Tenants Update September 2012

September 2012

Fun at theBilston OlympicnicsNEWS AND INFORMATION FOR TENANTS AND LEASEHOLDERS OF WOLVERHAMPTON HOMES

How did we do?Page 9

Metal thieves bewarePage 7

Meet the ambassadors6

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If you require this information in an other language or format, contact uson 01902 556789.

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Get TogethersAt our next Get Togethers you can find out about the possible changes to the way housing applications are prioritised. Come along and tell us what you think.Wednesfield: Thursday 20 September at St Patricks Church, Newcross, WV10 0QQ from 6pm to 8pmBilston: Tuesday 25 September at Bilston Academy, Prosser Street, Bilston, WV14 0QD from 6pm to 8pm.Low Hill: Thursday 27 September at Low Hill Community Centre, Kempthorne Avenue , WV10 9JJ from 6pm to 8pmMerry Hill: Tuesday 2 October at St Joseph’s Church Hall, Coalway Road , Merry Hill, WV3 7EJ from 3.30pm to 5.30pmCheck out our Facebook page for photos from our last Get Togethers.

Contact• Check out www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk [email protected] Tweet us at www.twitter.com/WolvesHomes Join us at www.facebook.com/WolvesHomes • Call us on 01902 556789• Text 60066 and start your text WHomes followed by a space• Call us out of hours for emergencies on 01902 552999• Call us to report antisocial behaviour out of hours on 01902 558901

Front cover photo:Thanks to Jack Wilkes aged 7 and Lord Turner of Bilston for appearing on our front cover.

2 Tenants Update September 2012

Thank you to everyone who voted in our Board elections. Congratulations to Graham and Julie, our two successful candidates. Read all about them on page 3.

There were so many lovely photos from events that we found it difficult to choose which ones to use. You can see the Jubilee photos on page 14 and Stop Hate Crime events on page 3. Our front cover photo is from the recent Bilston Olympicnics which was a great day.

We’ve got some serious news too. We’ve included a lot of advice on next year’s benefit changes on page 4. It’s so important that you know if you’ll be affected and how you can prepare. Finally our centre spread tells you how Wolverhampton Homes has performed last year. We really want to know what you think, so please fill in the feedback form.

Ann Ramsbottom, editor, Tenants Update.

Welcome

Board meetings All tenants and leaseholders are welcome to come along to our board meetings. Our next meetings are: 22 October, 26 November and 17 December 2012. All meetings are held in our Head Office at Hickman Avenue and start at 9.30am.

The results for the 2012 Board elections are in and we are pleased to announce the elected candidates are Graham Dodd and Julie Kendrick.

MEET THE BOARD MEMBERS

September 2012 Tenants Update 3

We’ve been out and about promoting our Stop Hate in Wolverhampton campaign. A hate crime is any incident where someone has been targeted or harassed due to their race, gender, transgender, disability, sexual orientation, age, faith/religion, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity. For every incident of hate crime that is reported, eight incidents go unreported.

Stop Hateevents

To sign the pledge and find out more visit www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk/StopHateinWolves.aspx

Pride: Wolverhampton & The Black Country’s First LGBT Pride event took place in July with staff and tenants joining in the fun to celebrate the city’s Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender community. We joined in the parade and met gay rights activist Peter Tatchell.

Heath Town: Later in July the Heath Town Tenants and Residents Association held two fun days with mini football tournaments, henna painting and loads more. Matt Murray, the former Wolves goalie came along and joined in with the fun.

City Show: We took the campaign to the City Show in July and 670 people signed our pledge to respect people’s differences and to report hate crimes if they witness any.

Graham has been a tenant for 40 years and this means he has been re-elected to the board.

Julie has been a tenant for 12 years and was a member of our Review Panel.

We would like to say thank you to retiring Board Member Liz Ashwell for all her work during the last four years.

New Council Board MembersWe’d also like to welcome our new Council Board members who joined us after the Council elections in May, Dr Mike Hardacre (Park), Paul Singh (Penn) and Rita Potter (Wednesfield North).

To find out more about the board visit www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk and search for board.


