homenews 2013

1www.warwickdc.gov.uk/tenant

Spring 2013 Issue 01

Your new WDC Housing Magazine - Formerly Home News

Housing Benefit

Biomass

ChangesSpot th

e

Van

A day in the life...

2Where possible, information can be made available in other formats, including large print, CD and other languages if required. To obtain one of these alternatives, please contact 01926 456447.

ContentsKeeping You Informed

Getting Involved

04 Biomass Heating Success

06 Our New Contractors07 Complaints Changes08 Tenants Together Awards 2013

10 Tenant Panel 11 Spot the van! Drop-ins

12 Estate Walkabouts13 Monks Way14 STAR Survey Winners15 STAR Survey Results16 Leaseholders News17 Going up! Facebook & Twitter

Managing EditorFiona Walsh

Housing & Property Services

Warwick District Council

01926 456447

The virgin fibre used in the paper for this product has

been derived from sustainably managed forests.

This product is fully recyclable.

Designed by The Media Room, Warwick District Council.

Editor Nicki Hughes

The Media Room


01926 456120

23 Ebay caller scam

28 House Swapper

3www.warwickdc.gov.uk

Welcome to the Spring issue of Tenants Together!

It now has a brand new look following your

feedback from our Tenants Together conference

last year. You liked the name Tenants Together

and the new, vibrant colours, so we decided to

give the Home News a makeover and a new

name - Tenants Together!

I am very pleased with the new look, and we will

be sending out a survey in the next few months to

find out what you think about it!

This issue we look at the current Welfare reforms

and answer some of your questions on our Ask

Lisa pages.

Youll hear from our Tenant Panel about their work.

They have had successful Estate Walkabouts and

you will see the changes made as a result.

For those of you who enjoy Facebook and Twitter

find out how to get in touch with us there!

Youll also read about action weve had to

take against tenants who break their tenancy

agreement, but theres also the opportunity to

recognise good neighbours with our Awards which

will be given out at our next Tenants Together

conference in September.

Well be back again in the Summer!

Jameel Malik

Head of Housing

Contact Housing & Property Services: www.warwickdc.gov.uk/housing

[email protected]

01926 412828

Safety First

Money Matters

22 Changes to Housing Benefit24 Welfare Reforms25 Credit Union26 Letters to Lisa

18 Prison Sentence for Eden Court Tenant

19 Latest Scams20 Fire Safety

Lifestyle

23 Ebay caller scam

28 A Day in A Life31 Word Search & Recipe

28 House Swapper

www.warwickdc.gov.uk/tenant

tenantstogether

@tenantstog

4Biomass Heating

These homes were previously heated by solid-fuel

and had no natural gas available to them. This meant

that the heating systems were not very efficient and

the tenants had high heating bills. We had some really

great feedback from our tenants, but to top it all off we

have received some excellent national recognition for

this project!

ShowcaseThe Central Governments Department of Energy and

Climate Change (DECC) were so impressed with the

project that they asked us to be showcased at a series

of Roadshows. These roadshows were set up to

promote to other organisations that grant funding was

available and the potential benefits that this could bring.

Mark Perkins presented at Durham University which

led to invitations to submit for two prestigious awards

competitions.

You may recall our article in a previous edition of Home News where we awarded funding to install Biomass heating at some of our properties in Lowsenford and Beausale.

Success!

AwardsIn September 2012, at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry,

our project was declared the National Renewables

Council Residential Renewables Project of the Year

2012 at an award ceremony presented by TV

personality Gabby Logan.

We saw off competition from seven other finalists from

as far afield as Dunfermline and Dorset.

This was swiftly followed by a second award when

the project was also judged Residential Renewables

Project of the Year 2012 at the MicroPower Council

awards held at Stoneleigh Park in October 2012.

Here we beat two other finalists in our category;

Hadleigh Court in Torquay a sheltered housing

development that installed Air-Source heat pumps to a

27 flat complex and Nottingham Trent University who

installed Solar Thermal Heating to 12 new blocks of

student accommodation.

These are prestigious awards and to win both is a clear

indication of the high quality of the Biomass installations

the Council has put in-place for its tenants.

Gabby Logan

5What Next?We have secured some more funding and Renuvo

have installed 7 more Biomass Boilers in the

Stoneleigh area so far this year. We are planning to

install a further 7 by the end of this year, which will

bring the total number of Biomass installations in

our properties to 33.

We have also secured funding to install a

commercial boiler at Tannery Court one of our

sheltered schemes. This boiler serves all of the

residents at Tannery Court and will not only

reduce tenants bills and be better

for the environment, it will also

generate income for the Council.

If this project is as big a success

as the previous ones we may be

looking at implementing at other

suitable sites.


[email protected]

01926 412828

Biomass Heating S

ystem

Biomass Heating systems use scrap wood in the form of

either chips

or pellets as fuel

Look out

for update

s in

future editio

ns

Lawrence Toth & Andrew Percival, Directors Renuvo, collected the award

6Our contractors should always wear ID badges. If you are not sure, then before allowing access please contact us so that we can verify

The majority of the repairs and maintenance contracts came up for renewal in April, so we carried out a procurement exercise to get the best value for money possible.Some contractors have changed and some have stayed the same, so here

is a brief description of who our contractors are and what they will do.

Please continue to report all repairs as usual via the Customer Service Centre on 01926 412828.

Our New Contractorsfrom 1 April 2013

Ian Williams are responsible for all the

responsive building repairs in your home.

If something needs fixing that is not

gas or electric, then Ian Williams will come and fix it for you. They will also

be doing planned decorations, for example painting communal areas and

ensuring that empty properties are in good repair for the new tenant.

If your boiler breaks down or your heating stops

working, then D&K Heating will come and repair

it for you. They will also carry out the annual gas

safety check.

