Linstone Housing Association Spotlight

Scotland’s only monthly housing magazine supplement - www.sfha.co.uk

Issue No 105Housing Scotland turns the spotlight on Linstone Housing Association

SpotlightMy daily walk with the dogs takes me past these developments in Brown Street and the redevelopment seems to be moving ahead really well. I am looking forward to seeing the flats when they are completed. It is a beautiful building and it was heart-breaking seeing it go into disrepair.

Connie with her dogs Dino and Cleopatra

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OCT 2014 HOUSING SCOTLAND SPOTLIGHT 3

www.linstone.co.ukLinstone Housing Association

Adele Fraser, Chief Executive, Linstone HousingLinstone is delighted to be featured in this edition of Spotlight – the timing is good for us as we are celebrating our recent achievements in the Renfrewshire area.

When I joined Linstone as Chief Executive in 2008 the offices were in a derelict shopping centre. After some long and hard negotiations, not to mention a few sleepless nights, a deal was struck with Tesco to provide Linstone with new offices. The result is that we now own a fabulous new office in a great location for our tenants, staff and customers. The office is an excellent asset for Linstone and our communities.

At Linstone we have also been focussing on improving our stock, which was transferred from Scottish Homes in 1998. Much of this has been about elemental improvements within tenants’ homes and meeting SHQS, but recently we have focussed on external improvements though our large-scale ECO programme. This means many homes now look “like new” and are warmer and cheaper to heat. We estimate tenants’ fuel usage over the winter months could reduce by around 25%.

We also feature an article here about our new Connect4Renfrewshire project – designed to provide wide-ranging assistance to our residents in mitigating the impact of welfare reform. This is a partnership involving four key local services (Credit Union, mental health support, energy advice and money advice) to assist our residents.

Recently we have looked at Linstone’s governance, to ensure we are meeting regulatory, statutory and good practice requirements. We were fortunate to recruit six new Board Members with wide-ranging skills and experience in 2013. The Board was delighted when our Chairperson, Nanette J Reid, BEM, was awarded the British Empire Medal by the Queen in her 2013 New Year’s honours, for services to social housing.

If you would like any further information, please contact me at Linstone.

Adele Fraser

Chief Executive

[email protected]

Adele

Adele Fraser

4 OCT 2014 HOUSING SCOTLAND SPOTLIGHT


It’s like night and day! Having spent five years with an office in a derelict shopping centre, the new office represents the massive transformation that has taken place in Linwood, as the town centre has seen large scale regeneration. Linstone has benefitted from smart new offices that will help staff to deliver a high quality, relevant housing service, at the very heart of the community, with much lower long term running costs.

Come on in…



A remarkable dealAdele Fraser, CEO comments, “With Tesco planning a major new store on the site of our previous offices in Linwood, we were in a strong negotiating position. The result is an outstanding deal that provides excellent office accommodation, at a fraction of the real cost, and puts the housing association in a strong position for the future. Linstone’s contribution was around a third of the build cost and importantly we now have outright ownership of the building, rather than a rental agreement. And much lower long term running costs.”

Linwood’s new town centreThe new development focuses around a major new Tesco superstore for Linwood, but in addition to the new store, the development has resulted in a new hall and library, other retail units and office space with good connections to the existing health centre. Linstone’s new offices are right at the heart of the town centre development, next to Tweedie Hall, with its flexible community space.

Adele Fraser, CEO comments, “This is an ideal location for us, at the heart of the community. People know where we are and can come into the office when using the other town centre facilities such as the library. There are good transport links and plenty of parking.

“Our offices provide a really important shop front for the organisation. It makes all the difference to be able to welcome clients in to a friendly relaxed atmosphere – genuinely a much better place in which to deal with the real issues and challenges that many of our clients face.

“The new surroundings are so much better for staff too. Having adopted a new brand for Linstone before the office work began, we have been able to use the vibrant new colours in the new office. Everyone is delighted to be working in a positive,

cheerful environment – such a contrast to how it was previously.”

Maurice Hynds of Seesaw Creative, who worked on developing the new brand identity commented, “It’s been exciting to be able to interpret the new brand and see it come to life in Linstone’s new offices. The colourful interior of the new office gives staff a great place to work and you can see that visitors really enjoy coming in to the relaxed informal environment.”

Back in 2011 the town was labelled Scotland’s most dismal town. But not any more! The new centre, which opened in May 2014 has been good news for local people and it is hoped that it will encourage others to relocate to the area.



I think the buildings now look fantastic and I’m expecting a massive difference on my fuel bills.Alan, from Maple Drive

The project is funded through ECO funding (Energy Companies Obligation) from E.ON and SSE amounting to £4.5m and a further £2.7m from the Scottish Government through their HEEPS programme (Home Energy Efficiency Programme Scotland). To add to the total, Linstone committed over £3m of its own funds, creating a project value of just over £10.2m.

