WINTER housing news - Link Group · housing news The newsletter for ... storing rubbish temporarily...

Inside:• Welfare Reform

• TPAS Gold AwardTenant Participation

• Sheltered HousingCelebrations

• Get involved in therent consultation

housing newsThe newsletter for Link tenants

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

WINTER 2017WINTER 2017

03451 400 100 [email protected]

We have published our CharterReport Card for 2016/17 whereyou can find information on:

l Tenant satisfaction levelsl Housing quality and maintenancel Anti-social behaviourl Rents and service charges

The Charter Report Card is based on theinformation we send annually to the ScottishHousing Regulator.

We’ve included our performance levels during thepast three years and compared it to the Scottishaverage. This means you can see if ourperformance has improved or deteriorated, andhow we compare with other landlords.

You will find the Charter Report Card on ourwebsite www.linkhousing.org.ukIf you would prefer a hard copy please call uson 03451 400 100.You’ll also find informationon the performance of all social landlords onthe Scottish Housing Regulator’s websitewww.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk

Welcome to ourwinter newsletter

Welcome to this winteredition of our tenants'newsletter which I hopeyou find informative andinteresting. Link Housing iscontinuing on a journey ofchange as we prepare oursystems and resources for

the move from housing benefit to UniversalCredit in the coming months. As we operatein so many different local authority areas, wewant to ensure we reach all our tenants whoneed support with these changes. As the rollout programme takes place, it is planned thatour Officers will be in the communities visitingour tenants to ensure there is help whereneeded. Further details will follow early in thenew year.

Finally, I wish all our tenants the complimentsof the season, and best wishes for a healthy,happy 2018.

June GreenDirector of Housing Services

LINK CHARTERREPORT CARD

We were deeply touchedby the tragic events atGrenfell Tower, London.We would like to assure you that the safety of ourtenants is of paramount importance andreassure you that, when carrying out significantimprovements of our properties, the designmeets with current building standards and thematerials we use are independently assessed forsuitability in terms of fire safety. Duringimprovement works, additional measures may becarried out by Link to ensure all of the requiredsafety, quality and technical standards are met.

While Link has a part to play as your landlord, firesafety is everyone’s responsibility. We’d like to

remind all our tenants to ensure their ownelectrical appliances are safe and communalareas are kept clear at all times. This includesstoring rubbish temporarily or leaving items thatmight block the access of an escape route andcould have a devastating effect should a firebreak out.

If you have any questions or concerns aboutyour property or communal areas, pleasecontact the Customer Service Centre on03451 400 100.

The Scottish Fire Service offer free home firesafety visits and give great advice on fire safetyto ensure you and your family are safe in theevent of a fire. You can access more informationon its website:www.firescotland.gov.uk/your-safety.aspx

3www.facebook.com/LinkGroupLtd www.linkhousing.org.uk

Link gets the GoldWe are delighted to haveachieved the goldstandard of TenantParticipation AdvisoryService (TPAS) Scotlandaccreditation.

This award recognisesexcellence in involving tenantsand other customers in thedelivery of housing services. Theaward itself is validated by anindependent panel of tenantparticipation experts.

In order to achieve the gold levelaccreditation, we had todemonstrate how we met tenstandards outlined by TPASwhich are key to effective tenantinvolvement.

TPAS was impressed by the widerange of engagementopportunities that we offered aswell as how our Tenant ScrutinyPanel works to ensure goodoutcomes for tenants byadvising how performance isreported and by independently

assessing services to identifyareas for improvement.

Lesley Baird, Chief Executive,TPAS Scotland said:

“By achieving TPASaccreditation at gold level, Linkhas demonstrated that itprovides the highest standard oftenant participation. Tenants andother customers are able to getinvolved in a variety of ways andare empowered to influencedecisions. Link continues to bea champion of tenantparticipation and scrutiny whichother landlords can learn from.”

June Green, Link's Director ofHousing Services added:

“We are absolutely delightedthat we have achieved thegold standard. Tenantparticipation plays a key role inhelping Link not only to improveits services and performancebut also to identify ways we cando this to meet our tenants’expectations and deliver addedvalue for money.”

Left to right: Link Housing Chair John Flaherty, Tenant ScrutinyPanel members, Shona Gorman, Lindsay Anderson, Elsie Boyce,Director of LHA June Green and Link Group Chair Ross Martin.

