The Communicator Spring 2015

THECOMMUNICATORWWW.SWAN.ORG.UK | SPRING 2015 | WWW.WEB4RESIDENTS.ORG.UK

3Scrutiny Update

5Keeping youinformed

8AnnualResidents' Day

uSummer ActivityScheme

aGas Safety

Resident TrainingProgramme 2015/16Residents in the driving seat

Qualifications

ConfidenceOpportunities

Life skills

Even more opportunities to improve your CV with

nationally recognised qualifications!

Welcome

Welcome to the Spring edition of yourCommunicator newsletter. In this issue we're reporting back on the progress we've made as aresult of your feedback. We've made lots of changes and, as you cansee, are making progress. If you have any feedback, good or bad,please do let us know as it helps us to improve.

Spring is a time of growth. Our free, life changing Residents' TrainingProgramme is back so be sure to reserve your space on one of ourcourses. We're also taking bookings for children aged 8-16 on ourtwo-week Summer Activity Programme. This free programme giveschildren the opportunity to make new friends and experience lots ofdifferent activities.

At Swan we're all part of a big team and residents are part of ourteam too. We're 'Better Together' so join us at the annual Residents'Day at West Ham United Football Club on June 13 and help us tomake things even better!

I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible at ourupcoming events and training courses!

If you’d like to learn moreabout getting involved atany time, please call theResident Involvement andCommunications Team on01277 844242 or email

[email protected]

Or Text INVOLVE to07860 021752

ContributorsJackie KingHead of Tenancy Management

Irene FergusonService Improvement Manager

Beverley FordEducation, Training and Employment Officer

Nicolas KyprianouHead of Partnership andCompliance

Stephen McCarthyIncome Services Manager (Essex)

Liz RobinsonService User Involvement Officer

Samantha WaitHead of Resident Involvementand Communications

THE COMMUNICATORPAGES 1/2

Jo March, Editor

Swan CommunityDevelopment Officer, TerryWebb, was recognised asthe ‘Resident InvolvementOfficer of the Year’ at theTPAS Awards 2015(Southern Region). His winhas secured him one ofthree places in the NationalFinals of the TPAS Awardsin July.

Terry said...“I’m delighted to berecognised for the work Ido and I am lookingforward to attending theTPAS Awards NationalFinals in July. I havepersonally received thisaward but I also think itrecognises the strongethic of team-work withinSwan’s ResidentInvolvement Team asmany of my projectsinvolve working closelywith my colleagues.”

Continued on page 10

Award successfor Terry


Resident Report: ResidentScrutiny makes a difference

My name is Jo Alphousand I am the Chair of theResident Scrutiny Panel.Panel members are allSwan residents and wescrutinise Swan’sperformance. We meetevery two months and welook, in detail, at howSwan are performing, howthey make sure they getvalue for money and at aservice area.

The first area we looked atwas how accessible Swan’scomplaints process is. Wechose this as we feel it isimportant that Swan receivesfeedback from residents toimprove services.

How did we go about it?

• We scrutinised reports,leaflets and the websites

• We contacted fellowresidents to ask theirviews

• We interviewed staff

• We ‘mystery shopped’staff

• We ‘shadowed’ thecomplaints team for aday to see how theylogged complaints, howinvestigations happenedand what they did withthe results

What did we find?Overall, we thought Swanhandles complaints well;we found that the ServiceImprovement Team arevery helpful andknowledgeable and thatperformance is monitoredmonthly through acomprehensive report.

We found some areasfor improvement…We found that there arelots of ways to make acomplaint: by email,phone, in person etc.However, all the literaturefocused on customer“feedback” and wethought that it would beeasier for residents ifcomplaints were calledcomplaints.

Swan’s response: • Swan have set up anew email inbox:[email protected]

• Swan have changedtheir website so that anysearch using the word‘complaint’ will directresidents to thenecessary information

We found that about 70%of complaints are aboutrepairs and we thoughtthat the systems betweenSwan and Axis could beimproved.

Swan’s response:• Swan confirmed thatwhen you make acomplaint they will letyou know who will beinvestigating andresolving the problem

• Swan aim to respond to50% of complaintswithin 24 hours

We found that not all staffdefined a complaint in thesame way and when wetalked to residents somefelt they had made acomplaint when staffthought they wererequesting a service.

Swan’s response:• Swan will train staff onwhat is and what is not acomplaint

• Swan will ensure thatstaff record all servicerequests to make surethese are dealt with

We found that Swan couldprovide more information toresidents about how theylearn from complaints.

Swan’s response:In each edition of TheCommunicator Swan will:

• Set out more detailedinformation oncomplaints received

• Set out what Swan haslearned

• Show how complaintsare helping Swan toimprove the service forresidents

As a panel we aredelighted that Swan hastaken our feedback onboard. We will continue tomonitor the improvementsand, in about six months’time, we will test if theseactions have made adifference! We lookforward to giving you anupdate then.

In the meantime, we areabout to start our nextreview. As we hope youcan see from this article,the Scrutiny Panel reallydoes make a difference. Ifyou are interested in joiningus, please contact theResident InvolvementTeam on 01277 844242.

Jo AlphousChair of the ResidentScrutiny Panel

Complaints information

Learning from complaintsFollowing on from theService Review by theScrutiny Panel, we want tomake it clearer how welearn from complaints.

Every month we analyse thecomplaints we receive toidentify what caused themto happen. We then look atwhat we can do to preventthem happening again.Here are some examples ofwhat you said and what wehave done to prevent futurecomplaints. Theseexamples fit under threeheadings of CustomerService, Communicationand Speed.

Customer Service

We did: We have changedour processes andcheques will be issued inseven working days.

Communication

We did: We have set upthree key steps to ensurethat you are kept informedof follow-on works (seepage 5 of TheCommunicator).

We did: When you make acomplaint we will now letyou know who is dealingwith it and they will contactyou to discuss it within 24hours.

Speed

We did: We havedeveloped a newprocedure for gettingquotes and have settargets for Axis to keepyou informed aboutdecisions on when theworks will be completed.

We did: Since December2014 we have beenworking towardsresponding to 50% ofcomplaints within 24 hours.

