www.southwark.gov.uk/shnThe magazine for Southwark Council tenants and leaseholders

Cracking down on tenancy fraud p5All you need to know about the census p6

SouthwarkHousing News S

pri

ng

2011

Inside this issue:

Tenants’ champion awarded MBE, p2

We met with Gerri and cabinetmember for housing, IanWingfield, to speak about thechallenges ahead, and their plans for the housing service.

What are you most lookingforward to?

This is a challenging role but I’mdriven by wanting to deliverimprovements to the quality ofservice that residents can see. It isdaunting but it will ultimately be asatisfying job. In particular, I wantresidents to be able to quicklyrecognise improvements to thequality of repairs and the look andfeel of where they live.

Councillor Ian Wingfield, cabinetmember for housing, said: “I haveno doubt that Gerri’s expertise inmanaging authorities’ complexhousing issues will see the aspirationswe have for the borough come tofruition; to focus on what residentswant to see happen in the future.”

What do you want to do first?

Things will not stay the same;customer service is my priority andI know that answering complaints,improving repairs, turning aroundempty properties, collecting rent,supporting vulnerable residents and keeping estates clean are veryimportant for residents. For mostresidents, their priority is to see ahelpful, interactive, polite andlistening approach to their needs. I want to instigate greatperformance management toachieve this over the coming years.

What will you do to transformthe repairs service?

With so many homes to look after, maintaining high standards of work is essential. The council iscommitted to driving up standardsand improving how it monitors itsperformance. I want to give morepower to front line staff, enabling

them to answer stage one complaintsas well as day-to-day repairs.

I have a close eye on this, as I knowhow important getting repairs rightis for tenants. I intend to ensurerobust processes are in place andevery effort is made to invest in afirst class service for residents.

Interview2

With a stock of 55,000 properties and a waiting list of 17,000, managingSouthwark Council’s housing is no mean feat. In January, Gerri Scotttook up the challenge in her new role as director of housing services.

Ian said: “The repairs line is alifeline for residents, they need to be able to get in touch quicklyand easily, especially in anemergency situation. I’d like to see fewer complaints and missedappointments, and I want toensure that tenants are never leftwithout heating, water, or otheremergency repairs for any longerthat absolutely necessary.”

What will the new housingstructure mean for residents?

There are some important andpositive changes taking placewhich will alter current practice.

I hope to support staff so they cansee the same big picture that Ihave for residents and to keep upthe motivation and enthusiasm weall need to drive up the experiencecustomers have when theyapproach Southwark Council with their housing needs.

What’s your plan for investingin Southwark’s housing?

There will be some toughdecisions which have to be madeas part of my job, but in order toachieve a better quality of housingfor everyone, decisions aboutredeveloping the most costlyestates will have to happen. Wewill be seeking the opinions ofresidents all the way and nothingwill happen without first hearingthe views of those who will bemost affected.

Ian said: “There are thousands of people in the borough who allneed warm, dry and safe homes.There is a limited amount ofmoney to spend on ensuring that everyone has the quality ofhome that should be expected inthis day and age. In order toprovide this, a balance must bestruck between what it best for a few residents, and what isbest for the majority of people in the borough.”

What drives your interest in housing?

I’m passionate about working in housing, because it’s a verycreative place to be, and a great opportunity to find out more about the people who make the place what it is. Thecustomer’s perspective is veryimportant to me and I findsatisfaction in turning around aproblem into a good experiencefor someone.

Jean Bartlett, a woman with realpassion for people living on theAylesbury estate has been madean MBE in the New Year's honourslist. Jean campaigns on behalf ofresidents, for improvements to theestate, chairs the estate’s tenantsand residents' association, and hasfought for local people for years.She has been a leading voice inthe call for the estate to beregenerated to improve thequality of life for residents.

Jean was recognised for services to the Aylesbury estate. She said:“I’m really honoured. We have allworked so hard for the Aylesburyand I hope this keeps it on themap. I’m looking forward to goingto St James’ Palace to receive theMBE, which could be any time inthe next six months. In themeantime, we’re still hopeful the government will reverse itsdecision regarding funding.”

Councillor Fiona Colley, cabinetmember for regeneration said:“Jean has worked tirelessly onbehalf of Aylesbury residents overthe years. During the highs andlows of getting the estate’sregeneration off the ground, shehas kept people’s spirits high andunderstands the bigger picture forthe area. She thoroughly deservesthe recognition and I hope tocontinue to work with her andseek her advice, in her capacityas both a campaigner and a voice for residents.”

