Heart of the Matter Spring/Summer 14

Entry form;

Name

Address

Where are they?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Please send this form to:Communications Team, Orbit Heart of England,FREEPOST RRXZ-RSUR-SHLA, 10 GreenhillStreet, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6LG

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: By entering, you agree to have your name printed in the

newsletter if you are a winner / runner-up. Competitions are onlyopen to Orbit Heart of England customers.

THUMBSUP

Heart of England Housing Association Ltd (exempt charity).

Homes and Communities Agency Number: L4526

Registered office: 10 Greenhill Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6LG

Please noteIf you need this document translated (or suppliedin an alternative format, such as large print),please contact our Customer Service Centre byemail ([email protected]) or on 0345 8 500 500

Contact usIf you want to get in touch you can call us on 0345 8 500 500, or if you prefer you can [email protected] website iswww.orbitheartofengland.org.uk

16 Spring/Summer 2014

Real life storyPage 09

Making Involvement CountPage 10

Digital inclusionPage 14

Facebook competitionPage 16

Heart ofthe Matter

Spring/Summer 2014

What’sinside?

Congratulations to customer, Julie Schumann, who wonour ‘thumbs up’ Facebook competition in March. Juliewas the lucky winner of £150.00 worth of vouchers tospend on her shopping at Sainsbury’s.

natureBack to

Page 05

Our next competition is live now – visit our pageto find out what’s on offer and how to win!

If you do not like us on Facebook already, here area few reasons why you should:

• Keep up-to-date with job opportunitiesthroughout the Orbit Group

• Find out about news and updates from across Orbit Heart of England

• Find out what’s going on in your area –including local events and news

• Get helpful tips from our Money Advice Service

Find us at

www.facebook.com/OrbitHeartOfEngland

and click Like

Competition cornerHow many can you spot?

Look carefully – there are five cupcakes hidden throughout the newsletter.

To enter, write down the page number and inwhich article you spot the cupcakes, and thensend your answers to us, with your name andaddress. Use our FREEPOST address below (no stamp needed) or email us [email protected] (mark asSpring/Summer competition). The closing date for receiving your entries is: 30 June 2014.

We will pick three correct entries and the winnerswill receive a set of baking equipment.

Stratford Housing Team went on the road to give customers in rural locations theopportunity to ask questions regarding their home, tenancy and community.

The areas are also known for having issueswith phone signal and internet connectivity,so it was important for the local Housingteam to take the service out to them. Theareas visited on the day included Tysoe,Long Compton, Cherington and Whichford in Warwickshire and Brailes in Oxfordshire.

Johanna Holdsworth, District HousingManager, said: “The day was a greatsuccess, the team received lots of positivefeedback about taking the service topeople’s doorsteps and we’re now looking to make this a regular activity.”

Shipston-on-Stour Stroke Support Group in Warwickshire helps with the rehabilitation of local people who have suffered from a stroke.They provide meetings twice a month wherestroke survivors can get together, shareexperiences and enjoy gentle exercise and talks.

And thanks to a grant from Orbit Heart ofEngland’s Community Investment Fund, they areable to provide help to Orbit customers who havelimited mobility by providing transport to themeetings using the Community Links bus.

Welcome from the Editor

We’re well into the newyear now and there’s lots of new developments toreport. Our digitalinvolvement project isgathering pace and we’rehelping more customersget online. You can readmore about it in this issue.

We’ve a report on OrbitIndependent Living’s newpet policy, a look at the roleof Employment SupportOfficers, funded by theCommunity InvestmentFund, as well as the latestnews on Welfare Reform. Ihope you enjoy this issue.

Punjabi Kurdish

New Contractors Switch to Direct Debit…

Donna Nixon Editor

Follow us on Twitter@OrbitHeart

02 Spring/Summer 2014 Heart of the Matter 03

‘Like’ us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/OrbitHeartOfEngland

O n the roadComplaints policy update

On the 1 April our new contractors started delivering ourmaintenance programme which includes your day-to-dayrepairs, empty properties and large scale improvements suchas kitchen and bathroom replacements.

We have revised our Complaints andFeedback Policy & Procedure which hasbeen approved by customers and Boards.

Everyone was written to and told of the change but, just in case you missed that, thecontractors are:• Willmott Dixon PartnershipDay-to-day repairs and empty properties

• MITIE Property Services (UK) Planned maintenance North Midlands

• Ian WilliamsPlanned maintenance South Midlands

All the companies are committedto deliver excellent customerservice as well as offering valuefor money.

