Gateway NewsNew Year 2012

The launch party featured an afternoon of activities including music from Vibe 107.6, street dance from the Dan Tien performing arts school, a temporary tattoo artist and karaoke and video booths. There was also an inspiring performance by local singing star Sophie Herring.

The latest on our high rise improvement programmePage 4

Money saving tipsPage 7

Sheltered housing newsPage 10

Comment on this magazine and win a £50 voucher!Page 15

Jamie Atkinson, Andrew Gilbert and Sam Maunders dazzled us with their gravity-defying ‘parkour’ skills!

Yo! is an ambitious youth community programme to give young people more of a say in what goes on in their neighbourhood.

We will be holding regular meetings with young people to discuss their ideas, and we are also encouraging input through Facebook.

Over 70 young people joined us at the Highlight club in Watford town centre as we launched our new youth programme, ‘Yo!’

Trust kicks off youth programme with music and street dance

Our next event is Yo!’s Big Adventure at the Hemel Snow Centre on Saturday 21 January. This one’s only for people who have signed up to Yo!

To get involved contact Dave Gunn on 01923 209 221. Find us on Facebook: ‘Youth Opportunities Watford and Three Rivers’.

Find out what 11 year-old Luke Sanneh has to say about Yo! Turn to page 5.

What’sinside

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Chair’s welcome

Welcome to the New Year edition of Gateway News. I hope the festive season was all that you had hoped for and I wish you a very

warm Happy New Year.

2012 looks set to be a very exciting year, with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Olympics, and my personal favourite international sporting tournament, Euro 2012, to look forward to. Eclipsing these by a long way though, will be a massive Watford-wide event on 21 July organised by the Community Action Group with support from the Trust. We’re hoping it will be Watford’s biggest community event ever. We don’t want to give away too much just yet but there’s a teaser on page 12!

If that isn’t enough excitement for you, the Trust’s celebration of our fifth birthday on 10 September promises to be the highlight of the year! We will be telling you more about our plans as the year goes on.

In October and November last year we carried out a review of the way that the views of our tenants and members feed into decision making at the Trust. We felt that we needed to change things so that as many people as possible could have a say in how services are delivered to you and your community. Following agreement by the Board we will be launching our new Gateway Committee shortly so look out for interesting new opportunities to be involved, starting with your invitation to apply on the opposite page.

We have been sending you Gateway News for a while now and would like your views on improving it so that it is both a good read and gives information that is useful to you. Please complete and return the survey on page 15. You never know, you may be the lucky winner of some shopping vouchers!

Diane Lee, Chair of the board Watford Community Housing Trust

Gateway News

Changes to our rent payments serviceFrom 1 April this year we will be changing our rent payments service from Santander to Allpay.

Over the next few weeks you will be receiving further details from Allpay through the post, together with a new rent card.

Rent card: You will be able to use your Allpay rent card at any Post Office, or wherever you see the Paypoint sign.

Direct debit: From 1 June we will change our Direct Debit service to Allpay. Your payments will automatically transfer so you do not need to do anything. However, when we switch to Allpay you will be able to choose which day of the month these payments come out. You will also have the option of paying weekly or fortnightly, as well as monthly.

Standing order: Standing orders will be unaffected by this change. If you have chosen to pay by standing order because it offers more frequent payments, you may wish to switch to Direct Debit from 1 June. This will ensure your account is always up to date.

Online: You can continue to pay your rent online at www.wcht.org.uk.

By telephone: From 1 April the phone number for telephone payments will change to 0844 557 8321. Please continue to use the current number, 01923 278 989 until 1 April.

Still improving homes!A few people have asked us what is going to happen after we complete our first five-year improvement programme in September 2012. Will we carry on improving homes? The answer, of course, is yes!

We will be starting a new improvement programme from September 2012-2017, so your home may be included on this programme if we have not got to you yet.

Over the coming months we will be identifying the homes that we need to place on our next improvement programme. During 2012/13 we will be appointing contractors to carry out the works.

Meanwhile we are cracking on with our current improvement programme and are on course to complete it by September 2012. To see how we’re doing in our high rise blocks, turn to page 4!