3Interview

MBE for tenants’ champion

Why do we need to save money? The council has less money coming in to its housingbudget, called the housing revenue account. Thisbudget can only be spent on housing services, anddespite increasing rents in April we still have lessincome, so we need to save money.

There are number reasons why we have to save money including

• a reduction in the amount of money (subsidy) we receive from central government

• rising costs in the price we pay for goods andservices, due to inflation

• commitments such as fire reduction work andfalling income levels

What will this mean for services? Although we’re making savings, we want to maintainor improve service standards in the most importantareas, like as repairs and out on the estates. But wehave to think about delivering some services indifferent ways, and this might mean that services will look different in the future.

How are we involving residents in decisionsabout the savings we need to make? You have been giving us your suggestions about howwe make savings and the services you want to protect.We’ve been asking tenant and resident forums for their priorities as well as other tenant groups.

We’re working through your feedback with a group ofresidents who are helping us make the right decisionsabout where we make savings, and we’ll update you in future issues of Southwark Housing News.

Why is my rent going up? Tenants will receive a rent increase from April this year.Rents are increasing by an average of just over 7% or£5.71 per week in line with the national increase levelsset by the government, which is linked to inflation.You should have now received a letter confirming yournew rent level. If you’ve not received this letter pleasecall us on 020 7525 5000.

Decent homesIn the tough financial climate, it’s more important thanever that we spend the money we have to improve our homes wisely. We’ll be surveying residents to findout what’s most important to you and consulting withour formal resident bodies to decide how best we canmake sure your homes are warm, safe and dry.

This is just the beginning of a conversation that will go on for years to come, and there will be many more opportunities to talk to us about what yourservices look like, and how well they are performing.Keep an eye out for updates in Southwark HousingNews, or search for “resident involvement” atwww.southwark.gov.uk.

4

As the council looks to make bigsavings on the housing budget, wewant to involve you in importantdecisions about the services weoffer and how we deliver them. But what might this mean for you? “It looks like

there are tough timesahead for all”

Mary Wood, Walworth

Most people applying for council housing wait their turn to be

allocated a home. But housing cheats don’t wait, they jump the

queue. It’s not fair. We’re saying enough is enough, and cracking

down on people committing housing fraud.

Some people might think that giving falseinformation when they register for a council home,or letting out their property if they’ve foundsomewhere to live doesn’t hurt anyone, buthousing fraud is not a victimless crime. They’retaking homes that they don’t need, while people in need are forced to stay on the waiting list.They’re guilty of housing fraud, which costs thecouncil thousands of poundsevery year.

What is housing fraud?There are different types of housing fraud, but themost common are:

Unlawful subletting, when a tenant moves out oftheir home and rents it out without the council’spermission. They often charge the tenant a muchhigher rate, unfairly making a profit. It’s not fair forthem to sublet and make a profit if they no longerneed to live in the property.

Obtaining housing by deception, when a persongets a council home by giving false information in their application, like not telling the landlordthey are renting another council or housingassociation property.

Wrongly claimed succession when someone, who isnot entitled, tries to take over the tenancy from theoriginal tenant after their death. For example, theymight say they lived with the tenant before theydied, when in fact they were living elsewhere.

What are we doing?The council takes housing fraud seriously, which iswhy we’ll be doing tenancy checks to make sure thepeople living in council homes are authorisedtenants, and cracking down on suspected housingcheats. If we find that someone is committinghousing fraud, we will take steps to recover theproperty, including eviction, and we will pursue thecost of lost rent and council tax. We have recoverednearly 200 properties this year - which puts us in thetop five in the country for tackling housing cheats.

Updat 5

If you suspect someone is a housing cheat, let usknow. It could make a real difference.

Contact us on 020 7525 2000 or email us attenancychecks@southwark.gov.uk Anything you tell us will be completely confidentialand you can remain anonymous if you prefer.

“It’s only a twobedroom flat, but itseems like there are at least six people living there.”

“We don’t see Mike much since he moved in withhis girlfriend, but he stops by every couple of weeks topick up the rent.”

“My landlord’s said I don’t need to register for

council tax – it’s easier if he keeps all the bills in

his name.”

“It seems likesomeone new moves

in next door everyfew weeks!”

