Talking ‘bout my generation!Meet the young tenants getting

involved on page 12

News and information for tenants and leaseholders of Wolverhampton Homes September 2011

Annual

Report Inside!

page 2

Polish

Farsi

Kurdish

Hindi

Arabic

Gujurati

WelcomeWelcome to

Tenants Update!

This issue includes

our annual report

which gives you all

the information you

need to judge how

we are doing. 

You can also read about what we are

doing to hear from young people.

Find out about the events being held

and meet some of the young tenants

involved in the special feature on

page 12.

I hope you enjoy this issue. Please let

us know your feedback through the

form on the back page. 

Ann Ramsbottom, Editor, Tenants Update

Punjabi

Urdu

Bengali

Our Next Board MeetingsTenants and leaseholders are welcome to come along to our next board meetings on:              

Monday 19 September 2011 (AGM) • Monday 23 January 2012All meetings will be held in our Board Room at our Head Office, Hickman Avenue and will start at9.30am.

To find out what decisions were made at previous board meetings, search 'board' atwww.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk

Contact us•  Call us on 01902 556789•  Email us homes.direct@wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk•  Call us out of hours for emergencies on 01902 552999•  Call us to report antisocial behaviour out of hours on

01902 558901•  Text 60066 and start your text WHomes followed by a

space

•  Check out www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk•  Tweet us at www.twitter.com/WolvesHomes•  Join us at www.facebook.com/WolvesHomes

Prefer Email? If you’d prefer us to email you an electronic copy of this

newsletter, let us know by sending your request to

communications@wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk. Please

note, if you receive an electronic copy of Tenants Update,

you will no longer receive a printed version in the post.

We can also receive feedback and competition entries at

the same email address.

If you require this information inanother language or format, contact us on 01902 556789

page 3

A chat with the Chief Executive

Upcoming Get TogethersThe next Get Togethers are coming soonand we’d love for you to join us! This time,the Get Togethers will focus on antisocialbehaviour and tackling hate crime. We willbe using actors to tell the story of how hatecrime can affect people.

There will be light refreshments and childcare facilities. We’ll also arrange transportif required.

Come along to your local event: 

Merry Hill - Tuesday 20 September,Connaught Hotel, 6 to 8pm

Wednesfield - Thursday 22 September,Heath Town Community Centre, 6 to 8pm

Bilston - Tuesday 27 September, HiltonHall, 3 to 5pm

Low Hill - Thursday 29 September, LowHill Community Centre, 6 to 8pm

For more information call 01902 556789.

Your Say on

Council HousingAt the last Get Togethers we askedfor your views on who should begiven Council housing.

We will now share your views withWolverhampton City Council, whoown your homes. Any changeswould require extensiveconsultation, including with tenants,before they were made. 

We discussed how many refusalsare acceptableand if being involved in ASBshould have an impact on whatband you're placed in, forexample. 

For more information on what wassaid visitwww.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk

In this issue of Tenants Update, we’re trying a new style ofintroduction from Lesley Roberts, our Chief Executive. Atour Young Get Together Kelly Andrews, 26, from Low Hill,put her questions to Lesley. How did you get involved with Wolverhampton Homesand what do you feel you have achieved so far?Wolverhampton Homes was the job of my dreams. I wantedto work where the people were nice but there were stillchallenges and I could hopefully make a difference.   

I'm pleased to say a lot has changed.  Three quarters of ourhomes have been modernised under the Decent Homes

programme, tenants tell us they are more satisfied with repairs and we've been able to cut runningcosts so we can put more money into things like fencing and minor works.

What do you do to get young people involved? We do help fund a number of youth projects across thecity, and have found that football is a great way to engageyoung people, particularly boys.   Events like the YoungGet Together are also a great idea. But we also have tohelp other generations be more tolerant of young people.   

Does Wolverhampton Homes have a suggestion box?We used to have suggestion boxes in our One StopShops but they weren't used very much. Perhaps wecould set up an e-mail suggestion box? We have a wholehost of other ways tenants can let us have their views -Get Togethers, Special Interest Groups, regularquestionnaires and many more. 

If you could meet one person, dead or alive, whowould it be?I would like to meet Tony Blair to understand why the Iraqwar happened.  

WHEN KELLY MET LESLEY: Kelly Andrews gets her questionsanswered by our Chief Executive

page 4

Let’s GetMoney Smart!

Benefits UpdateDeductions for Under-OccupationFrom April 2013, tenants of working age, whounder-occupy their home, will face a reduction inhousing benefit payments.

Under-occupying means you have morebedrooms than people in your home.

Tenants will receive housing benefit based on howmany people live in the home.

Bedroom needs are expected to be based on:

A bedroom for each person or couple except for:

•  Two children aged 15 or under expected toshare a room if of the same gender

•  Two children aged 9 or under expected toshare a room regardless of gender

Information suggests that if a claimant under-occupies their home by one bedroom, this couldlead to a cut of around 13% in housing benefit.Under-occupation by two or more bedrooms couldlead to a cut of around 23%. 

