going places newsletter summer 2010

Going PlacesIssue 13: July 2010 Homechoice, Housing Options, Temporary Accommodation and

Resettlement newsletter

Welcome...Welcome to the first issue of the newly merged Homechoice and Housing Need and Support Services newsletter. This newsletter will be produced every six months; we’ll be in touch about how you can receive it in future but for now enjoy reading, and keep an eye on our website for the latest news.

Top tips for job seekers page 9

Focus on...Young Parents page 13

Buxton Road hitBlackpool

SEE PAGE 11 FOR DETAILS

Residents from the Buxton Road Centre take a trip to Blackpool

Have your say on how Homechoice works PAGE 3

2 Going Places - July 2010 Issue 13 www.stockporthomes.org

0161 474 4237

0161 477 2626

0161 474 4567

0161 474 2975

0161 474 3772

0161 456 0717

0161 217 6015

0845 608 8526

0161 474 3093

0870 120 4040

0161 477 9597

0845 303 0900

0845 790 9090

0161 217 6009

0845 46 47

0161 249 4080

0161 480 7248

0161 426 9101

0161 636 7525

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10-11

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Housing Options

Housing Options(out-of-hours)

Homechoice bidding line

Homechoice enquiries line

Resettlement Team

Furniture Station

Housing Benefit

Job Centre Plus

Welfare Rights

Citizens Advice Bureau

Stockport Victim Support

Victim Support Line

Samaritans

Stockport Advice

NHS Direct

Alcohol and Drugs Service

Disability Stockport

Stockport RefugeeSupport Group

Greater ManchesterDomestic Abuse helpline

Have your say on how Homechoice works

When will I get a property?

Customer satisfaction – how happy are you with the Homechoice service?

Have your say on the new Homelessness Strategy

The Temporary Accommodation Expert Panel (TAEP)

Help for homeowners

Top tips for job seekers

What’s going on at your scheme?

Focus on You ‘Summer Spectacular’

Focus on…Young Parents Officer

You said, we did

The BIG Question

Free Skills for Life training courses

Facts and figures

Quiz Corner

Save with Stockport Credit Union

Stockport FLAG

Stockport Community Lodgings Scheme

Contents Useful numbers

Opening hours for the Housing Information Centre

Monday: 8.30am - 4.30pm

Tuesday: 9.30am - 4.30pm

Wednesday: 8.30am - 4.30pm

Thursday: 8.30am - 4.30pm

Friday: 9.30am - 4.00pm

www.stockporthomes.org

Homechoice newsUseful numbers

3Going Places - July 2010 Issue 13www.stockporthomes.org

Have your say on how Homechoice works

The Council policy that decides how Homechoice allocates properties is being reviewed this year.

The current points system that decides how much priority a Homechoice applicant receives is being looked at, along with other issues such as what size and type of property different households can apply for, and even whether some additional help in finding a home should be given to people who are in work, training or volunteering in their community.

The views of Stockport Homes’ customers are really important in helping shape the new policy, and consultation is being undertaken through Area Forums, Customer Action Groups (CAGs), focus groups, the Temporary Accommodation Expert Panel (TAEP) and the Tenants’ Federation. Another easy way to have your say is to complete our on-line questionnaire at www.stockporthomes.org This will ask a series of questions about your

opinions on how we allocate properties, and gives you the opportunity to make any comments you think we should take into account. All our customers will be contacted well in advance about any changes to the policy, which will be implemented in 2011.

If you do not have access to the internet, or would prefer to speak

to someone in person, please contact the Homechoice Team on 0161 474 2975 who will be happy to call you back and complete a questionnaire with you by telephone.

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4 Going Places - July 2010 Issue 13 www.stockporthomes.orgwww.stockporthomes.org

Homechoice information

When will I get a property?Once you have been accepted onto the Homechoice Register you need to ‘bid’ for suitable properties to be rehoused. This means that you have a choice about where you want to live and can register your interest in properties you would like to be considered for.

We cannot predict when you might be rehoused but we do publish details of properties which have been advertised so customers can see what points level previous properties have been let on. These details appear in the newspaper advert and on our website www.stockporthomes.org under ‘Our Services / Homechoice / Previous results’. This helps customers to make decisions about what areas and types of property they should bid for to help them be more successful for a move.

