G2 for Avon - GreenSquare Group

AVON • Chippenham • Melksham • Trowbridge • Corsham • Bradford on Avon • and villages
ISSUE 5 AUTUMN 2013
GREENSQUARE RESIDENTS’
MAGAZINE
Hundreds of
new homes on
the way by 2015
Older Persons
Summer Forum
On the road with
the Big Blue Bus
Crafting a
brighter future
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NUMBERINTS*
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E
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SHOULD
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NUMBERCALLS*
PHONE
AVON 56
CTION
SATISFAPLAINTS
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NG*
HANDLI
44%
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TARGET
OLVED
INTS RES
COMPLA GET TIME*
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65%
99%
TARGET
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NUMBER IAL
ANTISOC CASES
UR
BEHAVIO
157
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H THE
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TOTAL
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COMPEN N TO COMPLA
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£12,000
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S WERE
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FIGURE
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FACTS AND
FIGURES FROM
2012-2013 INSIDE
S
REPAIR TED
COMPLE
185
2012
*
*GREEN
ED
RENT OW
2.6%
L VALUEVER
TOPRTOPA
O
ERTIES
707
AVON 3,
AND/OR
OWNED D BY
MANAGEQUARE
GREENS
44,526
*GREEN
*
11,040
MONEY
ST TIME
TED FIR
COMPLE
S
38 DAY
£545
*
ILLION
384N* 2013 M
£
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ED
RETAIN
S
SURPLU
EARLY
OVER
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YEAR 201
FOR THE EREST & TAX
INT
AFTER
N
*
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F
OF STAF
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EMPLOY QUARE*
GREENS
R
E PAY PE
AVERAGMEMBER*
BOARD
£1,608
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OVER*
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AVERAG D MEMBER*
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Welcome to
the Autumn
issue of G2.
ann’s
welcome
In this edition,
you can read
about our
plans to build
hundreds of new homes by 2015 and
catch up on what’s been going on in
your area in the Local Focus section.
It is that time of year again, when
we produce our annual report for
residents. This year we are including
this information within the magazine
rather than publish a separate
document. Throughout these pages
we have included snapshots for the
year ending 31 March 2013 and created
‘infographics’ to show headline facts
and figures for the year.
Hello
Howard
Howard Toplis (pictured left)
has started in his role as
GreenSquare’s
new group chief executive,
after taking over the
reins from Dave Ashmore
(pictured right).
Hilary Gardner, GreenSquare board chair, said: “Howard’s
years of experience as chief executive at Tor Homes, together
with his outstanding leadership and entrepreneurial skills,
will bring refreshed impetus to what we do. We are absolutely
confident we have chosen the right successor to take the
Group forward to even greater success.”
If you would like to find out more
about any of the facts and figures
included in this magazine, or read our
annual report and financial
statements in full, please get
in touch; these documents
are also available to
download from our website.
Ann Cornelius, Executive
Director (Customers &
Communities)
4
9
10
11
16
Hundreds of new homes
on the way by 2015
Howard wasted no time in getting out to meet GreenSquare
residents. He recently joined staff and local people at a cleanup day to lend a hand and help spruce up the area.
Resident Academy Awards
Residents’ Business Plan update
Lew Fryer, community involvement officer, explained:
“The event went really well and it was a great opportunity for
residents to meet and get to know Howard a bit better. All the
volunteers put a huge amount of effort in to cleaning up and it
proved really successful!”
On the road with the Big Blue Bus
Your new contact centre
with Esther Lim
Annual report infographics
Local focus
News in brief
Money matters
Planned maintenance
Contact us 2
Howard lends a hand
GREENSQUARE AVON AREA
5,8,13,14
6-7
11
12
15
16
We run regular community
clean up days to give
residents the chance
to dispose of unwanted
items, recycle and help
litter pick in their area.
KEE
COM PING
CLEAMUNITIE
S
N
“Everyone really enjoyed the singing and
it was great to see everyone joining in.”
Residents enjoy
social event
One hundred GreenSquare residents from all across
the north Wiltshire area attended a social event this
summer, at the Beversbrook Sports Centre in Calne.
Those at the event had the chance
to find out more about Welfare
Reform changes, vote on their
favourite gardens at GreenSquare
developments, and enjoy a ‘Singing
for the Brain’ sing-a-long led by the
Alzheimer’s Society.
GreenSquare’s community officers
gave a presentation on the merits of
living in sheltered housing and there
was a raffle to win a variety of prizes.
As part of a presentation on Welfare
Reform, residents took part in a
‘The Price Is Right’ game. They were
invited to guess how much a basket
of shopping would cost if the items
in it – which included Kellogg’s Corn
Flakes, a pint of milk, Fairy washing
up liquid, Tetley tea bags and butter
– were all Sainsbury’s own-branded
goods rather than branded products.