RELEASE SCHEMEOur House Release scheme will provide help with your move from a house to a smaller home with:• Packing and removal services• Decoration of your new home• Fitting new carpets• Provision of white appliances or disconnection and reconnection of your appliances• Contents Insurance• Fitting a security alarm

Kathryn Simmons from All Saints recently found out about our House Release Scheme and used it to help her move to a bungalow. She said:

“I couldn’t have moved without the House Release Scheme. I’m so happy now I’ve got a bungalow. It’s also good to know that I’ve helped give a family a new home in my old house.”

You may have seen last month’s special edition of Tenants Update on the changes the Government is making to benefits. From 1 April, 2013, if you are of working age (below pension credit age, 61 from April 2013), the Government will no longer pay full Housing Benefit if you have more bedrooms than you need.

WELFARE REFORM UPDATEMONEY SMART

Housing Benefit changes

Who is entitled to a bedroom?

• A couple• A person aged 16 or older• Two children of the same sex until their 16th birthday• Two children until their 10th birthday (any sex)• Any other child• If the claimant or their partner requires over night care

One extra bedroom = 14% reduction in benefit

Two extra bedrooms = 25% reduction in benefit

A couple and two children under 10 in a typical three bedroom house would lose £11.90 a week. They will need to pay any shortfall in the rent.

Are you a tenant who wants to move to a new home? Do you keep bidding with no success?Our Tenant Matching service might be able to help. We can help you find another tenant who would like to exchange homes with you so you could both find a home that’s right for you. We will:

• Provide help for you to find an exchange.• Accompany you on viewings and give you advice.• Offer help with your exchange, such as help with removals.

HOUSE

Tenant Matchmakers

If you want to move to a smaller home we can help, check out these schemes to help you:

If you would like us to help you move to a smaller home contact the Lettings Team on 01902 556789.


Mrs Nora Smith of Wednesfield was the lucky winner of the 2012 Direct Debit Super Draw and chose a Credit Union account as her prize. Just for paying her rent by Direct Debit she won £300 paid into a credit union account, she will receive another £300 in six months for keeping the account open.

The winners of the monthly draws were Osman Sharif of Heath Town in May, Richard Horton of Bilston in June and Mr and Mrs Careless of Bushbury in July who each won £75 vouchers.

You could win too – just call 0800 408 0440 to set up a Direct Debit to pay your rent.

where it’s dueWolf Savings and Loans has expanded and is now called Wolverhampton City Credit Union. It is a not-for-profit organisation which provides low rate flexible loans, money advice, savings accounts and more.Tenant Raheam Ullah has been a very satisfied member of the Credit Union since 2009. He said: “Banks set very strict criteria and conditions for their customers, so if you are on benefits you come up against a brick wall. The criteria for budgeting loans from the Department for Work and Pensions is also very strict, you have to be in receipt of an Income Related benefit for a minimum of 26 weeks with no breaks.

“The Credit Union is run by the local community so there is much more flexibility. They treat you as a person not a number. I took out a loan from the Credit Union to help me buy furniture and household items. I know the banks wouldn’t even consider me and I didn’t want to pay the high interest rates that some loan companies charge.”

To find out more contact 01902 572340 or www.wccul.co.uk

Rent First... PleaseWe’re just a couple of months away from our annual campaign to help you make your money go further at Christmas.

Our ‘Rent First... Please’ campaign runs from 26 November to 7 December to help tenants in arrears or who are struggling with money. Our teams will be out and about on estates, speaking to tenants and offering advice and support. If you need help, please contact us as soon as possible.

Credit

WIN £££

YOUR MONEY? Our Money Smart Team can check you’re getting the benefits you’re entitled to, help you budget and manage your debts and reduce rent arrears. They can also give advice on the changes to benefits that are happening from next year.

Call 01902 556789 and ask for the Money Smart Team.

WANT TO

just for paying your rent with Direct Debit


We have teamed up with West Midlands Police to put a stop to metal theft from our properties.Thieves have stolen copper piping, boilers and other metal. In a recent case, thieves caused almost £10,000 damage. This £10,000 could pay for 80 new internal doors or 25 new front doors or six new energy efficient boilers.

So what are we doing?

• All central heating systems have unique tracking codes and boilers have tracking devices, so wherever the metal is taken it can be identified and the thieves caught and prosecuted.

• We install anti-theft fogging devices.

• We share information with the Police about scrap metal dealers.

Sue Roberts, Chair of Wolverhampton Homes and a tenant, said: “These thieves are stealing from other tenants and they must not be allowed to get away with it.

