pioneer news issue 45 - ashton pioneer · pdf filepioneer news december 2011 ... aph held its...

PIONEER NEWS December 2011

ISSUE 45

People making the news in the St. Peter’s area of Ashton-u-Lyne

Winter 2011

We would like to wish all our customers a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Our office will close on Friday the 23rd of December at 2pm and will reopen on Tuesday the 3rd of January 2012 at 9am. If you have an urgent repair to report please call our Neighbourhood Service Team on 0161 339 9377 throughout this period.

This is an exciting new tenant involvement opportunity. Tenants will have the support, power, and a real role to play in ensuring tenants themselves are able to regulate how we perform and influence the quality of service we give. The TRP aims are to:

• improvetenantsatisfaction• improveperformanceofdaytodayservices• help‘qualitycontrol’whatwedo• achievethebestpossiblevalueformoney• holdAPHtoaccountforourperformance

See the back page for more details about the Tenant Review Panel open events taking place in January.

Merry Christmas

Please Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/ashtonpioneer

and Follow us on Twitter @AshtonPioneer

Join our Tenant Review Panel

Inside...New Chairman

for APHYou said - we did

Community update

Win £25 worth of vouchers

THANK YOU WARRENAPHheld itsAnnualGeneralMeetingon the20thOctober2011and themeeting recordeda significantmilestonefortheAssociationwithourChairman,CouncillorWarrenBray,decidingtostanddownasChairofAshtonPioneerHomesafterover14yearsatthehelm.

That period has been one of massive change for APH estates and tenants and the Board , staff and tenants would like to acknowledge the leadership Warren has given to our work and his personal commitment as Chair to…

• Theformationofthecompany, leading the shadow board for several years and subsequently the APH Board for over 12 years

• Achieved a successful ballot for transfer as the first dowry funded Local Housing Company.

• Appointed an effective Board and staff team to deliver services to our residents

• Led the delivery of all the transfer promises to tenants within the first 5 years.

• Has seen the construction of over 130 new homes in this area, for families, far in excess of APH’s original plan targets

• SupportedAPHtobecomesustainable for the future

• AND Even bought a pub and then had it demolished!!

Warren has agreed to stay on the Board and continue to support APH and our tenants in facing the challenges facing us in the future and with Warren’s support, we look forward to continued success with our new Chair, Colin McCord.

Warren Bray (centre) signing the original APH transfer agreement from Tameside Council, back in 1999.

2 Pioneer NewsWinter2011

Join our focus groups• RENT ARREARS: How we manage accounts and tenants in rent arrears, looking at different ways to support those in rent arrears, payment agreements, how we can help with referrals to debt advice services, Legal action and Court Protocol etc.

• ALLOCATIONS: How we manage our waiting lists and allocate our properties, looking at how we prioritise applicants , criminal records of applicants, applicants with local links etc.

• ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR: How we deal with incidents of Anti-Social Behaviour & Nuisance, looking at dealing with complainants, witnesses and perpetrators, what Legal action we can and should use etc.

HOUSING MANAGEMENT

RENT PAYMENTS OVER THE CHRISTMAS PERIODAsyoumaybeaware thereare2noncollectionweeksovertheChristmasperiodinwhichrentisnotbeingdebitedontoyour accounts.

The weeks are as follows:Week beginning 19th December 2011Week beginning 26th December 2011

If you are in rent arrears we urge you to take advantage of this time to reduce your rent arrears. Tenants who currently have an agreement or

Court Order must continue to adhere to the agreement or Order; failure to pay will put you in breach of your Court Order and put your tenancy with Ashton Pioneer Homes in serious jeopardy.

What is it? The Warm Home Discount scheme is a new rebate that customers can get off their electricity bills to try to tackle increasing energy costs for vulnerable customers.

This rebate will be provided by the main energy suppliers and replaces the social tariffs that have previously been on offer. Customers who are already on a social tariff will remain on this for the next 3 years. It is hoped that most customers on social tariffs will be able to be transferred onto the Warm Home Discount before the social tariffs end.

Who will get it?The Warm Home Discount will be available to two groups of customers; the ‘Core Group’ and the ‘Broader Group’. The core group consists of people on the guarantee element of Pension Credit. The Broader group criteria are determined by each of the energy suppliers individually and are linked to income and benefits.

How much can I get?If you qualify you’ll receive £120 towards your electricity bill by the end of March 2012. The rebate will be available for the next four years. In the first year the amount is £120 but by the fourth year this will have increased to £140.

What do I need to do? If you are in the Core Group then you don’t need to do anything. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have shared data with the main energy suppliers so they are aware of the customers who will qualify for this group and therefore, for these people the payment will be made automatically to their electricity accounts. For the first year this payment will be made by the end of March 2012.

If you think that you might fall under the Broader Group then you will need to contact your energy supplier. All of the main energy companies have now set out their criteria for the Broader Group. In the tables below we have outlined the criteria for the main 6

Power,SouthernElectric,Scottish&SouthernEnergy,SwalecandUtilityWarehouse.

Energy Efficiency – Energy Saving Trust – 0800 512 012: For more information and advice on a range of different ways you can save energy and try to save money you canspeaktosomeoneattheEnergySaving Trust.

Switching – My Home Energy Switch – 0800 051 5346: Make sure you aren’t paying more than you have to for your gas and electricity.MyHomeEnergy Switchif free and impartial and can find out if there are any cheaper tariffs outthereforyou.

Winter Fuel Payment – Helpline 0845 915 151: Everyoneagedover60 should receive the Winter Fuel Payment automatically. Contact the helpline if you are not sure whether you are receiving it.

energy suppliers and the numbers you can contact to apply for the rebate.