Hazel Lugg, a GreenSquare resident
from Calne, guessed the closest with
an estimated saving of £7.50 and
won the basket of shopping, which
was worth £11.76. She said: “I said
the number off the top of my head,
so I was rather shocked to win! I can’t
remember the last time I won anything
so I am delighted. I am surprised at how
much you could save by switching to
supermarkets’ own-brands.”
Linda Allen, a GreenSquare resident
from Corsham also attended the event.
She added: “Everyone really enjoyed the
singing and it was great to see everyone
joining in. There was a fantastic turn out
at the event despite the extremely hot
weather – personally, I think it is nice to
get involved.”
Every year we report
on all our community
involvement projects
to the GreenSquare
boards. For every
project we do, we
look at cost, success
rate, and if there are
improvements to be
made. The projects
vary in size – some
happen in one or
a few local areas,
whilst others involve
residents in all the
areas in which we
have homes. All aim
to improve residents’
quality of life and give
us feedback on how
we can provide a better
service.
We hope this project
work will help to create
better neighbourhoods
where people want to
live, and where they
can live and work
happily alongside their
neighbours.
Throughout this
edition of G2 we have
highlighted some of
the key projects in
2012/13 – look out
for the ‘making an
impact’ stampo these
are identifiable by the
stamp!
If you’d like to see the
full detailed impact
report for 2012/2013
please get in touch
(contact details are on
back cover).
CONTACT US SEE PAGE 16
3
HundredsSERVICES
of
new homes on
NUMBER
the OFway by 2015
44,526
PHONE CALLS*
WE NOW HAVE MORE
STAFF TO DEAL WITH
COMPLAINTS, SO
THESE FIGURES
SHOULD IMPROVE.
UMBER OF
MPLAINTS*
143
VON 56
GreenSquare’s in-house construction
*GREENSQUARE GROUP FIGURE
company is set to develop 225 homes by
2015 – working in Swindon, Wiltshire,
COMPENSATION PAID IN
Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.
ATISFACTION
H COMPLAINTS
HANDLING*
44%
RELATION TO COMPLAINTS
£12,000
TARGET 60%
New homes under construction
in Faringdon, and (right) a
development at Oak Close, Calne.
AINTS RESOLVED
TARGET TIME*
MOST COMPLAINTS WERE ABOUT
65%
REPAIRS AND
MAINTENANCE
TARGET 99%
44%
87%
OVERALL SATISFACTION
WITH GREENSQUARE
SERVICES
UMBER OF
TISOCIAL
VIOUR CASES
157
Construction Manager
Ernie Randell said:
“Using our in-house
team for many of
GreenSquare’s
developments means
we can focus on
81%
delivering high-quality,
sustainable, and valuefor-money design and
build services. The
coming year will see
us working on up to
ten sites at any given
time across all the
GreenSquare areas
of operation. This is
an exciting time for
both GreenSquare
and the communities
where we are building
185
new homes. These
projects also mean
we will be creating
real jobs in several
local communities and
helping to drive local
growth.”
Projects include
36 family homes in
Faringdon, 17 homes
in Corsham, 90 family
homes of the former
Trowbridge Rugby Club
site, 38 family homes at
the former jam factory
site in Easterton, and 22
flats for affordable rent
in Banbury.
Residents consulted on Rudloe improvements
ACTION WITH THE
SB IS DEALT WITH
Report 2012/2013: This page shows the number
laints received ands how much compensation the
as paid in relation to complaints. You can also see
ny residents in your area have been involved with
nity projects; how many antisocial behaviour cases
en successfully closed; and how satisfied residents
all with GreenSquare services.
4
GREENSQUARE AVON AREA
GreenSquare is looking at the potential to redevelop areas in
Rudloe, near Corsham, and recently held a consultation event
there. Local residents had the chance to give feedback on initial
proposals to build new homes on garage sites which had been
identified as underused spaces that were hotspots for vandalism
and fly-tipping. And children from the neighbourhood were able
to enjoy craft activities. Feedback also showed that residents are
IN COMMUNITY
keen
for more activities to be held at the community centre and
PROJECTS
that there
is a need for a local shop. We will continue to work
closely with residents and provide updates on any decisions made.
PEOPLE INVOLVED
HOMES
TOTAL
HOMES
11,040
*
AVON 3,707
OWNED AND/OR
MANAGED BY
GREENSQUARE
WE BUILT 198* NEW
HOMES
110 BUILT IN AVON
*GREENSQUARE GROUP FIGURE
10,089
REPAIRS
COMPLETED
Annual Report 2012/2013: here we show the
number of homes owned and managed by
GreenSquare and how many of those are in
your area, as well as the total number of new
homes we have built over the past year. We try
to let our homes as quickly as possible, and
here you can see the average time in days that
it takes us to let empty properties. Finally, this
page shows how many repairs we carried out
across the Group and the percentage of those
that were completed “right first time”.
