Heartbeat Spring 2011 Issue 18

Spring 2011

IN THIS ISSUE: TAKING PART IN A CENSUS, WOULD YOU LIKE £50?,MAKING MOVING IN EASIER, HOW WE’RE DOING, YOU SAID... WEDID, YOUR LOCAL NEWS, PRIZE COMPETITION AND MUCH MORE...Cover picture: DIY success for Sparkbrook customers. See page 12

The customer carnivals are back this year!Your invitation to your local event is included with this

edition of Heartbeat.

Welcome to the Springedition of Heartbeat

From the editors...

Calling us? Just one number for you to remember

0345 60 20 540

KatieLucy

At last the weather is improvingand we can look forward to getting outside more and makingthe most of the warmer months.

Although we all enjoy the summer, if youhave teenagers then it is always a challengefinding them something worthwhile to dowhen the schools break up.

This issue includes details a programme ofactivities that we are supporting - aimedat equipping them with new skills. Seepage 4 for more details.

There is a selection of other articles whichwe hope you find interesting….such as astory on a new deal with a leading powersupplier which will make it easier for newcustomers when they are moving in and afeature on our ‘Local Offers’ which tailorour services more closely to your needs.

And then of course our regional pagesinclude lots of newsy items about whatcustomers have been up to…from makingmajor feature films to crafting bird boxes -you have been busy!

We hope you enjoy reading this editionand wish you a happy Easter.

Lucy Taylor Katie UnderhillHeartbeat Editor Heartbeat Editor

Midland Heart20 Bath Row, Birmingham B15 1LZtel 0345 60 20 [email protected]

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Bid to cut antisocial problemsIn a bid to reduceneighbourhood problems, MidlandHeart has introduceda different sort oftenancy agreementfor new customers.

The initiative has been introduced so that quickeraction can be taken to dealwith customers who don’tlook after their home orcause anti social behaviour.

The ‘starter’ tenancyagreement is signed for a 12 month probationary period by the new customer. If they live in their home in a responsible way, the agreement automatically changes to anassured tenancy – the same as existing customers.

If Midland Heart has concerns about they way new customers are living in their home, the starter tenancy can be extended for sixmonths or if there are serious problems they risk losing their home as legal action will be taken to evict them.

Regional Manager Hyacinth Blackburn said: “This is good news forexisting customers as it means that any new neighbours can be evicted quickly if they don’t stick to the terms of their tenancy asthey have reduced legal rights.

“It is part of our firm approach of dealing with antisocial behaviour to improve neighbourhoods.”

Tenancies for existing customers remain the same.

The census is an official government survey, carried out every ten years, aimed at gathering important information about everyone living in this country.

Questionnaires are sent to all households and it is vitalthat you complete it as the as the statistics are used tomake decisions about local communities.

“The census provides the government with crucial information about the population and its needs,”explained Gail Walters, Head of CommunityEngagement at Midland Heart.

“This is your opportunity to make a difference to all ourlives over the next decade.

“Local areas receive funding from government based onthe number of people living there – money that can beused for schools, hospitals, transport and refuse collection.

“Everyday facilities like play parks, water pipes and evenwhere your local supermarket branch is located arebased on census statistics so we would urge everyone totake part.”

Stand up and be countedAll households in the UK will be taking part in a census this spring.

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Why should this matter to you?

It’s simple. If the census can’t see you, the organisationsresponsible for providing the services you need won’t beable to see you either. In discovering and understandingcommunities, the census could make a very real differenceto people’s lives. The census needs to include everyone,everywhere – and that’s why everyone has to take part.

What will you need to do?

Just answer a few questions about yourself and the people who share your household with you.

Whatever you tell the census will be in strictest confidenceand will only be used to produce statistics.

A wide range of options are available to help peoplecomplete the questionnaires, such as language guidancebooklets, large print format, online help and telephonecall centres.

In addition census staff will be on handto help, contact your local 2011 CensusArea Manager on 0300 0201 101 oremail [email protected].

It is a legal requirement to complete the questionnaire. Failure to do so can resultin a £1,000 fine. Find out more at www.census.gov.uk

Midland Heart is supporting ‘The Challenge’ thisyear, a three-week programme which enablesteenagers to gain skills that can’t be masteredat school - real world skills that employers anduniversities look for.

It will also help them to understand the responsibilities of adulthood, bring them together with people of different social backgrounds and motivate them to get involvedin their local communities.

The challenge will give your children the chance to:l Develop their abilitiesl Form friendshipsl Improve their confidence levelsl Get aheadl Have an experience they’ll never forget.

If you know someone who would like to takepart, visit www.the-challenge.org for more information or call 020 7921 4404

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Would youlike £50?