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We’re recruiting new volunteers to work with us. Do you want to make a difference?

As a community organisation, we don’t just provide a roof over your head. We work with other organisations to offer services such as employment and money advice. We carry out major improvement works to estates around Watford and Three Rivers. And we are investing hundreds of thousands of pounds to give residents a better quality of life.

We are looking for residents to help us make these important decisions together. You will be representing our tenants, leaseholders and local residents.

What kind of people are we looking for? If you are the sort of person who can work with other people to make a difference to your neighbourhood, volunteering for the Trust is ideal for you!

You will be:

• Enthusiastic

• Goodatlisteningtopeople

• Goodatcommunicatingyourideasandviews

• Abletosetasidepersonalissues

• Abletocontributetogroupdiscussions

All ages and backgrounds are welcome!

“What’s in it for me?”Volunteering for the Trust is a great way to pick up new skills for your CV, while helping to make your neighbourhood a better place.

• Wewillprovidealaptopandpayforyourinternetconnection

• Wewillpayforotherreasonableexpensesincludingtravel, childcare costs and even carer’s fees

• Wecansupportyouwitharangeoftraining

• Youwillgettomeetnewpeoplefromallwalksoflife

• Youwillbeabletoseethedifferenceyouaremakingto your local community

New Year 2012

It’s your Housing Trust –so join in!

You asked us to provide more activities for young people and opportunities to get involved in our work. We provided creative workshops in Meriden and Woodside last year with the Dan Tien performing arts school, and we recently launched our new youth involvement programme, Yo!

You said, we did:

“How do I apply?”Contact our Community Empowerment team on 01923 209 183 or at communityempowerment@wcht.org.uk and they’ll help you to apply. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Gateway News

High rise work well underway

Residents in the Radlett Road area wanted their new windows to be installed quickly and effi ciently. We completed the new window installation ahead of schedule!

You said, we did:

Work is well underway on improvementsto the two high rise blocks and four low riseblocks in the Meriden estate. Our investmentin the Meriden Flat Improvement Programmeis over £4 million and the works includenew kitchens and bathrooms, a new heatingsystem, window repairs and improved security.We are also fi tting new digital aerials and

improving the communal areas.

The fi rst task for our contractor, United House, was toset up their site compound on a garage site and tofi t out the show fl at in Abbey View. In October 2011work began in earnest and by Christmas 2011 a largepart of the new electrical cables and water pipes wereinstalled as well as six fl oors of new internal works toresident homes.

With all works due to be completed by summer 2012,there is a lot going on. There are up to 30 fl ats beingworked on at any one time, which can cause disruptionto residents. The residents have been fantastic in

tolerating the inconvenience in order to get improvedhomes to live in.

United House’s resident liaison offi cer Linda hasworked tirelessly with residents to make sure theirneeds are accommodated. She has helped eachresident choose their kitchen layouts, bathroom suitesand colour schemes. In February the residents will beinvited to help choose the look of the planned newreception areas.

Gateway Committee updateSince I last wrote in GatewayNews we’ve made great progressin reviewing the way people can get involved with the Trust’s work, and we are now ready to make changes.I was a member of the ReviewTeam alongside other tenants andstaff at the Trust. We spent a longtime over the autumn looking atall the Trust’s tenant involvementwork and coming up with ideas tomake it more effective. We made anumber of proposals to the Trust’sBoard meeting in December and

were pleased to see that theywere all accepted.

So I have very high hopes for2012. This is the year when wewill welcome a new GatewayCommittee to represent tenantsand residents. We achieved muchtogether in the past and have a lotto be proud of, but I hope the newGateway will go on to achieveeven greater things.

And on a personal level, I’mlooking forward to getting togrips with my role as a tenant

board member – there’s a lot todigest and get my head round.I will also be working hard tosupport the whole of my localcommunity in Boundary Way, notjust the ‘Watford end’. I also wantto do more with other communitygroups throughout Watford andThree Rivers.

I hope you all have a very happyand prosperous New Year.

Judith Moores

tolerating the inconvenience in order to get improved

board member – there’s a lot to

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Hi Luke. So how did you hear about the event and what interested you in going?