Tenant ScrutinyUpdate

The Tenant ScrutinyPanel’s role is toindependently assessLink’s performance, makerecommendations andhighlight good practice.

The Panel recently completedan inspection of Link’splanned maintenanceprogramme – in particularhow Link replaces kitchens.The Panel used a range ofmethods to review Link’sservice, these included sitevisits to other LocalAuthorities and RegisteredSocial Landlords,interviewing contractmanagers, staff focus groupsand carrying out satisfactionsurveys with Link tenantsduring the kitchenreplacement process.

The Panel made a total ofnine recommendations; it’sreport was presented at theLink Group Board inSeptember. During theinspection the kitchenreplacement programme wasbrought in-house. This meantthe Panel had the opportunityto input to the new servicecustomers receive;highlighting good practiceand how things could beimproved from the word go!


Rent and service chargeincrease for 2018/19

We would like your views onour proposal to increase yourrent by around 2.6% in2018/19. On average(excluding service charges),this will mean an increase of£2.05 per week.

Although we want you to beable to afford our rents, we alsoneed to invest in our propertiesand provide you with qualityhousing management, repairsand advice services. If weincrease our rents by 2.6% wecan continue to do this.

You may also pay charges forservices such as stair andwindow cleaning or commongrounds maintenance. Thesecharges are calculated on anindividual scheme basis and arenot included in the aboveproposed increase.

How our weekly rents compare to other landlords

Average Weekly Rents

All properties of the same size across our 22 council areas are usedto calculate the average rent. Some properties have service chargesand some don’t.

The rent increases we applied from 2014 to 2016 were belowaverage and resulted in a decreasing difference between our rentsand the housing association average.

Year increaseagreed

Link rent increase Scottish average

2016/17 2.7% 2.3%

2015/16 1.5% 1.9%

2014/15 2% 2.7%

2013/14 3% 3.5%

Size Link average2016/17

Housing associationaverage 2016/17

Studio £66.35 £69.96

1 Bedroom £73.28 £77.87

2 Bedroom £83.61 £78.32

3 Bedroom £91.73 £86.68

4 Bedroom + £100.03 £96.36

Rent Increase Consultation


■ Voids & Bad Debts £502,000■ Employment Costs

£4,472,000 ■ Maintenance £10,595,000■ Service Charges £1,497,000■ Staff Overhead & Facilities

£2,952,000■ Depreciation £5,688,000■ Loan Costs £5,481,000■ Direct Housing Costs

£600,000

What does your rent pay for?

Your rent is needed so we havemoney to repair, maintain andupgrade your home, manageneighbourhoods, providehousing management, and growour business and social aims.We invest profit and rentalincome back into services for ourcustomers.

l Voids and Bad Debts – cost of lost rentbetween tenancy changes and unpaidrent arrears

l Maintenance – planned and cyclicalmaintenance (e.g. bathroom and kitchenreplacements), major repairs and day-to-day repairs

l Service charges – estate managementincluding landscape maintenance, staircleaning and window cleaning

l Staff overhead and facilities – all backoffice administration and support staff plusoffice costs and overheads relating to frontline services

l Depreciation – reduction in value over thelifetime of our properties

l Loan costs – interest on borrowing to buildall Link homes

l Direct housing costs – property insuranceand other property management expenses

In 2016/17, your rent was spent on:


What service did we providein 2016/17?

Your rent allowed us to provideservices to over 6,500 tenants.We:

l Completed 25,866emergency and reactiverepairs

l Let 803 housesl Resolved 693 antisocial

behaviour cases

We also spent £5.9 million oncyclical and plannedmaintenance projects. We:

l Upgraded 120 kitchens and20 bathrooms

l Replaced 66 roof coveringsl Carried out painter work to

1,210 properties l Carried out gas servicing to

6,132 propertiesl Completed 281 heating

installations

We have kept the cost ofreplacing kitchens andbathrooms the same as lastyear; the average new kitchencosts £3,006 and the averagenew bathroom £2,780.

