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Welcome to your
new look newsletter...
Spring is here, and we are pleased to
introduce a fresh look to your newsletter.
We listened to your views and you asked for
more information in an easy-to-read style.
Please let you know what you think!
Don’t forget we are always on the look-out
for news. If you have a suggestion for our
next newsletter, tell us about it.
Tenant Scrutiny
Hearing from You
Home Contents Insurance
New Homes
Repair Target Times &
Tenant Satisfaction
Maintenance Satisfaction
Survey Prize Draw
The site is a conservation zone close to
transport links and shops, and three of the
flats will be wheelchair-accessible. The flats
are funded in part by grant from the Homes
& Communities Agency and in part out of the
Association’s reserves.
Tenant Board Member
Vacancies
Looking for a Transfer?
One Stop Gas and Plumbing
Free to a Good Home
Our application for these new homes has
been supported by the London Borough of
Southwark, who will be nominating tenants
to us. We expect tenants to move in towards
the end of 2011.
New Website Coming Soon
Are you paying too much…
Building new homes for an affordable rent is
one of our main ambitions. The Association
has plans to build or buy 50 new homes in
the next few years, in Lambeth, Southwark
and perhaps in other boroughs too. I am
looking forward to this exciting phase
in the Association’s work.
Rent Arrears
Scheme Inspection Schedule
Tony Withnell Chief Executive
I am pleased to announce that the
Association has exchanged contracts to
buy ten new flats near London Bridge SE1,
providing homes for 40 people.
OUT OF HOURS EMERGENCY REPAIRS
For Emergency Repairs:
For Central Heating Repairs:
X-Bild Limited
07950 144 891
One Stop Gas & Plumbing Limited
07946 314 749
The out of hours service is for genuine emergencies only, please check
your tenants handbook to see what constitutes an emergency.
Hearing
from You…
Tenant
Scrutiny
Tenant scrutiny involves examining
information in detail. The purpose
is to check what we are saying about
service performance is accurate, based
on tenants’ views and that we are
taking reasonable steps to improve
performance where required. The
process includes having a close look
at performance information, tenant
satisfaction and complaints.
To support this, we wish to set up a
Tenant Scrutiny Panel. If you would
like to join the Tenant Scrutiny Panel,
please contact Jean on: 020 7735 3935
or email: [email protected]
LSHA will provide training and
coaching to assist the tenant
Scrutiny Panel to carry
out their function.
At the 2010 AGM we launched our tenant involvement
strategy prompted by the requirements of our
regulator the Tenant Services Authority (TSA).
This included Lambeth and Southwark appointing me
as an independent facilitator for tenant meetings.
Over the past year I have held several sessions with
some of you both at lunchtime and in the evening.
Initially we invited all of you to every meeting but then
moved onto working with a core group of tenants who
consistently attended meetings.
This worked well and we have had valuable input from
you into a range of topics. For example you took on
the role of monitoring our performance in the key
areas of rents, voids and repairs. You gave us your
views on the Business Plan and our newsletter and
you helped in the production of our annual report
to tenants.
This summer we are joining forces with other small
housing associations in south London (the SOLFED
group) on a joint tenant involvement project. This will
be about new ways for you to look at us, and you can
read all about it in the enclosed information sheet.
Some different people will be running that project,
but I will be back later in the year.
Thanks to all of you for the time you have given!
Jenny Crook
Home
Contents
Insurance
The National Housing Federation provides a special service for
tenants, by providing low cost home contents insurance. As well
as new for old cover they also have special rates for over 60’s.
To find out more and to obtain an application pack,
contact the NHF on 0845 337 2463.
7 Working Days
126
Repair Target Times &
Tenant Satisfaction
52
01 October 2010 – 31 December 2010
10 0
Percentage of Repairs
Completed within
Target Time
28 Working Days
90
80
%
70
10 0
90
Number
of Repairs
Completed
24
24
Hours
100 %
92 %
100 %
60
50
80
40
70
Two contractors experienced difficulty contacting
tenants and therefore failed to complete within the
time period specified. It is therefore vital that you
provide us with your up-to-date contact number.
Of the 202 repair orders sent out, we received
42 (20.7%) responses.