“BY WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE POLICE, WE WILL ENSURE THAT THE CULPRITS ARE FOUND.

“If you see or know anything about metal theft please call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

METAL THEFT FIGHT BACK

You said:“What a waste of money this update is when the money should be spent on more needy cases. Makes me ashamed.” Annette Brookes, Woodcross

We said:“We’re sorry that you feel that way. We want to make sure that all tenants are kept informed about our services and news, and we get a lot of positive

comments about Tenants Update. We do encourage anyone who has an email address to sign up to our email version of the newsletter as this cuts down on postage costs. Facebook is another great, free method of keeping people informed. However not everyone has access to the internet so we do need to provide a paper copy. Anyone who does not want to receive Tenants Update can let us know by calling 01902 556789 and asking for Communications.”

your feedback...

FIGHTING BACK: Priority Management Officer Aimee Bradbury is joining forces with the Police to crack down on metal theft.

DAMAGE:

Thieves damage

flooring when they

steal the copper

piping.


In June, our Estate Managers went out and about looking at gardens for Tidy Garden Week. They were on the look out for gardens where tenants need to have a tidy up but they also gave out thank you cards to anyone with a great garden.

David Garbett from Parkfields was thanked for his beautiful garden. He said: “I sometimes find it hard to get out into the garden to keep it tidy but once I’m out there it’s very relaxing. The best thing for me is once I’ve finished work, I can sit back and enjoy the view of my work.”

GREEN FINGERS: David Garbett from Parkfields is praised for his lovely garden by Kamla Atwal, Estate Manager.

The judges have been having a good look at all the gardens entered into the garden competition and trying to make the difficult decision about who has won. The awards ceremony is just a few days away so look out for details of the winners on our website and Facebook page. Good luck to you if you entered.

WHOSE GARDEN IS THE FAIREST OF THEM ALL?

THE BEST THING FOR ME IS ONCE I’VE FINISHED WORK, I CAN SIT BACK AND ENJOY THE VIEW OF MY WORK.”

Everyone should be safe from abuse. There can be all kinds of abuse including:• Withholding or stealing money

• Withholding food, drink or heating

• Hitting, pushing or pinching

If you believe someone is being abused you can report it to us by visiting our One Stop Shops or calling us on 01902 556789.

You can also report it directly to Wolverhampton City Council Social Care Services on 01902 551199.

See Abuse Stop Abuse

You said:“I think your insurance scheme is a brilliant idea.”Patrick Mosses, Merry Hill

We said:“We’re really pleased you like it. It’s really important for everyone to have contents insurance cover so we want to make it really easy for you to take out a policy. Details of how to apply are on page 20.”

your feedback...

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?


A Heath Town Crew gang member was issued with an 18 month gang injunction. This means he can’t meet up with other gang members and he is not allowed to visit Heath Town, Pendeford, Whitmore Reans and the city centre.

Superintendent Mark Payne, from Wolverhampton Police, said: “Our priority is to protect the community and at the same time support gang members to exit a lifestyle which has a corrosive impact upon communities.

“We continue to work very closely with people in our local communities and our local partners to seek to address the underlying issues.”

Abdul Abdula, aged 22 is a member of the Heath Town TRA and the manager of Heath Town United Football Club he said: “I’m really pleased that the police are working to stop the local gangs. Heath Town is a great place to live. The small number of gang members that live near here give us a bad reputation which is unfair on the rest of the community.

“We have teenagers on our team that used to spend their time loitering in the precinct of Heath Town and could have easily fallen into the gang mentality. Joining the football team instead has given them a common purpose and sense of belonging.”

Working to

West Midlands Police are working hard to stop the trouble caused by gangs. In May they got the first full gang injunction in the region to stop a Wolverhampton gang member’s activity.

Gangs You said:“Continental groundsmen grasscutting is an absolute disgrace. They leave all the grass cuttings on top of the lawn and pay no attention to the edge of lawn. It looks a mess when finished.”Gail Thelwell, Eastfields

We said: “Continental Landscapes cut most communal lawns every ten working days during the growing season. They leave the cuttings because it can make the lawn healthier. We appreciate this doesn’t look as neat as when they take it away but it is more environmentally friendly not to have to transport it in a van. We know that 80% of people are satisfied with the service but we want everyone to be satisfied so please contact us if you spot any problems. Our Estate Services team will inspect it within three calendar days.”

your feedback...

