sheltered housing newsletter autumn 2010

Sheltered Housing News

Issue 4 - Autumn 2010

www.stockporthomes.org

£25Win

See page 11

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The second Sheltered Housing Forum took place on Wednesday 16 June 2010 and was a big success.

Please see pages 4 and 5 for the full report.

Sheltered Housing Forum Special

Index

New Scheme ManagersHouse Mark InspectionCarecall TSASheltered Housing ForumScheme ImprovementsA Great Big Tea PartyA Blooming Big SuccessCustomer InvolvementSheltered Housing on BoardNew Name CompetitionUseful Numbers

23345678

101112

Sheltered Housing News Issue 4 2

I was delighted to be offered the position of Sheltered Scheme Manager at Edinburgh Close with Stockport Homes.

Stockport Homes offer me fantastic opportunities in training to further my knowledge on supporting people of the older generation. My Manager Neil Shakeshaft and my fellow colleagues have been very supportive since I started in May 2010.

Stockport Homes offer a very customer driven service. Everyone I have spoken to over the last couple of months have been very helpful, polite and supportive, whether it is the repairs department or Carecall. I look forward to a long and enjoyable career with Stockport Homes.

I have been a Scheme Manager for the past 14 years, working for Johnnie Johnson and Housing 21. I have recently re-located to the Stockport area.

For the past 10 months I have been working for an agency, and my most recent assignment was covering Edinburgh Close in Cheadle, for Stockport Homes.

In May I was successful in my application for the vacant post as full time Manager at Brereton Court Cheadle Hulme.

I have now taken up my post, and I am looking forward to a long and happy career with Stockport Homes where I can use the knowledge and experience I have gained over the years, together with the new opportunities for training that I am being offered.

New Scheme Managers

Jean ThorntonSheltered Scheme ManagerEdinburgh Close

Jean MorganSheltered Housing ManagerBrereton Court


The House Mark Peer Review Group recently carried out an inspection of the different types of communal accommodation that Stockport Homes provides – Multi-Storey, Low Rise Flats and Sheltered.

The Peer Review Group is made up of residents from neighbouring housing providers, Eastlands, Harvest, City West and Willow Park.

Russell Gardens Sheltered Scheme was chosen by the group to be inspected and was given a 100% score in all areas of the inspection.

This is great news and a credit to all residents and staff at Russell Gardens.

Stockport Homes’ Carecall Team, who provide a Tele-monitoring service to older and vulnerable tenants and residents of Stockport, are celebrating after being awarded a quality mark by their national governing body, the Telecare Services Association (TSA) on Thursday 4 March 2010.

Carecall were only one of seven organisations nationwide to have achieved this accolade for all four aspects of its service at the time of their inspection.

This is a real achievement for the team as it provides them with a recognised standard to work to and gives their customers reassurance that the service the team are providing is to the highest standard.

Inspection

TSA Inspection

Russell G

ardens

The Sheltered Housing Forum

The second Sheltered Housing Forum was held on Wednesday 16 June 2010 at Stockport County Football Club Conference Centre. Residents from all of Stockport Homes’ nine Sheltered Housing Schemes and one Extra Care Scheme attended the day.

There was a mixture of presentations by FLAG (For Local Advice & Guidance), Stockport Homes and Carecall and also interactive sessions where residents were asked for their views on aspects of the service that they receive from Stockport Homes.

The Forum was very well attended with over 30 residents there on the day.

One of the main decisions taken by the residents at the forum was which

Sheltered Scheme improvement was to be approved for completion this year. As mentioned above, from a shortlist of six projects, a second laundry at Smithy Green was unanimously voted for as the most beneficial improvement for the residents at a scheme.

This work will now go ahead as soon as possible, but will be completed by March 2011.



We are continuing to invest in our sheltered and extra care schemes and this year has seen a lot of improvements being undertaken to further improve both the buildings themselves, scheme facilities and the landscaped gardens.

Queens Gardens and Oak Tree Court have both seen a lot of work taking place recently including new communal block flooring, which has really enhanced the appearance of the schemes. The cost of this work came from the £20,000 Sheltered Housing Improvement Budget.

A £90,000 new roof replacement programme has also been completed at Russell Gardens, which has delighted all the residents there and has made a big difference to the overall look of the scheme.

Both Queens Court and Edinburgh Close have had major landscaping improvements made to their communal gardens and the residents there can now fully enjoy their garden areas.

This year, the £20,000 Sheltered Housing Improvement Budget has been committed, after resident consultation, to the provision of a second laundry facility at Smithy Green.

The Sheltered Housing Equipment Budget has also recently seen the purchase of electrical equipment and garden furniture at all of our schemes.