6

In March, every household in England and Wales will be sent a censusquestionnaire, to find out more about the people living here, and helpthe government and the council plan the services that you need. We relyon the census to understand how many school places, hospitals andhomes we need, and it helps to determine how much money we get, whichis why it’s so important that everyone completes their questionnairewhen it’s delivered on or before the 27 March.

For many people living in Southwark, this year will be the first timethey’ve been asked to complete a census, so we’ve got the answers to themost common questions you might have.

What is a census? Why should I complete it?The census is a count of all the people living in Englandand Wales, which is run by the Office of NationalStatistics (ONS). It helps determine how much fundingthe council gets to provide services like education,healthcare and other public services. If you don’tcomplete it, the council will get less money for theservices you rely on.

Can anyone see my personal data?The ONS is independent of the government and the council, and census records are kept secret for 100 years. All your personal information will beconfidential, so you can’t be identified from yourcensus form.

Can I be identified from what I write on mycensus form?The law makes sure that your personal information willnot be shared with other government departments, likeimmigration services or the tax office, and it will not bepassed on to anyone else, like debt collection agencies.Your personal data will be kept secret for 100 years.

What happens if I don’t complete myform?Census collectors will be visiting householdswho haven’t returned their form after 27 March, to see if they need any help

completing their forms. If you’re having troublecompleting your form, just get in touch with the Officefor National Statistics on 0300 0201 101. If you don’tcomplete your census, you could face prosecution or afine of up to £1,000.

Everything you need to know

7Focus on...

More informationTo find out more about how Southwark is preparing for the census, visitwww.southwark.gov.uk/census. For help and support completing your census,visit www.census.gov.uk.

w about the Census

How do I complete my census?You’ll receive your census in the post by 27 March, and you can either fill in the paper form and post itback, or complete it online. Completing your formonline is easy and fast. Just log onto the web addresson the front of your census form, enter your uniquereference code from the cover of your paper form and follow the instructions.

What happens if I don’t understand thequestions I am being asked?Guides to completing the census are available in over 50 languages, and for people with disabilities at www.census.gov.uk.

What if I have a disability that means I can’tcomplete my form?You can call the Office for National Statistics andarrange for someone to help you with your form. Thetelephone number and web address for help with thecensus will be written on the front of your census form.If you can’t complete your census on paper or onlineand need help, please come to one of our completionevents. Call Ambrose Omoma on 020 7525 3982 oremail ambrose.omoma@southwark.gov.uk to bookyour place.

New activitiesfor youngpeopleBermondsey west area forum andDownsideFisher YouthClub have beenworking together toprovide activities for young people living on the Arnoldand Dickens estates. Thanks to the partnership andfunding from the joint security initiative, the youthclub is now open on Friday evenings and new activitieshave been introduced by the young peoplethemselves. The youth club offers training forqualifications as a lifeguard or fitness trainer, givingyoung people an opportunity to learn and have fun,and boost their chances to get a job. For more details or to come along, call Claudia Webbe on 020 7407 0093 or go to www.downside-fisher.org.

A livelydebate onthe estate In February theAylesbury housingteam took part in adinner and debateevening hosted bythe Creation Trust onthe estate. Theevening offered achance for residentsto meet the teamsinvolved in theregeneration of the estate, and enjoy a three coursemeal with a different topic of debate for each course.Shaun Holdcroft, Aylesbury area manager (pictured),said: “This is a great opportunity for residents to talkto us about their priorities for the coming year. We allenjoy a good discussion over a meal and the peoplehere tonight are clearly passionate about where theylive. Our job is to meet the challenges they set us.”

Against antisocial behaviourat Tabard GardensCommunity safety wardens, the police, repairs staff,housing officers and the antisocial behaviour unitrecently came together for an area action day on theTabard Gardens estate. Residents were asked fortheir views on safety on the estate, and 83% saidthey felt safe in the day, with 41% feeling safe orfairly safe at night. Some of the issues residents wereconcerned about were teenagers hanging around,bike theft, nuisance dogs, drugs and street drinking.A big thank you to everyone who took part. Wemanaged to get some minor repairs done and haveidentified some areas in need of improvement.

