THE SOUTHSIDER

SUMMER 2015 Don’t Get Bored This Summer Southside Housing Association is delighted to sponsor a range of activities for children over the summer. See below for details of sports activities, and watch out on noticeboards and direct mail shots for details of other activities.

FREE Southside Housing Soccer Camp @Goals Soccer Centre, , G41 2EU For boys and girls aged 5-13 27th July – 31th July 2015 10am – 2pm Register now email [email protected] Limited spaces available Top Quality coaching from Scotland’s best.

Universal Credit...... 6 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Proposed Maintenance Program 2015-16 ...... 8 Meet the Team ...... 2 Last Years Performance...... 9 Are You a Member Yet ? ...... 3 Demolition of St Andrews Drive...... 9 Nan McKay Community Hall ...... 4 New Housing...... 9 Award Ceremony...... 5 Halfway Community Park...... 10 AMEY Community Initiative...... 5 New Ways of Heating Your Home...... 10 Hartlaw/Chirnside Garden Celebration ...... 5 Giant Hogweed ...... 11 1 Meet the Team Housing Officers are cont:

Housing Officers are based at Southside Housing Association Seg Naicker 135 Fifty Pitches Road G51, and can be contacted Tel. 0141 422 4812 on Tel: 0141 422 1112. Email [email protected] Please do not hesitate to contact your Housing Officer if you require assistance with any tenancy-related issue - if they are Seg is responsible for: not able to help you directly, they will put you in touch with someone who can. Kenmure Street, Lincluden Path, McCulloch Street, Maxwell Drive, Maxwell Gardens, If you simply wish to report a repair, it is not necessary to go Maxwell Grove, Maxwell Oval, Shields Road, through your Housing Officer; you can just call us on St Andrews Crescent, St Andrews Drive, St 0303 0300 109. Andrews Road, St Johns Quadrant.

Bridget Maguire/June Carmichael Housing Management Team (Job Share) Tel 0141 422 4824 Allan Forfar Email [email protected] Housing Manager / [email protected] Tel 0141 422 4800 Cardonald Email [email protected] Bridget & June are responsible for: Carham Drive, Chirnside Place, Hartlaw Crescent, Invergyle Drive, Queensland Court, Queensland Gardens. Shahnaz Ahmed Shakoor Team Leader Tel 0141 422 4802 Caroline Dickson Email [email protected] Tel. 0141 422 4806 Email [email protected]

Caroline is responsible for: Housing Officers are: Halfway Barfillan Drive, Belltrees Avenue, Thomas McIlvaney Berryknowes Ave, Berryknowes Road, Tel. 0141 422 4804. Braidcraft Road, Elizabeth Street Email [email protected] Govan Road, Ibrox Street, Midlock Street, Maryland Gardens, Mossheights Avenue, Thomas is responsible for: Mossview Quadrant South Side Traditional Montrave Path, Paisley Road West. Darnley Street, Grantley Street, Herriet Street, Keir Street, Kenmure Street, Lane/Path, Leslie Street, Manse Brae, March Street, Maxwell Road, Melville Street, Minard Road, Nithsdale Drive, Nithsdale Road, Overdale Gardens, Prince Edward Street, Prospecthill Road, Pollokshaws Road, Queen Mary Avenue, Ruel Street, Tantallon Road, St Andrews Road.

2 Are you a member yet?

HOW do housing associations work? Who owns the we make a surplus it means that there is more money available to housing association and where do the profits go? invest in new kitchens, bathrooms, heating system or to build new homes. Housing is a long term benefit for our communities, its The Association is owned and governed by the community that not just about having a good home today, its about making sure it serves. Southside Housing Association is a charity and that these homes are available for future generations. As you will although we aim to make an annual “profit”, this is put back see elsewhere in this newsletter, the work of the Association is into the housing association for the benefit of tenants and the much more than just housing. The local community volunteers wider community. To become a member, you need to apply to who have served on the Management Committee in the past have join. It costs £1 for life membership and this entitles you to left the legacy that the current Management Committee seeks become a shareholder in the Association. Shareholders can to protect and develop. attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the AGM elects the Management Committee of the Association. But So if you aren’t a member already, why shareholders do not get any financial reward or share of the aren’t you? Membership is a profits. Any surplus or profit that is made is retained for tangible way of you investment in your homes. protecting the assets in your neighbourhood and defending the rights of your community to affordable good quality homes. So don’t delay, fill in the form below and send it in with your £1, and become an important part of your community’s housing association.