If your property is on the planned programme

for new windows and doors, kitchens and

bathrooms, then Lovell will come and do this

for you. If you have been approved for a disabled adaptation, they will also

carry this out.

If your property is on the planned programme

for a new roof, then G Purchase will do this

for you.

Sita

Refuse and

Recycling, to

include mixed plastics you

can now recycle plastics in

your red bag or box.

English Landscapes

Grounds Maintenance.

If you have any problems with the electrics

in your house then EM&I will come and fix

it for you. They will also carry out Periodic Inspections to make sure that the

electrics in your home are safe.

Veolia Street Cleansing, this

includes the 2 housing Rapid

Response Units.

Ocean Building Cleaning.

7Complaints ChangesFrom April 2013 there will be some changes to the way in which complaints about your Housing Landlord Services are managed.These changes only affect complaints relating to the

landlord service, not other housing related functions

for example, Housing and Homelessness Advice.

The main changes are:

A Single Ombudsman

At present all complaints from Local Authorities are

considered by the Local Government Ombudsman

(LGO) and complaints from Housing Associations are

considered by the Housing Ombudsman (HO). From

April 2013, all complaints from Housing Providers

that is both Local Authority Landlords and Housing

Associations will be considered by a single Housing

Ombudsman. Complainants dont need to worry - we

will always advise you of which Ombudsman you need

to go to if you are not sure.

Democratic Filter

The Localism Act is all about giving control back to the

local people and the changes in the complaints process

are all about encouraging customers to work with their

landlords to resolve issues locally, without the need to

escalate them to the Ombudsman.

If a complainant has exhausted the landlords internal

complaints procedure the democratic filter allows for

the complainant to approach a designated person to

resolve the complaint. A designated person can be an

MP, Councillor or a Designated Tenants Panel Member.

A designated person will help resolve the complaint in

one of two ways; they can try and resolve the complaint

themselves or they can refer the complaint straight to

the Ombudsman. If they refuse to do either the tenant

can contact the Ombudsman directly.

Complaints to the

Ombudsman do not

have to be referred by

a designated person,

but if they are not there must be at least 8 weeks from

the end of the landlords complaint process before the

Ombudsman can consider the case.

Luckily, most complaints do not go to this level and we

work with our customers to resolve problems as soon

as they arise, so hopefully you wont ever need to worry

about this. In the unfortunate event that you do need to,

we will always be available to offer advice and guidance

on the process that you need to follow.

Whats not changing?

The current internal complaints process will stay the

same. Stage one will be investigated by an officer from

within the department and stage 2 will be investigated

by an officer from outside the department. You can still

make your complaints the same way in writing, on the

website or over the telephone.

Whats next?

We will be updating our complaints policy and literature

to reflect the changes and this will be available on our

website before April so keep a look out for it.

Ask for a leaflet or contact: www.warwickdc.gov.uk/housing

[email protected]

01926 412828

8We need your nominations for this years Tenants Together Awards!

Do you know a tenant who is always doing good for their neighbours and the community?

Have you been looking for a way to thank and recognise someone for what they do?

You can nominate someone for the Tenants Together Award for any of the 3

categories. All winners will receive a certificate and a great prize which will be

presented at Tenants Together 2013.

Well here is your

chance!

9The Categories are:

Young Person of the Year

Do you know someone aged under 21 who lives in

a Warwick District Council Property? Do you want to

recognise them for achieving something or making a

contribution to the community? It could be an achievement

in sport or education, or doing some volunteering, or it could

be that they have given up time to care for family or friends!

Good Neighbour of the Year

Do they demonstrate your idea of a perfect neighbour? Do

they do things to help you or the community? Are they good

at bringing community spirit to where you live? It could be

as simple as helping with the shopping or gardening, or they

helped out in an emergency.

Excellence in the Community

Do you know of a tenant who has done something to

improve the quality of life for people living in the community?

This could be anything from environmental projects to

setting up community events for the benefit of all.

If any of the categories sounds like someone you know,

then please fill out the nomination form enclosed. They could

win a fabulous prize and they will know just how

much you value them.

How do I enter?

We welcome

nominations from

anyone, but the

person you put

forward for

consideration

must be a

council tenant.

Please complete the enclosed

nomination form, making sure that all

questions are completed.

All nominations must be submitted

to Warwick District Councils Tenant

Participation Officer Margaret Allen

at: Warwick District Council, Riverside

House, Leamington Spa, CV32 5HZ

by 31 July 2013.

What happens next?

The deadline for entry is

31 July 2013.

The Tenant Panel will review the

entries and will select a winner for

each of the categories.

We will write to all nominees and

the person who nominated them

to inform them and invite them to

Tenants Together 2013 where the

winners will be announced and

prizes given out.

Contact your Tenant Participation Officer: Margaret Allen

[email protected]

01926 456451

10

In our last Home News item we invited you to consider

volunteering to help with the work of the Tenant Panel.

We always need more people to help out and urge you

to consider getting involved! It is a unique experience

only available to Council Tenants and we need to do it

for the benefit of all.

The Tenant Panel has agreed that while the monitoring

function is ongoing we also need to show that we can

be pro-active and the best way is to push ourselves into

the limelight so that you can see what we do and also

to gain your confidence. To do this we intend to set up

Estate Walkabouts.

When the Tenant Panel has organised a Walkabout,

invitations will be sent out and Tenants invited to

participate. In the next issue of Tenants Together we

hope to give the Estate area we have chosen for the

first inspection, with others to follow later.

The Tenant Panel also want to follow up inspections

to check on progress and ensure change takes place

when necessary.

During the next few months we also want to improve

communication between the Tenant Panel and all

Tenants so that contact is made by as many methods

as possible. Watch this Space!