Borough and Bankside

8

Bermondsey

Acting up in CamberwellIn December last year residents of the Wyndham andComber estates got together at the Blue ElephantTheatre in Camberwell for the theatre’s first evercommunity play. Residents chose to perform amodern version of “A Christmas Carol”, adding adramatic twist by moving the action to the local area,and featuring the local post office and the JessieDuffett Hall bingo evenings! They were encouragedto take part in every aspect of the play from writing

and acting to building sets and were helped alongby staff at the theatre. Local resident Steven Ballsaid: “I’ve never acted before, but I started doing

set design and was offered an acting part which Isurprisingly loved doing. I enjoyed showing my kidsthat you can do what you want to in life.”

Camberwell

Aylesbury

New TRA for Osprey estateOsprey estates residents have a voice once again at theRotherhithe area housing forum. Forum chair, Kiri Pieri,welcomed four new representatives from the estate,who have been elected by members of the new Ospreyestate tenants and residents’ association. After theprevious TRA had disbanded, residents felt they had lost their collective voice, but residents, together withhousing officers and the resident involvement team havenow got a new TRA off the ground. Housing officerMark Williamson praised the hard work of residents ingetting involved and welcomed the chance to worktogether to improve things on the estate.

Tell us what’s on your mindDo you live in a street property in Nunhead orPeckham Rye? If so, the area partnership board needsyou! The board brings together tenants, leaseholders,and council staff to improve housing services. Chairof the board, Lorraine Beck says: “We want toencourage a sense of ownership of the area and give honest feedback to contractors and the council,both good and bad. We’re looking for more peoplewho live in street properties to get involved andbecome members of the board.” The board meets onthe last Tuesday of the month at 27 BournemouthRoad, SE15 4UJ between 9.30am and 12pm. Youdon’t need any special experience, as training isavailable. The next meeting is on 29 March 2011. If you’d like to come along, please contact Lorraine at lorrainebeck976@hotmail.com.

Rotherhithe

Tackling crime Following feedback from residents at a family fun daylast summer, the Peckham community wardens havebeen working with residents and housing officers toset up a neighbourhood watch scheme on theGloucester Grove estate. Members of thescheme look out for signs of crime on theestate and report it to community wardensand the police. It also means thatneighbours get to know each otherbetter and can look out for eachother. If you would like to knowmore about the Gloucester Groveestate neighbourhood watchscheme, call the communitywardens on 020 7525 6202.

9

Peckham

Nunhead and Peckham Rye

My favourite thingsAs part of Silver, Southwark’s festival forolder people, come along to Dulwich Library, take a stroll down memory lane and talk about yourfavourite things. Bring along a photo of yourtreasured household item and share your memories.Perhaps it's your trusty wireless, your grandchild’srattle or your comfy chair. We’ll be creating amemory trail of words and pictures and share ourstories online. Come along on Thursday 14 Aprilfrom 2pm to 4pm to Dulwich Library, 368 LordshipLane, SE22 8NB.

Dulwich

Walworth

Get your groove on with Silver SoundsInspire, The Crypt at St Peter’s, Liverpool Grove,London, SE17 2HH. Silver, Southwark’s festival forolder people is back, so why not come along to St Peter’s church on 16 April from 6.30pm to 9.30pmand show off your best moves? Dance to yourfavourite soca, ska, rocksteady and reggae tunes.

Drinks and light refreshments available. Sorry, nochildren! Tickets are available from Southwarkpensioners’ centre, 305 to 307 Camberwell Road, SE5 OHQ. For more information, pleasecontact Julia on 07960 318 055 or emailjuliahoness@hotmail.com.

Following consultation with the tenant council and areaforums, from April the councilwill be charging for repairs that are not the landlord’sresponsibility, such as changingthe locks, unblocking sinks and toilets, or replacing broken doors.

It’s very important that you lookafter your home, and take outhousehold insurance to cover the cost of accidental damagearound the home. We know thataccidents happen, and weunderstand that money can betight, which is why we’ll be offeringa range of ways to pay, and extrasupport for vulnerable, elderly and disabled tenants.

You can find a full list of whatrepairs will be rechargeable andtypical costs by going towww.southwark.gov.uk andsearching for “rechargeablerepairs” or you can speak to yourhousing officer for more advice.

The Crystal Insurance Schemecovers accidental damage from aslittle as £1.50 per week. For moreinformation please call 0845 6017007 or speak to your insurer tosee if accidental damage is coveredunder your existing policy.

10 News

People living on the Aylesburyestate can now get help and advice with a range of issues on their doorstep, as the new Aylesbury area office opens.

