New Training and Employment Opportunities
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HOMENews about your Home Issue 29 | Jan 2017 NEW TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES INSIDE > Get funding for a project in your neighbourhood on page 13 > Competition on page 15 WELCOME IN THE SPOTLIGHT Welcome to the winter edition of Home Helping you become confident The New Year always provides a good www.facebook.com/ and connected online Season’s opportunity to get back into healthy lewishamhomes living after the festive period. We’re Greetings! working with the Albany and Lewisham @lewishamhomes Looking Council to offer our residents free courses to keep you fit, stay healthy or www.youtube.com/ forward to even take up a new hobby. lewishamhomes CHECK OUT OUR EVENTS 2017. lhomes.org.uk/lhlin CALENDAR ON PAGE 14 2 3 The Lewisham Homes’ Board is made up of residents, Councillors and independent BOARD MEMBERS members of the community with relevant skills and experience. They make strategic OUT AND ABOUT decisions and monitor our performance. Nigel with Alys, our get online expert We’ve been helping our residents get online with free training in our Digital Hub every Thursday, 10am- Nigel says: Going digital opens up 12pm. Over the past year, there has a new electronic world. I would been 220 visits to our Digital Hub recommend it to anyone. and residents have learned how to save I have lots of friends and family abroad, money and download the latest apps. Ainsley Forbes (Chair) with Kevin Stearns (Chair of Lewisham Tenants Fund) at our residents Garden Party. Terry James (Chair of Audit & Risk Committee) and ‘ and it’s an easy way to keep in touch, The Albany, 22 Aug. Princess Balogun at Lewisham Homes Staff Awards. We can: you save a fortune. I can now speak to Rivoli Ballroom, 8 Dec. > Introduce you to the world of social my brother in Africa for free. media > Set you up on our online portal, My Lewisham FIND OUT MORE Homes ABOUT OUR BOARD > Check your rent balance MEMBERS > Book repairs > Show you how to apply for benefits online too. If you need extra support, we’ll arrange a one to one session. lewishamhomes.org.uk/ Become a digital champion board Jan 2017 We’re looking for volunteers to support our New Year New Skills digital hub sessions. Full training provided. HOME HOME Our next ‘Get online’ course starts [email protected] Ophelia Bobori (Vice Chair) with young Love2Dance Odina Ifeoma (ICT team) interviewed Ainsley Forbes 18 January. (Go to page 14 for details.) finalists.The Albany, 27 Nov. and Terry James during Black History Month, 25 Oct. Jan 2017 OUR COMMUNITY OUR COMMUNITY Community Our newly recruited resident board member from Deptford, Princess Balogun, Princess achieved her dream recently achieved her dream career working as an Assistant Contract Manager at News Crossrail. At 27, she is also our youngest ever Board member. She’s had quite a career, and so can you… journey with us, and has made the most of the opportunities we’ve offered. Tenant Champion of the Year Keith Walton, was awarded Tenant Champion at this year’s 24housing Follow Princess’ journey… awards. 4 Resident Scrutiny 1 Employment Workshop Committee Our partners at Elevating They’re amazing, I still keep in Success organise employment contact with them. The course “ The committee is an We had training workshops throughout the year helped me with my interview skills As Chair of Evelyn Tenants and “ independent group of residents on the role of scrutiny Residents Association, Keith is to help get your CV and interview and changed my CV - I’m still using supported by Lewisham Tenants a brilliant example of someone skills up to scratch. Fund which help shape and “and what to scrutinise, “ what they did to this day. who quietly does a huge improve our services, for that prepared me for amount to lead and inspire his 4 example our antisocial this role. 5 behaviour service. community. Improving Housing Services ‘I care for people in our ward. 3 I’m just the guy that says ‘Come course on, let’s get this sorted!’’ Keith is a member of 2 Four month 5 Joined Lewisham Homes Board in our Resident Scrutiny Committee and a Director of placement with a October 2016 Started working at Crossrail as Assistant Contract Manager Lewisham Tenants Fund too. building contractor Congratulations Keith! Thanks to the employment workshop, “I felt confident with my “ It’s the New Year. Thanks to: skills when I applied for > Travis Perkins for supporting the work placement. Make that change today. Wide Horizons; 36 young people from Honor Oak went We offer a free, accredited course on an adventure learning week. We work closely with our I learned a lot about We’re really passionate about helping our residents in partnership with the London > QHS for supporting contractors