Meet your estate managerWe want to provide excellent services to you so we have made a few changes to our estate management teams. So you may have a new face on your estate.To find out who your estate manager is visit our website www.wolverhamptonhome.org.uk and search ‘estate manager’, visit one of our One Stop Shops or come along to your estate inspection.


Annual Report

This annual report tells you how we performed last year and whether we met our targets. Our targets are important but what is more important is what you think about us. This is your opportunity to judge us on whether we’ve done what we promised. This report tells you how we performed in five areas, tenant involvement and empowerment, home, tenancy, neighbourhood and community and value for money. These are the five standards checked by the Homes and Communities Agency, the organisation which checks on social landlords. These are also areas where we have set service standards or promises to you. These are available on our website or in our One Stop Shops.

There is also a more detailed version of this report and a video which are available on our website www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk.

“Wolverhampton City Council is proud to endorse the third ‘Annual Report to Tenants’ prepared by Wolverhampton Homes who provide housing services to the Council’s tenants across most of the City.

“This report gives information on the performance of Wolverhampton Homes, as the Managing Agent working on behalf of the City Council. It shows how the management performance matches up to the standards put in place by the Homes & Communities Agency, which is the governmental regulatory body that oversees social housing in England.

“The City Council is aware that many tenants have helped shape the ‘Annual Report to Tenants’ and this highlights the City Council’s and Wolverhampton Homes’ commitment to engaging with and responding to tenants needs in relation to their homes and how they are managed.

The City Council continues to support and monitor the work of Wolverhampton Homes to ensure that the service provided to tenants is of a high standard and that every opportunity is taken to improve further.”

How did we do? What do you think?

Thank you to everyone who got involved this year. You have made a real difference to our services by giving us your feedback and views.

We’re sorry to hear that some of you don’t feel we take your views into account. There are lots of ways that we use your views to change the way we provide services and improve them. This includes feedback from Get Togethers, Estate Inspections, Special Interest Groups, surveys and complaints.

Examples of how we have taken your views into account are on our website www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk and search “you talk we listen”.

We’re pleased that most of you feel that we keep you informed but we’d like everyone to feel informed. There are lots of ways to find out what’s happening. You can read Tenants Update and our leaflets and you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

585 of you joined in with “Get Togethers”, Special Interest Groups, Review Panel and Tenants Update Editorial Board.

Almost seven out of ten (69%) of you said you were satisfied that we take your views into account. (Target: 70%).

Almost eight out of ten (79%) of you said you were satisfied that we kept you informed. This is a 2% increase on previous year. (Target: 79%)

Tenant Involvement and empowerment

Councillor Peter Bilson said:

Home

Home


We’re sorry we didn’t answer all of your calls within 20 seconds. We’ve put a lot of work into improving this. We have increased the number of staff and improved staff training. These changes helped us improve so that by the end of the year we answered seven out of ten of your calls within 20 seconds. The number of disconnected calls also went down to 4.2% which is on target.

From this year we have improved the options for you when you phone us so that you can now choose to be put straight through if you want make a card payment or speak to the Wolverhampton City Council’s housing benefit team. This will improve our service to you and the speed that we answer your calls. We made these changes using your feedback at the Get Togethers.

Nine out of ten (92.86%) of you said you were satisfied with how your call had been handled.

We answered four out of ten (48.5%) of calls over the year within 20 seconds. (Target: 80%)

One out ten (11.80%) of calls were disconnected by you before we answered. (Target: 5%)

Customer Service

We have now completed 16,770 Decent Homes with about 6,500 homes to go which will be finished by spring 2015. You can find out when the Decent Homes work will be carried out to your home by

visiting our website www.wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk and searching “yellow book”. This was sent to everyone last year and gives the streets and year for when work is due to start.

We carried out Decent Homes work to 2010 homes. (Target: 1,973)

We completed almost ten out of ten (98.55%) of Decent Homes work within 20 days. (Target: 96%)

Almost ten out of ten (96.84%) of you said that you were satisfied with the Decent Homes work. (Target: 95%)

Decent Homes

We want you to live in a well maintained home and we know that you want repairs to be completed quickly and in one visit.

