spring 2015 - clarion housing/media/9e77022d71c14949... · spring 2015 ... care professionals such...

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Home Matters | Autumn 2014Home Matters

SPRING 2015

www.circle.org.uk

Job supportSee how our new Circle Opportunities website can help

House Exchange is 10Win shopping vouchers

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Spotlight on Food banksIn 2013-14 food banks fed 913,138 people nationwide. Of those helped, 330,205 were children.

Rising food and fuel prices, static incomes, underemployment and changes to benefits are some of the reasons why increasing numbers are being referred to food banks for emergency food.

How a food bank works:

1 Food is donated by schools, churches, businesses and individuals.

2 Food is sorted and stored by volunteers to check that it is in date and packed into boxes ready to be given to people in need.

3 Care professionals such as doctors, health visitors, social workers, CAB and police identify people in need and issue them with a food bank voucher.

4 Food bank clients bring their voucher to a food bank centre where it can be redeemed for three days of emergency food. Volunteers meet clients over a cup of tea or free hot meal and are able to signpost people to agencies able to solve the longer-term problem. The food bank also runs a rural delivery service, which takes emergency food boxes to clients living in rural areas who cannot afford to get to a food bank.

Turn over the page to hear from a Circle Housing Wherry resident who is also a volunteer at her food bank.

WELCOMEto the Spring issue of Home Matters.

New number!Our 01603 number is no longer in use!

We’ve made sure it’ll always be free to speak to us by calling 0300 333 0165 from a mobile phone or 0800 694 0165 from a landline!

Congratulations...to Mrs Carvell of Wymondham who won the wordsearch competition for Circle Housing Wherry in the last issue of Home Matters. The runner-up was Mrs Saunders of Blofield.

Page 3 Spotlight on Food banks

Page 6 Keeping fit whatever your age

Page 8 Universal credit

Page 9 How we listen

Page 11 Win shopping vouchers

Page 12 Join our credit union

Page 14 Growing success

Page 16 Circle Opportunities

Page 18 Do1Thing

5 YELL update

Page 26 Get up and go

IN THIS ISSUE

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Home Matters | Spring 2015

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Carol Smith is a Circle Housing Wherry Resident and Way Ahead with Wherry member. She volunteers at her local food bank.

I first went to the food bank at Cromer about a year ago when my son went there to get some help. Sharon Willmott the vicar came and sat with me and started to explain how it all works. The next week Astra Wright another WAWW member and Circle Housing Wherry resident and I went into the room where they sort all the food out and was told a little more about how it all works.

I said I would like to become a volunteer, had a police check and when that came back, I started as a volunteer. I only do it twice a month but it is really quite an eye opener to see how generous people are. I really enjoy doing it knowing that you are helping families who are desperate for help and for someone to show they care.”

Carol volunteers at the Cromer and District Food Bank. Her work shows the vital role volunteers have in this important lifeline.

The Cromer and District Food Bank was founded in 2012 by members of local Anglican, Methodist and Roman Catholic churches, and is supported by Christian churches of all denominations. It is a registered charity and a franchise of the Trussell Trust, which oversees a network of over 400 food banks in the UK.

What volunteers do

The food bank is entirely staffed by volunteers who do the administration, work in the warehouse or distribution centres and organise food or monetary collections in churches, workplaces and the community.

Stuart’s work in the warehouse

Stuart has been a key member of the warehouse team and has recently been leading it. The team receives donated food, sorts it according to type and use-by date, shelves it as appropriate, and then makes up boxes that are taken to distribution centres to be issued to clients. As the youngest and fittest member of the team, Stuart has been doing most of the heavy work, lifting and moving heavy crates of food. As team leader, he has been responsible for directing the work of the team, ensuring that procedures are correctly followed and leaving the warehouse tidy and secure at the end of the shift.