HOW LONG EMPTY
HOMES TOOK TO LET
89%
COMPLETED FIRST TIME
38 DAYS
In this section we feed back on
action we have taken in your
area as a direct result of
comments and requests from you.
4 Residents at The Old School
Caught on camera
Sheldon Road
clean-up day
Residents on Sheldon Road, Palmer
Street, and Ladyfield Road in
Chippenham, pitched in to clear up
the area and managed to fill the skip
to overflowing!
Yard, Corsham, contacted
GreenSquare about problems with
parking around school drop off and
pick up times due to new traffic
restrictions outside the school. The
neighbourhood officer arranged
a meeting for residents to speak
to Wiltshire Council, the school,
the Pound Arts Centre and the
police. They looked at options to
resolve the problem. Working in
partnership, residents have taken
action to prevent parking problems
in the new school year.
4 A consultation project has
taken place with residents of
the Pound Mead development to
gather their views on their homes
and their community. Results are
being analysed and plans are being
drawn up to complete community
improvements in the area.
4 Residents at Sandy Lea
Resident
Inspectors
The team was set up in 2009 to
take a closer look at the services
GreenSquare provides in your homes
and neighbourhoods.
Pictured: Resident inspectors
planning a practice inspection at the
Swindon office.
Avenue, Rudloe, told our caretaker
they were having problems with
birds ‘dirtying’ their clean washing.
The caretaking team cut back
some of the greenery overhanging
the washing line area and for now
the problem has been resolved!
4 Following consultation with
residents living in the flats at
Dickens Avenue in Corsham,
volunteers have replanted the
flower containers at the front of the
flats. GreenSquare has provided
new plants and the volunteers
are earning Spice ‘time credits’ in
recognition of their efforts.
4 ‘Ready To Move‘ training
has been provided for new
residents moving into some of
our new homes in Melksham.
New residents attended a course
to learn about their tenancy
agreement and how to be a
good neighbour and were given
budgeting advice. Feedback has
been positive and everyone found
the training interesting and very
useful.
4 Our caretaker has continued to
clear away bulk refuse which has
been dumped and cleared a court
yard at Methuen Way in Corsham,
where a resident had moved away
and made no arrangements to
dispose of their unwanted items.
GreenSquare is using social media because
it provides a positive way to communicate
with residents and other stakeholders and
allows them to talk to us.
D
E AN
N
I
L
ON AL
SOCI
We launched our Facebook pages in June 2012,
and have one for each of our three areas. The
Avon page currently has 330 likes.
People can also follow our corporate Twitter feed and we have a channel
on YouTube. If you haven’t already done so, check out us out on Facebook,
Twitter, and YouTube – and don’t forget to like us and follow us!
fb.com/greensquareavon • twitter.com/greensquareavon
CLEAR RENT ACCOUNT PRIZE DRAW WINNERS (APRIL 2013)
1ST PRIZE £300 Mr C, Chippenham • 2ND PRIZE £150 Mrs P, Corsham • 3RD PRIZE £100 Miss H, Chippenham
6
GREENSQUARE AVON AREA
YOUT
INCL H
USIO
N
DRAWING BY
Rowan Hooper
(age 10)
Our work
with youth projects and
partners has encouraged young
people across our areas of
operation to get involved with
their communities and has
helped to engage young people
in a variety of activities and
projects.
Portway
Garden
PROJECT
Residents at Portway in
Chippenham have been
involved with a food
growing project in the
communal gardens at the
development since June
2012, and it has proved a
great success so far!
The project, which is funded
by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
with help from GreenSquare,
has encouraged a number of
residents to take a keen interest
in gardening and so far they have
established trees for a small
orchard, raised beds for growing
vegetables, and created a small
scale wildflower meadow and
sensory garden.
Barry Bartlett, a Portway
resident, has been heavily
involved with the project and was
recently nominated as a Local
Food Hero, in recognition of all
his hard work, and came runner
up in the South West region.
Barry (pictured) said: “The garden
project has really thrived over the
past year and all the residents
involved have put in a lot of hard
work and hours into the garden.
It all started because we just
wanted a garden, so began doing
some bits and pieces about the
place. Then, Gary from the Wildlife
Trust became involved, and with
Gary’s help we were able to do
more and more to the gardens
and it has gained momentum
from there. I really enjoy it and I
know a lot of the other residents
do too. Looking to the future, it
would be great if we could get to
the point of self sufficiency.”
As part of our Community Investment
Fund, residents can get involved in the
decision to award grants to projects in
their local communities.
COM
FUN MUNIT
Y
DS
In Chippenham, we have been
working with community
development agency Kandu Arts
to set up an inclusion through
football project called Kandu
Kicks, which held its annual
Kandu Cup in August. Helen
Barbrook, Head of Community
Involvement (Avon and Marden),
said: “This is a fantastic project,
which not only allows young
people to indulge their passion
for sport but is a way to build
confidence and encourage
team work.”
