your homes issue 5 march 2015

Coast & Country Magazine

www.coastandcountryhousing.org.uk

Issue 5 | April 2015

Coast & Country boosts Stephen’s employment prospects. 0

WHAT’S INSIDE:

Local Offer Consultation. Pages 6-7

In“egg”spensive Easter Crafts. Pages 16-17

Homes For Britain. Page 19

2 your homes Coast & Country Magazine

ContentsWelcomeHello from the Chair of the Board ........................................... 3

Welcome from the Tenant Communications Panel ................................................................. 4

The news, the views... the beatMissed appointments ..................................................................... 4

Your Homes goes digital! ............................................................... 5

Surprise Christmas present from Coast & Country ................................................................................. 5

Local Offer Consultation ....................................................... 6 - 7

Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast European Marine Site ..................................................................... 8

The household wish, Re:Furnish ............................................... 9

Journey into workCoast & Country boosts Steven’s employment prospects ................................................................ 10

Are you looking for work or training? ................................... 11

A week at Coast & Country by Max Jones ...................................................................................... 12

Coast & Country supports local Mining Museum ................................................................................. 13

Down on the farm

Training Update ................................................................................. 14

Easter treatsJoin the Friends of Westfield Farm ...................................... 15

In‘egg’spensive Easter Crafts .......................................... 16 - 17

New for youCommunity centre update .........................................................1 8

Safe and sound with Coast & CountryHomes for Britain ............................................................................. 19

Meet Bob & Beryl, our gas safety mascots ....................................................................................... 20 - 21

HomeCall making a difference .............................................. 22

Keeping our communities safe .............................................. 23

Time to test ......................................................................................... 23

Ready for the Care Act ................................................................ 24

Me & My Home .................................................................................. 25

STOP Hate Crime! ........................................................................... 25

Help with youGetting universal credit ready ................................................ 26

Could you have a rent free Christmas this year? ..................................................................... 26

Savvy Shoppers at your service ........................................... 27

Start Right, Stay Right ................................................................. 27

Tenants Annual ReportTenants Annual Report 2014 .......................................... 28 – 31

Welcome

3

Hello from the Chair of the BoardI’m Nigel Barton and am delighted to welcome you to this, my first edition of ‘Your Homes’ since being appointed as Chairman of the Coast & Country Board of Directors.

Firstly, I wanted to let you know the on-going work to change the Company’s status to a Community Benefit Society (CBS) is almost complete and on track to meet our target for completion on 1 April.

As I know we’ve already mentioned, you, our customers won’t even notice a change – it’ll be business as usual.

The change simply means we’ll be a charitable Company so although we’ll have some different ‘rules’ to abide by, the benefit of changing means we’ll be able to invest more in the services we provide to you in the future which is great news for us all!

Although I’m still getting to know everyone I am already really impressed with all of the work and services Coast & Country provide but just reading some of the great stories in this edition tells me there’s even more than I thought!

From the articles on pages 10 to 15 about how we’re helping people into work by offering our Forging Future work programme as well as the range of training opportunities at Westfield Farm I can see how our efforts really make a difference to our customers’ lives and communities.

As part of the Board’s role we also work closely with those customers who form the Tenants Panel and Resident Scrutiny Group – it’s great to know there are so many ways you can be involved, either formally or informally, so I would encourage you to visit our website to find out more.

(Above) Nigel Barton, Chair of the Board

your homes Coast & Country Magazine

01642 771 300 www.coastandcountryhousing.org.uk

Finally, and on behalf of the Board I would like to wish Ronny Harris, our Assistant Chief Executive well in her retirement and express our sincere thanks for her commitment and contribution since the Company was formed in 2002.

(Right) Ronny Harris, Assistant Chief

Executive, retires after almost 20

years service in the sector.

4

The news, the views... the beat


Missed appointmentsDid you know that each missed appointment costs Coast & Country around £50?

By providing us with your most up-to-date contact details, you can help us to avoid missed appointments and put the money back into your communities.

We offer a text messaging service for all tenants which sends you a reminder the

day before your appointment, so that you can either ensure that someone is home, or you can rearrange your appointment for a more suitable time.

To update your contact details you can either call our Customer Contact Centre on 01642 771300, or sign up for our new online portal, Me & My Home, at www.meandmyhome.org.uk.

Welcome from the Tenant Communications PanelHello readers,We hope you had a wonderful Christmas and new year; it’s hard to believe that Easter has come around so quickly!

With the school holidays coming up, we’ve been hard at work to try and find some low cost activities for the family to enjoy – take a look at our In“egg”spensive Easter Crafts on pages 16 - 17. Don’t forget to keep an eye on the local Council’s website to see what activities are available over the Easter period.

On page 19 you’ll find some information on the Homes for Britain campaign and details of how you can get involved. This is really important to all of us, with house prices rising for both sales and rent and housing not being fit-for-purpose, we need to work together to get housing on the agenda for the general election and end the housing crisis within a generation.

