G2 magazineknow I can get in touch if I need to. UPDATES When you call us, you can now make a rent payment using our new automated system. Simply press 1 to be transferred to the Allpay

Passionate about great places to liveG2 magazine

Autumn 2017

Be scam aware!

page 10

Local snapshots

page 6

A better service

page 8

“ Our new home has completely changed our life”page 14

G2 autumn 2017 A5 16pp AW.indd 1 09/10/2017 11:47

WelcomeWelcome to the autumn 2017 edition of G2. You’ll find pictures and stories about some of the things that have happened over the past few months, as well as important news and updates. We are looking for volunteers to help us test new repairs software, so please get in touch if that interests you. And see page 15 to find out how you can read our annual review for customers where we highlight key facts and figures for 2016/17. We hope you enjoy this latest issue!

Andrew Smith, Operations Director

Inside 5 Residents vote for

street names

6 Snapshots

6 Getting inspired

8 A better service

9 New Customer Focus

9 Watch out for subletting

10 Be scam aware

12 Winter is coming

12 Repairs and maintenance

13 Fire prevention tips

13 Check your smoke alarm

14 New homes change lives

If you would like to have any part of this explained or in a different format please contact us using the details on the back page to discuss your needs.

During the upcoming holiday period, GreenSquare offices will be closed on Monday 25 December, Tuesday 26 December and Monday 1 January.

Our out-of-hours emergency repairs service will be available to deal with any emergency calls during this time.

Closed on 25 and 26 December 2017

and 1 January 2018

2 greensquaregroup.com


Website gets a refreshWe have updated our website (greensquaregroup.com) so that it’s now easier to find information.

ReciteMe!We’ve teamed up with ReciteMe to make it even easier to use our website. Play text aloud, look up words in the dictionary, use the dyslexia software, and even translate the page you are on.

To start, just click on the ‘Accessibility’ link at the top of the home page.

There are now two large buttons on the home page – ‘Customers’ and ‘Corporate’. Because you are one of our customers, simply click on that button to see the menu with all the information you’ll need grouped together. This includes information about paying your rent; what you need to know about your tenancy; and ways you can contact us.

We have reorganised some pages and made sure information is up to date.

Remember, you can use the search box at the top right of the website to search for information you’re looking for.

We hope you like the new organisation of the website and can quickly and easily find what you need.

What have we done?

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Getting inspiredYoung people in Wiltshire have been taking part in a range of fun and educational activities, thanks to a partnership between GreenSquare and Youth Action Wiltshire.

Project Inspire is for young people, aged between 9 and 16 years old, who are facing challenges in their lives. They have taken part in issue-based workshops, adventure sports, environmental activities and more – all aimed at developing a variety of skills for life.

NEWS

Corsham residents donate bench in loving memory

Residents at Jargeau Court, one of GreenSquare’s 55+ schemes in Corsham, have honoured former resident Dennis Witt, who passed away earlier this year, by arranging for a bench to be installed at the scheme in his memory.

Dennis was a keen gardener and tended to the beautiful award-winning gardens at the scheme. June Witt, Dennis’ wife, said: “As soon as we moved here, he set about to bring colour to the building’s grey walls through his love of gardening. Other residents often took photos of his tubs and hanging baskets to send to family and friends.”

Welcome to RobinRobin Bailey has been appointed as the new Chair of GreenSquare’s board of management.

Robin had a long career with Nationwide Building Society and is very interested in both customer and employee satisfaction. He said: “I’m delighted to be joining as Chair and hope my skills will help the team to be even more successful.”



Residents vote for street namesResidents in Culverhay, Cricklade, had the opportunity to vote for five new street names for the area, as part of some regeneration work that GreenSquare is doing there.

Members of the Culverhay steering group formed a sub-committee to come up with the name suggestions for the new streets, which all have a connection to the local area.

Residents of all ages cast their votes for their favourite street names and here are the winners:

NEWS

BRAMBLE COURT

BLYTHE CLOSE

SKYLARK RISEWILLOW GROVE

CLOVER LANE

Next year, we will be looking at the way we schedule repairs so that we can help you arrange your repairs, and track your repairs progress more easily online. To do this, we’ll be making changes to our technology, and we’re looking for volunteers who would like to get involved and help us test our new software.

Sound interesting? At this stage, we’d just like to know if you be interested in taking part. Then we will be in touch in the new year when we have arranged some drop in sessions.

To register your interest, please contact us.

We need your help

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1 OXFORDSHIREHouseholds in Dora Carr Close, Northway, came together and made the most of the opportunity to get rid of unwanted bulky household items and clean up the area.

2 WILTSHIREResidents from GreenSquare’s 55+ schemes took part in a ‘Scam Buster’ event where they were treated to a play all about scam awareness.

3 WILTSHIRECulverhay residents got involved with the official start on site of eight new homes on the estate, as part of a regeneration of the area.

4 OXFORDSHIREChildren from the Rose Hill junior youth club, and their parents, had a fantastic time at the Glympton Country Fayre.

5 GLOUCESTERSHIREGreenSquare’s New Friends Network had a fun day enjoying a picnic in the park in Lydney, taking part in games and chatting to new people.