Take thechallenge

Are your children 15-16 yearsold and looking for somethingto do this summer?

Mrs Smith got £50 from Midland Heartafter she moved out!

So did 14 other people, all they had to do was takepart in the ‘Clean and Clear’ scheme and be able totick the following boxes:

Let us know you are leaving by giving four full weeks’ notice in writing

Let us inspect your home so any small repairs can be done before you move out

Let us show anyone around who might be interested in moving in next

Make sure the property and garden is clear of all belongings and rubbish

Hand in your keys to a Midland Heart office by 12 noon on the Monday after the tenancy ends (on Sunday)

Leave the property in a good state of repair except for any repairs that have been caused by normal daily use

Hand in a completed £50 application form when you return your keys to us.

If you are moving out and wouldlike £50 too, contact MidlandHeart on 0345 60 20 540 for moreinformation about how to qualify.

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These services will be known as local offers and will be available to

everyone living inthe Birmingham,

Coventry, Leicester,Stoke and

Wolverhamptonregions.

Local offers representa new way of tailoring

the services provided byMidland Heart based on

what customers want.

We have now completed our consultation and produceda leaflet which contains our agreed service promises. Youcan find a copy of the leaflet with this edition ofHeartbeat. We will review the local offers again in 12months time.

Thank you to everyone who sent us images which represent your region. We received a number of entriesand have used the images, where possible, in our servicepromises leaflet.

Congratulations to Vinod Karer(left) who was chosen at random to win an Ipod Nano.

We would like to takethis opportunity to thankeveryone who gotinvolved in developingour service promises andlocal offers.

Local offers developedfor your area

Over the last 12 months customers have been workingwith us to design and develop our local services.

Homes forolder peopleavailableDid you know that MidlandHeart has a huge range ofhomes designed for olderpeople in Coventry,Warwickshire, Staffordshire,Stoke, Birmingham andWolverhampton?

All homes all have a warden callsystem which is manned 24 hours a day 365 days a year, with support staff available funded bythe Supporting People Programme.

Midland Heart’s customer servicecentre deals with applications forthese homes throughout the yearas the waiting list never closes.

Potential customers are invited tothe scheme to undertake a needsand risk assessment to ensure thatthe accommodation is suitable.

If you are over 50 and interestedin applying call 0345 60 20 540or contact the RetirementHousing Team on 0845 850 1020Ext 5878 for more information.

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A new deal with aleading powersupplier is making

life easier for new customers when theymove into their homes.

Midland Heart has joined forces with gas and electricitysupplier Scottish and Southern Energy for the scheme.

It aims to help new customers who sometimes haveproblems getting gas and electric supplies working at anew property, especially if this involves arranging fordebts left by previous occupiers to be cleared from pre-payment meters.

Scottish and Southern Energy will usually resolve anysupply difficulties whilst the property is empty, making iteasier for the new customer.

When they do move in and take over the supply, theycan stay with Scottish and Southern or, if they choose,move to a different supplier after 28 days.

There is no cost to you or Midland Heart for the new arrangement which started in February.

“We chose Scottish and Southern because we comparedtheir tariffs with other suppliers to make sure that theyoffered good value for money for our customers, in particular those who use pre-payment key or card meterswho are sometimes charged more for their powerbecause of increased administration costs of the suppliers,” said Juliet Howells of Midland Heart.

The scheme has been trialled in the Wolverhamptonarea and has improved customer satisfaction andreduced the amount of time it takes to re-let emptyproperties. Customers were also consulted and felt that it would be a real improvement.

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Makingmoving ineasier…

Fran Nadin of Scottish and Southern Energy said: "Weare proud to be working in partnership with MidlandHeart, an organisation with whom we share goalsand values of improving lives and communities.Together we will aim to provide customers with afirst class service, helping them get the best out oftheir energy supply in a sustainable and reliableway."

Our offices will be closedfor the bank holidays on:

Friday 22nd April 2011Monday 25th April 2011

Friday 29th April 2011Monday 2nd May 2011

Monday 30th May 2011Tuesday 31st May 2011

If you have an emergency repair when our offices are closed please phone

our customer service centre on 0345 60 20 540 where you will be able to

access the out-of-hours repair service.

Bank holiday closing

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Service charges are increasingly important for customers as everyday living costs have increased and incomes have

fallen - whether that is wages or benefits.

Service charge changes

Midland Heart’s costs have risen recently due to increases in VAT, the price of fuel and legal requirementsaround fire safety.

Therefore most customers will have received a servicecharge increase at the same time as rent reviews on 4thApril 2011.

“We realise that the rise is not welcomed and appreciatethat service charges must be reasonable and representvalue for money,” said Neil Whittenbury, Head ofHousing.