MEMBERSHIP SOUTHSIDE HOUSING ASSOCIATION LTD Are you interested in becoming more involved? A popular misconception is that if you are a tenant or factored owner, then you are a member. This is not the case. You must Membership of the Association: apply to join, see details of the application form below. If you want more details on becoming a member of the Association, please fill in your name and address in the space The Annual General Meeting elects the Management below, and hand it in to the Association’s Office, or post it to Committee, and the Management Committee meets monthly to ‘The Secretary, Southside Housing Association Ltd.,135 oversee the running of the Association. The Management Fifty Pitches Road, Glasgow G51 4EB. Committee approves the annual budget, sets the rent and Alternatively drop the form into the local office in Pollokshields, other charges, employs staff and makes sure your homes are or your local concierge office. kept to a high standard. The people on the Management Committee come from all walks of life but all have a connection FULL NAME: ………………………………………………... with the areas that we work in and many are tenants of the Association or factored owners. In this way Southside Housing Association is controlled by ADDRESS: ………………………………………………….. the local community. DATE: …………………………………………………... Any surplus or “profit” that the Association generates We will send you out an application form and more in a given year is not information on how to join and make your voice heard. shared out, instead it is re-invested in the Association. If we Note: This is not an application for the Association’s perform strongly then Housing List. If you wish to apply for housing, please there is less need to contact the Association’s Office for an application form. increase rent levels, or if 3 Nan McKay Hall in Partnership with Southside Housing Association and Nan McKay Community Hall NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde End of St John’s Road, Adjacent to 29 St Andrews Drive, Pollokshields, Glasgow, G41 5SR • • Tel: 0141 429 5370 Email: [email protected] www.nanmckay.co.uk Foot Care and Podiatry Clinic Nan McKay Community Hall is proud to announce the re-launch of our whole-sale AS a result of the success of our pilot scheme to price, food co-op! bring podiatry and foot care closer to our local WE sell a wide range of fruit residents we are pleased and veg, and will soon be to announce that this will expanding to carry dried be an on-going project. goods (oats, pluses, rice, Foot Care Clinics (toe etc.), herbs (grown by the nail cutting & hard skin volunteers in our very own removal) is done by our community garden), and pre- 4 volunteers, all of whom have certificates in foot care. prepared recipe bags with all Podiatrists visit on a regular basis for more specific needs. the ingredients you will need At present, the service is free and we would hope to keep to make tasty soups and any future charges to a minimum. There is a £5 charge if you curries. forget the nail clippers you’ll be given! Our produce is loose, so you can buy as much, or as Thursdays at 423 Shields Road little as you need, cutting Phone for appointment – down on the waste food 0141 429 5370 and packaging which is so common with supermarket Classes starting August/Sept! bulk-buys. We can even cut up turnips and cabbages, if Creative Writing you only want a small, fresh Digital Photography portion! Cookery We also sell a range of energy-saving light bulbs…. Computers But please don’t try cooking them. ESOL – Assessments August

The stall is open for Please Contact us on 0141 429 5370 anyone who wants to shop to make an appointment here, but we especially or to add you name to the class list hope to help people who live in the surrounding Gentle Exercise homes and don’t have Thursdays 9:15–10:00am Mondays 9:15 –10:00 am access to a supermarket Come and join Barbara for gentle circuits and seated exercise (or other sizable grocery shops) within walking Revitalise Exercise distance. Wednesdays 2:00–3:00pm Exercise to fun music at your own pace with Sylvia We are located within the Nan McKay Community Hall, at the end of St. John’s Road / adjacent to 29 St. Andrew’s Drive, Pollokshields, G41 5SR; and is open from 9am-4pm, Mon-Fri. NEW COMPUTER CLASS STARTING Gardening Group – 10TH SEPTEMBER 2015 Tuesdays 10:00-12:00pm 2PM – 4:00PM LEARN TO KEEP UP WITH THE EMMA & our gardening team are looking for new members KIDS/GRANDCHILDREN!!!! to help with the herb and vegetable growing for our Food Co-Op. We have newly installed raised beds Digital Imaging, and there always something that needs Social Media & Internet Safety done in the garden. COST £1 - CONTACT US 0N 0141 429 5370