You don’t need to do anythingdifferent. You report your repairsin the normal way and we will contact you if you are due a replacement kitchen or bathroom.

Key changes are:• We have reduced the number of stages within the complaintspolicy from three to two:Investigation and Review. This is to make the processquicker for the complainant.

• At the Review stage, the panelof Orbit staff and customers hasbeen replaced with a Head ofService now involved with thecomplaint and a Director to sign off the response.

• We will only deal withcomplaints no older than six months.

• Introduction of a complaintsreview group which will includeOrbit staff and customers. Thegroup will monitor trends andensure that Orbit learns from its complaints and makes thechanges it says it will.

…and be in with a chance of winning £12,000Sit back, relax and let Direct Debit take thestrain out of paying your rent

Orbit Heart of England is one of theparticipating organisations in the £12,000 BigBreak draw which is being run by BACS, theelectronic payment scheme. Switch to payingrent by Direct Debit and you could be thewinner of £12,000.

We offer a wide range of payment dates andfrequencies. That means you can make sureyour Direct Debit payment is made on a datethat works for you, helping you keep on top of your finances.

With Direct Debit you stay in control becauseyou know what’s coming out of your accountand when. The Direct Debit Guaranteeprotects you against any incorrect paymentsand makes sure you get your money back if a mistake is made.

For every customer who switches to DirectDebit by 30 June 2014, Orbit Heart of Englandwill make a donation to the Child PovertyAction Group – so you’ll be helping them too.

Scan the QR to seethe full policy updateon our website

Check out ourpolicy online

• Customers, Marjorie Rigg and Rita Mace,are delighted with the stress-free transport

Deepmore Road, Rugby is an 11 bed hostel offering up to two years supportedaccommodation for youngpeople 16 – 25 years old. JuliaLee, Employment SupportOfficer, has been working withthem since November, providingemployment, education andtraining support service, basedon the individual’s needs andambitions.

• Alex Harrison came toDeepmore Road in November2013. Within his first week hehad successfully gained aplace on a Coventryemployment boot camp. Thisexperience helped Alex growwith confidence, increase his team-working skills andsecured a six month paid work placement as a groundmaintenance operative. Hisemployer speaks highly of him,describing him as a polite,

hardworking member of the team.

• Scott is currently studying atWarwickshire College for aLevel 3 Extended Diploma inSport Development, Coaching& Fitness. He had fouruniversity interviews and hasbeen offered two unconditionalplaces for October 2014.

• Georgia is on an apprenticeshipcourse as a florist. She works in a local shop as well asattending Northampton Collegeas part of her on-going training.

A dementia support service in Stratford-upon-Avonis being funded by Orbit Heart of England’sCommunity Investment Fund and Stratford TownTrust. It is to enable people with dementia tocontinue to live independently in their localcommunity, to reduce the risk of crisis situationsand for people to gain a greater knowledge andunderstanding of the disease call the Alzheimer’sSociety on 01926 888899.

The first telehealth pilot project based in an extracare scheme in Warwickshire has just finished inStratford-upon-Avon.

Telehealth allows vital health checks (such as blood pressure, weight, ECG readings etc) to becarried out and sent electronically to GPs withoutthe need for patients to make an appointment orvisit a clinic.

“Six customers at Briar Croft took part in the pilot project.” said Kara-Louise Dutton, AssistiveTechnology Development Officer at OrbitIndependent Living, “Telehealth enables people to remain independent in their own homes; it willempower our customers to look at their own healthneeds and will give peace of mind that their healthis stable without having to make regular visits todoctors and hospitals.”

Orbit Heart of England, working in partnership with Lighthorne Heath Children’s Centre inWarwickshire and the Pre-School LearningAlliance, launched a 12 week Employability and Personal Development course.

There is a demand from residents living in ruralcommunities for this type of course. It was partfunded by Orbit’s Community Investment Fund,following a successful bid for £3000 by DavidDutton and Julie Howard of Stratford Housing team.

The course focuses on several key areas includingCV and letter writing, career planning, interview and presentation skills. All those who successfullycomplete the course receive a Level 3 City and Guilds Award in Employment and PersonalDevelopment.

A project to help young people in Coventryincrease their self-esteem and confidence,improve their employability and life skills, as well as enjoy exciting learning experiences hasbeen awarded £5,000 to run more sessions.

