Thanet resident news - East Kent Housing · Almo‘s Christmas Cuti es Meet Almo, the newest member...

Thanetresident news

What’s inside this editi on:Christmas opening ti mes P3-4

Tenant Survey results P6-7

GET Involved News P12-13

How to move P8-10

Universal Credit is here P16-17

The HUB & FREE IT & Internet Training P18-19

Performance & Repairs P20-21

Disabled Adaptati ons P22-23

Fire Safety P26-27

Asbestos advice P28

Improving Homes P24-25

Chatt er with the Chief P5

Need this newsletter in another format?

Call us 01843 577 262

The HUB & FREE IT & Internet Training P18-19

Need this newsletter in

Resident Training Programme

FREEFesti ve Support P14-15

Important housing information Issue 10 Winter edition 2015

For household repairs call Mears: 0800 0234 320* or 01843 282 104

For gas repairs call Swale Heati ng: 0800 1216 860* or 01795 426 333

For benefi t, council tax or rubbish Visit www.thanet.gov.ukCall 01843 577000

For pot holes, street lighti ng, pavements, footpaths or roadsVisit: www.kent.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/report-a-problemCall 03000 41 81 81

For details about all our services:

[email protected]

Call: 01843 577 262

Call our 24/7 rent payment line:01843 577259

For housing and tenancy matt ers contact the Housing Team:

Visit: www.eastkenthousing.org.uk

Search ‘eastkenthousing’

@EastKentHousing

For repairs:

Council services:

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This year we ran our tenant survey and aft er reading the 2,000+ comments about what areas and services you would like to see us improve - we are dedicati ng this winter editi on to include arti cles that many of you have asked to know more about.

You can read a summary of the survey results on pages 6-7 as well as arti cles on how you can move, how to apply for disabled adaptati ons and details of how we are performing and our repairs response ti mes.

We’ve also included informati on on Universal Credit - the new all in one benefi t and the latest news from our ‘Get Involved’ team and the engaged residents helping to making a diff erence locally.

As Christmas is just around the corner we have also included our festi ve opening details for the holidays!

Almo‘s Christmas Cuti es Meet Almo, the newest member of

the Resident Involvement Team! Send Almo a picture of your Christmas cuti es

(babies, children or pets) by Friday 18 December 2015 for a chance to

win a £25 voucher … just in ti me for Christmas!

There’s 3 easy ways to enter:1. Share your pic on East Kent

Housing’s Facebook page2. Email: geti nvolved@

eastkenthousing.org.uk 3. Post: Almo’s Christmas Cuti es

FREEPOST E K HOUSING (D)

Welcome to Resident News

We have put together our holiday opening, service and contact details for you:

East Kent Housing’s opening ti mes:• Our offi ces will be closed from the aft ernoon of Christmas Eve and reopen on the

morning of Monday 4 January 2016. • The Gateway will be open from 9am unti l 1pm on Tuesday 29, Wednesday 30 and

Thursday 31 December 2015.

Christmas opening details:

• Call our 24 hour payment line on 01843 577 259• Use your rent payment card • Visit www.eastkenthousing.org.uk

Don’t forget to pay your rent!

Remember your home is at risk if you do not keep up with your rent payments.

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Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!

Reporti ng repairs over Christmas• For general repairs call Mears on 0800

0234 320 or 01843 282 104*.• For central heati ng and gas repairs call

Swale Heati ng on 0800 731 1886 or 01795 410 181*

• Smell gas? Call TRANSCO immediately on 0800 111 999

Festi ve repairs service from Mears & Swale Heati ng:Our repair contractors will be providing an emergency service over the bank holidays, weekends and a reduced service during the Christmas and New Year period.

* Calls to a landline number may be cheaper to call from a mobile.

Christmas Day Will be collected on

Saturday 19 December

New Year’s DayWill be collected

on Saturday 2 January

Christmas and New Year Recycling and Waste Collections

Your blue lidded bin/box and red paper and card bag needs to be saved until the week commencing January 4 when usual collections will resume.

Food Recycling will still be collected on your scheduled collection day.

Garden Waste collections will stop for the Christmas break fromMonday 21 December until Sunday 17 January (inclusive).

Residents who are scheduled to have their Clinical Waste collected on Friday 25 December or Friday 1 January will be sent a letter detailingtheir Christmas collection arrangements. All other Clinical Waste customers will

have their scheduled collection as usual.

