the communicator autumn 2015

THECOMMUNICATORWWW.SWAN.ORG.UK | AUTUMN 2015 | WWW.WEB4RESIDENTS.ORG.UK

3Summer NightLights

5SummerScheme

7Terry wins!

9Get Ready forWinter

eYour LocalSection

IT’S OFFICIAL, THE

NATION’S TOP RESIDENT

INVOLVEMENT OFFICER

WORKS AT SWAN!

2015ANNUALREPORT

SUMMARYINSIDE

Welcome

Welcome to the Autumn edition of yourCommunicator newsletter. As we approach the final few months of the year, it is time tolook back at what has been happening since our last issue. Ithas been a busy summer at Swan and we have welcomedmany new residents in both London and Essex. We have alsomet many of you at one of our summer events; highlightsinclude Summer Night Lights where over 2,000 residentscame along to one of the four evening events and enjoyed theactivities on offer, and the Summer Activity Programme wheremore than 100 children took part in an action packed two-week programme.

Supporting residents to improve their skills is something Swancelebrates. This year is no exception and we congratulateeveryone who has completed a course with us.

This edition is accompanied by an abridged version of Swan’sAnnual Report. If you would like to see the full version pleasecall the Communications Team on 01277 8447700 and lookout for it online at web4residents.org.uk. We’d love to knowwhat you think about our report so, if you have any comments,please email [email protected]

If you’d like to learn moreabout getting involved atany time, please call theResident Involvement andCommunity DevelopmentTeam on 01277 844242 oremail

[email protected]

Or Text INVOLVE to07860 021752

ContributorsBeverly Ford Education, Training and Employment Officer

Ian HaworthAssistant Director of Neighbourhood Services

Andrea O’Callaghan Head of Business Improvement and Allocations

Caroline RichardsonHead of Resident Involvementand Community Development

Caroline TheodorouCare Services Manager

Kari-ann WaldonResident Involvement Officer

Samantha WaitHead of Communications

Terry WebbCommunity Development Officer

THE COMMUNICATORPAGES 1/2

Jo March, Editor

Over 100 young people from Essex andLondon took part in this year’s SummerScheme. Part-funded by a Big Lottery Fundgrant obtained by the Resident CommunityFunding Group and organised by Swan’sResident Involvement and CommunityDevelopment team, the scheme was aspopular as ever!

For more on this story, turn to page 5.

Successful SummerScheme 2015


In August, over 2,000people attended the mostsuccessful communityevent in our 21-yearhistory. The SummerNight Lights events tookplace over four eveningsand two weekends on ourBow Cross and ExmouthEstates. They wereorganised by Swan’sResident Involvement andCommunity DevelopmentTeam, in partnership withLondon Borough of TowerHamlets Youth Servicesand the MetropolitanPolice.

The events brought thecommunities together andraised awareness of crimeand Anti-Social Behaviour.

At the events, a largerange of fun activitiesincluding face painting,balloon-modelling, bungeerunning and a bouncycastle were provided.There were also a numberof surprise attractionsincluding a vintage policecar and a youth activitybus which drew a bigcrowd. Talented childrenfrom the estates took partin a skateboarding display,a football tournament,supported by West HamUnited and a talent show.

Swan’s most successful event ever!Summer Night Lights

AboutSummerNight LightsSummer Night Lightswas originallylaunched in LosAngeles in 2008 tohelp reduce crimeand Anti-SocialBehaviour duringwhat were identifiedas the ‘peakoffending’ hoursduring the lightnights and longholiday period.

The scheme workedby offering positiveactivities suitable foreveryone andencouraging wholecommunities to comeout of their homesduring the eveningsand join in.

The scheme hadsuch positive resultsthat the Met Policepiloted the scheme inLondon last year.When it too showedpositive results,Swan were proud tobe approached tohost the events onour estates this year.


Swan HousingAssociation’s annualfour-week SummerActivity Scheme was ahuge success again thisyear. In total the scheme,which was available toall children living in SwanHousing Associationhomes, enabled over 100children aged 8-16 inBasildon and East Londonto try new experiencesand make new friends.

In London, the scheme washosted at Swan’s ExmouthEstate in Tower Hamletsand in Basildon, the schemewas hosted at JamesHornsby High School.

Activities included: bubblefootball, canoeing and rockclimbing, days out to TheLondon Dungeon andAdventure Island inSouthend and educationaland sports activitiesincluding drama, dance andcraft. The young peopleeven took part insustainability workshopsand made 28 Bug Hotels!

The scheme was partfunded by a generousgrant to the ResidentCommunity Funding Groupfrom the Big Lottery Fund.It was delivered by Swan’sResident Involvement andCommunity DevelopmentTeam, in partnership withthe Stifford Centre.

Feedback from theyoung people wasexcellent:

“It was really good.The trips wereinteresting, fun andenjoyable; everyone had a really goodtime!”Sam from Churchview inBasildon

“I’ve had a lot of funand experienced newthings. Laser tag wasmy favourite activity!”Nathan from Swan’sExmouth Estate in TowerHamlets

“We are proud toenable the childrenwho have participatedin our Summer Schemeto have new andexciting experiencesthis summer. Swanbelieves thatcommunities are about

more than bricks andmortar and ourSummer ActivityScheme helps toexpand the horizons ofthe young people wholive in our homes.” Caroline Richardson –Head of ResidentInvolvement andCommunity Development

Swan residents were keyto enabling this scheme togo ahead. The

Community FundingGroup, made up of SwanResidents, worked hard tosecure external fundingfrom the Big Lottery Fund.

“The CFG is delighted tosupport the SummerScheme once again, it isa wonderful thing Swandoes, and it supportsthe young people whoare the future.”Steve Francis, Chair,Community Funding Group

Bring on the fun Another successful Summer Scheme!

