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in this The newsletter for Langstane and ISSUE 29 Winter 2015 issue Next Step Homes tenants

Merry Christmas RENT AND SERVICE CHARGE SETTING POLICY

SUPPORTING LOCAL FOODBANKS

MAJOR REPAIRS Image by Stephen Dobson 2016 – 17

Look out for your Tenant Your top requests from our Satisfaction Survey 2016 last Tenant Satisfaction Survey WORKINGRITE YOUTH We want to know how satisfied you are You told us you were concerned about EMPLOYMENT with every aspect of our service from repairs the condition of your neighbourhoods and neighbourhood management to We have re-introduced Estates Assistants to visit housing quality and communication. your schemes and work with our handymen to respond quickly to your concerns. We are delighted to announce that Research HOUSING TEAM Resource will be carrying out our Tenant You told us you wanted more contact Satisfaction Survey 2016. Look out for your by text CHANGES survey arriving soon. We will be giving away We now text you a reminder the day a Samsung Galaxy Tab A, a £200 cash prize before your repairs appointment. and two £100 cash prizes in our biggest ever prize draw. You told us you wanted a more individual service Giving you great customer service is our top COFFEE BREAK priority, so return your survey to let us know You will now have a named Housing Officer PUZZLES what matters to you. for your scheme and for your rent queries.

Your answers will be published in next summer’s newsletter.

1 If you would like this in another format or language please contact www.langstane-ha.co.uk Housing Team Changes

You told us you wanted a more Tenants in City, Central, for housing allocations, rent account individual service, so from January West and South management, anti-social behaviour 2016 each scheme will have a will also have another named complaints, estate management and named Housing Officer responsible Housing Officer responsible for the tenancy enquiries. for allocating properties to management of their rent account. new tenants, investigating and resolving anti-social behaviour Tenants served by our Elgin and complaints and assisting with Peterhead offices will continue to general tenancy enquiries. have one Housing Officer responsible

Aberdeen/Aberdeenshire Housing Services Officer Rent Account Officer Aberdeen Susan Gordon Kathleen Birnie Ashgrove, , Froghall, Hilton, Huntly Street, Kittybrewster, Rosemount, , Woodside.

Aberdeenshire Aboyne, Alford, Kemnay, Kintore, Inverurie, Port Elphinstone, Westhill. Aberdeen David Morison Karen Robertson Charlotte Gardens/Street, Fraser Court/Place, George Street, Holland Street, John Street, Palmerston Road, .

Aberdeenshire Inverbervie, Laurencekirk, Stonehaven. Aberdeen Lynn Lane Swetha Rajarathinam Bloomfield Road, Castlehill, Charles Street, , Hanover Street, Holburn Street, King Street, Marischal Street, Peacock’s Court, Seaton, Union Street. Aberdeen Louise Killoh Louise Killoh Castleton Lane, Constitution Street.

Aberdeenshire Balmedie Ellon, Peterhead & Fraserburgh Peterhead Housing Officer Peterhead Housing Officer

Moray/Aberdeenshire Housing Services Officer Rent Account Officer Elgin Laura Gavin Laura Gavin Langstane Place, Marleon Field, Pinefield Crescent.

Moray/Aberdeenshire Aberchirder, Fochabers, Forres, Huntly, Keith, Lhanbryde, Rothes, Tomintoul, Turriff. Elgin Richard McClay Richard McClay Barlink Road, Ernest Hamilton Court, Waulkmill Road.

Moray/Aberdeenshire Banff, Buckie, Burghead, Findhorn, Lossiemouth, Macduff.

Contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.

2 www.langstane-ha.co.uk Tenant Survey Prize Major Repairs Programme Draw Winners 2016 – 2017 Four lucky tenants won £50 vouchers for the store of their choice. Thanks to everyone who This year our increased programme of improvements will deliver completed our survey. 288 replacement kitchens and 125 replacement bathrooms. The winners are: The works will be completed by April 2017. Ms Ingpen, Fochabers Miss Moultrie, Balmedie REPLACEMENT KITCHENS Mr Paterson, Aberdeen Our contractor will contact each tenant to arrange a survey of Mr Smith, Turriff the kitchen. The purpose of the survey is to make sure that each kitchen will meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. Our contractor will draw up a layout for the new kitchen and offer Locked out tenants a choice of five cabinet doors and five worktop finishes.

