Keeping you informed | www.northtyneside.gov.uk Working closerwith communities

HousingmattersSummer 09

See page 4 for news about thenew Involvement Compact -our commitment to getting youinvolved in improving housing services

Getting tough onanti-social behaviour p19

North Tyneside Homes'performance 2008/09 p11

Find out about the newHomefinder scheme p14

What do all the differentlanguages say?

You may have noticed that allour letters and publicationsnow include a page withinformation in differentlanguages and a note forothers who may have difficultyreading them.

The information will normallybe in larger size and is printedin the eight most commonlyspoken languages in theborough (after English).

Take a look at the back pageto see what languages theseare and how to requestinformation in a differentformat.

This is used to tell people thatwe can provide information ina way that meets their needs.

It is there to help customerswho:• May have difficulty reading

small size writing• Are unable to read English• Are unable to read at all by

telling friends or carers howthey can get an audioversion of the text.

This is one way we can makesure we are promotingservices fairly to all tenants.

If you know of anyone whowill benefit from receivinginformation in a differentformat, then please contact theteam on (0191) 643 7738.

In the last issue of HousingMatters, we told you aboutour £250 prize draw.

All you had to do was havea clear rent account onApril 7, 2009 and you wereautomatically entered in adraw to win the prize.Drawn at random, MrNesbitt was the luckywinner of the £250 prize.

CongratulationsMr Nesbitt!

£250 winner!

North Tyneside Homesjoins new register

North Tyneside Homes is now listedon this register. All of our engineershave a unique Gas Safe ID card, aswell as their normal ID card.They willalways carry these cards with them.

We recommend that you alwayscheck the identity cards of anyonevisiting your home, before allowingthem in.

The gas servicing team can becontacted on (0191) 643 7840/1 orby emailing gas@northtyneside.gov.uk

The new Gas Safe Register hasreplaced CORGI as the Gas SafetyStandard. The Gas Safe Registerensures anyone carrying out work ongas is safe and qualified to do so.

It is a legal requirement to beregistered. If they are not, they arebreaking the law. Only a Gas Saferegistered engineer is legally allowedto install gas appliances, boilers, hobs,ovens or fires in your home.

The register exists to protect you,your family, and your property fromdangerous gas work.

Above: Mr David Nesbitt from Whitley Baywith Financial Inclusion Officer Tony Jennings.

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Welcome toour new lookWelcome to the summer edition ofHousing Matters. As you can see, we’vechanged the format to take account ofyour views so I hope you like it.

Read on to find out more about thenew Tenant Participation Compact,which gives more opportunities for youto have a say in the services we provide.

We also have an exciting eventsprogramme to learn about our services

Get involved 4

Dates for your diary 5

Home improvementpanel 6

Estate standards –have your say 9

Update onrent increase 9

Tenant representativesAGM 10

How we performed 11

Focus on finance 12

Introducing . . . theRosehill and Howdonpatch team 15

Leaseholder news 16

Major milestone 17

Better Homes update 18

Estate walkabouts 20

Contentsand brush up on some DIY skillswith B&Q.

Finally, there’s great news that thecouncil is going to ensure all councilhomes in North Tyneside will havedouble glazing by 2012.

Have a fantastic summer and stay safe inthe sun.

A whopping £1,600!

tenants. This information is proving to beinvaluable, for example we are nowproviding more information in large printand signers for people with hearingimpairments.”

For your chance to win up to £150worth of vouchers (if you haven't alreadydone so) complete a ‘help us to helpyou’ questionnaire at your local customerservice centre or ring (0191) 643 7738to fill one in over the phone.

That’s how much tenants have shared invouchers over the past year, just by fillingin the ‘help us to help you’ questionnaire.

Tenants were asked to fill in a shortquestionnaire. Some of the questionswere around the subjects of disability,preferred method of contact and faith.

And here’s the best bit . . .the questionnaire takes no longer thanfive minutes to complete and by returningit, you automatically get put into a freedraw, sponsored by our constructionpartners.

We collect this information in order toprovide a better service and save money.

Imran Ahmed, of North Tyneside Homes,said: “So far, we have collectedinformation from more than 4,000

Ian ConwayHead of North Tyneside Homes

Mrs Gowland, from Backworth,and her daughters.

Supported by the following sponsors:

4

Decision made!

Get involved . . .I’m looking forward to carrying on thiswork and helping to make sure weincrease involvement in North Tyneside.”

Looking forward

For all that a lot of hard work has beendone, we can’t sit back and relax just yet.Faye Rose, another member of theworking group, said: “We are determinedthe compact doesn’t just sit on the shelf.We have to make sure the promisesmade are kept.We will work with thecouncil to make sure it happens.”

A short summary of the compact will besent out to you shortly. In the meantime,copies of the full compact and strategyare available on the council website or bycontacting the Involvement Team. Formore information on getting involved,contact (0191) 643 7749 or email:getinvolved@northtyneside.gov.uk

Councillors in North Tyneside havebacked an agreement, called theInvolvement Compact, giving you moresay over your housing service.

So what exactly is this compact?Basically, it’s an agreed document thatdetails our commitment to getting youinvolved. It includes:

• Lots of ways for you to get involved

• How we will help you to take part

• What we are hoping to achieve withthe compact

• How we will use your views toimprove housing services

• A plan to get more people to takepart

• Links with existing policies to involveall residents in the borough.