The number of customers on the register at the moment is 7,625. Here is a chart which shows how many applicants are registered for each size of property:

The highest demand is for one bedroom properties (51% of the register) followed by 34% registered for two bedroom properties. There is a high demand for properties as you can see, but only a limited number of vacancies each year. The chart below shows a breakdown of how many of each property size were advertised between April 2009 and March 2010:

It helps to be realistic about the areas and types of property you bid for. Properties in popular areas are usually let to applicants with high points because they attract a lot of bids from applicants, so you might want to consider bidding for other areas to increase your chances of moving.

Bedroom size No of customers %One bedroom 3,921 51%Two bedroom 2,667 34%Three bedroom 893 11%Four bedroom 134 3%Five bedroom 9 less than 1%Six bedroom 1 less than 1%Total 7,625 -

Bedroom size No of properties advertised

%

One bedroom 469 50%Two bedroom 319 33%Three bedroom 159 16%Four bedroom 5 1%Five bedroom 0 0%Six bedroom 0 0%Total 952 -

www.stockporthomes.org 5www.stockporthomes.org Going Places - July 2010 Issue 13www.stockporthomes.org


When will I get a property?

To give you an idea of what points levels are needed for different properties and areas, the table below shows the average points some properties have been let for over the last year.

Property size and type Area Average points

Studio Brinnington 22

Studio Hazel Grove 33

One bedroom bungalow Marple 35

One bedroom flat Hillgate 55

One bedroom multi-storey flat Brinnington 27

One bedroom multi-storey flat Lancashire Hill 36

Two bedroom flat North Reddish 30

Two bedroom house Cheadle 58

Two bedroom house Offerton 54

Two bedroom maisonette Councillor Lane 50

Three bedroom house Adswood 39

Three bedroom house Heaton Norris 60

Three bedroom maisonette Hazel Grove 58

Four bedroom house Bridgehall 43

Four bedroom house Cheadle Heath 45

Please note that these are only averages. Some properties will have been let on higher or lower points than shown here, so don’t be put off

bidding for properties. Remember it helps to be flexible with your bids and you can bid for three properties in each advert.



Customer satisfactionHomechoice have been asking their applicants how happy they are with the service they have received. The results from questionnaires received for January to March, and advice on what we are doing to improve the service, are as follows:

How do you rate the helpfulness of staff?Of the 207 people who expressed a preference, 91% found staff to be very or fairly helpful. Overall the result for 2009/10 was 88%, so this is an increase in the number of customers who find staff helpful.

Did you have adequate opportunity to discuss your homechoice application?194 customers expressed an opinion in this question and of these, 74% thought they had a very or fairly good opportunity to discuss their application. This was an increase in results for the whole year which was 71%.

How easy to understand was the information and forms you received?92% of the 225 applicants expressing a preference thought the information and forms we provide were fairly or very easy to understand. This is an increase against the year overall which was 91%.

How clear was the explanation of the allocations process? The response to this question wasn’t as good as only 81% of customers thought the process was very or fairly clear against 84% for the year. This year Stockport Council are carrying out a big review of the Allocations Policy and one of the things that will be looked into is how we can make it easier for customers to understand the process (see page 11 for more details).

How satisfied are you overall with the service Homechoice provide?80% of customers said that they were fairly or very satisfied with the overall service from Homechoice which is quite an increase compared to 74% for the whole of 2009/10. In January we introduced a couple of new questions. We now ask customers how easy

they found it to access the service, 93% who expressed an opinion said they found it fairly or very easy to access. The aim of the other new question was to find out why customers were dissatisfied with the service and here are the results:

Why were you dissatisfied with the service?

As shown in the chart the main reason customers are not satisfied is the shortage of properties available. The number of properties available depends on vacancies coming up, which involves waiting for other tenants to give up accommodation. Age restrictions are also a factor, which Stockport Homes is looking at reviewing. However, it is important that customers regularly check the advert for suitable properties so they don’t miss out’.