Queens Gardens

Scheme Improvements – Investing in the future

New communal flooring at Queens Court and Oak Tree Court

On Saturday 26 June we held a ‘Blooming Great Tea Party’ at Russell Gardens Sheltered Housing in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Apart from the obvious tea and cakes, we had many stalls from bric a brac to quizzes, we also had face painting, a treasure hunt and horse rides for the children (with some adults enjoying a ride on the horse too).

Stockport Homes had a stall giving information and lots of freebies, they also gave a gift voucher for the raffle.

It was a lovely sunny day and most people were able to sit outside and admire our beautiful gardens, we had lots of compliments. Over 100 people attended.

Residents, friends and staff were thrilled that all our hard work had raised a massive £700 for a very worthy cause.

A fantastic day was enjoyed by all.

Rita TaylorSheltered Scheme Manager

A Great Big Tea Party

Scheme Activities


Russell Gardens Sheltered Housing


Birch Court held their first garden party event in support of the Marie Curie “Great Big Blooming Tea Party” appeal.

The day was a big success and was very well attended by both residents of the scheme and the local community.

Over £200 was raised for the appeal.

The residents of Oak Tree Court and the neighbouring schemes of Queens Gardens and Edinburgh Close travelled together on a day trip to the Bourne Poacher at Thornton near Cleveleys on Friday 21 May 2010.

If you’ve organised a day trip for your Scheme, let Neil Shakeshaft know on 0161 218 1736 and it could feature in the next issue of Sheltered Housing News.

A Blooming Big Success

Residents enjoy a day trip together

Birch C

ourt

Bourne Poacher at Thornton



There are a number of ways you can become involved and give your views, including; attending your schemes coffee mornings, attending the Sheltered Housing Forum, becoming a panel member of the Sheltered Housing Working Group, by forming a Tenant and Resident Association or simply by talking to a member of staff. Your views matter, so please tell us.

If you would like to get involved with any of the above, please contact Neil or Melanie or if you prefer, you can contact our Customer Involvement Team on 0161 474 3642.

Hopefully you all know about the Sheltered Housing Working Group (SHWG). This group of residents meet bi-monthly at venues across Stockport to discuss issues and make suggestions about the services provided by Sheltered Housing. We still need some representatives from Brereton Court, Oaktree Court, Torkington House and Queens Court.

If you are interested, or would like any further information please contact Melanie or Neil on the numbers above.

Customer Involvement

Sheltered Housing Working Group

How can you influence the

services you receive from

sheltered accommodation?

Neil Shakeshaft 0161 218 1736

Melanie Selby0161 218 1028

There’s something for everyone, and there is no limit to the number of courses you can attend. Every course is free, we provide transport and lunch if your session is for a full day.

There are a variety of courses on offer; here are just a few: Self Defence for Women, International Cookery and How to be a Treasurer.

If you would like more information or want to enrol for a course, please contact the Customer Involvement Team on 0161 474 3642.

Stockport Homes offers free

training to all of our customersStockport Homes offers free

training to all of our customers

How to Grow Your Own Vegetables

Organising your Community Event

Emergency First Aid

Living with Computers at Home - Level 1

Safeguarding Children

And lots more!And lots more!



I am really pleased to be joining Stockport Homes’ Board so that, for the first time, Sheltered Housing will be directly represented. This does not mean that I will be at the end of the phone to take individual complaints from sheltered housing residents! It does, however, mean that I will be able to listen to the views of customers attending the Sheltered Housing Working Group and to represent those views when relevant matters are being discussed by the Board.

I am still serving as Chair of the Board of my previous landlord, Adactus Housing Association, but am due to retire next year. In the meantime, I do not anticipate any conflict of interest or any reason why one commitment will get in the way of the other. In my eight years on the Adactus

Board I have gained some good knowledge and experience about social housing generally and, although Stockport Homes is an ALMO, the issues are very much the same. In addition, my work experience in Customer Involvement has made me very aware of the benefits of involving customers of all ages.

It is fair to say that the Board has been well represented by customers who are ‘older people’ but I believe that sheltered housing is very different to ‘general needs’ and there are different considerations to take into account by a 3 Star/Excellent organisation.

I must also remember that I have been elected to represent the views and needs of all Stockport Homes’ tenants in the West of the Borough, not just sheltered housing, although, by coincidence, most of the sheltered schemes lie within the West area.

I know from experience that there can be some very difficult decisions to be made by the Board and there are times when Stockport Homes cannot always take customers’ views into account. You can be sure that I will fight the corner of my fellow residents if I feel that there is good cause because I want our sheltered schemes to offer the best possible accommodation where, theoretically, a resident could live a happy and active life for 40+ years!