We missed our tight targets this year but only by a small amount. We’re sorry if yours was one of the

repairs that we carried out late. We are making lots of changes including improving our appointments system, how we diagnose and plan repairs and carrying more parts on our vans so that we can complete more repairs first time.

We carried out almost ten out of ten (99.46%) of emergency repairs within 24 hours. (Target: 99.75%)

We completed almost ten out of ten (98.87%) of urgent repairs within 7 days. (Target: 99.5%)

We completed almost ten out of ten (98.86%) of routine repairs within 20 days. (Target: 99%)

Repairs and Maintenance

HomeAn

nual R

epor

t

Neighbourhood and

community

Tenancy

TenancyLettings and Re-housing


How quickly we re-let homes is very important, it means new tenants can move into their new home as soon as possible and it means less rent is lost because a home is empty.

We’re pleased that we are meeting our target. You can help us by only bidding on homes that you know you’d like to live in and by answering our offers quickly.

1,828 council properties were let using ‘Homes in the City’.

We re-let homes on average in 18 days. (Target: 18 days)

We just missed our target to visit new tenants within 28 days. This visit is important so that new tenants can get any support they need to settle into their new home. This could be help with budgeting or

any issues with their move. We try our best to visit within 28 days but you can help by keeping our appointment or contacting us to rearrange the visit if you can’t be there.

We carried out nine out of ten (90.35%) of home visits during the eighth month of introductory tenancies. (Target: 90%)

We carried out nine out of ten (92.32%) of new tenancy checks within 28 days of the tenancy starting. (Target: 95%)

Your Tenancy

Antisocial behaviour is really upsetting to anyone who is a victim. This year we have improved our reporting systems so we can monitor active cases more closely. We have improved the way that we deal with antisocial behaviou. We now interview perpetrators within three working days of the complaint instead of sending a letter. This has more impact and can prevent further problems.

We have also provided more ‘diversionary activities’ by funding youth groups and clubs to prevent youth ASB and set up a Family Support Project to help families with children involved in antisocial behaviour.

Eight out of ten (82.32%) of you said you were satisfied with the way we had dealt with your antisocial behaviour problem. (Target: 80%)

Seven out of ten (76.26%) of you said you were satisfied with the outcome of your complaint. (Target: 70%)

Preventing and tackling antisocial behaviour

1,808 new cases of antisocial behaviour were reported to us.

Annual Report

Value for money

Neighbourhood and

community


Thank you for paying your rent on time. We want to make it as easy as possible for you so we recommend Direct Debit as the best method of paying rent. This year we introduced more payment dates so you have a wider choice of when to pay.

Please remember that if you are worried about paying your rent contact our Money Smart team for advice on 01902 556789. Our Money Smart team

gave advice to 205 tenants last year and helped many more by referring them to other agencies.

We want to make sure we spend money wisely and you that get a good deal for your rent. Some of the ways we saved money last year were spending less on staff salaries and on transport costs. We also trained our own IT staff to carry out specialist work to save money on consultants.

We collected 98.43% of the rent that was due. Our target was 98.25%

Almost eight out of ten (78%) of you said you were satisfied with the value for money of their rent, an increase of 4% from 2010.

Rents and Value for money

How satisfied are you with the information in this report?Very satisfied Satisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied

Your name:

Your Address:

Your Postcode:

Your Telephone: Your Email:

What did you think of our annual report?

Your FeedbackIt’s really important that you tell us what you think of this annual report so we can improve for next year. Everyone who gives us feedback by 1 October will be entered into a prize draw for £25 vouchers.

We’re pleased that the majority of you were happy with the grounds maintenance service. We want you to be happy with the service so if you spot any

problems you can report it to us and we will inspect it within three calendar days and try to put it right.

We carried out 477 estate inspections every three months with almost ten out of ten (96.95%) achieving a good rating. (Target: 92%)

We carried out ten out of ten (100%) of daily fire safety checks.

Your Estate Eight out of ten (80%) tenants receiving a grounds maintenance service said they were satisfied with the service received.

Annu

al R

epor

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90% were very or fairly satisfied with the way their antisocial behaviour complaint was dealt with. This was over our 80% target.

Anti Social BehaviourWe always take cases of antisocial behaviour seriously.

81% were very or fairly satisfied with the outcome of their antisocial behaviour complaint. This also beat our 75% target.