We hope you all have a lovely Easter break and we look forward to updating you on all the exciting things going on at Coast & Country again in the summer.

The Tenant Communications Panel

John, Rex, Anita, Ann and Linda

5your homes Coast & your homes Coast & Country Magazine Country Magazine


Your Homes goes digital!As you know, we’re very passionate about helping people to discover a new world online.

We want to provide you with the best services possible and ensure that we communicate in the most effective ways. We are now giving you the opportunity to receive Your Homes as an e-magazine straight to your email address! Once enough people have signed up, we will stop sending the

magazine to those who no longer require a paper copy. This will save money that we can reinvest back into your communities.

You could be in with a chance of winning a £50 shopping voucher of your choice if you’re one of the first 300 to sign up, so don’t miss out!

Don’t worry if you’re not confident online, we have Digital Champions who are here to help! Call 01642 771300 to find out more.

To sign up to receive Your Homes via email, please contact Katie Harding on 01642 771361 or email your name and home address to [email protected]

Surprise Christmas present from Coast & CountryCongratulations to Miss Hayton of Guisborough who was the lucky winner of our ‘clear rent account draw’ in December!

The winner was picked at random from all of our tenants who had a clear or a credit balance on their rent account at week ending 7 December 2014.

The prize was a luxury food and drinks hamper which was delivered in good time for Christmas. Miss Hayton was very surprised when her Rent Officer called at her house and said that she was “over the moon” with her win.

Why not see if you can have a rent free Christmas and be in with a chance of winning the next prize? See page 26 for further details.

Miss Hayton receiving hamper from her Rent Officer, Marina Wood

6



Local Offer Consultation

Customer ServiceWE WILL:

• Treat you with respect, deal with your enquiries effectively and behave professionally at all times. • Always show or wear identity badges. • Keep appointments that we make. • Respond to all complaints within 10 days and measure satisfaction on how complaints are dealt with. • Answer phone calls within 20 seconds. • Answer HomeCall alarm within 60 seconds and carry out an emergency visit within one hour• Respond to service requests within 10 working days. • Provide a range of ways for you to access our services. • Use plain language and different formats to make sure that our communications are easy to understand.

In 2010 we published our ‘Local Offer, which details the standard of service we want to deliver to our customers, and now we need your help to bring this up to date.

The Local Offer is split into five areas, Customer Service, Involvement and Consultation, Your Home, Your Neighbourhoods and Your Tenancy:

We feel that our Local Offer is ready for a refresh and we would really welcome any comments you may have on what should and shouldn’t be included. Everyone who gets in touch will be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 shopping voucher of their choice.

If you would like to share your views, please get in touch with Julie Felgate, Inclusion and Strategy Manager on 01642 836084 or e-mail [email protected]. Alternatively you can write to Julie at 14 Ennis Square, Dormanstown, Redcar, TS10 5JR.

This is YOUR local offer...

You could win a £100 shopping voucher!

Steeplechase, Redcar. One of our fantastic estates



Your Home

WE WILL:

• Maintain your home to the ‘Decent Homes’

standard as a minimum.

• Work to improve the energy efficiency of your

home.

• Continue to make your home safe with annual

gas servicing and fire and smoke alarm checks.

• Carry out repairs to your home based on the

targets in your repairs handbook, which are:

- Emergency within four hours

- Urgent within three working days

- Routine within 15 working days

- Planned within 45 working days

• Make an appointment to carry out repairs at

your convenience.

• Complete the repair, right first time, as often

as possible.

• Continue to offer an aids and adaptations

service within timescales agreed with you

individually.

Involvement and ConsultationWE WILL:• Provide you with information about how you can get involved in a way that suits you. • Support communities to work together. • Retain our national landlord accreditation award so you can be sure we are inclusive, involving and working together with our customers. • Measure your satisfaction with the overall service we provide.

• Gather your views on the ways in which you can get involved. • Offer training courses to help increase your knowledge and skills. • Regularly publish our performance information in key service areas, including complaints.

Your Neighbourhood

WE WILL:

• Measure and increase satisfaction with your

home and the place in which you live.

• Measure the time we take to respond to

your requests to deal with litter, shrub beds,

grass cutting and graffiti and agree standards

with you.

• Have a dedicated named Tenant Advisor who

will be responsible for your area.

• Respond to anti-social behaviour by

acknowledging your report within two

working days and agreeing a plan of action

and the level of support we will provide.

• Reduce the time it takes to resolve anti-

social behaviour.

• Work with partners to provide a better

approach to managing your neighbourhoods.

Your TenancyWE WILL:

• Provide an open and transparent allocations system through the Compass Choice Based Lettings scheme.

• Send out a rent statement every three months. • Provide advice to help you resolve money

problems or support you to get into work or training.

• Follow the Government’s rent setting formula when setting rents for existing tenants. • Tell you how rents are set if we introduce a

new Affordable Rent tenancy, and review this each time the tenancy ends. • Provide a firm but fair debt recovery service to

ensure that rent is paid when due. • Measure and reduce the number of empty homes and tenancies ending within 12 months.