As the estate is home to over 2,500residents, it needs a more flexibleapproach to management. Thecouncil, together with residents and local people have beenworking together to develop localsupport services that suit the needsof people living on the estate, andlaunch a new neighbourhoodhousing service for Aylesbury. The team will offer a dedicatedservice for the estate, including all the usual area housing serviceslike advice with tenancy and rentissues, but also

• Community safety advice andantisocial behaviour prevention

• Support for tenants who arebeing rehoused

• Homelessness prevention andtackling rough sleepers

Shaun Holdcroft, Aylesbury areamanager, said:“The Aylesburyneeds a dedicated service and I hope that residents will quickly feel the benefit of a flexible, localservice. The regeneration processmakes for a very exciting future,but it is essential we also focus on providing the services residentsneed while it’s happening.”

The Aylesbury team are based in Taplow house, and will becontacting residents living on theestate to let them know how they can speak to the team. If you have any questions, or for more information, visitwww.southwark.gov.uk/aylesburyor call 020 7525 4774.

Do you want to help us get things right first time, and earn greatrewards? If so, why not join our mystery shopping group?

As a mystery shopper, you’ll be visiting area offices, and contacting usby email and telephone, to test the service you receive, and give usfeedback on how we’re doing. Your feedback will help us improve the

services we provide, and you’ll be rewarded with giftvouchers and travel expenses for every successful visit.

We’d like to hear from tenants and home owners, andno previous experience is necessary, as full training willbe provided. If you’d like to apply, please call AnthonyShaw on 020 7525 1474.

Rechargeablerepairs

Residents and visitors parking permits can now be applied for online24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you can apply for your permitwhen it’s convenient for you, without having to visit the parkingshop. The parking shop on the Old Kent Road is now closed, so forall your parking needs, including permits and ticket appeals, visitwww.southwark.gov.uk/parking or call 0800 138 9081 or localrate 0844 800 2736.

New area housingoffice for Aylesburyresidents

Parking services to suit you

?

News 11

Under Schedule 5 of the Housing Act 1985 asinserted by clause 182 of the Housing Act 2004

This notice is given by The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Southwark, Town Hall, Peckham Road, London, SE5 8UB(“Southwark Council”)

It is the intention of Southwark Council to demolishpremises in or in the vicinity of the Aylesbury Estate,London, in order to regenerate the area.

The Council is required by Schedule 5 of theHousing Act 1985 to publish the followinginformation:• Southwark Council intends to demolish

the following premises (“the Premises”) known as:1-28 Arklow, Keesey Street SE171-41 and 42-256 Bradenham, Boyson RoadSE17, 1-68, 69-76, 77-105, 106-119 and 120-149 Chartridge, Westmoreland Road SE171-172 Chiltern, Portland Street SE171-12 Red Lion Close, Westmoreland Road SE17

• The demolition of the Premises is necessary for the regeneration of the Aylesbury Estate and is integral to the scheme.

• Southwark Council intends to demolish thePremises by 29 March 2013.

• Southwark Council shall serve Final DemolitionNotices upon the occupiers of all dwelling-houses contained within the Premises on orbefore 30 March 2011. These notices will come into force on 30 March 2011 and willcease to be in force on 30 March 2013 unlessrevoked, otherwise terminated or extendedunder or by virtue of paragraph 15 of Schedule 5 of the Housing Act 1985.

• The Final Demolition Notice shall replace the Initial Demolition Notice served on thePremises on 31 March 2006.

• Whilst the Final Demolition Notice is in force, the right to buy shall not arise in respect of any dwelling-house contained within the Premises.

• There may be a right to compensation undersection 138C of the Housing Act 1985 inrespect of certain expenditure incurred inrelation to any existing right to buy claim.

Dated: 1 March 2011Name: Gerri ScottTitle: Strategic Director of Housing Services

On behalf of the Mayor and Burgesses of theLondon Borough of Southwark

The council is consideringplans to heat nearly 3,000homes across five estatesusing energy created fromhousehold waste. Thecouncil is working withVeolia EnvironmentalServices, who will play a keyrole in managing the project.

The contract would meanboth a cheap and muchmore energy efficientmethod of heating nearly3,000 homes, and couldoffer substantialenvironmental benefits byreducing carbon emissionsby 70% and emissions of

nitrous oxides by 90%. The council is looking intothe possibility of heatinghomes on the Pedworth,Tissington, Maydew, NewPlace and Silwood estatesusing this renewable energyand will be discussing theproposals with residents inthe coming months.

