your voice magazine

Accent Foundation Residents’ Magazine January 2013

!YOUR

LOOKING afterYOUR WELFAREBenefit Changes coming soon

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LOOKING afterYOUR WELFAREBenefit Changes coming soon

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Warm HomeDiscount Scheme

We want YOU!Join our Residents’ Forums

•Your Voice January 2013_Layout 1 01/01/2013 19:44

We can provide Your Voice in your language – for translation, Braille, large print or audio,please ring 01274 717 500 or email [email protected].

Helping to make ‘Your Voice’ your voice.

Developed in consultation with the Editorial Panel.

Thanks to staff and residents for their contributions.

to January’sissue of Your Voice.

Three months and counting –big benefit changes are coming

with the bedroom tax and the

Benefit Cap in April. Find out how you could

be affected and what you need to do on pages

6 – 8.

Up to £130 off your electric bill! Do you

qualify for the Warm Home Discount Scheme?

Check on page 9.

Your forums need you! We’re trying to

support your local forums and we’d love you to

get involved. Find out how on page 21.

Panel’s page – your update from Chairman

Ian Bennett on page 23.

Halloween heebeejeebies, musicalstatues and more! Your round up of short

stories on page 22.

Thanks for reading Your Voice. If you’d like

to suggest something for the next issue, please

get in touch. Send me your suggestions or

letters in your freepost envelope, ring me to chat

about them on 01274 717 500, or email me at

[email protected]. Have your

say in your magazine. Happy New Year!

Heather Jacklin, Editor

Welcome…

ARABIC. POLISH.

BENGALI. PUNJABI.

CZECH. RUSSIAN.

KURDISH. SLOVAK.

PASHTO. URDU.


For the West Bowling Team0845 678 [email protected] Butt

For the Manningham & Girlington Team0845 678 [email protected] Mould

For the Bradford 3 & East Bowling Team0845 678 [email protected] Walker

For the Allerton & District Team0845 678 [email protected] Palmer

For the Bolton Woods Team0845 678 [email protected] Watkins

For the Leeds Team0845 678 [email protected] Thompson

For the Wakefield Team0845 678 [email protected] Lees

For the Calderdale & Kirklees Team0845 678 [email protected] Place

For the North Yorkshire & East Coast Team0845 678 [email protected]

For the Tyne & Wear Team0845 678 [email protected] Brooks

For the Easington Team0845 678 [email protected] Brown

For the Hartlepool & Bishop Auckland Team0845 678 [email protected] MacTaggart

For the Middlesbrough Team0845 678 [email protected] Hough

For Middlesbrough South 0845 678 [email protected] Wentworth/Jo Caveney

For the Stockton Team0845 678 [email protected] Matthews

For the Redcar & Cleveland Team0845 678 [email protected] Bateman

For the Tameside Team0845 678 [email protected] Tennyson

For the Leyland – Moss Side Team0845 678 [email protected] Klee

For Chorley & Clayton Green0845 678 [email protected] Robinson/Helen Masterson

For the Burnley Team0845 678 [email protected] Hussain

For the Pendle Team0845 678 [email protected] Peachey/Mandy Clarke

For the Hyndburn & Ribble Valley Team0845 678 [email protected] Murray

For the Barrow Team0845 678 [email protected] McSkimmings

Contacting YOUR Neighbourhood Team

& Customer Services Manager (CSM)

If calling from your mobile, use 0345instead of 0845 to make cheaper calls –

the rest of the number is the same.


4 YOUR VOICE

AndrewKiddsManager

LindaHolden

SarahPearce

JamesAuty

DeborahGeeling

SharonSnape

TahirHussain

KirstyWalker

MatthewSmith

KimberleyMoore

Contacting ourREPAIRS SERVICE CENTRE

Did you know that our repairsteam deals with, on average,over 65,000 calls a year?

With just 12 people making up the team, this

means they are each answering around 5,500

calls. They also answer repair emails and other

queries from residents and staff. That’s a lot of

calls and a lot of emails!

Repairs service centre opening hoursYou can speak to a member of our team directly

between 7.30am and 7pm Monday to Friday,

and 8am to 12pm on Saturday.

Outside these hours, your call will transfer to

our out-of-hours service with SitexOrbis. This service

is available for reporting emergency repairs and

emergency cases of anti-social behaviour.

Make it SafeCAMPAIGN…Make it Safe is a new campaignby the British Blind and ShutterAssociation.

Its aim is to make families aware of the danger

from cords and chains on blinds and shutters,

after some tragic accidents involving young

children over the last few years.

A new EU standard will make sure that all

blinds and shutters in the future are fitted with

safety devices, but older blinds may still have

what could be dangerous cords and chains.

