Meet the Teams Helping You Stay Independent Pitch For
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TENANT MATTERS Summer 2019 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: CHERYL’S WELCOME MEET THE TEAMS HELPING YOU STAY INDEPENDENT PITCH FOR YOUR PROJECT DADS CAN CYMRU AND MUCH MORE Contents & Contact Contents Tenant Matters Inside this issue... 3 Cheryl’s welcome 24 MHA helps Dewstow Primary School 4 Homeswapper 24 Keeping you and your family safe 5 Meet your Estate Officers 25 Mind 6 Neighbourhood Team 26 Goldies 8 Helping you stay independent 26 Who gets your vote? 10 Friends of MHA, Caldicot 27 Bringing the wildlife back to Caldicot 12 Sisters next door 28 Are you covered? 13 The Service Testing Team 29 Homebuy 14 Pitch For Your Project 30 Coffee & Computers 16 The Scrutiny Panel 30 The Time Exchange 16 Environmental improvements 31 Neighbourhood planning 17 Feeling free 32 Our service standards 18 The Support Team 33 Contact us 19 Rise 2 Inspire 34 Dads Can Cymru 20 Good as Gold 35 Have your say 20 New website 36 Abergavenny Pride 21 Forward Together Group 37 Your cleaning service 21 Renting Homes Act 38 MHA’s performance 22 Community benefits 39 Puzzles 23 Do you have a spare room? 40 Kids Corner If you would like this Newsletter in a different format (e.g. large print or electronically) or in Welsh please contact Louise Davies on 01495 761104 or email [email protected] 0345 677 2277 [email protected] www.monmouthshirehousing.co.uk facebook.com/Monmouthshire.Housing Scan the QR code to twitter.com/mon_housing access the MHA website. 2 www.monmouthshirehousing.co.uk Summer 2019 Welcome WelcomeWelcome to the summer edition of Tenant Matters, which is jam-packed with what’s been happening in the last few months. A bit about me… I’m Cheryl and I started my housing career with Monmouthshire Housing Association nine years ago as a Trainee. During my nine years I have been fortunate to manage and lead different teams, gain new experiences and meet lots of tenants and people living within our communities, all of which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. I have recently moved into a new role as Business Evolution Lead for 18 months, where I will be working closely with colleagues, tenants and communities to ensure we continue to evolve and adapt for the future. As part of this role, I will be talking to tenants about the services they receive and how they would like to access them, as well as making sure the services we provide meet your needs and expectations. I’m really looking forward to this new challenge and I hope to meet and speak with some of you soon. twitter.com/mon_housing 3 Your Homes Your Tenant Matters TheThe easiest easy way way toto swapmutually your socialexchange! home There are 500,000 homes already registered across the UK. Check out some of the current MHA tenants looking to swap with you and register your interest to mutually exchange your tenancy now at www.homeswapper.co.uk Grove Avenue, Blethyn Close, Llanfoist / Shirenewton/ Abergavenny Chepstow Property: 2 Bed Property: 3 Bed House Apartment Tenancy type: Assured Tenancy type: Assured Rent per week: £102.05 Rent per week: £93.36 Ternata Drive, Gwent Road, Monmouth Mardy/ Property: 2 Bed House Abergavenny Tenancy type: Assured Property: 3 Bed House Rent per week: £113.29 Tenancy type: Assured Rent per week: £106.00 Wellfield Close, Carbonne Close, Abergavenny Monmouth Property: 1 Bed Property: 2 Bed House Apartment Tenancy type: Assured Join over 500,000Tenancy type: Assured social tenantsRent per week: at £93.37 www.homeswapper.co.ukRent per week: £90.13 Western Avenue, Rother Avenue, Bulwark/Chepstow Abergavenny Property: 2 Bed House Property: 1 Bed Tenancy type: Assured Apartment Rent per week: £96.00 Tenancy type: Secure Rent per week: £91.75 The above property details were correct at time of print. 4 www.monmouthshirehousing.co.uk Summer 2019 MHA News Meet your We are the Estate Officers at MHA, we areEstate based at our older Officersperson schemes and are the first point of contact for all our residents. We do a lot of work keeping the schemes safe, tidy and making them great places for you to live. We are able to answer all of the questions you may have about the scheme and the community you live in. Our job is different from day to day, but you will see us walking around the schemes carrying out the following duties: Say hello... • Health and safety inspections to protect the building and our residents • Programming personal alarms and key fobs • Water hygiene testing • Emergency light testing • Reporting repairs and liaising Gerald Weaver Paul Thomas Alan Webber with relevant departments/ Schemes: Radstock Schemes: Cwrt Schemes: Trevor contractors at MHA Court, Old Hereford Severn, The Lawns, Bowen, Plas Mawr, • Monitoring the standard of Road, Llys Y Brenin, Davis Court, Clare Court cleaning Cae Pen y Dre, Chestnut Close, The Contact number: • Consultations with