We added value to ourmaintenance and housingmanagement service by:

l Providing more than 1,500tenants with money andbenefits advice

l Building 328 new homesl Helping more than 150

tenants get online l Providing City and Guilds ICT

training for 23 tenants andlaptop loans for more than100 tenants

l Supporting and funding50 tenant group activities

l Directly providingemployability initiativesincluding 37 workplacements and ninemodern apprenticeships

l Obtaining a total of 51 workplacements, apprenticeshipsand new jobs with oursuppliers and contractors

What can you expect next year?

In addition to the services above,we have budgeted to replace:

l Windows in 81 homesl 256 kitchensl 240 bathroomsl 401 gas boilersl 35 stair/close doors

We also intend to:

l Upgrade 254 smokedetectors

l Complete external painterwork for 877 properties

l Invest in neighbourhoods andenvironmental improvements

How does our service comparewith other landlords?

Our performance is better thanthe Scottish average in mostareas relating to repairs,property condition and rent

arrears. Our customersatisfaction survey in 2016reported 89.5% of our tenantswere satisfied with the overallservice we provided comparedto the Scottish average of 89.7%.

Value for Money

Our 2016 customer satisfactionsurvey found that 78% of tenantsfelt the rent for their propertyrepresented good value formoney compared with 71% in2013.

We want to keep improving valuefor money for our tenants. We willdo this by putting our customersfirst in service improvements.Recent improvements includethe launch of Link Property’skitchen and bathroomreplacement service.

Affordability

The percentage of tenants whofound our rents fairly or veryeasy to afford increased from34% to 46% in November 2016.We know how important it is thatyou can afford our rents and weoffer budgeting advice andbenefit checks to help you withthis. We also ask for your viewson rent affordability in our rentincrease survey.


PAYING RENT IS NOT A CHOICE

This year we considered theaffordability of our rents using amethod developed by theScottish Federation of HousingAssociations. We found thatalmost four out of five propertytypes were “green” rated withaverage rents less than 25% ofnet moderate income – acommonly used indicator ofaffordability.

What do you think?

We are committed to listening toour customers and acting onyour views. We havecommissioned an independentmarket research company,Research Resource, to completea customer satisfaction and rentincrease survey.

To participate in the survey youcan:

l Telephone ResearchResource on freephone0800 121 8987

l Go onlinehttp://www.researchresource.co.uk/linkrentsurvey.html

l Speak to Research Resourceif they contact you bytelephone

Who decides the rent increase?

All the feedback we receive willbe added to a report, which LinkGroup Board will consider inFebruary when it makes thedecision on what the rentincrease will be.

Rent is our main source of income. We can’t provide ourservice or maintain and improve our homes without it. It is acondition of your tenancy agreement that rent is paid inadvance on or before the first day of every month.

Although nearly two-thirds of tenants get help with their rentthrough Housing Benefit (or the housing element of UniversalCredit), every tenant is responsible for making sure their rent ispaid on time.

If you are struggling to pay your bills due to benefit cuts and risinghousehold costs, we can help. We can make sure you meet yourlegal obligation to pay your rent. If you don’t pay, we may have totake legal action which could result in you losing your home.

Preventing and managing rent arrears is a major challenge for us.We have reviewed our approach to make sure it is effective andfair. This approach is set out in our revised Prevention of RentArrears and Debt Collection policy.

It covers:

l The help we will give our tenants to prevent themfalling into debt

l What action we will take to help tenants manage anyrent arrears

l The circumstances when we would take legal action toend a tenancy

You can read this policy on our website. If you would like a hardcopy please call the Customer Support Team 03451 400 100or through live chat on our website.

If you have any feedback on this policy, please [email protected] or call ourTenant Engagement Team on 03451 400 100.


Are you ready forUniversal Credit?

You may have heard that benefits are changing with the introduction ofUniversal Credit (UC). This replaces Income Support, Job SeekersAllowance, Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit andEmployment and Support Allowance.

UC is being rolled out over the next year for newclaims only. From late 2018, claimants currently inreceipt of existing benefits will be transferred toUC. The Department for Work and Pensions hasadvised that this process will require the claimantto complete a UC claim form online and attend theJob Centre to agree and sign a ClaimantCommitment. Once in receipt of payment, theclaimant will be required to pay their rent from theirUC payment.

We know some of our tenants will find thisadjustment difficult, but we are here to help!

