JOB OF THE WEEK: INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS
26 July 2010

The Gateshead Housing Company is looking to appoint independent directors to its Board. The company, which manages over 21,000 homes in the North East of England, has been seen by the Audit Commission as 'excellent' with 'excellent prospects for improvement’. Any new recruit will work alongside existing independent, Gateshead Council and tenant directors, and will be involved with making key decisions about housing services across the borough. Ideal applicants should have some knowledge of social housing issues and experience of finance, business, strategic decision-making, staff management or corporate governance. Since the company was set up, the company’s Board has approved contractors for its HomeRepairs service and the teams that have carried out Decent Homes improvements to thousands of homes. The company offers ongoing training and development support to members of its Board, which meets bi-monthly. To find out more call Stuart Gibson at The Gateshead Housing Company on 0191 433 5308 or e-mail stuartgibson@gatesheadhousing.co.uk The closing date for applications is Friday, 20 August with interviews taking place during September. For more information on The Gateshead Housing Company log onto www.gatesheadhousing.co.uk Please mention Housing News when applying for these positions.

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LEEDS CITY REGION AGREES £110M FUNDING DEAL
26 July 2010

The Leeds City Region (LCR) has agreed a one year £110m funding deal with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), to support the delivery of major housing and regeneration schemes across the city region. The deal is part of a new joint partnership arrangement, which will see the Homes and Communities Agency and the Leeds City Region Partnership working closely to improve existing housing and neighbourhoods, create energy efficient homes, and deliver much needed affordable housing. The Leeds City Region and the Homes and Communities Agency will be working together through the LCR HCA joint Board. The joint Board will be responsible for directing funding to housing and regeneration priorities across the city region, providing new jobs and investment that will help speed up the economic recovery. Cllr Andrew Waller, Chair of the new joint Board and Leader of City of York Council, said: “We welcome (the) funding agreement with the Homes and Communities Agency, which will provide significant investment within the city region at a time when the economic recovery is still fragile. The funding will help maintain momentum in delivering the affordable homes we need across the city region, supporting much needed jobs and training opportunities. “The new funding powers devolved to the city region are a positive step in ensuring that major funding decisions to deliver local priorities are taken locally.” Shaukat Moledina, Board member of the HCA said: “This joint partnership arrangement with Leeds City Region will help deliver our shared vision and the economic growth that is necessary for the future prosperity of our communities. “The significant investment agreed will ensure there is a balanced housing market that meets the local needs of the current and future residents of the places within the City Region.” In addition to the £110m funding for the next 12 months, the LCR HCA Board has also developed an interim Leeds City Region Investment Plan for housing and regeneration which sets out the long term strategic investment priorities in the city region. The joint Board will have the responsibility to deliver the Investment Plan over the coming years and ensure funding continues to be targeted towards delivering the city region’s priorities and ambitions.

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HOME RETAINS ‘EXCELLENT’ CREDIT RATING
26 July 2010

Home Group Ltd has retained its A+ credit rating. The Group was given an A+ rating by Standard and Poor's, who carry out independent credit rating assessments. Home's rating compares favourably to many High Street brands, equalling the rating given to Coca-Cola. Tesco has an A- rating. Home Chairman Rod Bennion said: "We are very pleased to have this vote of confidence in what could be interpreted as challenging market conditions for all public and third sector organisations. "We believe it reflects the confidence held in us that we will be able to chart a clear course through what may become turbulent waters. "We will do so against a background of sound financial management, strong financial planning and a clear business plan that will see significant business growth over the coming five years."

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FEWER HOMES STAND EMPTY IN ROTHERHAM
26 July 2010

Council rent and council tax payers in Rotherham are benefiting from a drop in the number of properties left empty, thanks to the work of 2010 Rotherham. Properties become vacant every week and are refurbished in preparation for new tenants. This means that, at any one point in time, there is always a proportion of empty homes in the borough. A total of 244 council homes were vacant at the end of June compared to 346 homes the previous year which means that the percentage of empty council housing stock in the town has fallen from 1.60 to 1.17 over the last year. The rent loss associated with empty homes has dropped too – it now stands at 1.2 per cent of potential total rental income compared to 1.94 per cent in the previous year (end of June figures). 2010 Rotherham said this represents better value for money for council rent and tax payers as the rental received from these properties can be spent on improved services. The average re-let time for an empty home in the borough also fell last year from 39.45 days to 18.35 days, which makes 2010 Rotherham the best performer in the region and one of the best in the country. Meanwhile, satisfaction with the 2010 Rotherham’s allocations and lettings service remains high, with over 98 per cent of customers stating they are happy with the service delivered by the management agency. Empty Homes Manager Adrian Cheetham added: “The team is rightly proud of what it has achieved for the town over the last year. We have worked in partnership with other parts of 2010 Rotherham and Rotherham Borough Council to identify improvements and the results of all our efforts are plain to see. “We and our partners hope to do even better over the next year to raise our national ranking still further.”

