Autumn 2013 - Genesis Housing Association

Transcrição

ISSUE 9 AUTUMN 2013
Spotlight
THE TOPICS THAT MATTER TO YOU
Cooking up
success
Jamie Oliver's apprenticeship
scheme helps young people
enter the food industry
Community News
Spotlight
Amber Court showcases
residents art work
Right Said Fred Hayman:
raised £15,000 for
Farleigh Hospice
GHA1008_Resident Magazine Redesign Issue_Autumn 2013 AW_160913.indd 1
16/09/2013 12:59
Editors
Comment
Contents
W
elcome to the Autumn
issue of a new-look Genesis
Magazine. You’ve told us that
you’d like a clear magazine, so we’ve
changed the layout to make it easier to
find what you’re looking for.
You’ll have already seen young
people from Jamie’s Recipe to Work
scheme on the front cover. You can
read more about this and volunteering
and training success stories in our
new Employment, Training and
Volunteering section on page 18.
Another regular column is Spotlight,
featuring a different resident each
quarter. This season we catch up with
Fred from Hamilton Court, a man
whose generosity and enthusiasm for
fundraising has impressed us all.
The government is changing the
benefits system. On page 12 we take a
look at how this might affect you with a
four page pull-out on welfare reform.
Elsewhere in the magazine we
hear about Genesis’ improvement
programme, how you can get involved
and community news.
We hope you enjoy this issue and
would love to hear your thoughts
on the new format and content.
You can get in touch with us on
[email protected].
4
Community news
8
Genesis Way news
Old and Young explore
Brent
Elder Abuse
Spotlight on Fred
Community Spirit
Award winner
Employment
programme success
Stratford Halo
Amber Court art
Progress on our
improvement plan
Repairs and
Maintenance
Procurement
Complaints
Service charges
11
15
17
18
Welfare Reform
Mediation Service
Performance
Quarterly
performance
measures
Employment,
Training and
Volunteering
Employment,
opportunites
Jamie Oliver
apprenticeship
Q&A: Receipe to work
Kate and Cherie
Genesis Magazine Editors
23
2
Volunteering
Survey
Issue 9 | Autumn 2013 | Spotlight
16/09/2013 12:59
Welcome
from Neil Hadden
Chief Executive
W
4
I hope you
enjoy reading
Spotlight
magazine and
we would like to
hear from you,
your feedback
is valuable.
elcome to our new residents
magazine which is now known as
‘Spotlight’. The magazine will focus
on the topics that matter to you.
We re-designed the magazine after
listening to your feedback, and the need
to produce a magazine that is insightful,
informative, and relevant. We also want
to produce a magazine our residents want
to read, and I’m sure you will pleasantly
surprised by the new look and content.
The magazine has lots of new features
including two new editors, Cherie and Kate
and our designer Luana from Genesis’
Communications team. These include:
• A new A4 size. The new size is better
value for money; it’s cheaper for us to
produce a bigger magazine. The new
size will also give us more room to
present stories in a more engaging way
• A new layout. We have introduced
colour coded sections to highlight news
features, and to make it easier for you to
turn to section which interest you
• A Community news section because
you told us that you wanted more
‘community related news’ stories
• A new section on Employment,
Training and Volunteering. This key
feature will highlight the work of Genesis
Community, our charitable foundation.
Please see pages 18 to 21 for highlights
of our recent employment and
apprenticeship success stories
The new magazine will also have key
themes, which will be present in every issue.
For instance:
• Genesis Way, our ambitious
transformation programme, we will keep
you informed on what we are doing to
improve key services, and help to make
Genesis a leading property based service
provider. Please see pages 8 to 10 for an
update on our new repairs policy, service
charge improvements and our new
complaints procedure.
Enjoy reading Spotlight and we would like to
hear your views.
Neil Hadden
Spotlight | Autumn 2013 | Issue 93
16/09/2013 12:59
Employment, Training and
Volunteering is a new section - we
will keep you informed of employment
programmes, training and volunteering
opportunities from Genesis Community.
: www.genesisha.org.uk/volunteer
Volunteer
wins Rochford
District Council
Community
Spirit Award
We’re delighted that Ray
Weigand, one of our Regional
Committee members, has
been recognised for his
longstanding contribution to
the community.
Ray is a longstanding Genesis
volunteer and a Regional
Committee member was awarded
first place in the Rochford District
Council 2013 Community Spirit
award. This is part of the Citizen of
the Year Awards, which recognise
and acknowledge individuals in
the district for their outstanding
achievements.
Ray was nominated in recognition
of the support he provides to
members of the community; from
shopping to liaising with Genesis
and attending surgeries with their
Councillor or MP.
Ray said: " I try to promote
positivity amongst the young
people. Youngsters will always
come and knock on my door to ask
me questions and seek advice. It's
a good thing for me to get involved
so I just up and go and I enjoy the
work."
We’re pleased that Ray has been
recognised for his contribution
to the community and hope to
see more awards in the future.
Congratulations Ray, and keep up
the great work!
Young and old explore
Brent’s heritage
Genesis Community brought together more than 25 residents aged 16 to 94 to
celebrate the borough of Brent over two days of activities.
T
he project was aimed at improving
community cohesion, as well as
exploring local heritage and was made
possible with a grant from the Heritage Lottery
Fund. The visits and talks were filmed for the
Brent heritage archives.
By the end of it the older residents said
the younger ones were now their ‘adopted
grandchildren’”.
Residents who attended said “I really
enjoyed it and it was great to be here.
Everything was meaningful”.
The project concluded with a black tie prizegiving celebration event at the Lexi cinema
in Queen’s Park. Our Brent Heritage was
screened at the cinema, provoking a few tears
