Spring 2015 2 2 - 7 1 e g a p r l l o i f H s e n i r o t o t t i S F 6 1 - 1 1 e g a p e g a l l i V e g r d o i f r s b e k i c r o o t t In this issue… S S Community Clear Up’s Keep Our Estates Looking Great 3 2 How You Can Get Involved - 1 s r e o g f With Your Community a s p e i h r t o t o Garden Competition S B Entries Open Now www.villages.org.uk More than just a Landlord Welcome to the Spring Meet the Scheme Managers Edition of Villages have four Scheme Managers who manage the sheltered Our Times... accommodation schemes in both Fitton Hill and Stockbridge Village. The team includes Marie Morgan and Arthur Mason who are based in Stockbridge Spring is finally in the air, time to Village and Dana Murphy and Lesley Cutter who are based in Fitton Hill. dust off the cobwebs and venture outside again. The Scheme Managers are responsible for making residents are safe and will respond to any daily contact with sheltered accommodation safeguarding concerns. If the early Easter break has filled residents in order to establish their well-being whilst Dana Murphy said “We all really love our job, you with the joys of Spring we identifying and taking appropriate action in any have some great tips on page 7 mainly because we help our vulnerable tenants to areas of concern. They do this by making daily remain independent in their own home and make a for de-cluttering your home ready phone calls to residents and recognise their care difference by providing a friendly face or voice; we for the warm weather. needs and, when necessary, refer to or liaise with are there to help when help is needed.” The new Neighbourhood plans other agencies, residents’ families or next of kin. They are also the first point of contact for residents to speak Lyn Kelly Supporting People Manager said “The role have now been written for to regarding property and tenant management of the Scheme Manager is extremely important, the Stockbridge Village and Fitton (including responsive repairs). team know the residents really well and understand Hill for the next 3 years and will their needs. The job has changed over the years be available on the Villages Along with this, they also promote and encourage and so much more is expected of them now but they website at the end of April. health and wellbeing and support and encourage always have the residents best interests at heart. residents to enjoy social activities in order to reduce The team are all really committed to each and every Each plan has been written social isolation. They are on hand to ensure that following your feedback about resident, and do a wonderful job”. what is important to you about your estate. This time of year is also a great time to start gardening. If you Villages Staff News have a garden you are really Since our last issue we have welcomed communities warm and welcoming to all. I proud of, enjoy growing some new staff to the Villages team. Thomas have never met such fantastic, committed vegetables or even have a Bow has joined the Stockbridge Village and friendly people in my 35 years in this spectacular hanging basket on Landscape Team as a Landscape and job. This is the part I will miss the most, I your balcony, then I would Arbiculture Operative along with two new have loved every minute working with them Estate Workers; Rachael Goulding and Neil and I will miss each and every one of them. encourage you to enter this years’ Burrows. We have also welcomed Helen I’d like to thank everyone who has sent me gardening competition. It’s a Alvarez to the Customer Services team in kind messages of support, lovely cards and great opportunity to win some Fitton Hill. gifts.” fantastic prizes, you can find out We bid a fond farewell to Head of Housing more on page 8. Services, Bernie McConnell in March. After Have a great Spring everyone. working in housing for over 35 years and with Villages for the past 11 years, Bernie Vernon Jackson , Chief Executive, will now be enjoying her well earned Villages Housing Association retirement. Bernie said “Of all the years I have spent working in housing, I treasure the past 11 years working for Villages the most. The most wonderfully rewarding aspect of my job has been working with our fantastic tenant volunteers who form The Tenant’s Our Times has been approved by a Tenant Forum, The Tenant’s Scrutiny Panel, The Readers Group. We would like to thank them for Tenant’s Complaints Panel and all the other kindly giving up their time to offer their input into groups, far too numerous to mention. These the look and content of this newsletter. selfless people work so hard to make our 1 B Neighbourhood Plans O T H You may remember in the Autumn edition of Our Times that we A wanted to know what was important to you about your estate? R E We also asked our Facebook followers, website visitors, as well A as holding a special meeting with the Tenant’s Forum to S understand what residents think is important. The new three year Neighbourhood Plans outline the main issues that residents told us affect their neighbourhoods and identified what needs to be done to address them. Some of the priorities include: Employment: Training and volunteering, helping you prepare to find work, IT issues & digital training, financial & budgeting training. Social value: Activities for older and disabled persons, community events (gala days, Halloween, bonfire and Christmas activities). Health and well being: Energy and fuel poverty issues, North West in Bloom activities, healthy living. Neighbourhood: Issues with litter, area cleaning, fly tipping and to identify and promote venues for the community to use on the estate. The full plan for each estate will be available on our website from the end of April www.villages.org.uk . Service Standards now online Last year the Villages Scrutiny Panel investigated how we prepare We created the ‘New Homes Promise’ leaflet which the panel our properties so that they are ready for the next tenant. Through were very happy with. Following this we decided a thorough this they told us that they thought the service standard for letting review of all of our service standards was needed. Our service new homes was difficult to understand and not very appealing. standards are our promise to you, our customers, as to what you The panel suggested that a new leaflet be produced and made can expect from the services we provide. The new service available on the Villages’ website that would include lots of standards are now available and you can access them on the images and shorter bullet points of what Villages promises are Villages’ website, www.villages.org.uk/servicestandards when letting new homes to customers. Would you like to Get Involved With the Scrutiny Panel? The Villages Scrutiny Panel is currently looking for new members. This is a great opportunity to get involved with your local community and have your say about the services that Villages deliver to you. You will receive training and support which will help develop your existing skills and improve your CV. It will also provide you with a unique insight into the housing sector. If you would like to get involved, contact your local Villages office for more information. Fitton Hill: 0161 633 4060 Stockbridge Village: 0151 480 1313 Dear Villages Community, Villages Scrutiny panel is run by tenants on behalf of tenants. We look and scrutinise the services that Villages offer, some areas we have already looked at are: • Repairs • Complaints • Older peoples Services • Rents We present reports to Villages after our investigations and have already made a lot of positive changes to the way Villages deliver its services. Being a member of the scrutiny panel only takes a few hours of your time each month, it’s a great way of meeting residents and making new friends whilst helping tenants to have the best service possible from our landlord. If you want to make changes- GET INVOLVED! We are welcoming new members now. I look forward to hearing from you! Helen Wild, Chair of Villages Scrutiny Panel 2 When Mary Wilson visited the Fitton Hill Work Club, My Fresh Start she hadn’t worked for a while after suffering from ill health. She was put in touch with the club by Oldham job centre, and after visiting the club for two weeks had already been appointed as the new midday supervisor at St.Martin’s Primary School. Mary said “I hadn't worked for a while. It had taken me some time to build my physical and mental strength up again after being ill, but going to the Work Club really gave me that push to get my foot out of the door and back to work and I am really enjoying it. I really enjoy working at the school, the children are so much fun, and after being at home for such a long time it's great to be interacting with people once again. One of my favourite things about the role (apart from the school holidays) is enjoying hearing the children read.” Along with her new role, Mary has also returned to education and is studying Math and English at Oldham College, something she hopes will give her more skills when applying for future jobs.