My mum got a letter through the post and I like the idea of the activities and also being able to share ideas and contribute to my community.

What would you have been doing on that Saturday afternoon if you didn’t come along to the Highlight club?

Playing on my X Box, hanging out with my friends or going swimming

Why do you think it’s important for young people like yourself to get involved with the work we do?

“We need to have an impact now!”

Because this is the area we are growing up and eventually we will be responsible for our community so we need to be having an impact now to understand how we can help infl uence things.

What did you think of the event? Was it fun?

It was great fun, lots to do really nice people and lots of information.

What did you do while you were there - ie body art, video booth, karaoke?

The DJ mixing and body art.

What did you like most about the event?

Meeting new people, getting information on what is on offer for the youth.

If you could change one thing about the area you live in, what would it be? (Do you think that Yo! might help you to achieve this?)

Have a community centre for the youth to go to which involves activities and events we can get involved in with the community, Yo! can help by bringing in events and bring the community together.

Luke Sanneh, 11, came to our Yo! launch event on Saturday 12 November – and he was lucky enough to have his name pulled out of the hat in our prize draw for a Blackberry! Here, Luke tells us what he thought of the event.

Tenants and sta� got together to raise money for good causes in November.During the armistice week in November, tenants from three sheltered schemes, and staff at Gateway House, held fundraising events to support three charities: the British Legion, Help for Heroes, and SSAFA.

Eastbury and Longcroft, Cussans and Colborne and Rutland Lodge raised £653 between them, while Gateway House raised £187.

Many thanks to everyone who gave their money, time and support, especially to Peter Hammond of Cussans House who helped to coordinate these fundraising events.

Pictured above is a cake made by Cussans tenant Robert Rowlinson featuring our mascot, Trusty House. This was donated to Gateway House’s raffl e and won by Debbie Lavis, Facilities Manager (shown with Director of Property and New Business, Gareth Lewis). What a great job!

Meanwhile many of our staff braved ridicule throughout November by growing a ‘Movember’ moustache. Between them they raised £500 for men’s cancer charities!

Doing our bit for charity

New Year 2012

Yo!’s big adventureOur next event is Yo!’s Big Adventure at Hemel Snow Centre on Saturday 21 January. Contact Dave Gunn on 01923 209 221 or at dave.gunn@wcht.org.uk for more info!

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Gateway News

With many families living in overcrowded conditions because of the affordable housing shortage, we urgently need to free up more family homes.

That’s why we’re offering £1200 for every bedroom you free up by moving to a smaller Trust property, or a smaller home in the Herts Choice Homes area. Please note that this policy does not apply to mutual exchanges.

However, even with a cash incentive we know it is a big step to move on from a home you have lived in for many years. Our Housing Options Advice service can offer information, support and practical assistance. If

6

Move from this…

to this…

get this!Downsize your home and get a cash reward!

you wish, a member of staff can visit you in your home to talk through any concerns or aspects of moving you require.

Downsizing to a smaller property could mean lower rent, Council Tax and fuel bills. A property that is easier to maintain and keep clean, giving you a better quality of life.

Is your home becoming too much to manage? Do you have too many bedrooms? Does your home no longer meet your needs? If you are considering downsizing please contact Anna Catlin on 01923 209 003 or at anna.catlin@wcht.org.uk.

With energy prices rising, it is important to check you are with the most competitive energy supplier. Even if you do not change supplier, you can still save money by changing your tariff.

This may sound obvious but around 15 million households in the UK have never switched their energy provider or their tariff, and as a result are paying a lot more than they need to for gas and electricity. Switching could save you £230 a year!

You can make big savings by being more vigilant on what you pay for. Behavioural changes can also make a big difference. For example: most people pay their bills by direct debit. They also get complacent and don’t bother to check their invoices to see if they are overcharged, which can be due to things such as estimated meter reading.

For more information on how to switch providers and tariffs,, please see the Trust’s new Every Penny Counts handout, which is available from www.wcht.org.uk and at our offi ces.

See opposite page for more money saving tips!

Cut your energy bills ‘I never knew you did that!’

We provide a lot more than housing. Did you know that the Trust provides additional services to our customers which cost us over £3 million a year? Below are some of the services we provide and pay for. You may think some of these are provided by the Council but they are actually provided by us!

