Homes PeopleWinter 2019/2020

and

What’s inside

• Celebrating 100 years of council housing!

• Annual Report 2018/19

• Give us your feedback for a chance to win £50 voucher…

and working

Finding the perfect home for me…Some of you may have met Dave Maddams before – he’s a new tenant at Riverside Court, Farnham after downsizing earlier this year from his three bedroom house.

Or visit: www.waverley.gov.uk/seniorliving

Thinking of downsizing?We have eight Senior Living schemes across Waverley providing safe, secure homes and independent living for over 60s.

To apply and find out more, arrange a visit by contacting:

Since settling into his new home, Dave has become a popular resident amongst his fellow neighbours, volunteered at social events and become a Tenants Panel member.

Last year, after almost 30 years of being a council tenant, Dave decided to attend his first housing event. It was here

that he learnt all about Senior Living and the benefits of downsizing, which in his case have included: living closer to Farnham town, enjoying the nearby leisure facilities, making new friends and feeling a sense of community.

Although the move was a bit stressful for Dave and he could have done with more help with packing up and clearing out his old home, he did it with the help of friends and close neighbours. As he didn’t need all the things he collected over the years in his house, he used Freecycle and Facebook to list a lot of his unwanted stuff.

However, since moving into his new abode, Dave has never looked back. He enjoys the new friendships he has made and loves his new environment.

He said: “We have our own dining room, we chat, drink tea and eat cake, talk about BREXIT and generally reminisce. We are just a close knit family. I’m a 100% happier here and life just could not get any better.”

Dave has also relished his new role as a member on the Tenants’ Panel. By being involved he hopes to help make decisions which benefit his neighbours and the wider community.

By being part of the panel he has highlighted that more awareness needs to be made about how you go about downsizing, recommending that support is given to those who need help to move and that people realise the many benefits of downsizing.

Blunden Court, Bramley 01483 893 525

Bowring House, Farncombe01483 426 669

Dower House, Milford01483 422 910

Falkner Court, Farnham01252 737 316

Moat Lodge, Cranleigh01483 275 975

Riverside Court, Farnham01252 712 635

Rolston House, Haslemere0148 652 851

Shepherds Court, Farnham01252 727 157

The Access to Leisure card is offered at all five leisure centres in Waverley and provides users with 50% off a number of fitness activities including swimming, going to the gym or attending group exercise classes.

To find out more and to check whether you are eligible for a card visit: www.waverley.gov.uk/accesstoleisurecard

Access to Leisure card

Welcome to the Winter edition of Waverley Homes and People.

First of all, I’d like to introduce myself and say ‘hello’. Earlier this year, I was delighted to become the council’s Portfolio Holder for Housing and I am committed to providing decent, safe homes for anyone who cannot afford market housing in the borough.

When living in a beautiful borough with exceptionally high housing costs, I believe council housing should be celebrated and recognised as a local treasure. Having personally benefited from council housing myself in my lifetime, I can safely say I am totally committed to promoting and improving our valuable housing service.

My first six months as portfolio holder have been fun and full of challenges. I was delighted to attend all the summer parties to celebrate 100 years of council housing. It was a pleasure to meet some of you and listen to your amazing life stories. (See more about the event on pages 8 and 9)

I have been welcomed by your tenant volunteers and I am immensely impressed at their dedication and ability to ensure your views are included in decision making. Everyone‘s views and experiences are important and there are a range of volunteering opportunities, from capturing your neighbours views and managing social media to party planning. Training and support is available so why not get in touch? (Find more details on page 14)

I’ve had to get my head around the housing finances too - there is around £30 million in rent collected each year. The housing Annual Report gives a great overview, illustrating how each pound of your rent money is spent and what the housing service has delivered. (Pages 10 and 11 have more information)

Finally, after feeling disheartened about the negative stereotypes that have plagued council housing in recent years, I have signed up to the See the Person campaign, to pledge to challenge these stereotypes and promote the worth of social housing.

I look forward to continuing to work for you with the help and support of our tenant volunteers and housing team.