of happiness.
Highlights of the project included
n
V
isiting the Hindu temple in
Neasden and joining in with
traditional prayers
4
n W
embley stadium, including the
England changing rooms and a
walk down the famous players’
tunnel
n D
iscussions about Brent’s
heritage, sharing some of the
borough’s great history
Everyone had a great time and the residents really
bonded KERSTIE ROMERIL ,YOUTH WORKER
16/09/2013 12:59
Fred Hayman
Raising awareness
of elder abuse
Community News
SPOTLIGHT
Our Supported Housing team at Hamara Ghar
in Newham, held an event to mark Elder Abuse
Awareness Day.
On 16 June each year, people throughout the UK come
together to send out a clear message: the abuse of elder
people will not be tolerated.
Elder Abuse Awareness day raises awareness of how to
spot signs of abuse in vulnerable older people and what to do
about it. Genesis is committed to quality care and wants an
end to the neglect and abuse of our older generations.
This year, our supported housing team at Hamara Ghar
held an event for residents and local elders, to discuss
the reality of elder abuse, provide information and raise
awareness.
Nearly 90 people attended the event and enjoyed a
presentation, singing, poems by residents, a question and
answer session and refreshments.
The residents were pleased with the event:
“We have attended so many events…this event has been
coordinated very well by staff. The presentation and role play
was extraordinary. We really understood abuse and enjoyed
the event.”
If you suspect an elderly person is being abused, report
it to Action on Elder Abuse on 080 8808 8141, or speak to
Age UK advice on 0800 169 65 65.
We would like to introduce you to Fred Hayman, a
Hamilton Court resident who raised an amazing
£15,000 for Farleigh Hospice.
Hidden gem Fred raised the money for Farleigh
Hospice. The hospice supports people affected by
life limited illnesses and provides support for those
who have been bereaved. Fred raised this money by
organising bingo events for residents at Hamilton
Court, and is probably one of the oldest bingo callers
in the country. Fred said “Everyone looks forward to
playing bingo, even if I feel unwell I still play as it allows
me to forget any aches and pains and it’s enjoyable”.
Fred worked with his fellow residents over a
number of years to accumulate £15,000.
Farleigh Hospice is also very dear to Fred. On
retirement he became a volunteer carer at Farleigh,
and remained a volunteer for the next 25 years, an
outstanding achievement. During his time as a carer,
Fred was also awarded ‘Hospice carer of the year!’
In June, Farleigh Hospice came to visit Fred to
thank him for his hard work and to present him with a
certificate of thanks. Fred even used this opportunity
to raise more funds by holding an afternoon tea
event.
The £15,000 raised will go a long way to help with
the care and welfare of residents at Farleigh Hospice.
All of us here at Genesis would like to congratulate
Fred, and we’re sure you're proud of him too.
Residents and local elders enjoying the event and refreshments.
5
16/09/2013 12:59
Welfare Reform: Your
guide to the new changes,
turn to page 11 for more
information.
: www.genesisha.org.uk/welfare_reform
Employment
programme success
The Grahame Park Employment and Training Programme helps Genesis
resident, Wilhelmina Manoy into employment.
I
n March Genesis Community
launched The Grahame Park
Employment and Training
Programme. The programme
supports Grahame Park
residents into employment
by offering a wide range of
courses, workshops and oneto-one employment support.
So far 100 residents have been
through the programme on 30
different training courses.
Wilhelmina Manoy, Genesis
resident, signed up for
employment support in
April. Wilhelmina received
help with how to write CVs,
job applications and how to
prepare for job interviews. The
help Wilhelmina received from
Genesis Community helped
her to successfully land a job at
Sainsbury’s.
Wilhelmina said “When I
applied for a job and at first
I wasn’t successful, Amy
from Genesis Community
encouraged me to apply to
other companies and to keep
trying and apply for as many as
possible. Then I had another
appointment with Amy the
following week until finally, I got
a job in Sainsbury’s. I didn’t lose
hope to keep on trying.”
Antonio Fernandes also
received employment support
including interview techniques,
Senior Youth Worker Soifur Rahman.
Youth Group
secures £500
funding
Young people at Stratford
Halo can pat themselves
on the back after securing
£500 funding to hold an
inclusive sports day.
Wilhelmina Manoy, Genesis resident.
Genesis
Community
encouraged
me to apply,
I got a job in
Sainsbury's. I
didn't lose hope
to keep trying.
6
and went on to land a job as
a Care Taker in a Sheltered
Housing Scheme.
Antonio and Wilhelmina are
just two of the many success
stories of The Grahame Park
Employment and Training
Programme.
The funding bid began when
Senior Youth Worker Soifur
Rahman (above) got the group
to think about the issues in
their community, and what they
could do that would benefit
everyone.
The youth focus group wanted
to bring together different
generations and people of
different abilities that live in the
same community. They then
worked on an idea to address
these concerns, which included
a inclusive sports day, what
the costs would be and how to
logistically arrange it.
The funding will be used
to purchase equipment,
refreshments and cover the
venue cost and prizes.
The event will be held during
the summer holiday and aims
to get all residents at Stratford
Halo together for an inclusive
athletics day that is accessible to
everyone, regardless of ability.
16/09/2013 12:59
Community News
Amber Court showcases residents art work
The residents of Amber Court held an art exhibition to showcase their wonderful pieces of art
which was enjoyed by all.
Genesis Community arranged an art programme
for Amber Court residents with the Rosetta Arts
centre, a local arts organisation. The
successful art programme ran for 10 weeks,
with a different focus every week. Each
Thursday residents were able to explore