If you have blinds and shutters in your home

with cords and chains, please help to keep your

family safe by keeping them tidy and well out

of reach.Two new staff coming soon


Deliver excellent, locallyagreed services

This includes:s Improving our performance and your satisfaction.

s Delivering your local offers and showing youhow we perform against them.

s Bringing in a new housing management system, (which will help our staff deliver

better services to you).

Provide high quality homesto live in

This includes:s Making sure our homes meet the

government’s Decent Homes Standard

and the Accent Property Standard.

s Delivering our planned improvement programmes.

s Improving our repairs, neighbourhoodand anti-social behaviour services.

Support our residents to sustaintheir homes and communities

This includes helping you to:s Cope with government cuts in services

and benefits.

s Influence our services through resident involvement.

s Work with us to agree quality, value formoney services.

Be an ambitious and successful business

This includes:s Delivering our budgets and making the most

of our income.

s Responding to government cuts in fundingfor new homes and deciding whether we bid

for funds to help us build new homes.

one

two

three

four

To support our vision, we have FOUR business objectives whichcover everything we do and every service we provide.

Under each objective, we have set targets and priorities based on the things that you said are

important to you, which will allow us to provide you with the high quality services you are entitled

to expect. Our objectives are:

Our vision is:


IIIn the last few issues of Your Voice, we have been tellingII

IIyou about the changes the government is making to the way itII

IIpays benefits, which start from April 2013.II

WELFARE REFORM

It is important that you are ready forthese changes. Our neighbourhood teamshave been contacting you if they thinkyou will be affected.

IITHE BEDROOM TAXII

One of the changes, (the bedroom tax),will mean that the amount of housing benefit you get may be cut if you havea spare bedroom. The government isonly allowing one bedroom for:n Every adult couple.

n Any other person aged 16 or over.

n Two children under 16 if they are thesame sex.

n Two children under 10, even if they arethe opposite sex.

n Any other child.

n A carer who does not normally live with you,if you or your partner need overnight care.

From April 2013, you will be affected if

you are of working age (between 16 and 61),

and you have a spare bedroom, even if you do

not use it as a bedroom.

You will be affected if:n You have a bedroom for your children to

stay if you are a separated parent but not

the ‘main carer’. The main carer is the parent

who gets the extra benefit.

n You are a couple who sleep in separate bedrooms because of a medical condition

or illness.

n You are a foster carer. Foster children are notcounted as being part of your household.

n You have children who visit you but do notlive with you all the time.

n You have a disabled child.

n You are disabled and your home has beenspecially designed or adapted for you.

Members of your Disability Group are worried that residents with disabilitiesare likely to be worse off because of thesechanges. This example explains why:

Miss P and Mr H live in a two bedroom bungalow. The bungalow was speciallydesigned for someone in a wheelchair.Following an accident Miss P uses a wheelchair and is no longer able to work.Mr H is her partner and also her main carer.

The spare bedroom is used to store allthe extra equipment Miss P needs to manageher disability.

The rent for the bungalow is £85 perweek, and at the moment the full rent ispaid by housing benefit.

Under the new rules the government saysthat Miss P and Mr H have a ‘spare’ bedroom.This means their housing benefit will becut by 14%, or £11.90 per week. Miss P andMr H will have to pay this amount themselvesif they choose to stay in their home.

We have been in touch with everyone who

we think will be affected by the bedroom tax.

Over 1,000 of you have a spare bedroom.

The choices you have are either to move into

a smaller home, or to stay where you are and

pay the extra rent.


Only about 70 of you have told us that you

would like to move. We can help with advice

about transfers and swaps to smaller homes, but

in some areas there is a shortage of one bedroom

homes, so we may not always be able to help.

Most of you have told us that you

would rather stay in your home and pay the

extra rent that housing benefit won’t cover.

We need to check that you can afford to pay

the extra amount.

If you decide to stay, it is important that

you always pay your rent to make sure that

you don’t get into arrears.

If you don’t pay, you could lose your home.

If you are affected by the bedroom tax,

depending on your situation your local council

may pay the shortfall between your rent and

what housing benefit will cover. These are called

‘discretionary housing payments’. Councils

have not made it clear about who can claim,

or how long payments will be made for if you

do make a claim. You can contact your local

council before April 2013 to find out if you

can claim.

We will keep you up to date with this in future

issues of Your Voice.

IITHE BENEFIT CAPII

Another big change happening from April 2013

is the Benefit Cap, which is a limit to the total

amount of benefits you can claim if you are of

working age (16 – 61).

The cap will mostly affect residents with high

rents and large families.

These are the limits the government has set:n £500 a week for single parents.

n £500 a week for couples with orwithout children.

n £350 a week for single peoplewithout children.