Reasons to leave a spare Aberdeen City 21-33 Bloomfield Road key with a trusted friend Mugiemoss Court, Bucksburn or family member: Seaton Place East Locking yourself out of your home Wood Street is an expensive business. Cloverfield Close, Bucksburn • If we use a master key to let you into your property, we will charge you and you must pay Aberdeenshire Carters Close, Peterhead before we use the key. If we have to change St Andrews Street, Peterhead the lock because you have lost all your keys, the cost will be even higher. Sutherland Avenue, Peterhead Locking yourself out is not an emergency. St Peters Street, Peterhead • Our out-of-hours emergency repair service Commerce Street, Fraserburgh does not cover this. If you lock yourself out Polinar Place, Inverurie at the weekend, in the evening or on a public Redcloak Drive, Stonehaven holiday, you may have to call out a locksmith at your own expense. Strathisla Court, Keith For more information on lock changes and charges, please contact us on 01224 423000. REPLACEMENT BATHROOMS Our contractor will visit each tenant to survey the property and Calling all tenants discuss flooring and wallboard (waterproof wall panel) choices. We offer four designs of wallboard and six designs of floor coverings. It’s your newsletter, so send us your ideas! You can send us letters, articles and photos by post, by email to [email protected] or via our website. Aberdeen City 9-19 Bloomfield Road We’d love to print your news and views. Mugiemoss Court, Bucksburn

Summer Aberdeenshire East North Street, Peterhead Consultation Sandford Court, Peterhead Special Winners Culbert Street, Portsoy Many thanks to everyone who took part in our Summer Consultation Special. We appreciate your DECORATION PROGRAMME help with the Charter Report 2015 and the great We will be rolling out our 6 year programme of external feedback you gave us on your newsletter. We’ve decoration to nearly 500 units. We will also be painting the made some of the changes you suggested, so internal stairwells and communal areas. please let us know if we’re getting it right. Please return your Satisfaction Survey at the end of the works. The 4 winners of £20 shopping vouchers are: We need your feedback on things such as workmanship and Ms S, Aberdeen Miss D, Peterhead colour choice to help us plan future programmes. Mr B, Fraserburgh Miss I, Elgin

3 www.langstane-ha.co.uk Greening Donside

The Gardening Group was busy throughout the summer and autumn. They held a Food Harvest event in October and dug up potatoes, onions, leeks, garlic and carrots to distribute to residents. Local children also helped dig up the strawberry plants and move them to their new growing space beside the play park. Next year there should be a bounty of strawberries for the children to help themselves to while playing at the park. The Group held a Halloween pumpkin decorating event. Children decorated their pumpkins and enjoyed pumpkin cake.

Join the Greening Donside Climate Challenge

We are half way through our one year Climate Challenge Fund project to help the residents of Donside look at ways to reduce their carbon emissions.

As well as growing food we look at ways to help residents reduce, reuse and recycle. A number of residents have started food recycling and are keeping a monthly diary of how much food waste they are now recycling. As the weather gets colder residents will be switching on lights and turning the heating up. We have energy saving light bulbs, power down switches and energy monitors available to residents. You can see your daily energy usage and find ways to reduce your energy consumption and reduce annual bills. At this year’s Donside Summer Gala, Langstane tenant Mr Odaa signed up for a Greening Donside home energy survey and borrowed a home energy monitor. Mr Odaa and his family have had their energy monitor installed since August and have found it has help raise their energy awareness.

Mr Odaa said: “It’s been an eye-opener and everyone is cautious of electricity now. I’ve taken the time and recorded some corresponding electric and cash values of different appliances in the home. We are embracing the value of the gadget installed”.

Greening Donside is for all our tenants at Donside and Tillydrone. If you would like a home energy survey and to borrow a home energy monitor, contact Angela on m: 07900 432 702 Email: [email protected].

4 www.langstane-ha.co.uk WorkingRite and Langstane

childcare, IT, construction, admin me feel really welcome and I and warehousing. Seven of them hope to continue working and have completed the programme progressing there in the future”. and moved on to full time jobs, WorkingRite is really proud of all apprenticeships or further education. its trainees and would like to say a 17 year-old Aimee Milne from big thank you to all the committed Aberdeen has earned herself a full employers who give local youngsters time job at KingsWellies Nursery. a chance to learn in their workplace. Aimee had been struggling to motivate herself to go out and find If you’re reading this and think: work, but after an interview with “I’d like to do that”, or know WorkingRite, she was excited to someone who would, get in Aimee dressed as an 80s pop get started. WorkingRite matched touch with Ewan Sinclair, the local star for Halloween. Aimee to KingsWellies Nursery, Project Co-ordinator. Ewan will be where she trained to work in the WorkingRite is a great way for happy to let you know more about office - creating care plans, filing, young people aged 16 - 18 to the WorkingRite programme and answering phone calls or emails and set up an informal interview to get build their confidence and get keeping everything up to date. you started. work experience. Since April 2015, 14 young people have Aimee said: e: [email protected] joined the Langstane WorkingRite “It’s been really helpful. The t: 07900 742 014 programme in placements such as team at KingsWellies has made www.workingrite.co.uk

