30th Edition • January 2015 HHoming In cosots 25p a compy to print in gin In this Planting issue for the future page 10 Gas safety this winter page 6 Decent Homes page 7 Spectacular BMX track pages 8-9 Dear Reader hanks to everyone bins and a car parking and a We have also included some who took part in our garage site review is planned for useful advice about taking care Tenant Satisfaction the coming year. of your home during severe winter weather. Just a few, Survey for 2014 – In the survey you also told us T your top priorities are a good simple precautions can make a which gave such positive repairs and maintenance service, big difference and avoid the results for the services we high quality homes and a secure misery of burst pipes and damage provide to you. neighbourhood to live in. We will to your property. To find out The overall satisfaction rate was be working hard over the coming more turn to page 4. year to ensure we continue to 91% - which is the highest you Finally, we have included the deliver on these. have ever given us and places us estate walkabout dates for March in the top 25% of landlords. Also in this issue we have this year. This is your opportunity included important information We have included the main to meet with your about safety in the home and Neighbourhood Support Officers results of the survey on page 5 how we can work with you to and other organisations, to including what you said were the safeguard your family and most important issues on estates neighbours. This involves you discuss any issues or problems – car parking and problems with allowing us to undertake our affecting your estate and dog fouling. yearly gas safety check and the neighbourhood. You can find We have helped to tackle them need to regularly check your these on pages 16/17. by providing additional waste smoke alarm. Contents No English? No problem? Helping local communities 3 This magazine is available in large print , Braille and audio CD on request. Taking care of your home this winter 4 We Care We want all of our customers to be able to understand the information we provide about our services. If you have any difficulty Thanks to you 5 reading or understanding this information please contact us by telephone 01246 217670. You will not be charged for the TALKBACK service. Gas safe this winter 6 & & (URDU) Decent Homes 7 01430 457421 (CANTONESE) 01430 457426 & 01430 457423 (MANDARIN) Working with local communities 8-9 Regeneration Update 10-11 & 01430 457424 (POLISH) Community Events 13 Do you have problems paying your rent 14 & 01430 457422 (ITALIAN) Safety in the home 15 & 01430 457425 (PUNJABI) Pupils at Stonelow Junior School help plant shrubs at Stonelow Green flats, Dronfield & 0800 731 7878 (OTHER LANGUAGES) TALK BACK 2 Homing in • www.rykneldhomes.org.uk Helping local communities Eckington scout group was private delighted with the help it donations. received from Rykneld Works were also offered Homes. by local Our Community Involvement contractors Team worked with the Eckington and the Scout Group to secure a long Parish term future for their run down Council. meeting centre. Cub Scout The group needed practical and Leader, financial help to save the building Sheila, from potential closure. We said: “We supported them to apply to are so pleased with and Rykneld Homes for possible grateful to the Community Eckington Scout Group Neighbourhood Improvement Involvement Team at Rykneld Budget and Awards for All Homes for the guidance they funding. provided when we needed it is all about and that is helping They were successful in being the most. the children to achieve, to build awarded £5,000 from Rykneld “Now we don’t have to worry their confidence and to develop Homes and £9,872 from Awards about the renovation and we greater independence through for All. The remaining money was know the hut is a safe working with others, achieving raised by the group through environment for the children, we success and developing positive fantastic fundraising efforts and can concentrate on what scouting attitudes.” Winter Warm our more elderly and frail hard to heat homes, with a tenants, have been providing serious medical condition and on cold weather alarms that signal a low income. when a room becomes too cold. The team has also been working with Derbyshire County Council and the charity NDVA to help distribute Winter DID YOU Warm packs. Rykneld Homes was KNOW? successful in obtaining 40 3 winter packs, which consist of Estates This winter we have been various items including, hot water helping some of our most bottles, a blanket, gloves and hat. Between July and September 2014, 100% vulnerable tenants to stay These have been given to our of our estates met an warm and well. most vulnerable tenants who qualify for the scheme which is excellent or good standard Our team of Independent Living for people aged over 70, living in against a target of 95%. Wardens, who work with some of www.rykneldhomes.org.uk • Homing in 3 Taking care of your home this e have included some useful information about caring for your home in the event of Wsevere weather this winter. In very cold weather we may have to deal with a err high number of repair emergencies, many due to ntte frozen and burst pipes. iin Dealing with frozen pipes Some of these could have been avoided with just a WW few, simple precautions such as lagging any pipework • To avoid bursts gradually introduce heat to a in cold areas like outside taps or in outside toilets. frozen pipe – use a hairdryer or fan heater. Because of the high number of calls we receive our • Turn off the mains water supply at the stop emergency repairs service may have to prioritise calls tap until the pipe is thawed. to help the most vulnerable tenants first. • If the pipe bursts make sure the stop tap is off and drain the system by opening all the taps General precautions: to the basin, sink and bath. • Try to keep heating turned on – we appreciate this may not always be easy due to the cost of fuel, but this can stop pipes freezing up and Remember causing damage to your home and possessions. It is vital to take these precautions as Rykneld Homes is not responsible for damage • Know where your stop taps and valves are to your household goods such as furniture, located – you may need to turn them off quickly electrical goods and carpets caused by burst if there is a burst. The main stop tap is often pipes. Please make sure you have an insurance found under the kitchen sink. policy in place to cover such an incident. Stop taps - We are now installing SureStop Rykneld Homes does offer an insurance policy valves to assist in turning off the mains cold – please contact us for details. water in an emergency. If you have one of these devices installed you will recognise it by the large blue rocker switch generally situated above the work suface in your kitchen or under the Condensing boilers kitchen sink. In an emergency simply press the If your condensing boiler stops working in very blue switch which will instantly stop the flow of cold weather the condensate waste pipe may mains water into your home. have frozen – try defrosting it with hot water and • Keep your kettle filled and store bottles of water remove any ice. Once thawed the boiler must be in case your water is turned off. reset. This can be done by holding in the reset • If you are going away during the winter period button for 10 seconds and then waiting for the it is best to leave your central heating operating boiler to fire. at a reduced temperature rather than switching To find out more about taking care of your it off – this will help prevent pipes from home visit our website at: freezing. www.rykneldhomes.org.uk • Turn off stop taps in outside toilets and wash rooms, protect any exposed pipework with additional insulation using old clothing or sacks. This additional measure could prevent pipes freezing up. 4 Homing in • www.rykneldhomes.org.uk Thanks to you! Thanks to everyone eerr who filled in our iinntt Annual Tenant WW Satisfaction Survey. e use the survey to find out what you Wlike about our services and also to find out where you think we could be doing We have included here the things better. main results from the survey This year we were very pleased In the survey you told us your and this is what you told us. to receive the highest rating so priorities are: Overall satisfaction 91% far for overall satisfaction with • Repairs and maintenance You can contact us easily 96% the services we provide – the • Overall quality of homes figure was 91%, better than last • Your neighbourhood as a place We treat you fairly year’s figure of 90%. and equally to live. 92% This result places Rykneld Homes Your biggest issues were car in the top 25% of landlords in We listen to your views 86% parking and dog fouling. We the country. Satisfaction with the Repairs have tried to help by providing and Maintenance Service However, we are not complacent additional bins and we will also 84% and will be looking to make be carrying out a review of Arrears support and advice 92% changes in those areas where current car parking/garage site satisfaction rates were lowest.