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THE GRASS IS GREENER FOR SUNDERLAND RESIDENTS
26 July 2010

The last residents of Hahneman Court, in the North of Sunderland have moved into a newly built, multi-million pound development in the heart of the city centre. City Green Gentoo customers waved goodbye to their old homes in Southwick, with approximately 82 residents making the move to City Green and Benedict Court, with the help of Gentoo’s staff and support services. Mrs Stothard, 82, who has recently moved into her Benedict Court apartment said: “It has been worth the wait to get here. I get an excellent nights sleep as it is so quiet and because I live next door to my old neighbour from Hahnemann, it’s like a new improved home from home.” The former Hahnemann Court residents began their move into their new homes in April this year. The new development comes with a myriad of benefits for its new residents including a Doctor’s surgery and a city centre location. It is also situated close to the AgeUK Sunderland office, which offers support services for the elderly. Ian Porter, Managing Director of Gentoo Sunderland said: “Our customers have been incredible given the difficulties we have had in providing an alternative to Hahnemann Court. “This is an excellent example of the local team and customers working closely together to find a solution in difficult times. City Green and Benedict Court offers both quality and secure accommodation in an excellent city centre location. We would like to thank all the residents for their support and wish them all good look in their new homes.” The official launch of City Green will take place next month, with the North East’s Regional Director for the Homes and Communities Agency, Pat Ritchie, officially opening the development.

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CHEVIN HOUSING BUILDS TWO PLAYHOUSES FOR ACTION FOR CHILDREN
26 July 2010

Chevin Housing Group has teamed up with Action for Children to build and supply them with two playhouses. The playhouses, ‘Small Steps’ Children’s Centre in Wrenthorpe and ‘Forest Wood’ Children’s Centre in Crigglestone (commissioned by Wakefield Metropolitan District Council), were constructed by Wakefield College Entry to Employment learners who are attending Chevin’s Skillsbuild Centre in Featherstone. Children’s charity Action for Children was initially approached by Chevin to see how they could work in partnership to help with the centres and also provide further practical training for learners attending construction based courses at Chevin’s Skillsbuild Centre. It was good news all round when Chevin agreed to carry out various maintenance tasks around the two children’s centres, giving learners currently attending the Skillsbuild centre the chance to transfer their newly acquired skills into the workplace. Picture: Trainees at Chevin’s Skillsbuild Centre who have been involved in the project and built the playhouses. Whilst visiting one of the centres to put together a Children’s playhouse that had already been purchased, Steve Lumb, Construction Training Co-ordinator at Chevin noticed that the quality of the playhouse could be improved. He suggested that Chevin take on board the project of the playhouses with the trainees’ project managing, designing and building the playhouses at the Skillsbuild Centre. The playhouses are now nearing completion and all of the youngsters have really enjoyed the experience of working on a project from start to finish. They have been really motivated by the project and the enjoyment that the playhouses will provide for the children and they are really proud of their work. Two of the learners who have taken part are Sam Cambridge and Jordan Fennell who currently attend the Skillsbuild centre undertaking construction training delivered in partnership with Wakefield College. They are learning through the ‘Moving On’ group which was set up to give opportunities for experience to individuals who are thinking about a career in construction. Steve Lumb said: “Giving learners the chance to work on a project that would produce a permanent finished job seemed to really give them a focus. They had the opportunity to work on site and meet the people they were actually doing the job for. A number of learners also completed small maintenance tasks, for example, fixing shelves, coat hooks, notice boards and paper towel dispensers. “The behaviour and level of maturity shown by the learners has been exceptional on each site visit. We are hoping to deliver the playhouses to site within the next few weeks.” Gill Sykes, Service Manager for Action for Children’s Wakefield Children’s Centres added: “This project has given us a great opportunity to work in partnership with Chevin Housing and the young people studying at their Skillsbuild Centre. We’re really grateful to the learners for building two wonderful wooden playhouses for our children’s centres, which I know the children will get a huge amount of enjoyment from.”

