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ARE YOU LOOKING FOR NEW BOARD MEMBERS?
01 February 2010
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Are you looking for new board members? If your association is looking for new board members why not advertise in Housing News. Our free daily news bulletin is the best-read housing publication in your region and we offer our advertisers real value for money.
Don’t take our word for it - look what Jenny George, marketing & communication assistant at Two Rivers Housing Association has to say:
“We recently used the Housing News to advertise for a vacancy on our Board, I’m pleased to say we had the highest number of responses for this position than any other advertisement we placed, it was excellent value for money. As a marketing professional I look forward to receiving the bulletin, it helps keep me up-to-date with local, regional and national news. And the best part is it’s free!”
To advertise, contact Hucksters at 01892 784804 or email housingnews@hucksters.co.uk.
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HOUSING NEWS: JOBS AND TENDERS ROUND-UP
01 February 2010
Housing News is advertising the following jobs and tenders on its regional newsletters:
JOBS
Helena Partnerships is seeking a Research & Performance Advisor, salary £25,500 – £27,000 pa. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northwest. Closing date: February 12.
CIH in Scotland is seeking a Head of Policy & Public Affairs. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com/jobs. Closing Date: February 12.
Rural Stirling Housing Association is seeking a Housing Services Manager (Depute Director). For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: noon on February 15.
Raven Housing Trust is seeking a Housing Manager, based in Redhill, Surrey, salary c. £40k. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/southeast. Closing date: February 2.
Berwickshire Housing Association is seeking a Financial Inclusion Officer, £26,592 - £29,235. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: 12 noon on February 5.
Villages Housing is seeking a Community Development Officer, based in Oldham, salary £20,525. For more information, go to northwest.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: February 8.
Tenders
West Dunbartonshire Council is inviting tenders for a Lead Consultant . For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: February 15.
Hebridean Housing Partnership is inviting tenders for its Approved Contractor List. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: February 26.
Servite Housing Association is inviting tenders for Consultancy Services. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: February 1.
To reach the best candidates in the social housing sector, advertise your top jobs in one of our eight regional newsletters or go national to over 40,000 readers. For more information, call Hucksters on 01892 784804.
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A2DOMINION BUYS CENTRAL LONDON SITE FOR £80M NEW HOMES SCHEME
01 February 2010
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An £80m scheme to build more than 300 new homes on a canal-side site in central London has been announced by the A2Dominion Group.
The award-winning housing provider has bought the two acre site in Wharf Road, on the borders of sought-after Hackney and Islington. The development will stand alongside the impressive tree-lined Wenlock canal basin, off the Regents Canal, and will support regeneration in the area.
The site comes with planning permission to build 327 one, two, three and four-bedrooms apartments. There will be 232 homes for private sale and 95 affordable properties, complete with 85,000 sq ft of commercial space.
Demolition of the commercial buildings currently on the site is due to start in 2012, with construction of the new homes likely to complete in 2013.
Alan Johnson, Managing Director (London) of A2Dominion New Homes, said: “We are delighted to have acquired this prime site from Deutsche Bank. This is an exciting project that will help to meet demands for high quality housing and commercial space in this part of London.
“The area is becoming increasingly popular with house-hunters and our site is close to excellent transport links.”
The site, in the London Borough of Hackney, is about ten minutes walk from both Old Street and Angel tube stations, which are in Zone One. The Barbican is about 15 minutes walk away. Hoxton and Shoreditch are also nearby.
Designed by Stephen Marshall Architects, the scheme will feature roof top gardens, balconies to most of the apartments, some car parking spaces and secure bicycle storage. The new homes will also be built to meet Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
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TWO SOUTHWARK REGENERATION PROJECTS MOVE FORWARD
01 February 2010
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Two of Europe’s biggest regeneration projects have cleared the final hurdle at Southwark Council’s full Assembly.
The £2.4bn regeneration of the Aylesbury estate is now completely endorsed, as members agreed the Area Action Plan (AAP). The Canada Water AAP also reached a major milestone, with the Assembly agreeing to the publication of the AAP for submission to the Secretary of State in March.
Supported by 82% of the residents who attended the final exhibition of the plans for the area, the Aylesbury AAP is a blueprint for the new neighbourhood and aims to create a strong and vibrant community who will live in high quality homes and enjoy great streets, parks and open spaces, excellent public transport and a wide range of facilities.
Jean Bartlett, chair of the Aylesbury TRA said: “The effort that the council and the Aylesbury New Deal for Communities team put into showing the Plan to local people was excellent and events were well attended – we were often run off our feet.
“Local people were very impressed with the Plan, the way the council did its job and the way that the new community will look.
“We’ve been really happy to be consulted, our views have been taken into account every step of the way, and every day residents have been playing a part in this huge plan through family fun days, briefings with the more typically hard to reach groups on the estate, general exhibitions and a local road show. Now we are all looking to our exciting future.
Councillor Paul Noblet, executive member for regeneration said: “The Area Action Plans provide a broad vision for the rejuvenation of the Aylesbury and Canada Water, which are steering the developments already underway.
“The Aylesbury is a massive 15-20 year project, and the first phase is already under construction. It will revolutionise the way that Aylesbury residents live, work, learn and enjoy their lives.
“Throughout the AAP process we have been helped so much by excellent relationships with the residents, who have been really clear about what they like and changes they want. We are now well on the way to seeing a completely regenerated borough for both existing and new residents to enjoy.”
The Canada Water AAP has now been out in the public domain for consultation with residents for some time. These comments have been incorporated into the plan, as well as comments from the Planning Committee and the Government Office for London.
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LETTER TO EDITOR: SIR ROBIN WALES ON IMPROVING PRIVATE RENTED SECTOR
01 February 2010
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Sir Robin Wales
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Sir Robin Wales, Mayor of the London Borough of Newham has written to Housing News on the announcement by Housing and Planning Minister John Healey to increase local powers to protect communities and improve standards in the private rented housing sector.
He wrote: “Like many local authorities up and down the country, we have seen family houses being replaced by informal shared housing arrangements with a high turnover of occupiers, often accompanied by unsafe conditions and poor management.
“A total of 1000 dwellings a year in this authority have been converted to this kind of use with the attendant negative effects on our neighbourhoods and communities.
“We therefore fully support the three main proposals as they are matters that we have raised at a local and national level in the past with a view to protecting communities from these unregulated and damaging effects of the housing market.
“Whilst changes to the Planning Use Classes Order with respect to Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) is not proposed to be made retrospectively, the new requirement to seek planning permission to change a family home to a house with three or more unrelated tenants should stem further significant losses of family accommodation for this authority.
“We look forward to the introduction of a new National Landlords Register as a way of both informing parties of their right and responsibilities and raising standards across the sector.