IMPORTANT – Most of the energy suppliers offering the Warm Home Discount have limited funding to offer for the Broader Group therefore the rebates are being offered on a first come, first served basis. It is possible that not everyone who qualifies for this will actually receive the rebate. Find out if you are eligible as soon as possible to make sure you don’t miss out.

How do I know if my energy company is offering this? The following is a list of the energy suppliers who are taking part in the Warm Home Discount scheme. You will need to have your energy supplied by one of these companies in order for you to receive the rebate:

The energy suppliers involved are: Atlantic,BritishGas,EDFEnergy,E.ON,Equipower, Equigas, Manweb, M&SEnergy, npower, Sainsbury’s Energy,Scottish Gas, Scottish Hydro, Scottish

Warm Home Discount Guide: October 2011

TOP TIPS ABOUT COLDS AND FLU

This is a great opportunity for you to have your say about how we challenge those who do not pay their rent, how we pick your neighbours and how we resolve nuisance issues you have with neighbours.

The first focus groups will be in January 2012. If you are interested please contact our office to register your interest, you can be involved in any of the groups, all if you wish, 0161 343 8128.

• Alwayscoveryournoseandmouthwithatissuewhenyoucoughorsneeze.• Throwawayusedtissuesassoonaspossible.• Makesureyourchildrencovertheirnoseandmouthwhentheycoughorsneeze.• Youandyourfamilyshouldwashyourhandsoftenwithsoapandwater.• Buysomecoughandcoldcuresthatdonotneedaprescription.

ComeandjointheHousingOfficerswhoarecurrentlyreviewingourHousingManagementprocedures in:

Some parents on benefits may be able to get free vouchers every week. You can swap these for milk, fruit, vegetables, special milk for babies and vitamins. To find out if you can get these vouchers and for more tips on healthy eating, call 0845 607 6823 or visit www.healthystart.nhs.uk

Healthy Start Vouchers

3Pioneer NewsWinter2011

Set your heating to the right level: The thermostat controls the heat in your home. Set the thermostat in the living room and bedroom to between 18°C and 21°C (70°F). The rest of the house should be set to at least 16°C otherwise it will be too cold.

Set your heating to: Come on just before you get up. Switch off soon after you go to bed.

If it is very cold, set your heating to: Come on earlier. Switch off later. This is cheaper than turning up the thermostat.

If you cannot heat all your rooms: Heat your living room during the day. Heat your bedroom just before you go to bed.

Close curtains and shut doors: To keep heat in. To keep cold air out.

If you have an open fire: Make sure thefiregetsenoughair.Useafireguardto stop people or pets getting too close to the fire. Do not hang washing near the fire.

If you use a gas fire or heater in your bedroom at night: Always keep a window and door open and leave plenty of space around the fire.

If you have an electric blanket: Follow the instructions that came with it. Get it tested every 3 years. Never use an electric blanket and a hot water bottle together.

Switch off machines like TVs and microwaves: Do not leave them on standby. Standby is when you do not turn the machine off properly so it is still using electricity.

Overthepastyearwehavereceivedanumberofcomplaints,wherepeoplehaveansweredanadvertisement,orthey’vebeenapproachedby‘coldcallers’statingsuchthingsas“Congratulationsyou’vewonthe lottery, a cash draw, fantastic prizes, a holiday home car etc… onlytofindoutthattoreceivethegoodsthe‘luckywinner’hastosend money to what is often a bogus company, or organisation. These type of thefts by fraud come in many, many different guises, we have reports of people being informed that if they could help release funds fromforeigncountries,theirfinancialhelpwouldbeacknowledgedand their initial donation would be repaid by vast amounts.

Therearealsoscamswherepeopleadvertisecarsforsaleinreputablecarmagazines,at greatly reduced prices, claiming to be in divorce settlement situations, or they’ve hadtoemigrateandleavetheircarintheUK.TheypromisetheEarth,howeveryoudon’t get to see the car, until you’ve deposited your money, often in off shore accounts, or via money transfer systems, only to find that the car had been legitimately sold some months previous, and the person selling the car can’t be found, nor your money recovered.

Don’t forget that the people running these scams do it as their means to live, and with the rapid advancement in computer imaging, and copying abilities, often the most genuine looking documents are forged.

The basic rules are simple, DON’T let anyone into your home who’s offering services, doing questionnaires, or claiming to be local workmen, unless you have requested them to attend.

DON’T reply to anyone asking for your banking details over the phone and be careful when buying goods via the internet e-bay etc..

Think carefully about discarding bank statements, account details etc, (why not ask for a shredder as a Christmas present).

And finally we all feel the pinch at Christmas as we all know our money doesn’t stretch as far as we’d like, DON’T use money lenders, I’ve seen the advertisements on TV, where the interest rate is astounding.

Please have a safe peaceful Christmas and New Year, and remember our thought;

“ NO BODY GIVES YOU OUT FOR NOWT”

“AND IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE IT USUALLY IS”

HOUSING MANAGEMENT

Heating your homeThere are a lot of things you can do to help

you save money on heating your home. Top tips for heating your home:

If it sounds to good too be true, then it usually is…

PC Mark Akers and PC Paula Ricci community officers for St Peter’s and Holy Trinity.


CUSTOMER SERVICES NOTICES

Getting to know you better!

The lights go out too quick in Grosvenor House.

We asked the Maintenance Manager to alter the times.

People are parking in my allocated bay.

We’re exploring new signage for the gates to prevent this happening in the future.

There’s a disgusting smell in Welbeck House.

We investigated and found a burst pipe in the cellar, problem now rectified.

You’ve failed to fix the lift button in Welbeck House for over 2 months.

We spoke to the contractor and advised that the delay is unacceptable, the button has now been fixed.

You’re making too much noise when cleaning in the early hours of the morning.

