STREETS AHEAD FINAL VERSION

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  • 8/7/2019 STREETS AHEAD FINAL VERSION

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    HOUSINGBENEFIT UPDATEKEEPING YOU

    UP TO DATE ON THE

    CHANGES

    CHALLENGEROSEBERYHELP US TO DELIVERA BETTER SERVICE

    HOME ISWHERE THEHEART IS...TRACEY AND HER FAMILY

    FIND THE RIGHT HOME

    Streets Ahead is published by Rosebery Housing Association

    11SPRING

    STREETS AHEAD

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    4EDITOR

    Caroline Bann

    01372 814 032

    email: caroline.

    [email protected].

    uk

    COPY TEAM

    Caroline Bann

    Sarah Woodsworth

    Gary Clark

    Sam Hetherington

    COVERPHOTOGRAPHY

    Hamish Jordanwww.hamishjordan.com

    RESIDENT EDITORIAL

    PANEL

    Yvonne Read

    Peter Brabon

    Kris Bungaroo

    Pat Dyer

    ART DIRECTION

    Caroline Bann

    Sanjay Chauhan

    DESIGN

    Atticus Creative

    020 7936 9422www.atticuscreative.co.uk

    Editorial team

    If you would like to contribute orhave a say about what goes intoStreets Ahead you can send us yourviews through the suggestion box onour website at www.rosebery.org ukor contact Caroline Bann on tel:01372 814 032, email: [email protected] or text Rosebery on:07736 592 260 or write to us at:Rosebery Housing Association,Rutland House, 57-59 South St, Epsom,Surrey KT18 7PR

    Streets Ahead is printed

    on recycled paper.

    Community4 Beware of bike theft

    5 Be on the ball for

    bogus callers

    6 Cover Story

    Home is where the

    heart is...

    10 Fire safety

    Opportunity Store8 Thank you e-surveys

    You asked we did

    9 Walk About Talk

    About

    Challenge Rosebery

    Your Services11 Our performance

    12 Rosebery cut utility

    costs

    13 Housingbenet

    update

    14 And our survey says

    16 A day in the life of...

    SPRINGCONTENTS

    STREETSAHEAD

    5

    14

    8

    Cutting ultility bills

    Bogus callers

    Home is wherethe heart is...

    1216

    Welcome to the

    rst Streets Ahead

    of 2011 and

    my rst issue as

    Communications

    Ofcer forRosebery!

    I have had a busy few months, learning

    the ropes for my new role. E-surveys

    have been sent out to get your feedback

    on everything from how we communicate

    with you, to what your favourite

    supermarket is. I held my rst Editorial

    Panel meeting in February, where ideas

    were generated and lots of tea was

    consumed! Look out for our new column

    A Day in the Life on page 16.

    Its an exciting time for Rosebery as we

    have started the recruitment process

    for our new Customer Panel: Challenge

    Rosebery. We have been looking for a

    team of residents to work with us to

    improve our services, which will affect

    all Rosebery residents. In the next edi tion,we will give you an update on who has

    been recruited to the Panel.

    If you have any comments or ideas

    about the magazine, I would love to hear

    from you.

    Caroline BannCommunications Ofcer

    01372 814 032

    [email protected]

    Streets Ahead

    Spring11

    Cover photo:

    Tracey Kemp

    Photographer:

    Hamish

    Jordan

    Article:

    Home is wherethe heart is...

    page 6

    ets Ahead Spring 11

    Rosebery Housing Association LimitedRutland House 57-59 South StreetEpsom, Surrey KT18 7PRRegistered Provider LH4026Charitable Industrial & ProvidentSociety 27671R

    6

    For more information on Rosebery or how to get

    involved visit our website at

    www.rosebery.org.ukor call the Customer Services Team on:

    01372 814 000 / 0800 068 7664

    Bike theft

    OpportunityStore

    A day inthe lifeof...

    And oursurvey says...

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    Be on the Ballfor Bogus callers

    BEWARE OFBIKE THEFT

    Riding a bike is a great way to get out and about in your local

    area. Bikes cost less than cars to run and they help to keep

    you t. Not only that, bikes are also more environmentally

    friendly.