4 Award Ceremony – Help us WELL done to Brian McNeillie, Thomas Identify a Local Hero! McIlvaney, Heather Congalton, Kathy McLeod, OVER the past few years Lesley Marshall, Christine we have used our Annual Gillan, Joanne Boyle and Katie Stewart General Meeting to recognise (aka “Southside Strollers”). The team of Southside staff individuals in the community who have gone that extra mile raised £2741 for Sense Scotland and range of other charities. to look after their neighbours The money was raised through donations, sponsors and or their neighbourhood. charity events but the main activity was a 26 mile Glasgow “Kiltwalk”. This money will be shared equally with the teams Now is the time to identify the next set of people whose nominated charity, Sense Scotland and the charities linked contribution we would like to celebrate. with Kiltwalk. In this edition we have included a reply paid card, asking for nominations for someone special, who you think deserves AMEY Community Initiative recognition. The three categories we want to recognise are:- Good Neighbour of the Year:- IF you have visited our main office Someone who looks out for in Cardonald, you may have their neighbours, perhaps those who are most vulnerable, noticed that Amey Ltd are our or makes that extra effort to commercial tenant’s on the top improve the quality of life in floor. Two of AMEY’s staff, their neighbourhood. Grahame Duguid and John Maxwell recently provided Employee or Contractor of us with a valuable energy the Year:- Someone who survey of the office. This works directly for the Association, or is employed by one of our contractors, who has made an extra effort in delivering a was done as part of Amey’s service to our customers. Community Day initiative, whereby Amey staff give time and Gardener of the Year:- For that person who has perhaps resources to local communities. We were delighted looked after a back court or communal garden, or whose to get such expert advice for free and Grahame and John who window box or balcony display, have added value and joy to are both specialists in energy surveys, were able to identify a those who live nearby. range of improvements that we can make. Southside’s housing In addition our factoring company, SFARS Ltd, would like tenants should benefit from this input because the more money to introduce a new award for the “Close of the Year”. The we save on energy costs, the less pressure to increase rents and “Close of the Year” award will recognise a close that has the more money available for improvements to your home. Our set exceptionally high standards for its communal areas and/ thanks to Graeme and John and Amey Ltd for their generous or made exceptional improvements to these areas over the help. previous 12 months.