different types of arts from printing, to ink
drawings to sculptures.
Up to 20 residents took part, with some
regular attendees and other new faces
joining the classes each week. Residents
were encouraged to use their imagination
and to explore their creative side. A support
worker supported each resident which was
great for relationship building, they also
encouraged residents to finish every piece of art.
By the end of the 10 weeks many wonderful
pieces of art were produced. These were
show-cased at an exhibition on 23 May to
recognise the artists and their hard work.
The exhibition was well attended by Genesis
staff, residents and the Stratford Halo youth
focus group. The artists were very positive
about their experience and expressed a
desire to work with the Rosetta Arts
centre again. The programme successfully brought residents together –
through art!
7
16/09/2013 12:59
Repairs: The average handling time of
repairs calls has reduced by 1 minute,
calls are answered 10 seconds faster, and
we’ve logged 6,671 repairs jobs.
: www.genesisha.org.uk/repairs
Progress on Genesis Way –
our improvement programme
Creating the right culture, leadership, systems and processes to build a consistent service that you can trust.
W
hile we’ve made some
improvements over
the years, we know
from your feedback that we
don’t always get it right and we
don’t get it right first time often
enough.
Genesis Way Improvement
Programme is about building
consistency and reliability,
building a service that you can
trust. To create this, we have
reviewed the skills, knowledge,
people, technology and
processes we need to deliver
services.
We’ve involved customers
with developing and testing
a number of these projects –
repairs, complaints, we have
also involved residents in our
new senior management team
because it’s important to us that
you’re happy with where we’re
going.
We've involved
customers with
developing
and testing
a number of
these projects
because it's
important to
us that you're
happy with
where we're
going.
So what’s changed?
The programme started in 2012.
Since then, a number of projects
have started to deliver results,
and more is due between now
and March 2014.
You said: repairs are
important to you and needs
to be a top priority.
We did: we created a repairs
hub, where a dedicated team
deal with all repairs calls. You
8
We did: we worked with
customers to design a new
process for complaints where
we focus on working with you to
put it right.
Steve Smith, Programme Director.
can read more about this and
the success they’ve had so far
on the next page. We’ve also
worked with customers to
create a repairs policy, which
clearly sets out the service
we will deliver, and customer
responsibilities.
You said: when you call us,
you don’t want to have to
start your story all over
again.
We did: we’ve launched a new
system in our contact centres
and complaints team that
provides a complete history
of customer contact. When
you phone up and speak to
someone at Genesis, they’ll be
able to see what your last call
was about, even if that call was
with a different department.
You said: when you’ve had
a problem, you just want to
speak to someone who can
help resolve it quickly.
You said: we need to spend
money wisely, to get the best
value and provide you with
the best services.
We did: we are negotiating
smarter contracts focussing
on three main areas: Estate
Services, Repairs and
Maintenance and professional
services. We expect to save
about £4m every year and
pass these savings on to our
customers.
You said: we need to be
more accountable and take
responsibility.
We did: we believe ownership
starts with leadership, so
have designed and recruited
a senior leadership team with
accountability at its heart.
What next?
We’ll continue to focus on the
core services that matter to you.
You’ve said that in the past we
haven’t always finished projects,
so we’re committed to seeing
our improvement plan through.
We’ll always let you know when
opportunities to get involved
come up.
16/09/2013 12:59
Delivering a
better Repairs
service for you
HERE’S WHAT
YOU’VE SAID ABOUT
THE NEW SERVICE
We want to provide a consistent, reliable service to all our customers.
Residents involved in
choosing new Repairs and
Maintenance Contracts
You’ve told us that repairs is one of the most
important issues for you, and we want to get it right.
We’re in the process of retendering our Repairs and
Maintenance contracts to get the best possible service.
Currently we have a number of contractors who provide
different levels of service. We want to improve these
contracts, so that you receive a consistent, reliable and
value-for-money service.
We need about half a dozen residents to help us select
the best contractors. You will help us review the proposals
and may visit sites to see how the shortlisted contractors
provide services. Having customers involved in the
process will help to make sure we choose the most best
contractor.
If you’d like to get involved, email mygenesis@
genesisha.org.uk. We’ll get back to you by the end of
October, letting you know how and when you can get
involved.
We follow a very thorough process to secure new
contractors. Suppliers must meet a strict criteria before
they can enter a bidding process.
We expect to appoint a new contractor in April next
year and will keep you updated on progress. All repairs
contracts will continue as they currently do for the timebeing and you will still call the repairs hub on 033 3000
3000 to request a repair.
I was very satisfied
with the gentleman
that sorted my
repair out…it was
really good to have
someone at the
other end of the
phone that put me
at ease, knowing
my repair will get
reported and sorted
out.
I've been a tenant
of yours now for
about ten years
and I'm completely
satisfied today with
the service that I got
over the telephone.
My questions were
answered. Continue
to help people and
do the good work
that you're doing.
Thank you very
much.
We’ve been working hard to
design a new repairs service
that meets your needs.
In April we launched a better way to
take repairs calls and shortly after, a
new repairs policy