If your benefits add up to more than the government’s limit, your housing benefitwill be cut. This example explains this:

Ms S has four children. She lives in a threebedroom house. The rent is £90 a week.All of her rent is paid by housing benefit.

The total amount of benefit she claimsis £525 a week. This is more than the government’s limit of £500 a week.

Her housing benefit payments will becut by £25 a week. She will have to paythis herself.


The changes will only affect you if you areof working age. You will not be affected if:n You or your partner are entitled to Working

Tax Credit (even if you are not claiming it).

n If you or someone in your household getsDisability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal

Independence Payment (this replaces DLA),

Attendance Allowance or Constant

Attendance Allowance.

n You or your partner get the support partof Employment and Support Allowance.

n You get Industrial Injuries Benefits,War Disablement Pension, Armed Forces

Compensation Scheme or a war widows/

widowers pension.

Your local council should have been in touch

with you if they think you will be affected but,

if you are not sure, contact your neighbourhood

team for advice.

Remember, if the total amount of your

benefit is cut, you may have to pay part of

your rent yourself.

You are at risk of losing your homeif you do not pay your rent.

You should talk to us if you think you will beaffected by the ‘bedroom tax’ or the BenefitCap. There are some things you can do:n Make sure you are claiming all the benefits

you can. We can help you with this.

n Check if there is anyone else living with youwho can help with rent payments.

n Tell us if you would like to move to a smallerhome. We can talk to you about transfers

and swaps.

n Get some advice about how to make themost of your money. We can help and there

are lots of other agencies who can help too.

Try turn2us.org.uk.

n Find out about bank accounts. If you haveto pay rent yourself the best way to do it is

by direct debit. You can also save money by

paying other bills like your gas and electricity

in this way.

IIUNIVERSAL CREDITII

From October 2013, the way your benefits are

paid will change. Anyone claiming income based

benefits like tax credits or Jobseeker’s Allowance

will have all their benefits paid in one payment.

This will be called Universal Credit.

We will keep you up to date with Universal

Credit in future issues of Your Voice.


Warm HomeDiscount SchemeWeather experts have said we are about to facethe coldest winter for 100 years. It’s a depressingthought, and it’s made worse by the energycompanies announcing big rises in their prices.

However, you could get some help to stay warm, as you may

qualify for a £130 discount on your electricity bill for winter

2012 to 2013.

The money isn’t paid to you – it’s a one-off discount on your

electricity bill. It is usually made between October and March.

Pre-pay or pay as you go metersIf you use pre-pay or pay as you go electricity meters, you can

also qualify for the discount. If you qualify, your electricity supplier

can tell you how you’ll get the discount. For example, you might get a

voucher that you can use to top up your meter.

Do I qualify? You will qualify for the discount if, on 21 July 2012, your supplier was part of the

scheme, your name (or your partner’s name) was on the bill, and you were either:

n 80 or over and getting the ‘guarantee credit’ part of Pension Credit.

n Under 80 and only getting the ‘guarantee credit’ part of Pension Credit (you won’t qualifyif you also get saving credit).

If you don’t qualifySome electricity suppliers offer the discount to vulnerable people (such as people who are on a low

income). Each supplier has its own rules about who else can get the discount.

Energy suppliersThe suppliers that are part of the scheme (in alphabetical order) are: Atlantic, British Gas, EDF Energy,

EON, Equipower (Ebico), Equigas (Ebico), Manweb (Scottish Power), M&S Energy, npower, Sainsbury’s

Energy, Scottish Gas (British Gas), Scottish Hydro, Scottish Power, Southern Electric, SSE, SWALEC and

Utility Warehouse.

How to claimIf you qualify, you’ll get a letter telling you either:

n You don’t have to apply for the discount – you’ll get it automatically.

n You must apply for the discount by 13 March 2013. The letter will tell you how and why.

If you are with one of these electricity suppliers and you think you should qualify, or you are

not sure and want to check, contact the Warm Home Discount Scheme Helpline: 0845 603 9439(open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm).


THE GAS SAFETY CHECK includes a service

of the gas appliances we provide. The

check makes sure your heating system is

safe and working properly, and helps to reduce

the risk of your heating breaking down.

Our gas contractors will write to tell you when

your gas service is due, and when they would like

to do it. They will give you plenty of notice but,

if the appointment isn’t suitable, you will be

able to arrange another one. Appointments are

available Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm,

and from 8am to 12pm on Saturday.

It is very important that you give our

contractors access to your home to service your

gas appliances. Gas appliances that are not

serviced regularly can be dangerous. If you

do not give our contractors access, and your

gas service becomes overdue, we will put a

danger warning notice on your front door.

We could ask for a court order to get access to

your home and even consider repossessing it.