Consultation on Rent and Service Charge Setting Policy

We are reviewing our Rent and Service Charge Setting Policy. should only exceptionally be dependant on housing benefit in order to pay it” The aim of our policy is to show how we will set rents and service charges that are affordable, fair and make The Main Points sure our business is secure. We will review our rents at the same time as we set our To do this we will: annual budget. • Consult our tenants throughout the rent setting process We have included two new costs in our budget priorities: • Make sure our rents continue to be affordable* to • Costs of providing services tenants whether they are employed or unemployed • Costs of meeting quality standards (such as the Scottish Housing Quality Standard) • Review rent levels at the same time as we set our annual budget to make sure we can afford our What happens next? business priorities Please answer the questions in the Consultation Special. • Set and increase rents in an open and fair way so that If you would like to read the complete draft policy, tenants can be sure they are paying our standard rent please visit the Consultations and Feedback page on for the size, type and location of property our website, or contact us on 01224 423120 to ask for • Make sure our rents continue to be similar to the a copy. rents set by local authorities and social landlords in the areas we work in Your Choice You can also take part by writing, by phone, by email, or *We follow the Scottish Federation of Housing on Facebook. Your opinion counts so don’t delay. Send Association’s affordability measure: back your Consultation Special by 1st February 2016 “For a rent (including service charges) to be affordable, and help up to deliver value for money services that are households with one person working 35 hours or more important to you.

5 www.langstane-ha.co.ukwww.langstane-ha.co.uk 5 The Pennan Ladies

Once again the Pennan Ladies, Aileen and Lesley, have excelled themselves with their annual car park garden display. The garden gives so much pleasure to residents and visitors and inspires neighbours to join in.

The Pennan Ladies started gardening little by little with the odd shrub and flower pot, adding hanging baskets and building up to the ambitious car park display and the magical peacock.

Year after year, the Ladies have won a Special Recommendation Certificate in the Aberdeenshire Council gardening competition. Since 2011 they have also won the Miss Addie silver cup for community gardening – a very special award set up in memory of Aileen’s sister.

Congratulations on winning again in 2015! Your efforts are appreciated by one and all.

Stair Cleaning in Supporting local Peterhead and Fraserburgh foodbanks

Tenants in Peterhead and Fraserburgh have told us that they Staff at Langstane have donated around 300kgs are unhappy with the cleanliness of the communal areas in of stock to local foodbanks since January their schemes. This summer we asked the tenants if they 2015. Demand for food parcels is rising as would like us to introduce a communal cleaning service. changes to the benefit system are rolled-out. The majority of tenants agreed with our proposal to introduce Local supermarkets in your area may organise a fortnightly stair cleaning service which would be paid for by collections for local foodbanks. a service charge. Donations for toiletries, baby items and food Our schemes in Peterhead and Fraserburgh will now be are welcome. included in our cleaning contract when we invite contractors If you need help with a food parcel then to bid for this service in autumn 2016. please contact us on 01224 423000 or email: Until we have the contract in place, tenants in these areas [email protected] and we will remain responsible for cleaning their own stairs. point you in the right direction.

6 www.langstane-ha.co.uk Unscramble the names of these Coffee Break Double winter sports then copy the letters Puzzle into the numbered boxes to reveal a sporting event. Winter Holiday EDESP KTIGSNA Word Search

A S T S V O E J Q K F G D Z P C 11 17

D L B S T U O U B L R A R C T A CEI OYEHKC

K L C S N O I T A R O C E D I R

W A O B I I C T I V C D G I F O

C B D C E R S K A T I N G S H L KIS GJMUIPN

G P A K B W K T I Q G L Q L K S

D O O K F X Y P Q N D S C S T M

B R I M U R O R K P G E L A U O SBEOLBD H D P O R M S E F D T F V M F R

C W L E I W F S C K E B Y T L Q

P O B I P R V E U I C E E S O T NWSO ADGBRNIO Z N O B L U K N I E M J B I U N

M S Y T W A J T L D M R U R E X

B N H G I E L S H M G N K H R D NOIGWSINLBMO F I E Z O P N E F Z L E N C S P

Z T A K I I N G Q S Y I R C J Y

Snowdrop • Carols • Sleigh • Skating • Cold • Christmas • Turkey • Decorations • Ice • Berry • Stocking • Presents You can find the answers on the Words can read forwards, backwards, up, down, Tenants page on our website. or diagonally up or down.

