winter 2010

8
December 2010 www.tamworth.gov.uk Housing Services I n this issue:- Old Glascote Walkabout Page 2 Rent payment changes Page 3 Local Offers Page4 Residents living on the Glascote Heath estate were urged to join in the litter pick, organised by Tamworth Borough Council’s Tenant Participation and Caretaking Teams to tie in with the national Big Tidy-Up. More than 50 people went along to do their bit to pick up the rubbish littering the estate. The fun started at the Caledonian caretaking office, with free face painting, balloon modelling, candyfloss and refreshments. The volunteers were then divided into teams and sent out to see who could collect the most rubbish. Prizes were on offer to the team which could collect the most waste and to the team which found the most unusual object. More than 46 bags of rubbish were collected, as well as an old sofa, a suitcase, armchair, mattresses and - taking the prize for the oddest item found - a steering wheel. Tenant Participation Manager Leanne Allwood said: “It was great to see so many young people and parents getting involved in making a real difference to their community” “Everyone who attended worked extremely hard and their efforts were invaluable. We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who attended and supported the events. We will continue to do our bit and look forward to repeating the event in another area of the borough next year.” Finally, a big thank you to the following organisations for kindly donating prizes for the event; Cadbury World, Broomey Croft Children’s Farm, Snowdome, Odeon Cinema (Tamworth), Beefeater Restaurant (Ladybridge), Drayton Manor Park and Strykers Bowl. Families fill 46 bags of rubbish in tidy up A steering wheel, a carpet gripper and a suitcase were among the strangest items collected in a litter pick around Glascote Heath during August. Residents of the Riverside High Rise flats were invited to come along to an open morning at the social club during September this year. Open Morning for residents of the Riverside flats Tenants had previously told us that they would like to have the opportunity to engage with the Housing Service and as a result of this the Tenant Participation and Caretaking team joined forces to make this happen. Both a drop in event and tidy up around the some of the communal gardens was arranged. Council staff, Morrison’s and other key partners and agencies were on hand during the morning to talk to residents, answer questions and pick up any issues or concerns people had. Whilst all this was going on inside, outside the Caretaking team rolled their sleeves up and got stuck in to a tidy up around some of the communal gardens which was an idea put forward and selected as part of the ‘Wish Upon a Star’ Scheme. National Tidy Up event I really enjoyed the morning. I was able to speak to different people all under one roof who really listened to my concerns. Seasons Greetings from Tamworth Borough Council I was able to speak to Morrison’s staff and was really pleased how helpful they were. Census 2011 Page7 Customer Dashboard Visit online for the latest performance indicators in housing www.tamworth.gov.uk/housing

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Open House - Winter 2010 edition. Tamworth Borough Councils newletter for tenants

TRANSCRIPT

December 2010

www.tamworth.gov.uk

Housing Services

In thisissue:-

Old GlascoteWalkabout

P age 2

Rentpaymentchanges

P age 3

Local Offers

P age 4

Residents living on the Glascote Heath estate wereurged to join in the litter pick, organised by TamworthBorough Council’s Tenant Participation and CaretakingTeams to tie in with the national Big Tidy-Up. Morethan 50 people went along to do their bit to pick upthe rubbish littering the estate.

The fun started at the Caledonian caretaking office,with free face painting, balloon modelling, candyflossand refreshments. The volunteers were then dividedinto teams and sent out to see who could collect themost rubbish. Prizes were on offer to the team whichcould collect the most waste and to the team whichfound the most unusual object. More than 46 bags ofrubbish were collected, as well as an old sofa, asuitcase, armchair, mattresses and - taking the prizefor the oddest item found - a steering wheel. Tenant

Participation Manager Leanne Allwood said: “It wasgreat to see so many young people and parentsgetting involved in making a real difference to theircommunity”

“Everyone who attended worked extremely hard andtheir efforts were invaluable. We would like to say abig thank you to everyone who attended andsupported the events. We will continue to do our bitand look forward to repeating the event in anotherarea of the borough next year.”