Summer schemeFacts:

26Activities offered acrossLondon and Essex

15+ different sportsactivities offered

Most popular activities:Diggerland (again!), AdventureIsland, The London Dungeon,Laser tag and GreenAwareness


Swan’s CommunityDevelopment Officer,Terry Webb, wascrowned ‘ResidentInvolvement Officer ofthe Year NationalChampion’ at thenational TPAS Awardfinals in July. The judgesrecognised that Terrychanges lives.

The awards areorganised by TPAS, theTenant EmpowermentOrganisation.

Terry’s award recogniseshis community work. Evenbefore he worked forSwan, Terry supported hiscommunity as a residentadvocate on theregeneration of theChurchview estate(formerly the Blue Houseestate). His ‘patch’ coversover 4,000 properties inEssex, the majority inBasildon, but he alsocovers homes across thecounty from Tilbury toClacton.

Terry supports fourResidents’ Associations(Churchview RA, Five LinksRA, Appleford andCharlton RA andBeechwood Village RA)and facilitates two youthforums (Vange YouthForum and CraylandsYouth Forum) in Basildon.He encourages residentsto have a strong collectivevoice enabling them towork together for thebenefit of their entirecommunity.

For the past two years,Terry has spearheaded an

incredibly successful publichealth initiative targetingSwan residents living inBasildon and Thurrock withover 250 residents takingpart. With Terry’s support,the NHS Vitality HealthMOT initiative for the over40s has resulted in morethan 50% of participantsbeing referred to their GPfor a previouslyundiagnosed healthproblem – that’s over 100people - hence Terrychanges lives!

“I may have personallyreceived this award but Ialso think it recognises thestrong ethic of teamworkwithin Swan’s ResidentInvolvement Team as manyof my projects involveworking closely with mycolleagues. I am proud tohave worked for so manyyears in this community.”

Terry Webb, CommunityDevelopment Officer

Nation’s Top Resident InvolvementOfficer works for Swan!

“I am delighted that Terry’s dedication to the communitieshe supports has been recognised. Swan is dedicated tocreating communities where people want to live and hiswork demonstrates how committed individuals make a realdifference to people’s lives. We are especially proud of theongoing health initiative as the results show it has had aprofound impact on the lives of our residents.”

Sandra Fawcett, Executive Director – Housing

The Resident TrainingProgramme has runsuccessfully for eightyears and in this timeover 90 residents haveachieved a basic FoodHygiene certificate,giving them an essentialentry-level qualificationinto the food andcatering industry.

After listening to feedbackfrom residents who havealready completed thisqualification, this yearSwan added a certificatedLevel 3 Food SafetyManagement course to theResident TrainingProgramme for residentswishing to further enhancetheir CV and develop theircareer in the food andcatering industry.

Four residents fromLondon and Essex signedup for the four-day courseon Food SafetyManagement (Level 3).

Brenda has attendedcourses on the ResidentTraining Programme for thelast three years. The free,certificated training she hasreceived has helped her tofollow her dream and buildher own catering business.She now owns threeburger vans and hasrecently secured a contractat a building site in Tilburywhere she will run an on-site café. Brenda’s Bapsburger vans are alsoattending events such asthe Horndon-on-the-Hillfestival in Essex!

Resident Training ProgrammeImproving career prospects for our residents!

Health and SafetyTen residents from London and Essex recently completed an accredited, one-day Health and Safety Course run by Swan’s Health and Safety partner, Swan Safe.

The participants learnt about General Health and Safety, Risk Assessments,Accident Reporting, Policies and Procedures and Online Tools.

This training is useful for everyone, especially those who would like to runevents in their community, so please contact the Resident Involvement andCommunity Development Team on 01277 844242 to let us know if you wouldbe interested in attending this training course next year.

“I am forever grateful to Swan for theopportunities residents are given!”Brenda


In the summer of 2014,Swan began acomprehensive review ofthe entire repairs servicein partnership with Axisour repairs partner. Thisreview is now drawing toa close and we will reportback on the results of thereview in a future editionof The Communicator.

During the review manydifferent aspects of therepairs service have beenscrutinised and improvedand we are now striving toensure this continues. ‘Wecare’ has been a key focusof this review and staff from

across both Swan and Axishave held regular meetingsto discuss, in depth, issuesthat have resulted incomplaints to see how wecould have handled thingsbetter.

By analysing what hasgone wrong, the team havebeen able to makechanges to ensure thesame problems do notoccur again. We wantresidents to be reassuredthat throughout the repairsprocess the Swan and Axispartnership really careabout getting their repairright.

Don't forget that you canreport a repair in thefollowing ways: online atmy.swan.org.uk; by [email protected]; by text to 07477 959235; by callingthe Freephone number0800 783 2768 at any

time (24 hours a day) and 020 3597 2067 ifcalling from a mobile; inwriting to any of ouroffices; and via housingstaff (face to face whenyou see them out andabout or at any Swanoffice).

Repairs ReviewEmbedding ‘We Care’ throughout

Swan’s Neighbourhood Officers all have a small pot ofmoney that they can spend tomake minor improvements tothe estates they manage.

In the last twelve months,Neighbourhood Officers havebeen busy spending this moneyon new, improved signage, newlighting and new fencing on someof the estates. They have alsoused these funds to clear acommunal garden. Theserequests often come fromresidents' suggestions butsometimes come from inspectionscarried out by our staff.

Neighbourhood Officers - Improving your estate

Case study 1

The Exmouth estate

in London had a dark

stretch of pavement

and residents

complained to their

Neighbourhood

Officer about the

poor lighting,

particularly during the

winter months.

Their Neighbourhood

Officer accessed this

money and used it to

pay for some new

and improved

lighting. Residents

now feel safer when

they use this stretch

of pavement.

