the first time, said, ”It makes all the difference. I no longer have to plan in advance how much hot water I’ll need for washing up, bathing and so on, or have to check the weather forecast the day before to set the ugly and unreliable heaters to be ready. Now I have hot water when we need it, and a constantly warm flat with controllable radiators.”

Homes news

Energy efficiency

“Gas heating has made all the difference”

The first residents of Wincey View, Great Haseley, moved in for Christmas.

The two one-bed flats and one two-bed house at affordable rent and one shared ownership (part-buy, part-rent) three-bed house were built with the proviso that they should accommodate

households who are either current residents or have an existing family or employment connection.

David Simcox, Chair of Great Haseley Parish Council (pictured front right with members of the Parish Council, Adam Jervis of the builder Feltham Construction and Soha’s Andy Sumser) said: “We are looking forward to the new residents contributing to and enjoying all that the village has to offer.”

New homes

by Steve Lynch

We listened: You told us that developers’ response to defects in Soha newbuilds is patchy. We’ve changed the process so that if the developer doesn’t fix a problem, we will – and recharge them.

www.soha.co.uk8


News in BriefThe Housing Minister (at that time) Alok Sharma, MP, came to meet over 100 tenants from housing organisations at an event hosted by Soha in Oxford in November. He spent several hours finding out what is most important to social housing residents in this area in one of a series of meetings he was holding around the country. Here he is with Soha tenants.

Coming up...

Have your say!Tenant Audit & Scrutiny Groups: Thursday 15 Feb, 10am - 1pm Soha Offices, Didcot

Membership Event: Wednesday 28 Mar, 6pm - 8pm, Civic Hall, Didcot

Employment Training: For free employment training & mentoring sessions – see Page 4

Resident Involvement: Contact [email protected] or call 01235 515 900/0800 014 15 45 (Freephone) to find out more.

Board & Committee Meetings: These meetings are listed on www.soha.co.uk

Please keep an eye on our website calendar and our Facebook page for more events.

We listened: We need comply with fire regulations so, when some tenants said they found door closers difficult to open, we installed additional D handles on some front doors and some specialist power-assisted door closers on others.

Soha residents can take part in a specially designed insurance scheme which is quick and easy to apply for. You can pay by cash, direct debit, postal order, credit or debit card. It even covers lost or stolen keys, and you can extend the cover to things you take out of your home, such as hearing aids or wheelchairs. Call Soha Customer Services to get hold of a My Home insurance pack and see how cheap reassurance can be!

Former policeman Richard of Towersey appeared in The Oxford Mail recently, singing the praises of the disability adaptation which allowed him and his wife to continue living in their bungalow.

If you think that there’s an adaptation to your home which would allow you to retain your independence, do talk it through with us on [email protected] or 01235 515 900/0800 014 15 45 (Freephone).

0844 and 0870 phone numbers often cost up to £1 a minute. Visit the “Say No To 0870” website to enter either the name of the company or the 0844/0870 phone number you’ve been told to use. The site will give you a landline number which is free or very much cheaper.

Get online!For free digital sessions contact [email protected] or call 01235 515 900/0800 014 15 45 (Freephone) to register.

Abingdon: Abingdon Library – Wednesday 21 Feb, Wednesday 21 Mar, 1pm - 3pm

Watlington: Old School Place – Tuesday 13 Feb, Tuesday 13 Mar, 11am - 12noon

Goring: Towse Court – Thursday 15 Feb, Thursday 19 Apr, 10am - 12noon

Swindon: Central Library – Tuesday 6 Mar, Tuesday 3 Apr, 10:30am - 12:30pm

Didcot: Barnes Close – Thursday 22 Feb, Thursday 22 Mar, Thursday 26 Apr, 1pm - 3pm

Thame: Thame Library – Monday 26 Feb, Monday 26 Mar, 1pm - 3pm

Cholsey: Cholsey Pavillion – Wednesday 18 Apr, Wednesday 25 Apr, 10:30am - 12:30pm

Berinsfield: The Berin Centre – Friday 20 Apr, 1pm - 3pm

Estate Inspections! To arrange to meet up contact [email protected] or call 01235 515 900/0800 014 15 45 (Freephone).