Hartlaw/Chirnside August National Garden Celebration Volunteer Week

THE Association recently celebrated National Volunteer Week. Volunteers are an essential part of the Association and we depend on their voluntary effort in lots of ways. One of the IF you live in Hartlaw/Chrinside put Saturday 8th August, key services delivered by volunteers is our highly valued 1 - 3pm in you diary. There will be a garden party to Handyperson Service. John Turner, Handyperson Co-ordinator, celebrate the completion of the environmental works at 150/160 Hartlaw Crescent and the voluntary work of local says, “The Handyperson Service delivers practical help to older residents in the gardens on the estate. Local residents people in their own homes. We carry out a range of tasks such have been working with Urban Roots on a range of as fitting key safes, putting up curtain rails, shelves, changing gardening activities and this hopefully complements the light bulbs, removing tripping hazards, etc. We couldn’t do this investment that the Association has made in the public without our team of volunteers. But is not just the practical help spaces. As well as an opportunity to meet up and say that the volunteers deliver, its also a very social way of delivering thank you to all those involved, the “party” will also provide an important service.” To celebrate National Volunteers Week, lots of opportunities to broaden your gardening skills. John took the team of volunteers out for a well deserved lunch. 5 Universal Credit UNIVERSAL Credit began in Glasgow on 8th June. Its going How and when will Universal Credit be to be rolled out slowly, but its on the way! Suzanne Lavelle, Head of our Advice Services sets out some helpful advice and paid? information below. Universal Credit is paid once a month into an account that you choose. Universal Credit can only be paid as a single payment. What is Universal Credit replacing? So if you have a partner, and you have more than one account, Universal Credit brings together six benefits and tax credits and you will need to choose which account it is paid into. replaces them with a single monthly payment. Your first payment will be made one calendar month and 7 days after your date of claim and then calendar monthly after that. If It is replacing the following: you think you will find it difficult to manage while waiting for this first payment ask the DWP for an ‘advance payment’ - ask for • Income-based Jobseekers Allowance this at your first interview at the Jobcentre or call the helpline on • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance 0345 600 0723. But note - this will be paid back out of your future • Income Support Universal Credit payments. • Child Tax Credit Some people, rather than having monthly payments, can get the • Working Tax Credit amount split and paid twice a month - but you will have to ask for • Housing Benefit this and explain why you cannot manage with monthly payments. Any benefits you receive which are not included in the above How much Universal Credit will I get? list will continue to be paid as usual, e.g. Child Benefit, Carers Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Council Tax Support Universal Credit is a ‘family’ benefit. This means how much you and so on. receive depends on your, your partner’s and any dependent children’s personal circumstances i.e. being unfit for work, your Universal Credit will not affect you, if you and your partner (if housing costs, how many children you have, whether any of your you have one) are Pension Credit age. children are disabled and so on, as well as certain income you already have coming in. When will Universal Credit start? Most people will receive a similar level of Universal Credit to the amount they receive from the benefits that it is replacing. But the Universal Credit started in Glasgow on the 8th June 2015 but will rules are different and this means that: initially only be for new single jobseekers claims. - Some people who cannot claim one of the six benefits it is My Housing Benefit currently gets paid replacing could claim Universal Credit. - Some people will be better off under Universal Credit. to my landlord - will this change? - Some people may be worse off - although many will be entitled to have their current level of benefits protected for a while. In most cases, any financial support you get to help pay your rent will be included in your Universal Credit award, and paid to you Please talk to one of our Welfare Rights Officers for further details. on a monthly basis. You’ll then pay your full rent to your landlord yourself. However, if you are in arrears with your rent, your landlord can Do I have to have a bank account? request that an amount be taken out of your Universal Credit award and paid directly to them. This may not, however, cover No. You will need an account for Universal Credit to be paid into, your full rent and there may be a shortfall for you to pay. but Universal Credit can be paid into several different types of If you feel that you would be unable to cope with paying your rent account. Universal Credit can be paid into a: and are worried about falling into arrears, you can ask the DWP to consider you for ‘alternative payment arrangements’. This is - Post Office® card account - this is a type of account specifically where the DWP pay an amount out of your Universal Credit award designed for receiving benefits. It can only be accessed at a Post to your landlord, with any remaining entitlement paid to you. Office during opening hours, and does not allow Direct Debits or But to qualify to be paid this way you must meet certain criteria, standing orders to pay Rent or bills. and each case will be decided individually by the DWP. If you - Basic Bank Account - this allows you to have many of the same would like some help with this or more information contact features as a current account without going overdrawn. Most Southside’s Advice Team. allow Direct Debits and standing orders. 