Jane ClaytonBoard Member

Sheltered Housing gets a voice on Stockport Homes’ Board

Jane Clayton

At the recent Sheltered Housing Forum, residents who attended the day thought that the Sheltered Housing Newsletter should be renamed with something more up to date and modern.

We would like to know what suggestions you have for a new name, with a £25 gift voucher going to the title judged the best.

So please let Neil Shakeshaft know your ideas by:

Tel: 0161 218 1736 Email: [email protected] Deadline: 29 October 2010

You can also pass your name ideas to your Scheme Manager.


Sheltered Housing News

A New Name for: £25Win

Welcome to the first issue of the Sheltered Housing

Newsletter. First of all, for those of you who do not know

me, my name is Martyn Shaw and I was appointed as

the Older Persons’ Services Manager on 30 April this

year, even though I had been working in the position on

a secondment since October 2007.

It's always nice to start with some

good news and I have to focus on

the outcome of the Supporting

People inspection that took place on

week-beginning the 10 March 2008.

All those involved will know the

amount of hard work that was

undertaken in readiness for the

inspection, which certainly

impressed the Supporting People

Reviewing Officer, Robin Flynn.

Robin inspected four schemes and

met with both those residents on the

Sheltered Housing Working Group

and individual residents within those

schemes. The outcome was given to

Stockport Homes on Friday 14

March 2008 and we were awarded a

Level B, which is an increase on the

previous inspection.

This is good news for both

Stockport Homes and residents

living within the schemes and we

will now be carrying out further work

to achieve a Level A when we are

next inspected. Thanks once again

for all those who participated.

Martyn

Issue 1: Summer 2008

Recipes needed! - Give your favourite

recipe to your Scheme Manager and it could

be included in the new Stockport Homes

Sheltered Housing Recipe book!

Hi, I’m Dot Frith and I have been in post as

Assistant Older Persons’ Services Manager

since October 2005. Those of you that attend

the Sheltered Housing Customer Action Group

(CAG) will have seen me there.

My role covers the management of:• our 10 Sheltered Housing

schemes;• the Carecall Telemonitoring centre;

and• the Carecall Mobile Warden

service.The above service areas are varied and

cover services which have to be delivered

365 days a year, 24 hours a day - trust

me when I say this is no easy task! I am

very much a hands-on Manager and can

often be found call-handling in the

Telemonitoring centre or assisting the

Mobile Wardens on a call.The experience I have is varied and

consists of:• 11 years as a Sheltered Scheme

Manager;• four years as a Support Worker

with adults who have challenging

behaviour and severe learning

disabilities;• seven years as a Temporary

Accommodation Hostel Officer; and

• four years as a Special Needs

Housing Officer incorporating

Equipment and Adaptations.My role is challenging and demanding,

but very rewarding.I love the client group and having a

committed team of people working with

me who also share my enthusiasm.I’d like to take thisopportunity to wish you

all a Merry Christmasand a Happy, HealthyNew Year!

Issue 2: Winter 2008

Issue 3: Autumn 2009

The Carecall team provides a frontlineservice for Stockport Homes, as wellas services for partner housingassociations and private clients. TheTelecare Response Centre operates

Carecall have recently upgraded their vehicles and took thisopportunity to re-brand them at the same time. Picturedabove are some of the team and the new cars.

24 hours a day, 365 days ayear, providing continuous servicesto our clients and handlingemergencies and out of hours servicerequests.

Find out about theSheltered Housing

Forum - Page 4www.stockporthomes.org

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As people grow older they may start to think about where to live or about moving home for a number of reasons.

Before they make that decision, they should talk to their family and friends so that they know that the decision is right for them.

If you know of anyone who would like to learn more about our sheltered properties that are currently available or general information about our schemes please ask them to contact the Sheltered Housing Team on: 0161 218 1028 or 0161 218 1736

If they prefer, they can contact the Housing Options Team on 0161 474 4237 or visit the Housing Information Centre, 1 St. Peter’s Square, Stockport.

CarecallCustomer Feedback Homechoice Housing OptionsRepairs

Sheltered Housing ServiceStockport HomesUnit 9 SouthsideBredbury Industrial EstateBredburyStockportSK6 2SPTel: 0161 218 1736Customer Involvement Team

Stockport Homes1 St. Peter’s SquareStockportSK1 1NZTel: 0161 474 2862

0500 130 5850161 474 2600 0161 474 45670161 474 42370161 217 6016

Sheltered Housing - Available

Useful Contacts

sheltered housing newsletter autumn 2010

Documents

residents of stockport

sheltered housing newsissue

stockport homes carecall

stockport area

neighbouring housing

time manager

great news

house mark peer review