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CUSTOMERS INVITED TO SCRUTINISE BERNESLAI HOMES
26 July 2010

Over 40 customers attended Berneslai Homes’ regular Customer Panel which was held earlier this month at the Metrodome. Attendees wanted to find out how their involvement has helped shape the work they have done around the new regulatory framework as directed by the Tenants Services Authorities (TSA). The new regulator has set a series of national standards that all social housing providers have to adhere to. Landlords also have a responsibility to develop a further set of standards, in partnership with their customers, around local issues. Picture: Berneslai Homes Chair Suzy Brain England presents prize draw winner Naomi Jones with a voucher at the Customer Panel. Berneslai Homes Director of Business and Customer Services, Dave Fullen highlighted the progress made on the local offers and sought agreement from service users. The local offers reflect a series of detailed workshops where customers were invited to tell Berneslai Homes what is important to them on a series of topics including value for money; homes and community; tenants involvement and empowerment; and issues around tenancies. Customers approved the offers for the Barnsley Federation of Tenants and Residents proposed scrutiny panels. These panels work to ensure the services that customers receive are the services that they deserve. Berneslai Homes tenant Elaine Marsh said: “Customer panels are a great way of finding out more about how Berneslai Homes works and about issues that effect me as a tenant. It’s a great way of meeting new people, it’s informal, easy going and nice to know that I can say hello to senior mangers and the Chief Executive. “This is not always possible in some organisations. I know that as a panel member my thoughts are valued and more importantly listened to. I would recommend it to all my friends and neighbours.” Joan Whitaker, Chair of the Federation added: “The Federation believe that all customers are entitled to a first-class service from their landlords. We are fortunate that that we have an excellent working relationship with our landlord, Berneslai Homes, but we do know this is not the case elsewhere. “Even though the future of the Tenants Services Authority is uncertain, it has highlighted the need for an independent scrutiny body and this is something that we at the Federation are passionate about. So I urge all tenants and residents in the borough that have a keen eye for detail to join us. You don’t need any specialist skills or qualifications, you just need to care about how your housing service is provided. Recruitment is ongoing and we are hoping to go live in the autumn.”

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GATESHEAD HOLDS DROP-IN SESSIONS FOR OLDER RESIDENTS
26 July 2010

The Gateshead Housing Company is holding a series of drop-in sessions for sheltered accommodation residents in July. The hour-long sessions will give residents the opportunity to give their views on their estate and find out more about older persons’ services. Sessions will be held at: Boltons Bungalows, Chopwell – Monday, 26 July at 10.30am Milvain Close, Deckham – Monday, 26 July at 3pm Kateregina, Birtley – Tuesday, 27 July at 11am Mulgrave Villas, Bensham – Tuesday, 27 July at 3pm Joyce Close, Wardley – Wednesday, 28 July at 11.30am Croftside, Birtley – Thursday, 29 July at 10.30am Emmaville, Ryton – Thursday, 29 July at 11.30am. Michelle Muldoon-Smith, Older Persons’ Housing Manager, said: “The housing company, together with Gateshead Council, is committed to providing the best quality services for the borough’s older residents.”

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WAKEFIELD COMMUNITY ALIVE AND KICKIN’ AT SCHOOL GALA
26 July 2010

Pupils at a high school in Wakefield staged a grand summer gala for their community to encourage local residents to try a range of events to improve their health and wellbeing. Wakefield City High School’s playing field in Eastmoor was bustling with activity under the summer sun as visitors watched street dance and martial arts demonstrations before taking part in some traditional races. They also had the chance to emulate Jonny Wilkinson in a unique rugby event provided by Wakefield and District Housing (WDH) and construction partners Bullock, in which participants had to kick the oval ball through holes in a target board. The most precise kickers were entered into a prize draw where the winners received high street shopping vouchers. Picture: City High pupils Adil Ramzan (13), Hussnain Shakil (12) and Wali Malik (12) with Jill Wilkins from Bullock and Chris Croxall from WDH. Event organiser Helen Graham said the gala itself was to promote the school and be a part of a wider week-long initiative to help people feel good about themselves. She said: “The gala was held to celebrate the school and the Week of Wellbeing in Eastmoor. All pupils and staff were involved in setting up the stalls and games and there was a significant attendance from the local community – there were over 1,000 people on site during the afternoon, which was a fantastic turnout.” The school invited key providers such as WDH, Bullock, the PCT, Turning Point, Connect 3, Nacro, West Yorkshire police, fire and rescue and ambulance services to attend and hand out information. WDH Tenant Involvement Officer, Chris Croxall said: “The conversion contest taught everyone who took part the importance of good balance, poise and technique. WDH was proud to be a part of a programme that helped people have fun in their local community.” Danny Butterfield, Senior Liaison Officer for Bullock, added: “It was a fantastic event to be involved in. It was pleasing to see children, adults and members of the local community having fun and engaging with each other whilst also promoting health and wellbeing. “As individuals it’s always important to feel good about yourself and the things that you do. I think the day’s activates were a perfect reflection of this.”