Case study 3In Clearbrook Way in London, residents andvisitors told us that the signage in the block wasinadequate and poorly located so peoplestruggled to identify the floors and blocks.Using this money their Neighbourhood Officerordered some new signs and made life easier for

everyone.

Case study 2

In Essex, Neighbourhood Officers

have used these funds to install

washing lines, improve security to

shed areas and put up resident only

parking signs.

If you think that yourneighbourhood could benefitfrom a minor improvementcall your NeighbourhoodOfficer on 0300 303 2500.

Get ready for winterCheck your central heating system now!

You may have seen in themedia that the currentConservativeGovernment would like toextend the right to buy toresidents living in homesowned by HousingAssociations like Swan.There is currently noinformation available on

exactly how and whenthis right will apply.When the Governmentclarifies the position onright to buy we willpublish furtherinformation for residents,in The Communicator.

Right to Buy?

October heralds the startof autumn and, with it,the arrival of colderweather. At this time ofyear it is a good idea tocheck that your centralheating and hot watersystems are workingproperly. A little timespent to checkeverything is workingefficiently now, will helpmake sure you are notleft feeling cold whenwinter arrives.

To see if your centralheating system is workingproperly, test it by turning iton for an hour or so.Before switching it on,please make sure you havesufficient funds on your gas

or electricity meter, theboiler is turned on and the room thermostat isturned up, thermostatic(temperature control) valves on radiators areturned up and the timer clock is set correctly. You will know if everything isworking properly as it will warm up!

If, after making all these checks,

your heating does notwork please contactAxis, our repairs partner,on 0800 783 2768 andask for a gas engineer to visit.

Don’t be left

out in the cold!!

THE COMMUNICATORPAGE 11

The Scrutiny Panelrecruitment day tookplace in August 2015.The day, which wasadvertised in theSummer Communicator,was an opportunity forinterested residents tomeet the currentResident Scrutiny Panelmembers, to understandwhat the Scrutiny Paneldoes and to find out from

members what it is liketo be a part of this Panel.The aim was to recruitadditional members tothis important Panel.

The event was a greatsuccess with nineresidents approachingSwan about joining andseven residents submittingapplications. Theseinterested individuals wereinvited to attend the next

Scrutiny meeting whichtook place a few days afterthe recruitment event.

Attendees to the meetingwere able to see theimpact the Panel has hadupon the complaintsprocedures at Swan andto help identify what thenext Scrutiny reviewshould be about. Themembers decided thatnext they will carry out a

review of how Swan dealswith the removal of rubbishand graffiti from communalareas.

If you’re interested ingetting involved orlearning more about theScrutiny Panel pleasecontact Kari-ann,Resident InvolvementOfficer on 01277 844242.

Resident Scrutiny Panel recruitment day report

Innovative

Able to come up

with new ideas

CollaborativeSomeone who can

work well with others

C

DiverseWe want our panelto be representative of all our residents

EnthusiasticWanting to learn

and get involved

in new initiatives

Enthusiastic

n

Commun

icator

Able to get your

point across clearly

DrivenAble to motivate

yourself and others

PassionateWanting to improve services for all residents

Pas i

CommittedHave you got sparetime that you wouldlike to invest insomething new?

ESSEX LOCAL NEWS PAGE 12

THECOMMUNICATORESSEXYour “local” section!

Summer fun on Churchview estate

More than 100 residents fromthe Churchview estate inBasildon enjoyed glorioussunshine and a day filled withfun activities at the fun dayorganised by ChurchviewResidents’ Association.

The event, held in the grounds ofthe Bluehouse Farm CommunityCentre, was supported by a£500 Community Grant fromSwan’s Resident Involvementand Community Developmentteam and Swan staff.

The fun day included stalls runby local organisations, facepainting, crafts, a childrens’ art competition and a bouncycastle. There was also aspectacular display of skills from members of the EssexKarate Club.

During the event, committeemembers from the ChurchviewResidents’ Association raisedover £250 for the BasildonHospital Baby Unit.

ESSEX LOCAL NEWS PAGES 13/14

The Beechwood andCraylands Food GrowingProject, based at theConsultation Shopgarden on Lincoln Road,has had a successfulsecond harvest.

Launched last year, thegarden is cared for by localresidents and Swan staff. Itis a community meetingplace and helps topromote a healthy eatingmessage to residents inthe area.

So far, this season,residents have harvestedlettuces and courgettes justsix weeks after planting andtheir tomatoes, beans andbeetroot are almost readyto harvest!

Community garden celebratessuccessful harvest

If you would be interested in getting involved with the community garden call the Resident Involvement and Community Development Team on 01277 844242.

Over 60 residents andcommunityrepresentatives packedBluehouse FarmCommunity Centre as thewinners of this year’sFive Links andChurchview estates BestGarden Awardscompetition cametogether to receive theirprizes from the DeputyMayor of Basildon, CllrDanny Lawrence andDeputy Lieutenant ofEssex, Mo Larkin CBE.

Organised by thecommittees of Churchviewand Five Links Residents'Associations, the eventcelebrates the achievementof residents who haveenhanced the appearanceof their neighbourhood.

This is the sixth year thatSwan have supportedthese awards through aCommunity Grant.

The judges, representativesfrom Laindon HorticulturalSociety and local gardencentres, had a difficult timechoosing the winners dueto the number (over 90!)and high standard ofentries received. Manygardens received highlycommended awards inaddition to the winners.

Winners each received aframed certificate, a £50shopping voucher and abouquet provided bySwan’s housing team.

The Best Garden Awardscompetition wassupported by a Swancommunity grant andproves that these grants

can make a big difference to your localneighbourhood.

Swan has been organisingan Essex-wide gardencompetition this year,expanding on thesuccessful pilot held lastyear in Chelmsford (45entries so far, including 14 supported housingentries!). Final judging will take place soon andwinners will be announcedin the next issue of The Communicator.