We spoke to the Neighbourhood Service Team and reminded them to keep noise levels to a minimum.

The rent increase is too high.

We explained how rent is calculated through rent restructuring with the aim being that by 2012, everyone in the country whose landlord is a council or housing association should have their rent set in the same way.

Every property has a ‘target rent’,which is worked out using a formula set by the Government.

All homes must reach their target rent by 2012.

You Said… We Did…

This section of our newsletter highlights what we’ve done for our customers in response towhatyou’veaskedus.

Obviously we can’t always do everything but if we can we will!

Here are some of our ‘Yousaid We did’ ratings forOctoberandNovember…

Thankyoutoeveryonewhohascompletedourprofilesurvey,we’venowcollected65%ofourcurrenttenant’sinformation.Ifyouhavenotyetcompletedyourswewillbecontactingyoushortlyandaskingyoua few questions about you and your family.

Wewanttoensurewedeliverexcellentservicestoourtenantsandwewanttoknowthattheserviceswedoprovideareeffective.Thereforeitisexpectedthatweknowtheethnicity,age,gender,employmentstatus,language,religionorbeliefandsexualorientationofourresidents.Wecan then use this information to adapt our services to meet the needs and wishes of our residents and to ensure that no one is excluded.

You can now follow APH on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/ashtonpioneer

NEW STARTER’S, JACK VONGEYOR & CAITLIN VAUGHAN, HOUSING TRAINEE’S

IMPORTANT NOTICECAR PARKING My name is Jack Vongeyer. I started work

at Ashton Pioneer Homes as a Housing trainee in October 2011, after leaving St. Damian’ssecondaryschoolwith10GCSE’s. In my spare time I play numerous sports and enjoy going to the gym. I have an interest in footballbeing aManchesterUnited fanandenjoyboxingandUFC. Iam looking forward to my future at APH and the challenges ahead . I hope to gain experience in all aspects in housing and management skills to hopefully progress my career in the future.

Please be aware that the

car parks are rented by

residents who pay a weekly

charge. Therefore please

do not park in these bays

unless you rent a bay from

us, also ensure that your

visitor’s do not park in there.

We do ticket people who

are not displaying a permit,

you have been warned!!

My name is Caitlin Vaughan and I started working for Ashton Pioneer Homes recently as a Housing Trainee. When I left secondary school I sampled college at Rochdale Sixth Form where I studied EnglishLiterature,French,ArtandMathwhilst working as a Saturday girl at a nearby shoe shop and at the beginning of this year I did an accountancy course in Manchester which I completed in September. When not working I am always reading or watching movies. I love to sing, I’m just not very good at it and I am absolutely in love with Glee! I speak a little French but would love to be fluent and hope to someday travel around the world following my uncle’s footsteps.

I am looking forward to my future at APH as I hope to gain knowledge for future careers and to help me gain my life goals and accomplishments.

You can now follow APH on Twitter

@AshtonPioneer

The Customer Service Team and

Darwin (The Pioneer Cat)

would like to wish all our customers

a Happy Christmas!

Some of the issues we have addressed over the last few months:-

Tenant Satisfaction Surveys…

5Pioneer NewsWinter2011

CUSTOMER SERVICES NOTICES

• Reportrepairs

• Requestacallbackifyourphone

credit is low

• Leaveacompliment/comment/ complaint

• Queries

• Keepuptodatewithcommunal issues such as lift repairs

We now have over 100 ‘likes’ and drew a lucky winner out at random who was awarded £25 of Marks & Spencers vouchers! Well Done Simon Davies!

The events section is new on our page and will chart as a forum for any upcoming community event. Anyone can view events and any pictures we may take whilst there!

So why not check it out, tell your friends and ‘like’ us!

All you need to do is go to www/facebook.com/ashtonpioneerand click ‘like’. This will then allow APH’s posts to appear on your news feed and ensure you’re in the loop!

Once we get another 100 ‘likes’ we will choose another lucky person at random who has ‘liked us’ and they will win £25 worth of high street vouchers of their choice!

For more information, contact the Customer Services

Team on 0161 343 8128 or follow the link above and ‘like’ us on Facebook .

If you would like to pay us a compliment or if you have a comment or complaint to make then please complete one of our C Cards, attached in this newsletter or contact our Customer Services Team.

Below is an update on the number we have received in October and November 2011. Please also read our article ‘You said, We did’ to see what we have done in response to your feedback.

Complaints are categorised into groups to enable us to see where the weakness lies. For October and November, complaints were as follows:-

3C’s Update FORMAL INFORMAL

APH accepts responsibility 6 8

APH accepts responsibility on behalf of contractor

1 4

Not at fault and not acted 0 0

Not at fault but acted 12 7

APH and contractor equally at fault 0 0

TOTAL 19 19

Ifyouhaveacomment,complaintorcompliment,pleasecompletethetearoutslipbelowandreturnittotheMargaretHouseoffice.

PLEASE RETURN TO:

AshtonPioneerHomes

MargaretHouse,

MargaretStreet

Ashton-under-Lyne

OL67TH

Keep yourself ‘In The Know’ with the APH Facebook page & win £25 worth of high street vouchers!

Contact:

Name:

APH’sFacebookpageisbecomingasuccessfulcommunicationtoolbetweenusandourcustomers.Wewantyoutothinkofourpageasanothermethodofcontact!Facebook ismonitoredbyamemberofstaffeverydaybetween9am-5pm.Whynottakeadvantageanduseitto:

Inorder to increase your chancesofwinning£25ofvouchers fora storeofyourchoiceinAshtonUnderLyneallyouneedtodo ismakesureyoureturn the repair questionnaires that are sent to you when repairs are logged, here’s a few of our luckywinnersfromOctoberandNovember.

Our October winner was Mr Colin Butterworth who chose Asda Vouchers…Well Done!