Michelle Redfern, Kandu Project
co-ordinator, added: “The young
people involved in the project
are showing real commitment
and may have thrived on
opportunities that go beyond the
football training itself. In August,
we took 16 young people to the
Olympic Park in London, to a
tournament hosted by national
charity Street Games – one
Kandu Kicks team finished a
fantastic third place in the under
16 age group!”
CONTACT US SEE PAGE 16
7
RESIDENTS
AVERAGE LENGTH
OF TENURE
9.3 YEARS
85+
61%
FEMALE
MALE
16-24
25-44
65-84
AGE
39%
37%
HAVE A DISABILITY OR
LONG TERM ILLNESS
45-64
WHITE BRITISH 94%
ETHNICITY
CHRISTIAN
46%
2%
12%
WOULD RATHER
NOT SAY
RATHER NOT SAY
RELIGION
OTHER
6% BLACK AND MINORITY
7%
45%
86%
HETEROSEXUAL
SEXUALITY
NO RELIGION
2%
BISEXUAL;
LESBIAN OR GAY
MAN; OR UNSURE
Annual Report 2012/2013: this page shows the profile of GreenSquare
residents in your area, displayed as a breakdown of age, gender, sexuality,
religion, ethnicity and the percentage of residents with a disability. (These
figures are based on the people who provided us with information.) Also shown
is the average length of time that people have had a tenancy with GreenSquare.
Resident
NUMBER OF
COMPLAINTS*
143
ACADEMY
AWARDS SERVIC
WE NOW HAVE MORE
STAFF TO DEAL WITH
COMPLAINTS, SO
THESE FIGURES
SHOULD IMPROVE.
Over the past year, the
Academy has run an intensive,
accredited course on Governance
for new resident members of
NUMBER
OF Boards in
the Communities
partnership
with the Workers
PHONE
CALLS*
Education Association (WEA),
which has been completed
*GREENSQUAR
by nine Board members. An
‘Academy Awards’ ceremony was
held in August, complete with
PAID IN
afternoon tea, to recogniseCOMPENSATION
the
RELATION TO COMPLAINTS
hard work of the participants
and present them with their
qualification certificates.
44,5
AVON 56
ARE
U
Q
S
N
GREE EMY
ACAD
SATISFACTION
WITH COMPLAINTS
HANDLING*
44%
“learning is not a spectator sport
TARGET 60% and keep
– you have to participate
your eye on the ball at all times”
COMPLAINTS RESOLVED
IN TARGET TIME*
65%
SKILLS
FOR LIFE
TARGET 99%
The GreenSquare Academy
was set up in April 2012 to
support resident members of
the Communities Boards to be
effective in their role as decision
makers. It offers training
designed specifically for new
members of the Boards, as
well as a skills programme in
GreenSquare neighbourhoods,
which includes courses in:
DIY; community journalism;
interpersonal skills; customer
care; active citizenship; first aid;
cake decoration; singing; and
arts & crafts.
NUMBER OF
ANTISOCIAL
BEHAVIOUR CASES
157
Pictured top: Communities Board members
celebrate completing the accredited course on
Governance at the Resident Academy Awards.
Eve Crook, Marden Communities
Board member, was presented
MOST COMPLAINTS WERE A
with the Angela Richardson
REPAIRS AND
Award (in memory of Angela
Richardson, WEA tutor) for MAINTENANCE
her
commitment and dedication to the
Academy and her achievements
as a board member. Eve said:
“One thing I learnt while doing
OVERALL
SATISFACTION
this course
was that learning is
WITH
notGREENSQUARE
a spectator sport – you have
to participate and keep your eye
on the ball at all times. It’s not
the easiest thing having to teach
‘old dogs’ new tricks, but with the
help and support of our wonderful
tutors, Angela Richardson (RIP)
and Pearl Ryall, we all managed
to pull through in the end.
4
SERVICES
Pictured above: Residents with their awards after
completing the Skills for Life course.
81%
If you would like more information about any of the courses offered by the
GreenSquare Academy, please contact Julie Bielby (contact details back cover)
or email [email protected]
SATISFACTION WITH THE
WAY ASB IS DEALT WITH
ENT
RESID INY
SCRUT
PANEL
£12,000
“It was a great honour to receive
the Angela Richardson Award.
I only wish she was here to see
how her hard work and support
paid off.”
In addition, bronze, silver and
gold awards were presented to
Simon Isted, Pat Denyer, and
Louise Pettinger respectively,
in recognition of their academic
achievements and application of
what they learnt on the course in
their roles as Board members.
185
PEOPLE INVOLV
Annual Report 2012/2013: This page shows the number
of complaints
received
andsPanel
how exists
much to
compensation
GreenSquare’s
Resident
Scrutiny
examine the the
work of the Group.