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HOUSING NEWS: JOBS AND TENDERS ROUND-UP
26 July 2010

Housing News is advertising the following jobs and tenders on its regional newsletters: JOBS The Gateshead Housing Company is looking to appoint Independent Directors to its Board. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: August 20. North Devon Homes is seeking a Voluntary Board Member. For more information, go to: southwest.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: July 31. West Kent Housing Association is seeking a Finance Manager. For more information, go to: southeast.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Housing Training and Events Manager based in Sunderland. Salary up to £33k plus benefits. For more information, go to: housingnews.co.uk/NorthEast. Closing date: July 30. The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Performance Improvement Advisor based in Sunderland. Salary up to £35k plus benefits. For more information, go to: housingnews.co.uk/NorthEast. Closing date: July 30. Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association is seeking an Area Manager. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com/jobs. Closing date: August 6. ACHA is seeking an Investment Manager. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com/jobs. Closing date: August 6. TENDERS St Georges Community Housing is inviting tenders for a district heating contract. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/southeast. Closing date: August 19. Hyde Housing Association is inviting tenders for affordable housing new-build residential accommodation projects. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/london. Closing date: August 6. Notting Hill Housing Trust is inviting tenders for construction work for multi-dwelling buildings and individual houses. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/london. Closing date: August 19. Cairn Housing Association is inviting tenders for its day to day repairs service and void management service. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: August 17. To reach the best candidates in the social housing sector, advertise your top jobs in one of our eight regional newsletters or go national to over 40,000 readers. For more information, call Hucksters on 01892 784804.

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IMPORTANT – GUARANTEE YOUR CONTINUED HOUSING NEWS SERVICE
26 July 2010

Housing News is currently in the process of updating its email subscriber list and is removing a number of ‘bouncebacks’. These are email addresses that are faulty, no longer exist, or where the person has left the company. However, though many of these need to be removed, there might be some genuine addresses that are removed by mistake. This will be happening over the coming week, so if your service stops, please let us know by emailing us at: news@housingnews.co.uk stating which regional edition you have stopped receiving. Also, to make sure you receive a continued, unbroken service, if you do not subscribe directly to the newsletter (e.g. if someone in your organisation forwards the newsletters to you), please sign up now by contacting the same address.

JOB OF THE WEEK: INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS
27 July 2010

The Gateshead Housing Company is looking to appoint independent directors to its Board. The company, which manages over 21,000 homes in the North East of England, has been seen by the Audit Commission as 'excellent' with 'excellent prospects for improvement’. Any new recruit will work alongside existing independent, Gateshead Council and tenant directors, and will be involved with making key decisions about housing services across the borough. Ideal applicants should have some knowledge of social housing issues and experience of finance, business, strategic decision-making, staff management or corporate governance. Since the company was set up, the company’s Board has approved contractors for its HomeRepairs service and the teams that have carried out Decent Homes improvements to thousands of homes. The company offers ongoing training and development support to members of its Board, which meets bi-monthly. To find out more call Stuart Gibson at The Gateshead Housing Company on 0191 433 5308 or e-mail stuartgibson@gatesheadhousing.co.uk The closing date for applications is Friday, 20 August with interviews taking place during September. For more information on The Gateshead Housing Company log onto www.gatesheadhousing.co.uk Please mention Housing News when applying for these positions.