Our November winner was Mrs Patricia Dule who chose Sainsburys Vouchers… Well Done!

Resident Reporters Stepping out into your local community

Jenny’s JourneyAfter living on the RichmondPark estate for nearly 10 years,when I retired in July 2010 I realised that there were veryfewpeopleIknew.

InSeptember2010NicolaWoodsknockedonmydoorandinvitedme to attend a Residents group meeting,which I did. Itwas byattending a few of these meetings that I found AshtonPioneerHomes(APH)hadquiteafewgroupsthatIcouldjoin,thiswasthebeginningofmyjourney!

The next meeting I went to was the Audit group, this involved going with APH Housing officers to inspect properties that had been vacated and independently inspecting the estates. Myself and the other Auditors could give our opinions and recommendations to improve our dwellings and surrounding areas. Because of this I felt it made sense to join the Repairs and Maintenance, so

I could understand what happens to those recommendations and in some cases why they had not been implemented. In most cases the work had been carried out but in a few instances, for various reasons, others were still in the pipeline to be done.

At the moment, because of the change in government legislation, myself and Derek Smith are on a steering group, which includes APH Staff and Board Members.

To start a new Scrutiny Team, this is not as daunting as it sounds; both of us went on a training course which was funded by APH.

I also joined REACH, we are residentsthat help other groups and try to bring all the communities together.

Not only have I learned a lot, I have made many new friends. There are a lot of groups: - Ladies, Men’s, Gardeners and Reporter’s as well as the ones I have already mentioned. If you would like to know more or come to a meeting, please contact Nicola Woods and if you’re a little worried about coming by yourself, I am sure that one of us would be happy to meet you beforehand.

TriviaQuizMerryChristmasreadersandnowitstimetoasHerculePoiriot would say is to get the little grey cells together. The questions arealittlebithardersonocheatingandlookingatthe answersorusingyoucomputer.GetyourFamilyandFriendstogetherandhave alaughtoseewhoknowsmost.AnywayenjoyandHEREWEGOGOODLUCK.

1 What game was devised by James Naismith?

2 Who mutined in 1797 at Spithead?

3 What soccer team did Ian Botham play for?

4 What was Van Goughs first name?

5 Who scored three goals in the 1966 world cup?

6 Who played Guy Gibson in the film Dambusters?

7 Who was the first American in space?

8 In golf, IRON clubs are numbered from 1 to what?

9 In what building did Celia Johnson have her brief encounter?

10 Who is the worlds best selling crime writer?

11 Which school did Winston Churchill attend?

12 Snow white had 7 helpers name them?

Think you have solved them? Answers on page 8.

6

+ 50 Social Group has now been

re-named “The Rubiks Club”

Nicola Woods, Community

Capacity Worker

By Jenny Boff

The afternoon starts with a lovely lunch cooked by volunteers. Youcan have a hot meal, a dessert and apotofteaorcoffeeforjust£2.50!

Just what you need on a freezingWednesday afternoon! If you don’t want to eat, just turn up at 1pm and refreshment will be provided. This group has been running now for the last couple of months. Members are increasing and everyone who attends really enjoys the afternoon.

The group have decided that you don’t have to be over 50 to enjoy this social group, so everyone is welcome! We don’t want to exclude anyone! Residents enjoy carpet boules, scrabble, dominoes, darts, cards and most of all great company! Come along Wednesday for a fun filled afternoon, feel free to bring any ideas or skills you have!

There was an arts and craft table with Catherine from St. Peters Partnership where the children’s pictures were judged by Julie, a local parent and Councillor Joyce Bowerman. The children also had a chance to see Santa and tell him everything they wantedforChristmas.TheRoughDiamondssuppliedReindeerfoodandWestEndResidents provided the gifts. It was a really fun day and everyone who helped out worked very hard to make sure everyone was well looked after! A big well done to the Community Gathering for making this day so enjoyable! A special Thank you to PCSO Rob for all his hard work in the grotto! And to MP David Hayes for coming along and opening the event!

Winter WonderlandAshtonPioneerHomesworkedinpartnershipwiththeCommunityGatheringtohelporganisetheWinterWonderland.Thedaywasagreatsuccessandlotsoflocalpeopleturneduptojoininthefun.

There was Lynne from St. Peters Partnerships making candles and selling homemade honey.REACHsuppliedhomemadesoupandnon-alcoholicmulledwine.WestEndResidents Association provided refreshment with lovely mince pie and cream! Ashton Pioneer Homes and Regenda donated 2 hampers to be raffled off!

7


Remember the days of excitement when you were young leading uptoSantacomingdownthechimneyandleavingyoupresents it was great.

I used to leave a mince pie a carrot for the reindeers and a glass of sherry for Santa for the cold funny how that disappeared as soon as it had gone to bed.

Waking up at about six going down and opening my presents it was great all the familyaroundthentohavea Christmasmealpreparedbymumwastheicingonthe cake these days adverts for computers etc. have spoiled the fun however it is a sign of the times.

Have a great Christmas and New Year!

Peter Glenn, Resident Reporter

CHRISTMAS PAST


Kiwi

Don’t mention the ‘S’ word… (Tenant Review Panel)

TRIVIA QUIZ ANSWERS HOW DID YOU DO?

1:Basketball 4:Vincent 7:AlanShepherd 10:AgathaChristie 1-5NotBad

2:Britishsailors 5:GeoffHurst 8:1/9 11:Harrow 5-9VeryGood

3:Scunthorpe United

6: Richard Todd

9:Arailway train buffet

12:DocGrumpyHappySleepy BashfulSneezyAndDopey

9-12Excellent

8

You can now follow REACH on Twitter

@ReachAshton

BothJennyandIwereinvolvedwiththeResidentAuditTeam,when we were asked to jointhe steering group responsible for the formation of the Tenant Review Panel. This group consists of board members, staff and residents. The aim of the group is to ensure that the new Tenant Review Panel is set up properly and that we recruit and retain the right people to represent all APH tenants, toensure that we continue to receive the best service.