Thursday 24 December By telephone: 9am to 5pm Gateway: 9am to 1pmFriday 25 December ClosedSaturday 26 December ClosedMonday 28 December ClosedTuesday 29 December Gateway: 9am - 1pmWednesday 30 December Gateway: 9am - 1pmThursday 31 December Gateway: 9am - 1pmFriday 1 January ClosedSaturday 2 January Closed

Christmas opening times

For more information visit thanet.gov.uk

Xmas 2015 EKH info.indd 1 10/11/2015 10:51:25

Thanet District Council

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For more information visit www.thanet.gov.uk

Chatt er on Twitt er with the Chief! Our Chief Executi ve, Brendan Ryan is reti ring in April 2016 and we’re going to be running a live chat with him on Monday 14 December on our Facebook and Twitt er pages.

How YOU can take part: • You can send your questi ons by Friday

11 December - email geti [email protected] or post to: Chatt er with the Chief, FREEPOST E K Housing (D)

• Or take part on the day by logging onto our social media profi les on Monday 14 December between 2-3pm

If the live chat proves popular, we would like to do more as part of our work to engage with our residents in diff erent ways!

Chat with Chief Executi ve,

Brendan Ryan on Monday

14 December @ 2-3pm















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Cuppas & cakes raise nearly £1,500 for Macmillan!Staff across East Kent Housing baked beauti ful cakes and donated raffl e prizes to take part in the Macmillan World’s Biggest Coff ee Morning!

Any local charity who would like to be considered for future support in 2016/17 are encouraged to get in touch, contact Kate Marsh by calling 01304 751 039. 5

Our Resident Involvement Team slept rough for a night to raise much needed funds for Porchlight, Kent’s leading homelessness charity. The sleep out, which ran from 7pm unti l 7am, saw the team experience just some of the hardships faced by the 2,744 people esti mated to be sleeping rough on any one night across the UK.

Sleep out raises over £600 for Porchlightto raise much needed funds for Porchlight, Kent’s leading

the hardships faced by the 2,744 people esti mated to be

Michelle, Rebecca, Beth and Lindsay in their cardboard shelter.

Here’s Tracey and Emma with some of the tasty delights!

Over the summer we carried out our Tenant Survey to fi nd out your views on the housing services you receive and what we need to do to make things bett er for you.

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Make the cat happy!

Residents of all ages gave ideas on how we can improve their housing services.

Tenant Survey results

It’s all part of a bigger project to write a new set of commitments to residents that explain how we will improve services by 2020.

3,341That’s how many people fi lled in

a survey

83%That’s how many of you are fairly or very

sati sfi ed with the repair services you

receive.

Here’s the key facts and results from our Tenant Survey:

3 MonthsThat’s the ti me

we took to carry out the Tenant

survey

84%That’s how many of you are fairly or very sati sfi ed

with your neighbourhood

as a place to live.

1,766That’s how many of you were interested in getti ng involved in helping us improve

services

2,601That’s how many diff erent ideas we

received to improve the service

87%That’s how many of you are fairly or very sati sfi ed with the quality of your home.

That’s how many of you are fairly or very

repair services you

That’s how many of you are fairly or very

sati sfi ed with the repair services you

receive.

87%That’s how many

of you are fairly or very sati sfi ed with the overall service

you receive.

Make the cat happy!

Residents of all ages gave ideas on how we can improve their housing services.

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What improvements you told us you would like to seeWe received lots of really good ideas about how we could improve the housing, repairs and local services you receive. Over 2,000 comments were received which we have shortlisted into the top fi ve themes below:

Top fi ve themes for how we could improve your homes:

Top fi ve themes for improving your neighbourhood:

Top fi ve themes for improving your repair services:

Here’s the key facts and results from our Tenant Survey:

local services you receive. Over 2,000 comments were received which we have shortlisted local services you receive. Over 2,000 comments were received which we have shortlisted

Top fi ve themes for how we could improve your homes:

Top fi ve themes for improving your neighbourhood:

Setti ng new commitments to achieve by 2020Working with a group of around 40 residents at our Engaged Tenant Conference in September, we shared the ideas received through the survey and asked for their help to choose which areas we should concentrate on over the next four years. We have put together a new set of Resident Commitments which will be announced next year...

£100 Love2Shop winnersThere were ten lucky winners in our Tenant Survey prize draw – the details can be found on our website search ‘Tenant Survey winners’.

How you can move:

Mutual Exchange 1

Moving to a privately rented property3

Transfer through your local council 2

Once you are in a council home, the three main ways you can move into a diff erent home include:

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Need to Move?

One of the most frequent things we get asked by tenants is ‘How can I move home?’ and with many people feeling the pinch aft er changes to housing benefi t saw those with a ‘spare room’ having their housing benefi t payments reduced by between 14% and 25% - this conti nues to be a popular request.

We have been working hard since the benefi t changes in April 2013 to off er a range of support to those tenants aff ected. For some, this has meant a move to a smaller home and for those who wanted to stay in their homes, we have helped with budgeti ng to make sure they can pay the additi onal rent required. If you need help to move to a smaller home because you have received a reducti on in your benefi ts, please get in touch with your housing team for advice – see page 2 for details.

