In Touch Issue 41 - Chislehurst & Sidcup Housing Association

Issue 41 • Spring 2015
The Newsletter from Chislehurst & Sidcup Housing Association • www.csha.org.uk
Make a date in
your diary for
the 2015
CSHA Tenants’
Conference
see page 2
Easter & May
bank holidays
The Sheltered Housing
Managers will be off duty and
the Head Office closed on:
Good Friday
3 April
Easter Monday
6 April
Early May bank holiday 4 May
Spring bank holiday
25 May
In the event of an emergency
on these days, please contact
the Linkline/Careline service.
More gardening
services
Our two largest schemes,
Ursula Lodges and Bushell
Way, are to have their
gardening services increased to
three visits a week, starting
from March 2015.
Tenant satisfaction
remains high
eneral satisfaction with
CSHA service has been
maintained at a high level –
97% – according to our two-yearly
survey held last September.
G
Consequently, while we must
respond to each and every tenant’s
concern, we must look at what the
main issues are and how we can
improve our service for everyone.
Our key objectives are to provide
cost effective, efficient and caring
services, and the survey helps us to
do this. Questionnaires were sent
to 166 households and we received
98 responses (59%), as in the 2012
survey.
In terms of satisfaction with the
overall repairs service, 67 tenants
responded out of a total of 98
saying they were satisfied (68%)
while 21 tenants had not used the
repair service.
We use the survey feedback to help
us understand tenants’ needs and
views, and plan future services and
delivery.
The 2014 survey finding of 97%
general satisfaction among tenants,
with 1% not responding, compares
to the slightly higher figure of 99%
in the 2012 survey.
However, an individual tenant’s
view of a satisfaction survey can
often be coloured by a personal
experience, good or bad, and does
not necessarily portray the real
situation for the scheme as a whole.
Also, by having a survey of so few
people, just one or two dissatisfied
responses will have a big impact on
the overall statistics.
Comparison of 2012 and 2014 survey results %
100
80
60
40
20
0
59%
59%
Response rate
97.7
%
96.9
4%
Generally satisfied
96.94% of respondents were
generally satisfied in 2014
compared to 97.70% in 2012.
However, as the tenant satisfaction
survey was overhauled in 2014 a
direct comparison of each question
has not been possible.
The Association would like to
thank all tenants who took part in
the satisfaction survey.
‘Our key objectives are to provide cost
effective, efficient and caring services,
and the survey helps us to do this’
TENANTS’ CONFERENCE 2015
INDEPENDENT LIVING AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU
Friday 24 July is the date to put in your diary for the next CSHA
Tenants’ Conference. With the theme of independent living and what
it means to you, the conference will be held at the Ripley Arts centre
in Bromley and all tenants are invited.
You don’t have to wait until the conference to have a say … everyone
is welcome to the monthly meetings with Jan Barnett, the Housing
Services Manager, to hear what is happening in the Association and
discuss matters relating to your scheme.
Or talk to your Tenant Representative. They meet every three months
with CSHA to discuss matters of interest or concern and can take your
issue forward.
If you have a complaint but do not wish to discuss it with the
Sheltered Housing Manager, the Housing Services Manager or at an
open meeting, please write to the Head Office. We will investigate and
respond back to you within 10 days. You can remain anonymous, but
of course we will not be able to respond directly back to you.
It is very important that we hear your views on how we manage the
schemes and provide your services. Let us know what you think …
good or not so good!
Board update
CSHA’s Board met in January
to take these actions:
ᔢ Various policies and
strategies were approved.
ᔢ The management accounts
for the previous three months
were noted and the 2015-16
budget was approved.
ᔢ Development programme
activity was discussed.
ᔢ The audit and risk sub
committee reported back.
ᔢ The Chief Executive and
Housing Services Manager
gave their quarterly reports.
ᔢ Performance over the last
three months was examined.
ᔢ The Tenant Satisfaction
Survey and Service Standards
Survey results were analysed.
• Bertha Hollamby Court
• Blackmore House • Bushell Way
• Evelyn Rogers Court • Ursula L
Bushell Way
Cockney night – We had a
fantastic turnout in January for a
night full of music in aid of charity –
complete with a Pearly King & Queen,
Irish band, and some great singers of
hit records and songs from musicals.
Everyone enjoyed a fantastic buffet of
jellied eels and other tasty treats.
Valentine’s dinner – Twenty-five
tenants gathered on the evening of
14 February for a delicious 3-course
Valentine’s dinner cooked by our very
own Social Committee. The table
looked beautiful and everyone complimen
of good food, good company and no cooki
TENANT PANEL
NEWS
The Panel met in December to
discuss these issues:
ᔢ Supported People charges and
refunds
ᔢ Various policies
ᔢ The Tenant Panel Code of
Conduct and Training
ᔢ The latest management accounts
ᔢ Board reports
ᔢ Repairs and improvements
around the schemes
ᔢ Gardening
ᔢ Key areas of performance
ᔢ Health and safety matters.
Welcome to our
new CSHA
tenants
Each representative also raised
matters affecting their individual
scheme.