“Finally, as one of 12 authorities with an approved selective licensing designation (November 2009), we welcome the consultation on providing an easier consent route to further licensing designations for the private rented sector. We fully support the Ministerial view that decisions on the quality of rented homes should be made by local communities and their elected representatives. We believe that this can lead to more appropriate, timely and democratic local governance.”
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GENESIS TAKES INITIATIVE TO HELP WOMEN MOVE INTO SENIOR MANAGEMENT
01 February 2010
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Neil Hadden discusses the gender split among the workforce
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Genesis Housing Group has held a hugely popular seminar entitled Women into Senior Management at its offices for 55 staff.
The seminar was part of a wider programme Genesis is putting in place to address diversity issues. Although nearly 70% of the social housing sector workforce is made up of women, the figure is not reflected in the gender make-up of senior management and boards. Genesis is no different in this respect, with 63% of its workforce being female and 17% of its senior managers female.
Only 16% of the largest housing associations in the UK have a female chief executive. Recognising this imbalance, Genesis has put in place a number of initiatives, including development programmes and mentoring from senior managers, to give women the skills and confidence to apply for senior positions.
Some members of Genesis’ Executive Team, as well as other senior managers, attended the seminar, and workshops were held to gather participants’ ideas on how we might further develop women’s chances of promotion within the Group.
Rolande Anderson, Genesis Board member and Director-General at the Office of the Third Sector, gave a personal account of some of the difficulties she has encountered as a woman moving into senior management throughout her wide and varied career. She shared some amusing anecdotes and tips with the enthusiastic audience.
Sarah Churchman, Head of Diversity and Engagement at PricewaterhouseCoopers, spoke about how developing women into senior management positions has benefited PwC. As well as the challenges of addressing natural human bias, she referred to how important gaining ‘buy-in’ from the top was to beginning to redress the imbalance.
Neil Hadden, Chief Executive of Genesis, then spoke about why it’s important for Genesis to have women in senior positions: “The gender imbalance evident in the management make-up of organisations nationally is reflected at Genesis. We are committed to tackling imbalances in equality of opportunities and I welcome the initiatives the Group is putting in place to better reflect the diversity of our workforce and our customers.“
Kulbir Shergill, Head of Diversity and Inclusiveness at Genesis, who organised the event, said “I was delighted to see so many people express an interest in this event. In fact it was so over-subscribed and generated so much enthusiasm that we are hoping to organise a larger conference next year to further explore the many issues this seminar has thrown up.”
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LONDON EXCELLENCE AWARDS OPEN FOR ENTRIES
01 February 2010
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The London Excellence Awards 2010 are now seeking entries from across the UK.
Housing associations and their partners have had great success in these awards over the past five years being the top sector for entries.
Entries should be registered by Friday 5th February although you have until the 5th March to complete your submission.
With categories including Customer focus, People involvement & development and Making partnerships work, these awards provide a great opportunity for you to gain recognition for your achievements to date whilst the feedback from the experienced and independent assessors can help drive your further development and provide real value for money.
Applicants are encouraged to attend the workshops used to train assessors to help you make the best submission possible. Additional workshops have just been scheduled for the 11th and 24th February so if you would like to attend it is recommended that you book soon.
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HACKNEY ESTATE PLANTS ORCHARD FOR THE FUTURE
01 February 2010
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Residents on Wilton Estate in Hackney got their spades out to plant seven fruit tree varieties including pears, apples and plums on their estate.
Ward Councillors’ Vincent Stops, Samantha Lloyd and Alan Laing joined residents and got involved with the planting of the trees
This fruitful collaboration between Wilton Estate Tenants and Residents Association (TRA), Hackney Homes and The London Orchard Project will see trees bear fruit for local residents for many years to come. Hackney Homes provided funding for the cost of the trees via the Tenant Levy Grant. The London Orchard Project provided training for residents to plant and care for the trees.
Sheila Suso-Runge, Wilton Estate’s Treasurer, said: “This is a wonderful sustainable environmental project adding value to our community. Everyone got involved, even the youngsters from the Wilton youth music project.”
Rowena Ganguli from The London Orchard Project said: “The Wilton Estate tree planting is the first of eleven orchards we will be planting in conjunction with residents around London this winter. This will help Londoners to enjoy an abundant harvest for many years to come."
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JOB OF THE WEEK: GET YOUR ADVERT HERE!
02 February 2010
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MOODY'S ASSIGNS AA2 RATING TO HYDE GROUP
02 February 2010
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Moody's Investors Service has assigned a first-time Aa2 issuer rating to the Hyde Group.
The outlook on the rating is stable.
Gianfilippo Carboni, an Associate Analyst in Moody's International Public Finance Group said: "The Aa2 rating reflects the group's good financial performance, its adequate cash flow, its good liquidity relative to its capital programme, its prudent and conservative management and the well-regulated environment in which English housing associations operate.”
The rating also reflects Moody's assessment of a high likelihood of support from the UK government (Aaa, stable outlook) to prevent a default by Hyde, a scenario that the rating agency regards as unlikely.
Hyde reported good financial performance in 2009. The group recorded a surplus of around GBP16 million despite the profound weakening of the UK housing markets and the tightening of liquidity within the banking system.
Carboni added:"Despite still fragile market conditions, the long-term demand for low-cost housing in the UK supports Moody's view that revenues from social-housing letting, which make up around 73% of total revenues and provide a large share of the operating surplus, are likely to remain resilient.”
Moody's notes that the rating also takes into account Hyde's manageable exposure to sales, which adds risks to revenues and cash flow, along with the restricted financial flexibility on rents, which is typical for the sector. The rating recognises the relatively high debt burden relative to turnover and the limited liquidity headroom offered by the few encumbered properties available for new secured debt.
Moody's views positively the institutional framework of the housing association sector and the strong role of the regulator, the Tenant Services Authority, and the funder, the Homes and Communities Agency. These entities succeeded the Housing Corporation, which held both roles until 1 December 2008. The powers and actions of the TSA and HCA have proven effective in minimising the sector's credit risk.
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LOVELL SELECTED FOR £10.5M HOMES FOR ISLINGTON DECENT HOMES FRAMEWORK
02 February 2010
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Lovell has been selected by Homes for Islington (HFI) as a contractor partner for its £10.5 million Street Properties Decent Homes Framework.
The company is one of three firms to have been appointed to carry out the major housing refurbishment scheme which will see around 700 properties in the London Borough of Islington upgraded over the next three years.
Work will include the refurbishment and replacement of kitchens and bathrooms, along with external improvements.
Lovell regional director, Steve Coombs said: “We will be working closely with Homes for Islington as we help to deliver this important housing refurbishment programme which is set to bring about major improvements for many residents.”
Eamon McGoldrick, HFI chief executive, said: “Homes for Islington is moving towards completion of its Decent Homes Programme and this partnership with Lovell will help us achieve this target. We look forward to working together on this project.”