Laindon gardens are blooming!

“It was a real pleasure to organise an eventwhich brings residents together and createssuch a feeling of goodwill in the community.”Chair of Churchview RA, Linda Cameron

ESSEX LOCAL NEWS PAGE 15

A warm sunny day andfestoons of bunting setthe scene for theresidents of Cedar Court,Shoeburyness to enjoytheir very firstcommunity day onSaturday 15 August.

Resident Kerina Trapmoreapproached Swan forassistance in organising anevent to bring hercommunity together. Thecar park was taken overfor the day and allresidents co-operated bymoving their vehiclesoffsite to enable the fun tohappen. Swan’s EstateServices Team alsoensured that the area waslooking its best for theevent.

Over 150 residentsattended the event,showing great communityspirit. Dave Kinchlea fromSwan’s Estate Servicesteam Compèred andprovided the music for the

day. Entertainmentincluded localorganisations runningstalls, face painting, abouncy castle and an icecream van.

Tasty food was providedby a Swan resident,Brenda Watts, who hassuccessfully establishedher catering business afterattaining her food hygieneaccreditation at ourresidents’ trainingprogramme workshops.

Swan’s ResidentInvolvement andCommunity Developmentteam were on handproviding information ongetting involved andoffering the ever popularbadge-making activities.The NeighbourhoodServices team welcomedresidents and marshalledthe event. A digitalinclusion survey was alsoconducted usinginteractive voting pads.

Sun shines on Cedar Courtcommunity event

THECOMMUNICATORLONDONYour “local” section!

LONDON LOCAL NEWS PAGE 12

Blackwall Reach Community Fun!

Over 175 residents from Blackwall Reachand Robin Hood Gardensattended a FunConsultation Dayorganised by Swan'sResident Involvementand CommunityDevelopment Team in partnership with Tower Hamlets.

The day gave residents anopportunity to have theirsay on the design of thenext phases of the estateregeneration. Swan'sDevelopment Teamdisplayed design boardsshowcasing the final designfor phase 1B and the initialdesign for phase 2. Theyspoke with residents,

noting down commentsand feedback. So far,feedback, especially for thedesign of phase 2, hasbeen very positive.

The Resident InvolvementTeam also spoke toresidents about the newEstate Resident Board. Anumber of residents who

have recently moved intophase 1A expressed aninterest in joining the newBoard.

Fun activities included facepainting, balloon modelling,a party slide, bouncy castleand delicious food!

LONDON LOCAL NEWS PAGES 13/14

Bow and Exmouth Estates come alive for Summer Night Lights!

Swan has been delighted towelcome its newest residents toBlackwall Reach. All of thesocial rented homes are nowoccupied and we expect theremaining leaseholders andshared owners to be in theirnew homes soon.

Residents are still keen to maintaintheir close links with theirneighbours in Robin HoodGardens, (who will also have theopportunity to become Swantenants in future), so we weredelighted to see so many residentsfrom both communities comingtogether at our community event,hosted jointly with the LondonBorough of Tower Hamlets, at theMillennium Green in Robin HoodGardens.

Swan’s newest residents move into Blackwall Reach

LONDON LOCAL NEWS PAGE 15

Swan is working inpartnership with TowerHamlets' Fraud Team totackle tenancy fraud in theborough through the ‘Isthere a cheat in yourstreet?’ campaign.

Tenancy fraud is illegal. Itreduces the number of homesavailable for people in need ofhousing.

The campaign gives residentswho are illegally subletting, ornot living in their Swanhome, the chance to handtheir keys back by 30October 2015 with noquestions asked. Anyonewho hands their keysback before 30 Octoberwill not be prosecuted.

Handing back keysallows Swan to allocatethe homes to peoplewho most need them.

Is there a cheat on your street?

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If you suspect there is a cheat on you street contact Kelly Belcher, Fraud and Tenancy Officer on 0300303 2500 or by email [email protected]. You do not have to give us your name, but, if you do, we willnot disclose it and we can let you know what actions we have been able to take.

THECOMMUNICATORSUPPORTED HOUSINGYour “local” section!

SUPPORTED HOUSING LOCAL NEWS PAGE 12

Andrew House gardenhas a makeover

Swan Supported Housingstaff and over a dozenvolunteers from LloydsBank recently spent aday transforming thegarden at Andrew House,a supported housingbungalow for adults withlearning difficulties inWickford. Andrew Houseis a Swan propertymanaged in partnershipwith the Anvil Trust.

The volunteers travelledfrom far and wide to spendthe day painting, diggingand tidying the garden.Swan’s Supported HousingDepartment supplied toolsand equipment and NaturalElements, Swan’s groundsmaintenance contractor,pruned trees, turning thebranches into woodchipswhich were reused as agreen mulch to help keepthe weeds down. Thevolunteers also createdsome new raised beds sothat residents can tend totheir own vegetables andflowers.

SUPPORTED HOUSING LOCAL NEWS PAGES 13/14

In July, an externalauditor visited SwanHouse Foyer inVange, a scheme foryoung adults andBoyes Croft, anolder persons’independent livingscheme in GreatDunmow, to inspectthe environmentalmanagementsystems.

Residents and Swanstaff at the twoschemes met theauditor and showedhim their beautifullymaintained gardens.The auditor wasdelighted to see thatmessages in Swan'sgreen agenda havefiltered down toresidents.

He was especiallyimpressed by therecycling andsustainable elementsthat residents haveused in their gardens.Recycling ‘waste’materials such as oldbricks, rubble and treestumps savesdisposal andtransportation feesand gives theseobjects a new lease oflife.

A tea party, arrangedby Liz Robinson,Service UserInvolvement Officer;Stephen Pinnock,Supported HousingOfficer and residentsconcluded the day.