“We look at costs over several months or years and consider whether they are likely to increase or decrease,then set a charge.”

“For many customers the issue is not the cost but thequality of service provided by our contractors.

“If people tell us about poor service then changes aremade - if you feel your service charge is not reasonableor the quality of service is not up to standard, pleasecontact your Neighbourhood Services Officer.

“We need to know what you want so that our expectations can match yours!” Neil added.

There are a number of ways that you can get involvedand make a difference:

The Neighbourhood and Communities ServiceImprovement Group – Join with other customers tolook at how we deliver cleaning, gardening and groundsmaintenance – visit other housing associations to compare experiences, work with us to decide how youwant these services delivered to customers in the future.

The Finance Service Improvement Group – Join withother customers to look at all aspects of our servicecharges including what we charge for, levels of serviceand how we consult with customers on setting servicecharges.

If you’re interested in either of these groups please contact Shaun McCaulsky on0345 60 20 540.

Neighbourhood Tenant Inspection programme. Thisexciting new programme is designed to train customersto become effective Tenant Inspectors who rate andassess how contractors are performing in maintainingthe cleanliness and tidiness of estates. You can gain anaccredited qualification funded by Midland Heart whichmay help you to improve your skills and further your career.

If you’re interested contact Gary Hebrardon 0345 60 20 540.

If you have the skills to be an inspectordon’t let them go to waste!

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Complaints performance:

Percentage of customers that are very or fairly satisfied with how we handled their complaint:

The average for other social housing providers is 63%

Repairs performance:

Number of repairs completed during the first visitfrom our contractor (as reported by our contractors):


The number of customers very or fairly satisfied withthe repairs and maintenance service:


At the end of December 2010: 77%At the end of January 2011: 83.4%Target: 90%

Customer Service Centre performance:

The total number of calls we answered:

The total number of calls we answered within 20 seconds:

Dec201077%

At the end ofDecember 2010: 34.9%At the end of January 2011: 39.4%Target: 80%

Dec201034.9%

Jan201139.4%

At the end of December 2010: 78%At the end of January 2011: 77.8%Target: 80%

At the end of Decemberr 2010: 36%At the end of January 2011 60.9%Target: 60%

Jan201160.9%Dec

201036%

At the end of December 2010: 88.3%At the end of January 2011: 87.5%Target: 90%

Jan201187.5%

Dec201088.3%

Jan201177.8%

Jan201183.4%

How we’re doingEvery month we ask more than 1,000customers what they think about ourrepairs, new lettings, environmentaland complaints services.

Dec201078%

You said...we didYOU SAID: Youwanted moretraining as partof our customerinvolvementactivities.

WE DID: We now provide accredited training courses in a wide range of activities tohelp you get the skills you need.

YOU SAID: Youwanted your annual rentincrease letter tobe clearer.

WE DID: Weadded a leafletinto this year’sletter withextra information

to make it easier to understand.

YOU SAID: You wanted the customerinformation pack available in differentformats.

WE DID: Wehave produceda new DVDwhich meansyou can listen to theinformation inten different languages.

Jan201181%

Dec201081.5%

At the end of December 2010: 81.5%At the end of January 2011:81%Target: 85%

Customers who are very or fairly satisfied with beingkept informed:

Overall satisfaction:

Customers who are fairly or very satisfied withMidland Heart’s overall service:

Jan201177.9%

Dec201079.3%

At the end of December 2010: 79.3%At the end of January 2011: 77.9%Target: 85%

If you would like more information onhow we are doing please contact us on 0345 60 20 540

Dec201085.5%

Nov201084.5%

At the end of December 2010: 85.7%At the end of January 2011:85.5%Target: 85%

Customers who are very or fairly satisfied with opportunities for participation:

Customer Involvement performance:

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Understanding successionWhen a customer passes away their tenancy can often be

transferred to another member of their household.

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AYes. Providing you can prove that you were livingthere for more than 12 months, such as producing a

bank statement in your name sent to the address. Familymembers who can succeed are spouse or same sex partner, parent, grandparent, child/stepchild, brother/sister, uncle/aunt and niece/nephew (whether by bloodor marriage).

QMy mother and father were secure tenants withMidland Heart. My father passed away 10 years

ago and I have lived at the property with my mother since then. Now my mother has also passedon. Can I take over the tenancy?

ANo, the tenancy can only be passed on once andthis occurred when your father died. The original

tenancy was a joint tenancy between your mother andfather but when your father died the tenancy transferredto your mother in just her name.

QMy mother was a secure tenant with MidlandHeart and my two brothers and I have lived

with her all of our lives. We are all over 18 - whichone of us gets the tenancy?