• Let empty homes quickly and effectively.

8



Did you know that Teesmouth and the Cleveland Coast are European Marine Sites?

We are proud of the communities we live and work in and we’re committed to protecting, preserving and prolonging the wellbeing of our green spaces and our coastline, which is why we’re working with Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast to raise awareness on the issues affecting our coastline.

The Tees Estuary is best known as a thriving port for transport and industry. People are therefore surprised to hear that the estuary and its coastline are of international importance for birds and therefore are protected as a European Marine Site.

Industrial activities had a devastating impact on the Tees and its wildlife. Over a hundred years of industrial expansion, human population increase and associated discharges of untreated industrial and sewage effluent resulted in the estuary becoming virtually dead. At its low point in the early 1970’s the Tees was the UK’s most polluted estuary.

Since then a remarkable recovery has taken place and the Tees has come back to life. Significantly we now have succeeded in balancing the need of industry with the protection of environmentally sensitive areas.

One of the threats to the shorebirds is recreational disturbances; we are keen to get more visitors to enjoy our

fantastic coastline but we’d like them to behave responsibly. To reduce these disturbances a Code of Conduct has been produced. The Code applies to all coastal visitors and by following the simple guidance you can help protect our internationally important wildlife.

Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast European Marine Site

The Code can be found at the Marine Site website at http://www.teescoast.co.uk/code-of-conduct/. If you want any further information contact our European Marine Site Officer [email protected]

Harbour seals hauled out at Seal Sands with Tata Steel works at South Gare in the background. Taken by David Miles, 2014.



The household wish, Re:Furnish

Need some interior design inspiration? Re:Furnish can help in two simple ways...

Firstly, if you have any old or unwanted furniture, stop and think before you send it off to landfill. Re:Furnish, our very own furniture recycling project based in Saltburn, is a greener, smarter alternative to landfill waste. Re:Furnish will pick up your old furniture from across Redcar & Cleveland for free, without you even needing to leave the comfort of your own home!

Secondly, Re:Furnish can help you if you’re looking for a low cost, high quality alternative to expensive high street prices.

Re:Furnish works by transforming old unwanted furniture and finding it a new

home to be Re:Loved by someone who truly needs it. You may be asking yourself, “Is my furniture good enough?” The answer is yes - Re:Furnish will accept almost any furniture, just give them a call!

Kaye Rideout, Manager at Re:Furnish, explains: “Here at Re:Furnish, we pride ourselves on how we can do our best to give to people in need. We are fully committed to making sure that we do our bit to help out all the people who may be on a low income, or moving into their first home; we just want a fair society.

“We’ve received some wonderful feedback since the store opened, both on the phone and through social media, we are thrilled to hear that our customers are happy with the service we’re providing.”

In the coming months, the team will be working hard to increase the profile of the store and help more people to Re:Furnish for less. So if you want to get your hands on low cost, high quality furniture, look no further than Re:Furnish.

Call: 01287 622325Email: [email protected] us at: Re:Furnish Emporium, Diamond Street, Saltburn-by-the Sea, TS12 1EB

We are open 10am - 4pm Monday - Friday and 10am - 2pm Saturdays

(Left) Re:Furnish Emporium shop floor

10

Journey into work


Coast & Country boosts Steven’s employment prospectsSteven McCorry, from Dormanstown, is profoundly deaf and has found it difficult to gain work experience in the past.

After being unemployed for more than five years, Steven attended one of our Work Hubs, part of the Journey into Work scheme, to see what Coast & Country could offer. He was referred to our Forging Futures programme which, following an employment course, can offer three to six month work placements.

Steven applied for a work placement with Coast & Country and has been working as a labourer on the Crown House project in Middlesbrough and at community centres around the area.

Crown House, the former DSS office, is being brought back to life as part of the Boho 6 Middlehaven

Waterfront mixed use regeneration project, with Coast & Country’s Empty Homes scheme playing a significant role.

Funded by the Homes & Communities Agency, the Empty Homes scheme aims to revitalise long-term empty properties whilst providing training, volunteering and work opportunities. Those who participate in the project benefit from training and development, helping them to gain skills which lead to meaningful employment.

Forging Futures is a pioneering initiative that delivers bespoke training and is designed to motivate and increase self-esteem, as well as providing unemployed people with the skills to actively seek and secure future learning and employment opportunities.

Emma Tooth, Community Investment Officer at Coast & Country, said: “Steven is doing very well in his

work placements, acquiring valuable experience and skills and gaining in confidence.

“This is a fantastic example of three of our innovative schemes working together for the benefit

of an individual and the wider community. Coast & Country is about a lot more than just housing and we are very proud of the community involvement that really does change lives.”

The pop-up work hub is coming to your area! Drop in to see a member of our team - no appointment needed!

We offer :

• A supportive environment for your job search• C.S.C.S card mock testing• Supportwithfindingwork,ortraining• Access to the internet• Professional information and advice.

For more information please call Johanna Watts on 01642 837266or email [email protected]

Are you looking for work or trainingJoin us at our pop-up work hub!