As part of this we were fortunate enough to attend Trafford Hall for a 3 day training course all about Tenant Review.

4.30am in the spring of 71 thesea a little choppy and the breeze pickingupjustenoughtomakeme a bit apprehensive about whether I should take the boatout or not.

I lingered around the jetty notbeingabletomakeupmymind,something kept telling me thatall was not well, as if my magic the wind speed increased and by 5am it was gusting to 70mph,whatawasteIthought,getting

When we got the course outline it looked like we had bitten off more than we could chew. It looked so daunting, but we decided to go along and see if we could make sense of all the headings and break down the myth of the “S” word. That word is “Scrutiny!!!” We had in mind a vision of a group of stern people in suits pouring over piles of paper and writing huge reports.

When we arrived at Trafford Hall, that vision could not have been further from the truth. We met people from other housing groups that have been doing this for a while and there was not one stern face or pin stripe suit at all. During the introductions we realised that the main skill all these people had from across the country was a desire to improve standards and services for all their tenants. What wasamazingaboutthiscoursewasthatitwas predominantly about sharing all our knowledge and experiences, while the 2 tutors, Rachel and Paul guided us along.

up so early preparing all the bait only to be fooled by the weather.

It was then that I noticed a dog sitting in a dark corner of the jetty looking out to sea. I looked around for its owner but there was no one in sight.

Walking up to the dog I started talking to it and it looked at me, ears erect it made a whining noise and came over to me and sat down again, by this time a dock worker appeared and I asked him if he knew the dog, he said that the dog had been coming to the pier every Saturday for about a month, the dog hadadisconitscollarthatreadKiwi.

I thought about it for a while and then remembered that about a month ago a fishingboatnamedKiwisankinastormand the crew was lost, the dog looked gaunt and in need of nourishment so I decided I would take it home and after a bit of TLC, I placed an add in the local paper, however some months passed ad no one answered by add.

Kiwi and I became firm friends and she would come out on the boat with me often.

We covered topics like Why scrutinise, the latest developments in co-regulation and scrutiny, good practice in the operation of scrutiny, focusing on recruitment, resources, support and working with Boards/Executives,Performance information and implications for business improvements on landlords.

The best section was when we split up into our Housing Associations and picked a topic for scrutiny and followed a simple one page format on how and where we would get our information, how we would analyse it and the report it.

At that moment it clicked in our minds that by following this simple format we could review any aspect of the business and there is no huge secret to do this. The biggest advantage of attending the course is the network of people we now have to call upon for help and advice.

Upon returning from the course wehave had another steering group meeting and was able to share all the information we had gathered. It was good to see that the work we had already done was correct and covered all we needed to do it right.

Knowingthisweare lookingforwardto the events in the new year to start the recruitment. Both Jenny and I will be attending these events to answer any questions or concerns. If you have any questions or would like to have a chat with us about the Tenant Review Panel then contact Nicola Woods in the APH office and she will arrange this. Please don’t let the “S” word put you off, all you need is an interest in helping APH to improve where we live.

Article by Derek Smith, Resident Audit Team

Martin Cone, Resident Reporter

Keep in contact with yourneighbors, they may need help with shopping etc. a friend in need is a friend indeed.

Be prepared for snow and ice , long life milk will last 6 months, but if opened 3 days in the fridge. Make a bad weather

box with soups, baked beans, tinned veg, tinned meats, tea bags, coffee, oxo cubes make nice warm drinks! Remember to check the dates on food that you buy.

Bad weather warning

Ken Newton, Resident Reporter


9

Ken’s RecipesRainbow chipsINGREDIENTS: 1 Parsnip1 Potato1 Large carrot1 Large sweet potatoOlive oil and mixed herbs

METHOD: Peel veg and slice into chips, boil veg till partially cooked, place on a baking tray, drizzle olive oil over chips and sprinkle herbs over chips, bake on full power till crisp.

Ken’s hunter’s chickenINGREDIENTS: Chicken breastSmoked bacon Cheddar cheese gratedBBQ sauceOven chips HOW TO PREPARE: Wrap rasher of bacon around chicken breast, cook in the oven on full for 25 mins, add cheese over chicken and bacon, wait till melted then add sauce, place in oven for another 2 mins till sauce is warm. Don’t forget to add the oven chips to oven half way through cooking chicken.

byKenNewton

enjoy!

Father Christmas and his sledge landed on the top of Ryecroft house he couldn’t find any chimney pot?? Have you seen it, as he has got lots of presents to deliver?NEWS FLASH!

Merry Christmas from the Men’s Group, Ladies Group, Gardening Group and the Resident Reporter’s.

Early last year the Rough Diamonds Ladies Group attended a Cook to Eat course run by Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust. They enjoyed it that much that they decided that they would bid for some You Choose money to deliver these sessions themselves! The Rough Diamonds with the support of REACH got down to the hard work of writing the bid. The Ladies then went along to the Town Hall where the You Choose Event was being held. Jackie and Irene, 2 of the founders of the Rough Diamonds got

up to deliver their presentation. They were thrilled on the day to hear that they had been successful and were due to receive money to deliver the Cook to Eat course. The group are now in the planning stages and will be delivering these sessions in January. The sessions will involve cooking healthy meals (and eating them!) Learning how to read labels and choose healthier options and much more. The course is free, all you need to do is turn up every week. If you would like a place on this course please contact Nicola Woods at Ashton Pioneer Homes on 0161 343 8128.