Tenant PanelIt has been a busy three months for the Tenant Panel with our Champions involved in many aspects of the Service being provided by the Housing Department. Mystery Shopping, Service Improvement Groups and the Tenant Panel Meetings have all been held and our monitoring function is ongoing.

The NextStep

Under the present harsh economic

conditions it is important that Tenants

have a voice and feel they will be heard.

We need to make a difference despite

the difficult choices facing us all and

with the changes forced upon us by

Welfare Reform.

What do you think? The Welfare changes are included in

the work of Housing & Property Services

and your Tenant Panel will monitor this

development.

Join the Tenant Panel and have your say!

The Future

Latest news and updates

11

Come and drop in for a coffee with your housing team, well be more than happy to discuss your housing needs.

We have had

to cancel the

Cubbington

drop-in due to the

lack of attendance

and this has probably

been for two reasons;

The Village Hall is only available to

use on a Wednesday morning

Wednesdays is also Market

day and many residents catch a

free bus there.

MayThursday 2ndPackmores 10am - 12noon

Wednesday 8thBeauchamp Court 10am - 12noon

Thursday 9th The Gap 2pm - 4pm

JuneThursday 6thPackmores 10am - 12noon


Thursday 13th The Gap 2 - 4pm

JulyThursday 4thPackmores 10am - 12noon


Thursday 11th The Gap 2 - 4pm

Wednesday 17 April PM Bromehall Lane and Harborough cottages

Thursday 18 April AM Starmer Close

Tuesday 23 April AM Ayelsbury Road

Tuesday 23 April PM Rising Lane

Tuesday 14 May AM Bostock Crescent and St Michaels Close

Tuesday 14 May PM School Croft

Wednesday 15 May AM Edinburgh Villa, Bromleigh Villas and Rowley Road

Tuesday 21 May AM Hall Close and Dudley Terrace

Tuesday 4 June AM Wasperton Lane, Wellsbourne Road and Sandy Way

Wednesday 5 June AM Slade Hill and Ryder Close

Wednesday 5 June PM Shrewley Common

Tuesday 25 June AM Hampton Croft, Old School Road and Ryder Close

Tuesday 2 July AM Broadway, Price Road,Stonehouse Road

Tuesday 2 July PM Windmill Hill, Cross Lane

Tuesday 16 July AM The Elms

Tuesday 16 July PM Gifford Road

If you live in the area and would still like a drop-in do get in touch with Margaret Allen to let her know!

Drop-ins Spot the Van!Our Tenant Participation Officer, Margaret Allen is going to be out

and about across the district in her new look van on the dates below.

She would love it if you would pop over for a chat, she gets lonely

otherwise! If you do, you might even win a prize!

If you see her during these times, just email her the day/date/time you

saw her and you will be entered into a free prize draw.

12

The Tenant Panel will have the

Grounds Maintenance and

Communal Cleaning specifications

and will be inspecting to ensure

the full completion of those

specifications is being undertaken.

We will also look at the general state

of an area and recommend changes

or improvements as required to the

building and surrounding areas.

An Estate Walkabout will be

advertised locally and all Tenants

invited to attend and report issues,

problems, worries and concerns so

that a problem shared is a problem

solved and the general improvement

of an area is achieved. It is not to be

thought of as intrusive but should be

seen as helpful and constructive.

All comments can be given at the

inspection, but we also welcome

your comments by phone or letter

to the Tenant Participation Officer

before or after the inspection!

Any comments can be taken in

confidence, when required.

All issues will be dealt with by the

Tenant Panel to improve the work

of Housing & Property Services

and hopefully result in a Service

Improvement which is what the

Tenant Panel has been set up to do!

We need to set up the system

properly to record all issues, pass

to the relevant Housing section

and receive feedback confirmation

documented and available for

the next inspection to check on

the result.

Estate Walkabouts

These will be formal site visits run by the Tenant Panel and attended by Housing Officers with invitations

to Councillors, Contractors and Representatives from other Council service areas.

We hope to start these inspections by May 2013 which should

give us time to establish the procedures, train the Inspection

volunteers and send out Invitations to all Tenants to advise them

when they will take place.

An Estate

Walkabout will

be advertised

locally


[email protected]

01926 456451

13

We were approached by the Westgate Residents Group about the problems they were having at Monks Way in Warwick.

These included issues with

anti-social behaviour due to

the lack of security with the

doors, as well as problems

with rubbish and fly tipping.

As well as spending over

10,000 on new security

doors we consulted tenants

and decided that it would

be a good idea to organise

a community walkabout,

so that

we could speak to tenants and see what they

were referring to. On 17 January the residents,

Tenant Panel, Recycling, Ian Williams, James

Baker Senior Estate Supervisor, and Margaret

Allen gathered together and set off for a

walkabout, whilst discussing with residents their

concerns for the area. It was agreed that there is

a considerable amount of work still to be done!

As a result of

this walkabout

a number

of items were

identified including;

Recycling/bin stores to

be cleaned up.

New recycling and general

waste bins have been ordered

at the cost of over 5,000.

The back gates will be repaired,

to make the site more secure.

The fencing will have anti-

climb paint applied to stop

inappropriate access.

We also looked at other streets

nearby and identified work to be

done, including;

A damaged street light has been

reported to Warwickshire County

Council street lighting.

Friar Street we are looking

into making changes to

damaged fences.

Garden waste to be removed

and some of the shrubs and

trees need to be cut back

and tidied.

Woodhouse Street fencing to

be repaired.

Westgate Close a tree that has

been removed will be replaced at

a later date.

Crompton Street

no problems identified.

Community Walkabout

New security doors being fitted

Follow up work has been organised at Monks Way

Monks Way

14

In October we sent over 6000 satisfaction surveys to all our Tenants and Leaseholders. We received an amazing 2165 responses thats a whopping 35% of you responded!

Opposite are some of the results

which you will find interesting.