Mondays - 9.30am - 12.30pmThe Library @ South Bank

Wednesdays - 9.30am - 12.30pmWestfield Farm, Dormanstown

Thursdays - 9.30am - 12.30pmGrangetown Library

12

Journey into work


What did I do?

“During my week at Coast & Country, I worked within the Communications Team, on a marketing project for Re:Furnish.

I learnt so much and had a great deal to take away with me. It wasn’t just a work experience placement, it was a real job and I really was part of the team.”

What did I learn?

“I learnt so many great skills that will help me in the future, with my education, and in my career. Not only has this work experience given me practical, work-based skills, but it has helped build my social skills and increase my confidence. I think this was one of the biggest things for me, I’m no longer afraid to speak in public and meet new people, this was one of my biggest fears after leaving school, and Coast & Country have really helped prepare me for the future.

They made sure I had tangible and valuable things to take away with me so I can continue to improve and develop in the future.”

Would I recommend a work experience placement at Coast & Country?

“I would absolutely recommend Coast & Country, the training and the experience you get is truly one of a kind. I got to work with some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet; I feel honoured to have worked there and look forward to what the future holds.”

“Thank you, Coast & Country”

A week at Coast & Country by Max Jones

Max Jones, Communications work experience placement

13your homes Coast & Country Magazine


We have given Skinningrove Mining Museum a helping hand after certain areas of the building had fallen into disrepair.

Coast & Country gave the Museum a boost by pledging two apprentices, free of charge, to carry out the work and potentially save the building from closing down.

Following a refurbishment in 2008/09, it now offers a shop, reception area, small cinema and a fully equipped first floor learning and meeting room.

Jean Banwell, Marketing Manager at Skinningrove Mining Museum, said: “We are so grateful to Coast & Country Housing and its two skilled apprentices. The work has been a huge success. Preserving Cleveland’s heritage is important to the region and we do rely on the generosity of local businesses to help keep our history accessible for the public to see.

“Thank you again to the team at Coast & Country for all its help and support.”

Skinningrove Mining Museum is a fascinating reminder of our area’s history and it gives visitors, and particularly local school children, the opportunity to see how our region has progressed over the years.

Coast & Country supports local Mining Museum

Coast & Country apprentices support Skinningrove Mining Museum

14

Down at the farm


We have also put on some of our old favourites: basic plastering, painting and tiling, IOSH working safely, standby firewatch, first aid and COSHH.

We’re really proud of the fact all of our courses are completely FREE, with priority given to people who live in our properties and residents of the Redcar & Cleveland area.

On average, each course costs £50 per person. It is vital that we receive value for money and the course content and teaching quality is of a high standard, so we ask our learners to evaluate every course and suggest new ones, particularly those that will improve their employment, education, training and volunteering opportunities.

Training Update

For more information or to book your place on the following courses planned from April to June, contact the Community Investment team on 01642 771300

It’s been a busy three months for training at Westfield Farm in Dormanstown and we have delivered a range of new courses including: basic upholstery, cooking on a budget, manicure and nail art, eyebrow shaping and false eyelashes, gas safety and asbestos awareness.

Functional Skills English Each Tuesday, 10am - 12pm

Functional Skills Maths Each Tuesday, 1pm - 3pm

Composting Wednesday 8 April and 22 April, 4 - 6pm

CCSNG Site Safety Passport Wednesday 22 April and Thursday 23 April. Two day course, 9am - 4:30pm

Bee Keeping Thursday 30 April, 7 and 14 May, Three day course, 9.30am - 2.30pm



Join the Friends of Westfield Farm

Westfield Farm is a beautiful Grade ll listed farm house which has been refurbished into a training and resource centre for the local community.

To ensure that this beautiful building is used to its full potential, we established the Friends of Westfield Farm group last year and we’re now looking for new members! The group meet on the last Wednesday of every month from 2pm – 4pm, so why not come along, enjoy a cup of tea and share your thoughts on the Farm?

New faces are always welcome, so if you have any ideas of how we can improve Westfield Farm for our local residents, or would like to find out a little more about the group, get in touch!

Call Barry McBride, Westfield Farm Co-ordinator on 07825 402970 or pop along to the meeting at Westfield Farm, The Green, Dormanstown, TS10 5NA.

Westfield Farm, Community Training and Resource Centre

Easter treats!

your homes Coast & Country Magazine16

In‘egg’spensive

Easter CraftsGet creativeDon’t worry if it’s raining outside, sit down

with the kids and be creative! You could

decorate eggs, set out a treasure hunt and

design cards, baskets or bunny ears. You could

even print out some Easter pictures for little

ones to colour in. Take a look at some of our

favourite ideas…

Send the little ones on a treasure hunt Liven up a dull afternoon by creating your own treasure hunt. Hide a few items around the house or in the garden (little toys, chocolate eggs, etc.) for your children to find. They could be given a treasure map, or clues/riddles to solve to find their prize, but don’t make it too tough - as a rule, the number of clues set should equal the child’s age.

your homes Coast & Country Magazine 17

Colour me in

Every little helps…Did you know that Tesco has a wide range of Easter craft ideas online? This includes printable colouring in pictures and healthy recipes for Spring 2015! All you have to do is visit www.tescoliving.com then type ‘Easter’ into the top right search bar. They also have lots of other fantastic activities and information for families, beauty, health and wellbeing, smart living and homes.