AYou must decide between yourselves. If you areunable to agree who takes over the tenancy, then

Midland Heart will decide based on who has the mosthousing need by assessment against our current allocations policy.

QMy sister, who was a secure tenant withMidland Heart, passed away and I have now

taken legal guardianship of her six year old daughter. Can I take over her tenancy despite thefact that I did not live in their home?

ANo, but your niece may be able to. As she is only six,she cannot be held responsible for the tenancy but

as her legal guardian you can hold the tenancy in trustfor her and then the tenancy will be passed to her on her18th birthday.

This is called succession and thelaws surrounding it can be quitecomplicated. Dealing with this issue,along with the loss of someoneclose, can be difficult and if youhave any questions relating to succession, your NeighbourhoodServices Officer is on hand to help.

To help clear up what rights you have, our expertRegional Housing Manager, Pete Sandilands, above,answers the common questions Midland Heart receivesfrom customers:

Assured tenancies

QMy father has passed away and he was the soleassured tenant with Midland Heart. I have lived

with him for the last 10 years. Can I take over histenancy?

AUnfortunately, as an assured tenant, only the husband or wife of the tenant can succeed to the

tenancy so you will not be able to take over his tenancy.

QIf I can’t to take over the tenancy to the housethat I have lived in for years, will I have to move

out immediately?

ANo. Midland Heart is keen to avoid making peoplehomeless and also wants to support you through

this difficult time. We will allow you to continue to livethere for a short time providing you pay an amountequivalent to the rent. During this time, Midland Heartwill help you find an alternative home and may offer youone of its properties suitable to your needs.

Secure tenancies

QMy aunt was the sole secure tenant withMidland Heart and has now passed away. I

have lived with her for the last 10 years. Can I takeover the tenancy?

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B I R M I N G H A M B I R M I N G H A M B I R M I N G H A M

Operation Intrusive sees additional police tactics beingimplemented around neighbourhoods affected by burglary and robbery.

Officers are carrying out a wide range of initiativesincluding drug warrants, school visits and traffic operations.

In Soho and Handsworth Wood they are working closelywith Midland Heart to ensure that homes remain assecure as possible.

There are increased patrols to deter criminals and ateam of additional officers have been drafted in to manage previously convicted burglars and suspects toprevent future offending.

Inspector Paul Street, who is overseeing the operation inHandsworth and Soho, said: “We are urging all MidlandHeart customers to keep their homes as secure as possible as a burglar only needs a few seconds to getinto an insecure property.

“Our officers are working around the clock to ensure thatthe Handsworth and Soho areas remain as safe as possible and we have already gained some successfularrests through Operation Intrusive.”

If you have any information that canhelp police in tackling crime, pleasecall 0345 113 5000 and ask for yourlocal neighbourhood policing team.

Alternatively, you can call the independent charityCrimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Always dial 999 in case of an emergency.

You can visit Birmingham West and Central Police onlineat www.birminghamwestandcentralpolice.org.uk;through facebook on www.facebook.com/birminghamwestandcentralpolice or through Twitteron www.twitter.com/brumpolice

Inspector Paul Street with Marie Smith,Regional Manager, and Zaheida Vaid,

Customer Involvement Officer

Police in Birmingham are working alongside Midland Heart on a new large-scaleoperation that aims to further reduce crime and anti social behaviour.

Major operation

to cut crime

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Midland Heart has a ‘floating support’service which can:l Support you to maintain your tenancyl Offer advice with claiming benefitsl Help you access training and/or education or

voluntary workl Help with budgeting and managing bills.

The support is provided for a six month term to people aged over 25 but Midland Heart also offer adrop-in service, every Saturday between 10am and1pm at the Birmingham Foyer in St Chad’s Circus.

Call 0121 262 1795

Support is at handDo you have difficulty managing your day-to-daylife or are you having troublesettling into your new home?

DIY successSparkbrook customers have been

learning how to repair taps, fit skirtingboards and change a

fuse - thanks to a Midland Heart

project.


The initiative is aimed at encouraging more people, especially women, to carry out DIY jobs in their home.

An initial programme of workshops was run with contractors Morrison’s last year in the Small Heath areato help customers carry out basic repairs and it was sosuccessful that it has now been extended.

Regeneration Officer Ashok Patel explained: “We arenow working with a organisation called Ashiana whosupport women in the Sparkbrook community.

“We thought this would be a good project to run attheir centre where they offer activities such as alunch club, counselling, parent support, a nurseryand a lot more, so more women could be encouraged to attend.”

The first workshop was on ‘fitting and repairingdoor handles’ and further sessions covered

fitting skirting boards and replacing sealants.

Flyers were sent to all local customers toencourage them to join in.

“By the end of this programme we hope to havegot to know more people in the area and supported

women in the Sparkbrook area,” Ashok added.