If you need help making a new claim to UC,understanding the transition processes or payingyour rent with UC, please speak to your HousingOfficer or a member of our Advice Service team.

We will ask you a few questions about what youmay be affected by to ensure you get the right helpand advice.

Contact the Advice Service on 01324 417 174Email: [email protected]

DIRECT RENT PAYMENTSAre you making a new claim toUniversal Credit or already receivingUniversal Credit?

If so, you can ask for your rent to be paiddirectly to us. If you would prefer to pay yourrent this way please speak to your Work Coachfor more information.

If you are already receiving UC in a full servicearea you will be able to apply for directpayments of your rent from January 2018.

You can also request payments fortnightlyinstead of monthly. Please seek advice beforeopting for this payment plan as it is notstraightforward.


Limits and exclusions apply. A full policy wording is available on request.Thistle Tenant Risks is a trading style of Thistle Insurance Services Limited. Thistle InsuranceServices Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Lloyd’sBroker. Registered in England under No. 00338645 Registered office: 68 Lombard StreetLondon EC3V 9LJ.

Have you insured the contents of your home?

Link does not insure thecontents of your home or yourpersonal possessions and westrongly urge that you arrangehome contents insurance forthis reason.

Thistle Tenant Risks can offer all our tenants achance to insure their contents and personalpossessions in an easy and affordable way. Thiswill provide peace of mind, knowing that you arecovered for fire, theft, storm, burst pipes, floodand other risks.

Ask your Housing Officer for anapplication pack, which includespremiums and payment methods, or contact:

Thistle Tenant Risks on0345 450 7286

Visit: www.thistletenants-scotland.co.uk

And request a call back today!

Imagine if you were unfortunate enough toexperience a flood due to a burst pipe in your home or that of a neighbouring property,which caused extensive damage to yourceilings, carpets, furniture and other personalpossessions. Could you afford to replace lost items?

Link is able to repair the burst pipe and damageto the ceiling as we are responsible for thebuilding itself, but it is your responsibility (seeyour tenancy agreement) to replace yourbelongings and having home contentsinsurance would help with this.

We know from experience that incidents occur,which can often leave tenants struggling to findextra money to replace lost, stolen or damagedgoods and this is why we strongly urge all ourtenants to arrange home contents insurance.


We treat our customers with courtesy and we expect the same treatment.

Occasionally, the behaviour or actions ofindividuals using our services make it very difficultfor us to deliver those services effectively.

In a small number of cases, the actions ofindividuals become unacceptable because theyinvolve abuse of our staff.

To help staff manage these incidents, we haveintroduced an Unacceptable Actions Policy. Thissets out the approach taken in circumstanceswhere the behaviour of an individual is consideredto be unacceptable.

It applies to anyone who is interacting with our staffand contractors and includes tenants, applicants,owner occupiers and members of the generalpublic. We believe there are three categories thatdeem actions as unacceptable:

Aggressive or abusive behaviourAggression that may result in physical harmand behaviour or language (oral or written) thatmay cause staff to feel upset, afraid, threatenedor abused.

Unreasonable demandsA demand becomes unreasonable when it impactson our staff’s ability to deliver services effectively toother customers.

Unreasonable persistence orlevels of contactWhere some customers will not or cannot acceptthat Link is unable to assist them further or providea level of service other than that provided already.

The proposal to introduce this policy was discussed at our recent consultationforums and there was overwhelming support from all attendees that this shouldbe introduced as soon as possible. The policy can be found on our websitewww.linkhousing.org.uk

ZERO TOLERANCE TO UNACCEPTABLEBEHAVIOUR TOWARDS STAFF

We are not bystandersWe recently asked staff tosign up to the 'NoBystanders' campaign,which is run by StonewallUK, to help stamp out abuse.

Staff signed a pledge whichstates they will never be abystander to hateful languageand abuse. If they hear it, theywill call it out and report it, and ifthey can, they will stop it. Theypromised to stand up for fairnessand kindness.

The pledge is a powerful, publicdeclaration that we will doeverything we can to provide asafe environment for our staff towork in and for our tenants to livein. Bullying and hate crime harmpeople and create divisions. We

believe we are entitled to betreated with respect and dignityand that the workplace and homeare better places when we are.