30
20
50
10
40
0
30
Satisfied
23
60
17
%
20
10
0
ou
24 H
rs
or k i
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PRIZE
DRAW
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s
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Da
ng
2
Very
Satisfied
Satisfaction
with Repairs
Completed
Not Satisfied
Maintenance Satisfaction
Survey Prize Draw
REMEMBER: There are three ways to enter the
maintenance prize draw:
1) post your completed repair order satisfaction slip, or
2) telephone Jean on 020 7735 3935 to discuss completion
of the works, or
3) email your comments about your repair to Jean
at [email protected]
Congratulations to:
Ms S Bray,
Otha House SW9
(repair order: 16583)
who received £25
Tenant Board
Member Vacancies
We are seeking new tenant board members as part of
the continuous renewal of our membership. Tenant
Board members oversee the work of the association.
The Board meets six times a year in Kennington and
holds an annual away day in June.
If you are interested and would like further
information please contact Jean our Housing Assistant
on: 020 7735 3935 or email: [email protected]
Are YOU interested
in joining LSHA’s Board?
Looking for a transfer?
“We are now registered with Homeswapper, so LSHA
tenants with a clear rent account, can register for free”.
Find out more and join online at www.homeswapper.co.uk
Homeswapper - the UK’s largest community of social tenants
looking to swap homes. Each year they help thousands of
tenants change their lives.
They will automatically match you to any potential swaps
They will email or SMS text you with details of those matches
You use that information to find your new home!
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AND
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Gas servicing has been a real success
and we have exceeded our aim with
performance peaking at 100%. There
is a huge amount of work involved
to achieve this and we have been
working very closely with our
gas contractor One Stop
Gas & Plumbing Limited.
We hope our 100%
achievement will
continue.
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NEW
Website
Coming
Soon…
We are currently in the
process of re-designing
our website.
We’ll be including new features
and helpful information for you.
If there’s anything you would like to see, or you
think we should include, please let us know.
Please email your ideas to: [email protected]
Are you paying too much
for your Gas & Electricity?
HOME ENERGY SWITCH COULD SAVE YOU ££££’S
Why use My Home Energy Switch?
They take care of all the paper work for you –
simply sit back, relax and enjoy cheaper energy bills!
There is no charge to use their comparison and switching service.
They have a dedicated phone line to answer all queries and help you switch.
They compare ALL UK energy suppliers and are completely impartial.
It only takes a few minutes to compare and switch.
Ensure you’re getting the best price for your gas and electricity.
Visit www.myhomeenergyswitch.org.uk today
and see how much you could save or call us free
on 0800 051 5346
This is a free-phone number but some mobiles may be charged.
Rent Arrears
Designed and produced by
Buchanan Dean Design
tel: 01494 677362
making sure
your rent is paid is
YOUR responsibility
If you are having difficulty keeping up with
payments, you should contact us straight away.
We understand that sometimes difficulties arise
and we want to help you pay your rent regularly
so that you don’t fall into debt.
When you sign your tenancy agreement you
agree to pay your rent in full and on time. If you
simply don’t pay or don’t take action to reduce
your rent arrears, we will contact you to make
sure you are aware of the problem.
Failure to pay your rent could result in legal
action and you could lose your home. You
could also have problems borrowing money in
the future. We don’t want that to happen and,
whilst we will do all we can to help you,
you need to remember that paying your rent
is your responsibility.
The rent that you pay for your home is our
main source of income. We use this money
to carry out repairs and improvements to the
homes we manage, and to help us continue to
provide a good quality service.
We would like to thank those of you who pay
your rent regularly and on time.
Scheme Inspection Schedule
Dates of future scheme
inspections to be carried
out by the operations
manager:
11th April 2011
18th April 2011
9th May 2011
Antony House
Albert Way
Butler Court
Richard House
Commercial Way
Montgomery House
Roderick House
Cator Street
Bush Road
Salisbury Court
23rd May 2011
6th June 2011
27th June 2011
Butler House
Stockwell Park Road
St Agnes Place
Cooks Road
Linden Hall
Royal Road
Steedman Street
Liberty Street
St Faiths Road
Kennington Park Road
Lorn Road
Durand Gardens