Boyes Croft and Swan House Foyer getgreen light on audit

The Foyers areabout to start theirthird year workingwith the Ford MotorCompany on aproject to developyoung people’semployability skills.This project issupported by theFoyer Federationand the Society ofMotor Manufacturersand Traders in orderto introduce youngpeople to the manyemploymentopportunities withinthe motor industry.The project developsessentialemployability skillsthrough fun andcreative activities.

This year the youngpeople will do anotherart project which theyare really lookingforward to. Excitingly,the participants willalso be looking atFord’s social media tosee if it appeals to ayounger audience.They will providefeedback to seniormanagement at Ford,

recommending howthey can improve theirsocial media to reachmore young people.

Ford’s recruitmentprocedures will alsocome under scrutinyand our young peoplewill advise how toencourage moreyoungsters to apply towork for Ford.

There will also be abrand evaluationproject whereparticipants willpresent their findingsto Ford Managementand take a tour of theproduction line forFord’s new “Panther”engine.

Foyer residents teaming up with FordMotor Company again for 2015 project

SUPPORTED HOUSING LOCAL NEWS PAGE 15

Welcome and goodbye!

The Supported Housing teams are delightedthat Alison Battersby has accepted theposition of Head of Support and Innovationwithin the Care and Support Directorate.Alison has been with Swan for three years as both Deputy and Manager of Swan Careand Repair, our Home Improvement Agencybased in Colchester. In her new role she willstill have responsibility for this service but willalso lead on the work of our SupportedHousing Department, taking on the roleAmanda held.

Amanda Oakley, a long serving member of ourteam, left Swan in August. Amanda, who hasbeen heading up our Supported Housing service for the last year or so, has decided after15 years at Swan, to move back to the North ofEngland to be nearer her family. Amanda said:

“The work we do really makes a difference and Ihave seen this first hand in Housing Essex andthe Supported Housing teams. I have met youngpeople from our Foyers who have worked sohard to turn around their lives. I have seen ourcarers, Foyer staff, Supported, Income andNeighbourhood Housing Officers look aftercustomers with a kindness and compassion thatwarms my heart.

I will miss working at such an amazingorganisation and with so many brilliant peoplestaff and residents included.”

We wish Amanda happiness in her life up North!

Alison Battersby

Amanda Oakley

Welcome to theResidents’ AnnualReport Summary 2015

£438ksaved from

procurement

100%decent homes

G1rating for

Governance

V1rating forViability

477homes built to rent

over 3 years

This summary report isdesigned to bring you upto date with Swan’sperformance over the lastyear and sets out how weare performing againstthe Regulatory Standardsset by the Social HousingRegulator.These are:The Economic Standards:• Governance and

Financial Viability• Value for Money• RentThe Consumer Standards:• Resident Involvement

and Empowerment• Home• Tenancy• Neighbourhood and

Community

Governance &FinancialViabilitySwan’s Board is supportedby three committees. Thecommittees are supportedby the Resident ScrutinyPanel and two ResidentConsultative Committees.In 2014/15 Swan’sregulatory judgementconfirmed a G1 rating forGovernance and V1 forFinancial Viability and thenew Resident ScrutinyPanel completed their firstreview on the accessibilityof our complaints service.

Value for MoneyWe produce a Value forMoney Self-Assessmentdetailing how we deliverValue for Money servicesfor our residents and aFinancial Statement eachyear. These are availableat www.swan.org.uk In 2014/15 we saved £438kfrom procurement and re-negotiated our loanagreement saving £1.3m ininterest payments. Wereviewed the affordability ofservice charges and ourrepairs service.

RESIDENTS’ ANNUAL REPORT PAGE 1

For the fullResidents' Annual

Report, FinancialStatements andaccounts and Value forMoney selfassessment please goto www.swan.org.uk

or contact theCommunications

Team on 01277 844770

or email:[email protected]

RentThe level of rent increase isset by the Government, for2014/15 this was Retail PriceIndex (RPI) plus 0.5% plus upto £2 per week. We workhard to keep our rent arrearsand our rent charges low.

CustomerService, Choiceand ComplaintsWe aim for a can-do attitudeand invest in training our staffand reviewing our services toimprove your customerexperience. Last year weretained the award forCustomer Service Excellencefor the eleventh year running.

We aim to get things rightfirst time and we want toknow when we get it wrongso that we can put it right.On average we respondedto your complaints in 7 daysand 87% of complainantsfound it easy to make acomplaint.

Equality andDiversityWe aim to ensure fairtreatment for all of ourresidents and last year weworked with involvedresidents to review ourEquality Scheme. Wepromoted Resident DigitalChampions and providedtraining for online benefitand job applications andlanguage training forresidents who do not haveEnglish as their firstlanguage.

ResidentInvolvement andEmpowermentWe have a dedicatedResident Involvement andCommunity DevelopmentTeam to help us involveresidents in themanagement of their homesand local community. Weoffer a range of ways forresidents to get involved

from formal meetings tovirtual online panels. TheResident ConsultativeCommittees reviewed arange of strategies andpolicies and allocated over£12k in Community GrantFunding. In 2014/15 weinvested £150k incommunity projects and ransummer schemes in Londonand Essex. 58 residentssigned up for the ResidentTraining Programme and wesecured grants of over £20kto fund CommunityDevelopment.

HomeRepairs and maintenance isthe most important serviceto you. To ensure ourproperties meet or exceedthe Government’s DecentHomes Standard we have aplanned improvementprogramme. We spent£2.4m delivering our annualimprovement programme,resulting in 100% of ourhomes meeting the DecentHomes Standard.

Repairs andMaintenanceIn 2014/15 we carried out22,000 repairs and last yearwe worked with residents toreview the service. This ledto us introducing a follow-onreceipt for jobs notcompleted right first time,investing in more staff andintroducing a text facility toreport repairs.