If we take any of this action, we will charge you

for the costs. Remember, your safety, your

family’s safety and your neighbours’ safety is

at risk if your gas appliances are not serviced

regularly, so please give our contractors access

to carry out these important safety checks.

8,000 of your homes have gas

appliances in them and we

must check all of them, every

year. Over time, the number

of safety checks we have

done has gone up, which is

great news. However, we have not

been able to check and service the appliances

in every single one of your homes, because we

haven’t been able to get in to do so. Your safety

is our top priority. When our contractors get in

touch, please keep the appointment they have

made (or any alternative appointment you make),

and let them in to carry out the safety check.

As a thank you, everyone who gives us easy

access to their home will be entered into a yearly

free prize draw with the chance to win £100

in vouchers. If you have any concerns about gas,

gas servicing or carbon monoxide, please ring

your neighbourhood team and press 1 to speak

to someone in the repairs team, (you can meet

the team on page 4). If your service is due,

and you have had a letter from our contractors,

you can also speak to the contractor directly.

For more information about gas safety,please read our Tenancy or RepairsHandbooks.

GAS SafetyChecks…You’re inSAFE HANDSAs part of our commitment to making sure your home is safe and secure,we carry out regular gas safety checks. We are legally required to do thesechecks every year, and you must let us into your home to do them.

GAS SafetyChecks…You’re inSAFE HANDSAs part of our commitment to making sure your home is safe and secure,we carry out regular gas safety checks. We are legally required to do thesechecks every year, and you must let us into your home to do them.


YOUR VOICE 11

Check you’ve turned the cooker off When you’ve fi nished cooking, double check the cooker is switched off. If you’re called away from the kitchen, make sure you turn the heat off under the pans.

Check that your fridge-freezer is defrosted

at least once a year

To defrost, take out all perishable items, unplug

the unit and leave the door open. Do not use a

heater to defrost the inside of the fridge-freezer.

Check that your oven is clean

Fat builds up quickly and can cause

a fi re. So be sure to clean your

oven regularly.

Check your plug sockets

Too many electrical appliances in

one socket can lead to overheating.

Check your wiringMake certain that wires are not exposed, damaged or frayed and that they are kept away from heat or water or where they could be tripped over.

Follow the simplekitchen safety checks inthis poster and help tomake your home saferfor you and your family.

‘Be a Hero’ is a campaignby the Electrical SafetyCouncil, a charity providinglots of useful information onhow to stay safe and avoidaccidents in your home.

Visit the websitewww.esc.org.uk, [email protected] or telephone 020 3463 5100.

For more information, visit:

www.esc.org.uk/kitchensafety

Stop a kitchen fi re before it starts

Do these 5 easy checks to keep yourself,

your family and friends safe

Check you’ve turned the cooker off

When you’ve fi nished cooking, double check

the cooker is switched off. If you’re called

away from the kitchen, make sure you turn

the heat off under the pans.

Check that your fridge-freezer is defrosted

at least once a year

To defrost, take out all perishable items, unplug

the unit and leave the door open. Do not use a

heater to defrost the inside of the fridge-freezer.

Check that your oven is clean

Fat builds up quickly and can cause

a fi re. So be sure to cle

an your

oven regularly.

Check your plug sockets

Too many electrical appliances in

one socket can lead to overheating.

Check your wiringMake certain that wires are not exposed, damaged or frayed and that they are kept away from heat or water or where they could be tripped over.

In the event of a fi re: get out, stay out, call 999


The ‘Money Matters’ campaign has been organised by the Children’s Safety EducationFoundation (CSEF) a children’s charity. It has been going into schools across the countrywith the hope of teaching students how to manage their money, and help them to avoid getting into financial trouble later in life. Students take part by doing their own researchand presenting their findings to their teachers.

Managing Director Claire Stone said,”We are pleased to have been part of the MoneyMatters campaign. Most of us will have some kind of debt as we go through life, but someof us may reach a point, through no fault of our own, where our finances get too difficult tomanage. This can end with having nowhere to turn and no choice but to get into high interestcredit agreements or borrow money from loan sharks. By reaching the younger generationnow, we may be able to help them avoid getting into these situations later in life.”

MONEY Matters to us…||We have sponsored a project in three of our local schools to help children||

||learn about the dangers of borrowing money, overspending and loan sharks.||

The ‘Money Matters’ campaign has been organised by the Children’s Safety EducationFoundation (CSEF) a children’s charity. It has been going into schools across the countrywith the hope of teaching students how to manage their money, and help them to avoid getting into financial trouble later in life. Students take part by doing their own researchand presenting their findings to their teachers.

Managing Director Claire Stone said,”We are pleased to have been part of the MoneyMatters campaign. Most of us will have some kind of debt as we go through life, but someof us may reach a point, through no fault of our own, where our finances get too difficult tomanage. This can end with having nowhere to turn and no choice but to get into high interestcredit agreements or borrow money from loan sharks. By reaching the younger generationnow, we may be able to help them avoid getting into these situations later in life.”