Just over a quarter (26%) of those giving a reason stated it was their level of points. Application assessments are carried out based on a customer’s circumstances at the time they apply. If you move or your circumstances change you need to let Homechoice know, as this could affect your points and your application may need to be re-assessed.

22%Priority forrehousing

43%Lack ofavailable

properties

26%Pointslevel

5% Lack of information

2% Other 2% Service from staff


Housing Options news

Have your say on the new Homelessness Strategy

During our 2007-2010 strategy the Housing Options Team bid for a range of funds to create new services, such as:

• the Housing Support Point, a one stop referral for all housing related support services (funded by Supporting People);

• a dedicated officer working with offenders to help them seek settled accommodation and reduce re-offending (funded by Probation and Supporting People);

• a mortgage worker offering help and advice to homeowners struggling to keep up with their repayments; (funded by Central Government)and

• an Employment Support Officer to help customers look for work, training and education (funded by income from water charges).

The previous strategy also built on links with partner agencies such as Debt Advice, Women’s Aid, Social Services and Housing Benefit to provide a bigger and better service for its customers.

Our aim is to prevent homelessness and promote planned moves with the help of our partners. Where we cannot do this we strive to provide appropriate support, and a good standard of temporary accommodation.

You can have your say on any of these areas; whether you or someone you know has experienced homelessness, or just want to share your views on what could be included in the next strategy to help prevent homelessness across the Borough.

Consultation on the strategy will be happening throughout the summer, including ex-service user questionnaires, focus groups and the Temporary Accommodation Expert Panel.

If you have ideas about something you want to see changed or

developed, please contact Fiona Carr, Homelessness Strategy Development Officer on 0161 474 3726 or email [email protected]

The Housing Options Team is currently developing the new Homelessness Strategy for the Borough, due for release in early 2011. We want to hear your views about what should be included, and the key issues you feel are important in Stockport.

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The Temporary AccommodationExpert Panel (TAEP)

Help for homeowners - Lisa Delezio (Housing Options Officer)

The TAEP is a group of current and former customers who have been homeless and lived in our Temporary Accommodation Schemes. They look at issues which affect the temporary accommodation service and discuss ways to help improve it

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The group has now elected a committee and adopted its own constitution. This means that the group will become formally recognised, and able to bid for funding to improve services at all three of our Temporary Accommodation Schemes.

The TAEP meetings are held every two months. The next meeting will be in August.

Please contact the Customer Involvement Team for details on

0161 474 2862 or email [email protected]

My role has been funded by Central Government in response to concerns about the current economic climate. The Government have introduced a number of schemes and initiatives to assist homeowners who may be struggling to maintain their mortgage or are facing repossession. The schemes include: Homeowners Mortgage Support, Support for Mortgage Interest, and The Mortgage Rescue Scheme.

My role is to provide advice to homeowners facing repossession or struggling with their mortgage payments. I assess the homeowner’s suitability for one of the above schemes and if eligible make a referral.

I also assist homeowners who may not be eligible for a scheme by looking at other options to avoid repossession. Where repossession can’t be avoided I provide advice about what other housing options are available.



www.stockporthomes.org

Help for homeowners - Lisa Delezio (Housing Options Officer)

Top tips for job seekersMartyn Preston, the Stockport Homes Employment Support Officer is here to help our customers access work, training and education and volunteering opportunities. In this issue he offers handy hints on how to find jobs using the internet.

Tip 1 - Find internet accessIf you can’t access the internet at home, here are a few suggestions:• you can use UK on-line centres which are

based in your community - call free of charge on 0800 77 1234 for your nearest centre;

• use your local library (please call 0161 217 6009 or visit www.stockport.gov.uk for details);

• ask friends or relatives; or• check vacancies at your nearest Jobcentre

Plus office.

Tip 2 - Get an email addressTo set up a personal email address, try the search engines (for example, Google, Yahoo or Hotmail) as many offer a free email account.

Tip 3 - Use the internet to find job boardsYou can search for job boards by using a search engine (for example, Google or Yahoo). Type in ‘job boards’ or ‘jobs in retail’ and so on, until you find the job boards that are most suitable for you.

Tip 4 - Apply onlineThere are two main ways to apply for jobs on-line:

1. Filling in an on-line application form Fill in the details in the same way as you would with a normal application form. Before you send the form to the employer, check that you have given all the information asked for and that the information is correct.