We have made greatprogress in our regenerationprogrammes in Basildon,Redbridge and TowerHamlets and built 564homes for sale, generating£44.1m of Gift Aid.

£44mGift Aid

generated

7days to

respond to acomplaint

£12kcommunity

grants

11 yearsCustomer ServiceExcellence Award

58signed up to

ResidentTraining

350homes let

100%Decent Homes

Standard

22,000repairs carried out

in the last year

£1.3msaved ininterest

payments

RESIDENTS’ ANNUAL REPORT PAGE 02/03

TenancyWe own and manage around11,000 homes and work toensure that the people livingin our homes have a legalright to do so and follow theterms of their tenancy. In2014/15 we let 348 homesand recovered 14 propertiessuspected of tenancy fraud.

Our Allocations Policyensures our homes are letfairly and efficiently. Weaward priority based onhousehold need and timewaited. Residents wishingto move now manage theirapplication throughHomeHunt, our onlinechoice-based lettings system.

We have over 1,300leaseholders and sharedowners and our specialistLeasehold Team manage therights and responsibilities setout in the various leases.Last year we introduced aquarterly leaseholdernewsletter and a leaflet fornew leaseholders.

Neighbourhoodand CommunityWe have worked closely withresidents to develop localNeighbourhood Plans anddeliver estate action days.We hold quarterly ‘Meet theManagers’ estatewalkabouts and regularblock surgeries. Weinvested £57k inneighbourhoodimprovements.

We know that clean and tidyestates are as important asthe homes we provide. Lastyear we carried out 827estate inspections, with over95% of inspections meetingour ‘A’ standard.

We expect residents to begood neighbours, tolerant ofone another and understandhow their lifestyle can affectthose living nearby. Weadopted the new toolsallowed through the Anti-Social Behaviour – Crimeand Policing Act 2014.

SupportedHousingWe provide a range ofsupport to over 350residents, from young peoplein our Foyers to older peoplein sheltered housing. Weagreed an enhanced repairservice for supportedhousing residents andincreased the number ofinvolved residents.

Adding ValueWe work closely with localorganisations to maximisefunding and delivercommunity initiatives thatadd value to residents' lives.The Swan Foundation isdedicated to improvingpeople’s lives. It buildspartnerships with localbusinesses to invest incommunities and awardedover £70k in grants tocommunity groups. Weinvested £198k fromProcurement and savings inCorporate SocialResponsibility activities, thisenabled us to provide 36apprenticeships, arrangework experience placementsand 58 trainee positions andcreate two graduate traineeposts.

We have a robust approachto performance managementand publish our performanceevery quarter through TheCommunicator andwww.swan.org.uk

PerformanceWe compare our performanceagainst 30 RegisteredProviders operating acrossEssex and East London. In2014/15 we performed in thetop quartile for:

• Days taken to relet emptyproperties

• Average time to completea repair

• Properties with a GasSafety certificatae

• Rent arrears

11,000homes

managed bySwan

350supportedresidents

827estate

inspections

£57kin neighbourhood

improvements

£70kSwan Foundation awarded £70k in

grants to community groups

We improved on! Cost of tenancy management

! Cost of estate services! Cost of rent collection

Repairs 2014/15 2013/14 Target

Standard repairs completed on time 97.9% 98.8% 98.7%

Emergency repairs completed on time 99.9% 99.6% 99.5%

Repair appointments that were kept 96.9% 96.5% 96.0%

Homes with a valid Gas Safety Certificate 100% 100% 100%

Satisfaction with the Repair Service 66% 76% 75%

Homes and tenanciesGeneral needs stock 6489 6454

Average days to relet an empty home 17.1 15.6 16

Mutual Exchanges taken place 179 249

Tenants transferred 54 104

Households evicted 22 35

Rent and Income CollectionAverage rent £114 £108

Rental income owed in arrears 2.6% 2.2% 2.7%

Satisfaction that rent provides value for money 71% 80% 76%

Anti-Social BehaviourReports of Anti-Social Behaviour 226 236

Satisfaction with how ASB report was dealt with 76% 79% 80%

Customer ServiceCompliments received 201 124

Complaints received 671 409

Satisfied with handling of their complaint 75% 77% 75%

Views are taken into account and acted on 57% 65% 71%

Satisfaction with the overall services provided 75% 85% 86%

Resident ProfileHead of household - BAME 20% 19%

Head of household - female 68% 67%

Head of household - disabled 16% 15%

Head of household - over 55yrs 22% 18%

Lets made to BAME households 23% 25%

Above target Slightly below target Significantly below target

RESIDENTS’ ANNUAL REPORT PAGE 04

THE COMMUNICATORPAGES 16

Swan's rents and servicecharges are reviewedeach year and mostresidents receive a letterin October advising themof their new rent andservice charges. Forweekly residents, rentswill increase from 26October 2015, and formonthly residents theywill increase from 1November.

Our rents are reviewed in-line with the Rent Standardset by our regulator, theHomes and CommunitiesAgency. This year, themaximum Swan can

increase most rents by isthe CPI (Consumer PriceIndex) at September 2014+1%. This equals 2.2%.Service charges are setusing the amounts spenton communal areas overthe previous period so thetotal charge increase mayvary.

Many of you will know thatthe Chancellor announceda rent decrease for SocialHousing residents of 1% ayear for four years. Thisrequires new legislationand is currently passingthrough Parliament. Thisrent decrease will apply to

our residents in October2016.

As a Housing Association,Swan is committed toproviding homes at rentsthat are affordable toresidents and our rents aresignificantly cheaper thanequivalent homes in theprivate sector.

If you would like todiscuss you rent

increase or servicecharge in more detailplease speak to eitherthe Neighbourhood Teamor the Income Team on0300 303 2500.