ROUGH DIAMONDS RECEIVE YOU CHOOSE FUNDING

Article by the Rough Diamonds

Jackie and Irene with a healthy recipe dessert they made on the Cook to Eat Course.

Poems by Resident Reporter Martin ConeJimmy – R.I.P

Hefinishedthepipeformanyyearsknowinghisartsowell,Jimmy theIndiangentleman,Jimmymypal.

HewaspartofDurban,aninstitutionifyoulike.

HecaughtthemallfromGruntertoPike,justtositandwatchhim onecouldlearnalot,wheretoplaceaswivel,howtotieaknot.

Patienceisrewarding,neverpanickeepacoolhead;thesearethe things he said.

IfonegoestothepipelistentothewindandyouwillhearJimmysay, wewillcatchsomefishtoday.

An Ode to Big Jack Soloman

Sleepingroughonthepier,crustedsaltinhishair,thesteelblueofhisNordiceyes,reflectingdistantskiesandcalmseas.

How?Why?When?Thesearequestionsthatwouldlingerinyourmindthatamansolargehastofindpeacefarfromhisownkind.

Heusedtoworkthewhalersuntilhehadafallandsohefishedforminnows,hisbacktothewall,bigJackSolomannotforgottenatall.

Icanseehimnowsmilingthatknowingsmile,helpingsomeyoungsterstocatchtheirfirstfish,grantingthemtheirwish.

Hepassedawayonthebeach,quietlyinthenight,afaintsmileonhisface.Caughtinthelightofdawn,thegullscryingasiftomournasonofthesea.


REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE

PLANNED MAINTENANCE

We will be carrying out the upgrade of the French doors to the upper floor maisonettes with upvc doors and frames. Three local contractors will be invited to price the works. Work will commence late January. Communal electrical rewire of Ryecroft House will commence in the New Year. Arc Electric who carried out therewiring of the other high rise blocks has been awarded the work.

PAINTING PROGRAMME UPDATE

Our two painters will be carrying out external painting works to Portland Terrace. Please bear in mind that external works are affected by cold weather as it is harder for the paint to dry. In cold/wetweather they will be carrying out work to the block internals.

REPAIRS & INVESTMENT PANEL

In October we had a working panel day which was really good to get our residents thoughts and views on what we do in the repairs and maintenance section. A great big “Thank you” for taking the time and effort to make your views heard – Tony, Terry, Derek, Jenny & Colin.

Also thanks to the Rough Diamonds ladies group for providing a fantastic pie and great service.

COMMUNAL WINDOWS IN THE HIGH RISE BLOCKS

Could we politely request that if you choose to open the communal windows that you only open them slightly? We have been experiencing difficulties in closing the windows again to clean them as some residents are opening them up too fully which can prove difficult to close again. It can also damage the mechanisms which can result in them having to be replaced.

CONDENSATION

During the winter months we get a lot of reports of dampness and black mould in your homes. This ‘damp’ is not true damp but is condensation! Condensation occurs when moisture is produced in the home but the moisture content in the air becomes quite high (relative humidity) that when this air comes into contact with a cold surface (usually windows and

external walls) that water droplets form. This provides the ideal environment for black mould to form. There are however ways in which you can prevent this from happening!

• If you notice water droplets onwindows or other surfaces simply wipe away with a cloth and wring out in a sink

• After showering/bathing open windows to allow air to circulate and essentially moisture to escape.

• Ifdryingclothesindoorspleaseopen the window in the room.

• Ensureyouadequatelyheatallrooms. It is more cost effective to have your boiler on constant but your thermostat at 16-18°C as your heating system will self-regulate i.e. when it reaches the temperature chosen on the thermostat the boiler will automatically switch itself off.

• Ifyounoticemouldforminganywhere in your property it is essential that you wipe this away at least once a week with a bleach solution (other cleaning products will do) if you do not wipe it away it will simply reproduce and spread.

• Ifyouhaveanextractorfanuseit.

Condensation can be prevented by simply following the guidance above. If you do have any questions though please do not hesitate to call us and we will be happy to give you further information.

VOID (EMPTY PROPERTIES) CLEAR OUT AND CLEANS

Please be aware that if you choose to end your Tenancy with us that you should leave the property in the same condition as when you took on the Tenancy. All personal items should be removed from the property including floor coverings (unless agreed with your Housing Officer that you could leave them for the next resident).

The property should also be thoroughly cleaned to the same standard we clean the property before a new tenant moves in.

If you do not clean and clear the property prior to moving out we will recharge you for the work. This is because we feel it is unfair to those tenants who do carrying this out and unfair to our existing tenants as the money spent carrying out this work is not available to be spent on other worthwhile repairs. Please be considerate.

SNOW & ICE CLEARING

Ashton Pioneer Homes have a new Policy for snow and ice clearing. During adverse weather we will do our best to maintain clear communal pathways. This means that we will clear paths to communal car parks (this does not include the Court’s) and paths to entrances of communal blocks. We will not however provide path clearing to paths that are the responsibility of Tameside MBC.

We will provide bins throughout the estates so that our residents can grit areas themselves. Please find below some hints and tips to help you clear away snow.

Safe Method of Snow Clearing & Gritting

• Avoid rushing out into the cold air. Do not try to clear the snow as quickly as possible as this is strenuous exercise – warm up your hamstrings, calves, upper back and start slowly to avoid over exertion.

• Use snow shovels and snow scoops only.

• Adopt an upright stance whilst shovelling, this can only be achieved if using the correct equipment.

• Pushsnowoutofthewayinastraight line. Do not lift the snow unless total unavoidable.Ensure the snow isnot too heavy. If the snow is heavy clumped snow remove in smaller stages.

• Keepfeetapartforgoodbalance.