Best wishes

Councillor Anne-Marie Rosoman Portfolio holder for Housing and Community Safety

Welcome

Be ProudOver the past few decades unfavourable stereotypes of council tenants have grown and been perpetuated by the press. These stereotypes do not reflect our experience of providing homes. The Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee completed a piece of research with tenants and residents to see if there was any stigma attached to council homes and tenants in Waverley. Our research found that over a quarter of tenants had been made to feel uncomfortable about being council tenants. No one should feel this way so we’ve created an action plan to raise the profile of social housing, to promote the benefits and contribution council housing makes. We will be:

• reviewing and promoting who can apply and how to apply for housing

• building quality new homes and working with developers to do the same

• training staff, members and contractors on respect and awareness

• focusing on kerb appeal and outside improvements for our homes

• promoting council housing to change perceptions.

The Tenants Panel and the Housing service have all joined the See the Person Campaign to pledge our support to tackling negative stereotypes of social housing. We know that council homes are full of hard working, community minded and inspirational people. We can all play a part in turning around the negative view by sharing our life stories.

Share your life storyWhat’s good about living in a Waverley home? What makes you proud? Where can we improve?

Contact: service.improvement@waverley.gov.uk or call 01483 523196.

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Ockford Ridge: a panoramic view

Topping out to say thanks…

Supporting your community projects In our last newsletter we asked for your suggestions for mini community or estate projects to improve your area.

Rolston House tenants did just this and nominated their communal garden for a mini makeover. With a little help from contractors, they removed an old dilapidated shed and tidied up the overgrown area to allow access for a new shed where they can now store their gardening tools.

Spending time in the garden is hugely popular among residents and they enjoyed working together to make a positive difference to their garden plus feeling a sense of purpose and achievement once the work had been completed.

Gardening has many health and wellbeing benefits associated with it - whether it’s moving around, getting outside in the fresh air, or having something to care for and nurture, there’s a number of reasons why gardening can be beneficial for your mind, body and soul.

Send us your suggestions to improve your area for your community: service.improvement@waverley.gov.uk or call 01483 523196.

all bright ideas welcome

Work is rapidly progressing to improve and rebuild our council homes at Ockford Ridge, Godalming. Have you seen our new interactive panoramic drone photographs of the Ockford Ridge estate? Visit the Ockford Ridge Redevelopment page on our website, and you can use your mouse to move the picture and view Ockford Ridge and the surrounding area from almost any angle.

Waverley officers, representatives of the Tenants Panel and ward councillors recently joined senior Thakeham staff for a ‘Topping Out’ ceremony for Site A at the Ockford Ridge Development.

Topping Out is an opportunity to thank and congratulate the whole site team, celebrating that the build is on schedule and of excellent quality.

A fading tradition, ‘Topping Out’ has been celebrated in construction for centuries and takes place around the time the first roof goes onto one of the new homes.

In proper builder’s style, success was celebrated with bacon and sausage sandwiches, accompanied with a hot cup of tea.

The image will be updated every month, to record the progress of our ambitious Regeneration Programme across the entire estate.

More information is available at: www.waverley.gov.uk/ockfordridge

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Keep you and your house warm over the winterHere’s our top tips to keep you feeling cosy.

This yearly service is required by law and is completed for your health and safety. It also ensures the smooth running of systems as any faults can be identified and fixed before they cause a problem.

Please work with us by making an appointment when requested for your annual service. The services generally take under an hour and we will check your smoke alarms too.

Annual gas servicing Customer feedback surveys by Voluntas

Is everything in the garden rosy?Are you happy with the way we maintain the green spaces in your neighbourhood?

Wrap up warm by wearing several layers of clothes rather than one chunky layer. Clothes made from wool, cotton or fleecy fabrics are the warmest. When you’re indoors, wear warm socks and slippers to keep your feet cosy.

Keep warm in bed by using a hot water bottle or having an electric blanket – but don’t use both at the same time!