Read our guide to ‘How you can move’ over the next few pages…

Once you have become a secure tenant, you can apply to your local council for a transfer.

To be accepted, you will have to show that your circumstances have changed since you moved into your current home, this could include:• Your family has grown and your

home is now overcrowded• You are under-occupying your home,

and you can no longer aff ord the rent • Your current home isn’t suited to your

needs e.g. you have a disability• Your home is now too big for your

household.

Be aware:• You need to apply to go on your

council’s housing register • All councils have their own rules to

help them decide who should be given priority to move - so it’s worth reading these before you apply

• Your request for a transfer may be refused if you are an introductory tenant, owe rent, your existi ng property is not in a good state of repair or you are guilty of a serious breach of your tenancy conditi ons

Visit your local council’s website for more informati on: www.thanet.gov.uk

You can swap your home with another tenant living in a council or housing associati on property anywhere in the country. Here’s a quick guide for what you need to do:1. Adverti se your home - through

Exchange Locata, a local Facebook group or an advert in local shops.

2. Make sure your rent arrears are paid off and you haven’t breached your tenancy as this could stop your move

3. Complete a ‘Mutual Exchange’ form and return it to your local housing offi ce once you have found someone to swap with

4. Make sure your home is in good conditi on – arrange to have any repairs carried out and replace any things you may have damaged or moved such as doors

5. Arrange an inspecti on of your home once your applicati on has been approved so we can check the conditi on of your property

6. Arrange your reference and get permission in writi ng – you can’t move without a ‘Deed of Assignment’ which you need to confi rm your Mutual Exchange

7. Agree the date for moving - with the person you are swapping with and their landlord.

Did you know?• It can take up to 42 days for a mutual

exchange to happen from the ti me you all submit your paperwork

• You can’t mutually exchange in the introductory period of your tenancy.

How to Move

Mutual Exchangeswapping your home with any other person

Applying for transfer:

11

22

9

10

If you are moving to private accommodati on or moving in with family or friends, you will need to:• Terminate your tenancy in writi ng,

giving at least four full weeks of noti ce

• Complete a Tenancy Terminati on Noti ce – you can download this from our website - search ‘ending your tenancy’ and select your local area

• Follow our ‘moving out checklist’ which explains what you need to do and how to arrange your ‘pre-terminati on’ visit.

It’s important to be aware:• Renti ng privately is much more

expensive – you may need to provide money for a bond, a deposit, a month’s rent in advance and pay agent fees

• Your rights and services you receive from a private landlord will be diff erent

• You may have a shorter tenancy agreement which could be ended with a month’s noti ce

• It won’t be easy to get another council home if you change your mind

Don’t forget:Be aware of the things that could stop your move...Whatever way you choose to move there are some reasons that could stop or slow down your request to move including:• You have rent arrears • You have received a noti ce for

anti -social behaviour• It may be hard to fi nd a new

property suitable for your needs

How to Move

Deciding to rent privately3

Bedsit Properti es 801 Bedroom Properti es 5562 Bedroom Properti es 13803 Bedroom Properti es 9304 Bedroom Properti es 885 Bedroom Properti es 12 Bed Bungalow 3

Total Numberof Properti es 3038

Numberof council homes

in your area*:

Have any questi ons or need to know more?

Visit www.eastkenthousing.org.uk and search ‘want to move’ for lots of advice, useful links and even a fi lm explaining how you can adverti se your home. *Includes a range of properti es that may be for commerical use such as garages or shops.

Deciding to rent privatelyBloomingbeautiful gardensOur Garden Champion judge, Beverly Nunney was delighted to see so much colour, scent and unusual delights amongst the winners of this year’s local gardening competition. Thanks to Mears, our competition sponsor, winners received a certificate and gardening vouchers for their hard work! Here’s our winners:

Best Baskets, Window Boxor Container

Garden

Best Fruit orVegetable Garden

1st prize:Roger Mundenfrom Ramsgate

Highly Commended:Peter Smith from

Ramsgate 1st prize:

Mr & Mrs Daveyfrom Ramsgate

Best Garden Display

1st prize:Roger Munden from Ramsgate

Highly Commended:Mr & Mrs Daveyfrom Ramsgate For winter garden advice and tips to keep your garden

looking blooming lovely visit www.eastkenthousing.org.uk and search ‘garden advice’. 11

Residents Make a Diff erenceAnother great Engaged Tenant Conference!

FREE – Tenant Training ProgrammeWe are pleased to launch our NEW training programme for residents, which is enclosed with this newslett er and has all the dates and details you need to know about the courses on off er.Act fast to book your place!