We will be using your feedback

to look into areas where

satisfaction needs to be

improved and will work with you

to improve services and increase

customer satisfaction continually.

Look out for the next edition

of Tenants Together where we

will be publishing our Annual

Report which will have some

more analysis. Also keep an

eye on our website for further

information.

STAR Survey

Results

STAR Survey

Winners Our partners and contractors supported our Tenants Together conference last year by donating some exciting prizes for tenants to win. Here are the winners and their prizes!Congratulations to all our lucky winners

Sky SubscriptionDavid Bidwell

250 shopping vouchersMr J Clarke

Kieran Patterson

IpodMs Sue Davis

Ocean cleaner for dayEmma Baylis

50 voucherMrs E Lawson

Christmas HampersDoreen Hinks

Hazel Stephens

Cinema ticketsJohn Wheatcroft

Swimming voucherBernie Cuffe

Other luckyWINNERS

WINNERof the Sa

msung

Galaxy Tablet

Cllr Norman Vincett presents

the prize to Mr & Mrs Barnett

At the end of2012, Housing and Property Services sent out a satisfaction survey to tenants and leaseholders.

Surveys were returned in these formats:

Satisfaction by area:

Satisfaction by tenancy type:

1.

2.

4.

3.

surveys sent out

6,077

returned by post

2,050

surveys returned

2,165

STARSurvey ResultsJanuary 2013

36% return rate

returned by phone

62returned online

53

Older People Housing

GeneralHousing

LeaseholderHousing

91%

85%

49%

Leamington Spa& surrounding

Kenilworth& surrounding

Warwick& surrounding O = 93%

G = 85%L = 50%

O = 90%G = 87%L = 28%

O = 89%G = 84%L = 59%

O = Older People HousingG = General HousingL = Leaseholder Housing

STAR Survey

Results

15

16

Leaseholders News

Housing and Property Services

Next Leaseholder General Meeting

Your responsibilities

As a leaseholder you have taken on a number of

responsibilities under the lease agreement. This is

not only in your own flat, you have in effect become a

shareholder in the building where your flat is and have

some responsibilities for the block.

Repairsandmaintenance:

You are responsible for keeping the inside of your

After a lot of work a final version of the new

Leaseholders Handbook produced by Warwick

District Council and The Leaseholders Action

Group will soon be available.

See the Summer edition of Tenants Together

for more details.

Leaseholder

HandbookNEW

The next Leaseholder General meeting will take

place on the 29 May, it is also the Annual General meeting.

Jameel Malik Head of Housing and Property Services will

be attending to make a presentation about Leaseholders in

Warwick District.

The meeting as usual will be at the Town Hall starting at 7pm.

flat in a reasonable condition and not doing anything

or allowing anyone living with you, renting or leasing

your property or visiting you to do something

resulting in damage to the flat or building. You have

a duty to report damage or faults you find in the

building to your landlord.

Livingwithyourneighbours:

Like you, others in the building have the right to

quiet enjoyment of their homes. You must make sure

that you or anyone living in your flat does not cause

a nuisance to others. The council will take action

against nuisance neighbours and both tenants and

leaseholders risk losing their homes if they cause

a nuisance.

Servicecharges:

You have taken on the responsibility to pay towards

the costs of repairing and maintaining the building

(and estate) and the services provided by the

management company for example, caretaking,

grounds maintenance and concierge services. Failing

to pay your service charges is against the conditions

of your lease and can put your home at risk.

Come and join us

17

Do you like us?

You can now keep

in touch with your

housing team by

social media! You can

Like us on Facebook

and you can follow

us on Twitter. These

are both great ways of

sharing information,

commenting on

something youve

seen or read about

housing, or asking us

a question.

Tenantstogether

@tenantstog

Foster and Cross Ltd will be looking after the service and maintenance

of the lifts and stair lifts in our properties.

Any faults or breakdowns should

continue to be reported through the

repairs number: 01926 412828 or by

email [email protected]

Foster and Cross Ltd will also help

if you get trapped and cover out of

hours support. Please do not email if someone

is trapped or you need an emergency repair,

these should be reported by

telephone only.

If you have any problems or concerns regarding the lifts or stair lifts please

contact Andrew Dyke Building Surveyor, Housing & Property Services.

Trapped?Do not call 999

as the Fire Service no longer attend

this type of emergency call.

A few handy hints from Andrew Dyke to avoid lifts

breaking down;

Do not force, prop or wedge the doors open.

This can cause the lift to malfunction and possibly

breakdown.

Do not overload the lift beyond the capacity stated in the lift car.

Do not allow your children to play in the lift.

If you are ever trapped in the lift, please report by telephoning the

call centre as above. The Council lift engineer will attend within

30 minutes.

Going up

HandyHints

Call 01926 412828 if;

you find damaged asbestos in your home,

let us know immediately!

youre not sure whether you have asbestos

in your home well check our register, or arrange to visit.

you would like a leaflet about asbestos.

How is Warwick District Council making homes safe?Warwick District Council is currently surveying many of our properties to identify any potential asbestos risks that may be present. We have an Asbestos Management Plan in place, which is our legal duty, and explains how asbestos containing materials will be managed to prevent exposure to airborne fibres.By Law all non domestic properties must have a survey carried out. Warwick District Council has carried out asbestos surveys to all its communal areas. We have recorded the location of asbestos materials and where needed these have been removed or protected, any asbestos materials left in place are re-inspected on an annual basis.

In line with the Law, and with Central Government policy, Warwick District Council will leave any asbestos that is in good condition and is unlikely to be damaged, as it is safer to leave it where it is. Where there is a high risk, and asbestos has to be removed, we will use a specialist asbestos removal contractor.

IN YOUR HOME

This is a guide about asbestos: what it is, its health effects, where it may be in the home, and what you can do about it.