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YOUNG PEOPLE TURN OUT TO TALK ABOUT NEIGHBOURHOODS AND SOCIAL HOUSING
02 February 2010
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Almost 100 young people from across London and as far away as Portsmouth and Nottingham turned out to have their say about their neighbourhoods, their communities and their social housing.
Issues such as dangerous dogs, how younger people can have a greater say in their communities and youth centres were top of the agenda.
The My House, My Street, My Say! event, run by the Tenant Services Authority, and Poplar HARCA, also saw attendees talking about the TSA’s proposed new standards for social housing landlords, and recording messages about what they want the next Prime Minster to do to bring about change in their communities.
Sumaia Mashal, Chair of Poplar HARCA Youth Board said: “Younger people have so many ideas but don’t always know how to put them into practice. So an event like this helps share ideas and helps them to go back to their communities knowing how to go about making changes.”
Ruhul Alam, one of Poplar HARCA’s tenants who attended the event said: “Young people are not only interested in young issues – they’re interested in all issues. I want to show that young people do want to get involved in issues that affect them – like decision-making policies.”
Peter Marsh, Chief Executive of the TSA, said: “Good quality decent homes and safe and secure neighbourhoods make a huge difference to how people get on in life. This event has given young people a voice – a chance to tell us what matters most to them about social housing and the neighbourhoods in which they live.”
Poplar HARCA’s Resident Empowerment Manager, Fintan Tynan said: “This is a start for some young tenants. Some have not had the confidence to go to their landlord or their landlord doesn’t listen to them when they have a problem. Now they are keen to go back to their landlord – it’s the next step for them.”
Clips from the Big Brother-style diary room, where attendees participated in a ‘Dear Prime Minister’ initiative, will be posted online.
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HOMES FOR ISLINGTON WELCOME A NEW DIRECTOR OF PROPERTY SERVICES
02 February 2010
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Stephen Kirrage
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Stephen Kirrage has joined Homes for Islington (HFI) to look after the next phase of building new Council properties in Islington and manage the remainder of the Decent Homes Programme.
He is the new Director of Property Services and will be in charge of the new repairs and maintenance contracts which HFI are currently procuring for. His role will help HFI provide high quality services whilst adapting to the current economic turmoil, needs of the housing market and the pressures of local and central government.
Stephen joins HFI from Genesis Housing where he spent four and a half years as Deputy Director of Land and New Business and before that he was at Poplar HARCA (Housing and Regeneration Community Association) where he was Head of Development.
With his knowledge of the industry and 28 years experience in housing – both for councils and registered social landlords – we are confident he will bring good ideas and leadership to a vital part of HFI’s core business for the benefit of our residents.
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BARKING EXTENDS BATTLE AGAINST EYESORE GARDENS
02 February 2010
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The battle against eyesore front gardens is spreading further a-field to include two new wards, Barking and Dagenham Council has announced.
Eastbrook ward in Dagenham and Eastbury in Barking will now come under the spotlight from the council's team of Eyesore officers. The taskforce, made up of experienced environmental health officers and street wardens, will be carrying on the good work they've been doing in south Dagenham for the last three months.
When the campaign was launched in October it started in the three Dagenham wards of Alibon, Village and River, because these are the areas with the highest proportion of privately rented accommodation - something often linked to untidy gardens.
But due to its overwhelming success the council plans to roll the scheme out to cover the whole borough, starting with Eastbury and Eastbrook.
Since its launch the Eyesore team has visited 2,261 households leading to 2,080 gardens being cleared voluntarily. A total of 15.5 tons of rubbish has been cleared from gardens, creating a visible improvement in the look of the neighbourhood.
Eyesore Gardens was set up in response to complaints from members of the public who said they were fed up with looking at front gardens full of rubbish or overgrown weeds.
The council's response was to go on the offensive by taking a pro-active approach to the problem. Properties with eyesore gardens are visited and the occupants asked to clear the mess. If there is no action they return to the property and issue a formal notice. Ultimately the landlord or resident can end up with a fine.
If the householder cannot do the work through no fault of their own, due to disability or old age, the council will provide assistance.
Cllr Liam Smith, Leader of the Council, said: "The statistics and the positive feedback has convinced us that Eyesore Gardens has to be rolled out to the four corners of the borough. Eastbury and Eastbrook have been chosen as the next areas to benefit, so I would urge anyone living in those areas to contact the team if there is an eyesore in their street."
Pete Tonge, Group Manager for Area Environmental Services, added: "The success of this project speaks for itself and we now have a plan to roll it out across the whole of the borough rapidly.
"I would urge residents to take a moment to have a look at their front gardens and consider whether it is an eyesore and if they think it needs a bit of tidy up then please do so before you have one of the team knocking at the door."
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HOUSING BENEFIT MINISTER TO OPEN CIH EVENT
02 February 2010
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Housing Benefit Minister, Helen Goodman will attend an open event organised by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) on February 4 to invite views on the future of Housing Benefit.
Housing Benefit accounts for over 80 per cent of government funding for housing in the UK. It is currently paid to 5 million tenants and amounts to £17 billion per year.
Government plans to reform Housing Benefit to ensure that it supports people back into work rather than creating a barrier to seeking employment, and the consultation on the future of the benefit is open until 22 February.
CIH is hosting an online discussion forum for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and sees the event in London, which is free to attend, as another important way for people interested in the future of Housing Benefit to make their views and experiences known directly with the Minister responsible.
Abigail Davies, CIH Head of Policy, said: "We are delighted that Helen Goodman has asked us to host this event, it is vital that as many people as possible go along and have their say and take this chance to influence future government policy."
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HOUSING NEWS: JOBS AND TENDERS ROUND-UP
02 February 2010
Housing News is advertising the following jobs and tenders on its regional newsletters:
JOBS
Helena Partnerships is seeking a Research & Performance Advisor, salary £25,500 – £27,000 pa. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northwest. Closing date: February 12.
CIH in Scotland is seeking a Head of Policy & Public Affairs. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com/jobs. Closing Date: February 12.
Rural Stirling Housing Association is seeking a Housing Services Manager (Depute Director). For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: noon on February 15.
Raven Housing Trust is seeking a Housing Manager, based in Redhill, Surrey, salary c. £40k. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/southeast. Closing date: February 2.
Berwickshire Housing Association is seeking a Financial Inclusion Officer, £26,592 - £29,235. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: 12 noon on February 5.
Villages Housing is seeking a Community Development Officer, based in Oldham, salary £20,525. For more information, go to northwest.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: February 8.
Tenders
West Dunbartonshire Council is inviting tenders for a Lead Consultant . For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: February 15.
Hebridean Housing Partnership is inviting tenders for its Approved Contractor List. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: February 26.