6 GLOUCESTERSHIREThe Crafty Café Project unveiled their community mosaic. All members of the group were really proud of their work, which will now take pride of place in the Café Sixteen in Coleford.

7 WILTSHIREChildren enjoyed summer activities including Skate, Scoot and BMX sessions, and pebble painting art classes. Because they were very popular, we’ll be holding more sessions in the school holidays next year.

8 WILTSHIREGirlguiding’s Cricklade Rainbow Group visited residents at one of our 55+ schems as part of their ‘kindness’ badge. The girls spent an hour in the lounge doing arts and crafts, and served tea and cake.

SnapshotsLOCAL FOCUS

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LOCAL FOCUS

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7

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A better serviceIn the last issue of G2, we told you about the changes we’ve made in customer services, to make it even easier to you to get in touch with us, and to make it simpler and quicker for you to pay your rent.

Hopefully you will have experienced the benefits of these changes already. If not, here’s a quick reminder of the changes we’ve made:

Automated rent payment

Contact centre open hours

Making things simpler

Contact centre Monday to Friday 8am–7pm

Chippenham reception Monday to Friday 8.30am–5pm

There’s just one telephone number and one email address for you to contact us:

01249 465465 [email protected]

Customer call back

If you don’t want to wait on hold, you can request a call back from us. Simply press the * key while waiting and, when prompted, follow the instructions. Once your call gets to the front of the queue, someone will call you straight back.

“ I waited a bit on the line and then used the call back service – it was excellent! I was called back within the minute.”

Call back

Longer opening hours

“ It is reassuring to know I can get in touch if I need to.”

UPDATES

When you call us, you can now make a rent payment using our new automated system. Simply press 1 to be transferred to the Allpay payment line. Remember to have your reference number handy.



UPDATES

Keep an eye out for subletting

Focusing on customersYou can be confident that increasing customer satisfaction remains a key focus for us – and we’d like to work with you to make some improvements. We are giving you the opportunity to tell us what you think, and help us to shape our future services, by inviting you to join us at a ‘GreenSquare Customer Focus’ session.

There isn’t enough social housing to meet demand, so it’s important to us that the residents who live in GreenSquare homes are legally entitled to do so. If anyone is caught subletting, we will take action, which can result in a fine or prison sentence.

We need your help to keep an eye out for illegal subletting. If you suspect a neighbouring property is being sublet, please get in touch with us. We treat all information confidentially.

At this session, you’ll get the opportunity to:

– tell us what’s important to you as a customer;

– help us to design and develop the products and services we offer;

– question how we’re doing against the standards we set; and

– give us feedback on our new ideas and share any suggestions you have.

We are planning three Customer Focus sessions a year. The first one is taking place on 28 November at our Chippenham office. If you’d like to be involved, please get in touch (see back page). Keep an eye on our website and in future editions of G2 for details of future sessions.

Case study

We recently recovered a house in Greater Leys, Oxford, after we discovered that the tenants had bought, and moved into another property elsewhere, and were illegally subletting their GreenSquare property. We took our evidence to court and were granted an order for possession – which means we now have the house back and have been able to re-let it to a family in desperate need of a new home.

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Be sca aware!m

Recognising our employees

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true... it probably is!

To report a scam, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 to help stop it happening to others.

GreenSquare tradespeople such as Jon (right) are easily identifiable by their GreenSquare-branded uniforms and all GreenSquare staff members will always have an identity badge with them, which they should be wearing around their neck. If the badge isn’t immediately visible, you can ask the member of staff if you can take a closer look at it. If you’re still not sure, please get in touch with our contact centre to confirm that the staff member is who they say they are.

You can also get advice and report scams to Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice consumer service on 08454 04 05 06 or online advice at www.adviceguide.org.uk.

Scams come in lots of different shapes and sizes, including dodgy online adverts and tricksters using dating websites to build relationships with people they later defraud. Other common types including ‘phishing’ emails and ‘vishing’ phone calls designed to con people into giving away sensitive information; investment scams; and advanced fees requested to claim unexpected lottery wins.



ON

E P

OUND

Don’t break the bank this Christmas

Don’t be tempted by loan sharks

Pressure to please loved ones and give children the perfect present tops the list of reasons people overspend at this time of year. Here’s our top five tips for a thrifty Christmas:

Don’t leave it all to the last minute! Careful planning can

help you to make the most of

pre-Christmas deals like ‘3 for

2’ offers on gifts.

4

Don’t be tempted to borrow cash from loan sharks this Christmas if you’re having money problems. Loan sharks are illegal money lenders. They may seem friendly to start with, but borrowing money from them is never a good idea – even if you only need a small amount of money for a short while.

You will pay far more interest than you would through legal borrowing. Some loan sharks resort to intimidation and violence after they have lent you money, and you are often pressured into borrowing more money to repay one debt with another.

Call the 24/7 confidential hotline 0300 555 2222

Text a report to 078600 22116

Visit the website stoploansharks.co.uk

Email [email protected]

Make a list and check it twice! Make sure you know

who you need to buy for and do

some research before you hit the

shops to avoid panic-buying.