Getting in touch

To contact us, call Warwick District Council on: 01926 412828

Where possible, information can be made available in other formats, including large print, CD and other languages if required. To obtain one of these alternatives, please contact 01926 412828

www.warwickdc.gov.uk

Dont worry if you arent

using social media we

are still available by the

usual channels, website,

email and phone!

Facebook &Twitter

Asbestos

Contact Housing & Property Services: [email protected] 01926 412828

18

In a recent judgement in the Magistrates Court, a tenant of Eden Court in Leamington Spa was handed a 14 day prison sentence for breaching an anti- social behaviour order preventing the keeping of a dog in a flat. The sentence was suspended for 6 months.

Dave Ward, Housing Manager, stated that, In this case the

Court was determined to address the tenants breach of an anti-social

behaviour injunction, previously granted and prevented the keeping of

a dog in a flat. By continuing to keep the dog, the tenant was held in

contempt of the Court.

If a dog is found to be at the property again, the tenant will be arrested

and imprisoned. This sends out a clear message to tenants who persist

in keeping dogs in flats in contravention of their Tenancy

Agreement.

The Council will take effective

action against those who

fail to maintain the terms of

their Tenancy

Agreement.

Prison sentence threatened for keeping a dog in a flat

On Monday 21 January 2013

Warwick District Council housing

department successfully sought

an Interim Anti-Social Behaviour

Injunction against Mr Arthur Fear who

is currently of no fixed address having

been evicted by Warwick District

Council from his property at Eden

Court due to anti-social behaviour.

This action followed a Closure Order

obtained by Warwickshire Police in

October 2012.

The order prevents Mr Fear entering

Eden Court or being abusive,

aggressive, threatening or intimidating

towards Council employees,

contractors or any person residing,

visiting or carrying out a lawful activity

in or within the district of Warwick

District Council.

Jameel Malik, Head of Housing &

Property Services, commented that,

the granting of this Order

will come as a great relief to the

local community who have

suffered considerable anti-social

behaviour as a result of the

behaviour of this individual.

Warwick District Council will continue

to take effective action against

perpetrators of anti-social behaviour

working in partnership

with Warwickshire Police

and other agencies.

If you know of a dog being kept in a

flat,

please let your Housing Officer kno

w.

19

PPI Claims The company phones

customers to get their

interest and details by

claiming they have overpaid

their mortgage and are due a

rebate. They then offer to reclaim

their PPI payments.

Please report any unexpected

phone calls to the Information

Commissioners Office (ICO).

Your information can help them

track down and fine people who

pester consumers with unwanted

phone calls.

www.snapsurveys.com

If you have paid PPI and are

seeking compensation,

you can do so for free:

www.moneysavingexpert.com

Ebay Caller Warning!A resident reported taking a call from someone phoning on an

international number. The caller claimed to represent Ebay and asked if

they had made a 94 purchase which the caller claimed was fraudulent

and would he like his money back?

The resident was told he would need to download a Western Union

reclaim form and was given some strange instructions as to how to do

this on his PC. The resident immediately put his phone down.

Trading Standards think this was an elaborate attempt to gain access to

the residents computer, after which personal or financial information might

be stolen or viruses downloaded.

Ebay is very unlikely to make cold calls to consumers.

Watch out thereare scams about!

Be aware of high pressure sales

phone calls and visits from people

selling (or in some cases giving

away) solar panels.

Consumers should not buy from

the door or from the first person

they receive an unexpected phone

call from. Consumers should obtain

professional and independent

advice, visit:

ww.energysavingtrust.org.uk/

For more information on scams,

visit:

www.warwickshire.gov.uk/

scams

Follow twitter:

www.twitter.com/warkstss

High Pressure Solar Panel Sellers Warning

2020

We are working in partnership with Warwickshire County Council to improve the safety of residents living in rented properties.

Fire Safety


takes fire safety, and the

safety of its residents,

very seriously. The aim of

this initiative is to ensure

that all rented properties

owned by Warwick District

Council are suitably

equipped to alert Tenants

to smoke and fire.

The Councils programme

of testing, maintenance

and upgrade ensures

all homes are fitted with

a hard wired smoke

detector system according

to BS5839-6:2004.

Contractors, EM&I Limited

are working on our behalf

and visiting homes to

confirm what protection

is currently in

place, assess if an

upgrade is required

and fit any necessary

new interlinked hard wired

smoke detectors.

Dont let your home end up like this

21

Officers from both the Warwickshire Fire

Service and Warwick District Council are

visiting Tenants homes to explain the

importance of having the upgrade work

done and offering general fire safety advice

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue

Services Community Safety and

Youth Development Manager,

Moreno Francioso, says:

The fitting of hard wired

smoke detectors into all

the properties owned

by the District Council

is something which we

whole-heartedly support.

It is a real step forward in

increasing the safety of residents

living in rented accommodation and

we would encourage those tenants

who are having this work carried out

to embrace the changes.

Whilst we know some tenants

may already have smoke detectors

fitted by the fire service, we would

encourage them to take up the

offer of a hard wired system. This

is because of two reasons, one is

that they have a battery backup,

so you will have a functional smoke

detector, even if the power goes

out. The second reason is that

hardwired smoke detectors usually

have a signal wire connected

between them that allow them to

communicate to each other when

there is smoke. This means that

even in a large home if there is a fire

on the other side of the house, the

smoke detector in your bedroom will

go off giving you plenty of time to

evacuate.

We are working hard to ensure

all homes are fitted with hard

wired smoke alarms. They offer

much better protection than the

traditional battery smoke alarms

and we strongly advise Tenants

to have them installed. Although

there is some disruption during

installation, you never know when

they might save your life!

