september 2014 derby homes news · close have worked together as a ... hazel and sandra about what...

September2014

Derby Homes News

In this issue Bloomfield Close’s community garden p2 | Introduction to the new Chair p3 | Extra help for Derby Homes tenants p4

Putting the community in our community rooms!

See page 6

2

News | September 2014

Coming Soon! New build properties!We are building new homes in the following areas using our own workforce – keep an eye out for progress in the next edition!

Putting the “Bloom” back in Bloomfield Close “we have created a 60’s style community.”

The residents of Bloomfield Close have worked together as a community to improve their small front gardens into works of art. Over recent months the area has been transformed into a place the residents can be proud to call home. Liz, a resident of Bloomfield Close has stated “doing the gardens up has brought everyone together.” This has been a team effort with all residents helping each other out and local resident John has taken the lead on the manual work with Barbara providing the cups of tea. Derby Homes would like to recognise what these residents have done and hope this will inspire others to do the same. A big thank you to all the Bloomfield Close residents for making the area look so wonderful and inviting.

HASTINGS STREET, NORMANTON2 x 2 bed houses

MARYLAND ROAD, CHADDESDEN3 x 2 bed houses

THANET DRIVE, ALVASTON4 x 2 bed bungalows

CHESAPEAKE HOUSE CHADDESDEN 6 x 1 bed flats

Would you be prepared to help us make a difference to the lives of over 14,000 tenants and leaseholders living in the City of Derby?

Would you be willing to give up some of your spare time to attend evening meetings to discuss all aspects of the service we deliver?

In return we will:

• Provide you will full training and support to actively participate in the discussions• Pay your expenses and if required cover child care costs• LISTEN AND LEARN FROM YOUR VIEWS AND OPINIONS

Interested? For more information please go towww.derbyhomes.org/derby-homes-board/operational-board, contact the Governance Team on 01332 888527 or email [email protected].

You will need to be a secure tenant of Derby City Council or Assured Tenant of Derby Homes (family members of tenants may also apply).

Tenant Board Member Opportunity

3

September 2014 | News

Introduction to the new Chair Mike Ainsley was voted in as the new Chair of Derby Homes at the Board meeting on 31 July 2014.Mike spent his working years in education, and was the headteacher of Leesbrook Comprehensive School in Derby. He now works as an education consultant. Mike has had a long interest in social housing and was a board member of Derwent Living for 15 years before retiring and joining Derby Homes. At Derwent Living he chaired the Operations Committee for 10 years. Mike also served as a member of Derby City Council for 9 years from 1987 to 1996, representing Abbey Ward. Mike is looking forward to leading Derby Homes and is excited by the opportunities ahead. He said “I would like to see Derby Homes move forward into building more homes, and where it makes sense, moving into new areas of business which can promote social housing and support people living in Derby. I am also keen to ensure that we continue to get the basics of our business right and look forward to working with tenants and leaseholders to understand their views. I have been troubled by some of the perceptions created by the media in respect of social housing, I would like to see social housing, particularly in Derby being regarded as something to be proud of, where we provide an excellent standard of service, where our staff are proud to say they work for Derby Homes and tenants are proud to say they live in a Derby Homes property.”You can contact Mike through our Governance Services Manager on 888777.

4


The team are based within the 5 local housing offices across the city. They work closely with other housing staff and external agencies to ensure excellent service delivery.

Our aim is to work alongside tenants to develop the skills and knowledge needed to manage their tenancy independently.

Here are some examples of how we can help our tenants:

Extra Help Available for Derby Homes Tenants

Did you know that there is a new, free service available to all Derby Homes tenants that need short term help to maintain their tenancy?Derby Homes launched the new Intensive Housing Management Service in April 2014. The service provides advice and assistance to tenants so that they are able to understand and comply with their tenancy conditions. For example, if you are having difficulty paying your rent and keeping your home and garden in good order.Pete Matthews, Area Housing Manager for the Chaddesden and Spondon area who was involved in the initial pilot scheme said: “I am delighted with the progress that has been made so far. The service has been operating in the north east of the City for almost a year now and has helped and advised over 100 tenants. The vast majority are very happy with the help they have received. We are also getting positive results from other areas of the City, which can only be a good thing for our tenants.”

5


Case studiesMr George was referred by his Housing Officer to the Intensive Housing Management Service as he had recently downsized from a 2 bedroom Derby Homes property to a one bedroom property in another area of the city. The Housing Officer was concerned as Mr George had difficulties with alcohol misuse, debts, and re-charges due to damage at his previous property. He needed help with his welfare and housing benefits and also did not have the funds to purchase a washing machine or curtains.The Intensive Housing Officer worked with Mr George and helped him to manage his debts and develop budgeting skills. A payment plan was set up to clear the recharges and welfare and housing benefits were informed of the change of address. A successful application was made to a charitable trust to obtain a washing machine. We were able to provide curtains free of charge from our recycling scheme. After a 3 month period of assistance Mr George’s Intensive Housing Management case was closed as he was independently managing his tenancy and reducing his debts.