“For more information on your local food banks and ways you can get involved please visit: www.trusselltrust.org


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Keeping fit whatever your age

Betty’s bowling success

Thanks to Active Norfolk, our sheltered scheme residents had fun and kept active with weekly short mat bowls sessions. Part of an eight week pilot scheme, the sessions were aimed at people of all ages and levels of fitness and ability. It was a huge success and Active Norfolk hopes to extend the programme.

The sessions ended in a tournament between Palgrave House and De Carle House residents – congratulations to Palgrave House for your victory!

Betty Price, a 102 year old Palgrave House resident, thoroughly enjoyed the sessions. She said: “It was really nice to get out of my flat and meet people from other schemes. I found I was getting exercise without too much effort and would definitely love to do it again!”

One of Betty’s neighbours, George Caldwell, who helped her get to and from the communal lounge said: “Betty was really good. Even though she was in her wheelchair, she managed to bowl really well, finding it easier not to use the ball ramp provided. She beat me with every shot!”

Mrs. Bond of De Carle House told us: “It was a worthwhile experience which gave me much enjoyment and companionship. I wish we could do it again!”

Active Norfolk is funded mainly by Sport England but also receives funding and support from the county council and local authorities.

Betty and George are now stars of YouTube in a short film created by Active Norfolk. Watch it at http://bit.ly/1EcPhrZ


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Universal CreditIf you receive housing benefit, the way you pay your rent may change over the next few years.

Universal Credit will combine six existing benefits into one monthly payment. This includes housing benefit. The biggest change for most customers will be that housing benefit will be part of a monthly payment made to you, rather than us.

You are only likely to be affected if you:

• are of working age• currently have your housing

benefit paid direct to Circle Housing Wherry.

In the Broadland Council area we have already been helping customers prepare for this change through our Housing Benefit to You project. Over 300 customers have now signed up to receive housing benefit direct to themselves.

The change to Universal Credit will be gradual depending on where you live and what benefits you claim.

This Spring, our customers in Breckland & Forest Heath who need to start claiming Job Seekers Allowance will become Universal Credit claimants. Over the next year this will extend to all the areas where we have homes. Universal Credit will then be gradually rolled out to claimants of Income Support, Employment & Support Allowance, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, and for those people that only receive housing benefit.

If you would like to discuss this, contact the Income team on 0800 694 0165 free from a landline, or from a mobile 0300 333 0165 (cheapest rate). Please press option 2 followed by option 3. You can also email the Income team at [email protected], or text on 07797 805631 and we will ring you back.

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How we are listening to youAs part of our commitment to putting customers at the heart of everything we do, we are keen to listen to your views and act upon your suggestions.

There are many ways that we listen to your feedback and ask for your opinions, both as a group and at each of our housing associations. We are able to use the information you give us to shape the bigger picture and prioritise the service improvements that you tell us are most important to you.

Some of the ways we listen are:

Customer surveys. Gathering data on our services and looking at what we are doing well or not so well so that we can make improvements you have told us are important.

Resident forums. Representing your communities to Circle Housing and pushing through the suggestions for improvements that matter most to you.

Mystery shopping. We have an army of residents who are mystery shoppers and are able to put our services to the test and report back on their experiences.

Complaints. We listen to your complaints and use this valuable feedback to help us improve our services and our communication to you.

If you would like to get involved and find out more about how you can provide us with your views please visit the Circle Housing website.

Please note, not all the options above are available in every housing association.

www.circle.org.ukHome Matters | Spring 2015

This year House Exchange is celebrating 10 years of successfully helping thousands of

housing tenants find the right mutual exchange.

Here are just some of the ways we’ve grown in that time:

We started with 6,600 homes, now we’re up to 1.3 million

Last year we successfully completed approximately 17,500 exchanges

We attended over 100 swap events last year.

To register on House Exchange log on to www.houseexchange.org.uk

1. Select your landlord from the drop down list and register your details online.

2. Once you have registered, your details will be approved and we’ll send you your login details by email or post. Your property will then appear in our database and you’ll be able to search for potential exchanges online.

3. When you have found someone to swap your home with, contact your landlord and they will go through the procedures needed to complete your exchange.