Your area: Caretaking; Plant and specialist equipment; CCTV and security; TV aerials, cables, satellite dishes or masts; Grounds maintenance; Playgrounds and much more.

Your block: Communal cleaning; Communal window cleaning; Bulk bins and rubbish chutes; Communal lighting; Fire alarms; Lightning protection; Lifts; Door entry systems; Communal water rates; Decorating and maintaining communal areas; External decorating and much more.

The level of services you receive will depend on where you live, whether in a fl at or a house.

Look out for the next edition, when we will provide defi nitions for all the services that we provide and will ask for your feedback on them for a chance to be placed in a prize draw!

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New Year 2012

Why not use the credit union instead?There are many companies promising quick and easy ‘pay day’ loans – a small, short-term loan which you pay back when you next get paid. These offers can be very tempting but beware. Pay day loans have incredibly high interest rates and can leave you much worse off than you were before.

But if you save a little bit each week with Watford Credit Union you can get a loan at a much cheaper rate. To borrow you fi rst need to become a member (joining

Money MattersBeware the pay day lenders!

Many of you have asked us to do something about garage sites that are in poor condition, so we have a strategy to tackle this – starting with three ‘high priority’ garage sites that we will improve by April. For more information see page 11!

You said, we did:

is easy) and save regularly over at least 13 weeks. You can then borrow up to three times the amount you have saved, up to a maximum of £5000. Call Watford Credit Union on 01923 236 401.

If you are having any diffi culties paying your rent it is important to let us know AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Our Rent and Income team may be able to help you manage any debts you have and point you in the right direction for further advice and support, such as benefi ts. Contact the Rent and Income team on 01923 209 111 or at rentteam@wcht.org.uk.

Housing Benefi tDo you get Housing Benefi t to help pay for your rent? Do you have someone living with you, aged 18 or over, other than your partner?

Someone who lives with you who is aged 18 or over, who is not a joint tenant or boarder and not your partner, is called a non-dependant.

New Enterprise AllowanceIf you are interested in setting up your own business, this is your chance to take that fi rst step. The Government will give extra help to unemployed people who want to start their own business, through the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA). If you have been claiming Job Seekers Allowance for 26 weeks or more and are over 18, you will get access to a volunteer business mentor, and could also receive fi nancial support. For more details, speak to your Job Centre Plus Advisor.

NEW Money News and Views newsletterThis month we launched our new newsletter called ‘Money News and Views’, which we sent with your quarterly rent statement. It gives information on a variety of money related issues. Some will be hints and tips on saving money, information on avoiding debt and loan sharks, and details of other services in your area. If you have any ideas on future articles, contact Nazma Abdul-Karim, Financial Inclusion Offi cer, on 01923 209 114.

This could be:

• aparent • agrown-upsonordaughter

• afriend

• anotherrelativewholiveswithyou.

If you have a non-dependant living in your home, your Housing Benefi t is usually reduced by a certain amount each week. The amount

depends on their circumstances, for example if they are working or on benefi ts. The reduction to your benefi t is called a non-dependant deduction.

It is important you check that the right non-dependant deduction is being made – contact us for advice. Call the Rent and Income Team on 01923 209 111 or email rentteam@wcht.org.uk for more information.

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Gateway News

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Gateway NewsFund Update

The Better Communities Fund is our £9 million investment programme to improve the quality of life in Watford and Three Rivers. Here are some of the latest projects we have been working on.

Transforming FoxhillIn the coming weeks we will be completing our new family homes at Foxhill, north Watford. The Better Communities Fund has been investing in further improvements to this area to complement the homes we are providing.

In November, Cherry Tree School pupils offi cially opened a new community playground for Foxhill which the children themselves helped to design.

The children have been working with us since last January, when they helped to choose the equipment for the new playground. In July they put on hard hats to mark out the site when work began to install the equipment. And in November they returned to the site to see the fi nished playground for the very fi rst time. They had a great time playing with the Trust’s mascot, Trusty House!

The community play area is one of fi ve bespoke playgrounds being built in Watford and Three Rivers through the Better Communities Fund.