2. Emailing your CVYou will need to have saved your CV so you can attach it to the email. You may also want to include a covering letter.

For help with finding employment, education, volunteering and

training, please contact Martyn Preston, Employment Support Officer on 0161 474 2836, or email [email protected]

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If you are a homeowner struggling with your mortgage or facing repossession, don’t delay – there is help out there that could help you save your home.

For more information or to book an appointment, please contact

Lisa Delezio, Housing Options Officer (Repossessions) on 0161 474 4151 or email [email protected]

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Temporary Accommodation news


Easter Eggstravaganza at Brindale HouseBrindale House held a day of Easter Fun on Thursday 1 April 2010 for all those resident at the scheme and local residents.

All residents were welcome and were encouraged to dress up for the event. Costume and mask making sessions were held at Brindale House in the weeks leading up to this; where residents were provided with all the materials and equipment needed to make their outfits for the event.

Easter Eggs were kindly donated by Sainsburys in Stockport, Morrisons in Bredbury, Aspinal Primary School in Gorton, Repair 1st and Stockport Homes’ employees.

The Easter Bunny made a surprise visit to lead the children in an Egg Hunt around the scheme, and join in party games such as ‘pass the parcel’; ‘musical statues’ and ‘paint an egg’. The party was a huge success and enjoyed by all those who attended!

Also at Brindale House…

• In March we ran a ‘Saving for Christmas’ session with tutors from Money Skills – looking at making provisions and budgeting now, in time for all the festive expenses!

• From 18 February for four weeks we ran two hour long weekly sessions on ‘Healthy Eating on a Budget’; residents attended tutorials on cooking healthy, cheap meals and received a free cook book at the end of the course.

• In April we ran a two hour session called ‘Energy Best Deal’ in conjunction with Money Skills. This session encourages the participants to look at reducing their energy bills by switching their supplier.

• Project Worker Elaine has been working with residents over the past 12 months to put together a Temporary Accommodation Cookbook – over the past six months, we have been making the recipes in brunch clubs to test them out for taste and cost effectiveness before submitting them into the book. This has been a lengthy consultation process but the book is near completion – we hope to provide updates in the next newsletter!

• From the above, residents have given really positive feedback about the ‘cooking brunches’ so last week we started Wednesday Night Tea Time. We used a recipe from our book, and followed the shopping tips guidelines for price; this was attended by 15 residents and was really well received! We’ve purchased cheap containers and everyone got to take tea home. These sessions will now run every fortnight.

News for customers living in one of our Temporary Accommodation Schemes.


Temporary Accommodation news

Chinese New Year at Strathclyde House

Gone fishing with Buxton RoadThe first trip was a success, with more planned in the coming summer months. Ex-residents also discussed the possibility of bidding for funding via the Temporary Accommodation Expert Panel (TAEP) to buy equipment for the scheme – the TAEP committee will be looking into this along with other suggestions from the last meetings.

Staff and residents from Buxton Road also went on a day trip to Blackpool back in November; they braved the cold weather to see the famous illuminations, and are our cover stars for this issue!

Keep an eye on the notice board for future activities; if there’s an activity you want to try why not raise it at the next residents’ meeting?

Residents at our men’s scheme have been embracing the great outdoors, with fishing trips to Reddish Vale Mill Pond.

Staff and residents at Strathclyde House held a cultural themed event to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Chinese style food was cooked, quizzes and games were played and wishes for the New Year ahead were made on Chinese sky lanterns which were then released up into the sky.

Suggestions for future events are always welcomed; current residents have already been discussing other cultural / national themed events such as German, Italian and Indian – come along to the next brunch club or residents meeting and get involved!



Resettlement news

Focus on You‘Summer Spectacular’The Resettlement Team’s Focus on You Group met on Monday 14 June for their bi-monthly Focus Group.

The theme of this group was ‘Summer Spectacular’ and we had a full and varied programme of consultation and some lighter moments. Karena Law and Kath Jones from Resettlement welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the new crèche and playworkers. This went down a treat with parents and children alike!