Easter craftsLow cost Easter crafts are available to buy

from as low as £1!

Poundland have some great arts, crafts and

baking kits in-store for Easter, so why not

take a trip to your local store and keep the

kids entertained for less!

The Works bookstore also have some great

craft ideas in-store and on their website,

including Easter bonnet making kits, card

making kits, colouring in sets, stickers, and

much more!

Visit www.theworks.co.uk/c/easter-crafts

to see what’s on offer.



New for you

The group’s main aim is to increase the usage in all of our seven centres, so since their last meeting they have been working on updating the community centre booklet to promote a fresh new look for our community centres, including a change in price and discount incentives. The booking price is now £8 per hour and you can also receive a 50% discount if you recommend a friend.

The focus group have also met with our key holders and developed a ‘Key Holders Pack’ so that all the information they need is in one place. They have also worked together to make some changes to the Community Centre Hire Pack to make sure it is fit-for-purpose.

Community centres are ideal for a variety of activities including meetings, fitness classes, children’s’ parties and much more. We are looking for your support to help promote our centres for you, your family or friends.

Our seven centres are:

• Cliff Houlding, Dormanstown

• Severn Road, Redcar

• Sleights Court, Guisborough

• Luke Senior Hall, Loftus

• Wykeham Court, Skelton

• Birkdale Drive, Eston

• Oakley Walk, Normanby

Community centre updateWe recently relaunched our Community Buildings Focus Group and, following a recruitment session, have gained 10 new members.

For more information or to find out how to make a booking, please contact Elaine Cundall, Community Investment Admin Assistant on 01642 836060 or email [email protected].

your homes Coast & Country Magazine 19

www.coastandcountryhousing.org.uk01642 771 300

The ‘Homes for Britain’ campaign aims to bring together all those who believe everyone has a right to a decent affordable home to call their own.

The campaign, which is being led by the National Housing Federation, has gathered support from thousands of people across the country, who have joined forces with organisations from every corner of the housing world - that’s where we come in!We all stand united behind a simple, clear message:

We are calling for all political parties to commit to end the housing crisis within a generation.

The time has come to end the housing crisis. For the sake of the next generation we must act now.

The General Election in 2015 provides the opportunity to show politicians that the public want to see a dramatic change. It’s a chance to highlight that we need to build more homes and take action to ensure everyone has a decent, affordable home.

To get involved in the campaign:

• Register your support at www.homesforbritain.org.uk/get-involved/

• Tell us why you think we need to tackle the housing crisis on social media using the hashtag #homesforbritain

• Tweet or write to your local MPs and ask them to pledge their support to end the housing crisis within a generation

• And most importantly, register to vote at: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

We can’t end the housing crisis without your help… Make your pledge today and help support housing for tomorrow

Homes for Britain

Safe and sound with Coast & Country


Meet Bob & Beryl our gas safety mascots

Morning Beryl, how are you feeling? I think I must have drank too

much last night, I have a stinking headache...

Hi Bob, I‛m not feeling too good either. I have a headache and I‛m feeling really sick.

Oh dear, I‛m sure we will feel better soon. I‛m going out to see

to the pigeons, see you later!

That‛s good. I‛m afraid I still feel terrible,

I‛ve booked an appointment with the doctor.

Two hours later...

I‛m back, Beryl!Being outside has helped

a lot, I feel great now.

2 HOURS LATER



I told the doctor that we‛d both been feeling ill this morning, but both felt lots better after

being outside. He asked if we‛d had our gas fire checked lately, but I told him we‛d been too busy.

The landlord has been trying to get in - I‛ll ring him now and make an appointment.

Okay, love. Why don‛t you walk? The fresh air

will do you good.

An hour later...Would you believe, I felt much better

by the time I got there?

2 HOURS LATER

The engineer called later that day and found one of Bob‛s pigeons had blocked the chimney, meaning carbon monoxide was building up in their house. After the pigeon was removed, both Bob and Beryl felt much better.

THE NEXT DAY

22



The daughter of an elderly woman has offered her heartfelt thanks to HomeCall, crediting the team with saving her elderly mother’s life.

Liz Eaton, from Middlesbrough, was alerted to her mother’s life threatening situation by the HomeCall 24/7 contact centre after her mother, Veronica Taylor, 84, contacted the service using her personal alarm pendent. Veronica used the emergency contact system provided by HomeCall after suffering what transpired to be a potentially deadly stroke.

Following the terrifying incident, HomeCall staff immediately raised the alarm and alerted the emergency services, who quickly sent an ambulance to assist a very distressed Veronica. Veronica is now back home and continues to live independently.

