HomeNews Autumn 2011

www.warwickdc.gov.uk/homenews

KEEPING YOUINFORMED

ISSUE 68 – AUTUMN 2011YOUR WDC HOUSING MAGAZINE

ADVICE ABOUT MONEY AND DEBT

ANNUAl REpORT

MEET OUR NEW DECORATIONS CONTRACTOR

www.warwickdc.gov.uk

WATCh YOURGARDEN GROW

CONTENTS

Published by Housing and Property Services, Warwick District Council (WDC), Riverside House, Milverton Hill, Royal Leamington Spa CV32 5QE. Tel: 01926 410 410.

Designed by The Media Room, WDC Managing Editor (WDC) Fiona Walsh 01926 456 447. Editor Nicki Hughes 01926 456 120.Photography Some Photographs by: www.siobhanelizabethphotography.com

The virgin fibre used in the paper for this product has been derived from sustainably managed forests. This product is fully recyclable.

Welcome tothe Autumn issue of home NewsThis time we have a bumper issue for you packed with useful information and news to keep you up to date with housing & property Services.

This issue also includes our Annual Report, which you can pull out and keep. This contains all the achievements and improvements we have made over the past year so that you can see how we are doing against our goals. It also contains a statement from Councillor Vincett, who is our new Portfolio Holder.

Inside the magazine, there are features on two of our staff, James Baker who is our senior estates supervisor and Lisa Crossland who is our new financial inclusion officer. You can find out what they do and how they can help you.

There is information about gas servicing and electricity testing which you should think about before the weather turns cold and also there are tips on keeping warm this winter and some lovely warming soup recipes to try out.

Do keep in touch with us and if you have any questions or suggestions,

please do not hesitate to contact: [email protected]

2 WElCOME 3 BlOOMING BRIllIANT RENT ACCOUNT BAlANCE

4 SEDDON pROpERTY SERVICES lTD

6 TENANT pARTICIpATION UpDATE

8 lEASEhOlDERS NEWS DON’T fORGET YOUR pIR TEST

9 A DAY IN ThE lIfE Of JAMES BAKER SENIOR ESTATES SUpERVISOR

10 CONDENSATION

12 ChANGES TO hOW COUNCIl hOUSING fINANCE IS MANAGED

13 ANNUAl REpORT UpDATE 21 fINANCIAl INClUSION OffICER 22 WINTER WARMING SOUpS

23 DO YOU NEED ADVICE ABOUT MONEY AND DEBTS?

24 WATCh OUT ThERE ARE SCAMS ABOUT

25 ARMChAIR BIDDING 26 KEEp WARM ThIS WINTER IMpORTANT SAfETY NOTICE

27 GAS SAfETY pERfORMANCE UpDATE 28 DON’T CAUSE A BlOCKAGE TAKE COVER

29 WATCh YOUR GARDEN GROW

30 GARDENING NEWS 31 WINTER SOUpS WORDSEARCh

COMpETITION WINNERS

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 456447

2

You can now see your rent statement onlineYou will have been sent an account ID and password along with your rent increase letter in February. These enable you to view your account at any time you wish to do so.

Go to: www.warwickdc.gov.uk/ housing/tenants and enter your account ID and password details.

You can either view a snapshot of the last 3 weeks or view your rent statements from 2008 onwards.

There is also a link to the secure online payment page. If you have lost your password or have any other questions please call 456408, 456409 or 456445 or e-mail: [email protected] and we will be happy to help.

WOUlD YOU lIKE TO KNOW ThE BAlANCE ON YOUR RENT ACCOUNT?


Blooming BrilliantCongratulations to the tenants of Ingle Court; their superb gardening skills have won them “outstanding” in this year’s Britain in Bloom awards. This is a great example of tenants working together to improve their local area.

3

www.warwickdc.gov.uk 4

We would like to thank our previous painting contractors Ian Williams for their hard work over the past 5 years and welcome our new contractor Seddon property Services ltd who were successfully appointed following a rigorous tendering and consultation process.

This is the first year that we have merged external and internal decoration contracts with a view to eventually bringing the programmes together. Seddon’s contract began at the end of August and they started work on-site in mid September.

Their main responsibilities are; z the cyclical 5 yearly decoration and pre-paint repair of previously decorated surfaces and clearing out gutters. z Externally, this includes wooden or metal windows, doors and frames, items of timber around the roof area, render, communal fences and gates. z Internally this includes walls, ceilings, handrails, doors and frames in communal areas.

As a result of consultation with tenants, we will be getting you more involved in decision making, particularly in communal schemes, so please look out for events near you! When your property is due for decoration, the Seddon team will contact you to gain access to your home and can make appointments depending on your needs. If you want to make an appointment or have any general queries, just call Seddon on their free and dedicated contact number: 0800 587 5183.

We also value your feedback, as it helps us to see where we can improve. Once the work to your property is completed you will receive a feedback form, which you can return for free by post. We also plan to set up an online form.

All returned forms will be entered into a quarterly prize draw to win £50 worth of Tesco Vouchers. When you receive the form please fill it out and return it for your chance to win! As we value both positive and negative feedback, the comments that you make will not affect your chances of winning.

OUR NEW DECORATIONS CONTRACTOR SEDDON pROpERTY SERVICES lTD

5

Seddon are planning to recruit decorators/carpenters from the local area to join the team for work on this contract, please look out for updates in future issues of Home News.

If you would like to know more about Seddon just visit their website: www.seddon.co.uk



TENANT PARTICIPATIONHOUSING AND PROPERTY SERVICES

Congratulations to Mrs Pawlik from Lillington who won the Prize Draw for completed Tenants surveys. She has won a £100 one4all gift voucher!

Perhaps if you don’t want to get involved in the more formal meetings, but would be willing to help out with certain tasks when you have some time to spare, then please think about volunteering! Just contact Margaret Allen for details.

Good work is being done on estate walkabouts, with issues found being addressed. More walkabouts are planned and will be in your area soon! Follow up inspections are also being planned to check on the progress of issues raised and the completion of repairs.

The tenant panel has received reports about the lack of communication between staff and tenants on the progress of matters raised by tenants. This does seem to be a problem in some areas and we are examining this situation and will report back to you in future issues of Home News.

With regard to the call centre and repairs, outline investigations are ongoing but we did have a positive result last month with the report of no abandoned calls

for 4 days (nobody rang off before they were dealt with!). The total number of calls during part of the 2nd week was also dramatically down with it being the holiday month of August, but we shall see what happens next month.

Supporting people services is presently being reviewed. In light of re-allocation of Supporting People funding and the introduction of Universal Credit in 2013. The Tenant Panel is investigating issues relating to the fees paid and the level of service provided. Reports are being requested on the service and details of all future changes when they are available for discussion and monitoring by the tenant panel.

Says Tim Eden, “This is a brief summary of our work to show we are active and we are working on a number of issues – everything is taking time, but hopefully by the next issue we will be able to report on the results of some of our investigations and what has been achieved through our main aim to improve the work of the Housing Services.