November 2011

January 2011

July 2011

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Three talented West Herts College students saw their art designs brought to life in October as their sculpture was unveiled at Croxley View.

Katie Kennedy, Oliver Matthews and Jade Spires, now in the second year of their 3D Design Diploma course, won a competition held last summer by the Trust to design eye-catching public art for the area.

In October they saw their ‘Nesting’ sculpture for the very fi rst time since it was made by metal craftsman Richard Heron.

Oliver Matthews, 17, said: “This is great for my portfolio. I’m really impressed with how it’s come out – it looks really good. I’m going to bring my family down to have a

Meanwhile the Better Communities Fund is also investing in a ‘facelift’ to our existing properties in Foxhill, so they are not overshadowed by the new homes. We will be fi tting new cedar wood cladding, replacing the garage doors and putting in new communal entrance doors. The artist’s impression shows the difference this will make!

Before

After

Brightening up Croxley View

look. My Mum and Dad can’t wait to see it!”

The piece marks the completion of improvement works to the Croxley View green space delivered by the Better Communities Fund.

As well as installing the public art, the Trust has carried out landscaping improvements, provided new footpaths and seating areas, and installed new children’s play facilities.

To thank the College and students for their help with the project, the Better Communities Fund team is donating a new etching machine to the College. This can be used by the students to engrave onto curved surfaces, helping them to produce more complex designs.

Helping students meet the cost of collegeLast year the Better Communities Fund invested £50,000 to create a new ‘Education Access Fund’ at the Watford campus of West Herts College. The fund provided grants to students who were struggling to pay for expenses such as childcare, travel, course fees and materials.

We now have a breakdown of the grants that were made. In total the fund helped 294 students. Of these, 81 were Trust tenants and they each received grants of £400. A further 59 were residents on our estates, receiving around £82 each. A fi fth of the students who received a grant were disabled or had a learning disability.

These are just some of our recent projects. Funding is still available to projects to transform communities and we want your ideas!

Please call Alan Malcher on 01923 209 142. Or put your ideas on our Facebook wall!

New Year 2012

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Young at Heart News

10

Gateway News

We have now changed the criteria for sheltered housing to allow a wider range of people to live in our schemes.

Previously sheltered housing was specifi cally for people who were over the age of 60 and retired, or under 60 and disabled.

But we have now changed the criteria to allow people who are over 50 to live in sheltered housing as well. Also, you do not have to be retired.

Sheltered housing offers safe, secure accommodation with your own front door. The idea is that tenants live as independently as possible, but help is always available if you need it.

Contact us on 01923 209 236 for more information.

Sheltered housing: now for the over 50s!

You asked us to fi x the lifts at Swanston House and Summer Place, which were becoming very unreliable. We installed new lifts much quicker than originally planned, and had some wonderful comments from tenants about how helpful, friendly and supportive the engineers from Jarvis, our contractor were.

You said, we did:

New advice line for HertsWatford Community Housing Trust is supporting HertsHelp, a new helpline which can put you in touch with hundreds of community groups throughout Hertfordshire. Whatever the question or problem, there is just one phone number to ring – 0300 1234 044 (local call rate) – and the experienced advisers at the other end can provide information in a wide range of formats and refer callers to the relevant experts in the HertsHelp network of organisations. Go to www.hertsdirect.org/hertshelp for more information.

Sheltered housing surveyMany thanks to those of you who answered the survey on our sheltered housing service. So far we have had 75 responses, and 87% of those who answered the survey have said they are happy or very happy with the service.

We have had some encouraging comments so far, such as “the Flexi Support Worker is always there to listen and will always make time for us” and “improved – I see my Flexi Support Worker daily”.

We would still like to get more feedback so please speak to a Flexi Support Worker if you would still like to complete the survey.

Handy Person – John WilliamsHere at the Trust we have our very own Handy Person – John Williams, who assists our older, disabled and more vulnerable tenants in odd jobs and small repairs. He assists with fl atpack furniture, mirrors, and general fi xtures. If you have a job that you need done please contact the Trust on 01923 209 191.