Heather Leary Money Smart

Manager

Nadine LawMoney Smart

Manager

Chris CashMoney Smart

Officer

One Stop Shop for Money Advice We’ve teamed up with the Money Advice Serviceto offer you advice on everything from saving andbudgeting to planning your retirement.

The Money Advice Service will be holding freesessions every Tuesday at the Market Street OneStop Shop. Call 0333 321 3434 or visit any OneStop Shop to make an appointment. 

For more helpful tips visitwww.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

Rent First ReminderThe Rent First campaign is back! During

November and December, look out for

posters around the city reminding you to

put your rent first.  We’ll also be sending

letters to all tenants in arrears to remind

them to pay their rent as a priority. If you

are struggling to pay your rent, contact us

now for free, confidential advice on

01902 556789.

Studies have shown that working agefamilies could lose an average of £11 perweek.

Claimants with a disability and a non-resident carer will be entitled to funding foran extra bedroom.

Tenants are expected to meet the shortfallfrom their own income and to keep theirrent account paid and up to date. Tenantsmay want to consider moving to a smallerproperty.  This will not affect tenants ofpension age.

What is Universal Credit?Universal Credit brings together a range ofbenefits (including housing benefit) into asingle payment.  If you claim benefits andare of working age, you will move to theUniversal Credit system between October2013 and 2017.

Payments will be capped at £500 per weekfor families and £350 per week forsingles/couples.  Universal credit will bepaid to you directly, once every four weeks.People with disabilities may receive more.

Once you transfer to Universal Credit, yourhousing benefit will be included in thesingle payment. You will be responsible forpaying your rent each week. 

Council tax benefit will be paid separatelyto Universal Credit. 

We will keep you regularly updatedabout these and any future changes aswe know more. The Money Smart Teamis on hand should you have any queries,please call 01902 556789.

Benefits Update continued.

page 5

Together we’re Tackling Hate CrimeWolverhampton Homes recently held aspecial week to highlight its approach tohelping to tackle hate crime in the city. 

Staff from Wolverhampton Homes, the SaferWolverhampton Partnership and the policejoined forces to encourage victims of hatecrime (when you are harassed due to race,gender, transgender, disability, sexualorientation, age or religion) to speak up.

If you feel you have been a victim of hatecrime, you shouldn’t suffer in silence. Thereare a number of ways you can report it andget support. Call the national helpline on0800 138 1625 or contact WolverhamptonHomes on 01902 556789 orhate.crime@wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk.

Hate crime is the theme of our next GetTogethers. See page 3 for more information.

Scoring ‘Goalz’ in BilstonThe Goalz project has helped more than 50 local

youngsters stay on the right track. 

Organised by Wolves Community Trust and

funded by Wolverhampton Homes, the project

aims to tackle antisocial behaviour in Bilston

through football sessions and educational

workshops. 

Brett, aged 17 from The Lunt, attends the Goalz

sessions and is currently working towards an FA

Level 1 Coaching Certificate. 

He said: “I really enjoy the sessions. Playing

football has kept me out of trouble and given me

something to focus on.”

For more information contact Wolves Community

Trust on 01902 828311.

Protect your PossessionsWe all value our possessions - so why not look

after them with home contents insurance? It's

a great way to protect your belongings against

theft, flood, fire, and depending on your policy,

accidental damage too!

Wolverhampton Homes offers a variety of low-

cost options for insuring your possessions with

easy payment methods. For more information

call 01902 556789.

KICK START: Goalz has given 50 youngsters abrighter future through football

TACKLING HATE CRIME: You shared your thoughts at a special week

DisturbancesHere is our position on evicting tenantsinvolved in the riots from Lesley Roberts,Chief Executive: "If a tenant has beenconvicted of an indictable offence committedin, or in the locality of, the home we willconsider eviction on a case by case basis,ensuring that whatever we do is proportionateand appropriate." 

For more information please see our websitewww.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk

Tenant Involvement and EmpowermentMore than 500 tenants participated in our Get Togethers, Focus Groups, Special Interest Groups,

Review Panel and Tenants Update Editorial Board, with several attending more than one.

65% of tenants said they were satisfied that we take their

views into account. Our target was 70%.

77% of tenants said they were satisfied that we kept them

informed. It has gone down from 83.1% in 2009-10.

Thank you to everyone who got involved this year – it’s because of you that we can improve. 

We know that you need to feel confident that we will act on what you say – or if we are unable toact that we will give you a good explanation why. We have hundreds of examples of where wehave improved things thanks to tenant feedback. You can read them on our websitewww.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk by searching ‘involvement’ and look out for the ‘You SaidWe Did’ report coming out with December’s Tenants Update.

We're sorry that you feel less well-informed than you did in 2009-10. In 2010-11, we produced sixTenants Updates as well as a You Said, We Did update, leaflets, posters and flyers, and a newlook website. Did you know you can keep up with what we’re doing on Twitterwww.twitter.com/WolvesHomes, Facebook www.facebook.com/WolvesHomes and Youtubewww.youtube.com/WolvesHomes?