This last 3 months has seen the Tenant Panel developing a process for scrutinising Housing & Property Services. They have their own office at Riverside House, complete with computer and telephone access, which helps them perform their duties more efficiently. Whilst there is good attendance of the tenants at the regular panel meetings, we need more tenants who can get involved in supporting and carrying out some of the actions.

Mrs Pawlik (R) with Terry Taylor, Margaret Allen and Dave Ward (L to R).

Did you know there are courses for you that are not only free to attend, but we’ll pay your travel and your childcare costs and we’ll even throw in lunch!

If you are interested in getting out and about, meeting like minded people and finding out more about housing and what happens behind the scenes then these courses will be right up your street! Here are a few of the courses available to any tenants over the next few months.

Margaret Allen is the person to contact if you are interested and she will book you onto the course and make all the other necessary arrangements, so it’s really easy for you to take part;

TENANT PARTICIPATIONHOUSING AND PROPERTY SERVICES

7 www.warwickdc.gov.uk

If you would like any more information, please contact Margaret Allen, Tenant participation Officer on: tel – 01926 456 451 mobile – 07810 654 669 email – [email protected] web – www.warwickdc.gov.uk/tp

Tenant Scrutiny - Best practice

17 November2011Sydni Centre, Sydenham, Leamington Spa

• Shareproblems• Findouthow

housing providers approach scrutiny

Involving Residents in achieving value for money

25 January 2012The Moat House Leisure & Neighbourhood Centre, Coventry

• Lookatwhattenantsand social housing organisations want from value for money

• Considerwhatvalueformoney means for housing

housing law 15 february 2012Stacey Court, Rugby

• Whatishousinglaw?• Whataretenantsrights?• Answerfrequentlyasked

questions about housing law

NovThur 3 packmores, lyttleton Road 10am - 12noon

Tue 8 Cubbington Village hall, 10am - 12noon

Thu 10 Brunswick Residents Meeting, The healthy living Centre, 7 - 8pm

Tue15 Tenant panel Meeting, Town hall, 7 - 9pm

Wed 16 Beauchamp Court, 10am – 12noon

Thur 24 The Gap, Warwick 2 - 4pm

DecThur 1 packmores Coffee Morning, lyttleton Road, 10am - 12noon

Tue 13 Cubbington Village hall, 10am - 12noon

Thur 15 The Gap, 2 - 4pm

Tue 20 Tenant panel meeting, Town hall, 7 - 9pm

Wed 21 Beauchamp Court, 10am - 12noon

fREE COURSES Drop in and meet the housing team, have a chat over a cup of coffee and let us know how you’re getting on. And if you bring your unwanted textiles you can find out where they go - and get a goodie bag!

DROp IN


With nearly a year since the Audit Commission Review of housing Services, Service Improvement plans are now developing into detailed actions which have been reviewed by Residents Associations and the leaseholder Action Group (lAG). These plans will lead to changed actions to be undertaken by housing and property Services. lAG has been taking more involvement in these activities.

INTERNET AND EMAIlSMost of LAG’s communications with the council is by email, apart from regular meetings of course, and they have been developing their email database which already holds quite a few leaseholder’s email addresses.

If you respond to any LAG or WDC/LAG communication by email your email address will be added to this database, unless you advise that you do not wish to be included. Or just email [email protected] saying “please include my email address on the LAG database”.

Our future plan is to email most of our communications out to our leaseholders.

lEASEhOlDER QUESTIONNAIRELeaseholders will be receiving a LAG Questionnaire which is a follow up to the one issued in January 2009. The results will be published in a future edition of Home News and on the website www.warwickdc.gov.uk/leaseholder

8www.warwickdc.gov.uk

We have published a list of digital aerials that Housing & Property Services is responsible for.

if your address is not on the list then it is your responsibility. If you would like to find out whether your address is on the list, please contact Alan Meads on 01926 456041, or visit the website to view a copy.

The Council is responsible for carrying out a periodic Inspection Report (pIR), to ensure your electrics are in good working order, safe and comply with regulations.

Our aim is to have every household PIR tested by April 2012, so the team at EM&I Ltd will write to you when yours is due to organise an appointment. Once you receive a letter, please treat it as urgent

and book an appointment by calling 01926 889989 or 07833 204958. The test can take between one to four hours depending on your circumstances, but they can carry out any necessary upgrades while they are there and leave you reassured that your electrics are safe.

PIR tests last for ten years, but we will be carrying them out every five years and every time a property has a change of ownership.

DON’T fORGET YOUR pIR TEST!TV

AERIAlS

HOUSING AND PROPERTY SERVICES

LEASEHOLDERS NEWS


Following our series where we look at the work of Housing & Property Services team, we take a snapshot of James Baker’s diary and find out how he spends his day. James joined the council in 2006 and worked in the customer service centre, where he worked his way up to team leader. He then moved into Housing & Property Services in January 2011.

As senior estates supervisor, the purpose of James’ role is to ensure your homes and communal areas are kept clean and well maintained. He does this by managing four estate supervisors who provide cleaning and grounds maintenance work as well as managing the cleaning and window cleaning contracts across the district, including sheltered housing.

9 AMJames checks his emails and answerphone messages. He receives a number of these every day and they can be from tenants asking when the cleaners are coming, or when something is going to be cleared away. He also deals with complaints from tenants and requests to follow up their enquiries.

10 AMJames follows up on a complaint he has received by arranging to go out and meet with a tenant. He says,“I like to follow up issues quickly and by visiting the site and speaking to tenants. This can make it much easier to see first hand what the problem is.” James will arrange to visit sometimes with a housing officer or even a councillor if he feels that this is necessary. He then decides on the best course

of action to resolve it – it could be a straightforward cleaning issue, which he can deal with through the cleaning contractor or he may need to pass it onto another service area, if it involves anti-social behaviour or waste removal, for example.

11 AMJames’ role is to ensure that service standards are met and this is done by scheduling in cleaning and contracting tasks every day, every week and monthly. His Estate Supervisors report back to him regularly so that he can review their work schedules and ensure that service levels are maintained.

He goes through their reports which highlight any problems they have found and he decides whether any further action is required.

11.30 AMToday he visits one of his sites where there are weeds and general litter building up behind the flats and this has been highlighted in one of his inspection reports. He needs to find out how bad the situation is and how quickly he needs to act.

2 pMFollowing his inspection he decides to contact the “Community Payback Team” – they are contracted to give 40 days worth of time to the council

and James co-ordinates how they spend that time. “They are a really useful group and will clear up areas and tidy open spaces that need some attention. It means we can follow up some complaints really quickly.”

3 pMThe remainder of James’ day is spent planning his next Walkabout. This is where he visits a part of the district to assess any issues that have come up. Walkabouts are organised with housing officers, members of the tenant panel as well as councillors and tenants. Says James, “Everyone has the opportunity to point out their concerns, photos are taken and tenants can see for themselves that we do get out of the office and see what’s happening in the district.”