Rent Increases Changes totenancy startdays for newresidentsSwan is changing theway tenancies areissued to newresidents. It isimportant that, assoon as someonereceives the keys totheir new home, theirtenancy starts andthey take legalresponsibility for theproperty. Therefore,from 1 November2015 we will bestarting newtenancies on anyweekday and not justa Monday (under theterms of our currenttenancy agreements,all new tenanciesstart on a Mondayand end on aSunday).

The changes meanthat when a newtenant collects thekeys to their newhome their tenancy willstart the next day andthey will become liablefor rent payments fromthen. Tenancies willcontinue to end on aSunday with keys duein by noon the nextday (Monday). Thesechanges will not affecttenants who movethrough a mutualexchange; theirtenancies will continueto start on a Monday.

Universal Credit Is Here.

Across the country manyareas have alreadystarted to implementUniversal Credit and therest are going to startsoon.

Universal Credit replacesall these six benefits with asingle monthly payment,paid in arrears:

• Housing Benefit

• Income-BasedEmployment andSupport Allowance

• Income-BasedJobseeker’s Allowance

• Income Support

• Child Tax Credits

• Working Tax Credits

If you are of working ageand claim any of thesebenefits, it is likely that youwill need to claim UniversalCredit instead.

You need to claim UniversalCredit online and you’llneed a bank, buildingsociety or credit unionaccount for it to be paidinto. You’ll have to arrangeto pay your rent yourself.

When you first claimUniversal Credit it will beabout 5 weeks before youreceive your first paymentso you will need to beready. Build up credit onyour rent account by payinga little extra every weeknow, so that when youswitch, your first month'srent is already covered.

Before Universal Credit ispaid you’ll need to sign aClaimant Commitmentdetailing what you need todo, and for most peoplethis will include activelylooking for work for 35hours a week. If you don’tkeep up the commitmentsyour benefit will bestopped (a sanction) andthis can be for up to threeyears!

If you are not sure if you will be

affected or what you can do to prepare, justcontact us. Swan’sspecialist WelfareBenefits & WelfareReform Officers can be contacted on 0300 303 2500.

Are you ready for Universal Credit?

In June, the Vivo team had astand at Essex Pride. It wasa wonderful occasion whichenabled them to meet otherorganisations that fullysupport equality. Vivo, partof the Swan Group, providecare services.

They received interest fromprospective candidates whowere looking for work in thecare industry and enquiriesfrom potential customers andtheir families wishing to usetheir services.

It was an opportunity to raiseVivo’s profile in a fun-filledatmosphere charged withcommunity celebration,creating cohesion and makinga difference.

If you would like tofind out more about

Vivo’s services or aboutworking for them pleasecontact 0845 683 8809 orvisit www.vivosupport.co.uk


Vivo exhibit at Essex Pride

Swan is always on thelookout for residents’suggestions for howwe can make ourservices better.Residents’suggestions help usto improve ourbusiness.

Your Big Idea mayalso be useful for usto share with otherresidents! Help usshare usefulinformation with otherresidents and deliverthe services you reallywant.

If you have anysuggestions or ideasdon't delay; sendthem to us today!

Want to win £50 to spend in Argos?Tell us your Big Idea! We will award £50 Argos vouchers for any ideas that we can use.

So, tell us what you think about how we can:• Improve services;• Offer new services; and• Save money or reduce waste.

All suggestions are considered by ourResident Consultative Committees. Anywe implement will be published in TheCommunicator.

Send us your idea by post usingthis form or online at

web4residents.org.uk or swan.org.uk or by [email protected]

My Big Idea is...

...............................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................

Your name

...............................................................................................................................

Address

...............................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................

Return your suggestion slip to:The Customer Feedback

Co-ordinator, Swan HousingAssociation, FREEPOST ANG10361,Billericay CM12 9ZZ

My Big Idea...

Swan’s Sustainability Team arecelebrating after winning a GreenApple Environment Award. Theaward celebrates the pilot projectSwan carried out in partnership withAxis and Essex & Suffolk Water lastyear. The project saved an averageof 41.94 litres of water per propertyper day, over a year this adds up to191 baths!

The pilot project covered 69 propertiesin Basildon. The properties receivedwater audits to identify where watersavings could be made and the homeswere fitted with such water-savingdevices as tap inserts, shower headsand "Save a Flush" devices and water-saving shower heads. We are nowworking on a service to offer water-saving devices to other Swan residents,making Swan’s properties more efficientand cheaper to run.

Swan Scoops Green Apple Award!

How did we do?April 2015 - July 2015

Stage 1 complaintsresponded to within

10 working days(Target 98%)

100%complaints receivedin this period

101

Emergencyrepairs donewithin time(Target 99.5%)

100%Standard repairsdone within time

(Target 99%)

98%

Properties with a validgas safety certificate

(Target 100%)

99.8%People satisfiedwith the repairsservice(Target 89%)

93%

Current arrears as a% of rent due(general needs)(Target 2.6%)

2.6%

_CALENDAR

XXXXXXXXXX

payren

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Ab


SuggestionsWe always want to hear your ideas about the wayswe can improve. Fill in the ‘Big Ideas’ coupon onpage 22 or do it online at web4residents.org.uk foryour chance to win £50 to spend in Argos.

ComplimentsWe have received 96 compliments so far this year.Here are some examples of what you have said:

“We want to thank Swan for alovely day at the Residents’Conference. We really enjoyedall the food and talking witheveryone and we woncomputers! It was the best thingwe have been to!”P & S, Clacton

“Excellent caretaking service atDobsons House, nothing is toomuch trouble.”Mrs. B, Dobsons House

“I would just like to say howthankful I am for all your help.You made my life easier and so Iam happy. I sleep at night andno longer worry how I'm goingto pay my bills. I can now enjoymy home.”Mrs C, Basildon

If you have a complaint or a complimentabout our services, please call our Business

Improvement Team on 0300 303 2500

or email [email protected].