6 - Credit Union Current Account - many Credit Unions offer a Some part-time and lower paid workers will also have to show current account where benefits and wages can be paid in, direct they are looking for more hours / higher paid work debits and standing orders can be arranged, and other banking Failing to keep to your claimant commitment will mean losing facilities are available such as ‘jam jar’ accounts – see below. some of your Universal Credit for a period - this is called a - ‘Jam jar’ account (also called a budgeting account) - this is a sanction. new type of account that divides your money into several ‘pots’ so you can keep money to pay bills separate from your Hardship Payments will be available to some people faced by spending money. It often has a monthly fee. such a sanction but this is a loan that will need to be repaid. - Current Account - this could be with a bank or building society. This type of account has the widest range of facilities, but you will normally need to pass a credit check to open one. And unlike ‘basic’ accounts you can become overdrawn and face 1. Think about how you will budget charges. monthly - Prepaid Card Account - a card you can pay your Universal Credit onto. You can use the card to pay in shops, but you won’t be Universal Credit is generally paid monthly and you may have other able to set up direct debits or standing orders for bills or rent. income coming in at different times during the month. Drawing up You may be charged to set up the card, to receive payments, or a budget of all your household income and outgoings is going to use cash machines. be important if you want to make sure you can pay all your bills and manage until the end of the month. If you have debts, speak to our money adviser now about how What’s best for me? you are going to manage your payments in the future under a monthly income and what you may need to do. The best type of account will depend on exactly how you wish to use it. For example, if you want to ensure your rent is paid and you have access to your money at any time of the day but don’t want to risk going overdrawn, then it may be best to have a basic 2. Consider how you will access the bank account. If you want to be able to put your income into internet various ‘pots’ to ensure your bills are paid then maybe a ‘jam jar’ account is best. For more information on choosing an account, You will be expected to claim Universal Credit and report changes speak to our Advice Team. in your circumstances online. - Think about where you will be able to access the internet - this could be at your local library, community centre, Local Authority How will I claim Universal Credit? or Jobcentre, Southside Housing Association has 2 computers tenants can use in our Cardonald office, enquire at reception. You will apply online - on the internet. This applies to someone - If you would like to improve your computer skills, your Jobcentre making a new claim for Universal Credit as well as someone or local library can help you find a course. moving onto Universal Credit from one of the benefits it is - Or, if you already have access to the internet, look online - there replacing. If you don’t have access to the internet at home you are free courses that will build your confidence. will be able to use the computers at your council offices, a local community centre, library or maybe at your local Jobcentre to make the application. If you need help making your claim online 3. Ensuring your rent is paid you can get advice at your local council, or you can get help over the phone - from the Universal Credit helpline: 0345 600 0723 (call - When you move onto Universal Credit tell Southside Housing charges apply and can be expensive from some mobile phones Association and make arrangements for how your rent will be - so ask the DWP to call you back). You will need to report any paid. changes on line (or via the helpline)- such as losing or getting a - If you can, consider paying a little extra rent each week now, so job, changes in your household, a rent increase. that when you move onto Universal Credit and are paid monthly in arrears there is a ‘buffer’ on your rent account. What is the Claimant Commitment? 4. Do you need to open a new bank To claim Universal Credit, you - and your partner if you have one - will need to agree and sign a claimant commitment. account? This will outline what you (and your partner) need to do in order to be paid, and continue to receive, your full Universal Credit award. - If you don’t have a bank account, think about whether having If you are fit enough to work, but not currently working, you will one will help you to manage your bills and rent payments. You need to look for work - most people fit enough to work will be may want to ask for a ‘Basic Bank Account’ which won’t allow expected to spend 35 hours a week looking for work. Some you to go overdrawn. people- e.g. those with children under 13, will not be expected to - If you have a partner you will get a single payment of Universal spend as much time looking for work. And some - i.e. those with Credit for both of you, so consider whether you want a joint a child under one, who are unfit for work, or certain carers, will not account. be expected to do any work search. cont/... 7 - Find out about your local Credit Union and see what sort of Contact Us accounts they have - they might have an account that helps you APPOINTMENTS are available with Welfare Rights and Money organise your bill payments. Advice at any of our 3 offices and other community outlets, home - Consider opening a ‘jam jar’ account - these can make it easier visits are available on request. Our team provide a professional, to manage all your bills, including your rent. Although this type comprehensive service, and have links with many other support of account usually comes with a monthly fee, some Housing services in the area. The service is free and confidential, and Associations offer incentives for using them. available owner occupiers, private landlord tenants and housing - Paying by Direct Debit can be one of the most effective ways to association tenants. save money on certain bills. Paying this way can help spread the Advice is available in person by appointment, over the phone, or cost of essentials and many gas, electricity and phone suppliers by email. offer better deals if you choose this. Interpreters are available on request - If you are going to pay your bills by Direct Debit, make sure you are going to have enough money in your account when it is due to come out or you may face high bank charges. When you Telephone 0141 422 1112 start to get Universal Credit consider changing the date on which email: [email protected] your Direct Debits leave your account - make sure the person or organisation who is receiving these payments is happy with the new date. Advice UK members