Warwick District Councils

Programme Administrator,

Ellie Phillips

21

A real step

forward in

increasing

the safety of

residents

Contact Ellie Phillips for more information: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/firesafetycheck

[email protected]

01926 456067

What you need to know about

Changes to

Housing BenefitIf you claim housing benefit to help

you pay your rent, then you may be

affected by changes from 1 April this

year. These changes will mean you

could get less than you did before.

How many bedrooms do you have?

From this April, if you live in a

Warwick District Council home and

have one or more spare bedrooms

your housing benefit could be

reduced if;

You are 16 61 years old

You get even a small amount of

housing benefit, for example if

you are working

You are sick or disabled

You will not be affected if;

You live in a one bedroom flat

or bedsit

You or your partner is not old

enough to receive pension

credits. The pension credit

age will be around 61 years

and 6 months.

22

What is a spare bedroom?

Under the new rules, if you have more bedrooms than the

Government says you need, you will lose part of your housing

benefit. The new rules mean that you will be allocated one

bedroom for the following;

Each adult couple

Any other person aged 16 or over

Two children of the same sex under the age of 16

Two children under the age of 10, regardless of their sex

Any other child

A carer, who does not normally live with you, if you or your

partner need overnight care.

It does not matter how the spare bedroom is being used,

the rules apply even if;

You and your partner need to sleep apart because of a

medical condition

The main residence of your children is another address, but

you have a spare room for when they stay with you.

23

Did you know the Government is reducing the amount of housing benefit that some people claim?

If you claim housing benefit to help you pay your rent, then you may be affected by changes from 1 April 2013. These changes will mean you could get less than you did before.

Contact Lisa Crossland www.warwickdc.gov.uk

[email protected]

01926 456454

What happens if you have a spare bedroom?

If you have one spare bedroom, your

housing benefit will be cut by 14% of the rent

you pay every week.

If you have two or more spare bedrooms you

will lose 25%.

If your benefit is cut you will have to pay

Warwick District Council the difference

between your housing benefit and your rent.

What should I do?

Please contact Lisa Crossland for help and

advice. She can help you to claim the correct

benefits and maximise your income. She can

also help you with budgeting and advise ways

to save money.

?

Lisa can help you claim

the correct benefits

24

Welfare ReformsLatest news and updatesHome Swapper If you think you could be affected by the Welfare Reforms

and Under Occupation, then why not register with

Homeswapper? It is quick and easy to join, simply log onto

the website and complete your household details, what type

of home you are looking for, and it will automatically match

you with suitable properties. www.HomeSwapper.co.uk

Questionnaires We have sent out over 750

questionnaires to tenants who are going

to be affected by Under Occupation

and while many of you have returned

them, we still want to hear from as many

of you as possible. If you havent yet

returned yours, please take a few minutes

to complete it as your views are really

important to us. If you havent received

one please let Lisa Know. We will then

look at how to help people go forward if

they are affected by these changes.

[email protected]

Coventry & Warwickshire Co-operative Development Agency (CDA)If you need some help and advice with

managing your money then why not

call into Riverside House on a Thursday

morning? Leah Hutchby from CDA will

be there to help! Her contact number is

0792 5352672 if you need further advice,

or want to make an appointment.

25

Benefits of a Credit Union:

Low-cost loans

Interest rates from

1% on the reducing

balance (12.7%) APR).

Loans available up to

5,000.

Easy saving at your

local savings point or

direct from your bank

by standing order

or from your pay by

Payroll Deductions.

Insurance on savings

and loans (subject to

conditions).

Profit used for

the benefit of the

members.

How do I get a loan?

Once you have shown

that you can save

regularly (minimum of

10 weeks) with the

Credit Union, you

can then apply for a

loan. Credit Unions

are different from

banks and building

societies because

they only lend to

members who are

regular savers.

You can save as much or as little as you want.

South Warwickshire Credit Union

What is a credit union?

How safe is my money?Credit Unions are regulated by the Financial Services

Authority just like every other financial organisation

and are required to hold insurance which protects

them from fraud or theft.

The head office is in Stratford-upon-Avon and

there are collection points throughout the

surrounding areas.

A Credit Union is a co-operative organisation that offers its members a savings and low-cost loans service.

Contact South Warwickshire Credit Union: www.southwarwickshirecreditunion.co.uk

[email protected]

01789 261505

26

I am a single parent of 5 children, aged 15 down to

1 year old, their father is not around and I am unable to

contact him, but I do think he is working. I am trying to

study one day a week to get some GCSEs at college,

but it is hard to find childcare for all the children who

are at different stages of their education. I have been

told I will lose 84 a week from my housing benefit and

will have to pay my rent on top of losing this amount.

What can I do?.

My initial advice would be to contact the child

support agency and give them as much information

as possible about your ex partner, to enable them to

try and access some child maintenance for you, which

will help to maximise your income. I would suggest we

look at your income and ensure you are claiming all the

benefits you are entitled to following this, look at your

options for childcare and possible part

time-work. We can consider an

application for Discretionary

Housing Payment, which is

only temporary, but could

support you until you are in

a position to return to work.

Our Income Recovery Officer, Lisa Crossland, takes us through some of the letters and emails she has received from tenants. Her answers might help you if you have any similar concerns.

Will we be classed as under occupying?

Q I am 45 years old, my partner is 40. We have a son aged 3 and a daughter aged

5. We currently live in a 3 bedroom property.

Will we be classed as under occupying?.

A Yes, you will be under occupying 1 bedroom. Under the new regulations children of different

gender are expected to share until the age of 10.

A deduction of 14% of your rent will be made

from your Housing Benefit. You may be able to

apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment or

there may be other options available to you.

Ask Lisa

It is hard to find childcare for all the children who are at different stages of their education

I have been told I will lose 84 a week from my housing benefit Q A

27

Worried about Universal Credit?

I am currently claiming income

support, I am single parent with

one child age 3 years, I am

worried about Universal Credit

and dont understand when

it is all going to change?.