• Avoid stooping over the shovel. Arch your back and keep head and shoulders up

• Keepweightclosetoyourbody.With one foot forward, bend your knees as you lift. Do not jerk.

• Avoidtwistingthebody,pivotfeetto turn. Twisting motions can put a lot of strain on the back. Instead, face the snow you are shovelling, keeping back straight and knees bent (remember your manual handling training!!). Throw the snow in front of you like a bowling ball.

• Usethetalktest.Ifyoucannottalkas normal the exercise may be too strenuous for you.

• Takemanysmallbreakssayevery15 minutes and pace yourself to shovel NOMOREthan5loadsaminute.

• Workingincoldclimatescancause dehydration. Breathing cold air robs your body of moisture every time you breathe. When dehydrated you are more susceptible to frost bite and hypothermia. Drink plenty of water during rest periods and before and after shovelling.

Those residents who need help clearing paths please contact our office to see if we are able to assist you. PG Tips (the gardening group) have very kindly offered to help residents in the event that we do not have staff available to help. Now that is Community spirit!

SMOKE ALARMS

It is really important to regularly test your smoke alarm! It is also very important to change the battery in the smoke alarm if it starts beeping. We have found recently that there are far too many of our tenants ignoring the beeps of the smoke alarm. This is foolish as smoke alarms can save lives. You might think that it is fine as the smoke alarm is connected to the electricity supply but what would happen if there was a power failure? Don’t take chances, change the battery!

RECHARGES

As you may be aware Ashton Pioneer Homes operate a rechargeable repair Policy. This means that if we carry out a repair to your home that we are not responsible for you are liable for the cost of the work. For large cost items you will be asked to pay 50% of the cost of the work upfront.

It is with regret however that we have had to make a decision that if you have outstanding recharge repairs that you have not attempted to repay, we will not carry out non-essential repairs to your property until the money owed is repaid.

Too many ignore the fact that they have rechargeable repair accounts and despite APH sending out numerous letters and contacting the resident they simply ignore the debt.

We know that many of our residents would not do this but in order to be fair to all our residents we have decided to take this step. We hope that you understand.

PLANNED MAINTENANCE UPDATE

11

late at night and on once occasion Anne had to hide, as he tried to climb in through her kitchen window. For every visit he would add an extra charge of £80 to £100. This continued for 5 years, with Anne paying back around £5000 on the loan of £150. The England Illegal MoneyLending Team caught the loan shark, and discovered Anne was not alone in her experience. The loan shark had around 900 ‘customers’ who he was harassing for payments, he believed to be due. He was given a lengthy custodial sentence and stripped of £270,000, money he had made illegally.

Anne said “It was such a weight of my shoulders. It had got to the point where my nerves were shot and I was too frightened to answer the door. I’d realised he was never ever going to go away. If he hadn’t been arrested I’d probably still be paying him now” If you believe you have borrowed from a loan shark, contact the England IllegalMoney Lending Team inconfidence as we can help.

A very merry Christmas from the England Illegal Money Lending Team

*Name has been changed.

Pioneer NewsWinter2011

RESIDENT INVOLVEMENT

Don’t let a loan shark ruin your Christmas

“Myloanspiralledoutofcontrol.I paid back £90,000 on a £250car–forthatIcouldhaveboughta really nice car, bought my house outrightandmykidscouldhaveliveda lifeof luxury- insteadtheloan sharkwas living the life ofluxury. It was 17 years of sheerhell-nowaytolive”.‘Mike’, Loan Shark Victim.

“Pure and simply loan sharks are criminals who prey on vulnerable communities and fleece their victims out of hard earned cash, often through intimidation and violence. I would encourageanyone in difficulty with a loanshark to call the confidentialhelpline on 0300 555 2222. And to those who might beconsidering taking out an illegalloan intherunuptoChristmas, Iurgeyou-don’tdoit”.Consumer Affairs Minister,Edward Davey.

Christmas can be costly, and this year as more and more people find themselves strapped for cash, illegal money lenders more commonly known as loan sharks have been known to take advantage. These criminals are to be avoided at all costs. An estimated 310,000 households borrowed from a loan shark this year, with 20% of victims taking out the loan

to fund Christmas. Often people find that they are paying for this well into the New Year and beyond. Loan sharks often target those who would struggle to access credit through legitimate sources. They are often friends with the borrower at first but once payments are missed many will become intimidating, threatening or violent. Loan sharks rarely offer paperwork, keeping their borrowers in the dark.

They will often refuse to tell the borrower how much they owe, how much longer they have to pay and how much interest they are paying on top (in some cases interest has been as high as a staggering 131,000% APR) Loan sharks gain complete control of the victims and their finances. In some cases the loan sharks have taken the borrowers bank and post office card with the PIN to withdraw directly from their accounts, leaving them with nothing or very little to get by on. As these debts are not enforceable in law, many loan sharks will resort to bully tactics to enforce repayment. However help is at hand from a national team, cracking down on loan sharks. The England Illegal MoneyLending Team will investigate and prosecute loan sharks for illegal money lending and any offences linked to this, in the past this has included blackmail, threatening behaviour, violence, kidnap, drugs offences and rape. We are urging anyone who has borrowed from a loan shark to contact us in confidence. More than 190 prosecutions have been secured leading to 117 years worth of custodial sentences,and more than 16,000 victims have been helped. Anne* a single mum from Manchester was one of these.

She tells her story below;

It was coming up to Christmas, and Anne was worrying about affording presents for her two young children. Spotting an advert in her local paper for unsecured loans, she decided to call the number.