Thanks Suzanne for this useful advice. Southside Housing Association Cathcart District Housing Some of these changes may appear Southside House 435 Shields Road Association daunting, but remember, we have 135 Fifty Pitches Road Pollokshields 3-4 Rhannan Road excellent advice services at Cardonald Glasgow Cathcart Glasgow G41 1NP Glasgow Southside Housing Association. G51 4EB G44 3AZ

Southside Housing Association Proposed Planned Maintenance Program 2015-16

WE are finishing off last years investment programme and making plans for work in the coming year. Below is a list of the addresses and proposed work. We prioritise investment using a range of criteria, including technical surveys, staff inspections and tenant feedback. If you think there is an element in your building that requires attention as part of our replacement programme, please contact Sonia Mehmi, Maintenance Manager on [email protected] or phone Sonia’s Direct Line 0141 422 4819.

Address No Of Properties 2015/16 Albert Drive / Herriet St 19 Stone Finishing Inspections 609-690 Pollokshaws Road 25 Stone Finishing Inspections 664-690 Pollokshaws Road 20 Stone Finishing Inspections 345-375 Pollokshaws Road / 7 Butterfield Place 19 Stone Finishing Inspections 36-40 Kenmure Street 11 Stone Finishing Inspections 63-81 Ibrox Street / 9-25 Midlock St 25 Pathways in backcourt 8-20 Govan Road 13 Heating system & Common Stair Carpet 32 Newark Drive Sheltered Complex Renewal of Common Area Floor Covering and Electric Heating 37 Herriet Court Sheltered Complex Internal Common Area Decoration, Renewal of Common Area Floor Covering 177 Nithsdale Road Sheltered Complex Common Area Carpet 5 Albert Road 9 Kitchens & Boiler Renewal 2-12 Lincluden Path 19 Kitchens & Bathroom Throughout Low Rise Stock Installation of Master Fob Door Entry System 5 Queensland Garden and 15 Queensland Court Door Entry Handsets Renewals 12-48 Swinton Place, 30 Invergyle St Door Entry Handsets Renewals

8 Last Year’s Performance THE Management Committee recently received a report from Allan Forfar, Head of Housing, on the performance of the Association as a social landlord in 2014/15. This formed the basis of our submission to the Scottish Housing Regulator, called the Annual Report on the Charter(ARC). The Regulator has a very good website and you can see last year’s results and compare Southside’s performance with other social landlords. The information for the past year will soon be loaded on to the Regulaltor’s website and before October we will issue a formal report to tenants on its content. However you can have a sneak preview of the results in the summary table below. We are pretty pleased with the outcomes and across the board we are performing significantly better than other housing associations.

Indicators 2014/15 2013/14 Scottish Average 2013/14 Gross rent arrears (Indicator 31) 5.1% 5.7% 5.1% Reactive repairs “right first time” (Indicator 13) 90.2% 73.6% 87.2% Satisfaction with repairs service (Indicator 16) 90% 88.6% 87.6% Average time to complete emergency repairs (Indicator 11) 1.79 hours 1.67 hours 6.9 hours Average time to complete non- emergency repairs (Indicator 12) 4.2 days 3.6 days 8.2 days Annual gas safety inspections (Indicator 15) 99.1% 99.85% 98.1% Anti-social behaviour cases resolved in target (Indicator 19) 83.2% 76.5% 75.9% New tenancies sustained for more than a year (Indicator 20) 92% 90% 87.7% Average time to re-let properties (Indicator 35) 13.1 days 8.2 days 35.7 days Void Rent Loss (Indicator 34) 0.7% 0.2% 1.2% SHQS compliance * 79.5% 74.3% 85.4% SHQS compliance deducting demolition stock, exemptions and abeyances * 92% Development News