MONEY Matters to us…||We have sponsored a project in three of our local schools to help children||

||learn about the dangers of borrowing money, overspending and loan sharks.||


||

YOUR VOICE 13

||


LIKE us on FACEBOOK, follow us on TWITTER

If you have an account, follow us for all the

up-to-date latest local ACCENT NEWS and EVENTS.

TOP MARKS for MilnerbuildOver the past six months, a group ofstaff and residents have been busy setting up a new repairs and emptyhomes contract for our homes inYorkshire and the North East.

Nine contractors put in bids to provide the

service, but it was Milnerbuild that came through

at the end. It’s a great result as our experience

of working together over past years, together

with their understanding of you and your homes,

means we can give you a better service which

provides good value for money.

14 YOUR VOICE


Useful Numbers & WebsitesIf you’ve any suggestions for useful numbers or websites, please let us knowand we’ll print them in every issue, so you always have them handy. Benefit Enquiry Line: 0800 88 22 00Help with Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance or Carers’ Allowance.This is a confidential freephone service for disabled people and carers.

Job Centre Plus: 0800 055 6688Help with Income Support, Job Seeker’s Allowance, Community Care Grants, Crisis Loans,Budgeting Loans, Social Fund Grants, Sure Start Maternity Grants, Cold Weather Payments,and Employment and Support Allowance (which has replaced Incapacity Benefit).

Pension Credits: 0800 991 234

Winter Fuel Payment Helpline (for people over 60): 08459 15 15 15

Tax Credit Helpline: 0845 300 3900

Child Benefit: 0845 302 1444

Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit: contact your local council for help with claiming these benefits.

Supporting People Grant: contact your local council for advice on this benefit.

Energy Efficiency Grants: contact your local council for more information.

www.accentgroup.org – help and advice, report repairs, read our leaflets and check our events calendar.

www.homeswapper.co.uk – register free of charge on this national home swap service.

www.turn2us.org.uk – help and advice on benefits.

www.myhomeenergyswitch.org.uk – helps save money on your energy bills – switching serviceprovided by the National Housing Federation.

www.firststopcareadvice.org.uk – advice on care, housing and financial options for older peopleand their carers.

www.disabilityrightsuk.org – national charity working to improve the lives of disabled people.

All the cover you need, including:n Theft, water damage, fire, flood and other

household risks.

n Damage to inside decorations.

n Accidental damage to sanitary fixtures,such as toilets and washbasins.

n Accidental damage to fixed glass in doorsand windows (for which you are responsible,

not Accent).

n Lost or stolen keys.

n Freezer contents.

It is quick and easy to apply for cover over

the telephone. There are flexible, regular pay-as-

you-go payments – fortnightly or monthly cash,

monthly direct debit or yearly. There’s no need for

special doors or window locks or an alarm, and

there’s no excess to pay if you make a claim.

Sounds good? Why not find out more bygiving us a call on 0845 337 2463 or [email protected].

My Home Contents Insurance Scheme

REMEMBER, we only insure our buildings,not your contents, so you need your own insurance cover for your personal items.


16 YOUR VOICE

Accent Regeneration &Community PartnershipsOur Accent Regeneration & Community Partnerships (AR&CP) team isspecially trained to help you and your families learn new skills, find trainingand employment and help you to get more involved with your community.

Many of you have already felt thebenefit of e-learning but, for thoseof you who haven’t, or don’t reallyknow what e-learning is, it’s an easyto use on-line training programme.

There are lots of courses you can do, which are

designed to help you learn new skills. All you

need to complete a ‘module’ (course) are some

login details (a username and password) and a

computer and you’re away.

If you have your own computer, you can learn

in the comfort of your own home, but you don’t

have to have one. You can use a public computer

in an internet café or a library, or come along to

one of our training centres.

Bradford – Barkerend Training CentreBarkerend Road, Bradford, BD3 9BD.

Ring 01274 303 258 or email

[email protected].

Burnley Training CentreTerracefield, 96 Springfield Road, Burnley,

BB11 3LR. Ring 01282 418 197 or email

[email protected].

Middlesbrough Training CentreUnit 2, Innes Street, Riverside Park,

Middlesbrough, TS2 1JA. Ring 01642 226 548 or

email [email protected].

To get your login, visitwww.accentnetenantplus.co.ukand follow the easy steps. Here are someof the courses you could be taking:s Customer service.

s Primary First Aid.

s Climbing the career ladder.

s Managing your home.

s Healthy living.

s Money matters.