90% of appointments were kept during the period, which is under our 96% target. We are constantly reviewing this performance and trying to find ways to improve.

Repairs

98.38% of response repairs have been completed within their timescales. This is below our target of 99%, and is due to a small number of jobs being completed just a day or two outside of their timescale.

The number of properties with a valid gas certificate is 99.97%. This is above our 99.6% target.

The percentage of tenants owing over seven weeks rent is well within our 1.75% target at 1.50% which is excellent. Thank you for keeping your rent paid up to date.

RentsWe haven’t collected as much rent as this time last year. We are currently half a percent below last year’s performance at this time.

How are we doing?Here’s a more recent round up of how we did between April and June 2012.

Decent Homes

87.1% of homes have been improved within the 20 day timescale which is well below our 96% target. This was due to teething problems with one of our partner’s suppliers.Nearly 19% of employees on the Decent Homes project are trainees, which is well above our 10% target.

32% live within the city boundaries, which is above our 30% target.

We now have just over 28% of tenants paying by Direct Debit, our preferred payment method. Our end of year target is 30%. This payment option is less expensive for us and makes paying your rent easier by not having to wait in queues. Contact 0800 408 0440 to set up a Direct Debit.

The average time to relet our empty properties was 17 days which is within our 18 day target.

Empty properties and lettings

Rent lost through empty properties is 1.53%, which is better than the previous period. This is above our 1.3% target and is mainly due to the redevelopment of some highrise blocks.

Over 81% of tenancies offered were accepted first time. This is above our 80% target.

Homes Direct answered 69% of all calls in 30 seconds. This is much better than this time last year but still short of our 75% target.

Customer Care

The number of calls abandoned is now slightly over our 5% target at 5.4%. This is due to a high number of calls received in June following bank holidays and the heavy rain.

93% of complaints have been dealt with inside of our target timescales (Target 95%).


DOORSTEP SCAMSBogus callers will try to trick or worry you into leaving your house or into letting them in, by making up stories.Bogus callers may pose as water, electricity or gas-board workers, council workers, police officers or even charity collectors; so they can steal money or property from your home.

Please be careful. Remember the following three steps:

• Stop - before you open the door

• Chain - put it on

• Check - ask the caller for their ID - and check it by phoning the company they say they’re from. Use the phone number in the phone book, not on their identity card.

Think before you buy on your doorstep

Doorstep selling is when someone turns up, unannounced and tries to sell you something. It can be a convenient way to buy - but there is a risk you may be pressured into buying something you do not want or that is not good value for money.

It could be gardening or tree work, home security or an alarm, or a new electricity or gas deal...

• Think twice before you buy and if you feel under pressure, say you need to think about it or discuss it with a friend of family member.

• Always shop around to compare products and prices.

• Talk to someone you trust for a second opinion.

• If in doubt, call the Citizens Advice consumer service on 08454 040506 or visit www.adviceguide.org.uk.

If in doubt – shut them out!

FUN FOR THE JUBILEE

Watch out Bogus Callers About

We’ve got so many wonderful

photos of the events you

held to celebrate the Jubilee.

Here’s just a few of them.

To see all of the photos

visit www.facebook.com/

WolvesHomes

Street party fun at

Tithe Road, Wednesfield.

The oldest residents in Low Hill

were crowned King and Queen.

Residents of Oak Green, Tettenhall planted two commemorative trees to mark the Jubilee.

Station Road, Bilston residents

held a huge street party.


DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH ELECTRICITY YOU USE?Ken and Anita Dance from Wednesfield are big fans of Energy Monitors. Energy monitors are small devices that tell you how much energy you use around your home and how much it is costing you. Once you know, you can change your energy habits and could save up to 20% on your electricity bill.

Ken said: “The monitor has helped me to cut down my use of electricity which helps towards saving energy. I was really surprised at how much electricity my tumble dryer, iron and kettle use.

“The energy monitor has made us more aware and got us into the habit of turning the lights off when not in use and we have started using energy saving light bulbs throughout our house. We never

leave anything on standby any more and we’ve started using a TV powerdown and computer plug.”

Alvina Ali, Climate Change Officer said: “An energy monitor itself won’t cut your bills – it relies on you using the information it provides to actively change your behaviour. Ken is a shining example of being a Green Champion and how savings can be achieved.”