“The last walkabout at Crown Way was really well received by the tenants and resulted in some good feedback as well as highlighting some areas that needed attention”.

A DAY IN ThE lIfE Of...

JAMES BAKERSENIOR ESTATES SUpERVISOR

LEASEHOLDERS NEWS

Our everyday activities add extra moisture to the air inside our homes - even our breathing adds some moisture. One person asleep adds half a pint of water to the air overnight and an active person adds twice that amount during the day.

look what else adds water through the day;• 2 people at home for

16 hours - 3 pints• A bath or shower - 2 pints• Drying clothes indoors - 9 pints• Cooking and the kettle - 6 pints• Washing dishes - 2 pints• Bottled gas heater (8 hours use) -

4 pints• Follow our 5 step plan to help you reduce

the amount of condensation and potential forming of black spot mould in your home.

1. produce less Moisture• Dry clothes outdoors rather than inside, but if you

have to, dry them on a clothes airer in the bathroom with the door closed and either an extractor fan on or a window slightly open.

• Vent tumble driers to the outside (never into the home) or buy a condensing type.

• Cover pans when cooking, close kitchen doors and do not leave kettles boiling.

• Do not use paraffin or liquid petroleum (bottled) gas heaters. They produce large amounts of water vapour and are very expensive to run.

2. Remove Excess Moisture Wipe the windows and window sills of your home every morning to remove condensation. This is especially important in the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen - just opening the window is not enough.

3. Ventilate to Remove Moisture It is important to remove condensation and excess moisture by ventilating rooms. You can ventilate a room without making draughts or causing it to become cold• To do this, you may only need to open the window

slightly or use the trickle vent that can often be found on new UPVC windows. This allows warm (but moist) air to escape to the outside and let in cool (but dry) air.

• Always ventilate or open a window when having a bath or shower and close the doors to prevent moisture in the air from spreading to other parts of the house. Continue to ventilate for a short time after a shower, a bath or cooking, and keep the door closed.

• Clear window sills of clutter that will restrict opening the window.

• Leave space between the back of furniture and cold walls.

• Ventilate cupboards, wardrobes and avoid overfilling them as this prevents air circulating.

• Where provided use an extractor fan.

4. heat Your home a little More• In cold weather, the best way to keep rooms warm

and avoid condensation is to keep low background heat on all day rather than short bursts of high heat when you are in the house.

• Using heating controls on your radiators, room thermostats and a timer will help control the heating throughout your house and manage costs.


CONDENSATION

5. Dealing with black mouldBlack mould can grow on walls, ceilings, furnishings and even on clothes and toys, which can be depressing and expensive.

To kill and remove the mould:• Carefully remove excess mould with a damp cloth and throw

away after. Or if possible use a vacuum cleaner and empty after. • Wipe down affected areas using a fungicidal wash or bleach –

remember always use rubber gloves and wear safety glasses. Then after 24 hours wash again using a diluted bleach solution or fungicidal wash.

• Tea Tree oil is a natural antiseptic and disinfectant but it’s also great for cleaning especially on mould or mildew. Try a dilute of three to four drops of Tea Tree oil in two litres of water (hot or cold). Soak mildewed items in the solution or spray on to trouble spots using a plant mister. Wipe, then rinse off. Always ensure you carry out a test on small area of the fabric/material/surface beforehand.

• After treatment redecorate using a fungicidal paint or wall paper paste – do not paint over using an ordinary paint.

Remember…….Dealing with

condensation is not easy.

Do as many of these tips as

possible every day, so that they

become part of your lifestyle.

DON’T GET STUCK!As you know, many of our flats have lift access to the higher floors.

There is now a new procedure if you happen to be in a lift that gets stuck. This involves dialling the operator direct and not the fire brigade, who will no longer attend. All you need to do is;

z press the alarm button and hold for at least 5 seconds zYou will then be connected to the Operator z They will ask you a few questions, do not talk at the same time as they won’t be able to hear you! z If you don’t connect to the operator, release the button and try again z If that doesn’t work dial the repairs line on 01926 412828


www.warwickdc.gov.ukwww.warwickdc.gov.uk

Put very simply the Government currently calculates the spending needs of each council and compares it with the revenue they get in from rent. The government will subsidise any shortfall or claw back any left over funds. However, this system is complex and does not leave councils sufficient funding to manage and maintain homes to a good standard. Neither does it support tenant involvement.

The new system is called self-financing and is aimed at making financing more flexible and fair – giving councils the power to make the best use of their housing stock and enabling tenants to hold their local council responsible for the cost and quality of their housing.

This will change from April 2012 and the Localism Bill will bring in the new self-financing system and abolish the current one.

how will it affect you? zWarwick District Council will have more money to spend on its council houses. z You will see a clear connection between the rent you pay and the service you receive. We will need to produce annual reports with clear information about charges and costs. z Our business planning will be guided by local priorities and not central government rules.

What won’t change? z Your rights as tenants z Your landlord – we will still be your housing provider. z Your rent – the level of rent will still be decided by Warwick District Council

For more information have a word with Abigail Hay on 01926 456044, or visit www.communities.gov.uk. We will be putting information on our website so keep an eye out.

ChANGES TO hOW COUNCIl hOUSING fINANCE IS MANAGEDThe Government is proposing changes to the way it shares the cost of your council housing with the council. None of the changes will affect your tenancy or the rent you pay.

12

WElCOME TOOUR ANNUAl REpORTTO TENANTS 2011


What is this report about?

The regulator for housing, the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) requires us to issue an annual report to tenants every year.

This annual report must give tenants an honest and helpful view about how Warwick District Council is doing against the TSA standards for:

• Tenant involvement and customer care

• Maintaining your home

• Allocating homes and setting rents

• looking after the neighbourhood and

communal areas

• Value for money

We report on how we are consulting and working with tenants to ensure services are tailored to tenants.

This report details our performance against the TSA standards. How well we do on meeting these standards is checked by the TSA.

The head of housing and property Services is Jameel Malik. he joined Warwick District Council in March 2010.

Jameel and his Housing and Property Management Team, consist of six managers, Dave Ward Housing Manager, Jacky Oughton Rents and Finance Manager, Tony White Property Manager, Joan Hicks Supporting People Services Manager, Satnam Kaur Housing Strategy Manager, Abigail Hay Business Support Manager.

We have undertaken a programme of service transformation which places tenants at the heart of designing and improving services. This vision to drive service improvement based on lean-system principles is agreed and led by the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Property Services, Councillor Norman Vincett and you can read his statement at the end of this report .

Warwick District Council has a housing stock of 5634 homes and 2040 garages


Tenant involvement in decision making about housingThere are a number of ways that tenants can get involved. There are 8 Tenant and Resident Groups – Tannery Court, Clarendon Square, Fallow Hill, St Pauls Square and Kennedy Square, Brunswick, Marsham Close, Antelope Gardens and Fetherston Court. There are also resident groups at Shuckburgh Grove, Saltisford Gardens, Stamford Gardens and Pickard Street. We hold regular drop-ins at The Gap, the Packmores Centre, Cubbington, Fetherston Court and Beauchamp Court. There is also a monthly drop-in at Lillington Children’s Centre. Financial support is provided to constituted groups. We actively promote tenant training and we provide financial assistance and travel costs for those tenants attending training courses.