Wild Earth, a not-for-profit social enterprise, runsthe ‘Positive Pathways’ programme aimed atyoung people (16-19 years) from Orbit Heart ofEngland properties in the Foleshill and surroundingarea. As well as employability skills, bushcraft is apart of the course. It allows the young people tohave fun, enjoy the world around them as well asraise their self-esteem and confidence, whilstreducing anti-social behaviour in their local area.

Do you want to make a differencein your life, get a job, do sometraining or just get a bit of adviceon what steps to take next?

This is where our EmploymentSupport Officers can help. Theyprovide free personal advice,guidance and support, based on your individual needs andambitions.

There will be an EmploymentSupport Officer for each of ourOrbit Heart of England areas. Julia Lee covers the Northamptonand Rugby office area and PaulMcGinn covers Coventry, Hinckley,Burton and the Leamington officeareas; the Stratford-upon-Avonarea post is currently beingrecruited.

The Employment and Skills free service offers:• Careers and skills advice • Access to skills training • Work opportunities • Support and guidance

The officers can provide a one-stop employment and skills servicethat helps you work towards yourpersonal goals – both short termand long term. Whatever yoursituation is right now, get in touch.

To book an appointment with an Employment Support Officerplease email the CommunityInvestment Team at [email protected] call 0345 8 500 500.

COMMUNITYMATTERS

Se necessitar deste documento traduzido (ou em formato diferente, impressão de maiorformato, Braille ou áudio), contacte o centro de apoio a clientes em 0345 8 500 500 ouenvie uma mensagem de correio electrónico para [email protected]

Portuguese Polish


CASE STUDIES

Is there somethingholding you back?

Partnership Working

Dementia service launched

Back to nature

• Julia Lee,Employment Development Officer

Telehealth project

• Kara-Louise Dutton with Phillip Withers

The Department for Work and Pensions has produced newunder occupation Housing Benefit legislation about childrenwith severe disabilities.

From December 2013, the new regulations allow an extrabedroom for children whose severe disabilities would preventthem sharing.

The qualifying criteria are fairly clear. There are two conditions:the child is entitled to Disability Living Allowance (DLA) carecomponent at the higher or middle rate, and the HousingBenefit Service is satisfied that the child is not reasonably able to share a room.

These are similar to the conditions for adults who need anovernight carer, but there is no scope to allow the additionalbedroom if the child is not entitled to DLA at the middle orhigher rate even if there is sufficient evidence to show thatanother room is needed. In these cases the Council may make an award of discretionary housing payment.

Contact your local Council if you think this rule change affectsyou, and you may be able to get more housing benefit.

It is estimated that many people who are eligible for DLA are not currently claiming it. To find out more, check out the Government’s website at www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children or call 0845 712 3456.

Adults with disabilities cannot make new claims for DLA for themselves; instead, they may be entitled to PersonalIndependence Payments. More information is available at www.gov.uk/pip or by calling 0800 917 2222.

MONEYMATTERS

Has your Housing Benefit beencut because you are deemed tohave too many bedrooms in yourhome? For a small number ofcustomers, this decision may not have been applied correctly.

If you have lived in your home and claimed Housing Benefit since 1 January 1996, the underoccupation benefit reductions may not apply to you before 3 March 2014. This is because of a complicated piece oflegislation around how the ‘eligible rent’ is calculated.

It might also apply if somebodyelse in your household used toclaim at that address before thistime, but has subsequently died orleft the property. We cannot identifythose cases, so if you think thiscould apply to you, you shouldcheck with your Council.

We recognise that this is acomplicated area, and challengingbenefit decisions can be difficult.We can help you to ask for areview of your entitlement, or can let you have a standard letterto request a review. Rememberthough, you must keep your rentpayments up to date even if youare appealing against a benefitdecision.

We have become aware of a First Tier Tribunal where afather, who has access to histeenage daughter at weekendsand school holidays, won hisappeal against under occupationdeductions. The First TierTribunal allowed his daughter to be allocated a bedroom as they considered her to beoccupying two properties –his and his ex-partner's.

First Tier Tribunals do not set aprecedent that changes the law,but there have been a number of successful appeals over recent months – such as wins forresidents claiming that a bedroomis not a bedroom if it is notfurnished as such, and anotherwhere a bedroom with less than70 square feet of floor size isconsidered to be too small to be a bedroom.

It is impossible to pre-judge theoutcome of future appeals of thisnature because they are notbinding on others, but well wortha try! Talk to your housing benefitteam at the Council about how to appeal.

Pre-payment meters can help you budget but they’re not thecheapest option. You may have moved into a home with apre-payment meter or had to have one fitted if you got intodebt with your energy provider.