By visiting http://bit.ly/pg4SOR and followingthe easy steps to get your login, you canalso do these courses:s Anti-social behaviour.

s Cultural awareness and religion.

s Getting started on the internet.

s Hate crime.

s Internet safety.

s Introduction to gypsies and travellers.

s Pest awareness.

s Preparing for interviews.

s Respect.

s The power of the internet.

s Saving energy to reduce household bills.

s Getting started with social media.

If you’d like any more information aboute-learning, please ring the training centrenearest to where you live. Our staff will bepleased to help you.

E-LEARNING||it’s free, easy to use and it’s helping you learn new skills.||


IIMARYAM Case StudyII

“After working in a factory for 15 years, I was made redundant

in June last year. I visited the job centre every two weeks and

saw an advisor who helped me look for and apply for jobs.

I was finding it hard getting a job as I wanted a career

change. I wanted to work in an office but I had no experience

in this field.

After a whole year without success, my advisor asked me

if I was interested in SBWA (Sector Based Work Academy)

which helped people get back into work and gain some

work experience. The SBWA involved a two week customer

service and self development course with Nadia Nasir

and four weeks’ work experience in a Bradford housing

association.

I did the two week course which I found a great help

and a good learning experience. After, I did my four weeks

work experience with Accent.

I really enjoyed it. It really helped boost my confidence

to work in an office.

After six weeks I received a call from Nadia offering

me an interview at Accent. I was successful and was

offered the job. I am now an Accent employee and I’m

enjoying it because every day brings a new challenge.”

SECTOR BASED WORK ACADEMYIIWe have set up a new scheme withII

IIJob Centre Plus and six other housingII

IIassociations to help unemployed peopleII

IIget work experience in customer service.II

Our first group of learners started in July, and 11 of

them went on to get jobs. A second group of 15 learners

started in November. They are all doing very well and

on their way to finding jobs.

Learners did two weeks of pre-employment training first and then a four week placement with

their work experience employer. We offered four placements in our Bradford office. One of these was

to Maryam Saddiq, who we have now offered a permanent job as a customer services assistant.

Everyone who took the course worked very hard and most of them have been offered jobs.

Those who weren’t have gone into what we call a ‘talent pool’, so they are ready to go into jobs

as they become available.

The associations in the scheme are Incommunities, Yorkshire Housing, Horton Housing,

Headrow Housing (Your Group), Manningham Housing and Keyhouse.

YOUR VOICE 17


A BusinessOpportunityFOR ACCENTRESIDENTS

A BusinessOpportunityFOR ACCENTRESIDENTS

EASINGTON ApprenticeshipsEast Durham Partnership (EDP) asked us to set up 17 apprenticeships forresidents in Easington to help them with their ‘Helping Hands’ scheme.

The Helping Hands scheme has been running for the past twelve

months. We supported it with a grant of £10,000, which East

Durham matched.

The scheme provides staff and supervision to carry out handyman

repairs, gardening and decorating services. The services are free for

our residents and East Durham residents pay a small charge. It has

worked very well, providing local residents with a number of jobs and

services which our standard repairs and caretaking services could not

have offered.

The 17 apprenticeships the scheme has created will be managed by East Durham and employed

by us. Our local neighbourhood teams in the area will continue to promote the ‘Helping Hands’

service to our residents.

LOCALLY GROWNIIEver thought about working for yourself and being your own boss withII

IIhours that suit you? We have joined with other housing associations toII

IIoffer a business support serviceII

IIfor residents in West Yorkshire.II

WE might be able to help you

get started. We are looking

for Accent residents who are

interested in being self employed and who

can provide a good reliable cleaning service

for some of our housing schemes

in Bradford.

We can help with advice

about setting up a business and

what is involved; how to deal with

any problems and how setting up

a business could affect you if you

claim benefits.

If you are an Accent resident orfamily member and want to find outmore please contact Avtar Bhatt on01274 728 322.


Your Comments:

Name:

Address:

email:

OPENChannelWe want to make sure that we aregiving you our best service, but we won’tknow if we are unless you tell us.

Whether they are good or bad, we welcome your comments,

and we see your complaints as a way of improving our service

to you. Please use the form below to tell us what you think and

return it to us at: Accent Foundation, Charlestown House,Acorn Park, Shipley, West Yorkshire BD17 7SW, (use your

freepost envelope provided). You can also email us at:

[email protected]

I want to (please tick):n Tell you about anti-social behaviour or neighbour nuisance

n Make a complaint n Send you a compliment

n Make a suggestion

Tel:

Date:

YOUR VOICE 19

OCR SKILLSCOURSEA learner on one ofour courses said wehad ‘treated him like aperson and had madehim believe in himself’.

George Ivory has now finished his

training with us, and he walked

straight into a job at the end

of it. Talking about the course,

George said,“It has boosted

my confidence and my CV,

and my CV has stood out to

my employer.”