What’s in a food parcel? A food parcel supplies basic foods that are easy to store and cook. These recipes use simple ingredients to make a quick and tasty dinner with no waste.

What’s in a Food Parcel? Pasta Bake Crunchy Fruit Crumble

Cereal or porridge What you need: What you need: Soup • 1 tin of soup • 2 – 3 slices of bread Biscuits • 1 tin of veg crumbled (stale is fine) Beans or spaghetti • 75 -85 grams (2½ - 3oz) • 50g (2 oz) porridge oats of pasta Pasta sauce • 1 tin of fruit • Grated cheese (optional) • A little sugar or honey Tinned veg Tinned meat What to do: What to do: Tinned fish • Heat the oven to 180C • Heat the oven to 180C Tinned fruit • Boil the pasta for 4 mins only • Mix the bread and oats and drain Rice pudding or custard • Put the fruit in an oven proof • Drain the liquid from the veg Pasta or rice dish and cover with the oat mix • Mix the soup, pasta and veg Sugar • Sprinkle with sugar or drizzle in an oven proof dish with honey UHT milk • Top with grated cheese • Bake for 15 – 20 mins Tea, coffee, juice • Bake for 10 – 15 mins. • Serve with custard

7 www.langstane-ha.co.uk Speak Out

Domestic or partner abuse can occur in any close relationship. It happens regardless of age, gender, Grampian Woman’s Aid disability, education and ethnicity. Although mainly affecting women, men can also be victims. Contact details The abuse can be: Tel: 01224 593381 • Physical - being pushed, hit, kicked or threatened Email: [email protected] www.grampian-womens-aid.com • Financial – having money withheld, having to account for spending or being forced to borrow money

• Sexual - being raped, sexually assaulted, forced to It isn’t always easy for a victim of abuse to take part in unwanted sexual activities seek help. If you are involved in an abusive • Emotional - being verbally abused, criticised, or relationship, or if you are a friend, neighbour isolated from family and friends or family member who believes someone is being abused, please speak out. Reporting If someone is in immediate danger always phone concerns for a neighbour who you think 999. You can also report to Police on 101, may be suffering is not being nosey, you at your local Police office or Crimestoppers on 0800 could be saving someone’s life. 555 111.

OFFICE CLOSURES 3 - 2 - 1 – GO!

We would like to wish you a great festive season Here are three ways you can take part in an instant. and remind you that our offices will be closed on the Minimum effort – maximum effect! following dates:

Thursday 24th December 2015 open until 12:30 pm Like us on Facebook – send us a message or Friday 25th December 2015 closed post on our page. We re-open 9:00 am Tuesday 5th January 2016 Visit our website and send us a contact – Friday 25th March 2016 Good Friday compliment or complaint, the choice is yours. Monday 28th March 2016 Easter Monday Monday 18th April 2016 Spring Holiday Return your Consultation Special – we’ve given you a post paid envelope to make it easy. Emergency repair cover when our offices are closed: Take part now and make a difference.

Aberdeen 08456 080 929 Aberdeenshire 08456 081 203 NEW ELGIN OFFICE Moray 08457 565 656 OPENING HOURS Gas (Heatcare) 01343 842 042 From Tuesday 5th January 2016 the new opening Electricity – Power Cut 0800 300 999 hours for the Elgin Office will be: Loss of Water Supply 08456 018 855 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9am -12noon & 1pm – 4pm Please accept our apologies for (Closed for Lunch 12 noon – 1pm) any inconvience this may cause. Wednesday 10am – 12 noon & 1pm – 4pm The office will be closed every Wednesday from 9 until 9.30 am for Team Briefing Sessions. On the third (Closed for Lunch 12 Wednesday of every month, the office will close from 9 noon – 1pm) am until 12 noon.

8 www.langstane-ha.co.uk