Davina Brain,Tenant Involvement Manager,said: “This new compact is excellent newsfor tenants. It’s a guarantee you will havean opportunity to be involved in thedecisions that affect your homes andneighbourhoods.”

Why do we need it?

The first compact we signed goes back to2000 so it certainly needed updating! Inthe past year we have provided moreopportunities for you to get involved inevents, discussions and consultationgroups but now we're stepping up a gear.The new agreement now takes intoaccount best practice and meets tenantsrising expectations.

Linda Snowball, from the working groupthat helped develop the compact, said:“I have really enjoyed working with othertenants to come up with the compact.

Hard work: (left to right) Susan Corless, Faye Rose, Bev Amers, Keith Lemin, Kevin Flynn and Linda Snowballof the Working Group.

5

Dates for your diary

Want to learn something newand meet other tenants fromacross the borough?

Maybe you would like to take part insome of the events we have organisedover the next few months? All theevents are free and we can help withtravel and care costs.

Basic DIY from B&Q

July 216pm to 7.30pm in theWallsend store.Wonky shelves? Never got the righttools for the job? Get expert advice onwhat you need and how to do all thoselittle jobs around the house.

Making your money count

September 171pm at the JohnWillie Sams Centre,Dudley. A lively and fun way to getadvice about making your money gofurther.The sessions include aperformance by the Shontal Live TheatreCompany.

Gardening tips from B&Q

September 156pm to 7.30pm in theWallsend store.Have you got green fingers? Pick up sometips and skills from the experts on thistaster session designed for beginners.

Dealing with anti-socialbehaviour

SeptemberGet some useful tips and advice fromtenants and residents on the RespectGroup and staff at North TynesideHomes about dealing with anti-socialbehaviour. Half-day session to be held inSeptember. Please contact theInvolvement Team if you're interested intaking part.

Job search and CV writing

OctoberWant a new job?Would you like sometips on where to look and how to writeup your skills and experience?We areorganising a two-hour session in October.Please contact the Involvement Team ifyou're interested in taking part.

Mini Gold Ticket events 2009

You will have already received informationabout our Gold Ticket event on July 20. Ifyou are unable to come to that, we haveorganised four mini-Gold Ticket events inthe autumn.

These are an opportunity for tenants tocome together and discuss key housingservices such as repairs, homeimprovements and estate management.

You will also be able to hear from othertenants on how they have been involvedin identifying improvements to theseservices.

The dates are as follows:

• October 13 at theWhite Swan Centre, Killingworth.

• October 21 atThe Parks, North Shields.

• November 5 at thecouncil offices in Quadrant.

• November 10 at theTown Hall,Wallsend.

All the sessions will run between 10amand 1pm and will include a buffet lunch.Let us know if you would like to comealong.

Decorating tips from B&Q

November 176pm to 7.30pm in theWallsend store.Want to give your home a new look forthe festive period?

This session is suitable for those whowant to do a bit of home decorating andwould like to pick up some tips and skillsfrom the experts.

For more information on any of theabove events, please contact theInvolvement Team on(0191) 643 7749 or emailgetinvolved@northtyneside.gov.uk

If you have any ideas about otherevents you would like to see, just letus know!

Tenants are all set to help improve the way we carryout major improvement work to council homesthrough our new Home Improvement Panel.

They will work with our staff to look at ways of changing theservice to give tenants a better deal.

The group has already looked at the priorities that wereraised at a series of consultation events last year.Theseincluded:

• The need for better information and communicationabout the improvement plans.

• Better choice of products used.• Improving quality of work and customer care.• More help and support during work.

The Home Improvement Panel decided to tackle the needfor better information first. Members are currently looking atall the information we provide and will suggest how it needsto improve.We will provide an update in the next issue ofHousing Matters.

Home Improvement Panel

In the meantime, if you are interested infinding out more or joining the panel,contact the Involvement Team on(0191) 643 7749 or email:getinvolved@northtynesidehomes.gov.uk

Get involved . . .

Gettinginvolved:

Bev Amersand

Keith Lemin.

Better deal: Involvement Officer Janice Stuartat a tenant consultation event.

Need a job doing that you can’t quite doyourself? Well, help is at hand. There is ahandyman scheme which is available topeople over 60 living in North Tyneside.

From basic joinery to fitting taps orinstalling smoke alarms, notask is too big or toosmall. And all for about£10 h ’t

Unfortunately, under this scheme wecannot carry out work on electricity orgas, do any decorating or any work atheights greater than one level.

For more information on the scheme, orto check for an availabletime slot for your handymanto call round, contactA h St i P t

In the last edition of HousingMatters, we ran a competition fortenants to win a garden makeover.There was a fantastic response tothe competition with many of youwriting in and sending in yourpictures.

Council managers are now workingwith the ten lucky winners to helpthem create their garden as part of avoluntary effort to support projectsand initiatives in the community.

While Alan Titchmarsh probably isn’tshaking in his boots, we’re confidentthat together we’ll be able to createfantastic new outdoor living areas!

We are now providing a new andimproved support service acrossthe borough.

Anyone living in North Tyneside who ishaving difficulties in managing their homeor living independently can benefit fromthe service.

Our main aim is to prevent homelessnessand work with people who need adviceand support – helping them manageproblems or preventing problems fromhappening in the first place.