In April 2013 Universal Credit

pathfinders being in the North West

(Tameside, Oldham, Wigan and

Warrington), Oct 2013 Universal

Credit will be introduced for some

new claimants. This is likely to only

be in some areas and with the most

straightforward claims such as

Job Seekers Allowance claimants

who are single and do not require

assistance with their housing costs.

April 2014 Existing claimants

of the eligible benefits (Job

Seekers Allowance, income

support, employment and support

allowance, child tax credits) will

begin transferring to Universal

Credit. There will be no new tax

credit claims after this date.

By Oct 2017, all claimants will

be on Universal Credit. So you

will see it is going to be a long

phased transfer period for new

and existing claimants.

Is Council Tax benefit included

in Universal Credit?

No, Council Tax Benefit will sit

outside UC. It will be calculated and

administered by local authorities.

The overall amount Local Authorities

will receive will be cut by 10% from

April 2013 with only payments

for pensioners definitely being

protected.

My partner is 50 years old

and I am 52, we currently live in a

2 bedroom property which we

need due to a medically certified

illness that my partner suffers

from. How many bedrooms are we

allowed under the new rules?.

One. There is no provision

for a spare bedroom in these

circumstances. A deduction

of 14% will be made from your

Housing Benefit; you may be

able to apply for

a Discretionary

Housing Payment.

I have received a letter

advising me I will be affected

by the Benefit Cap, one of

my children has learning

difficulties and I receive

Disability Living Allowance for

him, will I still be affected?

If you, your partner or your

child receive Disability Living

Allowance, you will be exempt

from the Benefit Cap.

Q

Q

Q

Q

A

A

A

A

Contact Lisa with your questions: [email protected]

01926 456454

Housing Services, PO Box 2175, Warwick District Council,

Riverside House, Milverton Hill, Royal Leamington Spa, CV32 5QE

28

8:00 amFiona has an early start. She will

take a walk round the building, test

the fire alarms and the water, which

has to be done weekly. She will

also make the morning calls to the

residents to say hello and to check

everything is ok.

9:00 amFiona goes through the files which

have been left for her from the staff

working overnight. Sometimes

residents have needed a visit from

the Warwick Response Officers; this

could vary from ambulances being

called to residents not being well or

needing assistance during the night.

The evening staff always document

what has happened so that Fiona

is fully up to date with the previous

nights events in case anything

needs following up during the day.

9:15 amFiona has a catch up with her

assistant manager and any staff

working that day. They discuss the

latest news about the residents

and update each other on any

developments they need to be

aware of. At the moment they are

discussing Kenilworth Carnival as

theyve entered this year and will

need to go through a lot of planning.

The whole of Tannery Court will be

getting involved!

9:30 amFiona takes a walk round to see the

residents, some need a morning

visit. Some residents are very

vulnerable and need extra support,

Fiona will support each and every

one of them to ensure they feel safe

and happy in their environment.

Sometimes Fiona will visit just to

have a chat as she can be the only

person they may see in the day,

especially if they are ill.

10:15 amWhen back in the office

Fiona deals with any

requests from residents

for repairs or any issues

they might have at the

moment they are settling in

a few new residents, Fiona

will help them in setting up

direct debits for their rent

or giving them advice on

the services available in and

around Kenilworth.

A Day in the Life..

This issue we visit one of our Scheme Managers who looks

after our tenants at Tannery Court. She also has the help of her

daughter, Rebecca Davy, 12, who attends Kenilworth School,

but gives up her free time to help out whenever she can.

Of Fiona Davy, Scheme Manager at Tannery Court

29

Tenants families are encouraged to get involved in the Support Plan to ensure the tenant has adapted well to living in sheltered housing and to discuss any concerns or worries they may have, this plan is

updated every 6 months to ensure all our tenants are getting the right support.

11:00 amFiona has a meeting with

Bhavan Jhita, Building

Surveyor; he has come over

to inspect the roof which

has just been repaired for

leaks. He disappears up

into the loft area for a while,

but emerges satisfied that

the work has been carried out

to his specification.

12:00 pmFiona has to make an

emergency call for an

ambulance as one of

the residents has had a fall and

needs to get checked out at

hospital. This is awful for the other

residents, who obviously want to

know their neighbour is ok and

some become a bit upset. Its

very much about getting them all

calmed down and ensuring the

ambulance crew can get in and out

quickly. Says Fiona.

12:45 pmFiona is working on a Support

Plan for one of her residents, this

involves chatting to the tenant,

asking questions and filling in forms

to make sure they are getting all

the support they may need. The

Support Plan is also designed to

make sure the tenant is happy with

the social side of their life too. It is

very important for each tenant to fill

in the plan, as it is their opportunity

to highlight any areas that could be

improved, and Fiona and her team

can then work towards getting the

right support in, whether it is carers,

meals on wheels or encouraging

them to make new friends.


[email protected]

01926 412828

3030

2:00 pm

Our weekly Bingo session begins!

The residents really enjoy this its

a chance for them to get together

and have a chat and a bit of fun. I

also enjoy the opportunity to have

a chat with the residents before

Bingo starts. Some of them are

happier talking in a more informal

environment. Says Fiona.

2:30 pmFiona has a meeting with Social

Services about one of the tenants,

whom she and the family are

concerned about the amount of

support they are getting. They have

set the meeting up with a Social

Worker to talk about increasing the

care package. This was successful

and the tenant is now getting a

lunch call to make sure she has a

hot meal in the daytime.

3:15 pmFiona takes a well earned,

albeit, late lunch!

4:00 pmFiona is back writing up residents

files and making sure everything

is up to date everything that

happens during the day is written

up in the residents files so a

detailed record can be kept. This

is a very important part of the day.