Demolition at NEW HOUSING St. Andrews Drive Phase 1 AT long last we have been able to let the demolition contract for phase 1 of the Deck Access properties. Phase 1 is the “T” shaped block that includes St Johns Quadrant and 15-19 St. Andrews Drive. The demolition contractor is DemMast and the soft stripping out of the properties will begin in the first week of July. By the autumn we should be able to start the tearing down of the blocks and we will mark the start of this last phase with a formal ceremony and celebration. IF you pass any of our building sites you will see that work is well under way at Mosspark Boulevard (34 homes for rent) and Portman Street (16 mid market homes for rent). We finally managed to secure the purchase of the former shops site at Gleddoch Road in Penilee and we are hopeful to start on site there later in the year. The planning application for new build housing at St Andrew’s Drive has been submitted to Glasgow City Council and we hope to be in a position to start building new housing on the demolished site early in 2016. 9 Halfway Pollokshields Community Hub THE plans for the new Community “hub” for Pollokshields, incorporating the existing Nan Mc Kay Hall, are currently Community Park being developed. Readers will remember from previous reports that we successfully negotiated Stage 1 of Project Assistants Step Up To the Challenge the Lottery application process. We recently received THERE was an excellent response to our job advertisement for development funding to progress Stage 2 of the submission Project Assistants. On 25th May 2015, six Project Assistants and we hope to be able to do this by the late summer/ commenced a twelve month employment contract with Southside Housing Association, working on the Halfway Community Park early autumn. Again if we are successful with this bid and Project. we get a “fair wind” with planning applications etc., we Our six Project Assistants are: Billy, Dillan, Jack, Jorge, Jack and hope to be on site in 2016. Robert. This Project is part-funded by the Scottish Government’s People and Communities Project. The team of 16-19 year olds are led by experienced Team Leaders New Ways of - Ronald McGowan and James McGilligan – and their first duties were to plant the “C” beds with flowers and tidy the front and rear gardens at Mossheights Avenue. Heating your Further work is planned during this Project including garden design, landscaping, planting, fence repairs and general maintenance. Homes. In return for their hard work, each Project Assistant will gain valuable work experience and a work reference to help them to progress to ONE of the big challenges that we face is to try and reduce permanent employment. tenant’s heating bills. The major investment in increased Each Project Assistant also earns the Glasgow Living Wage whilst insulation and cladding on many buildings has obviously they work towards their SVQ Level 2 Horticulture Qualification and helped. As well as helping people avoid high heating bills, obtain their pesticide application spraying licence. we also have to meet the Government’s targets for reducing We will continue to keep you updated with progress over the next carbon emissions. We have tried a number of additional 12 months. measures such as photo voltaic panels on the roofs of Southside Housing Association is a Glasgow Living Wage employer. properties, but the new housing in Pollokshields gives us an opportunity to try something more significant. With this in mind the Management Committee recently gave approval to the commissioning of a feasibility study into the merits of a bio-mass heating system versus other types of cheaper energy solutions for 150 new homes we plan to build in Pollokshields. The study will also look at the merits of linking this type of heating provision to the new Community Hub, and also the possibility of retro-fitting the new heating to the existing mini-multi storey blocks in Pollokshields. We will keep you posted on how this study develops.

Planning application for Halfway Community Park FOLLOWING recent consultation events, the Association’s Landscape Architects are ready to submit the master plan planning application to Glasgow City Council for the Community Park proposals. We should hear in the autumn how this fares but in the meantime we will have Urban Roots working with residents over the summer. In addition as you will see elsewhere in this newsletter, the six trainees appointed through the successful People and Communities Fund application are now started and working on a range of improvement projects. 10 Factoring News Giant Hogweed and Loft Japanese Knotweed IT is that time of year again and undesirable plants are Hatches growing at a rapid rate. If you are aware that either of these plants are growing in your back court or common external IF you have a loft hatch then it is important for the close areas then please contact a staff representative to arrange for a copy of the key for the member who will arrange for an padlock to be provided to SFARS. It is important that the inspection to be carried out. keys are held in our common key book to prevent delays with contractors accessing the roof in emergencies. Please take caution and keep your distance from Giant Hogweed and avoid contact with this plant. Giant Also if the keys are kept at SFARS Head Office then a log Hogweed contains a toxic sap. If will be kept showing people taking and returning the key. this comes into contact with the This is important for security and protection of your roof. skin and in the presence of sunlight it can cause a condition called photodermatitis. This is reddening of the skin, often followed by severe burns and blistering. Statements of Accounts Statements of Factoring Accounts will be issued with Quoting Factoring Account Reference the July 2015 invoice run. This is slightly later than Numbers (Property References) normal and SFARS apologises for this delay. If you have any questions to ask about your factoring account PLEASE remember to quote your Factoring Account then please do not hesitate to contact a Factoring Staff Reference number on payments and any other Member on correspondence with SFARS. This is particularly important when cheques are received in order to ensure [email protected] that they are processed into the correct account. or on 0141 422 1112.