Complaints informationDecember 2014Received 462

Responded to within target (10 days) 98%

Average days to respond 5

% of complaints upheld 74%

Satisfaction with ComplaintsAll Service Areas 2013/14 Dec 14 Target

With procedure 77% 78% 78%

With outcome 70% 67% 70%

Easy to complain 80% 87% 85%

Given full explanation 80% 87% 80%

Customer Service 42%

Quality 4%

Communication 27%

Speed 27%

You said it takes toolong to makepayments for missedappointments

You said you want tofeel confident thatyour complaint isbeing dealt with

You said that youhave to wait too longfor works to becompleted when aquote is required

You said that whenyou make a complaintabout the time ittakes to get ananswer or get workscompleted youexpect a speedierresponse

You said that wedon’t keep youinformed when follow-on works are required

Our Commitment:In the Winter edition of TheCommunicator, youreceived a copy of ourrepair standards and ourcommitment to improveour repairs service.

We are making goodprogress. Here are aselection of the changeswe have introduced as aresult of your feedback:

You said that we take toolong to complete jobs thatneed follow-on work

We did: we have put inplace three initiatives thatwill speed up these works.These are:

1When we completethe initial repair the

operative will book in thefollow-on works, agreeinga new appointment dayand time with you beforethey leave.

2If you have workdone, we will phone

or text you to ask if you arehappy with the repaircarried out – if you tell usthere is work outstandingand you don’t have anappointment we willarrange one with you.

3When we know therepair is more

complicated and will notbe completed on the firstvisit we will assign amember of the AftercareTeam to be your point ofcontact. This person willbe responsible for keepingyou informed andcoordinating your worksthrough to completion.

You said it would be reallyhelpful if you could text arepair request.

We did: we haveintroduced a text facility toreport a repair and wehave tested it to make sureit meets our standards.

You said that you can’talways get through on thephone during peak times.

We did: Axis haveemployed five additionalcall handlers during peaktimes and we are alreadyseeing a reduction in thenumber of callsabandoned by residents.

You said that theperformance of some ofour sub-contractors wasless than what youexperienced from ouremployed operatives.

We did: Swan and Axismeet regularly with thesub-contractors toreinforce our residents'expectations. Axis hasprocured additional sub-contractors to cover Essexto improve value for moneyand increase performancefor appointments madeand kept. Axis has alsoemployed four additionaloperatives coveringMaldon and Chelmsford.

Improving the callcentreIn addition to the extra callhandlers, Axis haveintroduced a newmanagement structure tosupport staff to deliver anexcellent service. Atraining programme is inplace to make sure that allresidents receive thesame, high quality service.As an incentive we haveintroduced a ‘Call Handlerof the Month’ award andresidents are involved inassessing the winner.


Keeping you informed about your repairHow Swan and Axis are working to improve our Repairs Service

Axis are offering twoapprenticeships toSwan residents. If you,or a member of yourfamily, are interested inan apprenticeship ineither:

• Plumbing orElectrical

• BusinessAdministration

Please contactPerryn Jasper, Swan

Foundation ProjectManager [email protected]

or 01277 844753 formore details and an

application form.

Interviews will be held inJuly and the apprenticeshipwill begin in September2015.

Do you know someone who would like an apprenticeship?

Repair PerformanceApr – Dec 2014

100% Gascompliance

100% of homesmeet the DecentHomes Standard

97.62%satisfaction with newkitchen and bathroominstallations

Reduction inabandoned calls

84% satisfactionwith the last repair

Improving our AftercareWe have a new AftercareTeam with the followingkey duties:

1Liaise with residentson complex repairs

2Measure residentsatisfaction with their

last repair and immediatelyaddress any dissatisfaction

3Rectify complaints asquickly as possible

and learn from them, tomake sure we don’t repeatthem

All the responsesto our Aftercaresurvey are enteredinto a monthlydraw – the winnerin February wasMs Mills fromChelmsford whoreceived a £30 giftvoucher.

Improving efficiencyYou said we could bemore efficient with missedappointments and follow-on appointments.

We did: Axis haverecruited a team of four‘schedulers’ who allocatethe works to eachoperative, make sure theyare on schedule to attendat the agreed time, if notthey will phone you andlet you know. Theschedulers allocate worksto minimise travel timebetween jobs and, whenfollow-on works arerequired, they liaise withthe operative to book thenew appointments.

Missed appointmentfees: to speed up thepayment of missedappointment fees we cannow make a payment into your bank accountwithin seven working days.

To do this we will requestyour bank details. You canstill receive a payment bycheque but please beaware this can take up tothree weeks to process.

Did you know thatbetween April andDecember 2014 a totalof 1,027 appointmentswere missed becauseresidents were not athome. If you cannotmake an appointmentplease cancel it!

APPRENTICESHIPSCHANGE LIVES!

Jade and Jessica have wo

n

£50 for suggesting an

improvement

If you would like more information about either the Essex or London RCC or would like to join thecommittee please call the Resident Involvement Team on 01277 844242 or email the RCC Committees

directly on one of the following email addresses:

[email protected] and [email protected]


My name isCarolFranklinand I amthe Chairof theEssex ResidentConsultative Committee(RCC). I would like to tellyou more about the RCC.The RCC is made up ofSwan residents,leaseholders, supportedhousing service usersand Foyer residents whohelp to give a voice to theyounger community.

The Essex RCC meetsonce a month at Swan’sHead Office in Billericay(Swan helps us with taxis toattend these meetings). AtRCC meetings we meetSwan Officers from manydifferent departments.

We make sure thatresidents’ views are alwaystaken into account beforeSwan adopts newstrategies and policies.

At RCC meetings, we alsodiscuss local issues withSwan officers. The officersinvestigate the issues andprovide us with answers.Members of the RCC areappointed with theendorsement of their localcommunities, so they areable to bring local issues toSwan for discussion.

There is also a RCC inLondon who representresidents who live in Swanhomes in London. BothRCCs are always here tolisten and can help you toraise any local issues youare experiencing directlywith Swan’s officers.

Resident Report: Resident Group Profile What is the RCC and what does it do for residents?

I'm proud of the difference I've made to mycommunity by being part of the London RCCand working in partnership with Swan. Stella Damm, London RCC

01277 [email protected]

facebook.com/swanhousing

web4residents.org.ukText 07860 021752 using INVOLVE at the start of your message

Annual Residents’ Day Your day, your say

BOOK

YOUR PLACE

NOW!


We invite you to join us at theWest Ham United FootballGround, Upton Park onSaturday 13th June 10.00am-3.00pmfor Swan's Annual Residents' Day.