residents Wellfield Close, Ty Reddings, Albion 07919 211914 Coleg, Llys Llewellyn House to inform improvements at the Working days: schemes Contact number: Contact number: Wednesday, • Litter picking 07891 686361 07771 946904 Thursday • Monitoring bin areas and refuse Working days: Working days: Favourite part of collections Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, the job: Interaction Wednesday Thursday, Friday • Supporting other officers who with tenants. My work for MHA Favourite part of Favourite part of work involves the job: Working the job: Interacting contact with some • General checks and monitoring closely with all other with tenants and of our more senior of external and internal areas staff members at hopefully helping tenants, it’s always As well as all of the practical jobs MHA to successfully to provide a safe interesting to hear we carry out, we are more than resolve day to day environment which about some of the happy to answer any questions issues that arise. both sustains their varied adventures or discuss any concerns you may quality of life and that they’ve have. allows them to been through. It’s carry on the quiet rewarding to play a enjoyment of their part which enables home. tenants to enjoy their homes. twitter.com/mon_housing 5 MHA News Tenant Matters Getting to know your Neighbourhood Team Say hello... There have been some recent changes to our Neighbourhood Team, so we wanted to make sure you know who it is you need to speak to. Our team work with MHA residents who have been living in their property for longer than a year, we can help you with any tenancy management and estate management issues. The types of things we can help you with are: Lauren Francis Anthony • Help with tenancy changes Areas: Mardy, Llanelly O’Connell • Moving to another property Hill, The Bryn, Clydach, Areas: Abergavenny, • Tenancy breaches Cwmyoy, Grosmont & Govilon, Gilwern, • Understanding your responsibilities as an MHA Cross Ash Llanfoist, Llanellen, tenant Favourite part of the Little Mill, Usk • Monitoring grounds maintenance standards job: Making a difference Favourite part of • Fire Risk Assessments to keep you safe to people’s lives. In the job: The variety • Keeping communities tidy some instances our of people I meet from relationships with the • Tenancy Health Checks- Making sure you have all different backgrounds, community are the only of the help and support you need with different issues positive relationships and having a positive some tenants have in influence on their lives. their lives. 6 www.monmouthshirehousing.co.uk Summer 2019 MHA News Getting to know your Neighbourhood Team Job Share Joanna Nicola Pocock Jacob Richards Holly Doughton Pembridge Areas: Chepstow, Areas: Monmouth, Areas: Caldicot, Areas: Chepstow, Bulwark, St Arvans, Wyesham & Raglan Magor, Undy & Rogiet Devauden, Portkewett, Favourite part of the Bulwark, St Arvans, Favourite part of the Devauden, Portskewett, Caerwent, Mathern, job: I get to work in a fun Llandogo & Tintern job: What I enjoy most hard working team, deal Caerwent, Mathern, about my role is being Llandogo & Tintern with interesting cases, Favourite part of the a part of a supportive, and help to improve Favourite part of the job: Even on a rainy day reliable team. areas where people live. job: I love the variety the views are stunning! and that no two days are the same. You never know what you will be dealing with from day to day. twitter.com/mon_housing 7 Your Homes Your Tenant Matters Helping you stay independent! Did you know that MHA is able to help tenants who are struggling to manage because of mobility issues, to stay in their home? We do this by installing minor adaptations to your home, such as grab rails and in some circumstances we can complete major adaptations, including stair lifts, too. What is a minor adaptation? Occupational Therapist will visit to assess your needs and home. If they believe that you will Minor adaptations or ‘safety at home’ adaptations benefit from adaptations, they will send MHA a can cost up to £500 to install. This includes referral, telling us what is required. MHA will use this grab rails, small ramps or additional steps, door assessment to make a decision. entry systems, lever taps, and additional electric sockets. It does not include portable equipment How will MHA make their decision? (such as walking aids), which are available through your health or social services. MHA will send out a specialist officer to assess the works requested by the Occupational Therapist. What is a major adaptation? This officer will consider if the work is possible and whether it is value for money. We may refuse A major adaptation meets more complex needs because the garden does not have the room for and can cost thousands of pounds. This can a ramp to be fitted safely or if the costs of the include stair lifts, easy access showers, specialist adaptation are too high and cannot be justified.