Tenants are part of the editorial panel for the quarterly tenants’ newsletter, Home News.

The Tenant Panel was established in September 2010, with 20 members attending monthly meetings at the town hall. Tenant Champions have been nominated to consider specific service areas such as repairs, anti-social behaviour, and energy awareness.

The Tenant Champions meet with officers at the Service Improvement Group’s monthly meetings.

These meetings have been established for four service areas;• Repairs and Maintenance• Allocations and Lettings• Housing Management• Performance

They play an important role in scrutinising the performance of the council as landlord. The success of the Tenant Panel was acknowledged by the Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH) in 2011 when we received the ‘Runner Up’ award for Excellence in participation.

We also hosted a successful regional focus meeting of the Tenant Participation and Advisory Service (TPAS) at the Sydni Centre, Sydenham in July.

We received 87 complaints last year, this is 23 more than the previous year. The majority of the complaints were about our repairs service.

Visit our website www.warwickdc.gov.uk You can report a repair, pay your rent via our website and access a range of housing services and advice.

Face to face visits can be made at Riverside House, or at the One Stop Shops at Lillington, Warwick, Kenilworth and Whitnash. A list of contact telephone numbers and e-mail addresses is given on the back page of each edition of Home News. Customers can also access a range of services via our Digital TV service and on their mobile phones. All leaflets and requests for information are available in other languages and formats.


Maintaining your home We received 19,667 repair calls this year. We carried out a fundamental review of how we deliver repairs to our tenants. As a result we now make appointments for all repairs at a time which is suitable for you. We respond to all emergency calls within four hours. Reminder calls or texts are sent to you a day before the appointment. As at Sept 2011, appointments are made for 100% of repairs.

We know this is important as 81% tenants rated ‘being told when workers would call’ as a positive (Tenants’ Satisfaction Survey 2008). The Council has a legal requirement to keep our tenants safe in their homes. In Sept 2011 98.96% of our properties with gas appliances had a valid gas safety certificate.

It is a government requirement that all our homes meet the Decent Homes standard. This means that homes must be warm, weatherproof and have reasonably modern facilities. All our homes now meet this standard. We currently spend over £5 million a year on our major works programme. This includes kitchen and bathroom replacements, window and door replacements, the replacement of heating systems, and insulation improvements. Tenants have a choice of colour and design when we replace kitchens, bathrooms and doors and windows. We have been working for several years to upgrade communal TV systems and this work was completed ready for the Digital Switchover in 2011. We have a programme of energy saving initiatives and initiatives using green energy. These include the upgrading of existing gas central heating systems, double glazing and upgrading the loft and cavity wall insulation in all our properties.

We have a programme of installing photovoltaic panels to sheltered bungalows to produce electricity and solar hot water to our houses in rural areas. We also have mini wind turbines on the roofs of two high rise blocks of flats which are run during daylight hours and help to provide electricity for the communal areas.

We carry out periodic fire risk assessments on all our multi-occupancy blocks. We are now implementing a more robust system in partnership with the Fire Service. All multi-occupancy blocks will be issued with a fire log book which includes information on gas and electric servicing along with fire detection and fire fighting systems.

For tenants who need help to get in and out of the bath or getting upstairs we have an aids and adaptation service. An assessment is carried out by Warwickshire County Council Occupational Therapy Service. Where tenants fall into the higher or critical need category the adaptation is carried out within 12 months of the referral. For those tenants assessed as substantial there is a considerable waiting time. In 2010/11 we received 90 High Need applications and 149 Substantial Need applications.

We have been working hard to place households in properties that have already been adapted. This means that those looking for alternative accommodation, or considering adapting a property are allocated a property which is suitable for their needs.


Allocating homesLast year we let 410 homes.

During the same period we encouraged 17 households to move from 3 bedroom accommodation to smaller homes. To encourage tenants with spare bedrooms to move to smaller properties, we offer an incentive of up to £5000. This means that the larger property is then available for families.

For certain properties we also offer assistance with removal costs.

We let our properties through ‘HomeChoice’ our choice-based lettings system. Details of this scheme can be found at www.warwickdc.gov.uk. There are currently 3175 people on the HomeChoice register.

Tenant representatives have helped to design the standards for our ready to let properties. These will be supported by customer satisfaction data collected from new tenants. We have reduced the amount of time properties are empty. In 2009/10 the average number of days between a property becoming empty and a new tenant moving in was 44 days, this has now reduced to 29 days in 2010/11. New empty properties since April 2011 have taken an average of 20 days. On average we spend £1,884 making each property ready to let for new tenants.

Supporting people ServiceWe have around 1200 properties that we let specifically to older and vulnerable people. These properties are supported by our Community Alarm Service, 24 hours a day. We have five very sheltered schemes with Resident Scheme Managers, and for the other properties we have specialist team of Supported Housing Officers who work with our tenants, providing housing support services.

In the future the Supported Housing Service faces significant changes. We are refurbishing one of our very sheltered schemes to raise the standard of facilities available.

We are also installing level access showers in properties for older people so they don’t have to wait for adaptations to be carried out. This work will take a few years and we hope tenants will soon begin to see the benefit.


TenancyNew tenants are granted an Introductory Tenancy. On the 12 month anniversary (as long as we have not commenced legal proceedings due to a breach of tenancy conditions) the tenancy becomes a secure tenancy. Tenants’ rights and responsibilities are set out in the Tenancy Agreement and the Tenant’s Handbook. All new tenants receive a settling-in visit in the first few weeks of their tenancy, and a further visit takes place around the 12 month anniversary. Officers are always available to visit tenants or to arrange interviews to discuss matters and issues including rent arrears. Where tenants require additional help we work with agencies such as Fry Housing, Bromford Housing and the Swanswell Trust to support tenants and their tenancies.

There has been an emphasis on the prevention and detection of tenancy fraud. We are participating in the government funded Tenancy Fraud Initiative, which makes sure that our homes continue to be occupied by the tenants that we let them to.

Neighbourhood & communal areasWe have an emphasis on the early prevention of addressing Anti-Social Behaviour. We work closely with partners to resolve tenancy issues and will utilise a range of enforcement techniques when necessary and have introduced service standards for dealing with anti-social behaviour.

Last year we evicted 3 tenants from their homes because of anti-social behaviour.

We are working with the Probation Service. Offenders under the Community Payback Scheme carry out supervised work on communal gardens and environmental work such as graffiti removal.

Following consultation with residents, Service Standards have been introduced on housing sites where we employ site-based Estate Supervisors. There is a regular programme of inspections which are carried out by a senior estates supervisor and a tenant inspector.