Miss Childs was referred to the service by her Housing Officer. Her disabled aunt had been living with her elderly grandparents. Following their deaths, Miss Childs moved to a larger property so that her disabled aunt could come to live with her and her baby daughter. Miss Childs had been settled in her smaller property and found the changes difficult financially and emotionally. She was struggling to decorate and furnish her new home whilst caring for her aunt.The Intensive Housing Officer worked with Miss Childs to make the property safer for her aunt. A successful application for carpeting for the stairs was applied for through a charitable trust fund. Adult Social Care were contacted and asked to complete a needs assessment with Miss Childs aunt and she was able to receive respite care for one day a week giving Miss Childs a regular break from her caring responsibilities. With assistance Miss Childs successfully applied for Carers Allowance and tackled her debts. There were outstanding repairs at the property and these were reported and addressed. In particular the kitchen was plastered allowing Miss Childs to clean, decorate and tidy the area. After a short period of help Miss Childs was able to manage independently and the Intensive Housing Management case was closed.

If you feel you would benefit from some extra help please contact your Housing Officer on 01332 888777. They will be able to give you advice and make a referral to the Intensive Housing Management Service if appropriate.

6


Putting the Community in our Community Rooms

We manage 23 Community Rooms around the city on behalf of Derby City Council. These rooms are situated within what was previously known as “Sheltered Housing Schemes”, which are primarily for older people and people with disabilities.Over the last few years, we have been trying to promote use of these rooms to residents, volunteer groups and other organisations, with the aim of providing activities to benefit residents in the areas.Whilst we have seen an increase in the numbers of people attending social activities, there are still a number of community rooms which are not used as much as they could be.But, there are some good things happening that are having a real impact on our customers. We spoke to Hazel and Sandra about what they’re doing at Coleville Street Community Room, off Ashbourne Road.

What activities do you do?“We do a coffee morning every Monday, with toasted teacakes and bottomless cups of tea or coffee. Thursday nights we do Bingo and Wednesdays, we provide an extra, free coffee morning for residents.We’ve also organised trips out: Skeggy, Bridlington, Scarborough and even a train from Pickering to Whitby over the Yorkshire Moors!We do a card, with a cake and a balloon on people’s birthdays. We do a bit of a reward scheme for regulars, who get money of the trips, so they get their money back from coffee mornings anyway.”

7


Sounds like a lot of work for two of you!“We’ve built up a good working relationship with a bus company and they make organising things very easy for us. We also talk to local businesses to see if they can help. Nisa have donated biscuits, tea and coffee already. I’m going to try Co-op next and see if they can offer us anything.We also ask the local businesses if they want to come to the coffee mornings and join us on trips. This is important to us as they are part of the community too. We’re also trying to get the local chemists involved so that the residents know what services are available to them.”

All the activities are managed by a small committee, but Hazel and Sandra do most of the organising.“I suppose we’re lucky that we have backgrounds in marketing and catering, but you just need to want to be able to do something and then go out and do it. We spent time sourcing bingo books and hours on the internet getting proper tea pots. We set up the whole room like a fancy tea room and everyone loves it.We said right from the start, ‘If we’re going to it, we’ll do it properly’ and we stuck to it. There are cheap ways of doing things. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune to make things nice.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of doing something at a room near them?“Go for it! Come and have a look at what we’re doing. Let’s have a chat and learn from each other. We have our own ideas about what works, but someone else might want to do something we haven’t even thought of!Also, speak to Derby Homes and see if they can help in any way. We got so busy on Thursdays; they helped us get extra tables. They also got a dishwasher that was at another room and wasn’t being used. That made a big difference for us.We’ve only been going since March and I honestly never thought it would be this popular. It just shows that there is a need there. It takes a little effort to get things going, but it’s worth it.”

You can get in touch with Hazel or Sandra or find out more about using Community Rooms by contacting the Customer Engagement Team on 01332 888760 or email [email protected]

Tenant Discount Card

Derby Homes is pleased to announce the award of a new 10 year contract to Buildbase, who will supply building materials to be used in the housing stock across the City for Repairs, Planned Maintenance and New Build.Buildbase has also offered a significant discount to all Derby Homes tenants across their complete range of materials. Tenants who are interested in taking up the offer, which will be given in the form of a Tenants Discount Card, should contact the Customer Engagement & Community Development team who are based at the Hub on London Road or by email [email protected] where one of the team will be happy to arrange for you to collect a discount card.Within Derby Homes dedicated store there will be a Tenants Showroom, aimed at displaying the key range of kitchen and bathroom designs. In addition, the showroom can be used as a meeting facility for Derby Homes Tenants.

Staff raise £373 for Cancer Research in memory of Phil DaviesDerby Homes and Derby City Council staff held a Charity Cricket match on Friday 15 August in memory of our late CEO Phil Davies. All proceeds from the evening will be donated to Cancer Research.