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SANCTUARY INTRODUCES NEW INTERNAL MAINTENANCE SERVICE
27 July 2010

Sanctuary Group is expanding its highly successful in-house repairs service by extending it to thousands of residents across West Yorkshire this week. The Internal Maintenance Service (IMS) workforce has been set up specifically to ensure Sanctuary is providing the best possible service to residents, with the aim of increasing customer satisfaction and ensuring value for money with a consistent level of service across the Group. The IMS team will deal with all general day-to-day repairs to residents’ homes, handle out-of-hours repairs and carry out works on empty properties to ensure they are ready to be re-let at the earliest opportunity. Staff with a variety of building and maintenance skills have been recruited by Sanctuary to ensure the appropriate skills fit with the individual needs of residents. To maximise efficiency, all IMS staff are equipped with hand-held computers which notify them of jobs, meaning less time is wasted between repairs and more are completed each working day. Shaun Carr, Sanctuary Group’s Director of Maintenance, said: “By taking control of repairs and maintenance with an in-house repairs team, we believe we can provide a more efficient and improved service for our residents. “We need to listen and learn from our residents which is why we have recruited not only skilled staff, but staff who share Sanctuary’s commitment to providing a good customer service.” The IMS is currently operational in the Midlands, Rochford, Ely, Hertford, London & South East (Hackney and Haringey) Ipswich and Shiregreen, and plans are well under way for the implementation of the service in Humberside and the South West later this summer.

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GATESHEAD HOUSING COMPANY AWARDED INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ACCREDITATION
27 July 2010

The Gateshead Housing Company has become the first housing company of its kind in the North East to be awarded with a prestigious environmental accreditation. Following an audit by the British Standards Institution (BSI) the housing company is now certified as meeting the ISO 14001 international standard for environmental management. The award means that the housing company has demonstrated that it has a robust system for monitoring, managing and reducing its impact on the local environment. The Gateshead Housing Company’s Chief Executive Bill Fullen said: “We have always strived to minimise the environmental impacts our work has on Gateshead. “This award proves that our environmental management system is not just fit for purpose, but also meets British and international standards. “We’ll continue to work with our partners, contractors and customers to build a greener future for Gateshead.” The housing company brought in environmental industry experts SEQM Ltd to help them set up their environmental management system, and implement a formal environmental policy. But the company continues to look for new ways to reduce its carbon footprint. The housing company’s lead officer for the environment, Director of Finance Jon Mallen Beadle, said: “We have working groups and employee champions who look at ways to reduce waste and energy use, and spread the ‘green’ message. “We also recently asked our employees to sign up to a ‘Green Pledge’ which states they will reduce waste at work, recycle where possible, reduce energy consumption and minimise mileage. “But we’re always looking for new ways to make Gateshead greener and people are welcome to e-mail green@gatesheadhousing.co.uk with environmental comments, questions or suggestions.” Anyone looking for tips on how to reduce their energy use and save money can download The Gateshead Housing Company’s Big Green Guide at www.gatesheadhousing.co.uk/biggreenguide

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KAREN AT HOME IN CARING ROLE
27 July 2010

With over a decade of experience in the housing sector Karen McClarence feels at home at Milecastle Housing, where she has been appointed as customer services team leader. Karen McClarence Karen, 36, from Prudhoe had wanted to work for her local affordable social housing specialist for some time and had applied for a different post with the company previously. She said: “Milecastle Housing is well known within the industry and has a good reputation for its customer service and employee relations. I am delighted to be part of the team here and hope that I can play a small part in shaping the company’s future.” As customer services team leader Karen, who is based at Milecastle’s head office in Hexham, manages a team of six customer service assistants and an administrator. Her main duties include the upkeep and maintenance of Milecastle’s offices, managing the customer services team budget and supporting and maintaining the new Northumberland HomeFinder register. Karen brings significant experience to her new role having previously worked as a housing assistant, housing officer and housing manager for a UK-wide social housing provider. She added: “I am really enjoying the job as it is challenging and rewarding. I am a people person so it is great to be working in a customer facing role.” Milecastle has a stock of over 3,000 homes in the former Tynedale district of Northumberland and has considerable expertise in managing homes in a rural community. Milecastle is part of the Isos Group, one of the fastest growing housing groups in the North East with nearly 12,000 homes across the region and an annual turnover of nearly £42m.

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WAKEFIELD: TOMBRIDGE LOOKS TONS BETTER AFTER REVAMP
27 July 2010