Servite Housing Association is inviting tenders for Consultancy Services. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: February 1.
To reach the best candidates in the social housing sector, advertise your top jobs in one of our eight regional newsletters or go national to over 40,000 readers. For more information, call Hucksters on 01892 784804.
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JOB OF THE WEEK: GET YOUR ADVERT HERE!
03 February 2010
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LONDON PLAN NEEDS MORE CLARITY ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND CLIMATE CHANGE
03 February 2010
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The Mayor’s new strategic vision for the future development of the capital must be underpinned by a consistent approach to tackling climate change and building more affordable homes, London Councils has warned.
The call was made in the organisation’s response to the Mayor’s proposals for the Replacement London Plan – the strategy which sets out his vision of how London will develop over the next 20-25 years.
While supporting the broad push to dealing with climate change and increasing the number of new affordable homes in London, London Councils believes these pledges need to be strengthened to maximise their benefit to Londoners.
Under the Mayor’s proposals for increasing the number of affordable homes, boroughs have the freedom to choose how they deliver their agreed targets - either to provide a specific number of affordable homes (a numerical target) or to ensure a certain proportion of new homes are affordable (a percentage target).
However, London Councils is urging the Mayor to ensure that this flexibility is reflected in related guidance to prevent it leading to confusion. The Plan must also clarify whether boroughs will be forced to give up this flexibility and sign up to numerical targets if they want more control over the way housing is delivered in their areas - as Westminster, Hackney and Croydon, currently piloting such a scheme, have already done.
London Councils also supports the emphasis and importance given to climate change in the draft plan but wants the Mayor to ensure this is an area addressed throughout, and not just in a single chapter as it is in the current draft.
The Plan must pay more attention to those areas like transport, for example, which have a significant effect on our climate – for example doing more to promote more eco-friendly modes of transport like cycling and walking.
The Mayor must also ensure that his environmental policies are closely linked to his economy, transport and aviation policies to ensure a consistent approach. At the moment the policies for the promotion of additional aviation capacity, for example, contradict the objective of making London a world leader in developing a low carbon economy.
London Councils has also backed the Mayor’s commitment to support provision of school and college places – but has called on the Mayor to provide more details on how the policies in the London Plan will help to achieve this aim.
London Councils Executive Member for Planning, Councillor Chris Roberts, said: “The Plan is the Mayor’s vision for London over the next few decades and it is imperative that his plans are crystal clear from the outset as they affect every single person living and working in the capital.
“While the Mayor has made many positive suggestions in the current draft, he needs to provide more clarity and consistency on a number of issues. The Plan is light in detail over the provision of delivering adequate affordable housing numbers in London and this issue should be addressed in any subsequent implementation plan. We all want to prevent the problems that come with a changing climate and a shortage of affordable housing - and we need to plan for this now.”
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HOSPITAL VISITS AND CARE HOME ADMISSIONS FOR ELDERLY COULD BE CUT DRAMATICALLY
03 February 2010
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Belinda Porich
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Thousands of older people in London could be spared traumatic hospital stays and costly long term care if they were given more help to live independently in their own homes, according to a new report.
The National Housing Federation’s In your lifetime report warned that older people often struggled to access the support they needed to continue to live at home - increasing the risk that they will end up in hospital or a care home in the long run.
In London, around 300,000 people aged over 65 need help with at least one routine task and this number is continuing to rise rapidly.
Investing in preventative measures - rather than caring for older people only when they become ill or immobile - has saved the taxpayer £1.8bn a year in England. But specified funding on preventative services for older people has fallen over the last three years rather than increased – despite the savings to the public purse.
In London, the number of people aged 65 and over is expected to increase from 880,000 to 1.2 million over the next 20 years, with the number of over 85s doubling during the same period. But despite the rapidly ageing demographic and the huge need for specialised housing and support for older people, the options available remain limited, the report found.
Housing associations provide homes for almost one million older people, and are ideally placed to deliver tailored care and support services for older people in their local community. But the Federation, which represents England’s housing associations, said its members faced a number of barriers which limited the number and range of services and housing they could offer to older people.
Investment should be focused on preventing hospital admissions and reducing the number of older people who need to be cared for in nursing homes, the report argues. Services such as adapting older people's homes to make them easier to use, regular visits from a support worker and personal alarm systems which allow users to alert a support worker when they need help, are just some of the simple measures which can help people to remain in their own homes.
But currently the system fails to balance preventative measures with acute services meaning that too frequently older people only receive support when they end up in hospital. People who need to be cared for in a nursing home are likely to remain there once admitted.
The average annual fee for a single room in a nursing home is £35,100. In London, the number of people in residential care is expected to rise from 21,500 to nearly 32,000 by 2025.
And the number of emergency re-admissions for people aged 75 in English hospital rose by 69% between 1999 and 2007, with an estimated 19,000 older people admitted to hospital year in London every year. Preventative measures could cut these figures significantly, the Federation says. This kind of support also helps boost the health, quality of life and well being of older people.
But the level and range of support currently available for older people varies wildly across the country, and needs to become more uniformly available, the reports says. All older people should be able to access support in their local area, it says. And local housing strategies which set out how councils plan to meet housing needs in their areas should specifically address how the housing needs of older people will be met, it concludes.
Belinda Porich, head of London region at the Federation, said: "All too often older people can only access care and support services once they reach crisis point when they end up in hospital or in a care home. By investing more widely in simple preventative measures which help older people live safely at home for as long as possible, the number of hospital admissions and care home places could be cut significantly as a result.
"This would ease the burden on the NHS, save billions of pounds to the public purse, and most importantly allow people to live where they want to be in their home."
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RICHMOND CALLS FOR BORIS TO RETHINK HOUSING TARGETS
03 February 2010
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Richmond Council has voiced concerns that the Mayor of London’s proposal to drop the 50% target for affordable housing in new developments will lead to less affordable housing being built locally.
The Mayor’s London Plan suggests that instead of the 50% target a new approach where councils ‘seek to maximise’ the number of affordable homes built.
Within the affordable bracket the existing London Plan requires councils to seek 70% social rented housing and 30 per cent intermediate housing. Richmond Council has adopted an 80:20 split, to maximise the number of homes built which can be accessed by local low income families. However, the Mayor of London now suggests this should be changed to 60:40.
Cllr Denise Carr, Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Health and Housing, said: “These proposed changes give more leeway for developers to concentrate on private and intermediate priced housing, where they can make more profit. This is at the expense of housing that’s within reach of the majority of people on our borough’s housing register who most urgently need it.
“The Mayor’s plan expects 2,450 new homes to be built in the next decade in our borough, but the plan will make it harder to achieve. Authorities around the country would face a similar challenge. We have written to Boris Johnson calling on him to think again."