We can lend you an energy monitor for up to four weeks so you can find out how to save energy and money. All we ask is that you make a note of what you are doing differently and details of any reduction in your energy use or costs.

The scheme will be launched during ‘Energy Saving Week’ in October on a ‘first-come-first-served’ basis. Contact our Climate Change team on 01902 556789 to be added to the list.

This autumn we will launch the newly modernised and decorated one and two bedroom apartments on the Hickman Estate, close to Bentley Bridge.

All have UPVC double glazing and connectivity for broadband and digital television. They also have an energy efficient and individually controlled central heating and water system fed by a communal plant room.

If you are interested in moving to these modern apartments with stunning views over the city, make sure you register with www.homesinthecity.org.uk or phone 01902 556789 to register. You will be able to bid for these apartments from November 2012.

One and two bedroom apartments

coming soon

NEW LOOK: A computer generated image of how the refurbished blocks will look.


Have you thought about getting more involved with Wolverhampton Homes? Our Tenant Ambassadors have been doing just that. You may have met them at the last Get Togethers encouraging more tenants to get involved.

Tenant Ambassador, Roseanne Campbell said: “I became a Tenant Ambassador because I wanted to get involved and make a change in society. I believe that there’s no point sitting at home complaining that this or that doesn’t get done. If you want to make a change you need to be in the ship and help steer it.

“I’m looking forward to getting trained in various roles, meeting new people and making friends. Being an ambassador gives me a lot of opportunities to keep my mind fresh.”

You can hear more from our tenant ambassadors on our You Tube channel www.youtube.com/wolveshomes

GETTING INVOLVED

Meet the Ambassadors

Tenants meet Chief Executive thanks to ACOVTenants from Merridale Court, Heath Town and Bilston met Chief Executive Lesley Roberts at events hosted by the All Cultures One Voice (ACOV) group.ACOV arranged the three events, for tenants to voice their concerns about their local areas and estate problems.

Many of the tenants who went along do not normally go to resident meetings, but wanted to find a way to air their views openly. The issues ranged from parking, repairs, estate cleanliness and laundry facilities.Edward Grizzle, Chairman for ACOV said:

“ACOV is grateful to Lesley and the staff members who attended for supporting this venture. I am pleased that tenants took the time to come along. All the views that were aired were interesting, and everyone represented their estates well.”

“Some of the issues highlighted have already been tackled by Wolverhampton Homes and this was due to tenants voicing issues as a group. Hopefully this will encourage tenants, who would not normally get involved, to see that it is not always a daunting experience. By coming together and airing views, it can bring positive action and raise confidence.”All Cultures One Voice can be contacted on 01902 555545 or www.allculturesonevoice.org.uk.

Representatives of Tenants and Residents Associations from all over the city put their questions to Cllr Peter Bilson, Chief Executive Lesley Roberts and our other Directors at the Tenants’ Summit. Questions raised included paying for fencing, welfare reform, creating more housing and car parking.

Tenants’ Summit


Come to our Low Hill social media surgeries. You will get to sit with someone who understands good ways to use the internet and they’ll show you useful free tools. If you like what you see they can also help you set up your blog, or Facebook page or Twitter account.

They are held at the Low Hill Community Centre at 10am to 11.30am on Thursdays 11 October, 8 November, 13 December and 10 January. You can find out more at socialmediasurgery.com

Want to get into Facebook or Twitter?

Having a safe and secure home to live in is a basic human need.

The National Tenant Organisations are looking at how we house our population fairly and are asking all tenants to give their views. Your views will be used to help shape future national housing strategy.

To take part visit http://nationaltenants.org/fairness-housing-consultation/ and download the booklet, you can then send them your views by email. The closing date is 24 September 2012.

FAIRNESS AND HOUSING WHAT DO YOU THINK?

DebateThe Wolverhampton Federation of Tenants Associations held a debate about the Right to Buy your council home. Arguments for and against were raised by the panel which included Mark Henderson, our Director of Housing and Russ Borrowman, a retired housing professional. For more details on the event visit www.wfta.org.uk

To buy or not to buy?

A cheque for a checkJanet Griffiths from Whitmore Reans won £100 just for having her gas boiler serviced. Anyone who keeps their first appointment for gas servicing and returns the free post card is entered into our prize draw. So make sure you keep your first appointment and next time you could be the winner.