The theme of this year’s Residents’ Day is

Better Together’The Residents’ Day is a fun event with entertainmentand a hot buffet lunch included. Residents whoattend will be automatically entered into a prize drawwhich will be drawn at the event.

There will be information stalls on Swan and Axis'sservices and the opportunity to meet specialist stafffrom both organisations and a chance to shape Swan's services. This year we will also be having digital training during the event.

This event is FREE for all our tenants andleaseholders aged over 16 but places are limited, so book yours now!

If you wish to attend on 13 June please fill in your details below and return it to us at...

Annual Residents’ Day Your day, your say

Please print all details in this box in BLOCK CAPITALS

Name(s) of adults attending (attendees must be a Swan resident or their carer)

Address

Postcode

Telephone number

Email

You can also book online at web4residents.org.uk/residents-day-2015 or text the word ‘involve’ to 07860 021752

JUNE

13

‘ Swan Housing Association, FREEPOSTANG10361, Billericay CM12 9ZZ by 30 May orcall the Resident Involvement andCommunications Team on 01277 844242 or book online at web4residents.org.uk/residents-day-2015

Transport will be provided for residents in Essex and some London areas. For more information please contact us.

The Bow Cross Estate inEast London recentlyscooped two majorawards at the prestigiousLondon Planning Awards2015. The decade longregeneration project wonthe ultimate accolade ofthe evening – the Mayor’sAward for PlanningExcellence and alsoreceived the award for theBest Project Five YearsOn. Swan was praised as“having transformed thearea into a traditionalstreet-basedneighbourhood wherepeople wanted to live”.

The awards celebrate theoutstanding contribution ofplanners to the capital’surban regeneration and are atestament to the successfulregeneration of the formerCrossways estate. Theregeneration engagedresidents from the outset andhas transformed theneighbourhood.

Bow Cross scoops the Mayor’s Award for Planning Excellence

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London said:“Now that London is home to more people than ever before, bold andinnovative planning has taken on an even more crucial role. As our citycontinues to grow, the cranes are swinging into action on schemes bothbig and small and the variety of projects showcased through the LondonPlanning Awards gives me great confidence that the capital has the visionand talent to be able to embrace our incredible population growth andremain the best big city in the world.”

Sandra Fawcett, Executive Director – Housing said:“We are proud to receive such prestigious accolades for Bow Cross. Theestate’s continued success and desirability clearly demonstrates howgood planning forms the basis of creating a community where peoplewant to live.”

(continued from page 2)

Terry works with manySwan residents as his‘patch’ covers over 4,000properties in Essex, mostof them are in Basildon buthe covers homes acrossEssex from Tilbury toClacton.

During the past two years hehas spearheaded anincredibly successful publichealth initiative targeted at

residents living in Basildonand Thurrock. With Terry’ssupport, the NHS VitalityHealth MOT initiative for theover 40s has resulted inmore than 50% ofparticipants (over 100people) being referred totheir GP for a previouslyundiagnosed healthproblem.

Terry also supports fourResidents’ Associations andtwo youth forums in Essex.

“I am delighted that Terry’s dedication to the communities he supports has beenrecognised. Swan is dedicated to creatingcommunities where people want to live andhis work demonstrates how committedindividuals make a real difference to people’slives. We are especially proud of the on goinghealth initiative as the results show it has had a profound impact on the lives of our residents.”Sandra Fawcett, Executive Director – Housing

Resident Involvement Officer Terry Webb wins at TPAS Awards

We are thrilled to launchthe 2015 Resident Trainingprogramme with thisedition of TheCommunicator. Thebrochure is full of newcourses for 2015. Everysingle course featured inthe brochure is free forSwan residents.

Spaces on our lifechanging TrainingProgramme fill up quicklyso don't miss your chanceto sign up today! This yearwe have introduced moreaccredited coursesincluding First Aid; Healthand Safety; Food HygieneLevel 3 and practicalcourses including healthyeating and apprenticeships.

Brenda from Essexcompleted an accreditedFood Hygiene and First Aidcourse in 2013, she says:

“Swan has changedmy life completely andthey have helped me toachieve my dream ofrunning my owncatering business.”

THE COMMUNICATORPAGE 11

Qualifications

ConfidenceOpportunities

Life skills

Launching your Resident Training Programme 2015!

Swan Housing Association is a not-for-profit company and any profitsgenerated by building homes forprivate sale are reinvested into theHousing Association to benefitresidents. Swan New Homes, acompany created in 2005, developsnew housing for the HousingAssociation and private sale.

Over the past ten years it has turnedover more than £140m in sales and inthe last three years has generated£37.8m of gift aid which has beenreinvested into the communities weserve.

NU living, a new trading name forSwan New Homes, has been createdto support sales. The brand has beendesigned to appeal to first timebuyers, young families and investors.

Something NU is happening at Swan!

FREE!

Or call 0800 819 9390If you would like more information about NU living visit nuliving.co.uk

To register for acourse online

please visit:web4residents.org.uk

For moreinformation

please call theResident InvolvementTeam on 01277 844242

ESSEX LOCAL NEWS PAGE 12

THECOMMUNICATORESSEXYour “local” section!

MEP Visits Swan House Foyer

Richard Howitt MEPdropped into SwanHouse Foyer recently tolearn about Swan’sdedication to the LivingWage, training andapprenticeships. As amember of the EuropeanParliament he was keento find out more aboutthe support Swanprovides.

At the Foyer he met withMary Gibbons, ExecutiveDirector – Strategy andSupport; Lin Green, FoyerManager; Sophie Brand,Project Worker; SianParker, Customer Service

Apprentice; Antony Mills,IT Apprentice; and Sharonwho was staying in theemergency crash pad.Sophie, Sian and Antonywere all supported intoemployment whilst living atthe Foyers.

Richard spoke to Sophie,Sian and Antony abouttheir experiences of livingin the Foyer and now asSwan apprentices andemployees. He also spoketo Sharon about thesupport she has receivedin the emergency crashpad and her plans for thefuture.

“The hard work andsupport that Swanprovide here inBasildon for youngpeople, and especiallyyoung women andsingle parents,provides me withexcellent examples ofgood practice toinform futureEuropean help.”

Richard Howitt MEP

ESSEX LOCAL NEWS PAGES 13/14

Residents from DobsonsHouse, an extra caresupported housingscheme in Rayleigh,recently celebrated theofficial opening of theirnewly refurbishedcommunal kitchen.