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PCHA WANTS GREATER WORKING BETWEEN BME AND MAINSTREAM H.A.s
03 February 2010
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Olu Olanrewaju
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Around 70 people heard Olu Olanrewaju, Managing Director of PCHA, part of Genesis Housing Group, speak about how BME housing associations can best meet the needs of their communities.
The speech, which took place at Oxford House, a community centre in Bethnal Green, followed the launch of a report by Karin, an organisation which provides affordable homes and community services mainly to the Somali and BME community in London. The report was called No Choice, Little Voice.
Olu began by celebrating the role that small unregistered housing associations such as Karin play in representing the under-represented. He drew attention to the complex and multiple disadvantages faced by the Somali community in London.
These challenges include poor levels of employment, overcrowded housing, lack of skills and education, and ill health – what the report calls a ‘perfect storm’ of deprivation which can be difficult or impossible to break out of.
Olu suggested there was little difference between BME housing associations and mainstream RSLs. PCHA was set up over 40 years ago to provide housing for Paddington-based families, regardless of their religion or race. Its founding members lived in the community and saw the desperate housing need.
While BME housing associations today are no different he argued, they have come a long way since they too were set up in the late 1970s. They continue to provide not just homes for communities in desperate housing need, but also ‘housing plus’ services, leadership and benchmarking.
Olu pointed to how organisations like Karin play a pivotal role in educating the rest of the sector on how to engage with small communities, and how to create effective community links. Large housing associations don’t have those close-knit interfaces that are so effective in getting to the nub of what customers really want from their housing provider and organisations like Karin speak up for those who are often unable to speak for themselves.
Olu said: “All housing associations must ensure they are meeting the changing communities they serve – not just established second and third generation BME communities, but also emerging communities such as refugees and asylum seekers. By working in partnership with each other therefore, BME and mainstream housing associations are better able to meet the needs of hidden or vulnerable communities.”
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NEW BARKING AND DAGENHAM FOYER OPENS DOORS TO HOMELESS YOUNG PEOPLE
03 February 2010
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Councillor Gill and Sandra Fryer with Alan Barclay
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Barking and Dagenham Foyer, run by East Thames Group, has been officially opened by Councillor Rocky Gill, Barking and Dagenham cabinet member for education and children’s wellbeing.
The Foyer provides accommodation for 116 young people aged 16-24, many of whom have struggled with homelessness, worklessness, addiction, criminal activity and difficult family backgrounds.
The iconic Foyer building was purpose built and includes a state-of-the-art media suite, a crèche for young parents, a health and well being suite and a guidance centre run by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Local partners enable the Foyer to provide support services to hundreds of young people in the Barking and Dagenham community, as well as the Foyer residents.
June Barnes, chief executive of East Thames Group, said the Foyer is a place where vulnerable young people can come to stay and get the support they need to turn their lives around.
She added: “We work with each of our residents to develop individual support plans, so that they receive help with their personal, employment, training and education needs. The aim for all our foyer residents is to secure permanent accommodation and to be in employment or training within two years.”
The Foyer also has 12 young parents units where they can live with their babies, surrounded by the facilities and expert guidance to enable them to not only care for their children, but also to raise their own aspirations and create a brighter future for themselves and their family. Residents have a say in how the Foyer is run and are encouraged to engage with each other and the community to make a positive contribution.
Foyer resident Craig Bennett, 23, is a member of the residents' committee and represents fellow residents at fortnightly meetings with the Foyer’s management team.
Craig said: “We organise different events, we knock on doors, take round questionnaires and ask residents what they want. We all know each other here so residents might find it easier to talk to us and then we can take their concerns to the managers.”
Cllr Gill said: “We are extremely proud of the partnership between the Council and East Thames at Barking and Dagenham Foyer. This will ensure that our young homeless people will have the opportunity to live happy and healthy lives in a safe environment, and that they will be supported in all aspects of their development and independent living.
“As a landmark building in Barking town centre, the Foyer also provides all Barking and Dagenham’s young people with high quality information, advice and guidance services, and an opportunity to gain work relevant skills in the creative industries.”
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THCH RESIDENTS HOP TO IT AND MAKE OWN BEER
03 February 2010
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Lola Smith with Old Hoppers Brew
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Residents of Tower Hamlets Community Housing, through the revival of an old tradition, have made their own beer.
When THCH built a secure development for older residents in Shadwell in 2006, they wanted to bring all the new residents together and create a sense of community spirit. They thought of no better way to do this than to celebrate an East End tradition and bring back memories of a bygone age of ‘hopping’ with an annual hop festival and exhibition.
For many East Enders, hopping was a chance to escape the hardships and grim of inner city London and spend a few weeks in the fresh air of Kent picking hops for the brewing industry. Because many of the developments’ new residents would have spent their earlier years in Kent, the chance to relive these memories was too good an opportunity to miss.
In order to create some authenticity to the festival, hops were planted along the trellises in the garden, which were meant to be purely decorative. However, last year saw a bumper crop of hops which lead THCH’s Lettings Officer and real ale enthusiast, Mick O’Rorke, to wonder whether they could be turned into beer.
Mick, who is the East London and City Branch ‘Pubs Officer’ for The Campaign for Real Ale, contacted a local micro-brewery, Brodies, about the prospect of turning the hops into ale. Owner and brewer, James Brodie, was only too happy to come and see for himself East London’s very own hop garden. Once James saw the hops, he was given advice from residents on how to pick and store them correctly and was only too happy to use the crop in special one-off ale.
In late September, James from Brodies, Mick and a number of residents picked the ripe hops and come December, Brodies were delighted to unveil "Old Hoppers", picturing THCH resident, Lola Smith, from her childhood days hopping with members of her family, on the cover.
THCH Chief Executive, Mike Tyrrell said: “The whole project started to bring our residents together and I am ever so pleased to revive the spirit of hopping with this special ale”.
James Brodies added “Old Hoppers certainly created a following, with all 21 nine-gallon cask kegs completely selling out.”
Residents from the scheme and THCH will be hoping for another favorable year weather wise and are already looking forward to 2010’s special edition beer.
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HOUSING NEWS: JOBS AND TENDERS ROUND-UP
03 February 2010
Housing News is advertising the following jobs and tenders on its regional newsletters:
JOBS
Helena Partnerships is seeking a Research & Performance Advisor, salary £25,500 – £27,000 pa. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northwest. Closing date: February 12.
CIH in Scotland is seeking a Head of Policy & Public Affairs. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com/jobs. Closing Date: February 12.
Rural Stirling Housing Association is seeking a Housing Services Manager (Depute Director). For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: noon on February 15.
Berwickshire Housing Association is seeking a Financial Inclusion Officer, £26,592 - £29,235. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: 12 noon on February 5.
Villages Housing is seeking a Community Development Officer, based in Oldham, salary £20,525. For more information, go to northwest.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: February 8.