Enjoy a hot meal at least once a day. Porridge, soup and stews are all good to warm you from the inside and drink hot beverages regularly.

Stay active and try not to sit still for more than an hour or so. Get up, stretch your legs and make yourself a warm drink.

Get the flu jab by contacting your GP to book in your free flu jab if you are aged 65 or over, pregnant, have an underlying health condition, are a frontline health or social care worker or are the main carer for an older

or disabled person. Primary aged children can have a flu vaccine nasal spray.

Thick curtains can stop you losing heat through the windows. Curtains with thermal lining are relatively cheap to buy or you can line them yourself with cheap fleece or even PVC shower curtains. Curtains in front of doors also add another layer of protection.

Let the sunlight in during the day and make the most of natural, free, heat from the sun. Keep your curtains open during the day but close them at dusk to retain that heat.

Keep radiators clear by moving large pieces of furniture away from them and allow the heat to circulate through the room.

Cover bare floorboards with carpets and rugs and save around 10% of heat while keeping your feet warm.

Maintain the temperature and heat your home to at least 18°C (65°F). If you can’t heat all the rooms you use, heat the living room during the day and the bedroom just before you go to sleep. To find out more about the benefits available for help with bills visit: www.gov.uk/warmthiswinter

Draught excluders prevent draughts from the bottom of doors. You can make your own with an old pair of tights stuffed with old socks, rice, lentils or gravel.

Contact your water and power suppliers to see if you can be on the Priority Services Register; a service for older people or those with pre-school children or a disability. Those registered will get priority support in an emergency eg power cut or interrupted water supply.

We use this information to understand what we are doing well and where we can improve. The Housing Customer Service Team work in partnership with our Contractor MPS to ensure we listen and respond to your feedback.

Using an independent organisation for these surveys, offers us the best value for money and allows you to be completely honest about what you think.

When are surveys carried out?IFF-Voluntas may call you following a responsive repair at your home.

Your securityIFF-Voluntas are a Market Research Society (MRS) accredited company and work in accordance with the MRS code of conduct. This means that any information you give to them will also be treated in line with data protection regulations. They will never ask you for your bank details or try to sell you anything.

You do not have to take part in the surveys but we do want your views. You can opt-out by letting IFF-Voluntas know when they call you, or by contacting us to remove you from any further contact regarding our feedback surveys.

If we have already called you within 30 days, we will not make another call again. Your views are very important to us so please do take just five minutes to let us know your experience of repairs if you can.

We would love to know what kind of job our contractors are doing with regard to areas such as grass cutting, leaf and litter clearance and the upkeep of local play areas to name but a few. All you need to do is go to www.waverley.gov.uk /greenspacehousing before the deadline of 31 December 2019 and complete our 2019 Greenspaces survey.

If you have any problems with your gas central heating you can phone CHS direct. Freephone: 0800 9179306

As a thank you for taking part, you could be in with a chance of winning £200 of gardening vouchers too!

We use an independent market research company called IFF-Voluntas to carry out satisfaction surveys for feedback on what our customers think about us and the services we provide.

Most of you make appointments in good time. However, as we have a legal obligation to complete the safety checks, if we are unable to make an appointment we will have to take legal action to gain entry. This can result in a court action with the legal costs been passed to the tenant, though we want to avoid this. Please respond to any letters or cards from Central Heating Services (CHS) promptly to arrange a suitable appointment.

We work with Central Heating Services to ensure all your homes are safe, by arranging annual gas central heating and hot water systems services.

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We are proud to celebrate 100 years of council housing and recognise the positive contribution our homes have made to our communities. Thousands of people have made homes, raised children, and lived their whole lives in Waverley’s homes. To mark the occasion and that we are one of a few councils to still invest in our housing stock, four summer parties were held for tenants to get together, share stories and celebrate.

For council housing to develop, adapt and provide quality, safe, and decent homes for you and future generations we’d like to hear your housing aspirations for the future. Please share with us:

A step back in timeWe developed an ‘100 years’ timeline to share photos and information from each decade, highlighting key events for Waverley’s homes, national housing policy and cultural reference points.