A man answered, and told her he would be able to lend her £150, but it would need to be secured on something. He came to her home and took her passport, explaining that this would be returned once she had repaid in full. He explained that she would need to repay £15 each week plus an extra £10 a week in interest. She knew this was steep but she was desperate and believed she would be able to pay back within a few months with her wages from working in a shop. In the January, Anne fell ill and was unable to work. As a result of this she defaulted on a couple of payments. She was resting at home with her six year old daughter, when the loan shark barged in with two other men, demanding to know why she hadn’t paid. They pulled electrical items out of her living room, claiming the loan was secured against these.

Anne was terrified. “There was nowhere to go” she said “I wasn’t even safe in my own house. I was screaming, crying, pleading with him not take my stuff. To think, that my little girl had to see that.” A few days later she received a note from the loan shark through her door, to tell her that an extra £100 had been added to the debt for the ‘bailiff’ visit. From that point onwards, she paid the loan shark religiously retaining the post office slips as proof of payment. However the loan shark still appeared at her door, alleging she’d missed payments. He would turn up

TO REPORT A LOAN SHARK:Callthe24/7confidentialhotline:

0300 555 2222

Text ‘loan shark + your message’

to: 60003

email: [email protected] go to: www.direct.gov.uk/stoploansharks

APH Christmas Card Competition Winners

APHheldaninternalChristmascardcompetitionand the winners each won a box of chocolates andAPHdonated£25toacharityorVoluntaryOrganisation of their choice, CongratulationstoPete,AnnieandBev!


RESIDENT INVOLVEMENT

Pioneer News is published by Ashton Pioneer Homes, Margaret House, Margaret Street, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 7TH

in conjunction with St. Peter’s Partnerships.Children & Young Peoples Award WinnersA charitable company registered in England & Wales (no.1099806)

PARTNERSHIPSSt. Peter’s Youth

Phone: 0161 343 8128 Text: 07624 802412

or Email: [email protected]

To get this newsletter in Braille, large

print or on tape:

thinkourtenantsarebestplacedto tell us where we need to improve.

The Ashton Pioneer Homes Board has been working with a group of tenants (Tenant Panel Steering Group) to create a new Tenant Panel that will scrutinise our services. The new panel will be called the Tenant Review Panel. It will work closely with the Board of Ashton Pioneer Homes, and will have a key role to play in reviewing services and, based on

information and evidence considered by the panel, making recommendations for service improvement. We would like the panel to be up and running by April 2012 and we are looking for customers to apply. The Panel will initially consist of 9 tenants, but this may grow after the first year.

If you’ve ever thought that a part of our service should be improved, or that we don’t meet the needs of all our tenants, then this could be a really positive way for you to get involved.

The public appeal to fund a Blue Plaque in memory of Ashton born music hall legend George Formby senior has now reached its target. George Formby senior (father of the famous ukulele playing comic George junior) was born in to poverty, hardship and depravation in the Ashton of 1875. Although suffering chronic bronchial problems since childhood he rose above everything to become one of the biggest names and highest earners in British Music Hall. Formby was born at 26 Hodgson Street, now part of Ashton Pioneer Homes’ Richmond Park Estate,where the plaque will be erected some time in the New Year. Peter Marland, Director of Housing Services said “This is great news. It’s a wonderful idea for the plaque and we are delighted to recognise the career of George Formby senior by allowing this tribute”.

WHAT WILL THE TRP BE DOING? WHAT CAN APH OFFER TRP MEMBERS?

• ReviewingQuarterlyPerformanceReports

• ComparingAPHperformancewithother Housing Associations

• Reviewingandevaluatingservicesviainternal and external reporting

• Realitycheckingviamysteryshoppersand tenant inspectors

• Reviewingcomplaintsandcustomersatisfaction information

• Meetingevery3months.

• AttendingAPHstaff&Boardoperational meetings.

• ReportingtoBoardandtheChiefExecutive.

• Fulltrainingontenantscrutiny

• OpportunitytogainaLevel2Qualificationfrom the Chartered Institute of Housing

• Theabilitytoinfluencethedeliveryofhighqualitytenant focussed services by having the power to challenge and drive change

• Ensuretenants’views,assessmentsandprioritiesare reported to all APH stakeholders

• TheopportunitytovisitotherHousingAssociationsand work with other Tenant Panels

• Thechancetoimproveserviceperformance,corporate governance, business decisions and tenant satisfaction.

If you would like to know more please come along to our Tenant Review Panel Open Days, after Christmas. Full details will be announced the first week in January

Would you like to see our services improve? Then come to our Tenant Review Panel Open events in January

Following Government changes totheTenantServicesAuthorityand the abolition of the AuditCommissionthereisavacuuminthe way Housing Associationsare regulated and inspected. AtAshtonPioneerHomes,ratherthan do nothing we believe we are wholly answerable to our tenantsandcustomers.Wealso

NEW CHAIRMAN FOR APH - COLIN McCORDSeason’sGreetings!!Forthepast9yearsIhavebeencontributingasaTenantBoardDirectorofAshtonPioneerHomesandhavealsobeeninvolvedwithanumbercommunityprojectswithourcommunities.

As a local businessman I have developed my skills and adapted them within Ashton Pioneer Homes to support our work in all areas of Housing. This includes a major role within the support and scrutiny of the Association’s excellent repairs and maintenance team. As a long serving resident, I am very keen to continue to support and develop APH’s work of involving and engaging with its tenants and local communities. To help drive this agenda forward, I have this year been fortunate enough to take on the role of Chair of Ashton Pioneer Homes.

During my term as Chair, I hope to support Ashton Pioneer Homes along with the rest of the Board in facing forthcoming challenges for Social Housing and the impact for our tenants and local people. Look forward to meeting you sometime around the estates or at one of our tenant group events!

Green Light for Blue Plaque

by Resident Reporters, Philip and David Williams

pioneer news issue 45 - ashton pioneer · pdf filepioneer news december 2011 ... aph held its...

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