The renovation was carriedout by Axis operatives aspart of their CorporateSocial ResponsibiltyProgramme after residentssaid they would like morespace in the communalkitchen.

Axis and kitchen supplierHowdens donatedsupplies and their time torenovate the kitchen area.

Axis operatives increasedthe work surface in thekitchen and installed alarge range-style oven(supplied by Swan).

Special thanks go to Axisvolunteers: Dean Hendry;Vince Sullivan; JohnDooley; JoannaStrudwick; Becky Clark;Dawn Willis and ShelleyClarke.

Vince said:

“We were made verywelcome. We reallyenjoyed the projectand having theopportunity to givesomething back to thecommunity through theCorporate SocialResponsibilityStrategy. We are verypleased with theresult.”

Residents are ecstaticabout their new kitchen:

“I think the kitchen isa great improvementand the cooker isgreat. Thank youDobsons, Swan andAxis.”

Michael

“The people from Axiswere amazing, theyreally got involved andgot stuck in, makingteas and coffees foreveryone. We can’tthank them enough.They did a great job!”

Pearl

Dobsons delight at newlyrefurbished kitchen

Staff at Axis andSwan arecommitted tovolunteering theirtime and skills toimprove communalfacilities and areasto strengthen yourneighbourhood.

If you have anidea that you

think will improvefacilities for yourneighbourhoodcontact IreneFerguson, ServiceImprovementManager at Swanon 0300 303 2500.

Swan Foundationorganised a family tree-planting day inpartnership with theFryerns Farm Children’sCentre and the CentrePre-School on Craylandsestate in Basildon. Theyoung saplings weredonated by theWoodland Trust as part ofa national tree-plantingcampaign marking the100th Anniversary of theoutbreak of the FirstWorld War.

Children planted saplingsaround the Swaleconservation area. It ishoped that the trees willgrow and enhance thenatural environment in thearea for future generationsof children to enjoy.

“The event was acomplete successattended by severalPre-School families.The children made birdfeeders and helped toplant the new saplings,everyone at the Pre-School will watch themgrow with interest. Thechildren havecontinued to talk aboutthe experience havingmade memories totreasure.”

Elaine Damiano, Centre Pre-School

Young families plant Community Copseto mark the 100th Anniversary of the outbreak of WW1

ESSEX LOCAL NEWS PAGE 15

Members of thehardworking ChurchviewRA in Basildon recentlyheld their AGM wherethey thanked CommunityDevelopment OfficerTerry Webb for hiscontinued support fortheir annual work plan.During the past twelvemonths, Swan havedonated just over £1,000in Community Grants andCommunal Grants to helpfund community eventson the Churchviewestate.

Linda Cameron, Chair ofthe Churchview RA,reported that the moneydonated by Swan helpedto fund five communityevents, all of which wereattended by up to 100people. The RA has a bigfocus on raising money forcharities and has alreadydonated just over £500 toworthy causes this yearthrough events thatbrought the communitytogether.

In FocusChurchview Residents’ Association

Visit us atBasildonCouncil’sofficesWe are constantlystriving to improvethe service we offerto our residents. Sowe are delighted toconfirm that everyMonday we nowhave an IncomeOfficer and a WelfareOfficer available tospeak to you atBasildon Council'soffices in St Martin’sSquare, by theTowngate Theatre.

Our staff can help you with:

• Rent Payments

• Welfare Benefitsincluding UniversalCredit; the BenefitCap or SocialHousing SizeCriteria

• Arrears Advice

• Money Management& Budgeting

If you have a rent orbenefit query andwould like to speak toa Swan officer face-to-face you can drop in,every Monday, withoutan appointment. Thisis a great example ofhow, working withpartners like BasildonBorough Council, wecan bring services outto you.

For more informationplease speak tothe Income

Team on 0300 303 2500.

The Resident Involvement Team actively supports residents who want to setup a Residents’ Association on their estate or neighbourhood. For more

information call 01277 844242.

THECOMMUNICATORLONDONYour “local” section!

LONDON LOCAL NEWS PAGE 12

Swan Foundation and ResidentInvolvement Team supportscommunity sewing project

Swan Foundation, inpartnership with Swan’sResident InvolvementTeam, Tower HamletsCouncil and TowerHamlets Homes recentlylaunched a women’ssewing group on the RobinHood Gardens estate.

Swan Foundation grantfunding was used topurchase ten new sewingmachines, an overlocker andother haberdashery suppliesand equipment. Twentywomen from the estate havebeen regularly attending the

twice-weekly group whichthey have named the‘Sewing Sisters’ – with themotto “Stronger Together”.

They are being supported togrow their skills by a residenttrainer and Swan's ResidentInvolvement Team. Their firstproject is an intricatepatchwork banner to beused to promote the club.Their long-term aim is tobuild the members' skillssufficiently to enable them toproduce items to sell.

LONDON LOCAL NEWS PAGES 13/14

Did you know that Swanprovides free footballcoaching for young Swanresidents every Saturdayon the Exmouth and BowCross estates in London?Working in partnershipwith the West HamFootball Foundation, theweekly training sessionsare a great opportunity toimprove your ball skillswith the support of expertprofessional coaches.

Training sessions are heldevery Saturday at 11am - 12.30 on BowCross and 1.00pm -2.30pm on Exmouth.There's no need to book,just turn up at the ballcourt on the day forregistration. Footballcoaching sessions areopen to all Swan residentsaged 8-16 regardless ofwhich estate you live on.

If you would likemore information

please call the ResidentInvolvement Team on01277 844242.

Axis staff recentlydonated their time andskills to renovate acommunal kitchen atDobsons House (an extracare sheltered housingscheme in Essex) andthey would like to helpimprove communalfacilities and areas inyour neighbourhood.

If you have an ideathat you think could

improve facilities for yourneighbourhood contactIrene Ferguson, ServiceImprovement Manageron 0300 303 2500.

Is there a young footballfan in your household?

Can Axis help you improve a communal space in your neighbourhood?

Last year Swan workedin partnership with thePrince’s Trust to deliver a“Get Into Hospitality”programme with grantmoney from the SwanFoundation to helpyoung people get into acareer in the hospitalitysector.