Find out more about thecampaign on the Stonewallwebsitewww.stonewall.org.uk

Link is an Investor in Diversity(IID), number 49 in the top 100companies as measured by theNational Centre for Diversity anda Stonewall champion.


ASB includes excessive noise, domestic abuse,harassment, threatening behaviour, hate crime,vandalism, animal nuisance, vehicle nuisance, anddrug or alcohol related behaviour.

Although the majority of our tenants are goodneighbours, in recent months we have pursuedlegal action against a minority whose behaviourwas causing distress and alarm to other residents.

We took the following actions:

l Following complaints from local residents,Link was successful in obtaining its first ASBOrder, banning an individual from enteringone of our estates

l We obtained an Interdict against a Linktenant, preventing them from accessing one of our sheltered housing complexes. We pursued this action following theperpetrator breaking into our premises andstealing items from within the complex. We are now pursuing an eviction actionagainst this tenant

l We are currently pursuing an eviction actionagainst a tenant whose frequentdisturbances, excessive noise, fire raisingand lack of control of their dog has causedconcerns and distress for neighbours

Fortunately these are rare cases and mostneighbour complaints we receive can be resolvedwithout the need for any legal action. We arecommitted to responding to and investigating allcomplaints of ASB.

On receipt of a complaint we will:

l Visit both parties to discuss the problem andto try to resolve the issue

l Arrange mediation if you and your neighbourare agreeable

l Speak to other organisations which might beable to help, for example Police Scotland orEnvironmental Health

l As a last resort, take legal action againstthe tenant if a tenant is in breach of theirtenancy agreement

Get involved

Are you interested in how we tackle anti-socialbehaviour? We want you to take part in our anti-social behaviour consultation in 2018. Theconsultation will be advertised on the Link websiteand social media in February/March 2018.

Contact us at [email protected] or03451 400 100.

Tackling anti-social behaviourWe want to make sure our tenants, and those living in our communities, can enjoytheir homes in quiet, peaceful and secure surroundings. That’s why we take anti-socialbehaviour (ASB) complaints seriously.

You can report anti-social behaviour by calling 03451 400 100 or completing the anti-socialbehaviour form on our website.

Any criminal behaviour or activity should be reported to the Police Scotland on 101.


NEW HOMES

34 GOLD STANDARDHOMES FOR SOCIALRENT ALVA

Our Alva developmentcomprises a mix of one-bedroom flats and two andthree-bedroom houses.48 properties were built with14 homes transferred to Paragon Housing Associationupon completion.

An innovative method ofconstruction was used to buildthese homes. Pre-manufactured“pods” were constructed in afactory and then delivered to thesite by lorry. The pods,completely finished inside withkitchens, bathrooms, heaters

and full decoration, were thencraned onto the site where theexternal layers were constructed.

The homes have been built tothe Gold Standard ofSustainability of the ScottishBuilding Standards 2015. Thismeans they have excellent levelsof insulation ensuring areduction in running costscompared to standard housing.The homes also have solarpanels, mechanical ventilationheat recovery and air sourceheat pumps.

Tenants have been givenmanuals and a short video guideto help them understand and usethe technology in their home.

161 HOMESAT CITYPARK WAY,EDINBURGH

We recently completed the thirdand final phase of ourdevelopment at Citypark Way,Edinburgh. The developmentcomprises a mix of 23 two, three and four-bedroom flats forsocial rent and 23 flats for salethrough the New Supply SharedEquity Scheme.

The flats benefit from generousstorage, energy-efficient gascentral heating, double glazingas well as parking and a “centralpark” area.

The first phase of thedevelopment was completed inDecember 2015 and included28 flats for social rent. Thesecond phase of 87 flats for midmarket rent was completed inMarch 2017.


Buying a home could be moreaffordable than you think!

Morag Campbell used the LIFT OpenMarket Shared Equity scheme to help herbuy her dream home. Morag said:

“At one point I thought it was going to take meyears to get onto the property ladder. I had been working hard to save the minimum 10 percent deposit, and then I found out about the LIFT scheme.

It helped ease some of the financial pressure I feltand, thanks to the scheme, I managed topurchase a home sooner than I thought possible –it only took me around four months!”