You told us that it needs to
be easy to report a repair, so we
created a repairs hub in April, where
one dedicated team deal with all
repairs queries over the phone.
Since then, the average handling
time of repairs calls has reduced
by 1 minute, calls are answered 10
seconds faster, and we’ve logged
6,671 repairs jobs.
We developed our responsive
repairs policy, with help from
customers, as part of our
improvement plan. It clearly
outlines tenant and landlord
responsibilities for repairs so
everyone understands what is a
repair and what should be carried
out by tenants.
You can read the policy on our
website or request a copy be
posted to you by calling 0300
0003 3000.
Genesis Way – Our Improvement Programme
We need about half a
dozen residents to help
us select the most best
contractors.
: www.genesisha.org.uk/repairs
Repairs hub: Easy way to report a repair.
9
16/09/2013 12:59
Genesis Way – Our Improvement Programme
Genesis Community:
Everyone looks forward to playing
bingo, even if I feel unwell I still
play as it allows me to forget any
aches and pains and it’s enjoyable
Spotlight on page 5: Genesis Resident Fred Hayman
Improving
service charges
The Service Charges project, part
of the Genesis Way improvement
programme, is focussed on getting
service charges right for our
customers.
The Complaints Team: Jason, Aisling and Laura.
New complaints process up
and running
We worked with customers to develop a new complaints
process that is more streamlined and focusses on getting
early results.
T
he new complaints team
and process is now up
and running. The new
complaints team are taking
responsibility for co-ordinating
complex complaints and
responding to requests for
complaint reviews. We have
cut down on administration
and empowered front line staff
to make decisions so we can
resolve complaints quickly and
consistently.
You told us that the appeal
panel didn’t work, so we’ve
removed it. We’re committed
to continue to use feedback to
improve the complaints service.
Although the new team
hasn't been in place very
long, positive feedback has
already been coming in from
customers. Colleagues are also
pleased with the new focus on
resolving complaints in a timely
and professional way. You can
expect to hear more in the next
magazine.
If you have feedback or need to
make a complaint, please email
[email protected].
10
We want service charges to be accurate, fair
and easy to understand. This project has
been looking at what needs to be done to
improve service charges, then putting the
actions in place to make it happen.
We need effective processes, the right
information in our database, and the right
service charges system to work in harmony
with that database.
We’ve created processes that are quicker
and make sense. This means things will
happen faster.
At the moment we’re improving the
quality of our data about each of our 26,000
properties, making sure we know how our
estates and blocks are made up. This means
we’ll have the right data to recover the costs
incurred when providing services.
In the next month we will buy new
software that provides clear reporting to
support our central database.
The right data, coupled with new software
and improved processes means we’ll be able
to help you understand and review your
service charges and have confidence that
they’re correct.
Getting involved
We’ll be seeking your views but if you want to
learn more now, contact us for a copy of the
plan, email pritty.lathia-desai@genesisha.
org.uk
You can also visit us online for details
about the customer experience, legislation,
benefits of the project and policies.
: www.genesisha.org.uk/service-charges
16/09/2013 12:59
Welfare Reform
The benefit system is changing. Earlier this year the government
started rolling out a range of welfare reform. The majority of our
residents and customers who will be impacted by the changes
have already been contacted by a member of the Welfare Reform
Contact Team. The pull out section overleaf provides you with
additional information on the changes, and how we are
supporting our residents and customers through them.
As a responsible landlord, we will keep you informed and
updated through direct contact and information in future
resident magazines.
Genesis provides Care and Support services to many
customers. The welfare reform changes will have a
different impact on our Care and Support customers. Please see our next residents magazine for a Care and
Support welfare reform update.
PU
LL
OU
T
For more information on Welfare Reform please visit our
website www.genesisha.org.uk and follow the links from our
home page.
11
16/09/2013 12:59
Avoid getting
into a payday
loan trap
Bedroom Occupancy
(also known as the bedroom tax)
Across the country, with household incomes stretched
by welfare reform, more people could be facing money
problems and considering loans.
Payday loans have very high interest rates and
are often provided without carrying out standard
affordability checks to see if the borrower can afford to
pay them back. This means borrowers can end up in
a worse situation, with payday loan debts that exceed
their total monthly income.
If you’re considering a payday loan, consider using your
local Credit Union instead. The rate of interest that
they charge you may be much lower. You can find your
local credit union in the phone book or on-line.
What to do if you have debt and money problems
You can contact StepChange – a debt charity – for free,
confidential advice about the other options available to
you. You can phone them, toll-free on 0800 138 1111,
or go online www.stepchange.org
If you have borrowed from a payday lender and run into
problems repaying the amount you borrowed, contact
your local Citizens Advice Bureau. They will be able to
help renegotiate your repayments.
Budgeting advice
If you need help planning a budget, the Money
Advice Service has a really good on-line tool: www.
moneyadviceservice.org.uk
Remember that it is
your responsibility
to pay your rent
People with one spare bedroom will have their housing
benefit reduced by 14%, and people with two or more
spare bedrooms will have their housing benefit reduced