Information leaflets are available from ourcustomer service centres or you cancontact Carolyn Smoult on(0191) 643 7592 for more details aboutthe service.

Here are just a few comments from ourcustomers about the new service . . .

“It has helped me live on my own. I couldnot cope without help.”

“Knowing we have someone to help ussort out our problems is a great relief.”

“I would not manage without this help.”

Helping hands available

Gardenmakeoverwinners

Housing OptionsSupport Service

Providing support:Housing SupportCo-ordinatorDoreen Dawsonwith PeterCampbell.

Here’s just a small selection ofsome of the letters we received . . .“It would be great to have an area

for my children to learn aboutgrowing fruit and vegetables.”

“My children and I would love tohave a nice garden so we can lookafter it together.”

“I would like a safe garden for myson to play in”

“After having a lengthy illness, itwould be lovely to have a garden toenjoy time with my family.”

7

8

Working closerwith communities

Waiting in a queueto pay your rent?What could you be

doing instead?

Ring our Direct Debit hotline643 7535 or 643 7532for further details

www.northtyneside.gov.uk

Jeffrey’s well covered . . .

A new project to encourage tenants totake out home contents insurance isbeing trialled in the North East.

Some new staff will work directly withtenants and community groups toexplain the benefits of having homecontents insurance. They will also giveadvice on affordable credit, savings andthe availability of free financial and debtadvice.

Nationally, half of the pooresthouseholds do not have home contentsinsurance. Only 17 per cent of ourtenants have taken up our houseinsurance cover available through RoyalSun Alliance and it is estimated thatmore than 50 per cent of tenants haveno insurance cover at all.

Yet in the event of a serious fire, floodor burglary, you could lose everything.Without contents insurance, you mightbe unable to replace your belongingsand the worry is that some people mayturn to high-cost doorstep lenders orworse, illegal loan sharks, to borrow themoney they need.

This project is important as it will helpto encourage more people to take uphome contents insurance.

. . . are youcovered?

Congratulations to Jeffrey McKever (left)who has won one year’s free homecontents insurance in our prize draw.

He was picked at random from 2,700tenants who had been entered into thedraw by joining our insurance schemebefore the end of March.

This year’s scheme is offering, on average, a22 per cent reduction on premiums and itnow covers accidental damages.

For more details about the scheme, visityour local customer service centre; phone(0191) 643 2360 or email:tenants.insurance@northtyneside.gov.uk

(North Tyneside Homes, in associationwith Royal & Sun Alliance)

9

Our estate caretakers are at the frontline of providing you with clean, safe andtidy neighbourhoods.

They have been working with tenants todevelop some standards for keeping yourestates clean and tidy. Their suggestionsare listed here – we would welcomeyour comments.

Fly-tipping on housinglandFly-tipping is the termused for illegallydumping waste.Unfortunately thereare many examples

across the borough where this hasoccurred. We are trying to reduce theamount of fly-tipping that takes place.

How quickly should the estatecaretaking service remove it?Tenants suggested that estate caretakersremove all dumped material within twoworking days. If there is an urgent needfor it to be removed, such as a health andsafety hazard, it should be doneimmediately.

Litter picks onhousing landNo one likes to seelitter on the ground,especially when it’saround your home, orperhaps even in your

garden. It makes the place look untidy!

How often should the estate caretakingservice carry them out?Our estate caretakers carry out litterpicks during their estate patrols. Thegroup told us that it is reasonable forestate caretakers to be able to carry outlitter picks within two working days ofbeing requested.

How often shouldthe estate caretakersvisit shelteredhousing schemes?It has been suggestedestate caretakers visitthe sheltered housing

schemes on a weekly basis to carry ournecessary maintenance. During badweather in the winter, we’ve suggestedthey visit more regularly.

How often shouldthe caretakers carryout patrols on yourestate?It was agreed withthe group that theseshould be donemonthly.

We want you to tell us what you think ofthese standards. If you have anycomments, please contact us on(0191) 643 7749 or email:getinvolved@northtyneside.gov.uk.

Once these have been agreed, we willmonitor them with tenants.

Tenants set the standard

Are you feeling the squeeze?

North Tyneside Council hasreduced its rent increase to helpyou through the credit crunch!

It’s a simple fact that we cannotignore – everything always goes upin price! Remember the dayswhen you could buy a first classstamp for 20p? Unfortunately,price increases also apply to yourrent.

In April, we had to increase yourrent by an average of 6.69 percent to follow governmentguidelines.

North Tyneside and other councilshave managed to persuade thegovernment that this level ofincrease would hit tenants toohard, given the economic climate.

The government has now agreedthat the average rent increase forthis year can be reduced to 3.1per cent.This works out as anaverage of £1.97 decrease perweek.

The new charges will take effectvery soon and you will be advisedin writing what your new rent willbe. In the meantime, pleasecontinue to pay your rent weeklyas normal.

Ian Conway, Head of NorthTyneside Homes, said:“This isexcellent news! Along with otherauthorities, we lobbied thegovernment hard on behalf ourtenants and we’re delighted ourconcerns have been listened to.”

Rentsto drop

Priority

1

Priority

2

Priority

3

Priority

4

You said, we did . . .