Finally, a big thank you to the following organisationsfor kindly donating prizes for the event; CadburyWorld, Broomey Croft Children’s Farm, Snowdome,Odeon Cinema (Tamworth), Beefeater Restaurant(Ladybridge), Drayton Manor Park and Strykers Bowl.

Families fill 46 bagsof rubbish in tidy upA steering wheel, a carpet gripper and a suitcase were among the strangestitems collected in a litter pick around Glascote Heath during August.

Residents of the Riverside High Rise flats were invited to come alongto an open morning at the social club during September this year.

Open Morning for residentsof the Riverside flats

Tenants had previously told us that they would like to have the opportunityto engage with the Housing Service and as a result of this the TenantParticipation and Caretaking team joined forces to make this happen. Both adrop in event and tidy up around the some of the communal gardens wasarranged. Council staff, Morrison’s and other key partners and agencies wereon hand during the morning to talk to residents, answer questions and pickup any issues or concerns people had. Whilst all this was going on inside,outside the Caretaking team rolled their sleeves up and got stuck in to a tidyup around some of the communal gardenswhich was an idea put forward and selected aspart of the ‘Wish Upon a Star’ Scheme.

National Tidy Up event

I really enjoyedthe morning. I was ableto speak to differentpeople all under one

roof who really listenedto my concerns.

SeasonsGreetingsfrom

TamworthBoroughCouncil

I was able tospeak to Morrison’sstaff and was reallypleased how helpful

they were.

Census 2011

P age 7

Customer DashboardVisit online for the latest performance indicators in housingwww.tamworth.gov.uk/housing

Est

ate

Man

gem

ent

Tea

mOLD GLASCOTE Walkabout Success

2

Residents and Officers on theGlascote walkabout

A successful estate walkabout was recently held in the Old Glascote area,giving residents the chance to have their say on key issues and concernsthey have about the area they live in. Residents on the estate werejoined by local Housing Officers, Caretakers, Tenant Participation,Police, Streetscene and other key agencies and gave their suggestions onhow to improve the estate.

The walkabout included a briefing session, a tour of the estate and a logof all issues identified. Residents were then invited to develop an actionplan on how best to resolve the problems and issues identified.

We were pleased to have extra visitors, pupils from Woodlands PrimarySchool, who attended as part of a project they were carrying out. Allchildren were extremely observant, highlighted many issues and clearlyenjoyed their afternoon.

The works highlighted included repairs to garage doors, graffiti, litter,weeds, overgrown shrubs and drains. Works that could be carried out byour Caretaking Team were done over a 3 week period. All other works wereimmediately reported to the appropriate departments with a request for anequal commitment from these partner agencies to resolve issues within 3weeks.

Feedback forms showed that 93% of attendees are satisfied with servicesprovided by the Estate Management and Caretaking Teams. One commentreceived was “the Estate Management Team are always a pleasure towork with and very helpful when I have an enquiry. It’s just a shame theyhaven’t the money to do everything!”

If you feel your area would benefit from anEstate Walkabout in 2011, please contact theEstate Management Team on 01827 709491 oremail: [email protected]

Involving tenants in service improvements is vital to the successof Tamworth Borough Council Housing Service.

We are committed to increasing opportunities for tenants to getinvolved in the management of their homes as we believe that byensuring tenants directly influence and shape the services weprovide, this will help to continually develop service improvementand result in high levels of customer satisfaction.

Our Tenant Consultative Group (TCG) provides a united voice fortenants and leaseholders of Tamworth Borough Council and has along track record of successfully working with the Council toinfluence and have a say in the way their housing service isdelivered. To the right are just a few examples of the key successesand work the TCG has been involved in over the last 12 months.

We are always looking for new members so if you would like to getinvolved or would just like some more information on tenantinvolvement, please contact the Tenant Participation Team on 0800 183 0454.

l Service Standards reviewed and published via customerperformance dashboard.

l Review of the Tenant Participation Strategy in 2010 l Involved in the first Annual Impact Assessment for Tenant

Involvementl Assisted in the design and publication of a wide range of

tenant volunteer leaflets. l Monthly review of performance indicatorsl Contributed to the production of the Annual Report 2009-2010

l Involved in the review of the capital works programme2010/2011

l Reviewed the Repairs and Maintenance Service Standardsl Review of the Tenant Participation websitel Involved in a week-long recruitment drive in 2009 and

repeated in 2010l Reviewed feedback on the annual programme of customer

satisfaction with recommendations for future serviceimprovement

l Involved in the interview and selection process for the windowcontractor

l Tenant Inspector and Mystery Shopping Training

Join our Tenant Consultative

GroupYour Views Matter!