Thanks to excellent participationby different organisations, thefirst multi-agency ‘Impact Day’ in Soho achieved some impressive results.

The event was about improving confidence and raisingawareness of police and partnership activity.

More than 40 police officers and 60 partner agency staffoffered a high-visibility presence across the area on theday, which resulted in 11 untaxed vehicles being clampedand taken away and a suspect being arrested in relationto a burglary.

West Midlands Fire Service provided fire safety advice tomore than 100 local people and fully-supervised low levelconvicted offenders renovated fencing and the nearbypolice box.


Introducing ChristopherLuke…Midland Heart’snew NeighbourhoodServices Officer for theHandsworth area.

Previously a member of thehousing team at Moseley andDistrict Housing Association,Christopher’s always worked inthe city and knows the

Handsworth area well.

“My first priority is getting to know people inthe area better and supporting customers toform a resident group in Tolgate Drive and KingEdward’s Close,” he told Heartbeat.

Hello to Christopher

Making an impact

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The operation group, involving Midland Heart, the localpolice, Sandwell Council, Sandwell Homes and ‘community champion’ residents, was set up to focus on the Soho and Victoria ward.

Their work proved so effective that the same approachhas been rolled out to cover the whole of Smethwick.

“It was realised that a different approach was needed inthe Soho/Victoria ward, particularly the Windmill estate,”explained Midland Heart Neighbourhood Services OfficerBalwant Singh.

“We worked with partners to pool our knowledge andresources, targeting the top 10 most challenging familieswho were causing greatest concern to local people.

“Our aim was to co-ordinate our efforts to deliver realand meaningful improvements for the area.”

Balwant says the group is a great way to share information as its meetings may be the first time he discovers the police or someone else has an issue withone of his customers.

The matter can then be discussed and a decision takenon whether a joint meeting with the police is the best

A new approach to tackling neighbourhood issues in one part of Smethwickhas proved successful, with anti social behaviour and crime rates being cut.

Partnership’s new approachimproves Smethwick

action, or if other intervention is required by other support agencies.

He explained: “In some cases we do a joint visit. I visitthe tenant with one of the police officers and let themknow that they could not get away with that type ofbehaviour.”

Having closer relations with the police has also meantthat if tenants report that they’ve suffered from domestic abuse or harassment, Balwant knows who totalk to quickly to get help.

The group has resolved cases involving drugs, anti socialbehaviour, crime and prostitution.

Inspector Mand of the local police commented: “Thegroup has been fantastically successful. We’ve developedstronger working relations with each other.”

Margaret Tuite of Sandwell Council said: “The OperationGroup identified quite early 10 of the worst families so,by working together, we were able to evict some of thosepeople or take legal action against them. The majorityof those families have now gone altogether. The massiveproblems we had in the beginning have now stopped.”

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L to R: Councillor Roger Horton, Councillor Mohammed Rouf, Councillor Darren Cooper, Lennox Thompson and Ajaz Riaz (Sandwell Homes),Sgt Adam Yeomans, Sgt Manjinder Bhatti, Balwant Singh (Midland Heart), Rohit Mistry (Sandwell Council) and Aynols Reid (local resident).

COVENTRY COVENTRY COVENTRY COVENTRY

A service offering help and advice onjobs and training is available to Coventrypeople.

Midland Heart joined forces with other housing organisations to provide Open Door, a one-stop-shopoffering support to those in and out of work.

It can help by providing a range of advisory services toaccess training or work opportunities in the WestMidlands.

Open Door will work with you to:l Access skills training

l Find the right job

l Progress in your current job

l Gain new qualifications

l Change your career completely

l Find voluntary work.

Can Open Door help me?

Yes it can! It does not matter if you are unemployed,already have a job or looking to return to work after having children.

Help is also at hand if you are a single parent, carer,school-leaver, disabled or an ex-offender.

Midland Heart’s Open Door co-ordinator Manjit Sehmarcommented: “We are here to help. Whatever your current situation. If you live in the Coventry area andyou are looking for work or training to further yourcareer, get in touch.

“We deliver a support service to build life skills, supportingyour journey of personal development, training and work.”

Text or call 07990 640781Email: [email protected]

Jobs help is at hand

Midland Heart and West MidlandsPolice are working together to makecommunities safer.

Recent statistics show that serious crime in Coventry,particularly home burglary, has increased by 15.47%,with most of the burglaries taking place in areaswhere there is a large number of social housing.

As a result the ‘Domestic Burglary Initiative’ has beenset up to ensure Midland Hearttakes action against any of its customers involved in such crimes.