44% Maintaining Homes

34% Paid to Central Government

15%Management & tenant services

5% Put aside to meet future expenditure

2% Interest on historic loansthat were used to build homes

34%

44%

2%5%

15%

RentsThe average weekly rent for our homes is £70.51 Our rents are set according to government rules and guidelines. Information about our performance in collecting rent and dealing with rent arrears is included in the Tenure and Value for Money Sections of this report.

This chart shows how your rent is spent.


Value forMoney

We are working with tenants to come up with ideas for saving money and improving the service, including reviewing all the major contracts.

We appointed a new company for our affordable Tenants Contents Insurance Scheme which now provides tenants with additional cover for the same weekly premium.

This year we expect to save approximately £30,000 by introducing revised arrangements for the removal of waste and fly-tips from housing sites. We expect to save an additional £20,000 by introducing new ways to complete Energy Performance Certificates.

During the financial year 2010/11 we collected 99.4% of the rent that was due, and the arrears of rent was 3.65%. We have an emphasis on early preventative intervention. As well as funding a Money Advice worker at the Citizens Advice Bureau, we have now employed a Financial Inclusion Officer, within the Rents and Finance team, who can help tenants with budgeting, claiming benefits and debt advice, along with sign posting to services such as banking, affordable credit and help into work.

We have introduced an additional date for paying your rent by direct debit and you can now pay on either the 2 or 14 of each month. You can also securely access your rent statement and balance on-line.

local OffersWe agree with the TSA that landlords should tailor their services around what our tenants actually want. Our first local offers will be;

• Tenant Involvement

& Empowerment

• home

• Neighbourhood

These were introduced in 2011, as planned.

We are putting together robust plans over the next 5 years to improve performance and services to tenants that ultimately pay our salaries. We will be consulting with you on how we can improve our service.In the meantime if you have any suggestions we would be delighted to receive them. Please contact Jameel Malik at the address below or contact us at [email protected]

Contact detailshousing and property Services,Riverside house, Milverton hill, leamington Spa CV32 5QE

Telephone 01926 410 410housing Repairs/home Choice and housing Officer enquiries 01926 412 828(please see copy of ‘home News’ for direct dial contact numbers and e-mail addresses) housing Repairs - [email protected]

Send us your suggestions – [email protected]

5634Rented properties

524leasehold properties

2040Garages


This year we have made good progress in housing & property Services. In response to the recent Audit commission inspection, Housing & Property Services have been working on delivering improvements through the Service Improvement Plan. On 12 May 2011, the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) formally confirmed that Housing and Property Services delivered and exceeded all of the required Audit Commission actions within 32 weeks of the inspection publication date.

They said,

“Warwick District Council has provided evidence of completion of all of the inspection action plan recommendations and has developed a system of continuing with the work under the service improvement plan. At the visit I was pleased to talk to tenants who had been involved in planning and delivering actions against both plans. The council has provided assurance that the focus has changed, that it is embracing tenant involvement and that it has incorporated tenant scrutiny mechanisms into all of its activities.”

Other areas of improvement have been;1. The time it takes to relet our properties. At the end

of 2009/10 it took 44 days to relet a property after tenants had moved out, at the end of 2010/11 it took 29 days. This meant we earned an additional £128, 000 above predictions to invest in housing.

2. Direct Debits – in March 2011 all eligible tenants paying their rent by direct debit was 46.62% and this puts the council in the top quartile of the Rent Income Excellence Network (RIEN).

But we don’t stop here! We will continue to review our work to ensure we maintain and improve the service we provide.

Our Improvement Journey


In the twelve months since your last Annual Report, much has happened in Housing and Property Services - the establishment of a Tenant’s Panel, a second placing award from the Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH) for “excellence in participation”, a serious “wake-up” call from the Tenants’ Service

Authority, the signing off of that Authority’s Service Action Plan, the establishment of and monthly monitoring of a Service Improvement Plan, the setting up of a Service Improvement Board not to mention in May of this year a new (and very green but I am learning rapidly) portfolio holder.

The criticism expressed by the Tenants’ Service Authority in their report of 2010 and resulting in the Service Action Plan might, taken in isolation, have been deemed catastrophic. What it did, however, was focus minds and galvanise a response that has resulted in a serious review of process and procedure thus achieving rapid improvement to service. The award by ARCH, the excellent participation from within the Tenants’ Panel and the improvement trends witnessed by the monthly monitored Service Improvement Plan, all endorse this.

It is, however, recognised by all in the service area that more still needs to be done and that improvement programmes are a continuing feature. A quarterly Service Review Board will commence meeting this month with the view to learning from experience and identifying change requirements to processes and procedures. The next twelve months promise to be busy for the department with other initiatives planned and I hope this time next year to report to you on their progress and their successes.

My first four months in post has been an exciting yet satisfying experience with much support from members of staff steadying me as I have cascaded down the learning curve like a child riding the banister rail. I take no credit for the successful achievements made but would instead refer you to the professionalism and dedication of both the Head of Department and his team.

Councillor Vincett, Portfolio Holder for Housing & Property Services

lisa Crossland, has recently joined the Rents and finance Team as financial Inclusion Officer.

Her role is to help you to maximise your income, ensuring that you are claiming all the correct benefits and helping you to fill in application forms. Lisa can also provide budgeting advice if you are struggling with your finances, or have debts.

You can contact Lisa for advice on your energy suppliers, looking at ways to pay, ensuring you are getting the best deal and discuss switching to an alternative provider if you’re not.

If you know someone who would benefit from Lisa’s support, then call 01926 456239 and Lisa will contact them and carry out an initial assessment at their home.

Did you know?1. 11% of adults don’t have a bank or building

society account and 23% of lone parent households don’t have an account.

This prevents them from giving a prospective employer details of an account into which to pay their wages or taking advantage of discounts available for paying gas and electricity bills by direct debit

2. Only 42% of people living in households with an income under £10,000 pa have any savings or investments.

This means they may have to take out loans at high rates of interest to help with domestic problems, or to buy items such as a washing machine and are vulnerable to loan sharks and illegal lending

3. 40% of people living in rented accommodation don’t have home contents insurance.

This means they can’t claim for damaged carpets or furniture, if their house is flooded or there is a fire.

4. Up to a third of households with an income under £15,000 pa are in arrears with consumer credit or household bills. They are 3 times more likely to be in arrears than better off households.