Twelve young people fromTower Hamlets, includingtwo from Exmouth estateand Robin Hood Gardenssuccessfully completed themonth-long programme.They gained Level 1Introduction to Hospitalityand Level 1 PersonalDevelopmentqualifications.

A certificate awardceremony was heldrecently to recognise theirachievements.

All participants wereguaranteed an interview

with Whitbread, and theywere supported for sixmonths after theprogramme to help themfind or stay in work. Weare delighted to report thatfour have now securedpermanent jobs (three atTower Bridge Premier Innand one at Stratford CityPremier Inn.) Three othershave been taken on by ahospitality agency andanother young person hasbeen offered trial shifts asa Commis Chef at Gauchoand as a Bar Tender at BarNightjar.

Get into Hospitality: Unlocking the potential of young people!

LONDON LOCAL NEWS PAGE 15

Get involved: join theLondon RCC...

If you would like to find out more give the ResidentInvolvement Team a call on 01277 844242.

We’re looking for people fr

om Romford,

Hornchurch, Chadwell He

ath and Poplar

to join the London Reside

nts’ Consultative

Committee (RCC). RCC Me

mbers are an

important part of Swan’s R

esident

Involvement structure and

members play

a key role shaping the ser

vices Swan

offers residents.

Would you like to give somethingback to your community?

Do you h

ave some

time to spar

e?

More than fifteen residentsrecently attended thelaunch of a new IT club forresidents on the ExmouthEstate. Working inpartnership with TheStifford Centre and theExmouth Residents’ Boardthe club offers weeklytraining sessions in basicIT skills. Held in a recentlyrefurbished area of theExmouth Social Club, it is

available for all residentswho would like to learnhow to use a computerand the internet.

For moreinformation please

call the ResidentInvolvement Team on01277 844242.

Exmouth Estate launches IT Club

MEP Visits Swan House Foyer

THECOMMUNICATORSUPPORTED HOUSINGYour “local” section!

SUPPORTED HOUSING LOCAL NEWS PAGE 12

Richard Howitt MEPdropped into SwanHouse Foyer recentlyto learn more aboutSwan’s dedication tothe Living Wage,training andapprenticeships. As amember of theEuropean Parliamenthe was keen to findout more about thesupport Swanprovides.

At the Foyer he metwith Mary Gibbons,Executive Director –Strategy and Support;Lin Green, FoyerManager; SophieBrand, Project Worker;Sian Parker, CustomerService Apprentice;Antony Mills, ITApprentice; and Sharonwho was staying in theemergency crash pad.Sophie, Sian andAntony were allsupported intoemployment whilstliving at the Foyers.

Richard spoke toSophie, Sian andAntony about theirexperiences of living inthe Foyer and theircurrent roles as Swanapprentices andemployees. He alsospoke to Sharonabout the support shehas received in theemergency crash padand her plans for thefuture.

“The hard work and support that Swan providehere in Basildon for young people, and especiallyyoung women and single parents, provides mewith excellent examples of good practice to informfuture European help.”Richard Howitt MEP

SUPPORTED HOUSING LOCAL NEWS PAGES 13/14

Swan House Foyeris working on anational pilot projectin partnership withBasildon Jobcentreand Circle Housingdelivering intensivesupport to peopleon JobseekersAllowance who livein the Vange area ofBasildon.

The project brings theJobcentre to Vange,placing a JobcentreWork Coach in thearea to work withlong-term job seekers.

The Work Coachprovides intensive jobseeking support plusadvice and supporton other areas of theirlives that may behindering job seekersfrom moving intowork.

So far 35 people havejoined the project andare regularly attendingwork clubs andmeeting with theJobcentre WorkCoach. The project isstill in its infancy but ithas already had some

great results as morepeople are engagingwith the Jobcentreand work clubs. Otherindividual successesinclude people takingup courses to retrain;starting traineeships;tackling debt,managing addictionand housing issues.

A new partnership

Young mums anddads at Dove CottHouse have beenthrowing themselvesinto the Lloyds BankMoney for LifeChallenge, a projectwhere young peoplecan apply for £500to set up communityprojects to helpothers manage theirmoney.

The project is called“Swan SavvyShoppers”. Youngpeople areencouraged toinvestigate bargainsand special offersavailable and sharetheir tips with others.

Residents share theirbest buy tips on acolourful set ofnoticeboards; onenoticeboard isdedicated to weeklyoffers and bargainsand another forspecial occasionssuch as Mother’s Dayand Easter.

The young peoplehave been sharing tipson special offers forfood, nappies, clothesand offers for days outhelping everyone tosave money.

Swan SavvyShoppers

STOP PRESS:This project has just been shortlisted forthe People’s Prize in Southern England!

SUPPORTED HOUSING LOCAL NEWS PAGE 15

Residents fromDobsons House, anextra care shelteredhousing scheme inRayleigh, recentlycelebrated theofficial opening oftheir newlyrefurbishedcommunal kitchen.

The renovation wascarried out by Axisoperatives as part oftheir Corporate SocialResponsibiltyProgramme afterresidents said theywould like more spacein the communalkitchen.

Axis and kitchensupplier Howdensdonated supplies andtheir time to renovatethe kitchen area.

Axis operativesincreased the worksurface in the kitchenand installed a largerange-style oven(supplied by Swan).Special thanks go toAxis volunteers:Dean Hendry; VinceSullivan; JohnDooley; JoannaStrudwick; BeckyClark; Dawn Willisand Shelley Clarke.

Vince said:

“We were made verywelcome. We reallyenjoyed the projectand having theopportunity to givesomething back to thecommunity through theCorporate SocialResponsibility strategy.We are very pleasedwith the result.”

Residents areecstatic about theirnew kitchen:

“I think the kitchen isa great improvementand the cooker isgreat. Thank youDobsons, Swan andAxis.”

Michael

“The people from Axiswere amazing, theyreally got involved andgot stuck in, makingteas and coffees foreveryone. We can’tthank them enough.They did a great job!”

Pearl

Dobsons delight at newlyrefurbished kitchen

Staff at Axis andSwan arecommitted tovolunteeringtheir time andskills to improvecommunalfacilities andareas tostrengthen yourneighbourhood.

If you havean idea that

you think willimprove facilitiesfor yourneighbourhoodcontact IreneFerguson,ServiceImprovementManager atSwan on 0300303 2500.