by 25%. If your housing benefit is reduced, you will
need to pay the difference between what you receive in
housing benefit, and what your rent costs.
If you receive housing benefit and your household
circumstances change (someone moves in or someone
leaves), you will need to notify the housing benefit office.
This will ensure the right amount of housing benefit is
paid to you.
If you struggle to pay the difference you can:
•
Find employment or try to increase your working
hours. Many local councils are working closely with
Job Centre Plus to help people find employment,
or speak to our Opportunities Plus team on 0300
3000 3000.
•
You may be able to transfer to a smaller property.
Speak to your Property Manager about this.
•
You can register with web sites such as
HomeSwapper or Exchange Locata. Both of these
websites assist residents with mutual exchanges.
Some local councils are also running home swap
events so people looking to downsize can meet
people looking to move to bigger properties.
•
Apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment. The
payment will make up some or all of the difference
between your housing benefit and your rent. This is
not a guaranteed payment and most local councils
will only make an award for a very short period.
•
Consider taking in a lodger. If you want to rent your
spare room please contact your Property Manager
as you will need Genesis’ permission first.
For more information:
Visit:www.homeswapper.org.uk
www.exchangelocata.org.uk
16/09/2013 12:59
Welfare Reform
Universal Credit
The Benefit Cap
Universal Credit will replace these benefits with a
monthly single payment:
The Benefit Cap limits the amount of out-of-work
benefits you can claim to a maximum of:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support
Allowance
Income Support
Child Tax Credits
Working Tax Credits
Housing Benefits
Universal Credit will be available to people who are in
work and on a low income, as well as to those who are
out of work. Claimants will need to budget their monthly
payment to ensure their rent and living expenses are
met.
Universal Credit is being rolled out in Hammersmith
and Fulham in October 2013 - this will only be for new
claimants with simple claims. The roll out will continue
until 2017.
The main changes are:
•
You will need to pay your rent directly to Genesis or
your landlord
•
You will receive one benefit payment rather than a
range of payments
•
Payments will be paid monthly in arrears, rather
than two weekly
•
You will need to have a bank or building society
account to receive the payment
•
You will need to budget and manage your finances
on a monthly basis
We will keep you informed and updated on the rollout of
Universal credit.
•
£
350 per week for single people and £500 per
week for couples with or without children and
single parents.
Those likely to be affected by the Cap would have
been contacted already by the Department of Work
& Pensions (DWP), your local council or Genesis.
If your housing benefit is reduced:
•
The best way to avoid the impact of the Benefit
Cap is by finding employment or increasing your
working hours. Your local Job Centre Plus will be
able to help you with this. You can also contact
Genesis and speak to the Opportunities Plus team
for information on training and employment
support programmes on 033 3000 3000
•
If you or a member of your household is living with
a health condition that has an impact on daily life,
seek advice as you may qualify for a benefit such as
a Personal Independence Payment
•
Apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment. If
awarded the payment will make up some or all of
the difference between your housing benefit and
your rent. This is not a guaranteed payment and
most local councils will only make an award for a
very short period of time
•
Speak to Genesis about your options by calling
033 3000 3000
For more information:
Visit:www.genesisha.org.uk/welfare-reform
Call: 033 3000 3000
Email:[email protected]
The Money Advice Service on 0300 500 5000
16/09/2013 12:59
Welfare Reform
Our lettings and allocations
policy is changing
We worked with you to review our lettings and
allocations policy. The work has focused on our
residents living in our general needs properties. We
review our policies every three years but this review
was prompted by welfare reform.
During our review we conducted resident workshops,
phone calls and received over 400 responses to our
email survey. We also spent time talking to our staff,
other housing associations and local authorities. The
feedback from you has helped us shape our new policy.
Changes to our allocation size criteria
We will be adopting the government’s size criteria from
October 2013 which will mean one bedroom will be
allocated to:
•
•
•
•
a couple living as part of a household
each person aged 16 years and over
t wo children of the same gender under the age
of 16
t wo children who are under the age of 10
regardless of gender
The exceptions are:
•
disabled residents who need a separate bedroom
for a non-resident carer
•
children needing a separate bedroom because of
a severe disability
GENESIS WILL:
Help residents to understand the cost of their
new home
Affordability assessments for all new general needs
lettings are being introduced. The assessments will help
us work with new residents to ensure they are able to
afford their new homes, and to make them aware of the
available financial support options should they need
them
Removing the lowest priority band
Due to a high level of demand for properties in Greater
London and the South East, we realise we will not be able
to rehouse residents who wish to move but do not have a
priority need. As a result, the lowest priority band (Band
D) will be removed. We will provide support and advice to
people who are currently registered with Band D to look
at other housing options.
Under-occupying customers given higher priority to
enable them to downsize
All transfer applicants who are under-occupying their
property – they have a property which has more
bedrooms than they need under the new social sector