Celebrating 10 years of House Exchange

Name:

Address:

Phone number:

To win, tell us which word cannot be found in the grid below. Send your answer to:

Karen Rowley, Circle Housing, 6 Central Avenue, St Andrews Business Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 0HR or email the answer and your details to [email protected]

The closing date is May 28th when nine winners will be chosen.

A Y P T T R O R S I K T TV B T F R R D H T A H P OE W I B M O V E L Q Y S ID C I T O A P L V C U O FA N D R Y G A P G F H W RC N S D R A W A U T E R EE W T I E F M W A S A H GD H N T H O U S E R M A II K E L C H T S T K R L ST B V K L A U O P L O P TT O E X C H A N G E E L ER P E P A L L Y L P E T RO P R C U L T R Y O P J TL T P I L I O H T E O W T

One of these words cannot be found in the

wordsearch grid:

mutualexchange

houseswap

eventsbirthday

supporthelp

moveawardsregisterdecade

WORDSEARCH

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Competition time

Missing word:

Name:

Address:

Phone number:

To win, tell us which word cannot be found in the grid below. Send your answer to:

Karen Rowley, Circle Housing, 6 Central Avenue, St Andrews Business Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 0HR or email the answer and your details to [email protected]

The closing date is May 28th when nine winners will be chosen.

A Y P T T R O R S I K T TV B T F R R D H T A H P OE W I B M O V E L Q Y S ID C I T O A P L V C U O FA N D R Y G A P G F H W RC N S D R A W A U T E R EE W T I E F M W A S A H GD H N T H O U S E R M A II K E L C H T S T K R L ST B V K L A U O P L O P TT O E X C H A N G E E L ER P E P A L L Y L P E T RO P R C U L T R Y O P J TL T P I L I O H T E O W T

One of these words cannot be found in the

wordsearch grid:

mutualexchange

houseswap

eventsbirthday

supporthelp

moveawardsregisterdecade

WORDSEARCH

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Competition time

Missing word:

www.circle.org.uk

Win £25 of Love2shop vouchers

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Your money mattersCircle Housing Money, our new partnership with Leeds City Credit Union, has been set up specifically for Circle Housing and Centra customers and staff.

We know times are tough and it’s never easy to save money. But unless you start, you’ll always worry about not being able to pay for the important things in life. A great Christmas for the kids, new school uniforms or an unexpected bill, the list can look endless. It’s not always easy but we can help you start to take control.

Join today!Visit our website www.circlehousingmoney.org.uk or call us on 0300 500 8089 (mobile) or 0800 902 0021 (landline)

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Whether you need to borrow money for an emergency or want to put cash aside for something special, you may also fi nd Circle Housing Money is more fl exible than the high street banks and far cheaper than a payday loan provider.

Easy access

Circle Housing Money is simple and stress-free to access. You can manage your money online, or if you’d rather speak to someone we’re just a phone call away.

Independent service you can trust

We’re backed by Leeds City Credit Union, a long established and independent credit union that is responsible for delivering all of the services and is regulated by the fi nancial authorities.

Your fi nancial data will be held confi dentially and your savings will be protected by the government’s compensation scheme.

Terms and conditions apply to savings and loans. Leeds City Credit Union Ltd is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority – fi rm reference number 213369. This information may be checked by visiting www.fca.org.uk or www.bankofengland.co.uk/pra.


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Why did you choose to save with Circle Housing Money?

I was looking for a saving scheme where I could access my savings 24/7, whenever I needed. I can also add to my savings if I have any spare cash. Leeds City Credit Union (who Circle Housing partnered with to create Circle Housing Money) is well established. I knew my savings would be safe.

What are you saving for?

I am saving for a new laptop for personal use, and some home improvements. I’ve set it up so that money is paid into my savings on the same day I’m paid so I’m not tempted to spend it.

How much are you saving?

I am saving £30 a month, but I really like that the payment card allows me to add to the balance through the Post Offi ce or paypoint if I can aff ord to save more than I originally set up.