Bertha Hollamby Court
Kathleen Eageling
Jan Armstrong
Training for tenant panel reps
Master Class training sessions for all Tenant Panel Representatives are
running in February and March. The first one was in February with
further sessions on 3, 10 and 17 March.
Stanley Glynn Court – A big thank
items for the bring and buy sale held in F
raised £258.00 for your social fund.
A warm welcome to all our new
tenants who have moved in since the
last newsletter: Please make them
feel at home.
B
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B
Ursula Lodges
Ada Webb
Kenneth Darvill
Phyllis Waterhouse
T
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a
Blackmore House
Jacqueline Elliott
T
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News from around the schemes
y
Lodges
Evelyn Rogers
Court
ɀ A very happy 75th birthday to
Micky Briley, with thanks for the
cake.
A Pearly King & Queen ...
... and a Cockney buffet
nted the chefs, enjoying the romance
ing or washing up!
you to everyone who kindly donated
February. With the raffle and sales we
ɀ As always, a welcome visitor to
the Court was Jack the gun dog …
we all love Jack!
ɀ We have been busy eating our way
through home made scones and
jam. The jam continues to sell at
£1 a jar – speak to your manager if
you would like some.
Birds of prey – There will be a
birds of prey display at the scheme
on 29 April. All schemes are invited.
Entrance fee: £5.
Racing at Lingfield – Do you
fancy a bet? Due to demand a trip to
Lingfield has been arranged for 4
June. If you’d like to attend, let your
manager know.
Freedom pass – Have you done
yours yet? If you need help in
applying for your pass online speak
to your Sheltered Housing Manager.
Bertha Hollamby Court
Entertaining everyone at the annual Christmas party, ‘Elvis’ made sure that
there was plenty of rock and roll.
Two outings are planned, to Hastings and Southend, and St George’s Day will
be celebrated with a lunch in the scheme in April.
Tenants are hoping for sunny days ahead, having bought a barbeque and a CD
system with some of their scheme budget funds.
Blackmore House
The scheme’s parties tend to start early, at 4pm, due to the number of younger
relatives of tenants who come along. This year’s Christmas party was no
exception and even though we were bursting at the seams in our fairly small
lounge, everyone had a great time! The food was a mixture of English, African
and Caribbean followed by traditional desserts.
The two trestle tables bought from scheme budget came in really handy for
this party as we usually struggle to find places for everything.
Ursula Lodges
Following a wonderful
Christmas party, where we
were entertained by a
singer, tenants
gathered in the
lounge for New
Year’s Eve to
watch the
fireworks on TV
at midnight.
We’ve also had
various film
nights, and a
race night which
was great fun.
Congratulations to
Mrs Jessie Wright
who celebrated her
99th Birthday on
16 February. Tenants
decorated the lounge with
balloons and banners for the
occasion and Jessie’s family joined
us, bringing a beautiful cake – and of
course, we all sang Happy Birthday.
Introducing our new staff
ROY FABRI, our new
Technical Services Manager, has
been working part time with
CSHA since September 2014.
Roy was previously with Hyde
Housing Association for 26
years, as their Principal Building
Surveyor in both the
development and property
services teams. Roy, who is also a
member of the Chartered
Association of Building
Engineers, says: “I hope to use
my experience and knowledge to
the benefit of the association and
its tenants”.
JAN BARNETT became our
full time Housing Services
Manager last October, having
provided cover as Housing
Manager since July 2014. Before
that, she was with Affinity
Sutton (formerly Broomleigh
Housing Association) for 19
years as a Rent Account Manager
in both the Rent Account
department and the Leasehold
and Shared Ownership team. Jan
says: “My experience and skills
have come in useful in my new
role and will benefit CSHA and
tenants”.
IMPROVING OUR
PROPERTIES IN 2015-2016
The Association will be carrying out bathroom, kitchen and heating
system improvements in the new financial year, starting in April.
We will keep you informed if this involves you and your home. Homes for
improvement have been identified based on a) the condition of the
facilities and whether they are in a reasonable condition or beyond repair,
and b) whether the tenant is unable to use the facilities due to poor health.
We keep the condition of all bathrooms, kitchens and heating systems
under constant review and those in need of attention that cannot be done
this year will be in the next year’s programme.
APRIL RENT
INCREASE
AND
HOUSING
BENEFIT
All rents, service charges,
support charges and heating
and hot water charges are
reviewed on 6 April 2015. You
will have received a formal
notification of the new
charges in February.
ᔢ If you are entitled to
Housing Benefit from the
Council and it is paid direct
to the Association, you will
receive a letter in April
from the Housing Services
Manager informing you
what you have to pay. You
should then tell your bank
to alter the standing order.
ᔢ The Association will inform
the Council of the new
charges for all tenants who
have their benefit paid to
the Association.
ᔢ If you are not entitled to
Housing Benefit or you
receive it direct from the
Council, you should pay the
new charges stated in the
formal notification you
received in February, and
alter your bank standing
order.
If you have any queries please
speak to your Sheltered
Housing Manager or contact
the Housing Services
Manager on 0208 467 9146.
IF YOU HAVE ANY DIFFICULTY READING THIS NEWSLETTER AND WOULD LIKE
IT IN LARGER PRINT OR A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE, PLEASE LET US KNOW.