Tenders
Craigdale Housing Association is inviting tenders for a Tenant Satisfaction Survey. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 8.
West Dunbartonshire Council is inviting tenders for a Lead Consultant . For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: February 15.
Hebridean Housing Partnership is inviting tenders for its Approved Contractor List. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: February 26.
To reach the best candidates in the social housing sector, advertise your top jobs in one of our eight regional newsletters or go national to over 40,000 readers. For more information, call Hucksters on 01892 784804.
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JOB OF THE WEEK: GET YOUR ADVERT HERE!
04 February 2010
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DEVELOPERS CHOSEN FOR SOUTH ACTON SCHEME
04 February 2010
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Residents on the South Acton estate are another step closer to seeing their homes transformed after Ealing Council selected a developer partner to complete the project.
The council's Cabinet agreed that Countryside and L&Q should be appointed to complete the next stages of the regeneration programme on the borough's largest estate.
The decision has the backing of the Developer Selection Group – a body of local residents who were shown the proposals from each of the developers on the shortlist and asked for their views. Many of the original blocks of flats in South Acton date back to the 1950, 60s and 70s. They are considered poorly designed and do not meet the needs of today's residents.
Councillor Will Brooks, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: "This is a very positive step for the estate. Resident involvement has been key in this project and we have been careful to ensure tenants and leaseholders have had every chance to get involved. It’s great that we’ve been able to appoint the developer that the residents' group preferred."
Work to transform the estate began a decade ago in partnership with Catalyst Communities Housing Association, which was selected to carryout the initial phases of the regeneration. When it completes its work in summer 2012 it will have delivered 346 new homes for affordable rent and shared ownership.
Now Countryside and L&Q will submit an outline planning application for the next stages of work. Subject to legal agreements being completed and planning consent being obtained, the next major phase of work could begin as early as winter 2010.
The Cabinet also agreed to award a £458,000 contract to DDS Demolition to knock down Kipling Tower this April to help kick start the next phase of the regeneration programme. All Cabinet decisions are subject to call in for a period of five working days from the date of publication of the minutes of the meeting.
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BARKING TO EVICT BURGLARS
04 February 2010
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Council tenants who commit burglaries will face eviction from their homes as part of a new clamp-down by Barking and Dagenham Council.
The authority is writing to the borough's 19,000 tenants to reassure them that persistent home-breakers will no longer have the privilege of a council home. Conviction of burglary constitutes a breach of the tenancy rules which each new resident signs up to when they collect their keys.
That means the council, as landlord, has the power to recover the property and pass it on to a deserving local family. The initiative is being launched with the full support of Barking and Dagenham Police, who have been working closely with the council to tackle burglary in the borough.
Cllr Phil Waker, cabinet member for housing, said: "The vast majority of Barking and Dagenham council tenants are law-abiding people who would never think of committing a crime.
"Unfortunately there is a small irresponsible minority of repeat offenders who think the law doesn't apply to them. As a responsible landlord, we make clear in our tenancy agreements that tenants must not do anything that interferes with the peace, comfort or convenience of other people living in the area.
"No law abiding borough resident should fear a break-in, least of all from a neighbour in a council property. If you are a council tenant and are found by the law to have used your council home as a base to commit burglaries on other householders, we will undertake civil proceedings in local courts to recover your home."
"We are working closely with the Police to ensure that burglars are brought to justice through the courts, but as a council we will take whatever action necessary to protect law-abiding tenants and residents."
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RHP TO GET NEW OFFICE
04 February 2010
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Mansell has won a £7.65m contract to design and construct a three-storey office building at Waldegrave Road, Teddington, Middlesex for Richmond Housing Partnership.
The new development will be Richmond Housing Partnership’s headquarters and will consist of large office areas and shared areas including a café. The building is expected to obtain a BREEAM “Excellent” rating.
Environmental features are an important part of the development; there will be over 400 solar panels installed on the roof designed to reduce energy consumption, alongside use of an efficient lighting system, rain harvesting tank, mixed mode system and sustainable urban drainage system.
Work has recently begun on site and is expected to finish in September this year.
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RESIDENTS ARE SHAPING SERVICES AT PEABODY
04 February 2010
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Peabody has made significant progress in the way that it involves its residents in shaping its services, according to the Audit Commission.
The way that Peabody deals with gas safety is satisfactory, but its approach to responsive repairs is in need of significant improvement and there are weaknesses in the way that it responds to the needs of individual residents.
Audit Commission inspectors reached this conclusion after a short notice inspection of how well the London-based housing association involves residents, responds to repairs requests and undertakes gas safety checks.
The report shows that residents are frequently and regularly involved in deciding how the Peabody operates and are able to influence both strategic decisions and decisions in their own neighbourhoods. However, although the approach to gas safety is strong, repairs are not being undertaken quickly or to a high standard.
Hugh Boatswain, Audit Commission senior manager, said: “Peabody has worked hard to change the way that it involves residents. This has resulted in many more residents choosing to get involved in a way that suits them, leading to improvements to services.
“Although Peabody has plans to change the way that it carries out repairs in the future, at present the service is falling short of what we expect to see. Peabody also needs to make sure that it is aware of the particular needs of individuals and of diverse groups.”
Strengths include resident involvement is valued by Peabody and the additional resources focussing on this have led to significant changes; most properties have had a recent gas safety check; and residents can get in touch by freephone from 8am to 8pm, making it easy to report repairs.
Weaknesses include resident profile information is not used to routinely adjust services for individuals or groups or to analyse levels of satisfaction; and not all services offer value for money, with some having high costs, but low levels of satisfaction and performance.
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NEW HANDYMAN SERVICE LAUNCHED TO IMPROVE ESTATES ACROSS WESTMINSTER
04 February 2010
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Housing estates across Westminster are set to be spruced up thanks to a new handyman service.
As part of the joint scheme by Westminster Council and CityWest Homes, a team of two handymen will be carrying out communal repairs that are not normally done by contractors such as painting of fences, gates, repairing potholes and paving stones on paths and repairing and painting estate benches.
A local apprentice will also be recruited to work alongside the handymen. The team will focus on areas where residents have identified low level repairs which sometimes lead to dissatisfaction with the service or where issues have been raised on the estate through inspections.
Once an area is identified, the local estate office and resident representatives will then be consulted on what works they would like to see carried out.
Cllr Philippa Roe, cabinet member for housing, said: "Our aim is to improve the look and feel of our estates by carrying out minor repairs. Some of these jobs don't get picked up unless there are major works on site and this will be a fantastic opportunity for getting problems seen to much faster and in a much more cost effective way."
Darren Levy, Director of Customer Services at CityWest Homes, said: "We are really pleased that this initiative is up and running. We are committed to ensuring that our homes and estates are well maintained and are areas that people are proud to live in. The handyman service is another great way for us to deliver on this aim.”