Liz Eaton said: “I cannot speak more highly of the HomeCall service. Although my family and I visit Mum often, unfortunately we can’t be there all the time. HomeCall gives us such peace of mind and it allows our Mum to have a great quality of life and still live independently. The staff are so friendly, professional and polite, and really make the effort to build a relationship with Mum.

“Without a doubt this service saved Mum’s life and we are so, so grateful. The experience was truly horrific, and we can’t bear to think of what could have happened to Mum if HomeCall hadn’t been on hand . I recommend HomeCall to anybody with elderly or disabled family members; it could be the difference between life and death.”

To Liz and the rest of the family, knowing Veronica has the support of the HomeCall service is a huge relief, “To know that Mum has HomeCall on hand to support her through her recovery gives us so much reassurance. We want nothing more than for Mum to feel safe, secure and to be able to maintain her independence for as long as possible. We know that HomeCall will allow her to do this.”

If you or your loved ones would like to speak to the HomeCall team about the services they offer, our friendly staff will be happy to help. Contact us on 01642 771 339 or visit www.homecall.me.

HomeCall making a difference



If a fire breaks out in your home. Get out, stay out and call 999www.gov.uk/firekills

TIME TO TEST You are at least four times more likely to die in a fire in your home if you have no working smoke alarm

These simple steps can reduce the risk of fire and keep everyone safer:

Fit smoke alarms on every level of your home

Test them on the 1st of every month andnever take out the batteries

Plan your escape route and make sure everyone knows it

Put cigarettes out – right out – and never smoke in bed

Take extra care in the kitchen and never leave cooking unattended

Make a bedtime check last thing at night to reduce fire risks – eg unplug heaters

Never try to tackle a fire yourself

In England over 200 people die each year in fires in their homes. These are often caused by smoking materials, cooking accidents, candles and faulty electrical wiring or appliances – especially heaters.

Test your smoke alarms on the first of every month, then you know that they’re working. Don’t take risks with your family when a simple action is all that’s needed. It’s your life, take extra care of it.

It has been brought to our attention that needles and syringes have been found in some of our local areas.

The dumping of drug litter is bothreckless and irresponsible. If anyonesees anything that looks remotelylooks like drug debris, they shouldreport it to either Coast & Countryon 01642 771300 or the Councilon 01642 774774, giving clearinformation about where this debriscan be found.

We would appeal to anyone who sees any fences or property being damaged, or illegal activity going on, to report it to Coast & Country and the Police to ensure safety of residents.

Keeping our communities safe...

HomeCall making a difference


Ready for the Care ActRedcar and Cleveland Borough Council is reassuring its residents that it is well prepared for the national introduction of the Care Act from April 1 this year.

The Care Act is new legislation, introduced by the government to update the way in which adult social care and support is provided and funded. The changes to how care is provided come into force on April 1 2015 while the changes to how care is funded come into force in April 2016.

The Act sets out how people, irrespective of where they live will be assessed for care and support and the basis on which their entitlement to care and support is decided. It also affects people who care for family and friends as it gives carers the entitlement to receive support in their own right.

From April 2016, the government is planning to introduce changes designed to limit the amount anyone has to pay over their lifetime for care and support services, this is sometimes referred to as a ‘care cap.’ The details of how this will work are still subject to discussion and final decisions are not likely until much later in 2015.

Many of the changes introduced by the Care Act are already in line with how Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council delivers its Adult Social Care support to residents. It builds on their commitment to putting local people in control of the help they receive and placing their wellbeing and what is important to them and their family, at the heart of all their decisions about care and support.

This means that the changes are unlikely to affect anyone who is already receiving care and support from the Council.

But the Council is also responding to the Care Act by improving the way they provide some of our services. They are developing their online Peoples Information Network (PIN) to give residents easier access to information about care and support services as well as community groups and activities that can support health and wellbeing.

The Council already offers support to people who care for a family member or friend, but they are working in partnership with Carers Together, a local voluntary sector organisation to ensure that all carers receive the support that they need to look after their own wellbeing and continue in their caring role.

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For more information about the Care Act, go to www.gov.uk/careandsupport, or visit their website www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk.

The PIN is available at www.peoplesinfonet.org.uk

Carers Together website can be found at www.carerstogether.co.uk




Me & My HomeWhen you sign up to our online portal, you can easily manage your tenancy online, including the ability to pay your rent, manage your personal details, view rent statements, report a repair and view its progress.

Me & My Home is not only simple to use, but quick and easy to sign up, so don’t delay!

To register, please visit www.meandmyhome.org.uk today!

Are you signed up to Me & My Home?

What is hate crime?A hate crime has taken place where the victim believes the crime occurred because of who they are.

This could be because of their disability (physical, mental or learning disability), ethnicity, race, religion, belief, sexual orientation or transgender identity.

If you have access to the internet and have a minute to spare (it is only a minute long!) watch the ‘Don’t be a Bystander!’ video at http://nobystanders.org.uk/ and stand up to bullying if you hear it. You can also share your support by signing the ‘NoBystanders’ pledge displayed under the video clip.