Following the First World War, the 1919 Housing Act promised ‘homes fit for heroes’ and launched a huge council house-building programme.

Looking forward

At the peak, a third of all households in the UK lived in council houses, and councils were building 200,000 new homes a year.

In the 1980s the Right to Buy initiative changed the way people viewed council housing and increased home ownership.

Over successive years, funding and commitment to council and social housing has fluctuated. It is widely recognised that there is a housing crisis and as we seek solutions we must look to history and acknowledge the vital role that councils have in building new homes.

Celebrating 100 years of council housing

• your age

• the number of years you have been a council tenant

• if you see yourself in council housing in 5, 10, or 15 years’ time or

• if you see yourself moving into another home (if so, will you be down or up sizing? Will it be another council home, a housing association home, shared ownership home, private rented home or an owner occupied home?)

• what improvements would you like to see made to your home? E.g. energy efficiency initiatives, updated kitchen, improved estates

Next year we’ll be seeking your views in a comprehensive satisfaction survey. By sharing your aspirations you will help develop that survey.

Gwen and Betty our centenarian tenants

enjoyed the timeline (pictured here with the

Mayor of Waverley, Councillor Mary Foryszewski)The children got stuck

into to the activities

and fancy dress.

Mrs Wareham recognised her parents’ first council home.

Mr and Mrs Lidicott

celebrating 60th

wedding anniversary

in Cranleigh.

Our tenant volunteers got into the party spirit!

There was wide

range of activities

and games including

sharing memories and

aspirations for housing.

Please drop us a line by emailing us at: service.improvement@waverley.gov.uk to share your aspirations.

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Annual Report 2018/19

Repairs

Housing Service in numbersHow your rent money is spent:

Planned maintenance

Compliments and Complaints

31,398 calls

97% appointments kept (97% 2017/18)

91%Satisfaction (91% 2017/18)

New homes

224 relets

18 working days is the average time to relet

49 home swaps

40 new council homes: 24 completed at Wey Court and 16 in the first phase at Ockford Ridge (Site D)

RentsWe are owed

£188,000 (rent arrears) (£225,000 in 2017/18)

We served

233 notices to start legal action to collect rent owed

We carried out two evictions (six 2017/18)

75% of tenants pay their rent on time

194 tenants signed up to my account to view their rent online

ASB

11,776 jobs raised(20,407 in 2017/18)

£2.6m spent on responsive repairs and empty homes

Tenancy and Estates

99.4% of rent was collected

We collected

£29.7m rent to fund

housing services

Out of every

spent:£1

35p Financing - interest and capital payments on loans

17pRepairs and empty homes

11p New affordable homes fund

12p Programmed maintenance

(home improvements)

25p Operational management costs

810 external redecorations completed

109 windows

113 bathrooms

100 kitchens

151 complaints received

50% upheld or partly upheld – your feedback helps us improve services and prevent the repeat of a problem.

4 complaints were referred to the Housing Ombudsman, none of which were upheld

30 compliments received

1,420 cases in total

89 neighbour disputes

We completed the procurement of repair and maintenance contracts, consulting with tenants, creating specifications, drafting contracts, assessing submissions and tenders, and conducting interviews. The new contracts started 1 April 2019. Please keep giving us feedback on what we do well and where we need to improve.

47 anti-social behaviour cases

35 house clearances

12 one off garden clearances

12 Aids and Adaptations cases

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Did you know that you can access your rent account online with My Accounts?You can check when rent is due, when payments are made and your outstanding balance – all from your mobile, tablet or computer.

Simply go to www.waverley.gov.uk/rentaccounts

Register for Waverley Self Service – a portal for you to access a number of council services (you only need to do this once). You will need an email address to do this.

Sign up for My Account. All the information you need is on your rent statement.

If you need any help with creating an account please contact: service.improvement@waverley.gov.uk or call 01483 523424.