You said

73 per cent of you told us you we

re not

aware of the existing Involvement

Compact

We didWe have worked

with tenants to produce

an updated compact.We will be pr

oducing a

summary for every tenant and pu

blicising

it widely in the next few weeks. Fo

r further

information, see page 4

You saidYou would like us

to do more with

young people onanti-social behavi

our

We didThe Safer Estates

Team are visitingschools

to discuss anti-social behaviour wit

h Year 6

children and areraising awareness

of the

issues through aposter competitio

n

You saidYou would like more information aboutlocal housing patch teamsWe didWe have included a close-up on the Rosehill /Howdon housing patch team on page 15

You saidYou wan

ted moreinformat

ion about

events and training

opportunities

We didWe have

produceda list of a

ll the event

being arranged ov

er the next few

months on page 5

You saidYou would like m

ore repairs to

be made by appointment

We didWe have increase

d the number ofappointments we

make to carry out internal repairs

from 56% last year

to 65% at the end of April. We ar

e set to increase

this even furtherby changing the w

ay we work.

Update ontenant repsThe Tenant Representatives Annual General Meeting (AGM) was a resounding success.

Tenants gathered at the Village Hotel in April to hear about the work of the tenantsrepresentatives during the last year.

Secretary Dorothy Cox, from Hadrian Park inWallsend, outlined a recent event on thehistory of council housing.We also talked about the new government body to overseethe rights of tenants, the Tenants Services Authority, which comes into force next year.

We discussed how over the last year tenants reps have also taken part in servicedevelopment groups, alongside tenants from across the borough and staff from NorthTyneside Homes.

Through these groups, we have been involved in issues such as how the housingservice is run and how it performs, and what we as tenants can do about it.

In this way, tenants and staff are working together to:• Improve the housing repairs service.• Improve the way our estates are run.• Eliminate anti-social behaviour.• Help improve our homes.

Our AGM was the best attended to date and the tenants who were there said howmuch they appreciated the commitment and dedication of their tenants reps. However,we’re not complacent. We still need 16 more tenant reps and many more counciltenants to get involved.

We want to encourage you to work with housing staff – to improve the serviceyou get for the rent you pay. In this way, we can all work together to decideand implement service improvements. For more information, contact theinvolvement team on 643 7749.

Kevin FlynnChair of the Tenants Representatives

10

NorthTyneside

HOMES

Percentage of responsiverepairs for whichwe made and keptan appointment

Target: 75%Performance:64.49%Last Year: 55.9%

Typical time taken for anon-urgent repair

Target: 15 daysPerformance:24.56 daysLast Year:14.65 days

Percentage of urgentrepairs completed withintime limits

Target: 98%Performance:96.02%Last Year: 97.63%

Typical timetaken to letan empty home

Target: 50 daysPerformance: 49.11 daysLast Year: 55.37 days

Number of emptyhomes available forletting

Target: 230Performance: 200Last Year:Not available – newperformance measure

Total amount of rentowed to us

Target: £1,047,483Performance:£1,209,147Last Year:£1,102,477

Proportion of rentcollected

Target: 98.6%Performance:97.64%Last Year: 98.51%

Number of homesbenefiting fromhomeimprovements

Targeted Homes:6,549Performance: 6,082Last Year: 2,360

Tenants satisfied with therepairs service on ascore of 1 to 10

Target: 8.2Performance:8.1Last Year: 8.06

Target achieved

Target not achieved,better than last year

Target not achieved,worse than last yearIf you would like more information, please contact Chris Patterson

on 643 7736 or email chris.patterson@northtyneside.gov.uk

Performance relates fromApril 2008 to March 2009

how we performed 2008/09

11

Last year relates to April 2007 to March 2008

What is a loan shark?

A loan shark is someone who lendsmoney without a credit licence (unlikebanks who do have a licence). This isillegal. They usually charge expensive andunachievable repayment rates. If youcannot pay them back, they may useintimidation and violence to retrieve themoney they are owed. They normallytarget some of the most vulnerablepeople in society.

Am I the victim of a loan shark?

• Have you been offered, or takenmoney, without signing a creditagreement?

• Are your payments always changing?• Do you have no idea how much youowe?

• Do you live in fear as a result ofthreats, intimidation or violence from alender?

• Are you forced to hand over yourbank or benefit books?

If you have answered yes to any of these,you probably are a victim of a loan shark.

However, do not worry. If you want toput a stop to this happening in yourneighbourhood, call the Illegal MoneyLending Team on 0300 555 2222 in totalconfidence and we will try to help youthrough this difficult time.

Bewareloansharks!

Did you know?• 410 illegal lenders have been identified and 319 investigations have begun.

• 46 police proceedings have started with a further 90 in the pipeline.

• 28 prosecutions and 23 enforcement actions have taken place.• Prison sentences totalling more than 29 years have been handedout for illegal money lending and related criminal activity, including

assault, wounding, kidnapping, blackmail and possession of firearms.

12

Credit unions aim to help you take control of your money byencouraging you to save what you can, and borrow only whatyou can afford to repay.

They are community savings and loan co-operatives, wheremembers pool their savings to lend to one another and helpto run the credit union. Credit unions have become moreand more popular in recent years.They:• Encourage people to save on a regular basis – weekly,fortnightly or monthly.

• Accept small amounts of savings.• Are willing to lend small amounts.• Agree to loans based on how able you are to repay themand how much you need.

Even if you can spare only a small amount to save each week,it will quickly add up.

If you would like more information, please contact ourFinancial Inclusion Team on (0191) 643 7528.