The South East LondonCombined Heat and Powerfacility (SELCHP) is one ofLondon’s first facilities toconvert waste into energyand the first energy recoveryfacility in the UK to exceednew European directives.

Celebrate with SilverSilver – Southwark’s celebratedfestival for older people is back.From 8 to 24 April Southwark willbe bursting with events andactivities. The annual Silver Viewsexhibition will launch the festivalat the stunning Cafe Gallery inSouthwark Park and this will be the venue forseveral other creative events and talks. Whether yourinterest is local history, art, gardening, theatre, or simplyhaving a knees up there will be something for everyoneduring the festival.

Brochures are available from your local library and one stop shop at www.southwark.gov.uk/silver. For moreinformation email events@southwark.gov.uk or call020 7525 2000, selecting option 3.

THE AYLESBURY ESTATEREGENERATIONFINAL DEMOLITION NOTICE

Could your ideas make a difference to the way we deliverservices? We want to hear from residents who can share theirexperiences to improve housing services. As a service groupvolunteer, you'll work with senior managers to improveservices, and you can choose to get involved in areas thatmatter to you, like repairs, antisocial behaviour, and estateservices. For more information, contact the residentinvolvement team on 020 7525 3326.

Waste energy from Lewisham plant could heatnearly 3,000 homes in Southwark

www.southwark.gov.uk/silver

Friday 8 April to Sunday 24 April 2011

Southwark’s festival for older people

While council performanceinformation has shown thehousing repairs service to be of a good standard, councillorsand residents from across theborough have been reportingthat this is not the case. As aresult, in July 2010, the housingand community safety scrutinysub-committee decided toinvestigate how the councilmeasured the performance of its housing repairs service. The sub-committee, made up of councillors, wanted to carry out an investigation whichwould help the council toimprove the quality of therepairs service for residents.

The sub-committee looked atevidence from contractors, housingofficers and survey results, as wellas listening to 100 calls to thecustomer service centre. They foundevidence that the statistics did notaccurately represent the service’sperformance, and presented amuch better performance thanresidents were actually receiving.

Following these findings, they madea number of recommendations toimprove the monitoring of therepairs service, including giving eachcase a single reference numberwhich should be used until therepair has been completed, to makereporting repairs simpler and easier.The sub-committee has alsorecommended a new system which allows customers to confirmwhether a repair is complete. Whena contractor completes a job, thecustomer will be sent a text

message requesting confirmationthat the repair is complete. If thecustomer responds by saying therepair is not complete, a call centreoperative should then phone thecustomer, check the situation and,if necessary, re-open the repair.

Cllr Gavin Edwards, chair of thescrutiny sub-committee said:“Ultimately we want to see a repairs service in which missedappointments and unnecessarydelays are a thing of the past. I hope this report will help the council develop a performancemanagement system that accuratelyidentifies the problems in therepairs service, and supports officersand contractors to fix them."

Gerri Scott, director of housingservices, said “I welcome the reportand share the committee's desire toimprove the quality of the repairsservice for residents. Developing aresponsive and customer focusedrepairs service is a top priority forthe new housing department. Thecommittee's recommendations and emphasis on developingperformance indicators that trulymeasure resident satisfaction willhelp us to achieve this goal. I seethe need to improve the quality ofcontract management and I amlooking for more meaningfulconsultation and involvement withresidents, staff and contractors todeliver a repairs service that putsresidents first.”

12 Service update

Transformingyour repairsservice

Leaseholder news 13

The council has just appointed two new homeowners involvement officers, Olubunmi Adedejiand Louis Rotsos, who’ll be working to increasethe opportunities for home owners to getinvolved with the council.

Reporting to the home owners council, they willdevelop a strategy for representing the interests of home owners. They’re also planning to increase the number of recognised tenants and residents'associations and developing ways to make it easier for home owners to influence the services they receive.

Over the coming months they will also be looking toestablish a resource centre for council homeowners to access information, assistance and support. JohnNosworthy, chair of the home owners council, said: ‘I’m delighted that home owners can now get thesupport that they need to help them to take part inthe service they receive from the council.”

Any homeowner who’d like to establish a recognisedtenants and residents association should contact the tenant management initiatives team on 020 7525 1251 or emailtenantmanagement@southwark.gov.uk.