100% of recharges were processed and actioned during November 2010. Since April2010 there have been 62 recharges processed. The recharges have mainly been due todwelling clearance after a property has been terminated

3

Christmas doesn’t come cheap. Especially forfamilies with kids, the pressure to spend,spend, spend seems to get worse every year.Ever wished there was a cheap, convenient way you could ease the burden? Well, now you can.

Tamworth Credit Union is working with the Council’s HousingTeam to bring low-cost credit to tenants, to smooth out thefinancial ups and downs.

How does it work? A Credit Union is a savings and loans co-op. Anyone who lives or works in Tamworth can join the CreditUnion, and it’s owned and run by its members so it doesn’tmake big profits for city slickers. When you join the CreditUnion, we work out with you how much you can afford to putin - it’s a great way to get the savings habit because you cansave as little or as much as you want.

But Tamworth Credit Union can also help with low-cost loans.We understand that if money’s tight, we all need to borrowfrom time to time to help keep the budget on track. But highstreet banks aren’t interested in small borrowers - and theinterest you’ll pay from commercial companies that offer smallloans would make your eyes water.

We know our members so we can lend with confidence and thatkeeps our interest rates low. Volunteers do a lot of the work,and that keeps the costs down too - and makes it cheaper foryou to borrow. So if you think the Credit Union could work foryou, come along and talk to us. We have offices on the cornerof King Street and Church Street and on the 1st floor of theCo-op department store, near Financial Services. Tel: 01827 65062. Website: www.tcul.org.uk

Does the cost of Christmasmake it an Unhappy New Year?Let Tamworth Credit Union easeaway those money blues.

Changes to the wayyou can pay your rentThe two payment Kiosks in Marmion House are nolonger available.

If you made payments at the kiosks you will have to use analternative payment facility.

How you can pay…

Direct DebitThis is the by far the simplest and safest way to payRent, Council Tax and Benefit Overpayments.

In September 2010 we introduced weekly directdebits. We already have monthly direct debit facilitieson either the 1st or 16th of the month. If you wouldlike to start paying your rent by direct debit pleasecontact your housing officer on 01827 709514 or visitour web site www.tamworth.gov.uk

Council Tax and Benefit Overpayments can also bepaid by monthly direct debits.

Via the internet Payments for all services can be made by debit/creditcards via the internet by logging ontowww.tamworth.gov.uk and clicking “pay it online”This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days aweek.

Over the phonePayments can be made by debit/credit card over thetelephone by calling 0845 2307 709. This service isavailable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

AllPay/PayPoint At Allpay payment outlets throughout Tamworth. Youcan apply for a card to pay your Council Rent andCouncil Tax at any local business displaying the“paypoint” sign including the Post Office. There areapproximately 22 outlets in the Tamworth andsurrounding areas. You will not be charged for usingthis service.

By postYou can also post a cheque or postal order madepayable to Tamworth Borough Council to MarmionHouse, Lichfield Street, Tamworth, B79 7BZ. You canalso place it in a secure box at Marmion House.Receipts can be issued on request.

Standing OrderYou can pay directly from your bank account. Askyour Housing Officer on 01827 709514 for details.Please ensure you quote your Council Rent or CouncilTax reference with your payment.

Moto PaymentYou can telephone the Council on 01827 709709 oryour Housing Officer on 01827 709514 to make apayment over the phone. The person making thepayment will need to have a valid debit/credit cardregistered in their name and have their Allpaypayment card to hand. A payment is made over thephone to the internet by Council staff, if you require areceipt please ask. This service is currently availableduring working hours (Monday to Thursday 8.45am –5.10pm, Friday 8.45am – 5.05pm).