Annual

Report

This annual report is your opportunity to judgeus on whether we’ve done what we say wewould do. We have a set of promises, calledservice standards, which were developed bytenants and leaseholders and are available inthe One Stop Shops and on the website. Theseare linked to the five standards regulated by theTenant Services Authority, the organisationwhich checks on social landlords.

Tenants have been involved in developing thisreport from the very beginning. Thank you toKathy Allen, Margaret Elsey, Andrew Fisher,Gina Hanlon, George Marston-Gallear, GrahamMcFadyen, Jason Smith, Maureen Rudge,Karen Trainer and Barrie Ward of theCommunications Special Interest Group whotook part in a session to plan the content of theannual report. 

Thank you to Jackie Durnall, Rachael Evans,David Higgins, Julie Kendrick, Alzie Logan,Juliet Logan, Joy McLaren, Saba Teckle andChris Woolcock of the Review Panel whoapproved our approach to the annual report andcommented on what it should include. Thankyou to tenant board members Ann Ramsbottomand Sue Roberts for their guidance and input.

You can also view an animated video of ourannual report and a more detailed version on ourwebsite: www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk

WolverhamptonCity Council isproud to endorsethe secondAnnual Report to Tenantsprepared by theHousing Management Agents who providehousing services to the Council’s tenants acrossthe City. 

The report will give information on theperformance of the Managing Agent in your partof the City, depending upon where you live,either from Wolverhampton Homes or one of thefour TMOs. It will show how the managementmatches up to the standards put in place by theTenant Services Authority which is the part ofgovernment that oversees Social Housing inEngland.

The Council is aware that many tenants havehelped shape the reports and this shows theCity’s and its Managing Agents’ commitment toengaging with and responding to tenants’ needsin relation to their homes and how they aremanaged.

The Council continues to support and monitorthe work of the Managing Agents to ensurecontinued success and improvement to servicesprovided to our tenants.

How did we do? You decide!

Customer Service94% of customers said they were satisfied with how their call had been handled. 

We answered 75% of all calls within 30 seconds; this was an improvement on the previous

year’s performance but short of our target of 90%. 4.9% of calls were abandoned

which was within our target of 5%. 

We didn’t answer calls as quickly as we’d like during the coldwinter. We know this isn’t good enough. To improve things forthis winter, we have trained a team of staff to be drafted in totake calls in emergencies. 

We’re also tackling the problem of condensing boilers freezing incold weather by re-routing them inside tenants’ homes. All 1,500homes which had problems with their boiler pipe freezing (exceptfor homes that we couldn’t get into) have now had them re-routed. If you had problems last yearbut we haven’t yet re-routed your boiler pipe, call us on 01902 556789 to arrange anappointment.

Your Home: Decent HomesWe carried out Decent Homes work to 3,927 homes. Our target was

3,560.

We completed 97% of Decent Homes work within 20 days. Our target

was 96%.

We have completed more than 15,000 of the 23,519 homes to the DecentHomes standard. Following changes to funding from the Government, we havehad to extend the programme to 2015. We sent out the Yellow Book in April toall tenants who have not yet had the improvements. The Yellow Book showswhen each street will have the work. You can see a copy of it on our websitewww.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk

Your Home: Repairs and MaintenanceWe carried out 98.5% of emergency repairs within 24 hours. Our target was 99.8%

We completed 98.1% of urgent repairs

within 7 days. Our target was 99.5%.

We completed 99.1% of routine repairs

within 20 days. Our target was 98.5%. 

Repairs are one of the key issues that tenants

raise. You want them done quickly, safely and

preferably in one visit. We have steadily

improved how we are doing on repairs but we

know there is much more that we should do.

Our Review Panel (a group of tenants) have

analysed our repairs and made a series of

recommendations to improve.

AnnualReport

Lettings and Re-housing1,693 council properties were let using ‘Homes in the City’

We re-let homes on average in 15 days. Our target was 24 days.

We know letting homes quickly is important to you. We are well ahead of

our target. We have worked very hard to make sure we re-let homes

quickly and we are aiming to do it even quicker next year.

Your TenancyWe carried out 92% of new tenancy checks within 28 days of the tenancy starting. Our

target was 95%.

We carried out 87.55% of home visits during the eighth month of introductory tenancies.

Our target was 90%.

We just missed both of our targets to visit new tenants. We know how important it is that new tenantsget extra support when they’re just settling into their new home. Our visits help themmanage their budget, be a good neighbour and iron out any problemsthey’re having. We always put an emphasis on new tenant visits and willcontinue to focus on hitting the target.

It really helps us if you respond to our appointment letters. For tenants whoneed a little extra help, we also now have a series of enhanced visits toensure they are coping with their tenancies. If we do not visit the customer inthe eighth month, we keep trying to contact the tenant to carry out the visit in the ninth month.

Your Estate91.7% of tenants receiving the Tidy Garden Scheme said they weresatisfied with the service received. Our target was 90%.

86% of tenants and leaseholders receiving the concierge service saidthey were satisfied with it.

We carried out 100% of daily fire safety checks at high rise blocks.

It is good that most of you are satisfied with the grounds maintenance and concierge services.Fire safety is a life and death issue, so it is important we continue to carry out 100% of the checks.Thank you to everyone who has helped us do this by removing items from communal areas.