Remember – all of our offices are reporting centres, which means anyone (including a witness or someone on behalf of the victim) can come here to report hate crime.

We have a guide for tenants to explain how we will deal with reports. We treat all reports seriously and confidentially and will take action where this is agreed with the victim. Our website has a “hate crime” page with further information and from there you can report incidents online - visit www.coastandcountryhousing.org.uk/hate-crime.

Don’t suffer in silence – report it!

If you would like to learn more about reporting a hate crime, please contact Sharon Dalton, Compliance Manager on 01642 836052 or email [email protected].

STOP Hate Crime!“There’s no race, no religion, no class system, no colour, nothing, no sexual orientation that makes us better than anyone else - we are all deserving of love”

Sandra Bullock.

Help with Money


Getting universal credit readyIt has been announced that universal credit will come to Redcar and Cleveland in early 2016; at first it will affect new single claimants who would have otherwise claimed Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) but the scheme will then steadily roll out to families and other claimants.

Here are a few tips to help you get prepared for this change in benefit.

1. You will need a bank account – have you got one?

2. You will need to apply for benefit online – do you have access to the internet and do you feel comfortable using it?

3. You will be paid in arrears – are you confident that you can budget and monitor your spend to get you through the initial payment period and the future?

If you answer no to any of these questions then help is at hand.

Could you have a rent free Christmas this year?Christmas can be an expensive time for everyone, so why not give yourself a rent free week next Christmas?

By paying a little bit extra on your rent every week, you could have enough credit to cover your Christmas and even new year payments! We send out rent statements every 13 weeks so you can keep a track of your credit.

Please call the Welfare Reform Team on 01642 837277 to get the help you need to be universal credit ready. We can even refer you to our Digital Champions if you need assistance to get online.

For more information on how to give yourself a rent free Christmas, please call the Rents Team on 01642 771326/771327.



Savvy Shoppers, at your service!Do you often wonder how you could cut the cost of your weekly shop, or would like to learn some new skills to help you save money?

You may benefit from the help of one of our Savvy Shoppers! They offer helpful advice on a one-to-one basis and can even come shopping with you up to twice a week!

If you would like to find out more about how a Savvy Shopper could help you, please call Claire Barnett, Welfare Reform Manager on 01642 837277 or email [email protected]

Our ‘Start Right, Stay Right’ Money Advisors have been providing valuable support and advice to all new tenants to help them get off to the best possible start in their tenancies; making sure they can manage their bills and remain in their homes.

We are delighted to now be able to offer this service to all tenants!

There are many ways we can help you including:

• Making sure you have the right amount of benefits coming in each week

• Looking at what you pay out and helping you to find the best deals on gas and electricity and other bills

• Working out a weekly budget to help you manage your money better and provide support and advice to make sure you stick to it

• Applying for grants or low cost loans for furniture or white goods such as beds, cookers or washing machines

• Referring you for help to get a job or training to make sure you have the best chance of finding work

• Providing support and advice to sort out your debts

• And much more!

If you think you could benefit from the help of one of our Money Advisors, please call on 01642 771424.

Other advice

If you are dissatisfied with a benefit or tax credit decision we can help you to ask for the decision to be looked at again. We can also assist you to appeal decisions and may represent you at tribunals. If you would like help, please give our Benefit Caseworker, Jackie Dale, a call on 01642 836056.

Start Right, Stay Right

Tenants Annual Report


At Coast & Country we pride ourselves in working with you to make sure we shape our services to meet your needs, and to ensure that the information we present to you is a fair and honest reflection of our performance. This report provides you with information on how we have delivered our service and presents feedback from customer surveys showing how we performed against your expectations, our annual targets and last year’s performance.

During the year up to March 2014, our Property & Assets Team spent approximately £7.6 million to support the improvement of our properties and estates. All of the improvements we carry out will help to ensure that you get the quality homes and estates you deserve – now and in the future.

Tenants Annual Report 2014

Measure

Your satisfaction with repairs service

Percentage of repairs completed on time

Percentage of repairs completed right first time

Percentage of homes with a valid gas safety certificate

Our target Performance this year

Green, amber, red?

9.5 / 10

99.2%

95.5%

100%

9.6 / 10

98.9%

95.5%

99.8%

Our performance

We carried out a staggering 42,696 day to day repairs and 10,901 gas safety checks

Introduction

Maintenance

The Key

We want to let you know how we are performing, so have developed a key to indicate how we’re doing:

Could improve

Exceeding

Doing ok



In this section we look at the way in which we let our homes. The Tenancy Standard says that we should:

• Let our homes in a fair, transparent and efficient way• Have clear application, decision making and appeals procedure in place• Support tenants to maintain their tenancy and prevent evictions

Your tenancy

Your neighbourhood and community

Measure Our target Performance this year

Green, amber, red?