Group
has paid in relation
complaints.
also
It is totally
resident-led,
has up toto12
members, You
and can
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10see
times a year. Its
many residents
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been by
involved
with
role ishow
to examine
and scrutinise
GreenSquare,
by looking at
community
projects;
how
many budgets,
antisocialcomplaints,
behaviour cases
performance
reports,
board
reports,
and it can ask to see
have been successfully
and how
satisfied
residents
any documentation
or speak closed;
to any staff,
executive
team
or board member.
are overall with GreenSquare services.
CONTACT US SEE PAGE 16
IN COMMUNITY
PROJECTS
9
LTING
U
S
N
O
C
ENTS
RESID
The Residents’
Business Plan
empowers residents
to influence business
priorities on value
for money, homes,
customer service,
neighbourhood and
community issues.
We work with a
steering group of
residents to identify
key themes for
spending and consult
residents for their
feedback on an
ongoing basis.
RESIDENTS’
BUSINESS PLAN
UPDATE
What you
think we
can do
better
Over the past couple of months,
we have been carrying out
consultations for the Residents’
Business Plan, asking you what we
could do better, and so far we’ve
had 337 comments from residents.
We got in touch with you in a variety
of ways via: Facebook; email; G2;
local events; clean up days; family
events and by knocking on doors.
Since the closing date in August,
we have collated all of the feedback
we’ve received and a steering group
It’s good to talk
Speaking to and listening to residents is what the
Viewpoint customer research team at GreenSquare is
all about. Between September 2012 and July 2013, the
team made contact with almost 5,000 residents.
The team carries out surveys to
check and measure satisfaction
about a variety of services
provided by GreenSquare. This
includes completed repairs and
planned maintenance, closed
formal complaint cases, and
general enquiries made through
our contact centre. We use the
feedback we receive to find out
what we’re doing well and where
we need to improve.
We also carry out a monthly
survey of residents asking
general questions about what
you think of us as a landlord –
10
GREENSQUARE AVON AREA
“what
reside
n
want” ts
these results are then compared
nationally to other housing
providers.
Our team of fully trained
researchers use the telephone
to conduct the surveys as it is
cost effective (compared to postal
surveys), and the response rate is
much higher.
If you would like more
information about Viewpoint
customer research, please
contact Jen Eastman on 01249
465465 or email jen.eastman@
greensquaregroup.com
of residents has worked to identify
general themes and priorities
to put forward as proposals for
inclusion in the Corporate Plan.
Members of the steering group
will now present their findings to
senior managers and at each of
the Communities Board Annual
Meetings. The priorities chosen to
be taken forward will be included in
the budgets for 2013-14.
Keep an eye out in the next G2 and
on our website for more details.
We’ll introduce ourselves as
GreenSquare’s Viewpoint Customer
Research team and
tell you how
long a survey
is expected to
take.
You don’t have
to take part if you
don’t want to.
We use different
random lists of
names each time.
All replies are
confidential and we will
only contact you again if you
have asked us to.
We really value the feedback we get
from our customers.
news
in brief
Wiltshire
Time Credits
A ‘time credit’ is a way of
recognising volunteering. So, if
you volunteer your time for the
benefit of your neighbourhood
or community, you can earn
a time credit: one hour of
volunteering = one time credit.
ON THE
ROAD
GreenSquare took the
‘Big Blue Bus’ back
out on the road during
the summer holidays
on a pet-themed road
trip, visiting residents
at various locations in
Wiltshire.
From Castle Combe to Yatton
Keynell to Corsham and
Chippenham, approximately 200
residents attended the events, which
were focused around pets and their
wellbeing. With help from Wiltshire
Council’s dog warden service, the
You can spend your time credits
at Bowood House, Curves
Gym, Laser Quest, Corsham
Pound Theatre, The Olympiad,
Chippenham History Centre,
Spirithill Trail, GreenSquare’s
helping hand DIY or garden
service and more...!
team managed to microchip more than 40 dogs.
Sue Chapman, Community
Involvement Officer at GreenSquare,
explained: “We had great fun
jumping aboard the Big Blue Bus
and visiting residents (and their
pets!) throughout the county. It was
a great way for people to provide
us with feedback and ask us any
questions. Hopefully we will be
back on the road soon coming to a
neighbourhood near you!”
GreenSquare’s Digital Inclusion project aims to
help residents to get online to share the benefits
of being digitally enabled. By giving residents
access to PCs and training, it not only gives
them the opportunity to improve their computer
and internet skills but also offers them greater
access to digital services and increases the
ways they can get in touch with us.
DIGITA
INCLUSL
ION
In Avon and Marden, we employ two IT learning coordinators, with a focus
on providing one on one support to residents of working age. Community
Involvement Officer Julie Bielby said: “We are seeing more and more people
using tablets and mobile devices to go online, so these open sessions are
run on an individual need basis – people have specific questions and our IT
learning coordinators are there to answer them. With updates about Welfare
Reform changes, job applications and access to Wiltshire Home Swappers
now most often online, it is vital that people have the necessary skills to find
the information they need.”