Fiona Carr from The Housing Options Team gave a short talk on the allocation of Stockport Homes’ properties and followed this with a questionnaire and ‘Table Talks’. The group found this really interesting, and lively discussions followed Fiona’s suggested scenarios. Fiona followed this with some information on Stockport Homes’ Homelessness Strategy.

The Focus on You group really enjoys listening to talks from our guest speakers and as part of our diversity theme, we decided to ask the local Buddhist monks who have recently taken up residence in Edgeley to come and tell us about their new home here and introduce us to their culture.

We have some regular items on our agenda: including health and safety, how to find work, training and education, consultation on policies and procedures as well as diversity. We decided to also ask Stockport Homes’ Employment Support Officer to come and visit one of our meetings.

Customer comments:

“I enjoyed the company very much.”

“Thank you all, top staff. Thank you for all the time you have given us all.”

“It was an opportunity for me to know what the Resettlement Team does and offer and I learnt more about diversity, worklessness, policies and procedures. Now I know what to do when a problem arises.”

Focus on You is open to all current and past users of the Resettlement and

Tenancy Support Services. Our next meeting is on 11 August 10.30am-12.30pm in the Conference Room at 1 St. Peter’s Square. The invite is open to all of our service-users: Come and join us!

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Resettlement news

Many people know of the Resettlement Team – visiting new customers in their homes and helping them set up all their bills and obtaining furniture and white goods and all those other things that go towards making a house a home.

We also offer a service to young people who still live at home either with parents or friends, and are either young parents or are due to become parents. I visit young people who are at home to discuss housing options and I can help with completing applications for Homechoice and Housing Associations, contacting private landlords with a view to privately renting and with applications to Stockport Homes’ Deposit Scheme.

Once you have been allocated a property or you have found somewhere privately, we will work through a plan of support together and we can access:

• furniture and benefits;

Focus on...Young Parents OfficerMy name is Yvonne Morris and I am a Resettlement Officer working in the Young Parents Housing Advice and Support Service.

• healthcare services and parenting classes;

• mother and baby groups, playgroups and nurseries;

• education and training, accessing free child care where relevant; and

• other agencies who can help with any issues or problems you may have.

We will work together to ensure that you maintain your tenancy successfully and that you are aware of all the other services that are around to help with this. The service also takes referrals from a variety of agencies including Family Nurses, Midwives, Connexions and MOSAIC.

If you are a young parent or are pregnant, contact me at the

Resettlement Team on 0161 474 3772 or email [email protected]

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www.stockporthomes.orgGoing Places - July 2010 Issue 1314

Customer Involvement news

You said, we did

Temporary AccommodationYou wanted crèche facilities or childcare at meetings so that you could concentrate on the exercises.

We can hold a crèche at St. Peter’s Square. We can also assist in the organisation of a child minder and cover the cost.

You wanted to apply for funding for the Temporary Accommodaton Expert Panel (TAEP).

We advised that the group would need to be constituted in order to access funding. The group voted on consitution and three committee members were elected.

You asked for more information on upcoming employment help / opportunities.

Martyn Preston, Stockport Homes’ Employment Officer, attended the Brunch Club to discuss the new Groundwork Course that prepares people for employment. Residents were notified of an upcoming job fare organised by Connexions. Work Solutions attended a Brunch Club to come and give advice about getting back into work.

You asked for more access to the Scheme Manager.

The Scheme Manager now does fortnightly drop-in session.

You asked us if you could be consulted on the re-decoration of temporary accommodation schemes.

Residents were involved in choosing the colour schemes for re-painting of communal doors at Brindale House. Residents will be involved in the flat decorating programme.

You asked us for more music classes and equipment.

Brindale House has purchased a new keyboard and two second hand guitars which can be loaned out to residents.

Focus on You meetings You thought it was a good idea to have waiting times for adaptations prioritised according to need.

The new timescales were put in place in April 2010. Customers were talked through how we refer people.

You wanted information about how to have a cheaper, greener Christmas.

We gave you information about how to make salt dough decorations and how to make your own mince pies.

You asked for a ‘Useful Contacts’ list. Handy cards with useful contacts and emergency telephone numbers have been produced and the group were invited to take one.