A basic bank account allows you toreceive money and pay bills.

It can be a first step towards opening aregular current account later on.

With a basic bank account you can:• Have your wages, benefits, pension ortax credits paid directly into youraccount.

• Pay in cheques for free.• Take money out at cash machines witha cash card (remember somemachines make a charge).

• Withdraw money at the Post Office.• Pay your bills by direct debit –meaning you could pay less for somethings – especially gas, electricity ortelephone.

Some banks let you have a debit card topay for your shopping and some let youpay your bills by standing order.

Many banks and some building societiesoffer basic bank accounts. If you wouldlike more information, contact ourFinancial Inclusion Team on(0191) 643 7528.

What is a credit union?

What is a basic bank account?

13

Here to help: Financial Inclusion Officers Tony Jennings and Julie Bell.

H MEFINDERNorthTyneside

Helping you find an affordable home

We are changing the way we let ourhousing to tenants. The new service iscalled North Tyneside Homefinder.

This new system benefits you! Nolonger will you apply for a home andsimply be given an available property.Now you will now have more choiceover the type of home you live in. Ourempty homes will be advertised andyou can tell us which ones you wouldlike to apply for.

The Homefinder group, which is madeup of tenants and people on the

waiting list for a council home, hasdeveloped standards to make sure thenew service is the best it can be.

However, launching a new service doesmean that we’re going to have to ask allof you who are registered for a hometo fill out a new form.We know thatfilling out forms isn’t everyone’s idea offun but it will mean we will haveup-to-date information – meaning wecan provide a better, faster service.

We are expecting the new service tobe available from the autumn.

Swap shopIn the last edition of Housing Matters,we told you about a new scheme calledTyne andWear HomeXchange.

It gives you the opportunity toexchange your home for anotherproperty in Tyne andWear. This meansthat you can apply for a home not onlyin North Tyneside but also SouthTyneside, Gateshead, Newcastle andSunderland.

If you fancy broadening your horizons,this could be the move for you. Tenantswho are already registered for a mutualexchange will have to complete a newform for the HomeXchange scheme.However, if you are interested in thescheme but not already registered, youcan do so using an Internet-basedsystem. If you need help in doing this, itwill be provided.

For more information, please contactthe North Tyneside Homefinder Teamon (0191) 643 7658.

14

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

Step 1. Call the NHS free on 0800 917 2318 and ask for your free DVD and information pack.

Step 2. Choose the wayto quit that’s best for you. A stop smoking adviser can help with this.

Step 3. Set your quit date and get all the free support you want from the NHS, in just the way you want it.

Step 4. Enjoy your new smokefree life. And use free NHS support whenever you need it.

2009

0203

0405

06

0708

0910

1112

14

1617

18

122

2324

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THERE’S A WAY TO STOP SMOKING THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU

It’s easier to quit smoking with support and advice from the NHS. All of the services are free and they’ll help you find the ones that suit you best.

Call now and you’ll receive a free stop smoking DVD and information pack.

The DVD features real people who have

used NHS support including local NHS Stop Smoking Services and nicotine replacement therapy to help them quit smoking successfully.

Take your first steps to enjoy a smokefree life with some free help and advice from the NHS. Get your free DVD and information pack today.

Call 0800 917 2318 or visit www.nhs.uk/smokefree

During the next three years, we areaiming to visit every one of the 15,500council homes across North Tyneside.And believe us, it’s no easy task!

But it’s really important to us that we getto know you better and find out how wecan improve our service to you.

Your local housing officer will carry outthe visit. And don’t worry, this isn’t astuffy business meeting with a guy in asuit, it’s simply a friendly chat about youand your home.This will help us to:

• Make sure our service is meeting yourneeds.

• Check our records are up to date.

• Check that everything is okay withyour tenancy agreement.

• Identify any support or help you mightneed.

But we also want to give you theopportunity to raise any issues orconcerns that you may have. See if youcan come up with ideas and suggestionsabout how we can improve our service.

Above:Tenant Rep Maurice Goodwin(centre) with Peter Brady and KirstySproat from the Tenant InvolvementTeam.

Over the next few issues of HousingMatters, we will be introducing you todifferent teams within North TynesideHomes.

This issue we would like to introducethe Rosehill and Howdon patch teamand their patch manager, IanWilkinson.The team are based at the Park Housecustomer services centre inWallsend.

Ian said: “We look after 2,220 councilhomes in the Rosehill and Howdonarea and are the eyes and ears of thecouncil.

“We are the first point of contact forall our tenants, including any issue todo with your tenancy and life on yourestate.

“The work we do includes keepingyour estate clean, safe and tidy;carrying out street inspections andestate walkabouts; spotting andreporting neighbourhood issues;responding to individual tenancy issues,including neighbour disputes andcomplaints, and working withcommunity groups and partners suchas the police.

“We are really keen to work withtenants in the Rosehill and Howdonarea to make the neighbourhood abetter place to live.

If you would like to join us on anestate walkabout, or just pop in for acup of tea and a chat, please give me acall on (0191) 643 7699.”

Home visitsin your area

Introducing . . .

The Rosehill andHowdon patch team

15

Eyes and ears: Rosehill & Howdon patch team (left to right)Ian Wilkinson, Malcolm Campbell, Brian Ridley, Elaine Wright.