Weekly Direct DebitsAfter consultation in ‘Open House’, through a web surveyand requests from tenants, weekly direct debits have nowbeen made available.

Direct debit is by far the most convenient way to pay yourrent. We will never take a payment without informing you andyou are covered by the Direct Debit Guarantee.

Why pay by Direct Debit?

l No more queuing

l No more writing cheques or paying for postage

l No need to remember to pay your rent and Rent Paymentsare always made on time

l Not having to complete bank forms every year

l An immediate money back guarantee from your bank inthe event of an error

l Advance notice if the date or amount changes

l A choice of weekly or monthly payments (two monthlydates the 1st or 16th of each month)

l Each direct debit payer saves Tamworth Borough Council£20.00 per year in collection costs. These savings can beused to improve your services

For more information about paying your rent by Direct Debit,contact the Income team on 01827 709514.

4

Local Offers – Housing Services for you!

It’s not too late?As you know the Tenants Services Authority is stillregulating housing providers. We confirmed in the 2009/10Annual Report that we are required to consult and publishlocal offers by April 2011.

Our consultation diary is on line, but the proposed local offersset out in this edition of Open House marks the finalconsultation phase. We intend incorporating final feedbackinto proposals for Cabinet approval in February 2011. We willthen publish them in March & April 2011 so we can continue tomonitor our progress with you.

Results will be scrutinised by the tenant consultative group,landlord project board and performance chamber.

So….where are we?????

What do we mean by Local?When consulting on local offers, we have to decide what wemean by local. When we published the 2009/10 Annual Reportwe set out the timetable for consulting on local offers and theopportunities for you to shape services. We have alreadylistened to:-

l The tenant consultative group

l Senior United

l A Range of views from the survey work undertaken at oursheltered schemes

l Comments from a range of customers attending thecommunity events including the market stalls, walkabouts,partnership events and fun days

We have also spoken to our corporate community developmentteam as Tamworth is committed to ‘localism’ and thedevelopment of key locality areas in:

l Amington

l Belgrave

l Stonydelph

l Glascote

From what we know so far tenants have said they would preferthe service standards to be consistent across all 4 areas, butwith some priority projects in the 4 locality areas.

You have also told us local to you means responding todiffering needs, it being more about tailoring services ratherthan geography, recognising that more than 40% of ourtenants are over 60 years old. This has led to the proposalsaround developing the “golden ticket” for the repairs serviceand sheltered tenants getting an enhanced repairs service ifthey are over 75 and in receipt of disability benefits.

What are your priority projects for the fourlocality areas?

The ones so far include:-

Amington

Contribute to proposals to regenerate the Kerria Centre

Develop partnership working with other registered providersmanaging private rented stock in Amington

Belgrave

Develop a local lettings plan for Tinkers Green andcontribute to the wider regeneration of that area

Review Garage Sites and agree options for the future

Promote welfare benefit take up and reduce illegal lending

Glascote

Review garage sites and agree options for the future

Promote welfare benefit take-up and reduce illegal lending

Stonydelph

Offer housing surgeries at the local hub to offer advice andsupport on issues concerning anti-social behaviour

Develop local lettings and support arrangements forEringden

Identify options to improve environmental and car parkingissues

We welcome your feedback on thisIf you want to comment on any of this, please email:[email protected] or write tothe address below:

Tenant Participation TeamTamworth Borough CouncilMarmion HouseLichfield StreetTamworthStaffordshireB79 7BZ

We will report in the spring what the outcome ofthis consultation is.

In November 2010 the income team successfully contacted 1,243customers regarding rent issues.

5

What are the local offers so far?First of all we would like to thank all of you who were involvedin the review of service standards in 2008/9. This provided uswith an opportunity to review the service standards and explainhow we were going to measure the impact on all our customers.

This has led to the development of the customer dashboard,where tenants have selected performance they most like to see interms of housing. You can view this online atwww.tamworth.gov.uk/housing

There are six national service standards, each containing specificservice expectation. Five apply to Local Authorities. The council isexempt from the governance and financial viability standard asthis is already enshrined in legislation and in the council’sdemocratic process, constitution and financial regulations.

The standards set out below indicate our proposals. These are inaddition to the service standards we have already agreed with you.