Email geti [email protected] Visit www.eastkenthousing.org.uk Call 01304 872466 or return the form in the enclosed leafl et

Our second Engaged Tenant Conference was a roaring success with nearly 40 engaged tenants and leaseholders coming along to the acti on packed day in September which included presentati ons and workshops on:• Our Tenant Survey Results• Universal Credit• Customer Insight• Launch of new training programme• Creati ng new commitments to

residents

Our guests included tenants and leaseholders involved with our Area Boards, Tenant Scruti ny panel, Neighbourhood Inspectors and garden champions as well as local Councillors and staff from across our offi ces.

The event had a summer fete theme with lots of bunti ng, fun games including Hoopla and ‘hook a duck’ as well as informati on stalls about health and wellbeing.

12

Look out for our new logo!Tenants who att ended our Engaged Tenants Conference earlier this year helped us choose a new logo to help us promote opportuniti es for tenants to get involved - see top right corner of this page!

Use our NEW dedicated contact details:Contact the Resident Involvement team by:

geti [email protected]

01304 872 446

News from Tenant Scruti nyThe Tenant Scruti ny Panel have fi nished their fi rst task to review Awareness and Preventi on of Tenancy Fraud. Their fi nal report will be given to East Kent Housing‘s Board in December, who will look to agree and implement their recommendati ons. Next on their ‘to do’ list is to review ‘repair communicati ons’. If you are interested in helping out - please get in touch!

Get Involved Update Get Involved Update

News from Tenant Scruti ny

Neighbourhood Inspecti ons UpdateNeighbourhood inspecti ons are a great way to improve neighbourhoods and make a diff erence locally. Well done to our team of Neighbourhood Inspectors who worked alongside our Neighbourhood Managers to inspect local areas this last year.

Want to inspect your local area?We are looking for new people to help us keep an eye on local estates. Could that be YOU? Then come along to our next Neighbourhood Inspector training on 10 March 2016, 1pm to 4pm at Millmead Hall, Margate. You will be able to get the skills to work with us and make things bett er where you live. Get in touch to book your place.

Come along to the next Area BoardFind out what your local tenant and leaseholder groups are up to or to raise local issues you think they need to be aware of at the next Area Board Meeti ng:Wednesday 24 February 2016 at 2-4pmNewington Community Centre, Princess Margaret Avenue, Ramsgate CT12 6HX.

If you are not a member of these groups but would like to att end please contact us.

Taking part in #HousingDayResidents across East Kent Housing took part in #HousingDay 2015 in November to celebrate and promote the positi ve impact of social housing on thousands of people across the UK - check out the photos and stories on Twitt er @Geti nvolvedEKH and facebook.

Find out the latest news by visiti ng: www.eastkenthousing.org.uk and search ‘Get Involved’ or ‘Like’ us on www.facebook.com/eastkenthousing 13

Average RE-LET TIME for an empty property (excluding major works)

Current performance:

13.41 daysTarget

17.38 days

Percentage of ROUTINEREPAIRS completed in ti me


96.89%Target

95%

2

Number of properti es without a VALID Landlord

Gas Safety RecordCurrent

performance:

Target:

10

Percentage of capital programme spent


30.52%Target

36%X

4

ARREARS as a percentage of the debit

£ Current performance:

1.45%Target

1.42%

You can view our local performance details by visiti ng our website.

14

X

1

3

5

How well are we performing?We measure and report how well we are doing and what we need to do bett er to local councils and resident groups four ti mes a year. This allows us to see what things we need to improve to make sure we meet our targets. You can see how well we perform in our fi ve key areas across East Kent Housing below, which were reported for July-September 2015:

Your newsletter... YOUR ideas wanted!Every year we send out our newsletter to over 17,000 homes across east Kent. We work with a group of residents from Canterbury, Dover, Shepway and Thanet who are our Residents Communications Group, to come up with the ideas for what information we should include in the newsletter. But we would love to know what else you think we should include.

If you have:• any ideas for articles or news stories• want to promote a local community or resident

group or event coming up• any comments about how we could improve the

newsletter

Canterbury

tenant newsImportant housing information Issue 9 Summer edition

Area Board & local News P8-9Kicking off Resident Involvement P4-5What’s inside this editi on:

Contact details and our achievements P2-3

Get Involved P6-7 Get gardening P10-11

Plans for new kitchens, bathrooms & boilers P16-17Repairs and Housing Performance P12-13Get gardening P10-11

SEEDSFREE

P11

Protecti ng your family - gas safety P14-15

Love where you live P18 Useful Local News P19

Golden Times P20-22 Universal Credit P23

Tribute to Gwen Boyce P7

Please send your ideas and comments to:• ‘Newsletter feedback’ – Freepost E K Housing (C)• Or email [email protected]

Wanted: Residents to join our Communications Group Are you full of ideas, like taking photographs or filming or simply want to learn some news skills?