We know buying a home can often be a confusingprocess, especially for first-time buyers. Link hasbeen administering these schemes on behalf ofthe Scottish Government for a number of years,and during this time we have helped more than1,500 buyers onto the property ladder.

If you would like more information about the NewSupply Shared Equity or Open Market SharedEquity schemes please call 0330 303 0125 or visitour website www.linkhousing.org.uk

Apply online www.linkhousing.org.uk/LIFT

Call: 0330 303 0125Email: [email protected]

Follow us: @Link_Group_Ltd or Facebook.com/LinkGroupLtd

Need a LIFT onto thehousing ladder?

Get a step up via theOpen Market Shared Equity Scheme!*

Funding for 10% to40% of purchase price

The scheme is aimed at first-time buyers,social rented tenants, disabled people witha housing need, armed forces personneland recent veterans.

*terms and conditions apply

Many of our customers tell us that saving adeposit to buy a home is a huge challenge.The Scottish Government’s New SupplyShared Equity (NSSE) or Open Market SharedEquity Schemes (OMSE) can help make homeownership more affordable.

Will McKenzie recently moved into one of ourNSSE properties at Citypark Way in Edinburgh.He tells us how the scheme helped him:

“My property is more suited to my needs thanany property I would’ve been able to afford onthe private market. Not only is the quality of myhome incredible, but I was able to purchase aflat with a second bedroom which will be greatwhen I look to start a family in the future.”


Property Maintenance Policy and AssetManagement Strategy Consultation

Thank you to tenants who recently tookpart in our Property Maintenance Policyand Asset Management StrategyConsultation. From your feedback, wehave taken steps to improve the servicethat we provide.

WE ASKED How often would you like to receive a copyof our planned maintenance programmeand how would you like the information tobe sent to you?

YOU SAIDYou would like to hear about work in theplanned maintenance programme betweenone and three years in advance of the workhappening. You told us that you would like tohear about this in the tenant newsletter.

WE DIDWe will provide you with an annual plannedmaintenance programme in the springnewsletter.

WE ASKEDWe currently pay disturbance allowance totenants who have had kitchen and bathroomreplacements. In future we are consideringusing that allowance to provide redecorationand/or basic floor coverings. What do youthink of this?

YOU SAIDYou thought that providing decoration/floorcoverings during planned improvementswould be beneficial to tenants rather thanreceiving the allowance.

WE DIDWe will review the practicality and costsassociated with the proposal. We will tell youthe outcome in time for the 2018/19improvements.


For a copy of the consultation report please contact [email protected] call 03451 400 100.

WE ASKEDShould tenants have a clear rent accountprior to having planned maintenanceenhancements/ improvements carried out intheir home?

YOU SAIDOverall tenants felt that rent accounts shouldbe clear and not in arrears. Some tenantsagreed that in some instances improvementsshould take place regardless of the rentaccount and most tenants felt strongly that it isunfair to single out those with rent arrears.

WE DIDThis proposal will be considered at a LinkHousing Board meeting and all concerns raisedduring the consultation will be addressed.

WE ASKEDUnfortunately, a small number of tenantsrefuse to give access for plannedmaintenance. What are your views whennon-access means that work is carried outat a later stage sometimes with further costimplications to the organisation? What canwe do to encourage tenants to give access?

YOU SAIDYou highlighted that a number of factors shouldbe taken into consideration as to why no accessis given. Most tenants agreed that forcedaccess should be made if the work is essentialfor Health and Safety or welfare reasons.

WE DIDProcedures will be developed to ensure allfactors are considered when a tenant does notallow access for planned maintenance to becarried out. Alternative arrangements will bemade with the tenant to ensure the completionof work.

WE ASKEDWhat does value for money mean to you,in particular when it comes to plannedmaintenance? Would you accept longerday-to-day repair timescales if this allowed savings that could be reinvested inplanned maintenance?

YOU SAIDA majority of tenants felt planned maintenanceand repairs timescales offered good value formoney and some tenants felt that emergencytimescales were excellent.

A few tenants commented that appointmentavailability was difficult due to workcommitments.

WE DIDAppointments are designed to be as specificas possible for tenants and we offer AM andPM appointments. There is no plan to changethe current timescales. There is no plan toextend services.

WE ASKEDAt present when we are upgradingbathrooms we install a bath and over-bathshowers. Would you prefer to have a showercubicle instead?