size criteria - will be moved to Band A (the highest
priority to move).
Change to qualifying household members criteria
We have updated our criteria for qualifying household
members to include grown-up children (over 18 years
old) in certain circumstances who have been living with
the main tenant and can prove this for over 12 months
Next steps
We expect the changes to take place in the autumn.
Current residents who wish to transfer homes may
be impacted by the changes, namely the size criteria
and the priority banding. We will be in touch with all
impacted residents individually to make sure they
understand how the changes will affect them.
We will provide practical support to residents in severe
financial hardship who are seeking to move. This may
include awarding a high priority banding. There will be an
update in the next magazine.
For more information on our new lettings and
allocation policy, and how it could affect you:
Visit:www.genesisha.org.uk
Call: 033 3000 3000
We hope that the new lettings and allocations policy will help us to create more
sustainable tenancies and better manage the demand for our homes. The
changes will make it clearer about what we can offer and what you can expect
16/09/2013 12:59
: www.genesisha.org.uk/asb
Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour
E
very year Genesis receives around
700 new complaints of anti-social
behaviour, with the vast majority being
low level complaints like such as household
noise, pet nuisance and neighbour disputes.
Our Mediation Service will help residents
manage these low level complaints at an
early stage.
When neighbours have a dispute, the
Mediation Service gets involved to help
them work through the problem and come
up with a solution, before it escalates.
Fourteen fully trained Genesis volunteers
run the service, supported by 20 community
volunteers.
Genesis staff and residents are involved
in mediation because they want to
make a difference, and have an interest
in maintaining positive and peaceful
communities. Most mediators are also
Property Managers and they work with
residents on a daily basis. They know the
communities well and are in a prime position
to encourage residents to start talking and
resolve disputes.
Lorraine, an Anti-Social Behaviour Advisor,
said “a major benefit of the mediation
service is that it enables Genesis to deal
with long running disputes. Residents work
together to draw up their own agreements
to the problem with Genesis’ support and
encouragement”.
Genesis has invested heavily in mediation
training and it’s working. Since February
LORRAINE,
GENESIS ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
ADVISOR
Genesis’ mediation
service provides
quick resolutions at
a very early stage.
Mediation Services and Anti-social Behaviour
Genesis has been awarded ASB
accreditation status by HouseMark.
Mediation Service: Helping residents resolve problems.
2013, seventeen cases have been referred to
the mediation service by Property Managers,
compared to just three the year before.
Would you like to get involved or know
more about becoming a volunteer
mediator?
Please register your interest by emailing
Richard Sharp on Richard.sharp@genesisha.
org.uk
Are you currently experiencing
Anti-Social Behaviour?
Please contact a member of the Anti-Social
Behaviour team for support.
Call: 033 3000 3000
Visit: www.genesisha.org.uk
Have you experienced Anti-Social Behaviour and used our service?
Genesis Anti-Social Behaviour Forum
Get in touch as we want to hear your views
on how we can improve our Anti-Social
Behaviour service.
We are holding our first meeting at
6.30pm on 22 October 2013.
To attend or to register your interest
please contact the Anti-Social Behaviour
team:
Call: 033 3000 3000
Email: [email protected]
or [email protected]
with the Social Landlords
Crime and Nuisance Group
15
16/09/2013 12:59
The project is open
to Brent young people
between the ages of
15 - 25 years.
Each person who signs up
will have
• a personal Life coach
• a personal Education Mentor
• on going support from a
Youth Worker
Personalised Life Coach
each young person will have
access to a qualified life coach
who will help them identify
their future goals in terms of
their health, career, housing,
finance and relationships.
A Tailored Life Skills
Programme
young people with have
access to a tailored programme
which enhances their practical
skills and abilities. Life skills
support will include practical
sessions on topics such as
budgeting, how to cook a meal
and basic DIY.
Fixed for
Your Future
Working with care leavers or those who have left Youth Offenders
Institutions, helping them to develop their personal effectiveness,
resilience and employability skills so that they can achieve their
goals and cope better with life events.
Delivering a range of
Sports Accredited Courses
ie. Refereeing, Football Coaching, Basketball, Netball etc.
Youth Work Accredited Course
& Employability Workshops
These short courses can lead into employment
or onto further accredited courses.
Fitness Instructor & Personal Trainer Courses also available...
Other Personal
Development Opportunities
young people will be able
to undertake personal
development opportunities
including community based
apprentice-style challenges
and volunteering. They will
have the opportunity to gain
a qualification in sports
coaching, health and safety
and youth work. Young people
will have access to peer
educational mentoring to
support them in learning,
and a programme of events
which gives them the
opportunity to meet local
high achievers from similar
backgrounds.
All travel & lunch
costs will be covered
for further details contact
Tanya Wellesley on 07590 961 878 or
e-mail: [email protected]
16/09/2013 12:59
We measure performance quarterly and publish a full report annually. These figures
show our latest results from the first quarter of the year.
Quality and
efficiency of
repairs service
We’re still working to improve
our repairs service. You can read
about what we’ve done and
what’s coming up on page 8.
82.6
%
79.3
%
Performance
How are we performing?
48.1
%
We will deal with complaints fairly