Then why not join our Residents Communications Group – this friendly group from across East Kent meet informally once every six weeks over cakes to look at and discuss the way East Kent Housing communicates with residents.

Cakes and Communications event We’re looking for new people to join our Communications group and welcome residents of all ages, gender and backgrounds to help.

If you would like to come along to our taster event planned for Friday 18 March 2016 to meet members of the group and see the different work the group are involved in, please get in touch using the ‘Get Involved’ contact details on page 13.

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Started in Thanet from October 2015...

Will YOU be aff ected by Universal Credit (UC)?Universal Credit (UC) is a new type of benefi t designed to support people who are in or out of work and on a low income.

It has started in Thanet for new benefi t claimants who are single people and of working age. UC won’t aff ect people of pensionable age.*

It’s important you understand what is diff erent about claiming UC from the way you currently claim benefi ts, which is why we have put together this arti cle explaining what you need to know.

What is Universal Credit?Universal Credit will bring together the following benefi ts into one monthly single payment:• Income-based jobseeker’s allowance• Income-related employment and support allowance• Income support• Child tax credits• Working tax credits• Housing benefi t (you’ll have to pay your rent to us from your Universal Credit).

Who will Universal Credit aff ect? At the moment, UC will only aff ect single people of working age who are making a new benefi t claim (this may include a new claim that is required aft er a change of circumstances).

Universal Credit won’t aff ect:• People of pensionable age* • Couples or families yet but it will be rolled out to these people in 2016/17;

the ti mescales are yet to be confi rmed.• Claims for Council Tax Support or reducti on as this isn’t included with UC.

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* To fi nd out what the government’s pensionable age is visit: www.gov.uk/calculate-state-pension and use the pension calculator. If you are of pensionable age and have a working age partner you may move to UC in the future.

How to get ready for Universal Credit in 3 simple steps:

1. Go online and check what changes you need to makeUse the personal planner to get ready for Universal Credit visit www.gov.uk/universalcredit

3.Work out your monthly budgetPlan ahead to make sure your rent is paid on ti me. Make sure your money goes further by budgeti ng monthly to cover all your bills

BudgetRent £96Food £36Bills £45

2.Make sure you have the right bank accountGet informati on about a suitable bank, building society or credit union account which will allow Direct Debits at www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

BANK

Further help and advice...

If you live in Thanet, are single and need to make a new claim for benefi t, this will be a claim for Universal Credit.

To fi nd out more:• Pick up a leafl et from your local Jobcentre • Visit www.gov.uk/universal-credit• Visit www.eastkenthousing.org.uk and search ‘universal credit’

Benefi ts and Money adviceWe want to off er advice and support to our tenants who may need to claim Universal Credit. UC will see many people having to cope with a new way of receiving and managing their benefi t, including paying their rent for the fi rst ti me.

If you have moved on to Universal Credit, then please contact Amie Godden our Benefi ts and Money Advisor for help:• Call or text 07436 037 065• Email [email protected]

You can also sign up for updates on our Facebook and Twitt er pages:

Search ‘eastkenthousing’ @EastKentHousing 17

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theHUB

Brunswick Hall, Belmont Street, Ramsgate

CT11 8QL

Open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday unti l Friday 18 December 2015 @ 11am-4.30pm

The HUB popped up in Ramsgate this November as a temporary place for local residents to pop into to get all sorts of support, help and access to FREE training and qualifi cati ons to help them prepare for Universal Credit.

The HUB has teamed up with a range of diff erent community partners to off er local residents:• Free beginner IT and Internet training• FREE CSCS Card course, sponsored by

Mears• Appointments with our Benefi t and

Money advisor • Food Bank and winter warmer support• Help with CV writi ng and job search

from Thanet Step Up • Support from Turning Point• Key collecti on service for new tenants

The HUB is a pilot project running for seven weeks unti l Friday 18 December but if successful, could pop up in other areas in the future.

The HUB has been supported by Thanet District Council, Thanet Area Board, Mears, Turning Point, Thanets Families in Need and Thanet Step Up.

So why not pop in and see if the HUB can help you!

For more details visit:www.eastkenthousing.org.uk and search ‘the HUB’.

For more details visit:

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If you would like some help with using computers or the Internet then why not book your place on our free beginner IT and Internet course?

This course will run on Friday 29 January, Friday 5, 12, 19, 26 February and Friday 4 March 2016 at Millmead Hall, Margate.

What you will learn on the course:• Basic skills (using mouse and keyboard) and setti ng up and using email • Using the Internet including online banking and price comparison sites• Online budget planning and budget calculators• Setti ng up and using social media• Reporti ng housing and council matt ers online

How to book your place?Call the automated hotline on 01843 260 864 and leave your contact details.