    Unfortunately, bikes can also be easily stolen by thieves. According to

    Surrey Police, cycle theft is on the increase in the Epsom and Ewell.

    For further information and advice, please call 0845 125 2222

    and ask for the Crime Reduction Advisor.

    Free security equipmentTo help you protect your belongings, the community budget has

    purchased Bike locks, electronic tags for your bike, padlocks for your

    shed and ImmobiMARK Property Marking Kit. If you would like to

    receive your free piece of equipment please contact Rosebery on

    01372 814 000. (Limited to two items per household)

    Have you ever been suspicious of

    someone claiming to be a police

    ofcer, repair man or gas engineer?

    If so, you are not alone as bogus

    callers are becoming more and

    more common. People who live

    alone and older people are often

    targeted by bogus callers, who will

    use all sorts of scams and excuses

    to con them out of money.1

    Usingse

    curitym

    easures

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    aselect

    ronicta

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    d

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    markin

    gprodu

    cts

    Leaving

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    eina

    busypla

    cewhere

    thereis

    less

    opportu

    nityfor

    ittobes

    tolen.

    Otherp

    eoplear

    ealsom

    ore

    likelyto

    noticea

    nything

    suspicio

    us

    2

    Usingag

    oodlock

    onyour

    bikean

    dsecuri

    ngitto

    an

    immovable

    andsol

    idxin

    g

    TheNei

    ghbourho

    odPolice

    Team

    advisey

    outom

    akeitm

    ore

    difcult

    forcycl

    ethieve

    sby:

    3

    5

    Registering

    yourbik

    eforfree

    atwww.

    immobil

    ise.comor

    www.biker

    egister.c

    om.Thi

    s

    meanst

    hepoliceha

    veabet

    ter

    chance

    ofndi

    ngyour

    bikeif

    it

    doesge

    tstolen.

    4

    Making

    anoteo

    fthe

    frame numb

    erandt

    akinga

    photogr

    aphsoy

    oucang

    ive

    ittothe

    policeifyo

    urbike

    is

    stolen

    Here are some top tips from Epsomand Ewells Crime Reduction Advisor

    on how to avoid being a victim of

    bogus callers:

    Cold CallingIf anybody knocks at your door, you

    can always say no and ask them toleave. If they refuse to leave, call 999straight away.

    Thieves posing as policeofcers

    The number of incidents where

    thieves have claimed to be police

    ofcersisrising.Bypretendingtobe apoliceofcer,theycanofteneasily

    enter a property by claiming to beinvestigating a burglary or chasing

    a criminal.

    Genuinepoliceofcerswouldnever

    force their way into your home toinvestigate a burglary and would not

    expectyoutolettheminwithoutrstshowing their ID which you can

    check with the police.

    Always ask them to prove theiridentity. You can ask for it to be

    passed through the letter box so youdont have to open the door.

    If a caller can only provide a mobilephone number as a point of contact,

    then do not let that person in.

    If you think a person is actingsuspiciously in your area please call0845 125 2222 and ask for the CrimeReductionOfcer.

    Community

    Streets Ahead Spring 11

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    Three months ago, 39-year-old

    Tracey Kemp was living withher ve children in a cramped

    house which was about to be

    repossessed. Tracey had been

    leasing the property from a landlord, pay ing

    him rent which he would then use to pay

    the mortgage. She was shocked to discover

    that the mortgage had not been paid and

    the landlord was nowhere to be seen. Tracey

    was desperate to nd another home before

    she faced eviction. Step forward Mr and

    Mrs Bates, a retired couple who accepted

    Roseberys incentive scheme to downsize

    to a smaller property. The Kemp family

    which includes two sets of twins are

    now enjoying their new found space in a

    four bedroom home with two reception

    rooms, a downstairs cloakroom and

    garden.

    Tracey said: I love the area, its

    much quieter than where

    we were living before.

    My children are happier

    because they arent living

    on top of each other. My

    eldest daughter has her own

    bedroom, whereas before she

    had to share with her twin

    sisters.