If you have now paid that debt off, you should find out howmuch you are paying for energy. There is a great link online toautomatically check you are getting the best rates and it’s freewww.cheaperenergyclub.moneysavingexpert.com/register.You can also talk to our Energy Doctor for advice and help.

Credit meters offer cheaper energy. If you switch to Direct Debityou can save an extra 4% over a year (up to £70). Speak to yoursupplier if you would like to find out more.

Underoccupation

UnderOccupationAppeals


Children withDisabilities

Pre-payment meters

There have been 300 prosecutions for illegal money lending, resulting in prison sentances of more than 190 years. The Illegal Money Lending Unit have helped over 23,000 victims of loan sharks.

Stop Loan SharksCall the 24/7 confidential hotline: 0300 555 222Emal: [email protected]:www.twitter.com/loansharknewsText: loan shark + your message to 60003

The popularity and success ofthe Energy Doctor scheme isgoing from strength to strength.Five hundred visits werecompleted across Orbit Heart ofEngland in 2013 and we aredelighted that the service will becontinuing for another year.

The whole service is designedaround you. It’s also completelyfree. The Energy Doctor will visityou in your own property. Theywill set your heating system in themost efficient way, provide energysaving gadgets and check for thecheapest tariff available.

Money can be saved no matterwhat time of year so get in touchto see how much you could save.You will have less time to wait foran appointment in the Spring andSummer. So if you would like toarrange a visit from the EnergyDoctor please get in touch.

Doctor on call

STOP LOAN SHARKS

Anti-social behaviour (ASB) canbe soul destroying, having adevastating effect oncommunities and the lives ofmillions of people who have tolive with it. For Shanna-Kaye, theASB started not long after shehad moved into her new home inRugby. “I spoke to my neighbourand they listened to me for awhile. But then it got worse. Atone point, I had to move out withmy children and sleep elsewhere.It affected my job because friendsof the neighbour came into workand verbally abused me. Thechildren couldn’t play outsidebecause of the swearing. It was hard.”

When the ASB escalated, Shanna-Kaye contacted her CommunityHousing Officer, Paula Collett.Paula explained the proceduresthat had to be followed and theimportance of keeping a diary ofincidents.

“I was getting calls on a daily basisfrom other neighbours,” explainedPaula, “But they were reluctant tomake official complaints for fear ofreprisals.”

At first, Shanna-Kaye wasdismayed that the process wouldtake time, “I was angry because Ijust wanted someone to dosomething. It was frustrating to betold ‘Keep a diary, keep reportingit’. But I wrote everything down,every incident and I took photos. Iunderstood I needed to keeprecords, almost telling a story ofwhat was happening to me on adaily basis.”

Paula worked closely inpartnership with the Police,Community Safety Wardens,Family Intervention and theEnvironmental Health Officers. As a result, a Noise Abatement noticewas served and Paula also serveda Notice to Seek Possession onthe neighbour. This was onlypossible by using evidencecollected by Shanna-Kaye in her diary.

But the noise didn’t stop so Paulawent to court. “I spoke to theneighbour and explained that, aswe had got other professionalsinvolved and as the family wereworking with us, we would on thisoccasion, ask for a Demotion ofTenancy rather than possession.We realised this was a family incrisis. The last thing they neededwas to lose their home. Howevertheir behaviour and daily conductwas totally unacceptable. This wasthe most appropriate course ofaction to take.

“From the judge’s comments incourt, I think we would easily havebeen granted possession. But theactual outcome has been verypositive for everyone.”

“I never wanted them to lose theirhome. I just wanted the noise tostop,” said Shanna-Kaye, “Sincethen, they’ve written me a letterapologising for their behaviour andthanking me for helping get theirlife back on track.

“My message to others? I’d saystick with it. The perpetrators thinkthey can intimidate you but itbackfires on them. It is hard. Thereare ups and downs but it’s worth itin the end.”

*Name has been changed

Heart of the Matter 09

REAL LIFEFEATURE

“Night-time was the hardest.

It was constant noise. Loud

music, parties, doors slamming,

fights in the street.

by Shanna-Kaye*, Customer

sure people know what they’regetting into, can sustain theirtenancy and avoid anti-socialbehaviour. It encourages responsiblepet ownership.”

As soon as Pat heard about the newpolicy, she spoke to the schememanager. “I thought the questionsasked in the policy paperwork wereall perfectly valid. I could see areason for all of them. We haven’thad this much fun in years. Theneighbours love him and I get to talk

to so many people when I’m outwalking him.”