This training is part of our Can You Click IT Campaign which aims to increase the number of East Kent Housing residents online and support those moving on to Universal Credit. Search ‘can you click it’ on our website for details.

Need help with computers & using the Internet?

Sign up for our FREE beginners IT and Internet course to improve your skills!

Repairs: Looking after your homeWhen a repair will be completed in ThanetIn our tenant survey, many people said they didn’t know how long it took for repairs to be done – that’s why we want to explain the repair standards we have with our contractors that sets out the timeframe they will respond to your repair requests.

For Household repairs from Mears:• Emergency repairs - within 4 hours • Urgent repairs - 24 hours• Necessary repairs - within 3 days• Routine repairs - within 16 working days

For Gas and Heating repairs from Swale Heating:• Emergency repairs - within 4 hours • Urgent repairs - within 4-24 hours • Routine repairs - within 24-72 hours

Don’t forget! Please check your meter hasn’t run out of credit before reporting a loss in electricity, gas heating or hot water.

How do you decide when to carry out a repair?Repair requests are put into groups according to how urgent the repair is considered to be and may be inspected. So when you report a repair to us we will discuss the nature of the problem based on the information you provide. We will then make an appointment following the response times listed above.

What is an emergency repair?An ‘emergency’ is a failure or a need for an urgent repair which could cause immediate danger, health hazard or affects the occupation or security of your home. This includes (but is not limited to):• Explosions and fire• Gas and water leaks• Severe plumbing leaks where you can’t stop the supply of water• Loss of storage or immersion heating between 31 October and 30 April• Total electrical failure• Total loss of communal lighting between 1 November and 1 May• Overflowing sewage drains• Unsafe electrics• Risk of buildings likely to collapse

When you report a repairPlease provide: • Your name and address • Daytime phone number • Details about the repair (the

more we know about the problem the quicker we can order your repair).

• Suitable times to do the repair • If you have any hearing

difficulties or need some time to get to the door (for when we visit you)

Make sure you ask for:• A repair order or inspection

number • An appointment date or

timeframe for the repair to be done

Opening times for repairsYou can report a repair 24/7 but after 5pm and before 8am the calls are taken by a central call centre which books emergencies only.

If you call after 5pm the call centre will take your request for a routine repair and pass this on to the local office when it is open.

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• New text appointment reminder service Mears have recently introduced a text appointment reminder service which can send you a reminder text the day before and on the day of your appointment. You just need to provide your mobile phone number when you report a repair to receive the service!

• Tender for new Repairs Service in Thanet We are tendering for a new repairs contractor, who once chosen will start providing the service from April 2016.

• New phone system from Swale Heating The new more effective phone system is making it easier for callers to report repairs. You can avoid waiting on the phone and call charges by leaving a voicemail and requesting a call back. Staff can also work from home taking calls and are contacted at busy times to help out!

• Induction and training improves services Staff at Swale Heating have undergone a new training programme to help them identify and deal with your repair requests - this has seen 8% of repairs resolved over the phone!

Latest Repair News!

Don’t miss a repair appointment by signing up for the FREE text reminder service from Mears!

Improving homes:Adaptati onsHow we can adapt homes to help disabled or older people live independently for longer.

If you have a disability East Kent Housing may be able to provide a property adaptati on (s) to help you remain independent in your home and enjoy a good quality of life.

How do I apply?There are a number of steps you need to follow to fi nd out if your home could benefi t from adaptati ons to help you.

Step one: Getti ng a referralFirst of all you will need to contact the Occupati onal Therapists at Kent County Council who will arrange for an assessment of your medical needs during a home visit.Aft er this assessment, and if any adaptati on work is recommended, a referral for adaptati on work from your Occupati onal Therapist will be sent to us for considerati on. Contact Kent County Council’s Occupati onal Therapists:

• For Adult Services (Over 18s)• 03000 416161• For Children Services (Under 18s)

03000 411111• For minor adaptati ons requests

email [email protected]

Step two: Considering your referral Once we receive a recommendati on from your Occupati onal Therapist we will consider the request by looking at our Disabled Adaptati ons Policy to decide if the work qualifi es or not.

We will decide if the works can or can’t be done based on the following areas:• Suitability of property – your home

has to be suitable for the type of works recommended. We will take into account your home’s locati on, layout, or your home’s constructi on type in our decision.

• Under-occupancy – if your home is too big for the number of people living in the property

• Overcrowding – if your home is too small for the number of people living in the property

• Tenancy Terminati on – if you are in rent arrears, are about to transfer to another property, or are purchasing your property under Right to Buy

If we refuse a request for adaptati ons we will advise you of the reasons why and suggest alternati ve soluti ons, or recommend you fi nd more suitable accommodati on to meet your medical needs.