Preventing and Tackling Antisocial Behaviour502 cases of antisocial behaviour were reported to us.

78% of tenants said they were satisfied with the way we had dealtwith the antisocial behaviour problem. This is a 6% improvementon the previous year. Our target was 80%.

We know that antisocial behaviour can ruin people’s lives, so we arecommitted to tackling it head on. We want more of you to feel satisfiedwith the way we handle cases, so we are holding our next GetTogethers on antisocial behaviour. Why not come along and tell us what you think? 

(For details, see page 3.)

Annual

Report

Value for Money74% of tenants said they thought their rent was value for

money, an increase of 2% from 2009.

Almost three quarters of you think your rent is value for money. This is

good but we know we need to improve this. Next year we will look at

what we throw away and see if we can reduce or recycle it, continue to

reduce the time it takes to relet homes so we collect the maximum rent

possible and increase the amount of rent we collect by Direct Debit to

reduce costs. The money saved will be used to improve services.

Your Rent and Other ChargesWe collected 98.38% of the rent that was due. Our target was

98.2%

Thank you for paying your rent on time. We are pleased to havebeaten the target but we want to improve even further next year andwe know that there may be difficult financial times ahead. 

Remember, if you are worried about money or are in arrears,contact our Money Smart Team who can help you, on 01902 556789.

Your FeedbackIt’s really important that you tell us what you think of this annual report so that we can

improve for next year. Everyone who gives us feedback will be entered into a prize draw

for £25 of vouchers.

Name: .................................................................................................................................................

Address: .............................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................Postcode: .......................................................

Telephone number: ...........................................................................................................................

What did you think of our annual report: .......................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................................

How satisfied were you with our annual report? q Very satisfied   q Satisfied   

q Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied   q Dissatisfied   q Very dissatisfied

AnnualReport

Return to: Communications, Wolverhampton Homes, Chillington Fields Industrial Estate, Off Hickman Avenue, Wolverhampton, WV1 2BY

Antisocial BehaviourWe take ASB seriously. We have a new

computer system which will help us judge

how we are doing. We’ll give you more

information in March 2012.

•  83% of respondents are very or fairly

satisfied with the way their ASB

complaint was dealt with - above our

target of 80%.

•  75% of respondents are very or fairly

satisfied with the outcome of their ASB

complaint. This is on target.

Decent HomesWe completed 391 Decent Homesbetween April – June 2011, above ourtarget of 330. This figure may actually behigher because not all the paperwork wasreturned in time.  We will update you in thenext issue of Tenants Update.•  98% of properties have been completed

within the 20 day timescale which iswithin our target of 96%.   

•  15% of employees on the DecentHomes project are trainees which isbetter than our 10% target.  38% livewithin the city boundaries, which is wellabove our 30% target.    

•  This service is being delivered across allgroups equally.

Repairs•  98.99% of Routine repairs

completed within 20calendar days - 0.01%short of 99% target.

•  99.2% of Urgent repairs completed within7 calendar days - just outside of 99.5%target.

•  99.76% of Emergency repairs completedwithin 24 hours - above 99.75% target.

•  88% of repairs appointments were kept.This is improving but is still below our98% target. 

•  99.9% of homes have a valid gascertificate, above our 99.5% target.  

•  Young people and people who have livedin their homes for less than five years aremore likely to report repairs. We'relooking why this is.

Customer CareThe Homes Direct call centre answered 39% ofcalls in 20 seconds. Our target was 80%. This isnot good enough. There were several reasons forthis which we are tackling. Only 16% of calls wereabandoned. Thank you for bearing with us.•  95% of complaints continue to be dealt with in

time.•  Older people, who have lived in their homes for

more than 20 years are less likely to contact us.We're looking into why this is to ensure that allcustomers can easily contact us.

Rents•  We are continuing to collect rent on time.•  The percentage of tenants owing more than

seven weeks rent is within our 1.75% target at1.69%. 

•  We now have 24% of tenants paying by directdebit and this figure is rising steadily toward ourtarget of 26% by March 2012.  

•  We’ve found that certain groups are more likelyto have difficulty paying their rent. We’re going tobe giving more support to these people.

Empty Propertiesand Lettings

•  The average time to relet ourempty homes is 17 days,beating our target of 18 days.

•  Rent lost through empty homes is 1.8%.This is above our 1.3% target but we are aimingfor a reduction over the coming months.

•  77% of tenancies offered were accepted firsttime, just below our target of 80%.

•  Between April 2010 – March 2011 the averagetime to relet empty homes in sheltered schemes(for tenants aged 60 plus or 55 plus andregistered disabled) was 172 days for 53properties. Many sheltered homes that havebeen empty for some time are now being reletthanks to new ways of working. 

•  Our homes are allocated proportionately to theethnic and age groups of people on the housingregister, however fewer disabled people thanexpected are applying for housing. We’ll belooking into why this is and whether disabledpeople need extra support.