How does seeing your savings increase make you feel?

It’s good to know that for a small monthly amount that doesn’t aff ect my monthly budget and isn’t really noticed, I will get a good benefi t within a relatively short time. I’m looking to leave the money where it is for about ten months, then I will have a good ‘lump’ of money to buy what I would like, which is better than using credit.

Saving and spending with Circle Housing Money Circle Housing Money is open to staff and customers of Circle Housing and Centra. We spoke to Jane, who works in our House Exchange team, about why she signed up to the scheme…

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www.circle.org.uk

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Going back to gardening rootsIf you’re green fi ngered and have an outdoor space for growing fruit and vegetables, then you may ignore the simpler things that can be grown right on your doorstep (or windowsill at least!)

So much time is spent preparing soil, raking, weeding, planting seeds, planting them on, nurturing and talking to them and of course the regular task of watering and keeping away those pesky slugs when you have a vegetable patch.

But for those of us without outdoor space, or without the time and patience to create the perfect patch, what about making a herb garden in the comfort of your own kitchen?

It’s particularly good if you have children at home and want to introduce them to the idea of growing things. Even the worst gardeners in the world can successfully grow cress. And basil, mint, thyme and parsley too…

Your kitchen garden needs to sit on a windowsill which has lots of sunlight, so it doesn’t even have to be in the kitchen. The fresh herbs will smell wonderful and save you a fortune at the supermarket, plus they will last longer and make your recipes taste delicious. And you can freeze picked

herbs for up to six months.

To grow well indoors, herbs need at least four hours of natural light every day. North-facing windows are not bright enough.

Give indoor herbs good drainage, ensuring you use a saucer or liner under the pot to catch water and protect your surface. You can buy all kinds of herb garden pots, but a standard garden pot or trough works fi ne.

Use a premium potting mix for containers to plant your seeds. And be sure your pots have drainage holes!

Indoor herbs are happy with typical indoor temperatures. Keep foliage from touching glass to protect from getting nipped by cold at night.

Most herbs are easy, but basil is trickier. If you have plenty of sun and warmth indoors, basil should thrive, but don’t keep it on a cool windowsill. Basil leaves will droop and fade after a short time in cool air.

Don’t forget to water your herbs and they will soon be providing you with plenty of fresh clippings.


Access work and training support onlineCircle Opportunities is our new website dedicated to helping you into jobs and training. So whether you want to take your fi rst step on the career ladder, expand on existing skills or do something completely diff erent, Circle Opportunities can help you.

The website has been set up by Circle Housing’s Employment and Skills team, which works closely with staff across all of our housing associations.

Among the features is a Skills Hub, which provides tips on CV writing, how to impress in job interviews and how to access ongoing professional development opportunities. You can fi nd

out about volunteering, starting a business and gaining work experience too.

There is a live noticeboard showing job vacancies and training events in your area, along with a news area and a section with regular blogs about work related subjects.

For more details visit circleopportunities.org.uk

“ ”A trade and a wage works for me.

Gaining qualifi cations was only half of Sian’s story, what worked for Sian was getting hands-on experience as an apprentice at Circle Housing.

“Once I’d graduated it soon became clear that it was going to be diffi cult for me to get a job when I didn’t have any real experience of working. It’s all very well having an education on paper, but you do need real work experience.

What attracted me to the marketing apprenticeship at Circle Housing was the chance to train on the job. I wasn’t expected to actually know anything; I just had to have a real passion for marketing, which I already had. I wanted to learn everything I could really; how marketing plans are implemented, what the strategy’s going to deliver, who your customers are and what you’re supposed to deliver.

Without Circle Housing, I wouldn’t have been able to secure a marketing assistant role because I didn’t have any of the skills that were actually needed to do the job. I think having a marketing team around me that are encouraging and positive and respect my passion to learn really helps as well.

My team are amazing. They’ll do everything they can to support you if you’re passionate about doing well in your job.”