    Mr and Mrs Bates moved into

    a two bedroom house in our

    new development Parkviews in

    January. It was a big step for

    the retired couple, who had lived in their old

    home for over 40 years. They had raised vesons there and then had 14 grandchildren

    and ve great-grandchildren dropping by.

    Moving to a smaller home had never crossed

    their minds until they received a letter from

    Rosebery asking if they would consider it.

    Mrs Bates said: As our children left home,

    we found the big house quite hard to copewith. Three of the bedrooms had not been

    used for years, so when we heard about

    downsizing, we looked at a property

    on Parkviews. We immediately

    loved it because, although its

    smaller, there is actually a lot

    of space and a lovely garden

    with a shed.

    As part of our Incentive

    Scheme, residents

    are offered between

    1,000 and 2,000 to

    downsize to a smaller

    property the amount

    depends on the size of

    the house vacated. In this

    case, the couple were given

    1,500 which helped them to buy

    furnishings like carpet.

    Mrs Bates continued:The neighbours

    are friendly and we feel settled. Afterhearing how delighted Tracey is

    with our old home, we are more than

    condent that we made the right

    decision. I am sure she and her family

    will be just as happy as we were.

    They can be rest assured that the Kemp

    family are already building happy memories

    in their new home.

    I am grateful to Rosebery and Mr and Mrs

    Bates for giving us the chance to live in a

    spacious house in a good area. I was even

    given a grant to do some decorating and

    now I cant wait to put my own stamp on the

    house

    If you are interested in downsizing

    to a smaller property please contact

    Customer Services on 0800 068 7664.

    By

    Caroline Bann,

    Comunications Ofcer

    Home is where the heart is...

    Community

    Streets Ahead Spring 11

    7

    Community

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    Opportunity Store

    Our survey said that 50% of

    residents dont feel that we

    take their views into account.

    We want tochange this!

    Throughout March weve been

    recruitingtondateamof

    residents who want to be on

    the Customer Panel. The team

    will help us deliver a better

    service and hold us to account

    on the promises we make. Look

    outforfutureupdatestond

    out how the team is getting on.

    If you would like to be part

    of Challenge Rosebery and

    help the team reality check

    our services, why not become

    a mystery shopper or an

    investigator. You will have to

    attend a short training session,

    but you can test our services

    from the comfort of your home.

    Contact Sarah Woodworth

    Community Involvement

    Co-ordinator on 01372 814 023

    or sarah.woodworth@rosebery.

    org.uk

    opportunitystorediscovery

    empowerment learningThank you

    E Surveys

    Thank you to

    everyone who

    has been taking

    part in our new

    e-surveys. So

    far residents

    who signed

    up have given their views

    on a new type of tenancy,

    reviewing our gas and income

    management policies and how

    we communicate with you. The

    surveys make a real difference

    - thanks to your comments

    and suggestions we have

    introduced a starter tenancy for

    new residents joining Rosebery.

    We have made changes to

    our income policy, which

    now means that staff support

    residents to prevent them from

    getting themselves into high

    levels of arrears

    The surveys take around 5 to 10

    minutes to complete and you

    will be sent a survey every 6 to

    8 weeks. You can do it at your

    leisure, at a time that suits you.

    If you would like to take part

    in the e-survey, send an email

    to opportunitystore@rosebery.

    org.uk or contact the customer

    service team. If you dont have

    an email address or access to

    the internet, just let us know and

    we can post the survey to you.

    You thought it would be

    interesting to nd out what staff

    at Rosebery get up to during

    the day. So instead of the

    Hotseat weve introduced a A

    Day in the Life of. Turn to page

    16 to read the rst day column.

    Let us know who you would like

    to see next time.

    At the Chief Executive visits

    to the sheltered schemes,

    residents asked if they could

    have grit bins and shovels to

    clear the snow for themselves.

    An application has been

    made to the Community

    Budget, to help residents clear

    their own pathways.

    The Community Budget is

    managed by a panel of

    residents who decide where

    money should be spent.