Sheltered scheme Olympic tournament!Dave Smith and Norman Hayward, who live in Northcotts, have had a great idea to celebrate the Olympics: in May they are organising a Nintendo Wii sports tournament at their sheltered scheme! And because you can connect Wii players over the internet, they are hoping that other schemes and community groups can take part too. If you’ve never played a Wii before they are very simple and fun to use, whatever your age.

They’re in the early stages of organising the tournament but would love to hear from you if you’d like to get involved. Email Dave at dave.smith@wcht.org.uk.

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How do tenants challenge what’s going on at the Trust? By getting involved with tenant ‘scrutiny’. This means tenants inspect part of a service and report what they fi nd to Board members. Last year tenants looked at satisfaction surveys and estate inspection.

What happens with your customer surveys?Tenants wanted to know how useful customer satisfaction surveys were following repairs, major improvement works and gas safety. They found:

• thatdifferentformsareusedfordifferentservicesand sometimes tenants get duplicates

• thatwedon’tcomparetheperformanceofcontractors and report that to tenants

• thatthoughissuesraisedaredealtwithquickly,we don’t always learn from comments made

• thattenantsoftenasktherepairsteamtodojobsthat are the tenants’ responsibility

• thattherepairsservicehadalreadymadesomeimprovements to the process.

The Trust now has plans in place to sort out the issues raised and tenants will make sure they actually happen!

Tenant Investiga at work

Estate inspectionThree tenants did a spot inspection of cleaning, caretaking and grounds maintenance around Caractacus Cottage View, Chiltern Pines, and the Holywell. The results were interesting as they often scored the same service as good, satisfactory and poor!

This proved to be very useful as it showed how tenants have very different expectations and the Trust has to do a lot more work to:

• clearlydescribewhateachstandardlookslikeforthe price paid

• clearlydescribewhatimprovedstandardswouldlook like if tenants paid higher service charges

• explainwhichpiecesoflandaroundestateswerethe responsibility of the local Council, the County Council or privately owned.

Full reports are available from the website or you can ask for a copy from Margaret Swift on 01923 209 211 or margaret.swift@wcht.org.uk.

And if you’re interested in being a tenant inspector – watch out for the big 2012 recruitment campaign!

In the last edition we said that we have looked at a range of options to make best use of our garage sites. Where garages are popular and in reasonable or good condition we will refurbish and improve them. Where they are in particularly poor condition we may demolish them to make way for improved parking, new housing development and other uses.

We have now started the process to tackle three high priority garage sites:

• Combewoodshelteredscheme–demolitionofgarages and provision of additional parking

• HollytreeHouse/GammonsLaneshelteredscheme– improvement works to existing garages

• WatermanClose–demolitionoftwoblocksandprovision of parking improvements to remaining blocks, plus improved security including new fencing and lighting.

We have completed the specifi cations for these works and sent out tenders to local companies. Works will commence this month and be completed by the end of March.

We also have works planned for Croxley View and have changed the timescale for these after listening to residents’ concerns.

More information will be published in the next edition.

Making the best use of our garage sites

New Year 2012

at the Trust? By getting involved with tenant ‘scrutiny’. This means tenants inspect part

Board members. Last year tenants looked at

What happens with your customer surveys?

Tenant Investiga

Estate inspectionThree tenants did a spot inspection of cleaning, caretaking and grounds maintenance around Caractacus Cottage View, Chiltern Pines, and the Holywell. The results were interesting as they often

New Year 2012

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Gateway News

By now you might have already received a phone call or a visit from a Trust staff member, asking you to update your personal details. Or if you haven’t then you will be contacted in the near future. We are updating all our tenant records and are therefore contacting every tenant to make sure that we have the correct information about you. Only by knowing who you are, can we provide the right services for you.

For example, we have already found that quite a few tenants are happy to receive more information via email. This will save printing and postage costs and allows us to invest that money in other services.

Once we have completed all the surveys, we will let you know some more outcomes and ways of how we will change our services accordingly.

If you haven’t fi lled in a form to update your data please call us immediately on 01923 209 009.

Making your business dream happen!Do you have an idea which benefi ts your local community? Do you see a gap in provision which needs addressing? Can you provide goods or services in a way which benefi ts you, the buyer and contributes to the local environment in a positive way?