Leaseholder Q&A

hy do I pay a servicerge?

rth Tyneside Council isponsible for the repair andintenance to the shareds of your building and

estate. his ludes providing servicessuch as caretaking and groundsmaintenance.Your service charge is yourcontribution towards these costs.Theservice charge does not cover any of thecosts needed for the council to provideservices to council tenants.These are paid

Contents Insurance

Have you ever thought what wouldhappen if you had a burglary? How wouldyou replace your precious possessions?

What about if you had a fire in yourkitchen?Would you be able to afford toreplace your belongings?

We currently offer a great home contentsinsurance deal to our tenants. Cover andpeace of mind starts at only £1.19 aweek.We would like to introduce asimilar scheme for you, our leaseholders.However, before we can go ahead weneed to find out how many of you wouldbe interested in such a scheme.

To let us know if you would beinterested, call Leasehold Team LeaderIan Hearn on (0191) 643 7540 oremail: righttobuy@northtyneside.gov.uk

hy do I pay a management?

e management fee paysa small specialist team ofsehold officers.The teamovides a point of contactd enquiries and manages

the collection of all leasehold charges.After listening to leaseholders, we areclear we need to get better at providinginformation to you.The team is workingto improve this area, including providing anew leaseholder handbook.

hat is groundt?

ound rent is a small annualnt for your share of thed that you lease from thencil.

hat are majorrks?

m time to time, yourlding will needprovements to keep it safed in a good state of repair.

his yp ork is different from theday-to-day repairs covered under yourservice charge.This is listed separately onyour service charge account so it is clearwhat you are being charged for.

just received my annualrvice charge invoice andn’t afford to pay this in full,

I pay in instalments?

you can. If you contact us,can come to anangement with you so thate charges are divided overmonths of the financial year.

This makes it more affordable for you to

Leaseholdernews

Meet the Leasehold Team:Left to right: Pauline Bird, Karen Gill, Ian Hearn and Helen Quinn.

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The Leasehold Team can be contacted on (0191) 643 7540.

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The council’s strategic housing servicehas been praised in an independentreview.

The Improvement and DevelopmentAgency (IDeA) which carried out thereview found that North Tynesidedelivers an excellent strategic housingservice and that one of its key strengthsis the quality of its staff – described aspassionate, committed and professional.

The IDeA team recognised that housingacross North Tyneside has significantlyimproved over recent years and thatthere is some excellent and innovativework taking place.

IDeA heard from residents how thecouncil has made sure that residents:• Are supported to move to more

suitable accommodation as theirneeds change.

• Are safe from domestic violence.

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Agency praises ourexcellent service!

• Have access to good schools andhealth services.

• Are helped to regain financialindependence through the DepositGuarantee Scheme.

However, IDeA identified three keyareas for the council to look at:• Improving councillors involvement

and understanding of the vital rolethat housing plays in making greatplaces.

• Developing specific plans and policiesto address the needs of some of themore vulnerable groups of people.

• Making the most of the council’sposition in the wider Tyne and Wearregion by working with other localauthorities and external partners.

Thank you to everyone who took partin the review, particularly thoseresidents who were involved ininterviews and focus groups.

A major milestone has beenreached in improving the repairsservice to council tenants in theborough.

We have linked up with KierGroup to create a joint venturecompany – a partnership to carryout repairs and maintenance toyour home.

Kier are a leading constructiongroup with many yearsexperience in building,maintenance work and propertydevelopment. Our joint venturecompany will be called KierNorth Tyneside.

The main aims for the newcompany are to:• Improve our service.• Improve customer satisfaction.• Start a long-term partnershipand secure job opportunities.

• Show value for money.

Staff currently employed in therepairs team at North TynesideHomes will transfer across to Kierand will become their employees.

Tenants and leaseholders willcontinue to be consulted andinvolved in setting up Kier NorthTyneside.

For more details, please contactus on (0191) 643 7749 or email:getinvolved@northtyneside.gov.uk

Joiningforces

Top quality:The council's Strategic Housing Team.

The ‘better homes, better lives’programme is on track to make everycouncil home in North Tyneside decentby 2010.

Last year, we spent £31m making another1,695 homes decent and did work inmore than 6,000 homes.We also did thefollowing work:• 1,976 new kitchen and bathroomsuites.

• 2,150 double glazed windows anddoors.

• 1,574 energy efficient boilers toreduce heating bills.

• 2,242 electrical improvements.

This year, we are spending a further£37m to continue making sure all ourtenants have better homes.

Residents of Main Crescent,Wallsendrecently had work done and weredelighted with the results.

Mrs Knox said: “The men were verygood, got on with the work.Very pleasantand well mannered and they made sure Iwas OK. I could not have wished forbetter.”

Mr Robertson said: “The whole team hadexcellent work skills. They were very

Better homes . . .. . . better lives

quick, regarding fitting the kitchen andbathroom – job well done.”

Mr Barr said: “From start to finish, nocomplaints whatsoever.We are verypleased with the new kitchen units andbathroom fitments. The workforce werebrilliant, nothing was a bother to them.”

Future editions of Housing Matters willinclude more details of the Better Homesprogramme. In the meantime, if you wantany further information, please contact uson (0191) 643 2305 or email:betterhomes@northtyneside.gov.uk

The council has put more moneyinto the programme ofimprovements for council homes.

This extra money will ensurethat all council homes in theborough will have double-glazingby 2012 – meaning warmerhomes and lower fuel bills.