Please remember a regularly serviced boiler is safer, more efficient, and less likely to have problems.

WFTA

Q&A Wolverhampton Homeswith

If you have a question you’d like answered please get in touch.

Email [email protected],

call 01902 556789 or post it on our Facebook page.

“In addition to the six options when calling 556789 is it possible to add a seventh option to get through to ‘sales and leasing’ directly instead of having to explain all my details and query twice as currently happens?”

Wolverhampton Homes

“Thank you for your suggestion. When we set up the phone options, tenants said they didn’t want too many options to listen too, so we tried to limit it to the key types of calls.

“We did consider setting up an option for leaseholder calls however a lot of calls from leaseholders are about repairs or payments and Homes Direct can deal with these enquiries.

“We are concerned that callers are having to repeat themselves if they are put through to a different team as any information that you tell Homes Direct will be passed to that team with the call. We will work with our staff to improve on this in the future.”

Gordon Mill of Warstones asked:


“Wolverhampton Homes are doing quite

well in every services except one. I think

the bins should be put in back gardens

(where they have gardens) they do look a

sight and untidy. Everywhere you go, you

just see bins, bins and bins. (Very ugly.)”

Wolverhampton Homes

“We cannot control where tenants keep

their wheelie bins. If people have back

gardens that are accessible from the front,

it would be tidier if they kept their bins at

the back. However many people prefer to

keep them at the front where it is easier

to move them to the side of the road on

collection day.

“The City Council ask that once the bins

have been emptied everyone should move

them off the street and back into their

gardens to ensure public safety. We would

repeat this request so that the estates are

kept tidy and pleasant for everyone.”

Sylvia Brown of

Bushbury said:


How satisfied are you with the information in this newsletter?Very satisfied Satisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied

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

Name: Age:

Address:

Postcode:

Telephone:

Colouring competition and winnersThere are two prizes up for grabs - one for the under fives and one for 5-10 year olds.You could win £20 in a First Savers Credit Union Account.In June, Michael Tonks from Bushbury scooped the prize for the 5-10 year olds and Jayden Dearn from Bilston won the prize for the under fives.

You said: “A courtesy call or an appointment for routine repairs would be nice to ensure that we are in.”Jenny Blaze, Bilston

$ SEPTEMBER 2012

We said: “We’re sorry if you were out when we called. When you request a repair you will be given a reference number, appointment date and time. We offer appointments for most general routine or urgent repairs that our own teams carry out and for inspections. If the work is carried out as a major or zoned repair we can’t offer you an appointment when you call but we will offer a verbal appointment before the work starts. In the future we will be introducing a text message service to remind you the day before a repair is to be carried out and also when the operative is on route to you.”Fe

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Spot the difference Jardine Lloyd Thompson Tenant Risks is the company that provides our special contents insurance. They have given us these rather scary pictures. Can you spot the seven differences? Mark them up clearly on Picture A and return with the tear off slip below before 1 October 2012.

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.

Are you covered?What would you do if you woke up one morning to find your home full of water? We don’t insure your furniture, decorations and other belongings. So, if you haven’t thought about insurance cover, you could be in for a shock. However, we can arrange for insurance for the contents of your home at a special affordable rate.

The cover has been designed to help you insure most of your belongings as easily as possible and also covers you against theft, vandalism and fire. Premiums start from as little as 46p a week (over 60’s) and £1.23 a week (under 60’s). With flexible weekly or monthly payments by direct debit or at any of the One Stop Shops. It’s quick and easy to apply, complete a form or apply for cover over the phone by calling 0800 408 0454.

$ SEPTEMBER 2012

You could be the lucky winner of £25 vouchers (kindly donated by Allianz) and £25 in a Wolverhampton City Credit Union account set up in your name (increased to £75 on the 6 month anniversary of opening the account.) The winner will be the first correct entry drawn.The lucky winner of the June issue was Sulekha Hallone from Ettingshall.

How satisfied are you with the information in this newsletter?Very satisfied Satisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied

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

Your name:

Your Address:

Your Postcode:

Your Telephone: Your Email:

Send me Tenants Update via email Send me information about contents insurance

A B

Tenants Update September 2012

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Transcript of Tenants Update September 2012