If so, the Trust is now actively promoting support to help you turn your ideas into reality.

One community-minded business we are supporting is the Green Canteen, which will start trading soon from a former garage site on the Meriden estate. This is a partnership with Herts MIND Network and the local community to provide horticultural courses. Volunteers can gain a nationally recognised qualifi cation, helping them to start a new career. Meanwhile the Green Canteen supports itself by having a retail outlet selling its own produce. We call this a WIN WIN WIN!

We want to support other businesses that help the community. Do you have a hobby, passion or interest which you think you can develop? Please call us on 01923 209 218 to explore your ideas further.

Saturday 21 July 2012 Knutsford Playing Field

Six months to go till our biggest community event ever!

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13

Residents in our high rise blocks have asked us to be more fl exible with our ‘no pets’ policy, so our Neighbourhood Offi cer, Sue Haines, is talking to you about changes we can make.

You said, we did:

New Year 2012

Repairs –what is your responsibility?The Gateway Repairs Team attends to our properties from Monday to Friday, and we also have operatives on standby for emergencies.We carry out a wide range of repairs, but remember,some parts of the home are your responsibility tomaintain and we may recharge you if we have torepair these.

The following areas are your responsibility:

Part of the building/Your main responsibilities

All areas of our homes

•Allinsidedecorating•Replacingcarpetsandotherflooring•Lightbulbs•Extralocks•Repairstoletterboxes(unlesstheyarepartof uPVC or composite doors – we will repair those)•Replacingbatteriesinsmokealarms•Replacinglatches,handlesandhingesoninside doors (if the damage is not due to fair wear and tear)•Replacinglostdoorkeys•Arrangingforalocksmithifyourkeysarelostor stolen, or if you are accidentally locked out (this will not apply to tenants in sheltered housing or hostels)•Removingwasps’orbees’nestsandantsand squirrels (this will not apply to tenants in sheltered housing or hostels)

Kitchen and bathroom

•Damagetosinks,basinsandbathsthatisn’t normal wear and tear.•Unblockingwastepipesonsinks,basinsand baths•Replacingplugsinsinks,basinsandbaths•Replacingtoiletseats(unlessyouareelderlyor disabled)•Replacingtoilet-rollholders•Plumbinginwashingmachinesanddishwashers•Connectingcookers

Outside

•Replacingcrackedorbrokenwindows,unless it is caused by criminal damage•Repairingandreplacingfences(exceptboundary fences)•Repairingwashinglinesandposts(unlessthey are in shared areas)

Any damage you or your visitors have causedis your responsibility. If we carry out a repair todamage you have caused, we will charge you forthe cost of the repair. This could also include thingssuch as a bath, sink or toilet becoming blocked bysomething you have done, or something goingwrong with a repair or alteration you have carriedout without our approval.

Our freephonerepairs number is 0800 218 2247

Annual gas safety checksGas safety is of primary concern to the Trustand we are required by regulations to makesure that annual safety checks are carried out.This free service includes servicing any Trust gasappliances, checking their condition, inspectingtheir fl ues (if they have them), and looking atventilation arrangements and the gas pipe work.The results of the check are recorded on the

Landlord’s Gas Safety Record form and a copy ispresented to you to keep.

You are legally obliged to allow access to theproperty to carry out the checks. We also need tocheck properties which according to our recordsdo not have gas – just in case, to make sure thatnothing has changed.

The freephone number for requesting any gasworks to be carried out is 0800 055 6860.

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Gateway News

14

We have analysed the performance figures from July-September 2011 and compared them with April-June 2011. Here are some of the key findings.

Measuring Trust success

Repairs April/June July/Sept Have we Performance Performance improved?

Average responsive repair cost per property £289 £258

Repairs completed right first time 78% 76%

Average time to complete non urgent (routine) repairs 14 days 14 days

14

On target or exceeding target Almost on target Below target

Repairs

• Theamountwespendonrepairsperpropertyhascome down by £31.

• Wecompletedmorerepairsthanthepreviousthreemonths, but fewer repairs were done ‘right first time’ so we are working to improve this.

(‘Right first time’ means that the tenant is happy with the way the repair has been carried out, and the job is not followed by a complaint or a request to go back and put things right).