Step three: Approving adaptati onsIf your adaptati on is possible, we approve the adaptati ons under one of two categories:

Category 1: Minor Works• Grabrails and handrails• Lever tapsThese works are generally straightf orward and are usually dealt with quickly within our repair standard ti mescales.

We will decide if the works can or can’t

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Category 2: Major Works• Bathroom adaptati ons – fl ush

fl oor showers, over bath showers• Ramps• Stairlift sAs these works need to be inspected, planned and placed on the waiti ng list to be carried out – the ti mescale for works can take considerably longer. We have a waiti ng list due to high demand of these types of adaptati ons

What happens if my home isn’t suitable for an adaptati on?If we are unable to make an adaptati on to help you stay in your home, we usually discuss the opti on of rehousing you to a more suitable home that will bett er meet your needs.

Can you adapt my home as I have a mobility scooter?We can only consider adaptati ons that have come to us through Occupati onal Therapists recommendati ons. We will not provide storage, ramping or charging points for mobility scooters so please make sure you take this into considerati on before you purchase one.

Useful contact details:Dealing with Adaptati onsat East Kent Housing

We have a team that looks aft er all the Occupati onal Therapist referrals we receive, the waiti ng list for works and overseeing adaptati on works. You can contact the team:

• Call 01304 872062• Email adaptati ons@ eastkenthousing.org.uk • Write to: East Kent Housing, Dover District Council, White Cliff s Business Park, Whitf ield, Dover, CT16 3PJ

Other useful contacts:

Child hearing/visual impairmentSocial Services: 03000 415444 sensorychildren&[email protected]

Adult hearing/visual impairmentHi-Kent: 01227 [email protected]

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We could help with fl ush fl oor showers or extra handrails

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Thanet’s Planned Maintenance Programme 2015/16 Update

• Target: 200 new boilers• Position: 124 boilers replaced

• Target: 200 new bathrooms• Position: 66 bathrooms fitted

• Target: 100 new kitchens• Position: 94 kitchens fitted

We have a maintenance

budget of nearly:

£4 million

and this is a summary* of what we plan to do in Thanet:

• Target: External Decorations and Repairs • Position: Tender accepted, subject to completion of Section 20

with local leaseholders. Work is planned to start in February 2016 and will continue during the year ahead.

Contracts to be started:

Work underway:

Every year we prepare our annual planned maintenance programme* which details all the homes we will visit to carry out home improvements ranging from replacing kitchens, windows, central heating and bathrooms in local homes to repairing roofs or rewiring. A summary of the planned maintenance programme is provided below, together with an update on how work is progressing.

• Target: Refurbish the lift at Invicta House, Margate• Position: Invicta House lift refurbishment - Contract has been let to

Express Lift Alliance (ELA) and residents have been informed about the works taking place. There are two lifts in the building and each lift will be refurbished individually to ensure residents can still use a lift during the works.

Improving local homes and estatesThanet’s Planned Maintenance Programme 2015/16 Update

Matters to be aware of: • Disabled adaptations - We have a budget of £400,000 which is on track

to be spent by the end of the financial year.• Fire prevention works - High priority works in higher risk properties (e.g.

tower blocks) will be carried out this financial year by Mears through the current Repairs contract. We are currently progressing the procurement for a new contract to carry out future fire precaution works.

• Work on Newington Estate - cavity wall insulation and new external wall render works will start at 21 Brecon Square and 9/10 Quetta Road in November.

• Finlock Gutter Replacement at Molineux Road, St Mary’s Road and Parkside Court is planned to start in January 2016.

• Royal Crescent roofing and gutter works -Listed building consent application made for works and Section 20 Notice of Intention issued for the works in October. We plan to carry out the roof works at the same time as external decorations and proposed balcony/handrail works during 2016/17.

• Churchfields – includes demolition and repairs to three communal external areas in very poor structural condition. Resident consultation undertaken to understand what improvement works they want and approval for works have been granted. Work is on track to start within this financial year (end of March 2016).

• Stock Condition Surveys on Newington Estate - We have carried out external surveys of council owned homes on the Newington estate. We are currently preparing a report to be presented to Thanet District Council. The report will include the condition of properties, options, recommendations and estimated costs to help us develop our plans for future planned maintenance in the area.

You can see our Planned Maintenance Programme for 2015/16 by visiting: www.eastkenthousing.org.uk and search ‘Investing in your homes’

* This information was correct at the time of printing but please be aware that our planned maintenance programme is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances or emergency works that may need to occur.

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Fire safetyin the homeThese are the hard but true facts about the risk of fi resthat you need to know about:• You’re four ti mes more likely to die in

a fi re if you don’t have a smoke alarm that works. The latest fi gures show that 21 people die each year because the batt ery in their smoke alarm was fl at or missing at the ti me of the fi re.

• Around half of home fi res are caused by cooking accidents.