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READY, STEADY GO FOR HARINGEY APPRENTICES
04 February 2010
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To mark National Apprenticeship Week 2010, all 16 of Homes for Haringey’s apprentices will work to get an empty home in Wood Green ready to let to a new tenant.
The record breaking task is being set as part of National Apprenticeship Week, which is organised by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) to celebrate the talents and skills of apprentices. It will also show employers the value of investing in an apprenticeship programme.
The aim is for the apprentices to turn around the empty property from one in a state of disrepair to a home fit for a new tenant. By the end of the week the apprentices will have transformed the empty shell into a fully equipped, decent home, meeting the needs of the residents.
The apprentices, 11 men and five women, are at various stages in their career. Some will be completing their three-year apprenticeship later this year, others started just a few months ago. They will use their plumbing, carpentry, electrics, plastering and tiling skills do all the repairs needed to bring the property up to standard.
Paul Bridge, Chief Executive, Homes for Haringey said: “This is a great initiative and an exciting project. We’re very proud of our apprentices and this is a chance for them to show off what they can do. A high percentage of our current workforce in the repairs service started off in our apprenticeship scheme, so it’s definitely a worthwhile endeavour.”
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HOUSING NEWS: JOBS AND TENDERS ROUND-UP
04 February 2010
Housing News is advertising the following jobs and tenders on its regional newsletters:
JOBS
Helena Partnerships is seeking a Research & Performance Advisor, salary £25,500 – £27,000 pa. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northwest. Closing date: February 12.
CIH in Scotland is seeking a Head of Policy & Public Affairs. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com/jobs. Closing Date: February 12.
Rural Stirling Housing Association is seeking a Housing Services Manager (Depute Director). For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: noon on February 15.
Berwickshire Housing Association is seeking a Financial Inclusion Officer, £26,592 - £29,235. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: 12 noon on February 5.
Villages Housing is seeking a Community Development Officer, based in Oldham, salary £20,525. For more information, go to northwest.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: February 8.
Tenders
Craigdale Housing Association is inviting tenders for a Tenant Satisfaction Survey. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 8.
West Dunbartonshire Council is inviting tenders for a Lead Consultant . For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: February 15.
Hebridean Housing Partnership is inviting tenders for its Approved Contractor List. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: February 26.
To reach the best candidates in the social housing sector, advertise your top jobs in one of our eight regional newsletters or go national to over 40,000 readers. For more information, call Hucksters on 01892 784804.
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TENDER: INTERNAL AUDIT SERVICES
05 February 2010
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Tender for Internal Audit Services
Moray Housing Partnership
Moray Housing Partnership is a Registered Social Landlord based in Lossiemouth and serving most of the Moray region. It owns and manages just under 500 general needs units.
We are currently tendering for our internal audit services. This will initially be for a three year period with the possibility to extend this to six years. We are seeking tenders from audit companies with internal audit experience within the RSL sector.
If you wish further information or want to receive the tender documents sent to you, please contact Michaela Munro on 01343 543210 or michaela@morayhousingpartnership.co.uk.
The closing dates for tenders will be 19th February and we plan to interview prior to the end of February. The period of appointment will commence on 1 April 2010, however we may ask that some work be carried out in March if this is mutually convenient.
Moray Housing Partnership is a registered charity operating under Scottish Charity number SC 031841 Registered office Clifton Road, Lossiemouth. Moray, IV31 6DJ. Registered with the FSA under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965 (No2567R(S)) and the Scottish Housing Regulator No: 325.
To advertise your job, event or tender on any of our regional editions, please email: stuart@hucksters.co.uk for more details.
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SUCCESSFUL BUILDING NEIGHBOURHOODS IN LONDON CONFERENCE
05 February 2010
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Matthew Taylor and Richard Blakeway
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The 2010 Building Neighbourhoods in London conference attracted an outstanding line-up of speakers at the Cabinet War Rooms.
The event was organised by the National Housing Federation’s London region.
Federation chair, Matthew Taylor warned the audience of senior housing association officials: “The political and economic landscape is going through seismic shifts and we’re only part way through that process.”
Dealing with that new landscape, and the need for innovation in a ‘more for less’ world, occupied the minds of all speakers.
They included: Richard Blakeway, mayoral advisor on housing, Greater London Authority; David Lunts, London director, Homes and Communities Agency; Peter Marsh, chief executive, Tenant Services Authority; and Rosemary Westbrook, corporate director of housing, Westminster City Council.
A lively question and answer session followed the speeches and was chaired by Belinda Porich, head of London region at the Federation.
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CAREER BOOST FOR ASRA RESIDENTS
05 February 2010
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Residents of ASRA Greater London Housing Association are getting a taste of careers in the housing sector through work placements.
The voluntary work is aimed at helping unemployed residents gain valuable experience to boost their CVs and job prospects. Resident Samia Hussain, 29, is currently volunteering three days a week at the association’s main office in Lambeth as a Housing Services Assistant.
She helps Housing Officers with administrative tasks, deals with queries from customers, and assists with estate visits and property inspections.
Samia said: “Being at home and looking after my children, I’ve never had a job before. I’m really enjoying working and I appreciate the opportunity ASRA has given me to improve my skills and work experience. I hope to have a career in housing and this will definitely help me.”
Lily Tripathi, ASRA’s Customer Care Manager, added: “It’s great to have residents involved and working for ASRA. I’m confident Samia’s time with us will be beneficial in terms of future job opportunities. The work is also varied and very rewarding.
“Participants definitely give us another perspective on our range of services and how we carry them out. We’re always keen to know our residents’ views.”
Another successful resident volunteer has now landed a full-time paid role. Beatrice Asare, 25, has joined the rent team at LHA-ASRA’s group head office in Leicester, after volunteering in ASRA’s finance department.
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GENESIS HELPS YOUNG PEOPLE IN NEWHAM IMPROVE EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS
05 February 2010
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Genesis Housing Group, along with other local employers, has helped facilitate a Transition Day at Lister Community School in Newham.
The aim was to help students prepare applications for employment and to provide them with an understanding of the interview process. The event was organised by the Newham Education Business Partnership, at the mixed comprehensive community school for students aged 11 to 16.
Carole Mendoza, Human Resources Business Partner at Genesis, worked with three groups of students throughout the day, encouraging them to listen, learn and ask questions. They worked in teams to come up with potential questions they might be asked at interview and took the opportunity to interview Carole about her own employment history, career expectations, job, qualifications, and the staff benefits offered to staff at Genesis.
Students learned how to prepare application forms, CVs and personal statements, and how to prepare for job interviews. They learned about the relevance of teamwork and customer service in the work environment, and the importance of good time-keeping and attendance at work.
Throughout the day, comical theatre performances by professional actors dramatised good and bad job applications and interview techniques in an entertaining way.