You said We did

15Going Places - July 2010 Issue 13www.stockporthomes.orgwww.stockporthomes.org

Customer Involvement news

The Members of the Federation will be out speaking to customers over the next few months and asking them to complete a short questionnaire. All completed questionnaires will be entered into a prize draw-1st Prize £75, 2nd Prize £50 and 3rd prize of £25. All prizes are in high street vouchers (terms and conditions apply).

The Tenants’ Federation represents the views of all customers of Stockport Homes and has been in existence for over five years. The Federation wants to know your views and what, if anything, it can do for you.

For more information, please contact the Customer Involvement Team on 0161 218 1969 or email [email protected]

Stockport Tenants’ Federation

Free Skills for Life trainingWould you like to learn new skills and meet new people? Then have a look at the free Skills for Life training programme that is just for customers of Stockport Homes.

You can pick up a copy of the Skills for Life leaflet from one of our reception areas or visit our website www.stockporthomes.org under ‘Our Services / Getting involved’.

To book your place on a course, please contact the Customer Involvement Team on 0161 218 1969 or email [email protected]


Performance news

Facts and figures

Housing Options ServiceTotal number of decisions about homelessness ............................................ 182Duty to re-house ........................................................................................... 46No duty to re-house ...................................................................................... 78Main reasons for homelessness• Asked to leave by parents ......................................................................... 15• Domestic violence ..................................................................................... 9• Required to leave accommodation provided by the Home Office .............. 5Number of visitors to the Housing Information Centre ................................... 16,066Average wait for an interview ........................................................................ 9 minutes% of customers from a Black or Minority Ethnic (BME) background .............. 6%Average number of days to answer letters .................................................... 2

Housing Options – Service standards

Standard Target Outcome

Customers approaching reception at the Housing Information Centre to be seen within five minutes.

90% 100%

Customers with appointments to see a Housing Options Officer to be seen within 10 minutes or less.

10 minutes 9 minutes

Customers who approach the Housing Information Centre to be fairly or very satisfied with their visit overall.

80% 94%

Provide written confirmation of housing/options advice interview within 72 hours.

100% 100%

10% of housing advice cases to be quality assurance checked by a manager and to ensure they are in-line with best practice.

10% 10%

Homeless decisions to be made within 33 working days (where all required information is available).

85% 87.5%

All homeless decisions to be checked by a manager to ensure they are in-line with legislation, best practice and case law.

100% 100%

Visit rough sleepers within 24 hours of notification. 100% 100%

Temporary accommodation

Scheme Number accommodated

% from BME groups Average length of stay (days)

Families 86 14.33% 83Single men 53 4.85% 60Single women / mums and babies

30 13.33% 75

(October 2009 – March 2010).

www.stockporthomes.orgwww.stockporthomes.org 17Going Places - July 2010 Issue 13www.stockporthomes.org

Performance news

Temporary accommodation – Service standards

Standard Target Outcome

Provide accommodation that is clean, safe and meets the Temporary Accommodation Re-let Standards.

100% 100%

Ensure that the reception and communal areas are clean, tidy and safe. 100% 100%Maintain appropriate standards of safety and security throughout the accommodation.

100% 98%

Make an appointment with each new resident to explain the services available to them within the scheme.

100% 100%

Provide all residents with a needs assessment interview within two weeks of entering the scheme.

100% 100%

Hold regular resident meetings, at least every six weeks and more often if necessary and provide feedback to service users from each meeting.

100% 95%

Inspect repairs at Temporary Accommodation Schemes (ensuring job satisfactory, area clean and safe).

100% 100%

Provide appropriate information, guidance and signposting in relation to other services, liaise and make referrals where required in relation to service-users individual needs.

100% 100%

Repairs at Temporary Accommodation Schemes

Resettlement Service

Making the Temporary Accommodation Schemes pleasant and safe places to live depends upon making sure repairs are done to a high standard and on time. To help with this, residents are involved in health and safety checks and

198 households (including individuals) were referred to us for resettlement or tenancy support

6,063 hours of support were provided to 165 households

1,635 visits to service-users in their homes were completed

106 cases were closed

encouraged to report faults whenever they see them and are involved in monitoring performance and making suggestions for improvements to the repairs process.