SpecificExpectations

Improvecustomerchoice, serviceand complainthandling

Support co-regulationwith tenants

Understandand respondto the diverseneeds oftenants

Local Offers

We will resolve more enquiries atthe first point of contact

We will set up interactive accounts for youonline to view your rent, repairs and housingapplications

We will learn from complaints by providingquarterly statements

Tenants will shape and scrutinise services asset out in our co-regulatory framework andwe will publish decisions online

We will set targets to improve information wehold on customers and publish an annualcustomer impact statement on how we havetailored services according to that information

We will offer an enhanced services tovulnerable customers (i.e. golden ticket forrepairs)

We will commit to a bi-annual customersatisfaction survey to test improvement from65% in 2008

Tenant Involvement & Empowerment

SpecificExpectations

Improve thequality ofaccommo-dation

Shall provide acost-effectiverepairs andmaintenanceservice as wellwe meeting allHealth andSafetyrequirements

Local Offers

We will advertise our capital investmentplans annually, publishing how we aremeeting decent homes standards

We will provide a handyperson service forrepairs

We will offer a ‘golden ticket’ for anenhanced repairs service to customers insheltered accommodation or over the age of75 years

We will reward tenants who look after theirhomes through an incentive scheme

We will offer appointments to all customerswhere appropriate for response repairs

We will aim to do more repairs right first time

Home

SpecificExpectations

Shall let homesin a fair andtransparentway

Shall offer themost secureform of tenancycompatiblewith thepurpose of thehousing &sustainability ofthe community

Local Offers

We will undertake and publishan independent annual impactstatement on lettings

We will work with other registered providersand landlords to let more homes inTamworth through the choice based lettingsscheme

We will publish an annual lettings plan thatlooks at empty property turnaround anddevelops local lettings plans to ensurecommunity cohesion and stability, eventhough that might be on a fixed term basis

Tenancy

SpecificExpectations

Shall keep theneighbourhoodand communalareasassociated withtheir homessafe and clean,by working inpartnershipwithstakeholders

Shall promotesocial,economic andenvironmentalwell being

Shall work inpartnership toprevent andtackle antisocialbehaviour

Local Offers

We will lead on four estatewalkabouts a year with partnersand publish ‘you said, we did’ outcomes

We will continue to improve on theperformance outcomes for cleaning andrubbish removal

We will recruit customer inspectors to auditareas in accordance with the cleaning servicestandards already published and agreed by you

We will invest in financially inclusive servicesboth as a service area and through the 3rdsector. We will help stabilise bad debt andimprove the take up of welfare benefits,ensuring eviction is a last resort

Landlord Services will be accredited with theRespect standard by 2011/12 reflecting thecommitment to preventing, enforcing andeducating against anti-social behaviour

We will offer surgeries in the localityhubs to discuss solutions to anti-socialbehaviour

Neighbourhood andCommunity Management

SpecificExpectations

Shalldemonstratevalue formoney totenants

Local Offers

We will introduce service charges by 2012 tomaximise the resources available to the restof the tenants

We will provide an annual account and valuefor money summary showing how tenantshave benefited from investment decisionsthroughout the year

Value for Money

November 2010 saw 22 empty properties relet within an average of 23days - reducing the time people are waiting to be rehoused.

6

Planning onleaving us?Did you know that it costs us an average of£2,367.65 to prepare one of our emptyproperties to be relet after one of our tenantsleaves?

Many of our properties are left in a poor statewith lots of rubbish and household items leftbehind that we then need to clear out. Not onlydoes this cost us money, approximately 10% ofthe money spent in preparing properties readyfor the new tenant (£90,000 per year) could bespent elsewhere. It also causes a delay in movinga new tenant into their new home.

When you’re moving out please take all of yourpersonal items and rubbish with you. To arrangethe removal of bulky items please call theService Team on 01827 709353.

Leave us on a good note;

l don’t leave carpets or any other types of

floor coverings

l don’t leave any unwanted furniture orbelongings

l don’t leave any rubbish in the property orgarden.

You are liable to be charged for any itemsleft that we have to remove.