Your right to buyUnder the terms of the Housing Act 2004, the council is required to tell you about your right to buy theproperty you live in. A new version of our leaflet 'Steps to owning your own home' is available from theHome ownership office, 376 Walworth Road, London SE17 2NG, your local one stop shop or area housingoffice. You can also request a copy by calling 020 7525 1400, or visit www.southwark.gov.uk and searchfor 'right to buy'.

Three tenant management organisations (TMOs)have just signed new management agreementswith the council.

After several years successfully managing their estates,representatives of Brenchley Gardens TMO, Two Towers Co-op and Willowbrook TMOattended a signing ceremony with Cllr IanWingfield, Cabinet member for housing,and Gerri Scott, strategic director of housing services.

Gerri Scott said: “There’s a long history inSouthwark of residents successfully providinghousing services and I’m delighted to signthese agreements as one of my first acts asstrategic director of housing services.”

Phil Curtis, chair of Two Towers Co-op said“We’re thrilled to be signing this agreement to build onthe committee and office work over the years. Webelieve this continued recognition and support will clarifyand strengthen the relationship between the council andTwo Towers, enabling our TMO to provide an even betterservice to residents.”

New support staff for homeowners

Did you know?If your block or estate has at least of 25

secure tenancies you can develop a TMO

using the right to manage. We can guide

you through the process and are happy to

meet with you to explain what this means

in more detail. Call 020 7525 1251 or email

tenantmanagement@southwark.gov.uk

to find out more.

New agreements for tenant management organisations

14 Survey

Since we last wrote we have taken a good long look athow we report performance. Since November we haveadopted a new approach, using customer satisfactionsurveys, to calculate appointments made and kept andrepairs completed right first time. As a result theperformance has declined on previous months but weare much more confident that this figure provides a trueaccount of our repairs and maintenance service. Overthe coming months we’ll be working to improve theperformance of our repairs and maintenance service,

and you can read all about the recommendations from the scrutiny sub-committee on page 12.

We know we have to work harder than ever toimprove our repairs performance and to increasesatisfaction in key areas that are most important to you. If you have any comments on the performance below, please feedback to AntoinetteStasaitis on 020 7525 7713 or emailantoinette.stasaitis@southwark.gov.uk.

Performance indicators

Customer care

Tenants stage 1 complaints answered within 15working days

Neighbour nuisance cases responded to on time

Overall satisfaction with landlord services

Overall satisfaction with the way landlord generallydeals with repair and maintenance

Overall satisfaction with home owner services

Estate services

Six weekly estate inspections completed on time

Repairs

Repair appointments kept

Repairs completed right first time

Properties with a valid gas safety certificate

Lift availability

Collecting rent

Rent collected (current tenants)

Tenancy management

Average time to re-let empty properties

How we didin 2009/102

67%

new in 10/11

62%(2008/09)

62%(2008/09)

new in 10/11

98.3%

Not available

Not available(new methodologyfrom Nov 2010 )

98.7%

95.8%

99.66%

36.4 days

How are wedoing now?

(April 2010 - 31 Dec 2011)

88%

89%

70%

64%

46%

98.9%

85.5%(December only)

64%

99.4%

96.2%

99.1% (projected to reach

99.75% by 31 March 2011)

26.7 days

Target2010/112

80%

80%

65%

65%

New survey(target to be set next year)

100%

90%

(target to be set next year)

100%

96%

101%

25 days

Are weimproving?

n/a

n/a

n/a

1Performance between April 2009 and March 2010 2Target for period between April 2010 and March 2011

You wanted to know how you can get involvedin decisions about housing. There are a number ofways you can get involved to improve services. Youcan give feedback through our satisfaction surveys,join your local TRA or join a service improvementgroup. For more information or to join, contactresident involvement on 020 7525 3326, or emailresident.involvement@southwark.gov.uk.

You would like completed repairs andmaintenance work inspected. We check a sample of work completed every month to make sure it meets our standards, and we would like to know when things don’t go right. If you are unhappy with a repair please let us know by calling0800 952 4444 or email csc@southwark.gov.uk.You can also make a complaint by visitingwww.southwark.gov.uk/complaints, or in person at your one stop shops or housing office.

You told us again that you wish to be keptinformed about the housing officers through the website. To find your housing officer, contactyour local housing office. You can find the contactdetails for your local office by going towww.southwark.gov.uk/housing and selecting

“area housingoffices”. We hopeto have housingofficers’ contact informationonline in the near future.