YOU SAIDTenants strongly supported showers beingincluded, but felt choice is key and bothoptions should be available.

WE DIDWe will assess whether the choice of showersand baths can be provided in new projectsfrom 2018/19. Current bathroom replacementsallow for a new bath and an over-bath shower.


We have recently opened anemployability academy inFalkirk for our tenants and thelocal community.

At the Link Academy, we runvolunteer programmes,employability courses andqualifications, all of which canhelp you develop the skills,knowledge and experienceneeded to secure employment.

Our central learning hub isbased in the newly openedMcKinven House in Falkirk, wealso have facilities inClackmannanshire, Edinburghand Fife.

Link Academy launches in Falkirk

Courses available

BASIC COMPUTING CITY & GUILDSThis course is open to anyone, and gives participants anopportunity to learn new skills in basic computing. You can learnat your own pace with trainers on hand to support you along theway. The course is run every Wednesday from 10am to 12pm.

STEP ONThe Step On course gives young people aged 16-25 in theFalkirk area the chance to improve their employability skills. Wework with young people to help them develop their confidence,learn new skills and work on their personal development – allwhile gaining an SQA qualification.

STEP UP (12 WEEK EMPLOYABILITY PROGRAMME) Step Up gives young people aged 16-24 in the Edinburgh areathe opportunity to develop their confidence and employabilityskills while also giving them the chance to gain valuable workexperience. We know the importance of developing anexperience that’s right for you, and we will work alongside you todiscover the best options.

LINK TO WORKLink to Work is a 13-week employability course which is open toanyone over the age of 25. This course runs for two days a weekover an eight week period in the training room, then for fiveweeks in a work placement of your choice.

WORK ABLEWork Able provides support for up to 52 weeks to helpparticipants get into work. The programme aims to give specialistsupport to people with health conditions. The course planoutlines coaching, training and support you will receive to helpyou into work or further education.

If you are interested in signing up to any of our courses,please call 01324 466 860 oremail [email protected]


Albany Court, Denny

Some of our green-fingered tenants have beenbusy enjoying a spot of gardening. Other tenantsgot involved by contributing ideas and gardenornaments.

Special requests were made for butterflies,windmills, solar lights and scarecrows! The roseswere contributed by individual tenants, so theimprovements have been a true joint effort. Welldone everyone, it looks fantastic!

SHELTERED CHATTER

Ben Lui, Cumbernauld

Four tenants braved the elements and walked3.5 miles around Broadwood Loch forCumbernauld Action and Care for the Elderly(CACE), raising £149.00.

An afternoon dance was organised to celebratethe achievements of Isobel, Jane, Peter andMalcolm – who were all awarded certificates forcompeting the course.

CACE provides clubs, activities, functions,afternoon tea dances and transport for the elderly inand around Cumbernauld. A number of our tenantshave benefitted from its services for several years.


Sheltered Housing Forum

The most recent forum was held at our Morar Courtcomplex in Grangemouth, and was attended by 10tenants from across our sheltered housingdevelopments.

Attendees were given the opportunity to give theirviews on the Asset Management Strategy andProperty Maintenance Policy.

We’re also looking for suggestions on what tenantswould like to see discussed at our future forums. Ifyou have any ideas, please speak to yourSheltered Housing Officer about coming along tothe next forum.

Dates for your diary

l THURSDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2017l THURSDAY 22 MARCH 2018l THURSDAY 19 JULY 2018l THURSDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2018

Venues to be confirmed

Tenants and their families raised over £200 at aMacMillan Coffee morning held on 11 September.

Gordon White won the ‘Best Cake Competition’with his clootie dumpling.

On hand to help serve the selection of lovely cakeswere our very own “naked waiters” Willie Lochran &John Doran from the repairs department.

GeezaBreak Theatre Productions put on afantastic show for tenants from our Glen Lyonand Ben Lui sheltered housing complexes.They couldn’t stop laughing!

The theatre comes toGlen Lyon and Ben Lui!

Peel Court, Cambuslang

Tenants from Peel Court enjoyed helpingLinkscape transform the communal garden area.The tenants welcomed the new patio area, raisedbeds and refurbished seating. Well done to all thetenants for their hard work.