Rents and Lettings

• Ourtargetisforatleast95%ofourshelteredproperties to be occupied and for no more than 5% to be empty (also known as ‘void’). However, void sheltered properties have increased to 9.8% of our sheltered housing stock in recent months so we are working to bring this down.

• Onaverage,ittookus20daystore-letgeneralneeds properties. This is an improvement from the previous three months.

Decent Homes

• BytheendofSeptember2011,27%ofourproperties failed to meet the Decent Homes Standard, but we remain on track for all our homes to meet the Standard by September 2012.

• 99%ofourtenantsaresatisfiedwiththeHomeImprovement Programme.

Satisfaction

• Wereceived40anti-socialbehaviourreportsfromJuly to September 2011 and 90% of tenants were satisfied with the way we handled them.

• 91%ofourtenantsaresatisfiedwiththerepairswork we carried out in their homes.

Satisfaction April/June July/Sept Have we Performance Performance improved?

Satisfaction with anti-social behaviour 89% 90%

Satisfaction with attitude of staff 83% 83%

Repairs and maintenance 92% 91%

Rent and lettings April/June July/Sept Have we Performance Performance improved?

Rent collected (over 12 months) 95.69% 97.89%

Sheltered void compared to sheltered stock 8.30% 9.80%

Permanent re-let times 22 days 20 days

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15

New Year 2012

Name:

Address:

1. How old are you?

Under 18 18-25 25-35

35-45 45-55 55-65

65-75 Over 75

2. What do you do when you receive Gateway News? (Tick one box only)

Read the whole magazine

Flick through and read a couple of articles

Throw it away without reading it

3. What kind of features would you like to see in Gateway News? (Tick as many as you like)

Community news, ie local fun days

Articles about Trust residents

The Trust’s plans for my area, such as new houses, major improvement works etc

Performance updates (for example, whether the Trust is on target with rent arrears, carrying out repairs or re-letting properties)

Information on services for older people, such as supported housing and Lifelines

Information on services for younger people, such as youth activities and the Yo! programme

Advice on how to save money and manage fi nances

Contact numbers for key departments at the Trust, ie Repairs, Rent Team

DIY tips/advice on looking after my home

Children’s activities, ie colouring

Recipes

Puzzles

What do you think of Gateway News?

4. Would you prefer to receive Gateway News by email instead of in the post?

Yes (if yes please give email address)

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5. What do you like most about Gateway News?

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7. What do you think of Gateway News overall?

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8. Please use this space for any other comments you wish to make about Gateway News

We want your views on Gateway News. Please fi ll out the questionnaire and send it to us using the Freepost envelope provided, or complete it online at www.survey.bris.ac.uk/wcht/gatewaynews. All surveys will be entered into a prize draw to win a £50 voucher for the Harlequin shopping centre!

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Please return it to us using the Freepost envelope provided by Monday 27 February.

Win £50 Harlequin vouchers!

GatewayNews_Winter11.indd 15 13/1/12 16:02:57

How to contact the TrustIn person or write to us:Gateway House, 59 Clarendon Road, Watford, Hertfordshire WD17 1LA

Telephone us: Customer Services 01923 209 000Email us: enquiries@wcht.org.ukVisit the website: www.wcht.org.uk

Useful contacts

General Enquiries: 01923 209 000

Repairs Freephone: 0800 218 2247

Repairs line: 01923 209 247

Contact us

If you require a magnifying glass to help read this newsletter please call 01923 209 183.

This newsletter can also be produced in Braille.

NEED HELP WITH THIS NEWSLETTER?Please let us know if you, or a neighbour, needs this newsletter or any other document sent from the Trust sent out in another format.

Don’t forget you can check your account online. Simply go to www.wcht.org.uk and click ‘See my account’

Gateway News

Rent enquiry: 01923 209 111

Disabled adaptations: 01923 209 220

Home ownership: 01923 209 216

Community empowerment (resident involvement): 01923 209 183

Neighbourhood team (tenant issues): 01923 209 148

Grounds maintenance (communal areas): 01923 209 055

Anti-social behaviour: 01923 209 198

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