You said that parking facilities are an issueon your estate. We are modernising the way in which we issue estate parking permits. We are currently piloting estate parking permitapplications online and will keep you updated. We have also made it easier to apply to rent agarage. You can now apply online:www.southwark.gov.uk/garages

In the last survey you said that you want us to improve the cleanliness of the estateincluding lifts, stairwells, and areas where bins are kept. Since then we have piloted a new way to carry out estate inspections to ensurethey pick up on all issues. Residents and housing officers were trained to mark the standard of cleaning in detail. The feedback from residents has been very positive. The pilot will be rolled out to all estates over the coming months. Will keep you updated on progress.

15

If you require information in your language, or in other formats such as audio or large print, please call020 7525 5000.

A big thank you to everyone who took part in our quarterly satisfaction surveys.

Congratulations to the prize drawwinners Kathryn Matyszewska, E. Paule-Drysdale, and the others who wished to remain anonymous.We’re pleased that a lot more tenantsreturned the survey to us this time.Your views are very important to us andhelp us to improve our performance. Ifyou receive a survey over the comingmonths please complete it to let usknow your thoughts, and you’ll be inwith a chance of winning prizes worth£25 or £100.

Word search

And finally...16

The latest on regeneration in Southwark

What's on this summer

Step by step repairs guides

Pick which of the followingsubjects you’d most like to readabout in a future issue ofSouthwark Housing News

Send back your completed word search by 30 April to: Southwark Council,The Editor, Southwark Housing News, Communications Team PO BOX 64529,London SE1P 5LX. Winners will be announced in the next edition.

Name:

Address:

Comments:

Tel no:

Age:

The information you provide will be used fairly and lawfully and Southwark Council will notknowingly do anything which may lead to a breach of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Thanks to Veolia Environmental Services, who kindly donated 10 familytickets for last issue's prize. Congratulations to all the winners!

Enter today and you could WINa Fujifilm Finepix digital camera

Publication date December 2010. This magazine is printed on recycled paper.

F O R I R I P E V I P A Y I X RC Z C C E A N D I E E S S F I EE N W Q H L R F O B O T M R N VP R D A T A L P F D M R S B Y EE T T R A D L R E A E U J M E NR A N R E E N L B E E C H S R UF L R A E H A U E F S T P S O EO C H E A T S E O N A U F A L RR D T Y L S U F D R G R Y P M EM T N I R U S R S A G E S R X VA U I P C S N L C S S Y O I E LN G W R S N I T N W E A A L U IC R O T C E R I D R A I M J E SE X D L O C D E B A T E F B P L

WORDS:CENSUSDIRECTORCHALLENGESTRUCTURE

CHEATSMAPPEOPLEDATADEBATE

SILVERREVENUEAPRILPERFORMANCEYEAR

Useful housing contactsRentPay by direct debit: 020 7525 2600Pay by debit/credit card: 0845 6000 611 (24hrs)

Pay online: www.southwark.gov.uk/onlinepayments

To pay in person: Peckham cash office: 19-23 Bournemouth Road, SE15; Walworth cash office: 177-179 Walworth Road SE17;Opening hours: Mon to Fri 8.30am to 4.45pm, Sat 8.30am to 2.45pm

To pay by post: The London Borough of Southwarkcashiers, 19 Spa Road, PO Box 11767, London SE16 3QN

Repairs Tel: 0800 952 4444 (24hrs)

Utilities (emergencies): Electricity: 0800 096 9000; Gas: 0800 111 999;Water: 0845 200 800

Housing services for council tenantsTel: 020 7525 2600 – Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm

Leaseholders/freeholders Home ownership unit – Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm Tel: 020 7525 1400Email: hsg.homeownership@southwark.gov.uk

Southwark antisocial behaviour unitTel: 020 7525 5777 (24 hours)Email: sasbu@southwark.gov.uk Web: www.safersouthwark.gov.uk

Southwark Homesearch Bidding hotline: 0845 270 0655 Bidding text line: 07781 486 526 Advice line: 020 7525 4140 Web: www.southwarkhomesearch.org.uk

Write to Southwark Housing News The editor, Southwark Housing News, CommunicationsTeam PO BOX 64529, London SE1P 5LX or emailliz.almond@southwark.gov.uk