For more information contact
Julie Bielby. Email julie.bielby@
greensquaregroup.com or
phone 01249 465465.
What matters
to you?
Wiltshire Council and its
partners are committed to
developing and delivering
services that reflect the
differing needs of local
communities. With this in mind,
they are inviting people who
live in Wiltshire to complete
their residents’ survey “What
matters to you?”
A full report will be produced
once the results of the survey
have been analysed. The report
will be publicly available on the
council website www.wiltshire.
gov.uk
If you have a few moments
spare, why not complete the
survey? Your comments and
input are very important and
will help them to shape the
future of your local area.
Please visit www.wiltshire.
gov.uk/whatmatterstoyou to
complete the survey.
CONTACT US SEE PAGE 16
11
HOMES
What can I do to make
sure I’m ready?
TAL
MES
1,040
money
matters
*
OWNED AND/OR
MANAGED BY
GREENSQUARE
Make sure you have a bank
account – you will need this to
receive your benefit payments,
and to pay bills by Direct Debit.
AVON 3,707
Check whether you can set up
automated bill payments –
please ask us how if you need
more details.
Universal
Credit
ON OUR DOORSTEP
Universal Credit is a new benefit
that has started to replace six
existing benefits with a simpler,
single monthly payment if you’re
out of work or on a low income.
Universal Credit will help you to
be better off in work, start a new
job or work more hours. It will
eventually replace: Income-based
Jobseeker’s Allowance; Incomerelated Employment and Support
Allowance; Income Support;
Working Tax Credit; Child Tax
Credit; and Housing Benefit.
Draw up a monthly budget –
Universal Credit is paid monthly,
so you may need to make changes
to the way you budget to make it
easier to manage your finances.
Make sure you have access to the
internet – you will be expected
to claim Universal Credit and
manage your account online.
How can we help
changes to the way
we
COLLECT RENT
What are we doing?
From April 2014, we plan to divide
the annual rent we charge by
52 weeks and collect rent every
week of the year. This is instead
of dividing the annual rent by 48
weeks and not collecting rent for
4 weeks during the year.
What does this mean?
This means that your weekly
rent amount, including any
service charges you have to pay,
will reduce. The annual rent you
pay will be the same as if we
were to collect the higher rent
for 48 weeks.
*
198
E BUILT
NEW
HOMES
110 BUILT IN AVON
When will it affect me?
Universal Credit is being gradually
rolled out across the UK and is
being extended to more groups of
people from October 2013 – the
nearest to GreenSquare’s area of
operation is Bath.
We will keep putting updates in
G2 magazine, on our website and
Facebook pages to keep you up
to date about when GreenSquare
will be affected.
We have return-to-work initiatives
such as the Whatever! project
and What Now! project – for more
information please contact
Lisa Wroe, Employment and
Training Advisor.
We will put regular updates in
*GREENSQUARE
FIGURE
our
magazine, on GROUP
our website
and on our Facebook pages. We
will also provide updates or be
available to answer questions at
community events.
It will make things clearer
for all those who have help
with their rent from Housing
Benefit, or who pay monthly,
including by Direct Debit. This
will also make it easier for
residents to budget when
Universal Credit is introduced.
You rent account will then show
a more up to date picture of
what you have paid. We will also
be working in the same way
with all our tenancies across
the GreenSquare Group, saving
money and allowing us to provide
you with better services.
89%
Information on changes
to benefits and managing
budgets can be found on www.
moneyadviceservice.org.uk
10,089
Why are we doing this?
What do I need to do?
REPAIRS
COMPLETED
COMPLETED FIRST TIME
Employment and
There is nothing you need to
Support Allowance
Income Support
t 2012/2013: here we show the
Jobseeker’s Allowance
mes owned and managed by
and how many of those are in
Child Tax Credit
well as the total number of new
e built over the past year. We try
es as quickly as possible, and
Working Tax Credit
see the average time in days that
HOW LONG EMPTY
et empty properties. Finally, this
Housing Benefit
HOMES TOOK TO LET
ow many repairs we carried out
oup and the percentage of those
pleted “right first time”.
If you have any questions please contact the Welfare Reform
Project Team, or email [email protected]
UNIVERSAL
CREDIT
12
GREENSQUARE AVON AREA
do now. We will let you know in
the new year how any changes
will affect the rent that you need
to pay.
What do you think
about the change?
More information is available on
our website and on our Facebook
pages. You can also email rent.
[email protected]
or phone us (details back cover).
38 DAYS
MONEY
Annual Report 2012/2013: this page shows the total income of
the GreenSquare Group for the period and the total value of our
properties, which you can see has increased since March 2012.
The retained surplus is the amount that is kept by GreenSquare
once interest and tax has been paid, and you can see the
amount that we are owed in rent as a percentage. This page
also shows the number of staff employed by the Group and the
average pay of Board Members, along with the average amount
of expenses they received.
