CEREDIGION

Brighter FutureNewsletter | June 2017

Message from Chief Executive

Awards

You said, we did

In the community – Glascoed

Benefit changes

Dates for the diary

Regulatory judgement In recent weeks, Tai Ceredigion has received the result of its latest regulatory assessment. The judgement is designed to provide Tai Ceredigion, our tenants, service users and other stakeholders with an understanding of how well we are performing at a specific moment in time, in relation to Governance, Service Delivery and Financial Management.

The result shows that we have exceeded the standard required and have reached the highest achievable level.

AwardsFollowing achieving the silver corporate heath award in January 2016, our staff are working hard towards the gold standard. The award recognises Tai Ceredigion as an employer that promotes the health and wellbeing of its staff and we are proud of our achievements to date.

I am also very proud of our Assistant Director of Human Resources and Communications, Rhian Haf Evans who won the Wales HR Housing Association HR Professional of the Year category for her HR role at Tai Ceredigion. Congratulations Rhian!

DevelopmentsI am pleased to confirm that we will soon be starting work on two new wheelchair accessible bungalows in Rhydybont, Penparcau and Felinban, Cardigan. The new bungalows will provide much needed accessible homes for local people. We are also planning to start work on site at land adjacent to Brongest Lampeter, Maes Nawmor Cenarth and at the Football Club Aberystwyth. We are pleased to note that our workforce ‘Medra’ have been approved by Welsh Government to pilot a scheme whereby a social landlord can build their own homes with Social Housing Grant which is the first of its kind in Wales.

Equality and DiversityWelcome to our new Special Projects Officer, Rhiannon Hicks who has been employed to review equality and diversity within the association.

Rhiannon will be working on checking our policies, our Website and a review of our head office reception area to ensure that the office is accessible to all and will be working with our Monitoring Group who are keen to lend their expertise to the task.

Get in touch with Tai CeredigionBy letter:

Unit 4, Pont Steffan Business Park, Lampeter, Ceredigion SA48 7HHBy phone:

General Enquiries 0345 606 7654 (local rates apply), Monday to FridayRepairs and out of hours emergencies:

0800 111 4228 (free from landlines)0300 123 3300 (local call rate from mobiles)

Our ‘out of hours’ emergency repairs reporting service is provided by Carmarthenshire County Council’s CARELINE.

By email: post@taiceredigion.org.ukWebsite: www.taiceredigion.org.uk

Changes to the Board This month we have said goodbye to two of our Board members, Councillor Lorrae Jones-Southgate and Chris Mackenzie-Grieve. Both have given valuable input into Tai Ceredigion during their time on the Board and we wish them both well in the future.

Annual General MeetingThis year’s Annual General Meeting will be a little different as we have decided to combine it with the annual Tenant Conference.We hope to build on the success of previous years events and felt that by holding both events on the same day it may be more convenient for our tenant shareholders. All tenants are welcome to attend but please remember that in order to vote at the Annual General Meeting you will need to sign up to Tai Ceredigion’s shareholder membership scheme. Details on how to do this can be found on our Website or please feel free to contact Sue Thomas, our Tenant Participation Advisor for an application form.

Tai Ceredigion AGM 27th September Arts Hall University of Wales Trinity St David Lampeter SA46 7ED

Message from Steve Jones,

Chief Executive

2 3#brighterfuture www.taiceredigion.org.uk

YOU SAID, WE DID

The new ‘TyFi’ app and online service lets you have access to your rent account and tenancy details 24/7.

You can check your payments and report repairs for your home directly online – anytime of day or night.

There are many other additional features too that you can use to keep in touch.

Download the app on your mobile or tablet from the App Store or Google Play and search Tai Ceredigion or go online from your PC and log in from our website.

You’ll need your 10 digit personal tenant reference number (can be found on your rent statement) and you can log in today!

Awel yr Afon development Best wishes to all our tenants that moved into their new homes recently at Awel yr Afon, Cardigan. Once again our staff pulled out all the stops to complete the development.

Tai Ceredigion is delighted to announce the launch of an exciting new service to help you manage your tenancy.

If you have any problems call our customer service team 0345 6067654 for assistance.

“ Can you cut the grass more often?

Tai Ceredigion now start cutting the grass earlier in the year and finish cutting later in the year, with 17 cuts compared to 13.

Tai Ceredigion successfully trialled and are now using Ystwyth Transport

“ We would like to use different transport to get to the Sheltered Forum meetings

“ We love the raised flower beds in our scheme but can they be a little higher?