Record keeping is vital and any

mistakes can mean the tenant does

not get the support they need. It is

also important for any other staff

that may need to access it, such as

Warwick Response Officers, who

need to be aware of all the historic

information about all the residents.

Today Fionas daughter has come

in to meet with the residents. Fiona

says Rebecca will often drop in

after school to sit and chat with

them and to see how they are.

They love having her around and

always look forward to her visits.

They spend time telling her stories

as well as finding out what she has

been up to. They really get a lot out

of her visits and are always singing

her praises.

It makes me feel really proud that

she wants to spend her time here,

but I know how much she enjoys

herself!

4:30 pmFiona has a meeting with a local

Doctor, he is running through the

new medication that one of the

residents needs. Fiona will then

update the residents files to ensure

all the other staff are aware of this.

4:45 pmAs her day draws to a close,

Fiona sends a communication

sheet through to Central Control,

to ensure that the team there are

aware of which residents are in,

which, if any, need a visit during the

night and to let them know if there is

anything on in the evening,

as they visit and make sure the

building is safe and secure

every evening.

5:00 pmFinish for the day.

A Day in the Life... continued

Quick Recipe

Have a go at this cake which

is always a winner, according

to Margaret Allen, our Tenant

Participation Officer! Quick and

easy to make, its perfect for a

mid morning snack!

Ingredients 2 eggs - weigh the 2 whole

eggs (with shells on) and then

weigh the same amount in

caster sugar and flour

3 mashed bananas

jar cranberry sauce

(265g size Jar)

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pre heat oven to 180c/gas

mark 4 and grease a large

loaf tin or two small ones.

Cream together the sugar and

butter until light and fluffy beat

in the eggs, and mix in the mashed

banana, cranberry sauce and vanilla

essence, slowly fold in the flour and

baking powder and turn in to the

loaf tin/s

Bake for 65 minutes in the

pre-heated oven or until a

skewer inserted in the centre

is clear.

1

2

3

Cranberry and

Banana cake

E A D T Q P H L T G S C

K P O I I A A F R R R R

A P U U T Q P E I E O F

C L G R S A B A A C W N

P E H F O N L M K M S K

U Y N G E C R Y Z H Q W

C O U T E Y R I A F X R

E R T C H O C O L A T EA A S F A W O T K Z I EB J W D S E I N W O R B

A N G E L O A G Y O U Z

F R Q U S O E E X K V W

ANGEL

APPLE

BATTENBERG

BROWNIES

CHOCOLATE

CREAM

CUPCAKE

DOUGHNUTS

ECLAIRS

FAIRY

FRUIT

ROCKYROAD

SPONGE

WIN a 40 Tesco Gift card or one of the four runners-up prizes of a 5 Tesco Gift Card!One word from the word bank

opposite is not in the puzzle. If you

can find it, complete the form below

and post it to us before 30 April

2013. In the event of a tie, first out

of the hat wins.

Name

...........................................................................................

Address

...........................................................................................

...........................................................................................

Tel ..................................................................................

The missing word is

...........................................................................................

Send your entries to: Fiona Walsh

Housing & Property Services

PO Box 2175


Riverside House, Milverton Hill

Royal Leamington Spa, CV32 5QE

You can add in some

chopped walnuts if desired

to give an extra crunch.

Wordsearch

Wordsearch WinnersCongratulations to Jenny

Dealtry from Leamington Spa,

she wins a 40 ADSA voucher

for finding the missing word

RAIN. Why not have a go, it

could be you next time!

Repairs 01926 412828 [email protected]

Housing Directory Council Housing

Estates Supervisors

E: [email protected]

Eileen McKeogh,

Christine Ledger Square

T:07866 609655

John Lamb, Fallow Hill/Stamford

Gardens/Binswood Street

(grounds maintenance only)

T:07866 609674

Andy Smith, Kennedy/

St Pauls Square

T:07866 609657

Ant Collins, New Brook Street/

Radcliffe Gardens/Westbrook

House/Dell House/

44 Clarendon Square

(grounds maintenance only)

T:07866 609656

James Baker, Senior

Estates Supervisor

T:07979 486617 or 01926 456444

Corporate Complaints

Fiona Walsh

T:01926 456447


Disabled Adaptations

T:01926 456405

Garages Applying for a garage

Mrs Darlison/Mrs Leech

T: 01926 456424/5

Garage Repairs

T: 01926 412828

Housing Advice, HomeChoice

and Homelessness

T:01926 456427/428/359

HomeChoice and Housing

Officer enquiries

T: 01926 412828

E:[email protected]

Housing Repairs queries

T: 01926 412828


Leaseholder Enquiries


T:01926 456420

Lettings & Moving Home


Overdue Gas Servicing

T:01926 456035

Refuse & Recycling

T:01926 412464

Rents

Problems with paying

your home rent

Yusaf Ramzan/Mark Herbert

T:01926 456438/457/435


Problems with paying

your garage rent

Kathy Lewis T:01926 456239

Rent Direct Debit Eva Nicholls

T: 01926 456409

Rent Allpay Cards - Satnam Sangh

T: 01926 456408

Pay your rent by phone

T: FREEPHONE 0800 028 3377

Managing Your finances

Lisa Crossland

T:01926 456454

Supporting People

Services Manager

Joan Hicks T:01926 456405


Tenants Contents

Insurance Scheme

Satnam Sangha T:01926 456408

Tenancy Enforcement

T:01926 456419

Tenant Involvement

Tenant Panel & Residents Groups

Margaret Allen

T:01926 456451

Tenants Together

Fiona Walsh T:01926 456447

Warwick Response

(Lifeline Service)

T:24 hour number 01926 339577

If you prefer to write,

ouraddressis:

Housing and Property Services,

Warwick District Council, P.O. Box

2175, Riverside House, Milverton

Hill, Royal Leamington Spa,

CV32 5QE

Documents

homenews 2013