At the end of this period, of the 106 cases closed:

• 87 have completed a package of support and are successfully resettled;

• 16 remain in their properties but have decided not to continue using the service;

• 1 has been admitted to hospital long-term;• 1 has lost contact with the service; and• 1 has died.

Scheme Total repairs ordered Orders completed within target %Families and off-site 151 148 98%Single men 13 13 100%Single women / mums and babies

34 33 97%

Overall 198 194 98%


Quiz corner

How well do you know Stockport?This issue’s quiz has been put together by Chrissie Ince, Chairperson of our Temporary Accommodation Expert Panel (TAEP) – thanks Chrissie!

The winner of the quiz will receive a £20 high street voucher – hand your entries in to your Project Worker or the Housing Information Centre, and keep your eye out for answers in our next newsletter.

Q1. A statue of whom stands in St. Petersgate?

Q2. Which park in Stockport has a museum in its grounds?

Q3. Where were the old court buildings in Stockport located?

Q4. Stockport Town Hall has the largest ‘what’ in its Ball Room?

Q5. Where was the second train station in Stockport, (before the motorway was built)?

Q6. Where in Stockport is the ‘Roman Road’ which is still in use today?

Q7. What were most women employed to do in the 1960’s in Stockport?

Q8. What is the famous Pyramid building?

Q9. What name is given to people born in Stockport?

Q10. Stockport has the only museum of what in the UK?

Q1. Clue. Q8. Clue.


Partner agency news

Save with StockportCredit Union Do you want:

• easy and flexible ways to save;• free life insurance on savings and loans (subject

to age limits);• pay into your account at a local collection point

or by standing order; and• know your money is in safe hands.

Then why not join Stockport Credit Union?

To join Stockport Credit Union, complete the enclosed Stockport Credit Union application form and take it to a local collection point with proof of your ID, joining fee of £1.20 and a minimum deposit of £1.00.

Those in the know realise that Stockport Credit Union offer the lowest rate loans to Credit Union savers. A loan of £100 only costs £107 to repay. Borrowing the same amount from other lenders could result in anything up to £171 being repaid.

Please call Stockport Credit Union on 0161 430 5808 or go to

www.stockportcu.com for details of your nearest collection point.

Stockport FLAGSince January, there has been a new independent service helping people to find out about all the adult health and social care services in the Borough.

For Local Advice and Guidance (FLAG) ensures that local people have easy access to information and advice about the services available to help individuals and families maintain healthy and active lives. FLAG has trained, impartial advisors who provide one-to-one support, signposting people to the services or specialist information they need.

To use this free service, you can either call in or make an appointment at the Town Centre base on Chestergate or meet with a FLAG advisor at one of the outreach sessions (see details of these sessions on our website www.stockportflag.org.uk). Alternatively, please email [email protected] or call the helpline number 0161 474 1042.

The Stockport FLAG Team

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Partner agency news

Accessing our services

If you would like a copy of this newsletter in large print, Braille, on audio tape or CD, please contact the Social Inclusion Team on 0161 474 2860 or email [email protected]

A free interpreting service is available if you need help with this newsletter. Please telephone Stockport Interpreting Unit on 0161 477 9000. Email [email protected]

Stockport Community Lodgings SchemeStockport Community Lodgings Scheme is seeking to recruit householders who have a spare room and can offer accommodation and support to a young person who is homeless and / or at risk of homelessness and would benefit from support in acquiring life skills to enable them to eventually move on to independent living.

The scheme recruits and supports householders from within Stockport. It welcomes applications from all backgrounds and does not discriminate against groups or individuals. You do not have to own your own home, as long as your tenancy is secure and your landlord is aware. We will ensure you are not out of pocket and in return for your service we will pay you a rental income and support costs of £138+ per week.

Great care is taken to match your wishes and preferences to the needs of a young person.

If you would like further information, please contact Julie

Jawando or Sharon Hunter, Stockport Community Lodgings Scheme on 0161 474 2100.

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going places newsletter summer 2010

Documents

merged homechoice

homechoice applicant

homechoice service

housing need

young parents page

job seekers page

buxton road centre

new policy