Tai Ceredigion asked the contractor to come back and raise the flower beds

“ Can we check our rent statement on our mobile phones?

Tai Ceredigion created an app that you can access via your smartphone, where tenants can create their own online account, check their rent statement, report a repair, change their contact details etc

“ We find it difficult to recycle our glasses and bottles in our Sheltered scheme

Tai Ceredigion arranged for bottle banks to be in all 9 of our schemes

If you have a power cut, there is a new number – 105It’s free of charge and will put you through to your local network operator who can give you help and advice.

POWER CUT?CALL 105

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Garden competitionWe hope you’re all getting busy in your gardens in prepa-ration for this year’s Garden-ing Competition. Last year we some excellent entries but we would like to see even more again this time.The categories are:• Best Floral Display• Best Hanging Basket,• Container or Window box• Best Vegetable Garden• Best Sheltered Scheme

Garden• Best Individual Sheltered

Scheme Garden• Best school garden in

CeredigionJudging will take place on the Wednesday 26th of July and all winners will receive a voucher and certificate. The closing date for entries is the 17th of July, so to enter please contact:Sue Thomas on 0345 606 7654 or e-mail sue.thomas@taiceredigion.orgWe look forward to your entry.

Sheltered Forum update – Newsletter At the May meeting tenants enjoyed a talk by local tenant Paul Clasby who spoke about guide dogs and the work that Guide Dogs UK do to support people who are blind or visually impaired. He also brought along Dixie, his guide dog, who everyone enjoyed meeting. Paul gave advice to people about how and when they should approach a guide dog, saying that they should not be distracted when they have their harnesses on and it is in the “up” position, as that is when they were working. He said having Dixie added to his independence as well as offering him companionship.

The second speaker for the morning was Marcia Vale, Dementia Friendly Communities Coordinator from the Alzheimer’s Society Cymru. She spoke about Dementia friendly communities and how we can all help people that have dementia. She offered advice about speaking clearly to people with

dementia, ensuring you make eye contact and that you listen carefully and encourage them to speak. She also noted that many public toilets, were not dementia friendly!

The Forum meets the second Friday every two months at Penrodyn Sheltered Scheme, Aberaeron from 10.15am until 12.30pm. It would be great if you could join us on so look out for the Forum posters on the scheme notice boards. Transport is available and there is always a cup of tea and a biscuit!

COMMUNITY NEWS

If you would like to find out more

about tenant clubs, forums and

groups or are interested in setting

up a new group, please contact,

Sue Thomas, Tenant Participation

Advisor on 0345 6067654 or e-mail

sue.thomas@taiceredigion.org.uk

A message from Paul Clasby, Vice Chair, Tai Ceredigion Monitoring GroupHello everyone, It’s that time again for another update from your tenants group. With the advent of spring we have been as busy as ever. We have been conducting telephone surveys, policy reviews, void inspections and WHQS inspections. We have also been working with Tai Ceredigion on plans to make the reception area in the Lampeter office disability friendly, which will be completed during the summer. If I were to tell you of everything we are currently involved with there would be no room in this magazine for any other articles.

Keep an eye out for our FREE “Fun and Games with TC” event in August. Sadly, due to us not getting any younger our numbers are dwindling, which makes it difficult for us to do all the things we do on your behalf. So, it falls on me as the Vice-Chair of the group to appeal for new members, in Jim’s absence due to a well-earned family break.

• Do you have a few hours each month to spare? • Are you interested in working with us and Tai Ceredigion

to ensure tenants needs are at the heart of its operations?

In short, my fellow tenants “We Need You”. If you would like to know how to get involved simply speak with us at any of the forthcoming events or contact Sue Thomas at Tai Ceredigion. Take care and be safe,

Paul

In the community – Glascoed

Tenants at Glascoed Sheltered scheme, Llandysul have recently had a community garden installed as part of Tai Ceredigion`s Community Benefit scheme. The garden which includes raised beds was installed by Selwyn Elias of J V Elias, and will give tenants the chance to get together and grow a variety of crops. They have already been busy planting shallots, new potatoes and strawberries!

Selwyn is seen here with tenants from Glascoed, Rhiannon Thomas, Maintenance Surveyor and Andrew Rockley, Scheme Co-ordinator from Tai Ceredigion.