Percentage of anti-social behaviour complainants acknowledged within one working day

98.0% 97.8%

Average number of days to resolve cases of anti-social behaviour

35 25

In this section we look at how we work with you and our partners to ensure our neighbourhoods and communities are the places that you enjoy living in. The Neighbourhood and Community Standard says that we should:

• Keep estates and communal areas clean and tidy

• Work with you and our partners to improve neighbourhoods

We work hard with our partners, including the Police, Local Authority and other Housing Providers to crack down on anti-social behaviour and make our communities safer, more pleasant places to be.

Measure

How long does it take to let an empty property?

Our target Performance this year

Green, amber, red?

19.0 days 27.5 days

Rent arrears as a percentage of the annual debit 4.00% 3.14%

Percentage of rent lost through homes being empty 1.00% 2.03%

Your overall satisfaction with new tenancies 8.9 / 10 8.9 / 10

Percentage of rent collected 99.4% 99.62%

Our performance

Our performance

TO LET

In 2013 / 14 we let 1,235 homes and received 2,525 housing applications.

Tenants Annual Report


Service Area 2013/14

Property and Assets 34

Commercial 3

Improvements 2

Responsive repairs 16

Voids 3

Garden maintenance 1

Estate services 1

Development 2

Asset management 5

Planned works 1Percentage of complaints responded to within 10 working days

Our target 100%

Performance this year 100%

Performance last year 100%

Total complaints received this year 52

Total complaints received last year 50

Service Area 2013/14

Housing operations 18

Allocations 6

Tenancy management 2

Anti-social behaviour 3

Contact centre 2

HomeCall

Empty homes

1

In this section, we look at how we’ve supported our tenants to get involved and supported them in their journey back into work. In 2013/14 we spent:

• £11,300 on residents training• £5,000 on community projects and events• £22,800 on formal involvement• £2,250 supporting residents groups.

Complaints by service area

Involvement and empowerment

2

Rent and service charge 2



Have your say! Get involved!

Value for Money

The Tenant Panel have a wide and varied role here at Coast & Country. In between setting high standards of customer care and shaping or reviewing policies, we work closely with teams from across the Company to make sure that the voice of tenants is reflected in every area of the business.

Whatever Coast & Country do, we are involved, making valuable recommendations and giving the Company the benefit of our experience. After all, who knows more about what matters to tenants than tenants?

The Tenant Panel is a great way of meeting new people and learning new skills and we are always keen to hear from new members. Why not get in touch to learn more today?

Kim Gallagher, Chair of the Tenant Panel

We have a wide range of groups and activities that our customers can choose to get involved in, and we are always interested in hearing from people who want to join in. For more information on the groups and activities available please contact our Community Investment Team on 01642 836060 or visit our website www.coastandcountryhousing.org.uk.

In this section, we look at how we use your rent and how we achieve value for money. The Value for Money Standard says that we should provide value for money in everything that we do through efficient, high quality services and homes that meet your needs.

To this end, we developed a Value for Money Focus Group, which includes representation from staff and tenants. The group’s achievements have included introducing staff value for money briefings, raising Board awareness, introducing suggestion cards and the creation of scorecards to monitor performance.

Across the Company, we worked hard in 2013/14 to secure an estimated £1,757,131 worth of value for money efficiency savings.

We spent £55.7 million in 2013/14, here’s how:

Repairs and maintenance £8.9m

Property and estate improvements £7.6m

Regeneration and development £18.8m

Service expenditure £2.3m

Housing management £9.3m

Loan interest payments £8.8m

Contact us...

Headquarters14 Ennis SquareDormanstownRedcarTS10 5JR

Tel: 01642 771300

Text: 07860017148

Email: [email protected]

www.coastandcountry housing.org.uk

Contact Headquarters if you have any enquiries on:

• Customer complaints• Resident involvement• Rent account• Repairs, including out of hours• Home contents insurance• Right to buy• Money advice• Employment and training advice• Meeting room hire• HomeCall Services

Rent Services

Tel: 01642 771326 / 771327

Local Offices

Contact your local Housing Office if you have any queries regarding:

• Your rent account• Housing• Management & Estate Services

East Cleveland Office

1A Woodhouse RoadGuisboroughTS14 6LH

Tel: 01642 836004

Redcar Office

14 Ennis Square, DormanstownRedcar, TS10 5JR

Tel: 01642 836005

Grangetown Office

Barbara Bowater HouseKingsley RoadGrangetown, TS6 7PW

Tel: 01642 836010

Spencerbeck Office

Spencerbeck House, TS7 9PZ

Tel: 01642 836009

South Bank Estate Management Board

11/13 Steele Crescent, TS6 6QJ(limited opening hours)

Tel: 01642 836072

Get connectedWe now have over 1,460 likes on Facebook, plus we have Facebook pages for Westfield Farm and Re:Furnish Emporium. You can also follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Find us now on Facebook www.facebook.com/coastandcountryhousing

Follow us on Twitter @cchousingonline

Connect with us on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/coast-&-country-housing

Need another format?

If you require this information in another format or language please let us know on any of the contact details.

your homes issue 5 march 2015

Documents