and helpfully: 48.1%
We will complete repairs
right first time: 82.6%
(target 80%)
We will aim to ensure you’re
satisfied with the quality of
repairs: 79.3% (target 80%)
Complaints
These disappointing results are from the first quarter
of the year. We expect to see a marked increase when
satisfaction is measured next, reflecting the new
processes, team and policy we have in place. You can
read more about this on page 9.
Speed of service
from your property
manager
When you leave a
message, you can
be sure we’ll get
back to you: 94.9%
(target 95%)
85.7
%
94.9
%
When we’ve made an appointment
to visit you, we arrive on time:
85.7% (target 90%)
16/09/2013 12:59
Community News:
Bring residents
together through
art.
Amber Court Art on page 7: Resident
Julie with her sculpture.
LAUREN PICTON
Employment opportunities
for Brent residents
B
rent Council and Job
Centre Plus are working to
secure job vacancies for
unemployed Brent residents.
There will be 1,000 jobs available
at a new designer retail park
opening in Wembley Park in the
autumn.
Genesis Community is part
of the Brent Provider's Forum
who meet regularly to discuss
employment and training
initiatives in Brent. As members
of the Forum, they are involved
in pre-screening candidates
for local vacancies. Genesis
Community have pre-screened
and forwarded 12 suitable
candidates so far, for a variety of
full and part time vacancies at
the new retail park. Some of the
residents put forward have been
affected by the welfare reform
and some are unemployed
young people.
Genesis Community are
able to provide 1-2-1 support
including CV and application
form advice, as well as locating
relevant employment, training
and volunteering opportunities.
Residents can contact the
Opportunities Plus team for
more information on courses
and training opportunities.
Please contact Lauren Picton,
Opportunities Plus Officer
on lauren.picton@genesisha.
org.uk or 07738 458 568 for
further information.
Employment Programme success
Courses available on the
day included:
•
•
•
•
•
•
On 15 and 16 August, the
Opportunities Plus team
launched their quarterly
Employability Programme. The
programme is aimed at helping
local people back into work.
The programme has a particular
focus on supporting local
unemployed people by offering
one-to-one support, and helping
those seeking new career
opportunities. Other service
providers were also present on
the day the such as the Skills and
Development Agency, Working
Men’s College, London College
of Beauty and Group Horizon.
Local residents were able to
18
LAUREN PICTON SAID
It’s fantastic that Joe
and Madeline have
secured places on
this highly sought
after apprenticeship
scheme. They both
worked incredibly hard
during 'Recipe to Work',
and on their work
experience placements
demonstrating their
talent, hard work and
commitment to train
as professional chefs.
They both deserve this
fantastic opportunity, I
am very proud of them
and I wish them the best
of luck!
Level 2 Teaching
Assistant Courses
Level 1 Introduction to
Childcare course
Level 1 Business
Administration courses
CLAIT IT courses
Basic IT courses
ESOL
sign up to various courses and
workshops, as well as meet
members of the team who can
provide on-going employment
support. There was an excellent
turn out with over 68 people
attending, and the Teaching
Assistant course proved to be
very popular with residents.
16/09/2013 13:00
Employment Training and Volunteering
Jamie Oliver's apprenticeship success
For the past two years Genesis Community have run
Recipe to Work, in partnership with Network Stadium
Housing and Jamie Oliver’s Food Foundation. The training
course is for NEET (not in education, employment or
training) young people aged 18-24 who are interested in
working in the food industry.
The course provides young people with an NVQ Level 2
Food Hygiene Certificate, Emergency First Aid Certificate,
as well as hands-on training at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant in
Old Street and work experience in a professional kitchen.
On completion of the course the young people have the
opportunity to apply for Jamie Oliver’s highly successful
chef apprenticeship scheme. The selection process
for the apprenticeship scheme is tough with hundreds
competing for just 18 places across the London scheme.
The selection process involves three interview stages and
applicants need to pass all three stages to secure a place.
With the help of Genesis Community two young people
who recently completed the Recipe to Work course, have
gone on to secure a place on Jamie Oliver’s apprenticeship
scheme. The two people are Joe Kersell and Madeline
Fitzpatrick, who will now receive a year of intensive chef
training at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant Fifteen, and work
experience at top London restaurants.
19
16/09/2013 13:00
I have to say that it’s been a pleasant voyage of discovery
as a Genesis Volunteer, and I would like to thank you all for
the parts you played in helping me to achieve my goals;
and for providing me with those interesting opportunities,
and keeping me sane through moments of despair.
Sharon, volunteer. : www.genesisha.org.uk/employment
Genesis resident Joe Kerswell pictured left with Network Stadium resident Madeline Fitzpatrick (right).
Q&A: Recipe to Work
Joe Kerswell is a Genesis
resident who had previously
struggled to find work since
finishing school.
Q. What did you think
of Recipe of Work?
It’s built up my confidence,
I’ve learnt a lot about food and
about cooking, I’ve met some
really nice people and had a
great week. It’s been really
nice having an insight into the
cooking industry, I’m definitely
thinking about pursuing it as a
career.
Q. How did you find your work
experience placement?
I was at the Blue Strawberry
catering Company in Stockwell,
it was really interesting. I got
to work in a kitchen which was
cool, I feel like I learnt a lot and
It's built up my
confidence,
I've learnt a lot
about food and
cooking.
20
it gave me a good idea about
what it’s like to be a chef.
The course was really good the Genesis staff were really
helpful and looked after me. It’s