The programme ofimprovements is available on thecouncil’s website or you cancontact us on (0191) 643 2305.

Doubleglazing

for all

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Pleased: Mrs Knox of Main Crescent in her new kitchen.

We know that anti-social behaviour hasbeen a real problem for some of you.

So, we’ve been working really hard withNorthumbria Police to clamp down onnuisance neighbours.

Since April 2008, our Safer Estates Teamhas taken several steps forward incombating incidents of anti-socialbehaviour.We have:• Made better use of information totarget troublespots much morequickly.

• Made full use of all the legal powersavailable. So far, four people havebeen jailed.

• Persuaded 285 people to signagreements promising to improvetheir behaviour in future.

• Sent out letters to more than 8,000residents providing confidentialtelephone numbers to reportanti-social behaviour.

We are determined to see nuisancebehaviour stamped out and are takingaction but we need your help andsupport. If you experience anyanti-social behaviour, you can call us inconfidence on (0191) 643 7710.

The Respect Group includesresidents from across the boroughwho work with our Safer EstatesTeam to tackle anti-social behaviour.

The group is looking for new membersto help put its 2009 plan into action.Its work has included:• A support package for privatelandlords to tackle anti-socialbehaviour in their properties.

• Updated procedures for tacklinganti-social behaviour.

• A new mediation service.

Respect Group member Joyce Hayleysaid: “Our views are listened to and I feelwe are making a difference. It’s great tosee how we compare to other councils.”

If you are interested in joining the group,please contact the Safer Estates Team on(0191) 643 7710 or email:getinvolved@northtyneside.gov.uk

We’re gettingtough!

We have produced Housing Matters in alarger format that we hope will make iteasier to read. However we are verykeen to hear what you think.

For a chance to win a £10 voucher in aprize draw, please take a few momentsto fill in the form.Your views really willmake a difference.

Do you think the larger size HousingMatters is an improvement?

Yes No

Do you always receive HousingMatters (4 copies a year)

Yes No Sometimes

Do you find Housing Matters easy toread?

Yes No Sometimes

Do you find it useful?

Yes No Sometimes

Do you have any other comments orsuggestions for Housing Matters?

………………………………………

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………………………………………

………………………………………

………………………………………

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Please return this form to PO Box 109,Harvey Combe, Killingworth,Newcastle upon Tyne. NE12 6WHor drop it into any customer servicecentre.

What do you think of thenew-look Housing Matters?

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BeforeAfter

Walkabouts are a great opportunity for you to point out the things that you think needtackling in your area. They are held every three months. Join our staff as they go ontour. (The name of the estate is followed by the place to meet.)

Join us on a tour

Time Estate

North West estate walkabouts

Date Starting Location

Wednesday 1 10am Annitsford 2 Bridge Cottages

Thursday 2 4pm Dudley 1Weetslade Road

Tuesday 7 9.30am Fordley (including NorthernTerrace) 1 Fern Drive

Thursday 9 2pm Seaton Burn 1 Oak Street

Wednesday 15 9.30am Wideopen 1Warkworth Drive

KILLINGWORTH AREA

Wednesday 5 5.30pm Camperdown / Burradon 1 Allanville

Tuesday 11 10am Killingworth –West Bailey 1 Deepdale Gardens

Thursday 20 2pm Killingworth – East Bailey (Garth 20 to 30) 1 Garth 20

LONGBENTON, BENTON, FAIRWAYS AND FOREST HALL AREA

Thursday 9 10am West Farm Avenue (1) Chesters Court

Tuesday 14 4pm Goathland (1) Flats - Hailsham Avenue

Thursday 23 10am Lansdowne / Granville Ave / Hillary / Granville Dr Granville Avenue (Bungalows)

Tuesday 4 10am West Farm AvenueWest (2) Somervyl Court

Thursday 13 10am Goathland (2) & Fairways Flats - Hailsham Avenue

Tuesday 18 10am Clousden Hill / RocketWay 2 Ivy Road

Thursday 10 2pm West Farm Avenue (3) Charnwood Avenue

Tuesday 15 10am Balliol/Glebe / Lynholm Grove 2 AlbertTerrace

Thursday 22 10am Palmersville / Holystone 1 Palm Court

July

July

July

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Sept

ANNITSFORD, DUDLEY, FORDLEY, SEATON BURN AND WIDEOPEN AREA

Here is an exampleof what results canbe achieved byflagging up issuesduring an estatewalkabout.

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Time Estate

North East estate walkabouts

Date Starting Location

Wednesday 15 9.30am Hillheads Corner of Hillheads Road / Kingsley Avenue

Wednesday 22 9.30am Marden Corner of Kirklinton Road / Hartington Road

Thursday 6 10am Shiremoor: Lesbury Avenue / Brenkley Avenue Health Centre on Brenkley Avenue

Friday 7 10am Cullercoats: Broadway / Links Road 1Whittingham Close

Thursday 13 10am Moorside Price Ryte shop on Station Road

Thursday 3 10am Shiremoor: Park Avenue / Grange Estate Spar Store Park Lane

Wednesday 9 9.15am Beaumont Park Clifton Court

Wednesday 9 11.15am Wellfield Otterburn Court

Friday 18 9.30am Seatonville Roker Avenue opposite car showroom

Friday 18 11.15am Murton Sherwood

July

Aug

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Sept

embe

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WHITLEY BAY AND SHIREMOOR AREA