1

Time is worth more than money. At Christmas spend some time with the people that matter – this is often more valuable than any gift.

5

Agree to do a secret Santa with family or friends and you’ll save a fortune by just buying one gift rather than for everyone. Be sure to agree a budget first.

2

Embrace the digital age and email greeting cards to save on the cost of postage. 3

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Winter is coming

Repairs and maintenance

If your boiler has broken down, we will always treat it as a priority and fix it for you as soon as possible. However, there are a few things you can try yourself:

Is your room thermostat set at the right temperature?

Your heating might have turned off because your home has reached the temperature set on the thermostat. Try turning the thermostat up during colder spells.

Do you have enough credit?

Check that the gas meter is showing that your credit or emergency credit is available. You might need to reinsert your pre-payment card and follow the instructions.

Have you had your boiler serviced?

GreenSquare’s in-house gas team will carry out your annual gas service for you. Visit greensquaregroup.com/gas to find out more.

As the cold weather sets in, now is the time to check that your boiler is in working order.

TIPS

Help us to help youRepairs and maintenance is one of the most important services that we provide for our customers. Keeping your home in a good condition is important to us and we aim to provide a responsive service that is efficient and provides value for money.

To allow us to do this, it is important our workmen, contractors, and surveyors are allowed into your home. Please make sure you allow them access. (See page 10 to read about how to recognise our employees.)

Your responsibilitiesWe will carry out repairs that are a result of wear and tear. We’re also responsible for maintaining and repairing the structure of your home and any shared areas.

However, you are responsible for some repairs and maintenance within your home. For example, we will not carry out repairs that are the result of damage by you or any visitors you have at your home. If we do carry out these repairs, we will charge you for the work before we start.

Please always check your tenancy agreement to find out what your responsibilities are. You can find more information on our website, by searching ‘repairs responsibilities’.



Fire prevention top tips

Check your smoke alarmTo keep your smoke alarms in good working order, you should:

If you do have any specific concerns about your home, please get in touch.

We would like to reassure you that GreenSquare has a robust fire management system and we take the fire safety of all of our homes very seriously.

There is a lot you can do to protect your family and your home from the danger of fire – the key things to remember are:

Check all your smoke detectors are in working order (see below)

Keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children

Make a bedtime check

Plan and practice your escape routes in case of fire

Test them once week, by pressing the test button until the alarm sounds.

Don’t overload electrical sockets or extension cords

Clean your smoke alarms every three months by using the soft brush of your vacuum cleaner to remove any excess dust.

Put cigarettes right out

Allow GreenSquare to service your gas boilers

Take care when cooking and never leave cooking unattended

Use candles carefully

TIPS

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We have built 128 new homes over the past year

2,000 new affordable homes

by 2025 we want to have built

IN FOCUS

Nicky Collins and Martin Hooper recently moved into a GreenSquare two-bedroom house in Calne with their two young children. They have described the move as “life-changing”.

Martin said: “There is a real shortage of affordable homes in the area, so we were really excited and delighted to have been lucky enough to be allocated a house here.

“For the last few years, we all lived with Nicky’s father, so this is our first place together. We just can’t believe it’s so nice. We’re all settled in and it already feels like home.”

The new homes GreenSquare has built are a mixture of one-bedroom and two-bedroom properties for affordable rent.

Changing lives

Building more homes to meet need

Elsewhere, GreenSquare has been helping people to have a home to suit their needs by completing (L-R) Eleanor House in Northway, Oxford, a building of 28 flats; 11 new homes at Parklands in Chippenham; and 11 new houses in Rudloe, Corsham.



We have built 128 new homes over the past year

2,000 new affordable homes

by 2025 we want to have built

Annual reviewfor customers

GreenSquare’s 2016/17

is available now!*

See the review on our website atgreensquaregroup.com/customers/review

*from 1 November 2017

Or get in touch if you’d like us to send you a printed copy!Call us on 01249 465465 or email [email protected]


GreenSquare Group does not insure your furniture and personal posessions. However we have teamed up with Thistle Tenant Risks to offer you an affordable home contents insurance policy.

Protect your belongings against a whole range of risks and find peace of mind.

For more information you can call My Home Contents Insurance on

or visit

0345 540 7288

www.thistlemyhome.co.uk

All calls are recorded for our mutual protection, training and monitoring purposes.Terms and conditions, exclusions and limits apply. A copy of the policy wording is available on request.

The National Housing Federation My Home Contents Insurance Scheme is a product name arranged and administered on behalf of the National Housing Federation by Thistle Tenant Risks. A trading style of Thistle Insurance Services Limited. Lloyd’s Broker. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. A JLT Group Company. Registered office: The St Botolph Building, 138 Houndsditch, London, EC3A 7AW. Registered in England No. 00338645. VAT No. 244 2321 96. The National Housing Federation is an Appointed Representive of Thistle Insurance Services Limited.

If you have no home

contents insurance you could be in for a shock!

Contact GreenSquare

[email protected]

01249 465465


Documents

G2 magazineknow I can get in touch if I need to. UPDATES When you call us, you can now make a rent payment using our new automated system. Simply press 1 to be transferred to the Allpay