This means they may have to borrow to help pay off arrears; they may be vulnerable to depression or other mental health problems, because of their financial difficulties. They may feel it is not worthwhile going into or sustaining employment, because they will then have to repay what they owe more quickly and will not be able to manage day to day living expenses.

www.warwickdc.gov.uk21

fINANCIAl INClUSION OffICER

Smoked bacon & lentil6 rashers smoked bacontin lentils, or 6oz washed and drained2 onions- chopped2 carrots - sliced2 celery stalks - slicedlarge tin tomatoes2 cloves garlic - crushed3 pints stock8oz cabbage, finely shredded1tbsp oilchopped parsleysalt & pepperTo makeJust fry the bacon in the oil then stir in the carrots, onions and celery and cook on a high heat for a few minutes. Stir in the lentils, tomatoes, crushed garlic and stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for about an hour and then add in the cabbage and cook for a further 15 minutes. Season to taste and stir in the parsley

just before serving.

leek Onion & potato 4 large leeks1 medium onion, sliced2 medium potatoes, diced2 tbsp butter

2 pints stock½ pint milksalt & pepper to tasteTo makeTrim and slice the leeks quite finely and wash thoroughly. In a large saucepan, melt the butter then add the leeks, onions and potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the stock and milk to the pan and keep cooking until the potatoes are soft.

And that’s it, add salt and pepper and serve a nice chunky soup.


WINTER WARMING SOUpSAs we approach winter, nothing is more filling and warming than a big bowl of soup! Soup is really quick and easy to make. You can use fresh vegetables from the garden and with some bread or croutons it makes a tasty meal you can enjoy at any time of the day. Gerald Haseldine, Chair of the Leaseholder Action Group and Home News panel member shares some of his favourite recipeswith us. Why not try them for yourself!

PuMPkIn SouP

There are loads of pumpkins in the shops at this

time of year, so find out where the bargains are.

Make a huge batch of soup and put some of it in

the freezer!

1kg pumpkin – peeled, de-seeded, and diced

2 onions – sliced

700ml vegetable stock

142ml pot of double cream

2 tbsp oil

Salt & pepper

To makeHeat the oil and cook the onions for a few minutes.

Add the pumpkin and carry on cooking for about

10 minutes. Pour the stock into the pan and

season with salt and pepper and cook until the

pumpkin is soft. Add the cream and bring back to

the boil. Then blend with a hand blender to give

the soup a smooth, creamy texture.

Enjoy!


It is understandable to think that the “debt industry” can deal with those of you who need help, without the need for charitable organisations providing the same service.

Free debt advice, such as that provided by Citizens Advice Bureau (and other agencies affiliated to Advice UK) provides the only complete free service for clients. Their money advice includes:

z advice and practical support in dealing with priority debts such as mortgage arrears, rent and Council Tax, and representation at County Court in possession proceedings. (Commercial and telephone based companies do not do this) z Benefit entitlement calculations z Negotiation with creditors

Advice on all insolvency solutions such as bankruptcy and IVAs (Individual Voluntary Agreements), and includes acting as Authorised Intermediaries for Debt Relief Orders

z Influencing policy makers to improve unfair practices for everyone (not just for clients) and identifying discrimination z Signposting to specialist providers of advice on tax matters, welfare, immigration, family mediation and utilities.

Advice is not only free but available to all. It is independent and impartial and does not seek to help only those clients where a profit can be made!

Warwick District Council provides funds so that the local CAB can employ a money adviser to take referrals from Rent and Council Tax arrears teams and Housing Advice section. That adviser, Paul Hobday says,

“Being referred to a money adviser is the first step in dealing with the stress of debt. Do not miss the opportunity to discuss your financial problems as the sooner specialist advice is received the sooner the burden of unaffordable debt can be tackled.

Please be assured that you will be dealt with professionally and with empathy.

You are not on your own in having difficulties with debts.

There are solutions to your problems and it is always helpful to talk to someone who is independent and knows how to deal with creditors, what they can do legally and not just what they threaten to do! Debt can be dealt with. It may require one meeting or an ongoing process needing support, it is up to you. Specialist money advice is proven to lift the stress and worry of debt and improve future prospects.”

Referrals to Money Advice Worker are through your Income Recovery Officer on 01926 456438 or e-mail [email protected]

If you search on the internet for the word “debt” a stream of results appears from private companies who claim that 75% of your debt can be written off. There are also countless Debt Management Companies who will take your money and distribute it to creditors for you, but will charge you a sizable fee.

DO YOU NEED ADVICE ABOUT MONEY AND DEBTS?

23

WINTER WARMING SOUpS

www.warwickdc.gov.ukwww.warwickdc.gov.uk

WATCh OUT!ThERE ARE SCAMS ABOUT!

Door to Door foam Mattress SellersWarwickshire Trading Standards is aware of individuals selling foam mattresses from a large unmarked white van, by knocking on doors and stopping people in the street.

As with all door to door sellers, don’t buy from the first person who comes to your door. If you are really interested in the product, shop around.

Mattresses, like many similar products, must meet fire safety standards, so that if they catch fire they do not burn quickly or produce poisonous fumes. This is why it is important to only buy mattresses from reputable businesses you know and trust. Look for a permanent manufacturers label saying that the mattress complies with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations together with the warning ‘CARELESSNESS CAUSES FIRE’.

legal Services Consumers have received unsolicited (unexpected) telephone calls offering them legal services. They offer to set up a Protective Property Trust, which aims to protect a person’s assets if they were to enter a care home later in life.

Consumers reported being asked to pay several thousand pounds for these services.

The calls are often made to elderly and vulnerable people and arethought to be from unqualified

and unregulated individuals and businesses, using high pressure selling techniques.

Warwickshire Trading Standards advises consumers to seek expert legal advice before entering in to a legal contract/agreement with someone who has phoned you.

A number of organisations can assist people to access legal information and advice, some free. For more information visit:

Citizens Advice Bureau www.adviceguide.org.ukAdvice Now www.advicenow.org.ukAge UK www.ageuk.org.uk

Disability & Mobility AidsRecently, residents of sheltered housing have been approached on their door-step to buy specialist disability and mobility equipment, such as adjustable beds, chairs and sofas. These items are often unnecessary and very expensive. High pressure sales techniques have been used; with some customers being accompanied to their bank to withdraw funds!

Do not to buy from the first person who comes to your door, but get quotes from a range of companies. And if you do have sales people at your door pressuring you, don’t give reasons for declining;just keep repeating “no thank

you” so that they cannot come up with arguments against your reasons.And remember, for most purchases (over £35), anyone who signs a contract in their own home has 7 days in which to cancel it. All cancellation rights must be provided in writing to the customer at the time the contract is agreed, even if it is on your doorstep. It is an offence not to do so and any contract that is not accompanied by cancellation rights cannot be enforced.

Keeping you in the know, here are the latest scams from Trading Standards.

24


Armchair Bidding!Council Services now on your TV and phone apps

Android andiPhone apps


If you own an iPhone, or android handset,

you can download the FREE Looking Local

App and do all of the above on the go too!

SKY Go to Channel

539 and press the RED button

Virgin TV Interactive > News & Info > Looking

Local

From Looking Local you can easily find theWarwick pages within the Midlands section, or use the Quickcode WARKSTV (9275788).

Did youknow? You can now • bid for properties on HomeChoice • access information about the Council• look for job vacancies• find out about NHS and GP services• report problems or request services -

all from the comfort of your home!