Coventry Regional Manager LesleyAnn Edwards, left, explained:“This means that the police nowforward relevant information to us

on offenders who live in our properties and who havebeen arrested for a burglary offence. Both MidlandHeart and the local Police Inspector then write to the customer, advising them that if the person is convictedof the offence then they couldultimately lose their home.”

The police closely monitorthe situation and if the person is convicted they arevisited by the police andMidland Heart, who make adecision on whether tostart legal proceedings toevict them from the property. This initiative willensure that tenants areheld accountable for burglary offences that are carried out by people living in their household.

Action taken to cut Coventry crime

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The events will now be held regularly on the first Tuesdayof every month at Midland Heart’s Foleshill 396 information centre.

The initiative was the idea of Allocations Manager TracyRattenbury and Project Manager Donna Jarrett and thesurgery will be run in collaboration with the MidlandHeart allocations team at Foleshill 396.

It will enable customers to talk to the housing team andbid for Midland Heart properties, as well as lettingprospective customers see what homes are available inthe area. People will be able to make appointments to seean allocations officer during the surgeries from 1pm – 3pm.

“The aim is to get more Midland Heart customers using396, which offers advice and guidance on jobs and training,” explained Donna Jarret.

“As we have a lot of homes in the Foleshill area we alsowant to work with our allocations team to find residentsfor these and it is hoped that the new surgeries will startto do this.”

As part of the service staff will:

l Be able to issue Homefinder login details to applicants

that cannot remember their login number

l Assist applicants with registering/bidding on Coventry

Homefinder

l Allow applicants to bring in ID/supporting documents

to be scanned onto the Homefinder system. This will

make it easier for people that find it difficult getting

into Coventry Homefinder’s office, situated at Spire

House in the city centre

l Offering general housing advice.

The surgeries will be held at on the firstTuesday of the month from 1pm - 3pm at 396 Foleshill Road, Coventry, CV6 5AN.

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Housing surgeries launched

Sophie Oliver-Beale (left) and Tracy Rattenbury, AllocationsLettings & Voids Manager (right).

Housing surgeries are now being held in Coventry to improvecustomer service and access to housing in the area.

Bird boxes createdThe Growing Paradise project, whichaims to get Coventry customers moreinterested in gardening and environmentalmatters, is progressing well.

One of its latest events was a day which encouragedpeople to make bird boxes for their own gardensand for the local Stanton Bridge Primary School.

With spring well on its way, we hope the local birdpopulation will make gooduse of their new homes! Jayne Grant and Craig Galvin

Sabina Ismail and Sarah Ibrahim

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Why home contents insurance is vital

A new development of bungalows in aWarwickshire village has been welcomed.

Midland Heart completed the housing scheme at OldArley recently and Mrs Patricia Alton was one of the first people to move in.

“I am delighted with my new bungalow. I was previouslya tenant with North Warwickshire Council living in athree-bedroom house,” she said.

“It was too big for me and due to health problems Ineeded a property on all one level. My family are reallypleased too that I’ve moved within the same area so Ican continue to receive support from them.”

New scheme welcomed Harjinder Gill, Neighbourhood Services Officer, explainedthat Patricia bid for this property via the choice-basedlettings scheme, UChoose.

Harjinder with Patricia Allton

Midland Heart chairs the new ‘Coventry Housing SectorFinancial Inclusion Partnership’ which aims to helpcustomers manage their money on a day to day basis,plan for the future, cope with financial pressure and dealwith financial distress.

It brings together organisations from across the housingand regeneration sector to share good practice, respondto consultation and identify funding opportunities tosupport projects.

Midland Heart's Elaine Shirley said: “Our first initiative isto address the low uptake of home contents insurance, acommon issue affecting housing association customers.”

My Home Contents insurance can cost as little as £1.25 per week, call 0845 337 2463to find out more.

Having your home burgled, flooded or damaged in a fire is one of the most stressful events you can experience.

After the shock of dealing with such incidents, you thenhave to start replacing belongings which have beendestroyed or damaged.

The cost of doing this can jeopardise your ability to payrent or bills or make credit card repayments. And somepeople may turn to unscrupulous lenders to help themmeet those payments, leading to an almost impossiblespiral of debt.

Insurance is key to avoiding this and Midland Heart istaking action to encourage more customers to take outhome contents insurance as unfortunately the peoplemost likely to be uninsured are also those least likely to beable to recover financially when the unexpected happens.

L E I C E S T E R S H I R E & W A R W I C K S H I R E

L E I C E S T E R S H I R E & W A R W I C K S H I R E

Perhaps you’re interested in setting up a NeighbourhoodWatch scheme or you’re a member of a residents groupthat needs more support?

Do you want the opportunity to speak toother customers in your area?

Would you like to get involved in improvingor examining Midland Heart’s services?