01277 [email protected]

facebook.com/swanhousing

web4residents.org.uk/summerscheme-pre-regText 07860 021752 using INVOLVE at the start of your message

THE COMMUNICATORPAGE 16


Please print all details in this box in BLOCK CAPITALS

Yes, I want an information pack on the Swan Summer Holiday Scheme 2015…

Name

Name of child

Address

Telephone number

Email

You can also book online at web4residents.org.uk/summerscheme-pre-reg or text the word ‘involve’ to 07860 021752

Name of child

Name of child

Age of child

Age of child

Age of child

Register your interest for Swan’sSummer Holiday Scheme 2015.

Do you have children aged 8-16?Would they like to take part in Swan’sfree summer holiday schemes basedin Essex and London?

If so, now is the time to register yourinterest so we can send you aninformation pack telling you all aboutthe scheme and the forms you needto complete to sign up.

Last year over 160 children took partin the scheme and had a lot of fungoing on trips, trying out water sports,playing sports, taking part in craft andother activities and participating inawareness activities around drugs,wellbeing etc.

So, register your interest now tomake sure your child can take partin 2015!

For more information, pleasecall the Resident Involvement

and Communications Team on 01277 844242.

Have you been invited tomake a claim forUniversal Credit? Thisonly applies to you ifyou are of working age;Universal Credit doesnot affect you if you area pensioner.

You will be asked to applyfor Universal Credit if youhave a change ofcircumstances and needto make a new benefitclaim. The Jobcentre willlet you know when youmake your claim whetheryou need to make a claimfor Universal Credit or foran existing benefit such asJobseeker’s Allowance.

Universal Credit includesWorking Tax Credit, ChildTax Credit, IncomeSupport, Jobseeker’s

Allowance, Employmentand Support Allowanceand your Housing Benefit.It is paid to you as onesingle monthly payment. Ifyou receive UniversalCredit you are responsiblefor paying your rent fromthe money you receive asit includes your HousingBenefit.

Swan can help youwith budgeting,

setting up a bank orcredit union accountand getting online. If youneed further help andsupport please contacta member of Swan’sWelfare Reform Team on0300 303 2500

Discretionary HousingPayment (DHP) is anaward that cansometimes be made to people who needextra help if they receive Housing Benefitthat doesn’t cover alltheir rent.

A DHP is normally grantedfor a limited time to offertemporary assistance whilea longer-term arrangementis made, such as findingwork; getting more paidhours or moving to a moreaffordable property.

Since April 2014 ourBenefit Officers havehelped 500 tenants toapply for a DHP. More thanfour out of five applicationshave been successful.

If you, or someone youknow, are affected by theWelfare Reforms or thinkyou may be, please contactour Welfare Reform Teamon 0300 303 2500. We canreview your circumstancesand offer advice aboutapplying for a DHP.

Discretionary Housing Payments

We are actively helping tenantsaffected by Welfare Reforms tomake DHP applications.2014/15 Essex London GroupApplications

DHP 396 104 500Applications

Successful 324 81 405Applications

Applications 24 13 37Refused

Still Awaiting 48 10 58Determination

Universal Credit is coming! BANK

1234 5678 9012 3456

BANK

1234 5678 9012 3456

Debit?

accounts?

the internet?have access to

Do you

to helpt are here

Swan

pay by DirectCan you

have bankDo you


At Swan we have staffwho are ready to helpyou. However, residentstell us that it is notalways easy to knowwho to contact. So hereis your guide to askingthe right people:

Got a query with, orwant to pay your rent? Contact the Income Teamon 0300 303 2500 andselect option 1

or email them [email protected]@swan.org.uk

Want to know who your NeighbourhoodOfficer is? They are the first point ofcontact for all housingenquiries and Anti-SocialBehaviour reports.

Call 0300 303 2500 andselect option 2 for theNeighbourhood ServicesTeam.

You can also email them [email protected] [email protected]

Need help with yourfinances? If you are struggling withyour bills talk to ourdedicated Welfare BenefitsOfficers. They are trainedto help you.

Call 0300 303 2500 andselect option 1

or [email protected]

Want to downsize ormove home? Speak to our Allocationsand Lettings Team whocan help you register forHomeswapper.

Call 0300 303 2500 andselect option 4


Want to get involvedwith Swan? If you'd like to join a group,sign up for our Residents'Training Programme orenrol your children into ourSummer Activity Scheme:

Call the ResidentInvolvement Team on01277 844242

or email them [email protected]

Want to make acomplaint? Call the CustomerFeedback team on 0300 303 2500

or email [email protected]

Want to give acompliment orfeedback? Call the CustomerFeedback team on 0300 303 2500


Need to report a repair?Call Swan Repairs on0800 783 2768

Who should you call?.... Call the right person at Swan to get the right answer to your question!

£? ???? ??£

£ ??£? ?

??? ??£

£ ?? ? ☺☺☺

LLL? ???? ??

Swan is always on thelookout for resident’ssuggestions for howwe can make ourservices better.Resident’ssuggestions help usto improve ourbusiness.

Your Big Idea mayalso be useful for usto share with otherresidents! Help usshare usefulinformation with otherresidents and deliverthe services you reallywant.

If you have anysuggestions or ideasdon't delay; sendthem to us today!

Want to win £50 to spend in Argos?Tell us your Big Idea! We will award £50 on your STARCARD for any ideas that wecan use.

So, tell us what you think about how we can:

• Improve services;

• Offer new services; and

• Save money or reduce waste.

All suggestions are considered by ourResident Consultative Committees. Anywe implement will be published in TheCommunicator.

Send us your idea by post usingthis form or online at

web4residents.org.uk or swan.org.uk or by [email protected]

My big idea is...

...............................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................

Your name

...............................................................................................................................

Address

...............................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................

Return your suggestion slip to:The Customer Feedback

Co-ordinator, Swan HousingAssociation, FREEPOST ANG10361,Billericay CM12 9ZZ

My big idea...

Keeping you safe

At Swan we want you tobe safe in your home sowe carry out a gassafety check andservice every year tomake sure everything isworking properly. Aregularly serviced boileralso helps to keep yourrunning costs as low aspossible!

When your annual gassafety check is due, Axiswill write to you to let youknow when we would liketo come and carry it out. Ifthe appointment is notconvenient we will makeevery effort to workaround your

commitments. You canchange the time of yourappointment by callingAxis on 0800 783 2768.