8


9


Damage to trees by dogs Across the City of Derby dog damage to trees is increasing across all types of parks, communal areas and open spaces.Damage is caused by a small percentage of dog owners allowing and encouraging their dogs to attack trees. It is important to recognise that the vast majority of dog owners are responsible and do not allow their dogs to damage trees.

The DamageDamage can occur to both newly planted and well established trees. The damage can take the form of bark stripping and branch chewing. This type of damage results in the rapid decline in the health of the tree and usually death within two years.

Problems caused by loss of treesGreen spaces without trees will have diminished character and sense of place. Green spaces with damaged or dead trees look run down, unsafe and unappealing meaning people stay away, similar to the effect graffiti has. Trees help to filter, absorb, and reduce pollutant gases, including ozone, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide along with diesel particulate matter. Carbon dioxide which is the main greenhouse gas is also absorbed by growing trees.Fewer trees mean fewer habitats for wildlife to live in.

The cost of the damageTrees have a monetary value associated with the benefits they provide. This damage leads to their inevitable death and removal and there is a cost to this.Whilst damaged trees are being worked on the tree team will not able to carry out routine maintenance that is needed in other areas of the city.

Tree Value £6936This tree has been damaged by dogs and will now need to be removed.There will be a cost to removing this tree and planting and protecting a suitable replacement.

Tree value £39,953This tree has a considerable value and has begun to be damaged. At present the damage is not so bad that the tree will have to be removed but if more bark is removed there will be a point where the tree will die.

This tree was damaged last year and is now completely dead. It must have died last summer as it has failed to shed its leaves. This picture was taken in July 2014. The picture below of the bark stripping was taken in July 2013.The tree has a value of £10,000.This tree is now showing signs of terminal decline and although it is at present surviving it will not be many years before it is dead. Given that trees can live for hundreds of years and this one may die after less than forty it is a real loss.

If you see any damage being done to our trees please let us know on Derby 888777

10


Electronic Cigarettes – Your safety mattersElectronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, have quickly grown in popularity but there are safety issues connected to these products, particularly fire risks and the potential for children to be poisoned.Here are our top tips on e-cigarette safety: • Don’t leave e-cigarettes charging

overnight. There have been reports of them overheating while charging and at least one death has been attributed to fire caused by overheating. Only the original battery and charger provided with the e-cigarette should be used when re- charging. Do not mix and match components from different e-cigarettes.

• Always keep e-cigarettes out of the reach of the children as the vapour contains nicotine, which if swallowed, can be extremely dangerous to youngsters. Children have been poisoned after ingesting the contents of an e-cigarette. Remember, children like nothing more than to copy their parents’ behaviour and

there have been reports of youngsters putting e-cigarettes in their mouths when parents aren’t looking.

• Never leave e-cigarettes unattended, even if they are not “alight” like traditional cigarettes. There have been cases of them overheating and exploding.

• Be aware that many of these products are very new onto the marketplace and there are no specific regulations governing their safety. You should exercise extreme caution when considering whether to buy or use these products, as often it is simply unknown whether the contents of the product are safe or not. If you do buy e-cigarettes, ensure that they are from a reputable UK retailer.

11


Income Advice from the ExpertsWe are coming to your area soon

Derby Homes provide support and advice to help tenants manage their money and be able to pay their rent. We will be taking our bus on tour around the city. You will be able to call in to see our Money Advice experts who will be able to provide advice and support to help you pay your rent and make your money go further, as well as making you aware of free services available in your area.We will be able to help you to:• Budget your money • Claim the benefits you are entitled to• Use your gas and electricity more

efficiently• Access free training on the internet• Access affordable credit and avoid

doorstep and payday loans• Look to see if there are any free grants

available which you maybe entitled to.Listen out for the dates we will be coming to you on Capital FM and Gold radio or check out the dates on Derby Homes website.We look forward to seeing you.

Derby Homes01332 888777 [email protected] www.derbyhomes.org

Derby City Council01332 293111 [email protected]

Derby City Council: Council Tax0333 200 6900 | email [email protected]

Derby Advice01332 643395 | email [email protected]

Derby Association of Community Partners01332 201724 | email [email protected]

Erewash Credit Union0115 900 0288 [email protected]

Homefinderwww.derbyhomefinder.org

Illegal Money Lending Team 0300 555 2222

Food banks in Derbywww.advicederbyshire.org/foodbanks

Paying your rent online:www.derby.gov.uk/pay-it

Useful contacts

Derby Homes, The Council House, Corporation Street, Derby, DE1 2FT

[email protected]

01332 888777www.derbyhomes.org

Please contact us if you need help reading this information

Talk to us. There are ways we can help

Struggling to pay your rent?For more information call Derby Homes on 01332 888777

Go to www.derbyhomes.org/rent or email [email protected]

september 2014 derby homes news · close have worked together as a ... hazel and sandra about what...

Documents