A meeting for all customers in Rugby has been arrangedand issues such as these will be discussed. The meetingwill take place at The Benn Partnership Centre, RailwayTerrace, Rugby CV21 3HR on Tuesday 12th April at 6pm.

For further information, please contact CustomerInvolvement Officer Cameron Whyld on 0845 850 1020extension 5662 or by text on 0779 851 8278 oremail [email protected].

Calling all Rugby customersHow can Midland Heart help you to

improve your community?

Improving life in Leicester city centreLife in one area of Leicester city centre has just got better thanks to the efforts

of customers, Midland Heart staff and local police.

We look forward to seeing you there!

The area surrounding the Beaumont House flats inGranby Street had recently experienced an increase instreet drinkers who were being aggressive to residents.

Working with Leicestershirepolice, Customer InvolvementOfficer Cameron Whyld (left)arranged a consultation eventfor local people and through attending partnership meetingsat the local police headquarterssuccessfully requested increased

patrols of the area by officers and street wardens.

Incidents of anti social behaviour and street drinkingactivity in the area has since seen a marked decrease.

Beaumont House resident and Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator Lee Pickering said: “People areoften reluctant to contact the police as their perception is that nothing will be done. However,the key to making your area and your issues a priority is often persistence. The more incidentsthat are reported to the authorities often results in increased resources being targeted at the issue.”

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Atherstone customers get green fingers

Atherstone customers have come together to enhance the appearance

of their neighbourhood.

Although grounds maintenance is carried out onthe Cooks Close estate, customers have gone theextra mile, coming together to spruce up the communal car parking area and pathways, replacing some shrubs and planting flowers.

In addition, Neighbourhood Services Officer SarahJones, managed to obtain funding for a securewaste bin area to prevent fly tipping.

She applied for a grant from Midland Heart’s environmental improvement budget which wasassessed and approved by customers.

S T A F F O R D S H I R E S T A F F O R D S H I R E

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Chris Stone is an award-winning film-maker who lives atthe Queen Street live/work units in Burslem which weredeveloped by Midland Heart to encourage artists andcreative entrepreneurs.

He has now written Blood and Bone China, a 12-partseries set in the Potteries in Victorian times, which waspremiered at the annual Festival of the Moving Imagein the city.

Film fans can now get their teeth into a new vampire drama, made by a MidlandHeart customer, when it had its world premier in Stoke-on-Trent recently.

Fangs are the looking good for Chris

“It was great filming in Stoke-on-Trent. We are screeningthe series on-line so that we can reach the whole world,”he said.

The film, in which tough guy actor David Lemberg playsthe villain Linus Hemlock, has also been featured on thefront cover of a city-wide magazine.

The Festival of the MovingImage has grown out ofthe Stoke Your Fires animation festival whichanother Queen Street customer Karen Sayle, left,helped to set up.

The 12 units at the development opened threeyears ago and has becomea vibrant hub for the creative industries, providing affordable homesfor people who could not

otherwise afford a combined living and working space.

You can view Blood and Bone China atwww.bloodandbonechina.com

Chris, kneeling, at the film premiere


Midland Heart customer involvement staff helped to create The Oaklands Resident Action group, based atCold Meece near Stone. The first task of members is towork with staff to review and improve the grounds maintenance services at The Oaklands.

“During the next few months customers will scrutinise allaspects of the service to see if it is fit for purpose for thescheme ,” said Midland Heart’s Gareth Hopkins.

Royal wedding fever

A customer survey has been carried out and the resultswill be presented to the current contractors at the nextmeeting.

This project is a good example of meeting the criteriaset out in the Big Society, by giving power to local customers to help shape the services they receive.

“we now feel we have moreof an identity”

Roy Bulger Chairperson of the group, says: “Customerinvolvement staff have helped us to come together tocreate the new group. We now feel we have more of anidentity both within the community and when dealingwith Midland Heart as we live within a remote area ofStaffordshire.”

The Upper Sneyd Road and Kitchen Lane ResidentsGroup will be hosting a tea party on Friday 29th Aprilfor residents living in the village.

The group is made up of hard working volunteers whowill be baking cakes and providing games and prizesfor the children at the event.

Denise James, Chairwoman, says: “We are really looking forward to hosting the party for such a specialoccasion. It will bring residents from Essington together to have a good time and celebrate the marriage of Prince William to Kate Middleton.”

The group has hosted a variety of successful events inthe past, including a fun day to celebrate theCommonwealth Games held in England in 2008.

New group takes actionA new residents group in a remote area of Staffordshire is already proving effective

20

Customers in Essington are getting ready to party – in

celebration of the royal wedding.

25

Say cheese!Customer Shelagh Moran is nowa keen photographer - thanksto Midland Heart!