    With support from your

    neighbours you can apply for

    money for an environmental

    improvement: perhaps you

    would like to improve the

    lighting or buy a new bench for

    the communal garden? You

    can apply for anything that will

    improve the area where you

    live and the local community.

    Last year the community

    budget paid for new pathways

    at Elmwood, bookshelves for

    a communal library at Tomlin

    Court and an outside seating

    area in Rushmere Court to

    name a few.

    Or maybe you need funding to

    run a project do you want to

    set up a grown your own veg

    club or organise an event for

    your community to celebrate

    a national event? If so, then

    apply to the community grant!

    If youre not sure if you can

    apply, read the frequently

    asked questions at www.

    rosebery.org.uk/opportunities

    or contact Sarah Woodworth

    for more information on

    01372 814 023 or sarah.

    [email protected].

    Watersedge meet at

    the Edge Youth Centre

    (with Epsom and Ewell

    Council Mobile Unit)

    23rd March 10am

    22nd June 6pm

    Gatley Avenue and

    Pemberley Chase

    meet at junction

    of Ruxley Lane and

    Gately Ave

    25th May 6pm

    West Ewell - Cherry

    Way, Shawford Road,

    Always Ave, Scotts

    Farm Road, Gadesden

    Road, James Court,

    Baker Place meet at

    Poole Road shops

    27th April 10am

    Worcester Park Road

    meet at junction of

    Worcester Park and

    Kingston Road

    27th July 10am

    Rushmere Court

    meet in the Car Park

    27th July 10.45am

    Longmead Zone 1

    Middleton Road,

    Eleanor Avenue,

    Hollymoor Lane,

    Orlando Gardens,

    Ormonde Avenue,

    Cotherstone Road,

    Cremorne Gardens,Melton Place, and

    Hyperion Place.

    27th April 10am

    (with Epsom and Ewell

    Council Mobile Unit)

    outside Hollymoor Lane

    Shops.

    Longmead Zone 2

    Sefton Road, Rutland

    Close, Dorset Square,

    Cumberland Close,

    Lancaster Close,

    Bishopsmead Close,

    Bishopsmead Court,

    Somerset Close,

    Westmorland Close,

    Lincoln Walk, Gibraltar

    Crescent and Dee

    Way.

    25th May 6pm

    Longmead

    Zone 3 Harvester

    Road, Nimbus Road,

    Donovan Close,

    Teddington Close,

    Bahram Road,

    Bloomsbury Close and

    Gainsborough Road.

    22nd June 6pm

    Longmead Zone 4

    Tonstall Road,

    Andover Close,

    Almond Road, Trigo

    Court and

    Relko Court.

    23rd March 10am

    27th July 6pm

    Lancaster Way

    - meet at entrance to

    Lancaster Way

    8th June 3.30pm

    Cook Way - meet at

    entrance to Cook Way

    8th June 3.30pm

    Daisy Meadows

    meet at entrance to

    Daisy Meadows

    8th June 5.30pm

    Livingstone Park

    Antree Court,

    Kempton Court, AscotCourt, Haydock Court,

    Sandown Court,

    Pelham Way, Burnham

    Grove, Hardy House

    and Rollin House

    meet at Rollin House

    29th June 6pm

    Albert Road meet at

    Albert Road

    6th April 10am

    Ash Mews meet in

    car park

    6th April 10am

    Walk AboutTalk About DatesWATAsgiveyouthechangetomeetwithyourneighbourhoodofcerandotheragencieslikethe

    Police and the Council, to discuss any concerns you have about where you live.

    Longmead has been divided into 4 zones to make sure that your area

    has a WATA at least once every 3 months. The meeting point for each is

    outside Norman Coyler Court, Hollymoor lane unless stated otherwise.

    Challenge Rosebery

    You asked, we did!

    Check out the latest involvement opportunities atwww.opportunitystore.org.uk

    Didyouknowthat

    Roseberyhas

    10,000forresidents

    toimprovewhere

    theyliveorruna

    communityproject?

    feedback

    rewards

    about

    opportunityproducts

    TM

    Streets Ahead Spring 11

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    Rosebery is committed to being clear and honest about ourperformance to our residents. Therefore, each quarter we promise to

    publish our performance statistics on our website and inStreets Ahead.