RENT OWED
2.6%
TOTAL VALUE
OVER
OF PROPERTIES
£
2012
OVER
£384
MILLION*
NEARLY
£3
2013
£545
MILLION*
RETAINED
SURPLUS
TOTAL
INCOME 2013
FOR THE YEAR 2013
AFTER INTEREST & TAX
OVER
MILLION*
523
£56
MILLION
*
NUMBER OF STAFF
EMPLOYED BY
GREENSQUARE*
AVERAGE PAY PER
BOARD MEMBER*
£1,608
AVERAGE EXPENSES
PER BOARD MEMBER*
£259
For more detailed information about figures on this page please contact us –
or visit www.greensquaregroup.com where you can download the 2012-2013
GreenSquare Report and Financial Statements.
*GREENSQUARE GROUP FIGURE
NUMBER OF
COMPLAINTS*
143
AVON 56
WE NOW HAVE MORE
STAFF TO DEAL WITH
COMPLAINTS, SO
THESE FIGURES
SHOULD IMPROVE.
*GREENSQUARE GROUP FIGURE
44%
COMPENSATION PAID IN
RELATION TO COMPLAINTS
£12,000
TARGET 60%
COMPLAINTS RESOLVED
IN TARGET TIME*
MOST COMPLAINTS WERE ABOUT
65%
REPAIRS AND
MAINTENANCE
TARGET 99%
157
44,526
NUMBER OF
PHONE CALLS*
SATISFACTION
WITH COMPLAINTS
HANDLING*
NUMBER OF
ANTISOCIAL
BEHAVIOUR CASES
SERVICES
44%
OVERALL SATISFACTION
WITH GREENSQUARE
SERVICES
81%
SATISFACTION WITH THE
WAY ASB IS DEALT WITH
Annual Report 2012/2013: This page shows the number
of complaints received ands how much compensation the
Group has paid in relation to complaints. You can also see
how many residents in your area have been involved with
community projects; how many antisocial behaviour cases
have been successfully closed; and how satisfied residents
are overall with GreenSquare services.
185
87%
PEOPLE INVOLVED
IN COMMUNITY
PROJECTS
KEEP WARM
stay safe and
save money
TOTAL
• Yellow or orange flames.
HOMES
• Sooting or staining around
Look out for:
Gas safety check
11,040
Be sure to:OWNED AND/OR
MANAGED BY
• Book an GREENSQUARE
annual service.
• Maintain your appliances and
have them checked regularly.
• Allow fresh air into your room.
• Keep the chimney or flue clear.
We will write to you with details
of a pre-booked appointment,
offering you a date and time for our
specialist contractor to carry out
your gas service and safety check.
We want to make sure you will be
at home for the appointment and
can offer weekend or evening visits
if you cannot be at home during the
day. If the appointment we offer is
not convenient, please contact us to
re-arrange.
If you smell gas, or suspect a gas
or carbon monoxide leak, you
should immediately:
• Open all doors and windows;
• Shut off the gas supply at the
meter control valve; and
• Call the Gas Emergency
freephone number on 0800 111
999.
Carbon monoxide is an odourless,
colourless gas – you can’t see it,
you can’t taste it and you can’t
Do you have concerns about an
appliance? Need to check when
your annual service is due?
Or need help and advice about
repairs to your home? Phone the
contact centre on 01249 465465.
Problem
with your...
What to try
Heating
programmer
/ timer
Check that you can turn your heating settings from
‘timed’ to ‘continuous’ or ‘on’. This will enable you to
have heating until we complete the repair to the time
clock / programmer.
Gas
Electricity
surveyor
visits
Planned
AVON 3,707
maintenance
The following properties are due to
receive the planned maintenance
service within the next six months.
This involves a surveyor visiting
your home and looking to see
whether any work is required, both
inside and outside the property.
This will help us to plan when
we need to replace items in your
home. You can expect our surveyor
to look at the following: Inside –
the kitchen; bathroom; ceilings in
all the rooms; loft or attic; floors;
stairs; heating and hot water
systems; electrics; and doors.
Outside – the roof; walls; garden;
paths; boundary fences; gutters;
and doors.
*
198
WE BUILT
NEW
HOME
110 BUILT IN A
Be alert!
Radiators
*
an appliance.
• Frequently blown pilot lights.
• Appliances not working correctly.
If you have a gas appliance you
probably know that GreenSquare
has a legal duty to make sure it is
checked for safety at least once
a year. This service is free for our
customers – and also helps ensure
that your appliance is working
efficiently, which can save you
money on your fuel bills.
Room
thermostat
HOME
smell it, but carbon monoxide
poisoning might cause drowsiness,
headaches, nausea, chest and
stomach pains.
If the boiler has heated your property to the temperature
set on your room thermostat, the heating will go off until
the temperature drops below that setting. On extremely
cold days, you may need to turn the thermostat up for
additional heat.