All you need to do is access theLooking Localservice on SkyTV,Virgin Media or a Wii.

iPhone

Android


BEKO who manufacture fridge freezers have recently issued a safety warning about some of their models. There are a small number of fridge freezers that have a fault, where the defrost timer located at the back of the fridge could overheat and cause a potential fire hazard.

The models affected were manufactured between January 2000 and October 2006. And these have a serial number that begins with 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05 or 06 which can be found on the inside of the fridge.

If you own one of these models, then all you have to do is contact BEKO who will carry out a free of charge modification to make it safe and this will only take about half an hour.

If you have an affected model which develops a fault or is not working properly, please unplug it and contact BEKO on 0800 009 4837 or visit https://refsafety.beko.co.uk for more information.

26

BEKO fRIDGE fREEzERSIMpORTANT SAfETY NOTICE

OUR TOp TIpS!1. Keep your thermostat at around 18 – 21 degrees c.2. Heat all the rooms you will use in the day, and if there’s a

room you won’t use, keep the temperature there low.3. Keep the curtains and doors closed to keep in the heat.4. Set the timer to come on before you get up and to go off before

you go to bed.5. In really cold weather set the thermostat to come on earlier rather

than switching the temperature up.6. Make sure doors and windows are sealed with draught proofing.7. If you use a heater in your bedroom, ensure there is ventilation.8. Never use a hot water bottle and an electric blanket together!

KEEp WARM ThISWINTER

26

GAS SAfETYCeiling fansIf you have a ceiling fan in the same room as your gas fire, or boiler, then you must not operate them both at the same time.

Why? Because the fan disturbs the movement of air in the room and this could affect the ventilation of fumes from your appliance. Engineers would then have to switch off your appliance to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Gas firesIf your gas fire is due for an upgrade or has been condemned by Heateam, then it will be replaced with an electric fire as there is less risk of carbon monoxide poisoning with them.

What if heateam have condemned my fire?They will tell us here in Housing & Property Services and we will raise an order to replace your fire with an electric one.

What do I do if I have an old gas fire?As long as you are keeping up to date with your annual servicing, then there is no need for you to take further action.

If your appliances are due for a service, then please call Heateam on 01926 412828 Option 1, then Option 1.

Your annual gas service will check and service the following;

z Chimneys and gas flues z Gas appliances and heating systems z Carbon monoxide alarms z Ventilation

for your peace of mind - don’t get behind!

27

hOW WEll ARE WE DOING?


May 0.40% £13,742

June 0.37% £6,406

July 0.46% £7,926

Actual Target

May 99.5% 100%

June 99.36% 100%

July 99.98% 100%

Rent lost from empty homesThis table shows the percentage of rent the council loses when a property becomes empty between one tenant moving out and another one moving in. We are gradually losing less money, which means we will have more money to invest in your homes, with new kitchens and bathrooms for example.

Gas ServicingThe council has a duty to ensure that all properties with gas are serviced annually. This table shows that we are really close to achieving 100% of homes. Help us to reach 100% by booking your service in with Heateam when they get in touch with you!

Just take a look at this old black and white photo of Radcliffe Gardens. It will take some of our tenants reading this right back down memory lane to the “good old days” and we’d love to hear from you if it does!Wereyoulivingintheflatswhentheywerefirstbuilt?Whatwasitliketoliveinahighrisebackthen?Whatwasyourlifelikeinthosedays?Didyouowneitherofthosefabulouscarsinthephoto?

If you’d like to share your thoughts and memories with us, then please send them in and we’ll print them in the next issue of Home News to give us an idea of what it was like to live in Radcliffe Gardens back then. Send your stories to Fiona Walsh, address, email, tel no. Closing date.....

Don’t lose it all!

neeD HoMe ContentsinsURanCe?

Call the team on: 01926 456 408 to find out more or ask for a quote.

DON’T CAUSE A BlOCKAGEprevention is better than cure!Tissue and human waste is all that should be flushed down your loo! Cotton buds, cotton wool, sanitary towels, nappies....cooking oil, paint, clothes should never be flushed down your toilet!

If you put any of the above down your toilet, it is likely they will block at the communal sewer and a plumber will need to be called out, and you could have sewage leaking back up your pipes! Also if you are found to be the person causing the blockage, as well as being very unpopular with your neighbours, you could find yourself having to foot the bill for the repairs.

Just take a look at this old black and white photo of Radcliffe Gardens. It will take some of you reading this right back down memory lane to the “good old days” and we’d love to hear from you.

•Were you living in the flats? •What was it like to live in a high rise flat?•What was your life like in those days?•Did you own either of those fabulous cars?

If you’d like to share your thoughts and memories with us, then please send them in and we’ll print them in the next issue of Home News. Send your stories to Fiona Walsh, Housing and Property Services, Warwick District Council, Riverside House, Milverton Hill, Royal Leamington Spa, CV32 5QE.

Many tenants wrongly believe that the council insures their home contents for them - this is not the case. Warwick District Council does not insure your furniture, belongings or decorations against theft, fire, vandalism or burst pipes.

TAKE COVER!

The council is responsible for carrying out repairs that are reported and within a reasonable timescale; but not for compensating for any damage arising, for example, from damage from leaks to tenant’s belongings or decorations. This needs to be covered by contents insurance.

To protect yourself, your family, and your belongings against the unexpected we strongly recommend that you arrange your own home contents insurance. To make it easier for you to insure your belongings Warwick District Council offers a special scheme which is just for Council tenants. The scheme is arranged by Aon through Aviva( formerly Norwich Union) which is the largest insurance group in the UK

The premium is collected weekly along with your rent so it easy to pay and budget for. The cost depends on the value of your possessions. If you’re over 65 the weekly cost starts at just £0.72 for insurance cover up to £6,000! If you are under 65 it starts at only £0.96 a week for £8,000 of cover. You don’t pay any more because you have a particular postcode — our rates are the same wherever you live. There’s no excess charge so you don’t have to pay the first portion of any claim yourself.

28www.warwickdc.gov.ukwww.warwickdc.gov.uk

MEMORY lANE


WATCh YOURGARDEN GROW

Mr Wyatt, previously head gardener at Warwick Castle, is well known for his flourishing garden and Lovisa has been visiting his garden with her family, since she was very young, now she is equipped with her own wellies and spade and is enjoying helping to maintain the garden and grow some vegetables of her own to take home for dinner. In fact, her mum has said that she brings potatoes, runner beans, strawberries and even marrow for them to enjoy.

“lovisa is really enjoying telling her brother about the vegetables she has grown, it’s helped her

to understand where her food comes from and she definitely enjoys eating it more!”

Mr Wyatt says “it’s lovely to get the children involved from a young age – and it’s a nice way to spend a few hours, working in the garden. I’m glad the children are learning more and enjoying their fruit and veg.”

Gardening is a great way to help with children’s learning and it’s a fun way of spending some time with them – you don’t even need a garden, you could plant seeds in plant pots on the window sill and watch them grow.