to provide work “housing and a lot was gain training and work experience and, who knows, Metropolitan University (LMU). The experience and apprenticeship it could lead to achieving your dream career. our Garden Party, Grow opportunities for our residents. three day course offers an insight covered in the three Lewisham competition, and a into housing and counts 5 credits basic skills gardening course Go to page 14 for current days. I had a really We will soon be recruiting for the Resident towards a degree. “ volunteering opportunities at the Albany. broad overview and bits Scrutiny Committee and are looking for a new 40 residents have completed the > Lewisham Tenants Fund for resident board member. course so far and 15 have gone on specifically for Lewisham. supporting our Garden Party, to secure full time employment or ‘Meet Me At’ events, Digital seek further training. Jan 2017 For more information go to: Hub and LMU course. Secured a job as a Interested in taking part? lhomes.org.uk/lhscrutiny HOME HOME Trainee Project Manager with Network Rail lewishamhomes.org.uk/lmu Jan 2017 INDEPENDENT LIVING WORKING FOR YOU You choose how to Doing more with older improve shared spaces residents We are 10 LEWISHAM HOMES WAS SET UP TO IMPROVE HOUSING IN THE BOROUGH Over the past 10 years we have been working closely with residents to make Lewisham’s homes and neighbourhoods great places to live. After the success of our first pop-up arts and social club for older residents, we’re organising sessions at six more housing schemes across Lewisham. 6 We’re having a ball spending 7 time with you. A resident who attended a recent movie event as part of the ‘Meet me at…’ Over the past 10 years we have increased satisfaction amongst residents. events told us: ‘I haven’t had a day out like that for a long time’ We have come a long way since day one... We are now delivering much more too: We’ve been asking older residents how we should spend money > Building new homes improving their shared spaces at some of our Independent Living > Our own maintenance company housing schemes. We’ve also listened to ideas from residents of > Welfare Benefits advice all ages at our Garden Party. > Late night antisocial behaviour The pop-ups are open to all service You suggested some great stuff like gardening allotments, film older Council residents. > Environmental Services screenings and exercise equipment. Residents will choose which Find out more: 41% 90% 58% 77% > Hostels improvements they want in their buildings and outdoor spaces. We in 2006 in 2016 in 2006 in 2016 > Independent Living service for older 0800 028 2 028 residents expect to start these exciting refurbishments by summer 2017. Homes meeting the decent Tenant satisfaction > Online Services homes standard Lewis Silkin celebrate diversity Julia Cotton, Lewisham Homes resident and Chair of our Board from 2007 to 2016 said: Over the past 10 years I have seen huge Residents at Lewis Silkin House in New improvements in the standards of service and Cross celebrated Black History Month “ homes provided for residents. The programmes of “ in spectacular style by honouring the Decent Homes and Major Works has meant that 17 different nationalities who live there. now more than 90% of our properties are well Jan 2017 Working with the Independent Living team, they maintained with good bathrooms and kitchens. held a carnival style party with a feast to make HOME HOME your mouth water! To find out more about how we are performing visit annualreport.lewishamhomes.org.uk Jan 2017 SURVEY SURVEY Resident survey : Reporting back the lives and homes of tenants; providing Decent This summer we spoke to 2500 residents to find out increased over the last two years, particularly among What’s next? Homes, improved resident satisfaction as well leaseholders. your views on our services. In response to your feedback we are looking at ways to investing £227,000 in 62 community projects over Our managers, including directors and the improve these areas. the past 10 years. Chief Executive, went door-to-door for the Big You said... As a result the Council is seeking to extend Conversation, to find out first-hand how we could The Resident Scrutiny Committee has reviewed There were five key areas you told us we need to do Lewisham Homes’ contract to manage residents’ improve where you live. our antisocial behaviour service and has made better: recommendations. homes for another 10 years until 2027 and would We also commissioned independent researchers to > Improve the quality and speed of repairs like to hear tenants’ views. telephone residents, so now we have a clear picture of Council seeks tenants’ views > Keep communal areas clean and tidy The deadline for feedback is midnight on 31 January what we’re doing well and what we need to do better.