Maggie McKerrow,Willie Lochran andRita Young.


Glen Park Road, Lochwinnoch

Glen Park Road recently celebrated its 25thanniversary with an afternoon tea party.

Link’s Director ofHousing Services,June Green,presentedlongstandingresident Mrs Adamswith flowers. MrsAdams has lived inthe developmentsince it opened on25 August 1992.

Glen Park Gardens, Cambuslang

Resident Jean Crawfordcelebrated her 95th birthday withentertainment from singerLauren Hickey. Jean has been aresident at Glen Park since itopened in 1993.

Mrs Kyle another Glen Parkresident cerebrated her 100thbirthday with a party for friendsand family – some of whomtravelled from Canada andAmerica for the big day! Partygoers enjoyed dancing and aperformance from a singer.

Top ten tips for avoiding afestive debt hangover

1) Plan early Be realistic and budgetaccordingly. Work out how muchyou are going to spend on eachperson and stick to it. Manageexpectations as to what you orSanta give.

2) Don’t forget the everyday bills

Remember that rent, council tax,utility bills and other existingdebts still have to get paid, andthe consequences can besevere if they’re not. Eventhough it’s the festive season,you still have to get yourpriorities right.

3) Don’t bank on anoverdraft

Even if you need more money,don’t run up an overdraft withouttalking to your bank first! It willwork out much more expensive.

4) Keep things simpleIf you can afford to pay for yourgoods outright by cash, chequeor debit card don’t be persuadedto take out extended creditunless it works out cheaper.

5) Shop aroundTry as many different places aspossible to find the best price.Buy what you want and not whatother people say you need. Bewary of extended warranties –the cost of the repair could beless than the warranty.

6) Buy safe to be safeWhatever the deal, don’t buyfrom unauthorised lenders. The initial savings could prove to be false.

7) Read the small printCheck for hidden extras in thecredit agreement and work outthe amount payable. Ensureinstalments are within yourbudget before signing.

8) Do your own creditchecks

If you’re going to use a creditcard, shop around and compareon Money Saving Expert first.Some cards charge high interestand some are interest free.

9) Be organisedThere’s a lot to remember overthe festive season. If you’veborrowed money, don’t forget itwon’t be long before you have tomake a payment. Make sure youpay on time, even if it’s theminimum payment or you will befaced with charges.

10) Start planning andsaving for next year

In the new year, it’s worth lookingat what you did well, and whatyou didn’t. Learn to startplanning how you will do thingsdifferently. This might also bea good time to start saving fornext year.

If you are struggling to pay your household bills or need help with budgeting, please call us on 0330 303 0106.

Emergency contact numbers when the office is closed

Gas Boiler and Heating Repairs

• Call 03451 400 100

Other emergency repairs

• Call 0800 783 7937 (out-of-hours service provided by Bield 24) • Call Lochaber HA on 01397 702 530 if you live in Fort William

or Skye. Call Lochalsh HA on 01478 612035 if you live inKyle of Lochalsh


Link Housing Association Limited is a company registered in Scotland under theCompanies Acts, Company Number: SC216300, Registered Office: Link House,2c New Mart Road, Edinburgh, EH14 1RL. It is registered as a Property Factor Id:

PF000355 and authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority,Reference Number: 674050. Part of the Link group © Link Group Ltd 2017.

HOLIDAY OFFICEOPENING HOURS

CLOSED25 and 26 December 2017

OPEN27, 28 and 29December 2017

CLOSED1 and 2 January 2018

The office reopens on3 January 2018

Wishing you a happyfestive holiday from Link

@Link_Group_Ltd Facebook.com/LinkGroupLtd

RECRUITING NOWTenant positions available on

Link Housing Board

l Do you want to help shape the future of Link Housingand represent customers’ views?

l As a Tenant Board Member your role will beto bring a customer’s perspective and

experience to the discussions of the Boardl Develop new skills

l Can you attend one meeting every two monthsin Edinburgh or Falkirk?

l Support and training providedl Expenses provided

“I really enjoy being part of the Link Housing Board.It gives me the opportunity to make informative

decisions about the organisation, helping to makelives better for our tenants.”

Arthur Diamond Link Housing Board Member

Need more information? Contact Link at [email protected]

CALL 03451 400 100

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