    Our Performance

    Target

    ApriltoJu

    ne

    JulytoSe

    ptem

    ber

    Octob

    ertoDec

    embe

    r

    Ontarget?

    Perfo

    rman

    ce

    Indica

    tor

    (perce

    ntag

    e)

    2009/10

    Perfo

    rmance

    From April 2011 we will be reviewing what areas of our service we measurewith our residents and publishing these in future editions of Streets Ahead.

    Fire safety

    Be prepared by making a plan of escape. To stop

    kids from panicking when a smoke alarm goes off,tell them what they should do.

    Shut the doors in your home as part of a night

    timeroutine.Thiswillcontainareandpreventdamage spreading throughout the house.

    Switch off electrical appliances at the socket.However, if you need to keep any switched on,

    close the doors of the rooms they are in.

    Everyone should have a working smoke detector.Test it on a weekly basis it is common for people

    to forget that they once removed the batteries.

    If you dont have a smoke detector then you canask for a Home Fire Safety Visit f rom Surrey Fire and

    Rescue Service. An alarm will be provided and

    ttedfreeofcharge.

    Avoid cooking in an old fashioned chip pan,use a modern sealed unit. Make sure candles

    are secured in a proper holder and away f rommaterialsthatmaycatchre.

    Unplug electric blankets before you go to bed,

    unless they have a thermostat control for safe

    all-night use.

    If you smoke, make sure all ashtrays are emptied.

    Stopping a re from starting or spreading is

    essential for saving your home and your life.Martin Stacey, Fire Ofcer for Surrey Fire and

    Rescue Service, has some important advice on

    keeping safe.

    If you would like to request a Home Fire Safety Visit from SurreyFire and Rescue Service please call FREEPHONE on 0800 085 0767or complete the online request form from the websitewww.surrey-re.gov.uk/besmartbesafe

    A namechange forConnaught

    In November 2010,Connaught Environmental the company thatprovided the cleaning andgrounds maintenance in

    the communal areas atyour home changedits name to FountainsEnvironmental. Since then,they have continued todeliver the same service toresidents. Out and about:

    instead of the red

    uniform colours, you

    should be seeing navy shirtswith the Fountains logoembroidered in white.

    If you have any feedbackabout Fountains pleasecontact Sam Hetherington,Estates Ofcer, on0800 0687 664or [email protected]

    By

    Sam Hetherington,

    Estates Ofcer

    0

    Streets Ahead Spring 11

    Your ServicesCommunity

    11

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    Website Contact No.

    www.energylinx.com 0845 225 2840

    www.energyhelpline.com 0800 074 0745

    www.homeadvisoryservice.com 0845 180 0300

    www.moneyexpert.com 0800 542 7217

    www.moneysupermarket.com 0845 345 5708

    www.saveonyourbills.co.uk 0845 123 5278

    Website Contact No.

    www.simplyswitch.com 0800 011 1366

    www.switchwithwhich.com 0800 533 031

    www.theenergyshop.com 0845 330 7247

    www.uSwitch.com 0800 404 7908

    www.confused.com 0292 043 5501

    We would love to hear from you if you were able to save money by switching your energy provider.

    The BMG research

    (see page 14)

    showed that

    many of you

    wanted us to help

    reduce your fuel bills. 53%

    of you felt that reducing fuel

    bills was a high priority. As a

    result, we have been working

    hard to try and reduce the

    impact of rising costs to our

    residents.

    In December 2010 we

    reviewed our gas and

    electricity contract with

    British Gas. We have landlord

    electricity to 110 sites across

    our homes and 8 for gas. Over

    the years we have negotiated

    new rates over a number of

    different dates and areas.

    Prior to this we compared the

    market to nd the best rates.After reviewing the rates

    from a number of different

    providers we then contacted

    British Gas directly and

    challenged them to beat

    the best prices that were

    provided by other companies.