How are we doing NOW? This is a round-up of how we have done between April - June 2011Qu

arterly

Report

New Options for Homes DirectIn October, Wolverhampton Homes is planning to introduce a simplemenu of options to choose from when you ring Homes Direct. Forexample, options which will connect you to the Council or HousingBenefits and an option for making payments. 

If you have a general or repairs query choose that option or hold theline and you will be connected with Homes Direct in exactly the sameway as before. 

Lindsey Stanley, Head of Customer Services at WolverhamptonHomes, said: “We’re always trying to improve our service to you. Bydirecting calls in this way we hope to reduce waiting and overall calltimes for customers. 

“We will keep the message at the start of calls as short as possible and the process very simple.” 

During emergencies, such as last winter’s cold snap when many tenants had problems with theirheating, there will be an extra option available to deal with calls relating to the situation and makeour response more efficient. 

We welcome your feedback on these changes. Please call 01902 556789 or emailhomes.direct@wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk

Low Hill becomes a NetworkedNeighbourhood

Tenants of Low Hill are taking part in a project to bring asense of pride to their area. ‘Celebrate Low Hill’ is looking atall aspects of how the reputation of the estate can beimproved. 

They are developing a website which will include news andinformation for residents, what’s on in the area andmemories from days gone by.

A group of tenants, including Carole Billingham, TonyBlakeway, Jackie Durnall, Malcolm Hurd, Pat Kinsey, JoanMorgan and Dot Wood have got involved butnow they are looking for more members. 

Jackie said: “We’re all really proud of LowHill and we want the rest of the world toknow about our area. We’re looking forwardto seeing the website up and running.”

If you live in Low Hill and would like to getinvolved, please call the CommunicationsTeam on 01902 556789.

Chair, Sue Robertscollects her MBE

It was a proud moment when Chairof Wolverhampton Homes, SueRoberts collected her MBE from theQueen in June for services to socialhousing.

A passionate tenant activist, Sue, 58,has been involved in tenantconsultation and participation forover a decade. 

Sue said: “It was such a wonderfulday and an experience I will neverforget.”

page 11

New Pest Control Service You can now arrange treatments for infestations of wasps andants from the Council. The service costs £52.50 for a one offtreatment for wasps and £52.50 for the initial treatment andfirst revisit, then £16 for all subsequent re-visits for ants. 

Other pest control services available to tenants free of chargeare rats, mice, cockroaches, bed bugs and fleas.  For moreinformation or to arrange a treatment visithttp://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk or call 01902 551155.

FULL OF PRIDE: Sue Roberts with her MBE

CELEBRATINGLOW HILL:

Jackie Durnall

page 12

Here is a quick reminder of the Directors at Wolverhampton Homes. Thank you to Mr

Boardman from Kitchen Lane for suggesting this. Left to right:

• Philip Toni, Director of Resources, who manages our money

• Mark Henderson, Director of Housing, who looks after your

estate and tenancy

• Sue Kunynec, Director of Corporate Services, who looks 

after the staff

• Shaun Aldis, Director of Property, who makes sure repairs 

get done

• Lesley Roberts, Chief Executive, who is in charge

Prioritising Parking You've told us that parking on some estatesis one of your biggest bugbears.  Parkingproblems are causing congestion andinconvenience so we have put together ateam of experienced officers fromWolverhampton Homes and Wolverhampton CityCouncil to consider ways to address the issue. 

The team have been working closely with tenants – you may havespoken to them out and about during ‘Parking Week’ or attended arecent focus group. Tackling parking is not easy and WolverhamptonHomes is working closely with the Council to see what options areavailable depending on the problems being experienced. Wewelcome your views on what you feel the issues are in your area.

We ask you to park considerately where you can. Staff from

Wolverhampton Homes will do the same. If you would like more

information please call 01902 556789.

Young Tenants Get Heard Young tenants have been getting involved andgetting their voices heard! 

In July we organised a special Get Together formore than twenty 16 – 30 year olds. They pickedup advice on money matters and shared theirviews on how Wolverhampton Homes should bespending its money. Chief Executive, LesleyRoberts was there to hear what they had to say.

At the event we spoke to young tenants about whyit was important to them to get involved. 

Carly Hackett, 23, said: “A lot of young tenants don’tknow where to go if they need help and it’s important toget involved so we know what is out there for us.

“I really enjoyed this event, the staff were very helpfuland I hope there are more like this in the future.” 

This is just the beginning - we’ll be looking for moreyoung tenants to get involved. If you’re interestedcontact the Tenant Involvement Team on 01902 556789.

OUT AND ABOUT: We took to the streets to get your views on problem parking

TOP TIPS: Carly Hackett gets advice fromHeather Leary from our Money SmartTeam at the Young Get Together

page 13

Fire Safety ReminderPlease remember to keep communal areas,

such as stairways and landings, clear as they

are your emergency exits. You must not store

any inflammable, explosive or noxious

substances, such as paraffin or petrol, or any

compressed gas bottles in your home or

communal store cupboards. This is for

everyone’s safety.

In case of a fire in a communal area or a nearby

flat, please stay in your home unless instructed

by the fire service. Move to the room furthest

from the fire and keep all doors closed. Use

something, like a damp tea towel, to keep smoke

from coming under the door. 