Rent changes in 2020We wanted to give you early notice that following four years of annual 1% rent reductions, we will be increasing your rents from 1 April 2020. The exact % increase will be announced early in the New Year and will be included in your rent letter to be sent out late February 2020.

Your rent pays for all the housing services we provide to you. The rent increase will allow us to maintain your homes and enable a programme of planned works, such as insulation and fire safety works, as well as replacement bathrooms, kitchens and roofs. A proportion of rental income is also set aside to develop new homes and re-model others.

When reviewing your rent increase, please be aware that it is an annual increase so the weekly rent can be confusing. 2019/20 was an unusual year with 53 weeks in the year compared to the usual 52. Therefore your annual rent was divided over 53 weeks reducing the weekly rent charge.

There are 52 weeks in 2020/21 so your annual rent charge will be divided by 52 weeks and so will look higher, even before any rent increase is applied.

For example in a 53 week year an annual rent charge of £5,200 divided by 53 = £98.11 per week.

In a 52 week year an annual rent charge of £5,200 divided by 52 = £100 per week.

Although the weekly rent is different, the rent paid over the year is the same.

If you pay by direct debit or are in receipt of full Housing Benefit your payments will automatically be adjusted.

My Account View your rent account online

Make sure you have plenty of fuel in case you’re stuck in a traffic jam.

Before going for a drive, check your car has enough oil, screen wash and antifreeze.

Check your tyres are inflated, at the right pressure and that they are in good condition.

Replace worn windscreen rubbers.

Test your vehicles lights including fog, warning and breaking lights.

If going on a long journey take a blanket, wear warm clothes, invest in a snow shovel and warning triangle, take a phone charger and remember to pack a flask of hot drink.

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Rob’s top tips on driving safely this winterRob is a regular tenant contributor to Homes and People. In this issue we share more about Rob and what makes him keen to be a guest editor.

Some of you may have met Rob at the 100 year parties that took place over the summer. What you wouldn’t have known is that Rob organised the live music at each event. From playing in his own band to booking acts for his local social club, you could say Rob is Waverley’s answer to Simon Cowell!

His other passion in life is his local community and the people who live there. He is a good neighbour to many and ensures their concerns are addressed.

If you want to contact Rob about his column or would like to write a column yourself, email service.improvement@waverley.gov.uk or call 01483 523196

Thelma helps us to get a little greener in the garden Reminisce about gardening with tenant, Thelma and find out her top tips on recycling plastic pots and preparing your garden for winter.

How the humble back garden has changed over the years! From the ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign in WW11, encouraging families to grow their own food, to the present day fashionable cut lawns, patios and plastic paddling pools.

Did you know that terracotta pots were widely used until polypropylene (what plastic pots are made of) was commercially produced in 1939 by the ICI?

It seems gardening has come full circle with allotments coming back in vogue and seed swopping among plot users. Allotments date back to Anglo Saxon days but it was the Allotments Act of 1925 which made land available to the public to use as plots for gardening.

Gone are the shops that only stocked seasonal plants and flowers and that used to sell seed by the ounce.

So what to do with the plastic we have looming in our sheds?

Here are some ideas of what to do with them:

• Clean them up, arrange in sizes and hang them inside your shed by using old tights to keep them in orderly towers

• Break out the paint and get your little ones to decorate them as gifts

• Use them to make a bug house over the winter – stack pots inside each other, place in an old container and leave undisturbed during the winter months

• When buying new plants transfer them into old ones and leave new pots to be re-cycled.

Finally, as winter approaches don’t forget to prune back shrubs and plant early flowering plants such as hellebores, primroses or bluebells.

Happy gardening!

Tenants PanelThis issue of Homes and People is focusing on celebrating 100 years of social housing which Tenant Panel members were proud to be a part of.

Boost your wellbeing

Make a difference…

It was wonderful to meet some of you at the events and to hear stories about your homes and your families who lived there.

Thank you to those who also attended our AGM in September. There was some interesting presentations and valuable information was given on your Housing service, such as the rent changes in April 2020.