Fuel poverty is a massive challenge in the area, so the focus on insulation is just one of the initiatives currently being undertaken. Residents are also being offered support and advice through the Connect4Renfrewshire scheme (see page 11), which is proving extremely popular and seeing great results.

Housing in Brediland Rd, Kintyre Avenue and Maple Drive as well as other areas of Linwood are all benefitting from the insulation project.

Warmer houses, lower fuel bills

With fuel economy right up at the top of the agenda, Linstone is leading the way with a massive insulation project, providing external cladding for over 1500 properties in the area.

The £10.2m project is one of the largest scale insulation projects in Scotland, with residents set to save around 20% on their heating bills and greenhouse gas emissions reduced too.



Toni, from Kintyre

The work here has really enhanced the properties. It’s a credit to both Linstone and Kintyre. The project has raised morale and has cheered everyone up in the street. People now admire the buildings as they are walking through Kintyre.

Earlier in the year Housing Minister Margaret Burgess paid a special visit to Linwood to launch the new Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing in Scotland. It was the first visit by the Minister, who met representatives from Linstone Housing Association and viewed properties which benefited from the scheme, expected to save residents an estimated £210 per year on their energy bills.

The Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH) aims to help reduce energy consumption, fuel poverty and the emission of greenhouse gases. It will make a significant contribution to reducing carbon emissions by 42 per cent by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050 in line with the requirements set out in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

Margaret Burgess said: “The reason for the visit was to announce the new energy efficiency scheme for social housing in Scotland, to see it in action and to see the difference it can make. In addition to helping to reduce fuel poverty, the EESSH will also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute towards ambitious climate change targets. The aim of the scheme is to ensure that people pay less on their bills.

Talking about the improvements in Linstone Margaret Burgess said, “You can see in this area that the external wall insulation is also making a huge improvement to the area.”



This work is long overdue. We’re looking forward to the project being finished and the flats being filled. New tenants will make a difference in Brown Street.

Daniel and Chris

A major refurbishment programme is transforming a block of flats in Brown Street, Paisley. The £1.2m regeneration project is set to bring 16 empty tenement flats back into use, helping to breathe new life into the west end of Paisley.

The two blocks of traditional tenement flats will be upgraded with new roofs and a secure door entry system. Each of the one and two bedroom flats will also benefit from a brand new kitchen, bathroom and new windows.

The properties, which had lain empty for 10 years, were recently acquired from Renfrewshire Council, funding was secured and the redevelopment work is underway, with Crudens as the main contractor. The refurbishment is expected to be complete by December 2014.

David Adam, Director of Housing and Property Services said, “This was an exceptional opportunity for us to add some good quality traditional housing to our stock and create attractive homes in a location which is adjacent to our existing stock. The project is progressing well and we are expecting a high level of demand for these properties as they are completed.”

Making a difference

I’ve lived here for seven years and the building has been empty for all of that time. It’s great to see them being brought back into use. It will be really good for the area.

Christine

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Recently completed project for Linstone in conjunction with Kenny Campbell from Graven Images

Untitled-1 1 23/09/2014 15:42


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A new partnership project is making an impact on how welfare rights and support services are delivered in the area. Linstone is one of four local housing associations involved in the project, along with Renfrewshire Council and a number of other agencies.

Funded by Big Lottery, the project is a direct response to Welfare Reform, and the challenges that it presents to people living in social housing. By providing more co-ordinated support, Connect4Renfrewshire seeks to help residents that are experiencing financial hardship and those that have been identified as at risk.

Now, with the project up and running, the feedback is clear – local people are benefiting from the more joined up approach to providing welfare rights services and enjoying the difference.

Support available includes:

• energy efficiency advice to assist residents in tackling the effects of fuel poverty

• financial skills training and potential access to a budgeting account with the local credit union, including access to savings accounts, affordable loans, discounted energy efficient white goods

• advice and advocacy on all aspects of welfare rights to identified residents

• financial literacy support for those with mental health challenges

• access to recycled furniture and household goods

The four local housing associations involved in the project are Linstone, Bridgewater, Paisley South and Williamsburgh. In addition to Renfrewshire Council, other agencies that are directly involved are RAMH (Recovery Across Mental Health), Renfrewshire Wide Credit Union and RAMH Lifeskills Furniture Re-use.

Since December 2013 the project has already supported over 140 Linstone Housing households, helping them to save money.

Here’s what some residents said, who have been helped by the project:

“The workers that have been in have been friendly and able to come at times that suited us. We have never been in debt (with utilities) and it’s very stressful which makes our health worse. It has made a big difference having the right people in to help us sort the mess out.”

“I am very glad to have found out about the services available as I was getting extremely frustrated… Once I started to deal with you a great sense of relief appeared and things started to progress well and trouble free.” For this resident we were able to apply for funding to pay off his fuel bill debt, help him set up appropriate payment plans for gas and electricity and make him aware of the Warm Home Discount for winter usage.