Time Estate

South West estate walkabouts

Date Starting Location

Wednesday 1 5.30pm High Howdon Beal Gardens car park

Wednesday 15 5.30pm Rosehill Outside Fern Dene onThreap Gardens

Wednesday 29 5.30pm Martin Road/Willington Quay Corner of Martin Road / Rosehill Bank

Wednesday 12 5.30pm Churchill Street Outside council offices

Wednesday 26 5.30pm Holy Cross St Hilda’s Avenue shops

Wednesday 9 10am Henley Gardens / Ridley Avenue Corner of Denbigh Ave andWindsor Drive

Wednesday 23 10am High Howdon Beal Gardens car park

BATTLE HILL AND WALLSEND

Wednesday 1 4.30pm Hadrian Park / Battle Hill Broadway Court

Wednesday 1 5.30pm Coast Road Jolly Bowman car park

Wednesday 8 4.30pm Hedley Place /Town Centre Footpath leading to 1 Hedley Place

Wednesday 8 5.45pm Rawdon Court / Carville / Eden Eden Court

Wednesday 15 10am High Farm North Chicken Road shops

Wednesday 5 10am High Farm South Bedford Avenue shops

Wednesday 19 10am Central Battle Hill Lidl car park

Wednesday 19 11am The Dene Bude Court

Wednesday 9 10am Brighton / Bowness / Bodmin / Battle Hill Jolly Bowman car park

Wednesday 23 10am Westmorland Estate Junction of Cross Avenue / Strawberry Gardens

July

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HOWDON AREA

July

Aug

ust

Sept

Thursday 24 2.30am Monkseaton Rosebery Court

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Competition CornerCongratulations to Ronald Buzzard, fromWhitley Bay, whowas the lucky winner of our prize draw.

The answer to the competition was that you can report yourrepairs between 7.30am and 8pm, Monday to Friday. Thanksto everyone who entered.

In this edition, we are giving away another £10 voucher.

To be in with a chance of winning, simply answer the

following question correctly and you will be entered into theprize draw.

Last year, how much did we spend in total on the ‘BetterHomes, Better Lives’ programme, making homes decent?

You can email your answer to:getinvolved@northtyneside.gov.uk or post it (with your nameand telephone number) to:The Involvement Team, HarveyCombe, Killingworth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE12 6UB

Time Estate

South East estate walkabouts

Date Starting Location

Wednesday 1 9.45am Chirton Simpson Street

Tuesday 7 9.45am Balkwell 1 2 Central Avenue

Thursday 9 9.45am NewYork / Guisborough Drive 1 Guisborough Drive

Wednesday 15 9.45am Balkwell 2 Junction of HeatonTerrace /The Quadrant

Wednesday 22 9.45am Greenlea Junction of Adderstone Gardens /Warenton Place

Wednesday 5 9.45am West Chirton 1 1 Craster Road

Wednesday 12 9.45am Norham Road North Junction of Norham Road North / Darras Drive

Tuesday 18 9.45am Barnstaple Road 1 Barnstaple Road

Thursday 20 9.45am Tynemouth / East End of North Shields Spanish Battery

Tuesday 25 9.45am West Chirton 2 Junction ofWark Avenue / Langley Road

Wednesday 26 9.45am Garrick Close / Phoenix Chase Junction of Garrick Close / Drury Lane

Thursday 27 9.45am Whitehouse Lane Junction of Whitehouse Lane / Sherbourne Ave

Tuesday 1 9.45am North Shields town centre Morgan House

Tuesday 8 9.45am West Chirton 3 Junction of Chollerford Avenue / Falstaff Road

Thursday 10 9.45am Lynn Estate Netherton Avenue Shops

Tuesday 15 9.45am North Shields Outside of Carlton Court

Tuesday 22 9.45am Alwinton Avenue Junction of Alwinton Ave /Whitehouse Lane

Thursday 24 9.45am PrestonVillage Argyle Place

MEADOW WELL AREA

Thursday 9 9.30am North MeadowWell Avon Avenue Shops

Thursday 30 9.30am Percy Main & East Howdon Junction Burdon Street / Brunton Street

Thursday 20 9.30am Minton Lane Outside Riverside Centre

Thursday 24 9.30am South MeadowWell Outside 18 BanburyWay

July

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Did youknow?The Earth spinsaround as it orbitsthe Sun. Earthcompletely spinsaround once everyday. The side facingthe Sun is indaytime and theother side (the darkside) is in night.

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We can provide Housing Matters in other languages and in different formats, such as large print,Braille or audiotape.

For more details, please contact us on:Telephone: 643 7749 SMS(Text Messages): 07855 417 413E.mail: getinvolved@northtyneside.gov.uk

Ne mund ta ofrojmë këtë informacion në gjuhë tëtjera dhe në formate të ndryshme si në shkronja tëmëdha, në një formë të shkruari për të verbërit osenë kasetë dëgjimi. Për informacion të mëtejshëm, julutem na kontaktoni në

Telefon: 643 7749SMS(Mesazhe me anë të tekstit): 07855 417 413

Albanian

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Bengali

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Urdu

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Tel.: 643 7749SMS: 07855 417 413

643 774907855 417 413

643 774907855 417 413

643 774907855 417 413

643 7749

07855 417 413

643 774907855 417 413

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643 774907855 417 413

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