See how volunteering, apprenticeships, free courses and job opportunities can work for you at circleopportunities.org.uk

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Meet the Fairhall family!Rising to the ‘Do 1 Thing energy saving challenge’ are the Fairhall family from Chelmsford.

Armed with just a video camera and a fi stful of handy tips, they’ve been fi lming themselves doing small things around the home to conserve energy and cut their bills, saving a pretty penny in the process.

So far, they’ve managed to:

• save a whopping £189 on their annual energy bill by switching energy providers

• use draught proofi ng gadgets such as radiator fans, weatherstrips, and radiator refl ectors to block out the breeze in a bid to reduce the amount of energy they use

• get savvy with their heating controls and thermostat settings to make sure that not a penny is wasted and their house remains warm and cosy!

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www.circle.org.uk

Want to join them and save yourself a tidy sum? You can follow their progress by watching their video diary, as well as checking out our other energy saving tips, by visiting do1thing.org.uk

They’re already noticing the difference and have been so impressed that they’ve been spreading the word to family and friends!

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INDEPENDENT LIVING WITH REASSURANCE FOR RELATIVESCentra Pulse offers people receiving care in their own home a great back up service, for reassurance 24/7. Find out more about how it helped one of our home care customers live independently in her own home.

As a Centra customer, Barbara Martin started using our home care services after she was diagnosed with early stage dementia. Following an accident where she broke her arm in a fall, Barbara’s family were prompted to approach us and set up a private care plan.

To begin with, one of our friendly, trained carers conducted a care visit at Barbara’s house every day. This was soon reduced at Barbara and her family’s request. Being a fi ercely independent customer led us to

suggest that a telecare solution was more appropriate.

Our unique positon allowed us to quickly install a Centra Pulse telecare alarm at her home, replacing the daily carer calls. This allowed her to retain her independence and dignity while providing her family with 24 hour peace of mind.

We then kept Barbara’s service open to include the option of reinstating a carer if needed. This proved to be extremely valuable when her family were unable to contact her by telephone. A quick call allowed us to arrange for a carer to go and check on Barbara who was found safe and well.

For customers like Barbara and her family, it’s an added layer of reassurance that supports her approach to independent living. Available from only £3.34 a week, call us to fi nd out more about our alarms on 0300 123 3232 or visit centrapulse.org.uk

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LET US TAKE THE WORRY OUT OF CARING FOR YOUR OLDER RELATIVEYouGov and Centra Pulse have conducted research which shows adults with older parents are suff ering from stress because of worrying about their parents’ health. Centra Pulse is mutually benefi cial for the health of the adults and the older parent.

HALF OF WOMEN

with an older parent are kept awake at night worrying about their

health.

23%

Nearly a quarter said they feel guilty about the level of support they can

provide their parent.

More than a third live further than an hour away

from their parents.

37%

Two out of fi ve said their parent had suff ered a fall

in the last two years alone.

40%

www.circle.org.uk

Ingredients

10oz (280g) can light coconut milk

13oz (365g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tbsp curry powder 2 tsp cumin 2 carrots peeled and sliced 1 onions sliced 1 tsp turmeric 1 garlic clove chopped1 tsp pepper 1 potato diced 1 chilli sliced 1 tbsp chopped ginger 1 can water ½ tsp salt ½ tsp cinnamon non-stick cooking spray

Method:

1 Cut chicken into 2 cm (1 inch) chunks.

2 In a non-stick pan, brown onion and chicken using

cooking spray.

3 Place all ingredients in slow cooker and mix well.

4 Cover and cook for 9 hours over low heat.

5 Sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve with rice and

chutney.

Recipe courtesy of www.slowcookerrecipes.org.uk

Recipe: Slow cooker spicy chicken curryPreparation time: 15 minutesSlow cooker size: 3.5L+

Serves: 2Cooking time: 9 hours on low heat

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TAKING IT SLOWLY! Mealtime magic using a slow cooker.