Get involved in our future plans

WHAT type of housing association do you want? What should we prioritise in the coming years? We are about to embark on a review of the Association’s Business Plan. The Business Plan typically looks about five years ahead and sets priorities and objectives for the staff and Management Committee. Our last Business Plan is now over three years old and many of the objectives in it are already being met. Much of our current Plan is about making sure we meet the commitments made to tenants in the transfer stock. Now is the time to review the progress made and to start to chart ahead for the coming five years. We plan to have a mixture of staff, committee members and customers involved in helping us plot the path ahead. Some of the things we will need to reflect on are Service Levels:- can these be improved? Or in some cases do we need to set less ambitious targets to remove the pressure for rent increases? Building new homes:- Should we continue to do this? How much of tenants’ rents should support this type of future growth? New Services:- we now have more advice workers than housing officers. Is this a reflection of tenants priorities or do we need to be careful of taking on too much? Should we only focus on our own tenants owners or should we see ourselves as having a wider community role? Training and Employment:- should we be providing more opportunities and investing more of our resources in this activity? Mid Market Rent:- we now have over 70 homes for mid market rent. Is this a good development that we should try and build on? Should we go further and try and compete with private landlords in addition to our social housing role? Direct provision or using contractors:- we think the development of the concierge service in recent years has been very successful. We now carry our cleaning services and garden maintenance services that we previously contracted out to private companies. Is this a principle that we should be extending to other activities, i.e. the repairs service? We envisage a small group working with an outside facilitator over several evenings this autumn. Would you like to be involved in this process? If you are interested and/or would like more details please contact Patrick McGrath at [email protected] or phone 0141 433 4057. 11 Mid Market Rent Accountability and Complaints Properties Available to Let THE Association is accountable to a number of external regulators. The Association also has a formal complaints IF you are looking for a good quality affordable property to let then process that offers various stages of redress. We take contact SFARS on 01414 422 1112 and ask for further details. complaints in their own right very seriously, but also value Mid Market Rent (or intermediate renting) is a Scottish Government complaints as a form of feedback that will allow us to Initiative that aims to provide a solution for the housing problems address weaknesses in our performance. If you have a that have arisen in the last few years. MMR aims to address some complaint our aim is to try and remedy it immediately but of these issues including poor quality housing with high rental if you are unhappy and want to use our formal complaints values. procedure we will send you out a leaflet explaining the By offering an option that is in between social and private housing, process. Our process sets down clear timescales that we the government and housing associations are giving a solution to people who were potential first time buyers, but can no longer try to adhere to. If you go through our complaints process afford or apply for a mortgage. and you are still unhappy you have recourse to take your We offer private renting tenants affordable high quality housing. complaint to one of our external regulators. This has proved very attractive considering the rents charged in If your complaint is about the Housing Service you can other private rented flats currently on the market. ultimately take your complaint to the Scottish Public To qualify applicants must have a household income in excess of Services Ombudsman (SPSO). If your complaint is about £15,000; this can include wages, working tax credits and family factoring services, the Home Owners Housing Panel will tax credits. Successful applicants sign a short assured tenancy initially for six months, then reverts to a month to month basis, act as the final stage for your complaint. If you have a thereafter. complaint about our Care Services, you have the option of complaining to the Care Inspectorate. Properties are currently available in the following areas:- As a housing association our principal regulator is the • • Shawlands • Auldhouse Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR). While the SHR will not For more information contact the SFARS team on normally get involved in the individual complaints process, it does reserve the right to investigate a significant performance failure. You can find details of this on the 0141 422 1112. SHR website.

COLOURING COMPETITION WINNER

The Winner of the Spring competition is Kayden, aged 8, from 29 St. Andrews Drive.

Kayden, can you please contact Emma in the office to arrange to collect your prize.

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