The Tenants Panel are a group of tenant volunteers who focus on everyday practical issues and future service developments that affect you.

If you feel that you may be interested in hearing more about the panel or would like to join please contact us by calling: 07765 604082 or emailing: tenantspanel@waverley.gov.uk.

Do you have any housing concerns that need raising to Waverley’s housing service, tenants and leaseholders?

If so, come and join the Waverley Scrutiny Group who meet regularly to discuss and investigate how services are undertaken, carried out and recorded.

The group meets bi-monthly to review, explore and collate their findings and get together more frequently whilst a report is being produced.

The results are then presented to the Head of Housing and any appropriate council committee.

Recent reports on recharges, voids and mutual exchanges and downsizing can be found at www.waverley.gov.uk/scrutinyreports

The group would love to welcome more members!

To join or for further information contact the group via email: scrutinydirect@waverley.gov.uk or by calling 01483 523196.

Time to celebrateKeep a look out in 2020 for Tenants Panel events to celebrate their silver 25th anniversary.

It may be cold outside, but winter needn’t be the unhealthiest time of year for you and your family.

Here are our top tips to make sure that even when your body is telling you to hibernate, you can boost your wellbeing, no matter what the weather’s like.

• Park life - enjoy plenty of active fun outdoors at one of our many play spaces. Waverley has more than 60 parks and playgrounds, providing fun and exciting play spaces for a range of ages and abilities.

• The great outdoors - enjoy Waverley’s countryside by planning a day trip to one of the following: Frensham Great Pond and Common, Phillips Memorial Park or Farnham Park. With lots to do at each location including bugs to find, dens to build, beaches and meadows to explore, there’s lots to captivate your imagination!

• Leisure time – swimming has many benefits including helping us to feel better, stronger and more flexible. Under eights and over 80s can swim for free at any of Waverley’s leisure centres. Register for free swimming at: www.waverley.gov.uk/freeswimming

• Change4Life – Sign up to Change4Life at: www.change4life.co.uk and help your family to be healthier and happier. Receive regular emails featuring healthy eating tips, recipes and fun activities for kids.

• Walks for Health – join in one of our health walks and take part in regular exercise while meeting new people. Best of all they are FREE. All you need to do is turn up in suitable clothes and comfortable shoes to enjoy the walk. For more details visit: www.waverley.gov.uk/walksforhealth

• Volunteering – help play a vital role in managing the environment by volunteering at Frensham Common and make new friends in the process. Get involved in everything from scrub clearance to heather mowing. Find out more by contacting the Parks and Countryside Team on: 01483 523394 or email: parksandcountryside@waverley.gov.uk

“As a tenant volunteer it is rewarding helping to improve tenant living standards” Rod

“I enjoy being part of a great team who work together to make a difference to both tenants homes and lives” Pat

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Contact the housing team

Your calls maybe recorded for quality assurance purposes.

housingcustomerservices@waverley.gov.uk www.waverley.gov.uk/housing0330 119 3000

Supporting older adults in our community

Get in touch!We hope you have enjoyed this edition of your newsletter. We’d love to hear your stories, feedback and views. Please do get in touch to tell us:

• your life story page 2

• your community bright ideas page 4

• your housing aspirations page 9

• your ideas for future articles, what information can you share and what do you want to know?

Everyone who contacts us will be entered into a prize draw to win £50 gift voucher and could be featured in our next newsletter!

Are you aware of the wide range of support services that are on offer to residents within the community?

You could:

• Stay safe and healthy with Let’s Get Steady falls prevention sessions across Waverley and Guildford. For more details contact your GP or call our care and repair team on 01483 444476

• try a Careline personal alarm for free for one month, then pay only £4.40 each week

• receive freshly cooked hot meals provided by the Gostrey Centre in Farnham, Haslewey Community Centre in Haslemere, Rowleys Centre for the Community in Cranleigh and Waverley Borough Council in Godalming.

For lots more information about services and activities on offer see our health and wellbeing pages on our website at: www.waverley.gov.uk/olderadults