Using a slow cooker has a whole heap of benefi ts. They include:

• Saving money. Slow cookers use less energy to cook the same amount of food as other methods

• If you can’t stand the heat… no need to get out of the kitchen because slow cookers produce less heat than conventional ovens. A great choice in summer

• Cooking healthily is easy as slow cookers don’t usually require oil

• Planning ahead. Prepare your meal the night before and pop the ingredients in the fridge. The next morning, put them in the slow cooker and set the timer to start cooking, so when you arrive home that delicious evening meal will have cooked itself

• Freedom to eat when you want. As it cooks slowly, it is unlikely to burn and so you can choose when to tuck in

• Slow cooking means that cheaper cuts of meat end up being lovely and tender so there’s no need to buy the prime cuts

• Juices staying in the dish, so there is no boiling away the goodness from those vegetables

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Savvy online shopping Those of us that shop online know it’s a great way to save time and avoid standing in a queue. Whether you’re doing the supermarket shop or looking for the perfect gift, we thought we’d share our savvy mobile security tips for safer online shopping.

Use familiar websites

Most major shops sell online and there are websites that stock everything under the sun. It’s always worth doing an internet search to see if the site you are buying from is one you can trust.

Look for the lock

Before you type your card details into a website, check the site is secure. Look out for a small padlock symbol in the address bar (or elsewhere in your browser window) and a web address beginning with https:// (the s stands for ‘secure’).

Don’t tell all…

When paying you should never be asked for your PIN or online banking details. Being cautious when providing information online will help protect you from fraud.

Have a strong password

When you set up an online account you make a password to help keep your personal details safe. A strong password is a combination of letters (upper and lower case), numbers and symbols.

Bargain or bogus?

If a deal online seems too good to be true, it probably is. If anything seems suspicious the best advice is to avoid it or investigate it thoroughly to protect you from scams.


We were very pleased to have been shortlisted again this year in the Excellence in Youth Involvement Award at the TPAS Central Region Award ceremony for the work that we do with our YELL (Youths Engaging in Lives and Learning) group. Madison and Imogen, two of our YELL members, have written about their experience at the awards ceremony:

On Friday 6 March, we attended the TPAS Awards for the Central Region in Birmingham. We had a great day filled with laughs and tasty food! After getting up incredibly early, we had a long mini bus ride with four of the Resident Involvement team before arriving at a very posh hotel. We were all wearing our travelling clothes so didn’t really fit in! Once we changed we went into the main awards hall, wearing huge silver TPAS Awards medals that made us stand out. Unfortunately we didn’t win and the prize was given to another worthwhile project, but we were really happy to be representing YELL! Fingers crossed for next year and many more fun YELL moments in the future.”

Aged 11 – 18 and want to get involved with YELL? Contact our Resident Involvement team on 01603 595140 or 0800 694 0165 or email [email protected]

Something to

about

“

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www.circle.org.uk

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Get Up and Go!

We recently completed our fourth Get Up and Go employability skills courses. 12 residents took part in eight days of employment skills sessions over four weeks, followed by four weeks of work experience. Over the eight weeks they were given the opportunity to:

• Identify their transferable skills• Gain three work relevant

qualifications• Produce a good quality CV • Become more confident at

filling in application forms • Develop effective interview

techniques• Increase their team working

skills • Get four weeks of work

experience

When asked what she had found most useful about the course, Donna Thompson from Sprowston said:

After spending the last 20 years bringing up my family I felt I had very little to offer an employer. This course really helped to boost my confidence and showed me that I had lots of life skills that could be transferred to the workplace. I passed three qualifications and now have a CV I feel proud of. I am now actively seeking work as a cleaner or care worker and feel confident that I will be back in work very soon.”

Lisa Whatnall, our Fundraising and Partnership Manager, said: “This course is all about supporting our residents to overcome their individual barriers and increase their skills and confidence, leading them closer to sustainable and rewarding employment.”

If you would like to know more about how we can support you to get back to work, contact Lisa at [email protected] or call 01603 703728.