If you are planning on moving and have anyqueries please contact the Estate ManagementTeam on telephone number 01827 709494.

“Lock It Protect It”Staffordshire Police are encouraging residents to ensure their properties andoutbuildings are secured to prevent against burglaries.

Entry via insecure or unlocked doors and windows is one of the most common reasons foropportunist burglary. Police along with other agencies, promote the “Lock It and ProtectIt” Campaign which is aimed at reducing this type of crime, and the distress and loss itcauses to the householder.

Burglary trends increase in the summer months due to people opening their windows anddoors in the warmer weather, and being out in their gardens, leaving buildings morevulnerable. However, this is something that residents should be aware of no matter whattime of year.

Even if you are at home, please be mindful of uninvited visitors!For more information on home security please contactStaffordshire Police Neighbourhood Watch Team

“Lock It Protect It” - Don’t lose it!

Do you suspect anunlawful sub-let?

What is unlawful sub-letting?

In a nutshell: A council tenant (localauthority or registered social landlord)renting out their home when they’renot meant to be.

How should I know if they are?

Have you ever thought?

“I’m sure the guy next door hasn’tbeen home for ages!”

“Hang on a minute… he doesn’t evenlive there anymore!”

“Why are those people living there?”

“Who is my new neighbour?!”

They may just be unlawfully sub-letting their home. In other words;they could be housing cheats…

What’s it got to do with me?

The Audit Commission estimates thatup to 5% of social housing tenancies inyour borough could be sub let. Thisdeprives the most vulnerable people onhousing waiting lists of a home. Thereare currently around 2000 applicationson the waiting list. Helping us coulddramatically reduce this number andhelp those most in need.

Does it have any other impactson our community?

Yes! Cracking down on unlawful sub-letting will also help tackle other socialproblems such as: illegal immigration,prostitution, cannabis factories andfraud.

Ending unlawful subletting can costaround £4,000 where as building anew home costs around £100,000.That’s money coming from the publicpurse which could be spent onimproving Tamworth. It’s your money!

How can I help?

Call us in confidence on: 08000 131690

Or send us an email: subletting@ tamworth.gov.uk

Your details will be kept confidentialand you could even get a reward!

86% of surveyed customers reported their satisfaction with the cleaningof communal areas - taking pride in where you live.

7

Fire preventionat Christmas

2011 Census: Sunday 27 March 2011

StaffordshireFire and Rescue Servicepreventing l protecting l responding

Tamworth Assistant Area Commander, Mark Walchester said: “Themain thing for occupiers of high-rise flats to be aware of is that ifthey become aware of a fire in another flat they should stay in theirown flats to reduce the risk of smoke inhalation on landings orbeing hit by falling debris outside.”

“Residents should also ensure that all of the doors and windows areclosed to help prevent flames and smoke entering their flats from fireson lower floors. If it becomes clear that it is absolutely necessary tovacate the flat, then do not use the lifts and try to use the appropriatefire exits. Everyone should have an emergency escape plan in case of afire so it is important to make sure you’re aware of the closest fire exitsand ensure they are always kept clear from any blockages.”

Festive Fire Safety Tipsl Most fires start in the kitchen so never leave cooking

unattended. All appliances should be turned off aftermeals have been prepared.

l Ensure children are not in the kitchen when cookingtakes place and keep matches and lighters out of reach.

l Keep decorations, cards and wrapping paper away fromcandles, fires, lights and heaters. Never leave candlesunattended.

l Switch off all fairy lights and unplug them at night andwhen leaving the house.

l Check Christmas tree lights conform to the BritishStandard (BS EN 60598).

l Use an RCD on outdoor electrical equipment (a safetydevice that can save lives by instantly switching off thepower if there is a fault).

l Don’t overload sockets; keep one plug to one socket.Make sure plugs are turned off when not being used.

l Extinguish cigarettes properly and never smoke in bed.

l Take time to check on older relatives and neighboursthis Christmas, as they are at greater risk from fire.

l Ensure there is a working smoke alarm installed on alllevels of your home. Check batteries on a weekly basis.