The gas safety check isreally important for youand everyone who lives inyour home. If your gasappliances are unsafe,they can produce carbonmonoxide which can kill.

If you fail to let us in tocarry out a gas safetycheck after we havewritten to you three times,you are in breach of yourtenancy agreement andwe will start legal action togain access.

Don't:

1Smoke or usea naked flame

2Turn electricalswitches(e.g. lightswitches)ON or OFF

Do:

1Call the National GasEmergency Service on0800 111 999

2Put out naked flames(candles, cigarettes etc)

3Open doors andwindows

4Check that the pilotlight on your boiler is out

5Turn off your gassupply at the meter

6Keep people awayfrom the area affected

Do you know what to do if you smell gas in your home?

How did we do?Year to date 14/15

Stage 1 complaintsresponded to within

10 working days(Target 98%)

98%complaints receivedin this period

462

Emergencyrepairs donewithin time(Target 99%)

99.9%Standard repairsdone within time

(Target 99%)

99.6%

Properties with a validgas safety certificate

(Target 100%)

100%People satisfiedwith the repairsservice(Target 80%)

66.3%

Current arrears as a% of rent due(general needs)(Target 3%)

3.19%

_CALENDAR

XXXXXXXXXX

pay

rent

Ab


SuggestionsWe always want to hear your ideas about the wayswe can improve. Fill in the suggestions schemecoupon on page 20 or do it online atweb4residents.org.uk for your chance to win £50 on your STARCARD.

ComplimentsWe have received 163 compliments so far this year.Here are some examples of what you have said:

“Once more, thanks so much toSwan Housing for being, for meanyway, the best HousingAssociation. I used to bragabout the excellent andcourteous service I received forthe past 6 years. Thank you!Ms. D

I just want to say how pleased Iam now that the work is finallycompleted. The 2 guys thatcame today were absolutelylovely and worked very hard tocomplete the wall and ceiling.Ms. S

“Within 4 hours someone washere fixing the boiler. Theplumber was excellent, nicebloke! I would really appreciateit if you could let whoever is incharge of both Axis and theplumber know that I was verypleased. Thank you!Mr. U

If you have a complaint or a complimentabout our services, please call our Business

Improvement Team on 0300 303 2500.People satisfied withhow their ASB report

was dealt with(Target 76%)

75.4%

Average number ofdays taken to re-let

an empty home(Target 16 days)

16.9

Repair appointmentsthat were kept

(Target 95%)

97.3%

People satisfied withthe complaintsprocedure (Target 70%)

78%+

bove target Slightly below target Significantly below target

You can find more detailedperformance statistics onwww.swan.org.uk


The Homes and Communities Agency(HCA), the social housing regulator, hasconfirmed Swan Housing Associationhas achieved a ‘Properly Governed:G1’ governance rating. This is thehighest possible rating for governanceand follows the upgrade to ‘G2’ inOctober 2014.

The announcement from the HCAstates that Swan:

“meets the requirements ongovernance set out in theGovernance and Financial ViabilityStandard.”

Swan has also retained the ‘V1’ standardas set out in the Governance and

Financial Viability Standard. This meansthat the HCA are confident Swan has anadequately funded business plan,sufficient security in place, and is forecastto continue to meet its financial covenantsunder a range of scenarios.

John Synnock, Chief Executive ofSwan Housing Association said:

“We are proud to have achieved a‘G1’ governance rating. Swan iscommitted to a programme ofcontinuous improvement and wecontinue to aim for the higheststandards of corporate governancein everything we do.”

Swan gains highest rating

Financial Viability Standard

Highest possible ratingfor governance

Valerie Owen OBE, Chairof Swan’s Boardreceived a LifetimeAchievement Award atthe Women inConstruction Awardsheld recently.

Showcasing the brightestand best female talent inthe house building and thewider constructionindustries, the awardsrecognise the growingimpact women have in theconstruction industry.

Valerie’s award is atestament to her continuedcommitment to theindustry. She is one of thehighest qualified women inconstruction: a CharteredArchitect; Town Planner;Development Surveyor andEnvironmentalist. She’sbeen involved in some of

the UK’s largestconstruction projects andthroughout her career shehas simultaneously juggledhigh-level roles and aportfolio of constructionand property-related non-executive director roles.

John Synnuck, whoattended the awards withValerie, said:

“Everyone at Swan isdelighted that Val’scontinued dedication tothe constructionindustry has beenrecognised at such aprestigious event. Weare proud to have her asthe Chair of Swan’sBoard and wish hermany years ofcontinued success.”

Lifetime Achievement Award for Valerie Owen OBE

“It is truly an honour to receive this prestigiousaward… My career began in the late 1970s, when thefront page of Building Design magazine read: “25% ofall architects out of work… Since then I have hadthe good fortune of working with bright, passionate,ambitious people – men and women – right across theindustry. I would like to thank all of those who havesupported me – from Jones Lang LaSalle, who mademe the only female Director in their Asset Managementdivision in Europe in the late eighties, to the SwanHousing Group, who appointed me their Chair in 2013.”Valerie Owen MBE

At Swan we work hard todeliver services thatmatter. Every year wework with residents todevelop a number ofLocal Offers. These areadditional standards andservices tailored to theneeds of yourneighbourhood.

In the past year Swan has:• Extended the handymanservice to includesupported housingresidents. Over 200residents have used this

service in the last year.Any elderly or vulnerableresident who moves intoa Swan home canaccess the handymanservice for a couple ofhours to help them dothings such as put upshelves, hang curtainsor add new locks to thedoor. We will continue tooffer this service soplease contact us if youcould benefit from it.

• Installed CCTV in one ofour blocks in Thurrock.This has successfullyreduced incidents of

Anti-Social Behaviour inthe area.

• Offered a free wheeliebin cleaning service forelderly and vulnerableresidents in Forest Gate.Twelve residents havehad their bins cleanedand we will continue tooffer this service toForest Gate residents.

• Developed a residents'parking scheme on theFive Links estate inBasildon to stopcommuters parkingthere.

• Held a “Pride in yourEstate” day in Pitseainvolving residents toimprove the cleaningstandards on theirestate.

These are some ofthe successful

offers from the pasttwelve months. If youhave any ideas abouthow we could improveour services in your areaplease contact yourNeighbourhood Officeron 0300 303 2500.

Making sure your home looks smart!