“


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Wherry ‘Good Friends’Within our communities, we’re lucky to have many residents who naturally look out for their neighbours, who are happy to provide advice, assistance and company to those who really need it. We like to call them our ‘Good Friends’.

We’ve been chatting to some of these residents about the questions that members of their community often ask them. We thought we’d include them in this issue so that you can always be sure of the right answer.

Dripping taps; is it a DIY job or should I call Circle Housing Wherry?

We’d normally suggest calling us for this just in case. We’ll then send out a plumber to fix the drip for you.

What do I do if I lock myself out?

If you lock yourself out of your home it is your responsibility to arrange for a professional locksmith to change your locks and let you back in.

Who is responsible for clearing gutters?

If you live in a house it is your responsibility to clear your gutters regularly. If you live in a block of flats we will arrange the clearance of your gutters. We do clear all gutters every six years just to make sure it is being done.

Do I have to advise Circle Housing Wherry if I remove or change my shed?

We will need to be informed if you make any physical changes to your property. You may also need to ask permission. It is always best to contact us in the first instance so we can let you know.

Need to know the location of water stop cocks and the electrical main switch?

As this is different in most of our homes we would need you to contact us to let you know where these are.

Whatever the query, it’s worth remembering that we look at each case individually. Depending on a residents circumstances we may make exceptions to these rules so it’s always best to ask us.

If you’d like to contact us, whether for yourself or on behalf of a neighbour, please call 0800 694 0165 if calling from a landline or 0300 333 0165 from a mobile, email us at [email protected] or send us a message on Facebook.


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Would you like to join our WAWW Tenant Panel?The Way Ahead With Wherry (WAWW) Tenant Panel’s role is to act as a Designated Persons once the Circle Housing Wherry complaints procedure has been exhausted. At this stage the panel can review the case and make recommendations to Circle Housing Wherry to resolve the complaint or, with the complainant’s permission, refer the complaint to the Housing Ombudsman.

What are we looking for in a Tenant Panel member?

If you enjoy:• Analysing detailed information• Assessing, reviewing and making recommendations for resolution• Working as part of a team to reach a consensus • Communicating with a variety of different people • Making a difference for Circle Housing Wherry residents.

Then why not consider joining us….

If you would like to know more about the WAWW Tenant Panel or would like to apply to join our friendly and committed team please contact the Resident Involvement Team on 01603 595140 or email [email protected]

Introducing our new Energy Advisor ServiceOur new Energy Advisor Martin offers advice about how you can save money on your energy bills. He can help you to:

• Switch your energy provider and save around £200 per year

• Figure out the best way to use your heating controls• Make simple changes to see big saving on your bills

Martin enjoys helping customers with their questions about energy and often finds he learns new tricks to save energy from customers too.

If you would like a visit from your Energy Advisor to chat about your energy bills please email [email protected] or contact your housing provider.

For more energy saving tips visit do1thing.org.uk today

www.circle.org.ukHome Matters | Spring 2015

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www.circle.org.uk

If you require this publication in large print, audio, Braille or an alternative format, or you need this document translated into a different language, please call 0207 288 4000 and we will do our best to help.

Contact information

General enquiries Tel 0800 694 0165 (landline) or 0300 333 0165 (mobile)Email [email protected] www.facebook.co.uk/ WherryHousingAssociationWebsite www.circle.org.uk/wherryAddress 6 Central Avenue,St. Andrews Business Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 0HR

Energy saving advicewww.do1thing.org.ukMy Home Energy Switch 0800 088 2306 www.nhf.billscutter.comHome Heat Helpline 0800 33 66 99

Money adviceStep Change Debt Charity 0800 138 1111 www.stepchange.orgTurn 2 Us (Benefits Calculator) 0808 802 2000 www.turn2us.org.ukThe Money Advice Service 0300 500 5000 www.moneyadviceservice.org.ukMoney Saving tips www.moneysavingexpert.com


spring 2015 - clarion housing/media/9e77022d71c14949... · spring 2015 ... care professionals such...

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