WFTA visit theBeacon Centre

Wolverhampton Federation of TenantsAssociations (WFTA) recently paid a visit to thenew Beacon Centre for the Blind.

The WFTA were given a tour of the building andwere shown the activities carried out to supportblind and visually impaired people at the centre.They were particularly impressed by the skillson show in the arts and crafts workshops. 

Dave Norman, a visually impaired member ofWFTA, gained employment as a chef thanks tosupport from the centre. He said: “I appreciateall the support I’ve received from officers andvolunteers at the Beacon Centre - they do areally good job.”

Annual GasSafetyChecks

Wolverhampton Homes is required to carry outannual gas safety checks in all of the homes wemanage to ensure appliances are working safely.It is important that you allow us access to yourhome to do this. 

Our partner contractor, Dodd Group, will write toyou giving you a fixed appointment and you mustcontact the free phone number provided to confirmor re-book your appointment. 

If you miss three appointments and do not respondto us, by law we must start legal action to gainaccess to your home. This is the very last resort.

For more information contact the Dodd Group on0800 0854 837.

Customer CommentsMr Nightingale, Dartmouth Crescent said:“Thank you for the lovely card I received for

keeping my garden well maintained. All

tenants are responsible for their gardens and

should do the same.”

We said: Thank you for your comment, Mr

Nightingale. We really appreciate tenants who

do their bit to maintain a tidy garden. You can

find out more about keeping a tidy garden on

page 14 or can call us anytime on 01902556789 for more information.

Are you Moving Out?Don’t fall foul of recharge

repair costs when ending your

tenancy if you, a member of

your family, or a visitor cause:

•  damage to your property

•  carry out unauthorised DIY

•  or leave rubbish or your

belongings 

You could be entitled to £50 at

the end of your tenancy if you

leave your property clean and

tidy and fix repairs that are

your responsibility. 

Contact 01902 556789 for

more information.

ON TOUR: WFTA take a special tour of the newBeacon Centre for the Blind

page 14

Keep a Tidy GardenWolverhampton Homes is holding a Tidy Garden

Week between 26 – 30 September. During the week,

staff will be out and about encouraging tenants to

keep their gardens tidy. 

Keeping your garden tidy is important and helps you to

feel proud of your home and estate. It is also part of

your tenancy agreement.

During the last Tidy Garden Week in June, staff visited

more than 2,700 properties, referred 23 tenants to the

Tidy Garden Scheme and left ‘thank you’ cards for 117

tenants with lovely gardens. They also picked up 57

tenancy breaches which are now being followed up. 

If you need help looking after your garden, why not

join our Tidy Garden Scheme? For more information

call 01902 556789. 

Best FootForward Residents of Lincoln Green inBushbury meet everyWednesday to walk one milearound their estate. During theirwalk, the group, who are all agedover 60, also do a litter pick tokeep the community tidy. 

Walker, Maureen Rudge said: “Itis a great way to keep fit andmeet new people. We also makethe most of the new exerciseequipment at Lincoln Green - thepark is not just for kids!”   

Mel Broadbent, health worker for the Wolverhampton Primary CareTrust, organises the walks and joins the group each week. 

The Walking for Health group are always looking for new members, ofany age. If you are interested in joining the group, they meet everyWednesday at 9.45am on the green, off Wood Lane.

Bulky Waste CollectionsThe Council has special collection services for bulky waste, such as furniture and toys. It costs£17.79 to have up to five items collected. If you need to get rid of white goods, it costs £18.83per item as they are more difficult to dispose of. If you receive benefits you can get onecollection every six weeks, free of charge.

You can arrange and pay for a bulky waste collection in a number of ways, including at any of ourOne Stop Shops. For more information visit www.wolverhampton.gov.uk and search 'bulky waste'.

WALKING FOR HEALTH: Bushbury

residents on their weekly walk

GORGEOUS GARDENS: Estate manager, Jo Duffy helps tenants keep a tidy garden

Customer CommentsMr Boardman, Kitchen Lane said: “Please could

we have an update on new Estate Managers.”

We said: Thank you for your suggestion, Mr

Boardman. We have created a page on our

website which gives you up-to-date details of your

estate manager. Please visit

www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk and search

'estate managers’. If you don’t have access to the

internet, pop into your local One Stop Shop and

they will be able to print you a copy of this

information. 

page 15

Communal Trees A programme for maintaining the trees in

communal areas managed by Wolverhampton

Homes is underway. The work began in April and

will cover each of the 20 wards within the city over

a five year period. Tenants will soon be able to

see the rota and what work is planned within each

area, by visiting our website

www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk.

Trees in your garden remain your responsibility.

However, if there is a health and safety risk the

details should be reported to Homes Direct on

01902 556789.

Join our Review PanelWolverhampton Homes needs tenants andleaseholders to join the Review Panel! TheReview Panel checks that WolverhamptonHomes is keeping its promises to tenants,ensures that they are fully involved in decisionsand makes recommendations directly to theBoard. 

If you are interested please contact GrantSproston for more information and anapplication form on 01902 551046. The closingdate for applications is Friday 4 November. 