He was very happy with how

the course had gone and the

things he had learned. He was

particularly grateful for the

chance to learn some IT skills,

going from never turning on a

computer on his own, to creating

his own email address, sending

CVs to employers, and searching

for jobs online.

If you’d like to know more

about any of our courses,

whether about computers, how

to use the internet, or practical

skills, please ring the training

centre nearest to where you live

or speak to your neighbourhood

team.


Repairs ForumAt the Repairs Forum in October, members lookedat information on how we perform as a business.

They could see that satisfaction scores with our services in the North

West were higher than they were in other areas. Members were

keen to see the ‘project teams’ meet again to make sure that staff,

contractors and residents can get together more often to check on

how we deliver our services and act on any problems.

Members looked at the new satisfaction survey, which has been designed by the Housing Contact

Company. We will use it to check that you are happy with your repairs, and to take action to sort

out any problems. Members considered whether we should sign up to the national ‘Repairs Charter’.

They agreed to discuss it more at a Residents’ Panel meeting.

Complaints ForumIIAt the October meeting, members looked at how satisfied you are withII

IIthe way we deal with complaints.II

They were pleased to see that your scores ranged from 75% to 86% from July to September.

Members also looked at recent complaints and made the following recommendations:

n To help us deal with complaints about car parking, we will see if any of our schemes alreadyhave arrangements in place to deal with illegal parking.

n We will use the feedback to decide whether we need to have a policy on dealing withparking problems.

Members talked about how some residents find it difficult to manage their gardens, especially if

they are elderly or disabled. They discussed whether their families should support them, or pay for

gardening if we arrange to do it for them. We are using our customer information to find out how

many residents this may affect, and we will check to see what other landlords do. Members will

discuss this again at a future meeting.

Disability Group UpdateAfter a long break, the Disability Group met in November.

Members looked at four different ways in which we could provide our aids and adaptations service in

the future. They agreed the service must be the same for all residents wherever they live. This will

mean that any residents needing an assessment by an occupational therapist will get one in 12 weeks.

Although it will cost us more, it will be fairer for everyone. We will keep you updated on how the

changes are made. Members also talked about the government’s welfare reforms and how they may

affect residents living in homes that have been adapted or built specially for them. They agreed to

discuss welfare reform at every meeting.

If you are worried about the bedroom tax, please read our special benefits update on pages 6 – 8

or speak to your neighbourhood team.

x


LOCAL ForumsOur Yorkshire teams have beenbusy setting up local forums.These are new groups and Residents’Panel members have been helpingstaff to get them up and running.

Leeds Area ForumThe Leeds Area Forum is made up of residents

from Lidgett Park Court, Chaucer Gardens and

Astura Court. They meet with staff every three

months to talk about any issues on their schemes

and estates. So far members have:

s Reviewed and approved local service offers.

s Helped us to agree contracts for cleaningand gardening.

s Agreed that caretakers will have settasks and their work will be ‘signed off’

by a resident.

s Met with one of our contractors to reviewthe standard of work and agreed changes

to how they work.

At the Residents’ Panel road show in

September, members of the Leeds Forum

agreed what they felt was most important:

s Keeping residents informed.

s The support and advice we provide.

s Our neighbourhoods as places to live.

We would love some new members

from Farrow Road, Fairfields, Langdale Road,

Beechwood Court, Highfield Gardens, Glen Road

and Kirkness Court. If you would like to get

involved, please contact Kath on 03456 780 560or email: [email protected].

Wakefield Area ForumThe Wakefield Area Forum held its second

meeting in October. Meetings are held every two

months in different parts of Wakefield so that

as many local residents as possible can join us.

Members have agreed that they will check the

services we offer locally and discuss any issues

that are important to them. They will also decide

how any money in local budgets is spent.

Planned maintenance will be discussed at the

next meeting and a member of our repairs and

maintenance team will attend.

North Yorkshire & East Coast Area ForumsWe are looking for residents to get involved

with local forums in this area. Although residents

have met as a group three times, and would like

to set up a forum, no other residents have come

forward to join in.

Residents want to help us improve their repairs

service, and to understand and improve the way

we deal with anti-social behaviour. One of their

main concerns is the lack of things for young

people to do, which can lead to anti-social

behaviour. Members

will look at what

councils and other

landlords are

doing to help

them decide how

to deal with this.

Would you like to be involved?If you would like to be involved in any of

our residents’ groups, please call the resident

involvement team on 01274 717 500 or

email [email protected].


Quiz at Milnshaw GardensCustomer Services Manager Gill Murray presented

the Milnshaw Gardens Quiz Team with a trophy

and £30 in Argos vouchers for winning the

Hyndburn ‘Inter Scheme’ Quiz.