Mr Wyatt of Kipling Avenue has been passing on his gardening knowledge to local children – encouraging them to get involved in gardening and helping them to understand the benefits of eating their greens! Two children who help him with his garden are lovisa and Daniel, both 3½.

lovisa and Daniel admiring the potatoes they helped to grow.


What has been good has been very good in the garden. But you have realised for yourselves that there have been a lot of problems to contend with.

My Clematis as always have been wonderful and Geraniums and Herbaceous have been stunning, so all is not lost, but they do

need feeding and also watering preferably rain which brings down oxygen to really do good. It’s raining as I write, so perhaps we will have an “Indian summer” to enjoy.

All leisure activities can be hazardous but with a little thought we can enjoy our gardens in safety.

Take care when lifting tubs, bags of compost, etc and do use a circuit breaker with electrical appliances. Working with nature can be exasperating but also very rewarding, I certainly find much to enjoy and be happy about in my garden, in these troubled times.I do hope you also can find contentment and peace.

GARDENING NEWSContinuing our series from tenant

and home News editorial panel member, helen Scott

GARDEN MAINTENANCEWhere you do have your own garden, you will be responsible for maintaining it, which is part of your Tenancy Agreement and the council will take action for breach of your agreement if you don’t. The first step in any action will be for your housing officer to contact you by visiting or in writing.

If you wish to report an unsightly, “anti-social” garden, you can contact us in the following ways:•Writetoyourhousingofficer

Housing & Property Services, Warwick District Council, PO Box 2175, Riverside House, Milverton Hill, Royal Leamington Spa, CV32 5QE •Emailyourhousingofficer:

[email protected] •CompletetheGarden

Maintenance Request Form (17kb, PDF).•Call01926412828.

The details will be passed to the housing officer who will inspect and take appropriate action.Where you live in a property with communal gardens, the council will usually cut the grass and maintain shrub beds and trees. If not, then each tenant or

leaseholder is responsible for maintaining them by mutual agreement with their neighbours. Please remember if you want to create an area to maintain yourself, you will need to contact your housing officer to obtain written permission.

Responsibility for looking after your garden depends on whether you have a garden for your sole use or not.

It has not been an easy Summer in the garden. Busy Lizzies are one casualty. I cannot say with authority, but I have been told that they have succumbed to a problem or disease, and it is suggested we are very wary of them for the next year or two.

31

One word from the word bank is not in the puzzle. If you can find it, complete the form below and post it to us before 14 November 2011. 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 Services, PO Box 2175, Warwick District Council, Riverside House, Milverton Hill, Royal Leamington Spa, CV32 5QE

WIN a £40 TESCO Gift card or one of four runners-up prizes of a £5 TESCO Gift card!

WO

RD

B

AN

K

Y I J p E T Q R E O C M

J N l E N Q S l T T A K

T Q W A O C B G G A B I

U J J A R A h T h T B T

O G U Q T O B I A O A V

N I O E S A T R C p G N

T C G G E T G A O K E J

G E A f N X I I M T E X

V N N Y I z U M l O h N

N I K p M U p I G l T S

T M U S h R O O M R U D

O X G p A O X T A I l M

Wordsearch WinnersCongratulations to Mr Raybon of leamington Spa, he has won £40 Asda vouchers for finding the missing word in our summer wordsearch competition. The missing word was cabbage. Our runners up winning £5 Asda vouchers are;Mrs K WelshMrs C JacksonMrs Rose GoddardMrs M Monahan

WINTER SOUpSWORDSEARCh COMpETITION

BrothCabbageChickenlentilMinestrone

MulligatawnyMushroomOxtailpeapotato

pumpkinTomatoVegetable


Visit www.orbithomebuyagents.co.uk or call 03458 50 20 50 (select option 2)Terms and conditions apply – ask for details. Orbit HomeBuy Agents is managed by Orbit Homes (2020) Limited, a member of Orbit Group

Limited which is an exempt charity registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965.

Open the door to your new home with Orbit HomeBuy Agents

We are the HomeBuy Agent for Coventry and Warwickshire, and we help peopleof all ages in all sorts of circumstances to find their dream home. In this role, we act as the first point of contact for all those seeking a home through one of the range

of HomeBuy low-cost home ownership and discounted market rent products.

Thought you couldn’t afford a home of your own? Think again!

SEE OUR VIDEO ATwww.orbithomebuyagents.co.uk

OB3364 HomeNews 148x210 06/10/2011 10:46 Page 1

Tenancy Enforcement ......(01926) 456 419

Corporate ComplaintsFiona Walsh .................... (01926) 456 447

Leaseholder Enquiries ........................ (01926) 456 420

Refuse & Recycling ..... (01926) 412 464

RentsProblems with paying your home rent. Guy Greenland/Yusaf Ramzan/ Mark Herbert .....(01926) 456 438/457/435Problems with paying your garage rent Sophie Howell .................. (01926) 456 239 Rent Direct Debit, Eva Nicholls ..................... (01926) 456 409Rent Allpay Cards, Satnam Sangha ............... (01926) 456 408Pay your rent by phoneFREEPHONE.................... ...0800 028 3377

Tenant Involvement(Area Panels & Residents Groups)Margaret Allen .............. (01926) 456 451

Tenants’ Contents Insurance SchemeSatnam Sangha ................ (01926) 456408

Council Housing Estates SupervisorsEileen McKeoghChristine Ledger Square ....07866 609 655John Lamb - Fallow Hill/Stamford Gardens/Binswood Street (grounds maintenance only) ............. 07866 609 674Andy Smith - Kennedy/St Paul’s Square.............................................07866 609 657Ant Collins - New Brook Street/Radcliffe Gardens/Westbrook House/Dell House/44 Clarendon Square (grounds maintenance only) ....................................07866 609 656James Baker - Senior Estates Supervisor ....................07979 486 617/01926 456 444

Disabled Adaptations (01926) 456 405

GaragesApplying for a garage – Mrs Darlison/Mrs Leech ............................(01926) 456 424/5Garage Repairs ................ (01926) 412 828

Housing Advice, HomeChoice and Homelessness ............................(01926) 456 427/428/359

Home News Fiona Walsh ..................... (01926) 456 447

Overdue Gas Servicing ..........................................(01926) 456 035 Sue Sweeney ...................(01926) 456 434

Warwick Response (Lifeline Service)24 hour number .............. (01926) 339 577Supporting People Services Manager Joan Hicks ...................... (01926) 456 405

If you prefer to write, our address is: Housing and Property ServicesWarwick District Council, P.O. Box 2175, Riverside House, Milverton Hill, Royal Leamington Spa, CV32 5QE

If you prefer to email:Housing Register & [email protected] Queries – not for reporting repairs [email protected] Reporting [email protected] Officers & Estate [email protected] Arrears [email protected] & Moving [email protected] [email protected] Control [email protected]@warwickdc.gov.uk

HOUSING REPAIRS 01926 412 828HomeChoice and Housing Officer enquiries 01926 412828

HomeNews Autumn 2011

Documents

Transcript of HomeNews Autumn 2011