    The outcome from this

    exercise was that we were

    able to secure very good

    rates across all of our estates

    and even though some

    sites saw a small increase,

    overall we were able to

    save a substantial amount

    of money when compared

    with the original costs. The

    renegotiated gas contract

    saw savings of over 8,000 per

    year and for electricity we

    saved almost 55,000 per year

    (based on energy usage).

    You will start to see these

    savings reected in your

    service charges over the next

    2 years as the rates are xed

    until January 2013.

    Getting a better dealon your personalenergy billsGetting quotes from energy

    providers and switching

    to better deals couldnt

    be easier. All you need to

    compare prices is your gas

    and/or electricity bill that

    shows you your estimated

    annual consumption (often

    expressed as units of KWH)

    or annual spend. This

    information can be found on

    your bills.

    Once you have this

    information you can compare

    the market and select the

    provider that offers you the

    best deal. It is fairly straight

    forward with the new

    provider dealing with much

    of the process for you. There

    are a number of organisations

    that are accredited with the

    energy watch condence

    code (a voluntary code of

    practice for comparison

    services) and these are listed

    for you below:

    By

    Gary Clark,

    Operations Director

    Roseberycut utility costs

    2

    Streets Ahead Spring 11

    Your Services

    Q. Has there been any more changes tohousing benet since December 2010?

    A. We havent heard any more news onthe 2013 cut for people living in a home

    thats too big for their needs. However,the10%cutinhousingbenetforpeople

    who have been receiving JobseekersAllowance for 12 months or more, has

    now been dropped.

    Q. It was conrmed that from April

    2011, there will be bigger deductionstaken from housing benet for non-

    dependents living with you, e.g. afriend, grown up child or elderly relative.

    Have the new rates been conrmed?A. Yes they have. The non-dependent

    deduction is based on the grossincome of the person and their

    circumstances. In somecases there wont be a

    deduction but where

    there is one, the lowestrate is used where the

    person does not work orworks for less than 16 hours.

    Further rates apply forpeople who are in full

    time work and thesedepend on how much

    they earn.

    From April 2011 the weekly

    deductions will be one of:9.40, 21.55, 29.60, 48.45,

    55.20 or 60.60. Weeklydeductions will also be made to

    counciltaxbenet,rangingfrom 2.85 to 8.60.

    Q. Who do I need to tell when thereis a change in my circumstances e.g.

    someone moves in with me?A.ThecouncilsBenetSection.You

    must also tell them about other changes,including when you stop receiving child

    benetandwhensomeoneinyourhouse leaves school.

    Q. What happens now?

    A. Residents receiving housing

    benetshouldhavebeensenttheirletters explaining how their award is

    calculated. If you have received aletter,checktheguresusedandreport

    any inaccuracies to Epsom and EwellBoroughCouncilsBenetSectionon

    01372 732 269.

    Q. Is there anything else

    I need to know?A. From April 2011, the

    government will be usinga different system to

    calculatebenets.Ifyouare worried about paying

    your rent as a result ofthe changes, or you are

    havingdifcultynow,please contact Customer

    Services for advice on0800 068 7664.

    HousingIn the last issue of Streets Ahead, we highlighted the reductions that residents

    receiving housing benet will be facing over the next few years. As over 60% of

    our residents receive nancial help to pay their rent, its important we keep youupdated on any changes.

    13

    beneft update

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    80% are satisedwith the overall serviceprovided by Rosebery. This shows an increase of 5%since the last survey in 2007.

    Overfour in ve are satised with theoverall quality of their home.

    71% feel the rent represents value for money.

    77% are satisedwith the way in whichRosebery deals with repairs and maintenance whichis an increase of 7%.

    50%do not feel that Rosebery takes their views into account.

    34% stated that their query had not been dealt with at rstpoint of contact

    59% are satised with the overall service providedbyRosebery.Incontrast28%aredissatised

    a 12% increase since 2007.

    Almost three fths are happy with the wayin which Rosebery deals with repairs in communal areas.

    63% think Rosebery is good at keepingthem informed.

    The results show that staff are thought of quite highly byRosebery homeowners, especially in the matter of politenessand friendliness with which 73% and 74%respectively of tenants agree

    Almost eight in ten residents(78%) are satisedwith their neighbourhood as a place to live.