• Three fi res a day are started by candles.

• Every fi ve days someone dies from a fi re caused by a cigarett e.

• Faulty electrics (appliances, wiring and overloaded sockets) cause around 6,000 fi res in the home across the country every year.

That’s why, we have employed Savills, a specialist fi re safety organisati on, to make sure local council homes meet legal requirements for fi re safety.

Over the last few months they have carried out fi re risk assessments across the communal areas within the buildings we manage and have put together a programme of further fi re safety works for us to do to make buildings even safer.

Keeping you informedEarlier this summer, we sent to all tenants living in blocks of fl ats and sheltered housing, advice for what they should do in the event of a fi re which included a lett er and leafl et.

Planning further fi re safety works to homes in the futureOver the coming months and years, East Kent Housing will undertake a programme of fi re safety improvement works including things like changing doors, installing diff erent alarm systems or removing unnecessary systems. If work is going to happen to your building, we will write to you nearer the ti me to confi rm the nature and ti meframes for carrying out this work.

KNOWTHE FACTS

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Important Fire Safety InformationFor residents in ‘total evacuation’ buildings

Fire Safety Advice

• DO leave your flat immediately closing all doors behind you

• DO use the stairs to exit - never use the lift

• DO call the fire service on 999 once safely outside

If a fire breaks out in YOUR building

(in your flat or elsewhere in the building)

or you hear the fire alarm:

Help keep safe in your block by:

Please read and follow the fire safety advice in this leaflet

to keep you and your family safe in the event of a fire.

Visit www.eastkenthousing.org.uk for more fire safety advice

Keeping fire escapes and communal areas clear of bikes, prams,

mobility scooters, furniture or rubbish

Putting your rubbish in the bin areas provided rather than leaving

it in communal areas

Keeping the entrance area in your flat clear so you can escape

easily if needed

Not having a barbecue on your balcony or near the building

Not smoking in internal communal areas

Not dumping large items in communal or bin areas

How YOU can reduce the risk of a fi re in your home...

Important: Fire safety informati on for disabled peopleIn the event of a fi re, people with disabiliti es may need extra assistance to evacuate a building. If you have a disability it’s important we know and can update our ‘Fire Acti on Noti ces’ – please get in touch with our Asset Administrati on Team on 01304 872 249 to let them know of your name, address and disability requirements.

Do you or a member of your household have any diffi culty seeing, hearing or moving about the home? You can contact Kent Fire and Rescue to see what support they can off er. Call them free on 0800 923 7000 or email [email protected] re-uk.org

News update: Removal of fi re exti nguishers from communal areas in fl atsWe are removing some fi re exti nguishers from our buildings so we can meet recommendati ons from the Fire Risk Assessments that have been carried out. This is to reduce the risk to residents who may try to tackle a fi re with no previous training in using a fi re exti nguisher.

Fire exti nguishers will remain in certain areas including lift motor rooms, electrical intake cupboards and boiler rooms.

27Want to know more: Visit www.eastkenthousing.org.uk and search ‘fi re safety’.

• Test the batt eries in your smoke alarm every week.

• Keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach.

• If you smoke, stub cigarett es out properly and dispose of them carefully.

• Make sure candles are secured in a proper holder and away from materials that may catch fi re.

• Don’t disable any fi re precauti ons, such as smoke alarms or fi re door closures.

• Take care when cooking with hot oil such as cooking chips.

• Keep electrical appliances in good working order.

East Kent Housing has a duty to manage asbestos within the housing stock owned by the four Councils of Canterbury, Dover, Shepway and Thanet. We have an asbestos policy that outlines the steps we will take to ensure that the regulations in relation to asbestos are complied with. Our aim is to ensure that, as far as is reasonable, no one is exposed to any risks to their health due to the exposure to any asbestos containing materials that may be present in any of the properties we manage.

Asbestos in the home

Take care when doing DIY

WHATTO DO...

If you discover what you think is asbestos, you can contact the Asset Team on 01304 872 249. Visit our website: www.eastkenthousing.org.uk and search ‘asbestos’ for more advice

Be aware: Asbestos containing products can look very similarto those not containing asbestos

What should happen if I have asbestos in my home?

• Asbestos and asbestos products which are not likely to be damaged should be sealed and left in place. (Removal may cause problems by releasing fibres.)

• Do not drill, sand, cut or in any way disturb asbestos.

• If there is any asbestos that is damaged or can easily be dismantled contact us and we will arrange for a licensed contractor to remove.

• If you have asbestos materials in your home, extra care should be taken when doing DIY near to asbestos containing materials.

• DO NOT attempt work involving any asbestos containing materials or products, as this must be undertaken by a licensed asbestos removal contractor.

• Asbestos is dangerous, but is less dangerous if it is in good condition and left alone.

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