Missy is a 5 year old Collie Alsatian.She is the first dog to live in WillettHouse, Wellesbourne. She andowner, Rob, had an extraordinaryjourney to get to where they are now- literally. Rob and Missy had movedto Devon when he started a newrelationship. When that broke down,both he and the dog lived in a tentfor a few months before deciding tocome back to the Midlands. So theywalked. All 260 miles of it.

“We walked during some of thehottest days in the summer,” Robexplained, “I would offer people £1to fill up water bottles so she couldhave something to drink. She’s goodfor me; she’s my buddy.”

The flat at Willett House wasavailable and the pet policy was in place when Rob and Missy cameto view it. “Everything just seemedto happen at the right time,” saidJayne Turvey, Area Manager, “Weexplained to Rob that he and Missymight meet some opposition. But it’sgone really well.”

Titch is a 9 month old toy poodlewho lives with Pat and RonSavage, Park View, Coventry. Hemay look small but, in his ownway, he is a big thing for OrbitIndependent Living. He’s one ofthe first pets to start living in ascheme, thanks to the new PetPolicy.

“We decided to relaunch our PetPolicy in our sheltered and extracare schemes,” explained BeckyDavies, Area Business Manager,“The policy has quite strictrequirements but we want to make


Welcome to my homeby Titch and Missy

Successful downsizeJoyce Dyer lived in a three bed house in Studley, Warwickshire.She had been considering downsizing for many years. On arecent estate inspection, Joyce got talking to Helen Robinson(featured in the last Heart of the Matter) who told her thatdownsizing was the best thing she has ever done.

Joyce was keen to find out whatoptions were available to her. Shedidn’t have internet access orknow how to bid, so Steve Jones,her Community Housing Officer,offered to place a bid for her. Abungalow became available, Steveplaced a bid, which wassuccessful, and Joyce has nowmoved into her new home.

Orbit Heart of England will beshowing support for thelesbian, gay, bisexual andtransgender community andattending two Pride events.Both days are fun andinformative so do come along.

Saturday 24th May10am – 6pm Hurst StreetBirmingham City Centre

Saturday 28th June11am – 8pm Pump Room GardensLeamington Spa

kennel

Demotion orderUnder the Anti-Social BehaviourAct 2003, a ‘demotion order’was introduced to help tackleanti-social behaviour. If aDemotion Order is made, itends many of the rights of asecured tenant and can make iteasier for a landlord to evictthem. A demoted tenancyusually lasts for 12 months. Thisgives the tenant enough time tochange their behaviour but itcan be extended if the courtbelieves more time is needed.

—Titch

Missy

Customer Inspection Performance Challenge team


The role of Customer Scrutinyis to work in partnership withOrbit Heart of England, actingas a customer voice orwatchdog. It looks at serviceperformance and to challengehow things are being doneand recommend areas wherethings can be improved. Itlooks with a customer’s eyebut doesn’t look at individualcustomers or, indeed,individual customer’sproblems.

The next service the CustomerScrutiny team will be lookingat is anti-social behaviour(ASB) and whether it is beingdelivered effectively andefficiently. Customers from theOrbit Heart of EnglandScrutiny panel will be workingclosely with customers fromOrbit East and Orbit South tolook at whether ASB ishandled consistently and howit can be improved.

We are always looking atrecruiting customers to help us scrutinise services andimprove services. If it’ssomething you would beinterested in, please get in touch for a chat to find out more or to ask for anapplication form.

Under themicroscope

Our entry for the ‘Excellence in Co-regulation’ award at the TenantParticipation Advisory Service (TPAS) Midlands awards was ‘highlycommended’. This recognises the work of customer inspectors, the Performance Challenge team, Service Improvement groups and Scrutiny in challenging services, holding us to account for our performance and driving forward improvements.

The ‘Making Involvement Count – thejourney’ DVD was shown (available onwww.orbitheartofengland.org.uk/involvement-journey) . It tells the journey of customerinvolvement over the last two years ago,focussing on the new involvementmethods and subsequent successes.

We also trialled an interactive votingsystem called Quizdom on the day. Quizdom gave real time results and was well received by customers.

INVOLVEMENTMATTERS

Take a look at ourYouTube channel

Making Involvement Count

ChallengingChangingCustomer Scrutiny

Orbit Heartof England


Interested?If you would like to find out more, please [email protected] or call Julie Clarkson on 01789 404 430for a welcome pack. We’d love to hear from you.