Henley: Gainsborough, Luker Avenue, Mount View – 8 Feb/am, 8 Mar/am, 12 Apr/am

Abingdon: Ock Bridge Place, Drayton Road, Caldecott Chase – 6 Feb/am, 6 Mar/am, 3 Apr/am

Oxford: Sherwood Place, Barton – 26 Feb/am, 26 Mar/am, 25 Apr/am

Didcot: Fleet Meadow – 7 Feb/am, 7 Mar/am, 4 Apr/am, Great Western Drive – 13 Feb/am, 13 Mar/am, 10 Apr/am, Great Western Park – 12 Feb/am, 12 Mar/am, 11 Apr/am

Woodcote: Medill Close- 14 Feb/pm, 20 Mar/pm, 19 Apr/pm

Thame: Van Diemans Road & Broadwaters Avenue – with Thames Valley Police

12 Feb/am, 12 Mar/am, 9 Apr/am

Swindon: Wootton Bassett – 14 Feb/am, 14 Mar/am, 11 Apr/am

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There’s never a time of year when there’s no weeding to be done, but doing it thoroughly now will prepare your soil for planting. Mix in compost you’ve made yourself, or store-bought compost or manure. Then you have permission to sit back for a week or so before planting: it’s easy to burn the roots of new plants or bulbs with compost that’s too new and rich!

Make the most of what you have already and lift carefully with a fork any clumps of snowdrops whose leaves are still green but whose flowers have faded. Then shake off excess soil and pull gently apart to create more plants for re-planting. Now’s also the time to do the same with bulbous plants that you might have had on the windowsill or in last year’s hanging baskets. Divide them now and they’ll be ready for summer.

Now’s the time to start growing from seed in your home. It’s an economical way to stock your garden or windowsill and fun to do with children. Maybe there’s a gardening club or similar in your area which offers free seeds and expert advice? Easy to grow plants include geraniums, nasturtiums, tomatoes, peppers or herbs – all of which will repay you for giving them an early start indoors.

with David

Get your garden ready for spring

Dig

It’s not too late to make a gardening New Year’s resolution: keep a scrapbook to remind you what works, and what doesn’t, in your garden. Hold on to the packets of seeds you’ve used and take a few pictures and it’ll make for a really informative read when you start planning for next year!

What a winter we’ve had! We’ve seen both high winds and snow causing damage, and a lot of rain. The end result is a slushy, mushy, untidy garden.

When we do get a spell of dry weather – even if it’s cold – this is our cue to get clearing leaves from grass and trimming off broken or dead branches on bushes.

Make sure your gardening tools are ready for the job. Clean metal parts with soap and water and wood handles with white spirit, which will help prevent the wood from splintering just when you’re about to put them into action!

Check out your local press and community magazines to see if there’s a swap shop or repair session for tools or small devices. For example, Sustainable Didcot has a repair Café on 17th February 5pm - 8.30pm at All Saints’ Youth and Community Hall, Roman Place for broken electricals, household items and blunt tools, where you can fix them with the help of expert volunteers. Find out more from [email protected]

It!

We listened: Luker Avenue, Henley on Thames, residents wanted the area cleared and tidied so it didn’t attract pests and other people’s waste. We completely re-landscaped it.

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Are you...Paying back a cash loan but you don’t have any paperwork?

Paying every week, or month, but the loan isn’t getting any smaller?

Being asked to pay more than the agreed instalment?

Being asked to hand over your possessions if you can’t pay?

If you have answered YES to any of the questions above, you may be dealing with a LOAN SHARK.

A loan shark is:An ILLEGAL money lender who is lending money without the permission

of the Financial Conduct Authority.

Someone who targets those who need the most help.

Someone who will encourage you to take out more loans when you really can’t afford to.

Someone who won’t take no for an answer.

Help beat the loan sharksReport a loan shark by:

www.stoploansharks.uk

0300 555 2222 24-hour helpline

[email protected]

07860 022116

It’s the loan shark who’s in the wrong, not you!The Stop Loan Sharks project is run by the Illegal Money Lending Team England, a specialist enforcement unit that operates across the country. The project has helped over 27,000 borrowers so, if you think you might

be involved with a loan shark, HELP THEM HELP YOU!

Yes! Send me information about becoming a member of Soha

My name

My address

Telephone number

Email address

Membership of Soha is now open to our tenants, shared owners and leaseholders.

Membership enables you to have a real say in making the biggest decisions about Soha’s future as a leading, community-based housing association, including:

• How Soha involves residents and communities

• Voting in elections for Soha’s Board• Voting on Soha’s Rules

There are also other exclusive benefits, including:

• Regular prize draws • Invitations to Member-only events

and discussions• Members’ newsletter

For more information and to register your interest, please see Soha’s website www.soha.co.uk/membership, or email [email protected] with MEMBERSHIP as the subject line or call or on 01235 515 900/0800 014 15 45 (Freephone) or fill in the slip below and return to FREEPOST SOHA HOUSING (no stamp required)

Soha Housing’s residents’ magazine Spring 2018Hometalk Soha Housing’s residents’ magaine T...

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