Shelagh, of Langton Court,attended Midland Heart's 'Big

Event' for customers held lastyear in Birmingham, and won

a camera. Not only did shesend us a lovely thank you

letter but also the first picture she took of a

lunch with her neighbours.'

They got together at a ‘plants and pots’ day toenhance the communal garden areas.

Customers on the estate maintain their own gardensto a high standard but wanted some extra help inaddition to the grounds maintenance service provided by Midland Heart in the communal areas.

“Although the residents realise they only receive abasic grounds maintenance service, they asked ifthey could help plant some bulbs to improve thearea,” explained Gareth Hopkins, StaffordshireCustomer Involvement Officer.

He joined forces with Narinder Sungha,Neighbourhood Services Officer, and Neil Smith ofMidland Heart contractor Pinnacle, to help customersclear the communal garden and plant some bulbs for the spring.


Pictured: Gareth and Narinder with residents Christine Ashley and June Austine

Close will belooking colourfulSouth View Close in Featherstone will be lookingmore colourful this spring thanks to the efforts ofcustomers, staff and contractors.

21

W O L V E R H A M P T O N A N D B L A C K C O U N T R Y

The purpose of the event was to encourage people tocome together and make their area tidier.

A rubbish skip was provided and customers completed alitter pick on the estate and removed unwanted bulkywaste from their properties.

“Later that evening we attended a residents meetingwhere we discussed recycling. The main aim was to educate us on the importance of recycling and its impacton reducing domestic waste. It was very useful,” said RodPhillips, resident of Duncan Edwards close.

“We were given a brief talk and demonstration by amember of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council’swaste minimisation team. Recycling boxes were also distributed to encourage us all to begin recycling.”

The event helped people to effectively manage the‘three-bag domestic waste limit’ which has beenintroduced across Dudley.

Anikah Miller-Ryan, Customer Involvement Officer, commented: “The day was very successful and it wasnice to see customers get involved regardless of theweather.”

Dudley customersget recycling

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Dudley customers helped to improve theirneighbourhood by taking part in a recyclingand clean up day on their estate.

Good neighbourpact isworkingA Good NeighbourAgreement is provingeffective at a new housing scheme inStourbridge.

The agreement was implemented when apartmentson the Parkfield Road development were completedlast autumn.

“We thought it could overcome anti social behaviourand general issues that had been found at otherschemes,” explained David Williams, NeighbourhoodServices Officer.

To find out if the agreement was working staffinterviewed customers and feedback was very positive.

Laura Webb, pictured above with David Williams,commented: “I feel that getting everyone to sign theGood Neighbour Agreement has been very effectivein preventing anti social behaviour. I think it is 100%better here than at my previous address where I feltvery vulnerable. The fact that everyone has signedhas led to much more of a community spirit andeveryone gets on with one another.

“People know what is expected of them and thishas meant that residents have made amicablearrangements between themselves to resolve issuessuch as use of car parking spaces.”

Laura added that she felt a lot safer in her currenthome due to the fact that customers were keepingto the terms of the agreement.

She concluded: “My daughter and I are totallyhappy here and I cannot imagine leaving myhome for many years.”

Your Money Advisors are: Sarah Golding (Birmingham),John Doyle (Wolverhampton and Staffordshire) and John Jackson (Coventry, Leicester, Tamworth and South Midlands).

We can help you by:

lAdvising you on how to deal with financial problems

lHelping you negotiatewith the people you owe money to

lMaking sure you are receiving all the benefits you should

lOffering ongoing help and support.

Call 0345 60 20 540and ask to speak to a Money Advisor.

Money worries? Don’t knowwhere to turn for help?

23

Midland Heart has been working with The CommunityPayback Team to improve a site in Armstrong Drivewhich had become overgrown and was blighting thearea.

Residents had beendiscussing the landwith MidlandHeart for over fiveyears, raisingideas about howit could be

enhanced. In response toresidents’ recent complaints, a survey was completed

for people to express how they felt about the site.

Anikah Miller-Ryan, Customer Involvement Officer, andJoan Gooden, Regeneration Project Officer, then movedpromptly to get this matter resolved.

The final result was excellent and customers wereimpressed with the effort put in by the team of youngmen from Community Payback, a scheme which getsprojects carried out by offenders under probationsupervision.

The metre-high grass was cut down,over-hanging treebranches trimmed back and part of the grass was dugup so that wild flowers can be planted.

Midland Heart andall the residentswould like to thankeveryone in theCommunityPayback Teamwho contributed.

W O L V E R H A M P T O N A N D B L A C K C O U N T R Y

After

Team digs deep to transform eyesore

Before

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Documents

Heartbeat Spring 2011 Issue 18