If your radiatorAnnual
is cold at
the top,
there may here
be airwe show the
Report
2012/2013:
trapped in the system
and
it
might
need
bleeding
to
number of homes owned and managed
by
release the trapped
air.
There
is
a
help
section
in
your
GreenSquare and how many of those are in
repairs handbook
how as
to do
this.
youronarea,
well
as the total number of new
homes we have built over the past year. We try
If you have a pre-payment
meteras
always
try as
to ensure
to let our homes
quickly
possible, and
you have credithere
on your
meter.
Check
that
your
meter
you can see the average time
in days that
has power anditistakes
not displaying
any
error
messages.
us to let empty properties. Finally, this
page shows
how many
repairs
carried out
If you have no power
to the boiler,
check
other we
electrical
across
the
Group
and
the
percentage
of those
appliances to make sure you are not experiencing a
that were completed “right first time”.
power cut. Also, check your fuse box to see if any trip
switches need resetting.
After the survey, the surveyor will
discuss with you all the repair and
improvement works they have
identified.
*GREENSQUARE GROUP FIGURE
CHIPPENHAM Spinney Close,
Westcroft, Clover Dean, Croft
Court, Litherland Close, The
Firs, Derriads Green, Down View,
Gascelyn Close, Southmead,
Gascelyn Place, Kingsley Road,
Littledown and School Walk
89%
10,089
BOX Bargates, Barn Piece,
Brunel Way, Hazelbury Hill,
Queens Square, Springfield
REPAIRS
House, Ben Cross, The
Barton,
COMPLETED
The Ley and Vine Court
COMPLETED FIR
PURTON High Street, Blacklands,
Kibblewhite Close, The Peak,
Upper Pavenhill , Reids Piece
and Witts Lane
HOOK Bolingbroke and Hook
Street
If you would like to find out more
aboutHOW
planned
LONGmaintenance
EMPTY
please
contact
James
Bunce or
HOMES
TOOK
TO LET
Ken Neale on 01249 465465 or visit
www.greensquaregroup.com
CONTACT US SEE PAGE 16
38 DA
15
new
contact
centre
with Esther Lim
“Wow, what an exciting
and busy time the last
year has been for all
things customer service
at GreenSquare!
“To improve our
customer service
further, we set up our
new contact centre,
which created a single
point of contact for all
customers.
“The contact centre is
now a ‘one-stop shop’,
which means that
residents calling in can
have all their queries
answered there and
then. This has freed up
time for other teams
for personal visits to
residents’ homes if
needed.
“We made the reception
friendlier with more
interview rooms should
customers need
privacy. And we added
a computer kiosk to
access online help
from HomeSwappers to
Citizens Advice Bureau.
“We have set up
Facebook and Twitter
accounts for residents to
ask any questions, and
give us their comments
and suggestions.
“We are always striving
to improve our customer
service and we want to
provide value for money
in all the things we do.”
Esther Lim, Customer
Services Officer
with Kathleen Thompson
The Whatever! project (for people aged between 16 and 24) and the What
Now! project (for people aged 25 or over) are exciting schemes available to
GreenSquare residents which help to improve people’s employability, practical
skills, confidence and experience in the workplace.
Kathleen Thompson, a resident from Corsham, took part in the What Now!
project. She said: “I heard about the ‘What Now!’ project in May of this year.
Having been out of the workplace for almost a year, whilst continuing to actively
look for office work, I enrolled in the project.
“I completed six weeks of the thirteen-week placement working at
GreenSquare’s Chippenham office. From the outset, I was warmly welcomed by
all staff, given a chance to ‘find my feet’ by gradually being introduced back into
the workplace and encouraged at every opportunity. This project allowed me to
regain my confidence and to update my office skills.”
Kathleen was recently offered a full time temp-to-permanent role in Bristol,
which she started in August. She added: “I would highly recommend the
‘What Now!’ project to anyone who has been unemployed for some time, feels
discouraged and would simply like to update their office skills. At the end of the
project, you will also receive a reference detailing the recent relevant experience
that so many interviewers ask for. I believe the confidence boost and reference is
what clinched the job offer for me!”
If you would like to have any part of this
explained or translated, or in a different
format such as in larger print, or on audio
tape, please contact us on 01249 465465 to
discuss your needs.
Jeśli wymagają Państwo wyjaśnienia jakiegoś fragmentu albo jego tłumaczenia, albo w innym formacie,
takim jak duży druk, albo na kasecie audio, proszę się z nami skontaktować pod numerem telefonu 01249
465465, aby przedyskutować Państwa potrzeby.
Herhangi bir kısmının izah edilmesini veya tercüme edilmesini, ya da iri harfler veya ses bantı gibi başka bir
fotmatta verilmesini isterseniz, lütfen ihtiyaçlarınızı konuşmak için bu numaraya telefon edin: 01249 465465.
All customer enquiries
Phone 01249 465465 • email [email protected]
Methuen Park, Chippenham SN14 0GU
www.greensquaregroup.com