Fright NightBurnley sheltered scheme Wood

Top held a Halloween entertainment

night with a buffet, music and dancing.

Don’t move a muscleResidents at two Bradford sheltered schemes

Aurelia House and Tollgate Court enjoyed fun

days with food and drink and a prize draw of

£25 in vouchers, wine and chocolates. The fun

was followed by a game of musical statues,

with wine and chocolates for the winners.

Spooky Fun in Horden Residents joining us for our Halloween ‘Carve a

Pumpkin’ fun days in Blackhall and Horden were

treated to a haunted cave (which was really

the Blackhall office board room) where they

set about making their own pumpkin designs

with help from local staff Hannah, Vicki, Debs,

Lisa and Jill.

A trip to bonny ScotlandSome of our residents at Burnley sheltered

scheme The Orchard set off with Scheme Manager

Debbie to Scotland for a break. They set off by

coach to Gourock, (near Glasgow), from where

they crossed the river Clyde to Hunters Quay

in Dunoon. Home for the next couple of nights

was the Argyll Hotel. Residents enjoyed trips

to Invergowrie and Oban and one resident joined

a seal watching trip. Everyone really enjoyed

themselves.

Speaking about the trip, one resident said,

“I would like to thank everyone involved in

organising these trips. The times we have

had on these holidays

have been fantastic,

and the friendships

last. Being at The

Orchard makes

me feel as if

I count.”

THE LAST WORD…Our news sec

tion for your short stories


Panel’s PageIIBy Ian Bennett – ChairII

Welcome to the first Panel’s Page of 2013.I’d like to wish you all a very happy new year!

What does 2013 have in store for us? Well, for

those of us who claim benefits, there could be

big changes. The government is bringing in the

first of its welfare reforms in April, and these

could bring challenges for many of us. Please

check to see if you will be affected by reading

the latest of our special benefit features

on pages 6 – 9. You can also contact your

neighbourhood team for advice and support.

When the Residents’ Panel met in September,

we were asked to look at the information that is

sent to you when your rents are due to change.

We found that not everyone gets the same

amount of information about what is included

in their service charge, and we thought that the

guidance that is sent with rent change letters

should be reviewed. We made a number of

recommendations to help improve the service

in the future.

The head of repairs and maintenance told

us about a recent survey to find out what you

thought was most important for planned mainte-

nance. This was an automated telephone survey

done by The Housing Contact Company and

those of you who took part answered questions

using the key pad on your phones. Over 2,500

of you took part and over half of you said that

new kitchens and bathrooms were your most

important improvements. These were closely

followed by new windows and doors.

In the last issue, I said I would update you on

the Panel road show which was held in Leeds.

We met a number of local residents and asked

them what they felt was important in their area.

The customer services manager for Leeds has

now set up a local forum, and residents voted for

the things they thought the forum should work

on over the next year. These were:

s Keeping residents informed.

s The support and advice Accent provides.

s The neighbourhood as a place to live.

Thanks to everyone who joined us on the

road show. It was nice to meet you all. Our sub

groups are now running well again. You can

find updates from their recent meetings on

page 20.

If you’d like to talk to us about anything,

ring your neighbourhood team or go to

our website and email:

[email protected].


V V I C T J U S T I N A N E N X Y S

B X I I O A V I C T O R A I U V W H

Y E A C R N A R T H E T H E L R E E

C L C E T E R L K N J G O R D O N I

L I I C L O T M N H I E G G B E R L

A S Z A A Y R A M K E I T H N O P A

I A A B E R O I F G J I M M Y Q R S

R B H R T N B R A D E R L E R H T E

E E C G T E I T V I C T R M A R R G

P T H U I H N H C H R E M A G S H B

R S A I N V U U A O V R A C H E L U

I T R N A C I R T E I L E Y R N E R

N U L I O T L Z N I A D A N N Y C T

C A S V W E L I Z A B E T H Z E N R

E R E V S Y U A B E K A T H R Y N I

C T A E X G H T G U I N E V E E R J

D B E R Z Y H E A T H E R J A C K I

S O N I A Q U E E N A N D R E W P M

ElizabethCharles

HenryArthur

MaryAnne

VictoriaGuinevere

EthrelredEgburt

ROYAL BABY Wordsearch!ROYAL BABY Wordsearch!Well, the news that the country was probably expecting waseventually announced at the end of last year – a new royal baby!

See if you can find all of what could be possible names for the new arrival. The first two correctentries from our prize draw will each receive £10 in high street vouchers. Congratulations to ourlast two winners Anne McNicholas of Bradford and Catherine Wilson of Bishop Auckland.

Name: Address:

Return your entry to Heather Jacklin in the freepost envelope provided.


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