People satisfied withhow their ASB report

was dealt with(Target 72%)

62%

Average number ofdays taken to relet

an empty home(Target 16 days)

14.9

Repair appointmentsthat were kept

(Target 96%)

95%

People satisfied withthe complaintsprocedure (Target 78%)

79%+

bove target Slightly below target Significantly below target

You can find more detailedperformance statistics onwww.swan.org.uk

If you qualify just answer the questions and cut out the coupon for each prize you wish to be entered for.Then post all entries in ONE envelope to: Swan Housing Association, FREEPOST ANG10361, Billericay, CM12 9ZZ or email us at [email protected] quoting 'Swan Reward Scheme competition’ with youranswers, name and address. Winners may be asked to appear in the next edition of The Communicator.

Swan RewardsOur way of saying thank you


Here is your chance to win some fabulous prizes as part ofthe Swan Reward Scheme. Please check that you qualifyby visiting web4residents.org.uk and then just choosewhich of these great prizes you would like to win. Theclosing date for entries is 30 October 2015.

Lenovo LaptopWhich cheese is traditionally usedfor pizzas?

!Mozzarella !Edam !Cheddar

Name .........................................................................

Address....................................................................

.........................................................................................

Phone no. ..............................................................

MicrowaveMinions feature in which film?

!Toy Story !Despicable Me!Frozen

Name .........................................................................

Address....................................................................

.........................................................................................

Phone no. ..............................................................

Apple iPad MiniWhat is a witch’s favourite form oftransport?

!Car !Bike !Broomstick

Name .........................................................................

Address....................................................................

.........................................................................................

Phone no. ..............................................................

£100 decoratingvoucherHow many years has Swan run theResidents' Training Programme?

!2 years !8 years !21 years

Name .........................................................................

Address....................................................................

.........................................................................................

Phone no. ..............................................................

32 Inch Freeview TVWhat is the name of the famousfirework?

!Brenda Balloon !Tracey Candle!Catherine Wheel

Name .........................................................................

Address....................................................................

.........................................................................................

Phone no. ..............................................................

£100 Argos VoucherHow many Bug Hotels were made inSwan's Summer Scheme?

!28 !105 !12

Name .........................................................................

Address....................................................................

.........................................................................................

Phone no. ..............................................................

Q G H O S T W E R T Y UI O P A K S D X B O O FV B F B E N M Q W E R T YT R R D L S A R P O S I UY U I O E O P E A S D P F G HY T R E T W Q T M N B V O C X Z L K JH U I O O P A S S D N D F O K C I R TC C C V N B B N N M I L K J K H G F RT Q A Z W S X O E D K C R F V Y T G EI X X X X X X M X I P S C A R E D B AW M D A V I L L K I M J A J M Y H N T

X W X E W E U R T L Y U I O OP U M P K X S U F D S A

X T H H T J L C Z X CV X Z A X M N B A X VC B B X H K R U T R XX H A U N T E D X X D

Winner - £10 ArgosVoucher

Mya Age 9, Basildon

Winners of Colouring Book

Eloise Age 6, Rainham

Lilly Age 4, London

Billy Age 7, Harlow

Colouring in competition winners

WINNER

What to look for: ghost, skeleton, witch, pumpkin,dracula, trick, treat, spooky, monster and bats

Find all the words listed onthe right and you could win a£10 Argos Voucher. Thethree runners up will win aKids’ Zone Activity Book.

When you have found all 10words cut out your entry andreturn it with your name, ageand address to Jo March,Swan Housing Association,FREEPOST ANG 10361,Billericay. CM12 9ZZ.Entries will be drawn on 30 October 2015.

This competition is only opento residents aged 16 or under.

Your Name

..................................................................

Your age

..................................................................

Address

..................................................................

..................................................................

..................................................................

Mya

Eloise

Lilly

Billy

Text messaging service

If you would like to contactSwan via the text service,add Swan Housing as acontact, adding the mobilenumber 07860 021752then choose the relevantdepartment and text theirdedicated word. Supported HousingsupportResident InvolvementinvolveAllocations and LettingslettingsEssex RentsessexrentsEssex NeighbourhoodessexneighboursLondon RentslondonrentsLondon NeighbourhoodlondonneighboursLeasehold ServicesleaseholdEstate Serviceestate

In your language

Please call 0300 303 2500if you would likesomeone to explain anyof these articles to you.

Polish

Visit us or post:

Essex Regional Office:Pilgrim House, High Street, Billericay, Essex CM12 9XY

London Regional Office:Cygnet House South, 10 Chrisp Street, Poplar,London E14 6LL

We are open Monday-Thursday 9.00am-5.15pm

Friday 9.00am-5.00pm

Call us to find out whereyour local neighbourhoodoffice is.

Useful numbers

Swan HQ 0300 303 2500

ASB office hours 0300 303 2500

ASB out-of-hours 0800 075 6699

RepairsYou can report repairs:

Online:https://my.swan.org.uk

Email:[email protected]

Text: 07477 959235

Telephone: 0800 7832768 (24 hours a day) or020 3597 2067 from amobile

In writing to any of our offices

In person to housing staff

Complaints andComplimentsMake a complaint orcompliment by:

Email:[email protected]

Telephone: 0300 3032500

Online:web4residents.org.uk/contacts-forms/complaints-compliments

In writing: CustomerFeedback Co-ordinator,

Pilgrim House,High Street,Billericay,Essex CM12 9XY

In person at any of our offices

Online

Swan website www.swan.org.uk

Residents’ websitewww.web4residents.org.uk

NU livingwww.nuliving.co.uk

Swan Foundationwww.swanfoundation.org.uk

Vivowww.vivosupport.co.uk

Herawww.heramanagementservices.co.uk

General [email protected]

Somali

Punjabi

Bengali

Arabic

Urdu

- +

the communicator autumn 2015

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