    Only 34%of residents feel that Rosebery takes their viewsinto account

    18% had already recommended a shared ownershiptype of purchase to family or friends and a further 50% statedthey would recommend it

    And oursurvey says97% are satisedwith the overall service

    provided by Rosebery.

    97% are happy with the general conditionof their home.

    95% are satisedwith the way in whichRosebery deals with repairs and maintenance.

    Almost three quarters stated that a reportedquery was dealt with at the rst point of contact.

    More than four fths think that Roseberyis goodat keeping them informed and 64% feeltheir views are taken into account.

    We were very happy that satisfaction with our overallservices had increased as did satisfaction with ourrepairs service. However, the research shows that thereare also some areas that we need to improve on.

    When you contact us, we want tomake sure you are getting throughtotherightpersonontherstcall.

    So we introduced a new telephonesystem that gives you the option ofgoing straight through to Morrison,our repairs contractor. This has meantyou can get through to the rightperson to help you.

    A large number of you dont feelwe take your views into account.In response to this, we are invitingour residents to join forces with us tohelp us strengthen our services andensure that we focus on the thingswhich are of importance to them

    (see page 8). We do not always getit right and we are eager to ensurethat our services are built aroundthose who receive them.

    Over half of you wanted us to makereducing your fuel bills a high priority.By reviewing our gas and electricitycontracts, we have saved almost55,000 per year (see page 12).

    More information about how youcan help us improve can be found inStreets Ahead, our website

    www.rosebery.org.uk or bycontacting us at 0800 068 7664.

    During October and November 2010 we commissioned a residents survey to getyour feedback on our services. We would like to thank you for completing the

    survey. Here are some of our key ndings:

    Homeowners:

    Sheltered Residents:

    General Needs Residents:

    4

    Streets Ahead Spring 11

    15

    Your Services

  • 8/7/2019 STREETS AHEAD FINAL VERSION

    9/9

    Robin Taylor is Contracts Manager at Rosebery.

    He started the role in December 2010, after

    working for local authorities for a number of

    years.

    8.15am:Iarriveattheofceearlyandafterpopping to the kitchen to get a strong cup of

    coffee, I get a head start on the work ahead. I

    manage a team of three, so when the rest of my

    team get in we have a chat about the kind of

    jobs they are working on and what they will bedoing throughout the day.

    10am: Since starting justover two months ago, I have

    been working on securing

    different contracts for a

    two year programme to

    improve our properties.

    This will cover renewals

    and refurbishments

    for kitchens/

    bathrooms, entrancedoor replacement and

    electrical upgrade

    or rewiring

    programmes. These are now out to tender and

    once the successful contractors are appointed, I

    willwritetoresidentswhowillbebenetingfrom

    these works.

    12 noon: I sometimes assist my technical staffby carrying out inspections to identify the extent

    of the remedial works to be carried out. Damp

    problems are a typical issue at this time of the

    year so I visit the residents home to look at it. I try

    to look at the problem through the eyes of ourresidents. Sometimes, I will send an independent

    specialist to check out a property and I will act on

    their recommendations.

    2pm: If I am on the move, I will grab a sandwichor bring in lunch with me. Im a simple man, a

    cheeseandhamsandwichisenoughtosufce!

    I then spend some of my time working with our

    partnering contractor Morrison on our cyclical

    decorations programme. This involves the repairs

    and painting the outside of properties that need

    a refresh.

    4pm:As Contracts Manager, I move in and outof other areas within the department. This could

    be day-to-day repairs and I often have to assess

    work that has been carried out for us. Sometimes

    things dont go to plan and its my job to ensure

    that they do or to help put them right.

    5pm: I make sure all our records are updated forany visits I have made and have a quick catch

    up with the rest of my team. My days are never

    dull and I love the variety of working for Rosebery.

    A Day in the life of

    Robin Taylor

    Your Services

    Streets Ahead Spring 11

    For emergency repairs during dates when theRosebery Ofce is closed please call 0800 096 0395