STATISTICS

98% of customers whoattended the event rated theiroverall satisfaction with theday as good/great. A further96% said they were morelikely to get involved in otherinvolvement activities.

• Peter Glass (customer), Rupert Weeden(Customer Involvement Adviser), Bob Gilling (customer) and Tom Coles(Service Improvement Co-ordinator)

Thirty two involved customers attended thefirst Orbit Heart of England Customer‘Making Involvement Count’ event in March.

The aims of the day were to • Showcase and celebrate how customershave influenced the business

• Give customers an opportunity tochallenge and shape services throughworkshops

• Provide networking opportunities • Create enthusiasm for current involvementopportunities.

Awards Success

Making a differenceThese are some examples of how customers have beenhelping to make a differenceby getting involved…

Our team of customer inspectors has continuedtheir programme of inspections of emptyproperties, checking them against the re-letstandard. The team undertake inspectionsevery quarter, highlighting areas where OrbitHeart of England is not meeting the standard. A report is then passed to the members of staffin charge of delivering the service for them tolook at ways to improve it. As a result of thisapproach, improvements have been made to:

• Cleanliness of properties• Condition of gardens • Condition of flooring

The Performance Challenge team continues tohold us to account for the services we provideto customers. The team has challenged a rangeof services looking at how performance can beimproved relating to customer satisfaction withcomplaints, repairs fixed on first visit andsatisfaction levels for new customers moving in to their new home. The team has beenworking closely with Customer Scrutiny byproviding them with update reports and alsohighlighting services that they felt neededlooking at more closely.

A DAY IN THELIFE OF…

David Glover Member of Scrutiny team

When asked to describe a‘typical’ day for a member of the Scrutiny team, David Gloveris stumped.

“Every day is different. We havemeetings which run from 10amto 3.30pm each month during a project. But in between, wecommunicate regularly by email,dealing with Reviews and otherScrutiny matters.

“It can be demanding. A Reviewcan take from 4-6 months tocomplete. But to do the jobproperly, it’s important to getthings right.

“Some people think that you’reworking for Orbit Heart ofEngland but that’s not the case.We’re customers, working forcustomers. We are supported by Orbit Heart of England andwork in partnership whilst beingindependent to them. We areconstantly looking at how to get things improved for allcustomers. Our challenges toscrutinise areas of the businesscome in different forms; fromcustomers, from the Operations

committee, the Board, membersof staff and other CustomerInvolvement teams. To enable us to achieve our aims, we havecomplete access to all areas ofthe business.

“Customers should have a voiceand they should hold theirlandlords to account. Our job isto keep challenging Orbit Heartof England so it moves forward. I like the way things are evolving.Orbit Heart of England is tryingto make a difference for theircustomers and Scrutiny can help make sure they’re getting it right.”

• Dave Glover


The result was eight Energy Doctor referrals, four repairsqueries, one anti-social behaviour concern, two tenancysupport work referrals as well as general advice given. Thegeneral feeling was how nice it was to see members of staffwho were concerned about customers’ welfare.

GREENMATTERS

Jeff’s Close


The ability to find efficient andcheap to run heating systems is a huge concern for Orbit Heart of England. Now, advances intechnology have allowed us toinvest in ground and air sourceheat pumps in rural areas wheremains gas is not available for our customers and where theproperties are suitable for suchinstallations.

One such area was Jeff’s Closein Brailes, Oxfordshire and, lastyear, ground source heating wasinstalled in six bungalows.

A year on from the installation,one couple have noticed a greatimprovement over the old storageheaters. Mrs Jones says that herquality of life has improved; shehas reduced use of inhalers fromtwo a day to one. And her doctorhas seen a vast improvement inher general health.

Mr and Mrs Jones’ finances arelooking healthier too. In January2014 the fuel (electricity) bill wasless than half that of the sameperiod in 2013. Further analysisof costs between correspondingmonths before and after the heat pump was fitted show a continued 50% reduction in electricity costs.

Sustainable investmentThe Leamington and WarwickHousing team looked forcustomers in their area whowere over 60 years old living inrural areas and who had little orno recent contact with Orbit.They identified 60 propertiesand arranged to visit them.

The team worked with Act OnEnergy and our Energy Doctor toprovide up to date information onenergy advice. They also tookthe opportunity to updatecontact details for customersand show a friendly face.

Trial helps customersreduce their energy useTwenty three Orbit Heart ofEngland customers took part inthe National Energy study. Thestudy looks at ways of informingpeople of their energy use andgiving them advice on how to save.