Garages Update We have a number of garages available torent at competitive rates. There arecurrently vacancies at Reedham Gardens,Swancote Drive, Woodhouse Road North,Wrekin Drive and Claverley Drive. Thesegarages are for private use and not forcommercial purposes. 

We would also like to remind currentgarage tenants to keep their accounts up-to-date and to report any repairs orbreak-ins as soon as possible. You can payyour garage rent by Direct Debit, pleasesee page 17 for more information.

If you are interested in renting a garage, orif you are a garage tenant and would like toreport a repair or break-in, please call01902 556789. 

Keepingyou

SecureThis year’s fencing

programme will see

fencing put up in more

than 300 rear gardens in

the following estates -

The Lunt, Caledonia,

Bradmore, Pennfields,

Graiseley, Merry Hill and

Low Hill.

Preparations are already

under way and it is

anticipated that fencing

will start to be put up in

October.

page 16

Pick up New SkillsWe’re continuing our series of free skills workshops.

The following sessions are coming up:

Understanding Your Community, 11 and 12October 2011 - Learn more about your community

and sample food from other cultures.

Personal Effectiveness, 3 November 2011 - Build

your confidence and learn how to make your point

more effectively.

Look out for skills sessions on DIY, writing

newsletters and using the internet coming soon. 

Nordia Brown from Parkfields,

who attended a previous Personal

Effectiveness workshop, said: "It

was very interesting and the tutor

made it fun while we learnt."

To learn something new, call the

Tenant Involvement Team on

01902 556789. Please let us

know if you have any special

requirements which would help

you to take part.

Join anEcoTeamTenants have been taking

part in ‘EcoTeam’ workshops

to help them save water,

energy and the planet. This is

part of the Plug In Project,

which has also seen water

saving devices installed in

homes across the city. 

At the interactive workshops,

you can get a better

understanding of what uses

the most energy and water

around the home and share tips to help you save money on your bills.

Gloria Blair-Riley from Heath Town, an EcoTeam member, said:

“The session was fun and informative. I think it’s very important to

know how I can have a positive impact on the environment.”

Wolverhampton Homes is running a second workshop on

Thursday 13 October between 11am - 1.30pm at our Hickman

Avenue office. If you are interested in attending or would like more

information on running an EcoTeam workshop for your community

group contact the Climate Change Team on 01902 556789.

EcoTeam Top Tip

Use a flask to keep

water from the kettle hot

once it’s been boiled.

This will save water,

energy and £££s!

LEARNING SOMETHING NEW: Our skills sessions are in full swing

ECOTEAMS IN ACTION: Join the next workshop toget top energy saving tips

page 17

Have Your Say There are many ways you can get involved with Wolverhampton

Homes and have your say on how we do things. 

Currently your involvement is shaping how we tackle ASB and our

repairs service. You can choose how much or little time you want

to give - come along to a Get Together (see page 3), join a focus

group or even become a tenant board member.

If you are short on time or can’t make an event, you can always

share your thoughts on our Facebook page. Why not take part in

our regular polls on important issues? Join the conversation at

www.facebook.com/WolvesHomesTo get involved call the Tenant Involvement Team on 01902 556789.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Information on who is delivering your services is

now available on our website. This information

shows you things like who got jobs at

Wolverhampton Homes and the background of

the staff working for you. You can use this

information to see how we are making

Wolverhampton Homes an accessible and

diverse place to work. Go to

www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk for all the

details. 

Stranger DangerWe would like to remind tenants and

leaseholders not to allow strangers into your

homes or the communal areas of your block.

Look out for unfamiliar people following you into

your block and always request ID from visitors

carrying out repairs or inspections. This is for

your safety and security.

Farewell to Gladys PearsonGladys Pearson, 78, sadly passed away aftera short illness in June. Gladys was Chair ofLanesfield Tenants and Residents Associationand a member of the WolverhamptonFederation of Tenants Associations (WFTA).She campaigned tirelessly to improve thequality of life of residents in Lanesfield.

June Grashion, Secretary of WFTA and friendof Gladys, said: “I worked alongside Gladysfor 16 years and she’ll beremembered for her unwaveringcheerfulness, with nothing beingtoo much trouble for fellowtenants.”

She will be deeply missed by all

who knew her. 

Do it by Direct DebitOne in four tenants now pay their rent by DirectDebit. Paying your rent this way is simple andhassle free plus you will be entered into a prizedraw every month, quarter and year if your rentaccount is up to date! 

The latest winners are Mr and Mrs Morgans fromChetton Green who won the monthly competitionand Miss Edmunds from Bilston who scooped thequarterly prize. They both won £150 paid into aCredit Union account.

You can pay weekly on a Monday or Friday ormonthly on the 1st, 8th, 15th or 22nd of the month.

To set up a direct debit please call free on 0800 408 0440 or email rents.management@wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk

SPEAK OUT: Come along to a Get Together

or join us on Facebook

WORKING AT WOLVERHAMPTON HOMES: Find out how we’re making

Wolverhampton Homes a diverse place to work

Encouraging Diversity atWolverhampton Homes

page 18

CulturalInsightsFrom food to

family life, Tannita

Lewis is incredibly

proud of her

Jamaican roots.