really helped me out
Madeline Fitzpatrick, Network
Stadium resident.
Q. What did you think
of Recipe of Work??
It was an educational
experience, we learnt to do so
many different things in the
cooking industry, we made
pasta, we made bread, and we
learnt about fish.
Q. How did you find your work
experience placement?
I was at Jamie’s Italian in Covent
Garden, it was hard work but it
was a real eye opener, I loved
it. The first day I done pasta, I
was in the back of the kitchen
seeing how they prepare pasta,
on the second day I was front of
house, and prepared salads and
desserts, another day I was on
the grill.
16/09/2013 13:00
a little more insight into
intergenerational interactions
and communication. Well done,
Genesis team.
Borough of Brent on page 4: Young and old explore Brent's heritage
Volunteering - valuable experience
Lasts years amazing Olympic and Paralympic games showcased to all of us how fantastic
and beneficial volunteering can be.
There are many benefits volunteering can bring – here
are a few:
•
•
•
•
•
develop and learn new skills
gain valuable work experience
build your confidence
discover new hobbies and interests
explore different career options
Genesis recognises the value and benefits of volunteering;
we have our own Volunteer Programme which is managed
by Richard Sharpe, Volunteering Programme Manager. We
will regularly showcase our volunteer successes stories.
If you would like to become a Genesis Volunteer or find
out more please contact Richard on Richard.sharpe@
genesisha.org.uk
How volunteering can lead to paid employment
Sharon volunteered at Genesis from August 2012 to
June 2013 because she wanted to know more about
a possible career in housing. Sharon had previously
worked in banking and real estate and wanted a career
change. Volunteering at Genesis enabled her to move
around different departments gaining valuable insight
into housing and what it involves. Sharon was able to
gain experience in different teams including the mental
health team, floating support, property management,
and the tenancy support team. As a result of
volunteering at Genesis Sharon was able to secure paid
employment with South Anglia Housing Association
within the Facilities Management team.
Employment Training and Volunteering
Community News: I have gained
Repairs hub extended
opening hours
You've told us you'd like to be able to call us later. For the
month of October, we're extending the opening hours
of our repairs hub until 8pm on Thursday evenings. We'll
review the success of the trial to see if this could be a
permanent change.
21
16/09/2013 13:00
Apprenticeship
and employment
sign up day
Sign Up Day in partnership with Skills UK for NEET young people (not in education,
employment or training).
Time: ‘Drop-in’ between 11am- 3pm
Venue: Skills Training UK, 5th Floor
Wembley Point, 1 Harrow Rd, London,
HA9 6DE
06
A4
A4
06
What’s on offer? Paid apprenticeships
in various fields with roles in IT support,
reception, administration, customer
service, business and sales support and
online sales production.
Date of sign-up day: 9th October 2013
ad
Ro
Plus on-going employment support,
pre-apprenticeship training and courses
w
rro
Ha
Must be: aged 16-24 and not in
Employment, Education or Training
(NEET) with no higher than a Level 2
qualification.
For further information: Please call Lauren Picton on 07738 458 568 or email
[email protected]
Want to improve your
computer skills?
IT training for residents, accredited and non-accredited training will be available.
AM sessions are for
• accredited training (CLAIT – Computer
Literacy and Information Technology)
PM sessions are for
• basic IT training
• Introduction to the web
• Everyday Internet use – attached
please find Everyday internet use
scheme of work.
The dates of the training are Tuesdays and Thursday starting from the
15th of October 2013 at Olympic Office Centre.
Further information please call Moshtak Ahmed at Genesis Community
on 020 8548 2595 or via email on [email protected]
or Bob Butler on 020 8548 2164 or [email protected]
22
16/09/2013 13:00
What did you think?
What did you think?
Genesis Magazine,
Genesis Housing
Association,
Capital House,
25 Chapel Street,
London,
NW1 5DT
Disagree
Please tick the appropriate
response
Unsure
Complete the
survey and
send to:
Agree
Let us know your thoughts on the Autumn issue of Genesis Magazine
I like the new design of this issue
I like the articles in this issue
I have visited the Genesis website in the last month
I follow Genesis on Twitter or Facebook
What was your favourite article in this issue?
If you prefer, you can
email your feedback to
residentsmagazine@
genesisha.org.uk
What would you like to see more of?
How do you get the most useful information from Genesis?
Your Property Manager
Genesis magazine
Letters in the post
Genesis website
Posters
Contact details
@GenesisHousing
NAME:
PHONE NUMBER:
www.facebook.com/
GenesisHousingAssociation
EMAIL:
Genesis Magazine | Autumn 2013 | Issue 9
23
16/09/2013 13:00
If you need any part of this information in large print,
Braille, on audio tape or explained in your own
language please contact us on the number below.
Albanian
Arabic
Bengali
Farsi
French
Somali
033 3000 3000
Turkish
[email protected]
www.genesisha.org.uk
You've told us you'd like to be able to call us later. For the month of October, we're
extending the opening hours of our repairs hub until 8pm on Thursday evenings.
We'll review the success of the trial to see if this could be a permanent change.
Genesis Housing Association, Capital House, 25 Chapel Street, London NW1 5DT
www.genesisha.org.uk
16/09/2013 13:00

Autumn 2013 - Genesis Housing Association

Transcrição

Documentos relacionados

Welcome to artfleur

November 2013

Tablet genesis 7240 manual

Voby

G magazine reinaldo gianechine

Online Drug Shop » Como Devo Tomar O Cialis

GMAGAZINE GMAGAZINESTANZA POEMS ABOUT SPACEA

Untitled - usa today

passport

1 Strategic Plan for San Francisco Department of the Environment

introduction cities

Mathematical Games, Abstract Games - Jorge Nuno Silva

How repairs satisfaction leads to overall tenant satisfaction