“I’ve lived here for 42 years, but don’t get out much now, because of my health. I look forward to my visits from Connect4Renfrewshire and I know that they have really made a difference. I’ve had help getting onto the right fuel rate and with budgeting my money and paying my bills.”

Connect4Renfrewshire



What were you excited about at the start?

While the funding and the vision were already in place, I really had a blank canvas. I had to start from scratch to build the brand, the reputation and awareness of the programme. I’ve worked in different areas across the UK, but I was quite shocked by the levels of deprivation here and motivated to make a difference.

What has been achieved during 2014?

We’ve been logging all the households that we provide services to, so we know that we’ve already provided support and advice to 390 households since early December 2013. The level of need can feel overwhelming sometimes, but we know that we are helping people to reach the services that can really change things for them.

What motivates you?

I want to see an improvement in people’s lives. This kind of service is not just about handing out resources, it is about empowering people to make their own decisions, providing them with the knowledge they need to make sustained changes and really benefit from the resources that are available.

Is it making a difference?

Very definitely, yes! This is a co-ordinating project so it is about helping connect people with a range of services that are already there. The more joined up approach really makes a difference in helping identify needs and respond to them. We try and offer support in a way that is accessible to local people, whether that is a drop in surgery or a visit to them in their home.

What next?

This current project has funding until March 2015, but the need isn’t going to go away. I’m currently looking at ways of obtaining funding so that Connect4Renfrewshire might be able to stay around for a while longer.

Meet Debs Allan

Project Co-ordinator Debs Allan joined

Connect4Renfrewshire in December 2013.

She talks about the impact of the project

and how it is progressing.

Intelligent marketing that really makes a difference for your housing association

07989 331474 [email protected]



Local jobs for local people

Over the last few years, Linstone has been

working hard at recruiting local people and

making sure that it happens in a fair and inclusive

way. Five people were recruited through Invest in

Renfrewshire, a part-funded programme offering

employment opportunities for graduate trainees

and employment recruitment incentives for 16-24

year olds out of work. A further three people

were recruited through Kibble, an organisation

who provides support to younger people, and

people were also recruited through the Glasgow

Centre for Inclusive Living (which helps disabled

people get employment opportunities) and PATH

(assists ethnic minorities get opportunities in

housing).

Linstone’s commitment to local recruitment also

meant they sponsored one of the awards – Charity

Challenge – at Renfrewshire Council’s recent Recruit

awards which was a gala event hosted by George

Bowie. The programme provides opportunities for

younger people to participate in challenges and

potentially attain employment from both public

and private sector.

Queen’s award for Linstone’s chairperson

Chair of the Linstone board, Mrs Nanette J. Reid, Linstone’s Chairperson, has been presented with the first British Empire Medal (BEM) in Renfrewshire since the reintroduction of the medal in 2012, for the recognition of her campaigning efforts on behalf of social housing.

Nanette commented, “I am overwhelmed to be receiving this award as I don’t really think I am doing anything special. My role allows me to meet and work with a lot of different people and we each bring something to the table. I am just a small part of that.”



Attractive new branding is having an impact on how Linstone Housing Association in Renfrewshire do business each and every day. Clients, stakeholders and staff are all enjoying the more colourful approach and noticing the difference, in terms of the quality of service that’s on offer.

The bright colourful brand was a result of careful consultation, looking at the vision and values of the organisation. The new look is such a contrast to the previous logos and colour ways and is now a feature of the new office, website and other printed materials.

Kirsty Innes, of Kirsty Innes Marketing, who co-ordinated the rebrand said, “Many people see brand as a surface thing, but really it is at the core of every organisation. For Linstone, a strong brand can and will help fulfil Linstone’s role in the heart of the community and will form the basis for developing the organisation in the future.”

Gary Dalziel, Director of Corporate Services at Linstone commented, “Like every housing association, large or small, Linstone’s role is about helping local communities to thrive and making a difference to people’s lives, so the investment that has gone into branding and office development must be reflected in the delivery of the very best services for their clients.

“Having made the switch to the new brand when we did we were able to reflect this in the design of the new offices. We have now had time to put a number of other key changes in place, including our website, which is becoming an ever more important focus for delivering services. We expect social media to take us to the next level in developing ever closer relationships with our clients.”

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We are pleased to have provided Contract Administration, Project Management

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PROJECT MANAGERS

CHARTERED QUANTITY SURVEYORS

CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANTS

Linstone’s website offers direct access to key services, information and advice.

The future’s multi-coloured!

Gary Dalziel

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Linstone Housing Association, LinwoodBuilt by Barr Construction and opened in summer 2014

Barr Construction100 Inchinnan Road

Paisley, ScotlandPA3 2RE

0141 848 8000 [email protected]

Documents

Linstone Housing Association Spotlight