Broteifi Sheltered Scheme Tenant Association (BROSTA)The tenants at Broteifi Sheltered scheme, Cardigan recently held their Annual General meeting, which was very well attended and where Sonia Lawrence was re-elected as Chair. Marilyn Farmer, stood down from the committee, and was presented with a bouquet of flower and a voucher in appreciation of all her hard work as a founder member and committed officer of the association.

They are a variety of trips and activities planned for the coming year, and their first trip in May was to “Sculpture heaven” at Rhydlewis. Tenants had the chance to see the many sculptures, which are set in beautiful gardens, and also see how they are made. The afternoon trip was rounded off with lovely cakes, homemade cordial and Fairtrade refreshments.

If you are interested in setting up a similar group in a sheltered scheme, on an estate or in flats and would like to have a chat about what is involved, please contact Sue Thomas on 0345 606 7654 or e-mail sue.thomas@taiceredigion.org

before after

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Comments,Compliments

and ComplaintsTai Ceredigion values your comments and your feedback,

and wants to show you that we listen, that we learn from our mistakes, and that we always try to improve our services.

If you would like a copy of our Comments, Compliments and

Complaints Policy, please phone Customer Services on

0345 606 7654, e-mail:

post@taiceredigion.org.uk or visit our website

www.taiceredigion.org.uk

Reminder…Do you know of someone who’s looking for rented property in Ceredigion? The common housing register for Ceredigion is now online.

All information on how to apply for a home in the county can be found on www.ceredigionhousingoptions.cymru

Benefit changesBenefit Cap changes October 2016

From October 2016 a limit on the total amount of benefit that most people aged 16 to 64 was set. This is called the benefit cap.

You’re not affected by the cap if you or your partner work, and are eligible for Working Tax Credit or your partner get Universal Credit, and your household income is more than £430 a month after tax and National Insurance

Benefit Cap amounts£384.62 per week (£20,000 a year) if you’re a couple, whether your children live with you or not

£384.62 per week (£20,000 a year) if you’re single and your children live with you

£257.69 per week (£13,400 a year) if you’re single and you don’t have children, or your children don’t live with you.

Tax Credits changes April 2017Tax Credits will have a limit of two children from April 2017. In households with two or more children any subsequent children born after April 2017 will not be eligible for further support.

The two child limit will apply to all new children being added to claims from April 2017 unless an exception applies.

Universal Credit You may have heard about Universal Credit, this is a new type of benefit designed to support people who are on a low income or out of work. It will replace six existing benefits and is currently being rolled out across the UK. The new system is based on a single monthly payment, transferred directly into a bank account. At present Universal Credit only affects newly unemployed people in certain areas of the country.

For more information or if you require help please contact Tenancy Sustainment Team on 0345 606 7654

Or access the Money Advice Service on www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

Water customers could save up to £250 on water bills…Many lower income households in Ceredigion could be eligible for savings of up to £250 on their water bills, and Welsh Water is urging local people check whether they could benefit.

Welsh Water offers a special HelpU tariff for customers in households where the total annual income is £15,000 or less.

Many thousands of customers could benefit from HelpU - and some could see their annual water and sewerage bill cut by a half. People who qualify should get in touch with the company and they’ll be helped to make the switch to the HelpU tariff.

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water can be contacted online at www.dwrcymru.com or by calling 0800 052 0145.

60,000 customers already benefit from Welsh Water’s social tariffs for water and sewerage bills. HelpU is the company’s only social tariff based solely on household income. It has been devised after consultation with the Welsh Government, the Consumer Council for Water, and Community Housing Cymru.

Dates for your diary Garden Competition

Closing date – 17th July Judging – 26th July

“Fun and Games with TC”

Thursday 10th August, Rugby Club, Aberystwyth,

11.00am – 3.00pm

Tenant Conference and Annual General Meeting

Wednesday 27th September Arts Hall, University of Wales Trinity Saint David,

Lampeter, 10.00am – 3.00pm

Facebook and TwitterThank you for all your likes and shares on our Twitter and Facebook feeds. Let us know what’s going on in your area and we’ll help you share the news.

We’re on Facebook!

We use facebook to

share information on

housing and benefit

issues and updates on Tai

Ceredigion jobs and latest news.

We’re also happy to share

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‘Like’ us - we’re happy to help

Alternative Format or Large Print

If you would like or know of anyone who needs Brighter Future in an

alternative format or large print, please contact us via

the Customer Services team and we will do our best

to meet your request. Brighter Future is also

available to view online at www.taiceredigion.org.uk

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