Jobs available with the 2011 CensusThe 2011 Census is fast approaching and onbehalf of the Office for National Statistics (ONS),Capita is recruiting from the 4th January 2011for these roles, to help it run smoothly.

To find out more and apply, visitwww.censusjobs.co.uk or ring 0845 6044 013.

Help tomorrow take shapeEvery ten years the Office for NationalStatistics (ONS) carries out a census to findout more about the people who live inEngland and Wales, and about the make-upof local neighbourhoods. The next census willtake place on Sunday 27th March 2011, whenONS will be sending out questionnaires foraround 25 million households to complete.

The census asks about work, health, nationalidentity, citizenship, ethnic background,education, second homes, language, religion,marital status and so on. These statistics arethen used to build a picture of today’s society.

Why should this matter? Like all local authorities in England andWales, Tamworth Borough Council relies oncensus population statistics to get thegovernment funding we need for publicservices. How much we get is directly relatedto how many and what kind of people thecensus says live in our area. So even if thecensus were to end up just a few households

short, it could make a very real difference topeoples’ lives. The census needs to includeeveryone, everywhere - and that’s whyeveryone has to take part.

What do you need to do? Simple! Just answer a few questions aboutyourself and the people who share yourhousehold with you on census day.Everything you tell the census is in strictestconfidence and will only be used to producestatistics. ONS will not share your personalinformation with any other governmentdepartment or organisation.

You can do it online. You can do it by post.But you must do it. So get your questionnaireback as soon as possible after census.

The census needs everyone to take part inhelping tomorrow take shape - and this isyour chance to make a difference.

For more information, visitwww.census.gov.uk

Job title Pay per hour Employment (dependant on location) Dates

Census Coverage Survey Team Managers £9.64 - £13.56 3 May - 9 June 2011Census Coverage Survey Interviewers £7.71 - £10.84 9 May - 3 June 2011 Census Coverage Survey Regional Managers £11.38 - £16.00 11 April - 23 June 2011Non-Compliance Coordinators £14.22 - £19.99 11 April - 9 Nov 2011 Non-Compliance Officers £11.38 - £16.00 18 April 2011 - 9 Nov Non-Compliance Assistants £9.64 - £13.56 18 April - 9 Nov 2011

In November, 95 cases of fly tipping were reported and removed within 3working days – keeping your estates tidy and a safe place to live.

8Designed and Produced by Tamworth Borough Council

8

Tamworth Borough CouncilMarmion House, Lichfield Street, Tamworth, Staffordshire B79 7BZ.

Enquiries: (01827) 709709Main Fax: (01827) 709271

If you would like this document in a different form, for example audiocassette, large print or Braille, please contact the Tenant Participation teamon 0800 1830454

I f you would like to getinvolved then contact

Tamworth BoroughCouncil’s Tenant

Participation team:

Leanne AllwoodTenant Participation Manager

01827 709448

Diane HughesTenant Participation Assistant

01827 709374

Helen RichCustomer Service Assistant

01827 709260

If you would find it easier to talk to us in your own language please ask an english-speaking friend or relative to contact 0800 183 0454. We can arrange for aninterpreter to contact you to discuss any translation you need.

email us:[email protected]

Congratulations to Mr S Humphries ofLichfield Street who was the luckywinner of the Spot the Differencecompetition in the Summer 2010 issue ofOpen House.

Enjoy your prize!

Thanks to everybody who sent incompetition entries!

Spot the differencewinner!

Spot the difference to win!Tamworth Borough Council is offering you the chance to win £20 if your spot thedifference competition entry is selected from our prize draw. There are just two competition rules:

l You have to be a tenant of Tamworth Borough Council.l You have to circle 3 differences between these two photographs.

Once you think you’ve found all 3 differences, circle them clearly, fill in and cut out theentry form and then return it by Friday 8th January 2011 to the following address: Diane Hughes, Tamworth Borough Council, Marmion House, Lichfield Street, TamworthStaffordshire B79 7BZ.

All correct entries will be entered into a prize draw and the winner notified soon afterthe deadline. The competition is open to Tamworth Borough Council tenants only. Good luck!

Name: ____________________________________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Telephone No: ____________________________________________________________________