Carole said: “After delivering three of these sessions through the day, I found that each session was unique. Every group had different questions and ideas, which helped make it a very enjoyable and successful day for all.
“One student told me that he hadn’t known what to expect at a job interview before but that now he felt much more confident. Another said he now understood how important it was to be professional and to pay attention to his body language. We will continue to support these events and there are several more planned during the coming months at different schools.”
Neil Hadden, Chief Executive of Genesis, said: “Genesis is proud to be supporting initiatives like this one. Many young people have been able to improve their employment prospects and gain confidence as they prepare for their first job interviews. The entertainment was a very effective and innovative way of dramatising to the students the pitfalls of poor self-presentation.”
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TOWER HAMLETS HOMES SCORES 100% ON GAS SAFETY
05 February 2010
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Every single one of Tower Hamlets Homes rented properties have been checked and certified ‘gas safe’ - the first time Tower Hamlets Homes has ever achieved its target of 100%.
Tower Hamlets Homes Chief Executive, Gavin Cansfield said: “Making sure all of our rented properties are gas safe is a huge achievement and one that is important to us in helping to ensure every tenant’s safety. We now need to keep up this 100% success rate.”
Gavin added: “This could not have been achieved without the real team effort between our staff, our ‘Gas Safe’ accredited contractor EPS and outside agencies such as the NHS and social care workers who helped us gain access to properties.”
The visit is free for every tenant, including an inspection of the central heating system, boilers, radiators, cold water tanks and cylinders as well as all gas appliances and internal gas pipes.
Cllr Marc Francis, Lead Member for Housing and Development at the council, added: “This is a great achievement for Tower Hamlets Homes, especially as they are one of the few ALMOs in the country to have hit 100% gas safety checks.”
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NOTTING HILL PROVIDES SOME ‘GOOD’ SERVICES BUT NEEDS TO IMPROVE GAS SERVICING
05 February 2010
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Notting Hill Housing Trust ‘has more strengths than weaknesses’ in the areas inspected, according to a report released by the Audit Commission.
Inspectors reached this conclusion following a short-notice inspection of how the association is performing in the areas of: repairs that tenants report; the servicing of gas appliances; and preparing empty homes to be re-let. This was because repairs to its homes are generally carried out quickly, to a good standard and customer satisfaction is high. New tenants receive good information and support and works to re-let homes are to a good standard.
However, although there has been some recent improvement, gas servicing on average over the last year has been weak and inconsistent with sometimes large numbers of properties not meeting legal timescales for gas safety certificates.
Hugh Boatswain, Lead Housing Inspector, said: “NHHT has a customer orientated approach to tenants which meets their diverse needs. There is an effective arrangement for delivering responsive repairs, although repairs are not always completed on the first visit.
“There is an effective information and support system for new tenants and works to empty homes that are re-let are generally to a good standard. New arrangements for servicing gas installations to tenants’ homes have been put in place, however, they are not yet meeting the Trusts’ legal requirement to service all tenants’ homes within twelve months.”
NHHT Chief Executive, Kate Davies said: "We found the whole Audit Commission process helpful. We are determined to focus on what matters to our tenants, and to deliver the services they want, in a cost effective way. We are very pleased that the Audit Commission has recognised the significant improvements and that overall, the report identifies more strengths than weaknesses.
"We know we still need to change lots of things to make services better for customers and this is what our 'Altogether Better' project is all about. We are now working with our residents on how to tackle each area of weakness and to build on our strengths."
Strengths include: repairs are completed within target times and to a good standard; there is a customer-focused appointment system enabling tenants to make appointments at convenient times, including first appointments, morning, afternoon avoiding school runs, evenings and Saturday mornings; and tenant satisfaction with the repairs service is high.
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ANTI-SOCIAL FAMILY EVICTED IN ARCHWAY
05 February 2010
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A family terrorising their neighbours with persistent anti-social behaviour (ASB) has been evicted from their flat on the Girdlestone Estate in Archway.
Homes for Islington (HFI), working with the Police, have taken possession of a property in Salisbury Walk on the Girdlestone estate following problems with anti-social behaviour by the tenant, Katherine Wynn and her children particularly, Jordan Davis.
Jordan and his associates had been causing nuisance to their neighbours for several years including drug dealing and use, noise nuisance, intimidation and other related criminal activities. Several attempts to get clear evidence failed and a professional witness was deployed to assist us in collating information and evidencing their drugs activities.
HFI received support and assistance from the Police’s Junction Ward Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) in collating evidence and a member of their team appeared in court to give evidence alongside HFI officers. All the three councillors for the area provided a joint statement based on reports from residents relating to the address which were received from their individual surgeries.
Significantly, residents who had had enough of the ASB activities of the family provided anonymous witness statements as they were terrified of repercussions, but these statement clearly showed the judge the gravity of the issues and HFI were granted full possession of the property.
Doug Goldring, HFI’s Director of Operations said: “We are glad that everyone in the community worked together to get evidence to the anti-social behaviour of this family. Once again, we’ve shown we will not tolerate the lives of our residents being ruined by a tiny minority.”
Acting Police Sergeant, Rob Graham from Junction Safer Neighbourhoods team said: “Credit must be given to the residents who took a stand and gave evidence against this nuisance family. This is an example of how we work together and act on information we receive about anti-social behaviour. It is gratifying to know that residents can now enjoy their homes and feel safe again.”
The now-empty property will be serviced quickly to be offered to a new incoming tenant.
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HOUSING NEWS: JOBS AND TENDERS ROUND-UP
05 February 2010
Housing News is advertising the following jobs and tenders on its regional newsletters:
JOBS
Helena Partnerships is seeking a Research & Performance Advisor, salary £25,500 – £27,000 pa. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northwest. Closing date: February 12.
CIH in Scotland is seeking a Head of Policy & Public Affairs. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com/jobs. Closing Date: February 12.
Rural Stirling Housing Association is seeking a Housing Services Manager (Depute Director). For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: noon on February 15.
Berwickshire Housing Association is seeking a Financial Inclusion Officer, £26,592 - £29,235. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: 12 noon on February 5.
Villages Housing is seeking a Community Development Officer, based in Oldham, salary £20,525. For more information, go to northwest.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: February 8.
Tenders
Moray Housing Partnership is inviting tenders for a Internal Audit Services. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: February 19.
Craigdale Housing Association is inviting tenders for a Tenant Satisfaction Survey. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 8.
West Dunbartonshire Council is inviting tenders for a Lead Consultant . For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: February 15.
Hebridean Housing Partnership is inviting tenders for its Approved Contractor List. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: February 26.
To reach the best candidates in the social housing sector, advertise your top jobs in one of our eight regional newsletters or go national to over 40,000 readers. For more information, call Hucksters on 01892 784804.
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