At Swan we like to make sureresidents' homes are keptlooking nice so we have aplanned programme forexternal decoration work on anumber of homes every year.This work not only helps tokeep your home looking smart,but also protects it against theweather.

If your home is scheduled toreceive some external decorationthis year Axis will contact you inadvance to let you know. Beforeany work begins, an Axisrepresentative will visit yourproperty to see what work isrequired. During the externalredecoration all the surfaces thatneed to be painted will bewashed down and painted withan undercoat and top coat and,once the works have beencompleted, an Axis representativewill return to inspect the work.

Local Offers target the needs in your neighbourhood

To find out if there are external decorations planned for your homethis year please call your Neighbourhood Officer on 0300 303 2500.

If you qualify just answer the questions and cut out the coupon for each prize you wish to be entered for.Then post all entries in ONE envelope to: Swan Housing Association, FREEPOST ANG10361, Billericay, CM12 9ZZ or email us at [email protected] quoting 'Swan Reward Scheme competition’ with youranswers, name and address. Winners may be asked to appear in the next edition of The Communicator.

Swan RewardsOur way of saying thank you


Here is your chance to win some fabulous prizes as part ofthe Swan Reward Scheme. Please check that you qualifyby visiting web4residents.org.uk and then just choosewhich of these great prizes you would like to win. Theclosing date for entries is 11 May 2015.

Lenovo laptopHow many days are there in April?

n28 n30 n31

Name .........................................................................

Address....................................................................

.........................................................................................

Phone no. ..............................................................

Sharp Solo MicrowaveWhat colour would be made if youmixed blue and yellow paint?

nOrange nPink nGreen

Name .........................................................................

Address....................................................................

.........................................................................................

Phone no. ..............................................................

Nintendo 3DSWhat is Super Mario’s job?

nTeacher nDoctor nPlumber

Name .........................................................................

Address....................................................................

.........................................................................................

Phone no. ..............................................................

1 x prize of £100decorating voucherWhere is Swan's Annual Residents'Day held?

nBow Cross nUpton Park nFive Links

Name .........................................................................

Address....................................................................

.........................................................................................

Phone no. ..............................................................

Panasonic 32” HD TVWhat animal usually delivers Eastergoodies?

nCow nBunny nDog

Name .........................................................................

Address....................................................................

.........................................................................................

Phone no. ..............................................................

1 x prize of £100 tospend in ArgosSwan's new brand for housing forsale is called:

nNU living nCygnet nWimpey

Name .........................................................................

Address....................................................................

.........................................................................................

Phone no. ..............................................................

KIDS’ ZONEColouring competition

Maze gamewinnersWinner - £10 ArgosVoucherTalia - Age 9 -London

Winners of Colouring Book

Haris - Age 11 - Ilford

Luke - Age 6 -Basildon

Eddie - Age 14 -Wickford

The funnyzone!Q. When do monkeysfall from the sky? A. During Ape-rilshowers!

Q: Can FebruaryMarch?A: No, but April May!

Q: Why is everyoneso tired on April 1? A: Because they'vejust finished a long, 31-day March!

Q: What season is itwhen you are on atrampoline? A: Spring-time!

Q: Why is the letter Alike a flower? A: A bee (B) comesafter it!

Q: What do you getwhen you pour hotwater down a rabbithole?A: A hot cross bunny

Your Name

..............................................................................................................................

Your age

..............................................................................................................................

Address

..............................................................................................................................

..............................................................................................................................

..............................................................................................................................

..............................................................................................................................

When you have coloured inthe drawing cut out yourentry and return it with yourname, age and address toKari-ann Waldon, SwanHousing Association,FREEPOST ANG 10361,Billericay. CM12 9ZZ.Entries will be drawn on 11 May 2015.

This competition is onlyopen to residents aged 16or under.

Colour in the drawing below and you could win a £10 Argos Voucher. The three runners up will win a Kids’ Zone Activity Book.

Facebook www.facebook.com/swanhousing

Text messaging service

If you would like to contactSwan via the text service,add Swan Housing as acontact, adding the mobilenumber 07860 021752then choose the relevantdepartment and text theirdedicated word.

Supported Housingsupport

Resident Involvementinvolve

Allocations and Lettingslettings

Essex Rentsessexrents

Essex Neighbourhoodessexneighbours

London Rentslondonrents

London Neighbourhoodlondonneighbours

Leasehold Servicesleasehold

Estate Serviceestate

In your language

Please call 0300 303 2500if you would likesomeone to explain anyof these articles to you.

Polish

To report a repair via textmessage send amessage to 07477 959235. Don't forget toinclude your name,address, brief details ofwhat's wrong and thelocation of the repair inyour message.

Visit us or post:

Essex Regional Office:Pilgrim House, High Street, Billericay, Essex CM12 9XY

London Regional Office:Cygnet House South, 10 Chrisp Street, Poplar,London E14 6LL

We are open Monday-Thursday 9.00am-5.15pm

Friday 9.00am-5.00pm

Call us to find out whereyour local neighbourhoodoffice is.

Useful numbers

Swan HQ 0300 303 2500

Repairs number (24 hour)0800 783 2768 or 020 3597 2067 from a mobile

ASB office hours 0300 303 2500

ASB out-of-hours 0800 075 6699

Online

Swan website www.swan.org.uk

Residents’ websitewww.web4residents.org.uk

General [email protected]

Swan New Homeswww.swannewhomes.co.uk

Swan Foundationwww.swanfoundation.org.uk

Vivowww.vivosupport.co.uk

Herawww.heramanagementservices.co.uk

Swan staff and suppliershave raised a huge£20,000 for the SwanFoundation.

Staff raised the moneythrough a variety ofactivities including: bakesales, rounders matches,a photographycompetition, a charitybungee jump, bike ride,golf day and a charitydinner. Members of theEssex RCC also joined inwith the fundraisingefforts!

So far, a total of £22,494has been raised. Thismoney will be used tosupport the SwanFoundation andcommunity developmentprojects in some of themost disadvantaged areasof East London and Essex.

Special thanks goes to allof the staff, residents andindividuals who took partincluding Swan’s externalpartners Axis, PuttockBrown, Hill Partnership,Comms, Construction SafeUK, NEUK, Office Needsand Olive Communications.

Swan staff and suppliers reach £20K fundraising target for Swan

Somali

Punjabi

Bengali

Arabic

Urdu

Documents

The Communicator Spring 2015