The trial worked by collectingweekly meter readings from thehousehold. It was followed bycustomers receiving informationon their consumption and how it compared with otherhouseholds. Customers were paid £2 per meter reading, given to them in voucher form at the end of the study.

The meter readings collectedfrom our customers show areduction in energy use. Somehouseholds saw a reduction inenergy bills, others stayed at a

similar level, although the data is still in the process of beinganalysed.

Orbit may have other energytrials you could be involved in. To find out more go [email protected]

On yer bikeThe Coventry Housing team hadreceived complaints about peoplecausing a nuisance at flats inGunton Avenue. People werecongregating in the disused bikeshed in the car park so customersasked if it could be removed.

Rather than demolish the rathersubstantial structure, a chanceconversation between Ian Wood,Area Manager for Property Mattersand Peter Colledge, ElectricalCompliance Manager for PropertyMatters meant that the shed founda new home.

Peter, you see, is also the ScoutingLeader for 10th St Luke’s Scoutinggroup. He thought it would providegreat storage for the Scouts.

The shed is currently in storageand will be re-erected when Peterrecovers from taking it down. It is a great outcome for our customersand for the local Scout Group.

Orbit 2020Orbit’s purpose is ‘Building Communities’; we want to improve the social, economic and environmentalprospects of people and communities. We have ninetargets which we are committed to achieving by 2020.

Housing choice• Deliver 12,000 new homes• Provide a full range of home rental and

ownership options• Provide a complete flexible housing journey

for customers

Community investment• Provide 10,000 training and capacity building

activities to support empowerment, opportunityand jobs

• Deliver £30 million of investment (includingexternal funding) into communities

• Achieve a minimum energy rating of C* in all our homes(* these are calculations which measure howenergy efficient a building is)

Customer offer• Ensure 75% of customers are accessing

Orbit services online• Provide a range of tailored services which

satisfy 90% of customers• Deliver financial and energy efficiency advice

to 20,000 people

You can find more information on our groupwebsite www.orbit.org.uk/main.cfm?Type=2020

DIGITALMATTERS

Get online &save money

Web Wise projectOrbit Heart of England and Web Wise are working together toensure that older customers get the kind of benefits from beingonline that many people take for granted. Operating in rural parts of the Stratford District Council area, Web Wise is providing freetraining, supported by volunteers, to anyone over the age of 50. It covers subjects like:

• How to search for things on the internet

• How to keep in touch with free emails and video calls

• How to stay safe on line

• How to save money and increase income

We are currently operating in the Bidford, Studley and Alcesterareas, but will be moving on to Shipston and Henley this Summerand to other areas over the next two years.

The Project is funded by Comic Relief and delivered by Age UKWarwickshire in partnership with Citizens Advice Stratford (CAB). Wework closely with advice workers from these agencies to ensure thatolder people attending Web Wise courses can benefit from expertfinancial management advice, including home visits where needed.

Write to John Sawyer, Age UK Warwickshire, 8 ClemensStreet, Leamington Spa, CV31 2DL. Or telephone 01926 458100 and leave a message for John to ring you back. Or email [email protected]

All of us want to spend less andget more for our money. Thereare lots of ways you can useservices and tools on the internetto do this, whether you’re new tocomputers or you’re a regularweb user.

• If you’re a BT phone customer,see if you can reduce yourmonthly BT landline costs byswitching to BT Basic line rental(conditions apply):www.bt.com/basic

• Shop around for cheaperbroadband viaGetOnline@Home:www.getonlineathome.org

• If you need a PC or laptop, lookat cost-effective options suchas a reconditioned computer.You can find low-cost optionsfor PCs, laptops and tabletsfrom companies such as Tier 1Online: www.tier1online.com

See how much you can save on your household bills:

• Compare gas and electricitydeals at Billscutter:nhf.billscutter.com

• Use the budgeting tools andadvice on the national MoneyAdvice Service website:www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

• Find out about your local creditunion for competitive loans andsavings accounts:www.findyourcreditunion.co.uk

FIND OUT MORE

Heart of the Matter 1514 | Spring/Summer 2014

As part of Orbit Heart ofEngland’s support to helpcustomers get online, we areinvesting in a new project toprovide internet access throughwifi in 20 of our sheltered andsupported schemes across thecountry. This will offer over 400 Orbit Heart of Englandcustomers the opportunity to access the internet free of charge.