Her maternal

grandma moved

to England in the

1960s to start

better life. She

settled in

Wolverhampton

and worked for

British Rail for

more than 20

years.

Her grandma now lives just around the corner and

makes sure that Tannita keeps the family’s

Jamaican culture alive.  

Tannita said: “I am very proud of my grandma and

our Jamaican background. I try and cook traditional

food, such as salt fish and akee or my favourite,

jerk chicken, once or twice a week. The whole

family regularly get together for a big meal of what

we call ‘soul food’!” 

If you would like to tell us about your culture, please

contact us on 01902 553373 or

communications@wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk

TV is goingDigital!The digital

switchover takes

place this month. Homes in

Wolverhampton yet to make the switch from

analogue to digital TV will do so on 7 and 21

September. 

To ensure you don’t lose your TV signal, you will

need to convert your TVs to digital before the 21

September.

If you would like further information on the digital

switchover please contact Digital UK on 08456

505050 or www.digitaluk.co.uk, Wolverhampton

Homes on 01902 556789 or search ‘digital

switchover’ at

www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk

Annual SatisfactionSurvey Results Out NowEvery year we carry out the Tenant

Satisfaction Survey to get your views on your

home, the services we provide and how we

can improve things.

The findings from 2010 show that

Wolverhampton Homes is continuing to provide

a strong service. The headline results are:

•  Overall satisfaction with area as a place to

live 81% (this figure has increased from 79%

2009)

•  Overall satisfaction with rent in terms of

value for money 74% (this figure has gone

up 2% since 2009)

•  Overall satisfaction with services provided by

landlord 81% (2009 figure was 82%)

•  Satisfaction with the overall quality of home

82% (85%)

•  Overall satisfaction with repairs service 79%(this figure has gone up 1% since 2009)

•  Satisfaction with the general condition of

property 79% (81%)

•  Overall rating of keeping tenants informed

about things which may affect them 77%(83%)

Where you have said that you are slightly less

satisfied than you were a year ago, we’ll be

looking to why this is and taking steps to

improve in these areas. 

For more details on the survey and how it is

carried out  search 'tenant satisfaction' at

www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk

SATISFACTION SURVEY: What you think is important to us

DISCOVERING HER ROOTS: Tannita Lewis is proud of her

Jamaican roots

page 19

September 2011

Kids Colouring Competition

Name: ................................................................................................... Age:....................................

Address: ............................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..............................................................................................................Postcode: ............................

Telephone:.........................................................................................................................................

How satisfied are you with the information in this newsletter? q Very satisfied   q Satisfied   

q Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied   q Dissatisfied   q Very dissatisfied

Brighten up the ‘back to school’ days with our fantastic colouring competition just for kids! There are

two prizes of £20 vouchers up for grabs – one for the under fives and one for 5-10 year olds. All

entries will also receive a certificate. In June, Jessica May James scooped the prize for the under

fives and Kyanne James for the 5-10 year olds.

Send your entries to: Communications, Wolverhampton Homes, Chillington Fields Industrial Estate, Off Hickman Avenue, Wolverhampton, WV1 2BY

!

Customer CommentsYou said: “You have taken no action on loud music, youth gangs and obvious drug dealing in

certain areas.” Anonymous

We said: “Tackling ASB across the city is tough but we believe we have made some significant

steps to address the problem. We have dedicated ASB coordinators who work with the Council and

the police to try and keep estates safe. Read the article on page 5 for more on what we are doing to

tackle hate crime. Remember, you can report any form of ASB in confidence on 01902 558901.

page 20

Your feedbackTell us what you think about any of our services and you could be included in the next

Tenants Update. We welcome all feedback – good or bad.

.............................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................................

Your name: ........................................................................................................................................

(or you can give feedback anonymously if you wish)

Your address: .....................................................................................................................................

............................................................................Your postcode: .......................................................

Your telephone number: ...................................................................................................................

How satisfied are you with the information in this newsletter? q Very satisfied   q Satisfied

q Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied   q Dissatisfied   q Very dissatisfied

Return to: Communications, Wolverhampton Homes, Chillington Fields Industrial Estate, Off Hickman Avenue, Wolverhampton, WV1 2BY

Join ourEditorial Panel

Help us make Tenants Update

even better by joining our editorial

panel. We had a great turn out at

the last panel meeting and the

ideas shared by tenants have

really shaped this issue. 

The next meeting for the

December issue will be at the

beginning of October at our head

office. We’ll pay your travel

expenses. If you’re interested or

would like to suggest a story email

communications@wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk or call 

01902 556789.   

!

!

Solve our special money themed word search for a chanceto win £50 in vouchers! Find all 12 words on page 4.

The lucky winner of June’s competition was Sulekha Hallone from Ettingshall.

September 2011

September

Word Search

R

R E N T

FIRSTS R

Advice

Benefits

Smart

Universal 

Service

Savings

Rent

First

Heather 

Chris

Nadine

Money