This new project will be looking at how we can help those whowant to get online and how we canpromote the benefits to those whohaven’t used the internet before. It also helps Orbit Heart of Englandlook at cost-effective ways ofproviding internet access at thelowest cost to our customers. Thisproject is just the start of a range of initiatives to help customers getonline and save money.

Wifi

The best advice is: forget about the technology, think aboutwhat you’re interested in and start there.

There are lots of sources of friendly support across the region:

• Find your nearest UK online centre by using the onlinepostcode search (www.ukonlinecentres.com) or call the helpline on 0800 77 1234 to be directed to your nearest centre. Alternatively you can text ‘online’ and your post code to 80809. Texts cost 25p + your standardnetwork charge.

• In Coventry, you can find help and support to get online at the Moat House Community Centre, Winston Avenue,CV2 1EA (t: 02476 622 964 or email:[email protected]).

• In the Stratford area, Age UK Warwickshire is offering free‘Web Wise’ training courses – see next page.

• In Rugby, you can get free support at the Benn PartnershipCentre, Railway Terrace, CV21 3HR, tel: 01788 553033or email: [email protected]

• There are also regular online skill sessions inNorthamptonshire at Crow Hill Community Centre,Irthlingborough and at the Corby Furniture TurnaroundProject. For more details, you can contact Julia Lee,Employment Development Officer on 077951 26385.

There are lots of easy to use guides online:

• Learn My Way: www.learnmyway.com

• Digital Unite guides: digitalunite.com/guides

Safety and security is also important. Whether you’re aseasoned internet user or are just getting online, visit the GetSafe Online website for lots of practical advice(www.getsafeonline.org).

Help! Where do I start?

Orbit Heart of England website Orbit Heart of England is working on a new, more user-friendlyand informative website so that you are kept up-to-date onyour housing needs and local community.

We are also looking at the Customer Secure area and improvinghow this works for you.

Why you should use the Customer Secure area:• You can access our services from wherever you are,

whenever you want• You can access lots of our services in one place• It’s quicker than calling or dropping in

Orbit Heart of England staff havesmashed their Value for Moneytarget. Total savings of £545,058were recorded from April 2013 –March 2014; that’s more thandouble the £250,000 target set.The Housing and IncomeManagement teams recorded ahuge number of savings. Thismeans we are able to investmore money in our communities.

Smashed it!

Entry form;

Name

Address

Where are they?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Please send this form to:Communications Team, Orbit Heart of England,FREEPOST RRXZ-RSUR-SHLA, 10 GreenhillStreet, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6LG

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: By entering, you agree to have your name printed in the

newsletter if you are a winner / runner-up. Competitions are onlyopen to Orbit Heart of England customers.

THUMBSUP

Heart of England Housing Association Ltd (exempt charity).

Homes and Communities Agency Number: L4526

Registered office: 10 Greenhill Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6LG

Please noteIf you need this document translated (or suppliedin an alternative format, such as large print),please contact our Customer Service Centre byemail ([email protected]) or on 0345 8 500 500

Contact usIf you want to get in touch you can call us on 0345 8 500 500, or if you prefer you can [email protected] website iswww.orbitheartofengland.org.uk


Real life storyPage 09

Making Involvement CountPage 10

Digital inclusionPage 14

Facebook competitionPage 16

Heart ofthe Matter

Spring/Summer 2014

What’sinside?

Congratulations to customer, Julie Schumann, who wonour ‘thumbs up’ Facebook competition in March. Juliewas the lucky winner of £150.00 worth of vouchers tospend on her shopping at Sainsbury’s.

natureBack to

Page 05

Our next competition is live now – visit our pageto find out what’s on offer and how to win!

If you do not like us on Facebook already, here area few reasons why you should:

• Keep up-to-date with job opportunitiesthroughout the Orbit Group

• Find out about news and updates from across Orbit Heart of England

• Find out what’s going on in your area –including local events and news

• Get helpful tips from our Money Advice Service

Find us at

www.facebook.com/OrbitHeartOfEngland

and click Like

Competition cornerHow many can you spot?

Look carefully – there are five cupcakes hidden throughout the newsletter.

To enter, write down the page number and inwhich article you spot the cupcakes, and thensend your answers to us, with your name andaddress. Use our FREEPOST address below (no stamp needed) or email us [email protected] (mark asSpring/Summer competition). The closing date for receiving your entries is: 30 June 2014.

We will pick three correct entries and the winnerswill receive a set of baking equipment.

Documents

Heart of the Matter Spring/Summer 14