Residents in the Kinsley area of Wakefield have sung the praises of a new environmental space that has replaced a former derelict piece of land. As residents from the Tombridge Crescent Estate gathered at Tombridge Crescent for an opening ceremony earlier this month they commended the work carried out by Wakefield and District Housing (WDH) and Groundwork Wakefield. WDH tenant Christine Cartwright said the new design and landscape made a pleasant change from its former appearance. Christine said: “It looks lovely. I drive past it every day and it’s a real improvement. WDH has ensured that it’s a real pleasure to come round the corner and see it.” Picture: Iain Taylor, Eric Clamp and Christine Cartwright officially unveil the environmental improvement works at Tombridge Crescent in Kinsley. WDH Area Manager Janet Smith said the area symbolised team work between members of the community and organisations. She said: “It’s been wonderful to see the transformation take place. We asked children from the local area to help with the design and the carvings and the result is pretty spectacular.” Bill Guinan, Groundwork Wakefield Regeneration Manager, said he hoped the modern looking design would have a positive effect on the local community. He added: “Local people have really embraced what we have done here, and it has been built because of the strength of the local community group.” As he cut the ribbon, WDH Local Management Committee chairman Eric Clamp praised the quality of the work. He said: “What a smashing improvement. Everyone should be proud of what has been accomplished and now they should enjoy it. I hope everyone in the community thinks of the teamwork involved every time they see it.” WDH decided to carry out the transformation after hearing residents’ opinions about what could be done to improve the overall look of the area, while refurbishment works were completed in tenants’ homes. The superb new space, complete with garden and sculptures, has been built on the site of an old corner shop that had stood empty for some time.

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BERWICK BOROUGH HOUSING AND ASDA TEAM UP TO WELCOME NEW TENANTS
27 July 2010

A partnership has been formed between Berwick Borough Housing and ASDA in Tweedmouth. A recent agreement between the two sees ASDA donating a free welcome pack for the housing association’s new tenants. Berwick Borough Housing is keen to make a positive impact for their tenants and the welcome pack should hopefully help them settle into their new home. Picture: Pauline Curson receiving her Welcome Pack from Asda Manager Graham Nelson and Berwick Borough Housing’s Robert Dunn – the DLO Manager for Berwick Borough Housing. The pack contains basic foodstuffs such as ASDA fresh bread for a week, ASDA 40 tea bags, ASDA Gold Roast voffee, ASDA 2 litre milk and small sugar, as well as essential household items like ASDA washing up liquid, ASDA kitchen towel, ASDA Shades 4 pack toilet roll, ASDA bin liners, ASDA all purpose cloth and ASDA thick bleach. Neil Brown, Managing Director, said: “Berwick Borough Housing is always interested in developing relationships with local companies that will in turn have a positive impact on our residents. We had a meeting with ASDA and we were thrilled when they agreed to provide a welcome pack.” Pauline Curson is a new Berwick Borough Housing tenant and she added: “I thought it was brilliant that Berwick Borough Housing has got together with ASDA to offer all new tenants a free welcome pack. I feel like they really care about me as a tenant and at a time when I was trying to save money for things for my new house, I was very grateful for all the essentials from ASDA.”

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NEW TENANTS ELECTED TO DALE & VALLEY HOMES BOARD
27 July 2010

Two new tenants have been elected to represent thousands from across Wear Valley on the board of the company which managed their council homes. Kenneth Godard, 62, from the Watergate area of Crook, and Chris Smith, 57, from West Auckand, won the poll of tenants for representatives to the board of Dale & Valley Homes. They will take up their positions after the company’s AGM in September. David Sanders, director of resources for Dale & Valley Homes, said: “We have five customer representatives on the board and they rotate regularly. “We are really pleased with the number of tenants who voted in this election, it shows that our customers genuinely value the opportunities we provide to become involved at every level of the company. “The staff and directors are looking forward to beginning working with the new board members.”

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EAST DURHAM RESIDENT IS 104 YEARS YOUNG
27 July 2010

East Durham resident, Jennie Taylor celebrated her 104th Birthday on the 22 July. Jennie, a resident of Primrose Court in Blackhall is originally from Consett and moved to Blackhall in 1927. She has been a tenant of East Durham Homes for many years and has been living at Primrose Court sheltered housing unit for the past 6 years. Picture: Rhonda Young, East Durham Homes Communications Officer presenting Jennie Taylor with her birthday flowers (back row l-r) Jennie’s son Ronnie and great grandchildren Jessica and Ben Blackwood. Jennie has received numerous cards, flowers and gifts for her Birthday and was presented with a bunch of flowers from East Durham Homes to celebrate her special day. Rhonda Young, East Durham Homes Communication and Marketing Officer said: “We wanted to mark Jennie’s Birthday as she is one of East Durham Homes oldest residents and we hope that she enjoyed her special day and the small gift from us.”

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‘PAMPER’ NIGHTS ON OFFER WITH CAREERS AND HEALTH ADVICE
27 July 2010

Teenage girls in Rossington, Doncaster, are being invited to a series of pamper nights, where besides having their nails and make-up done they can find out more about health and careers. Girls aged between 13 and 16 from the Radburn Estate are being invited to the sessions, which are being held at the Ragusa Centre in Rossington. The next one is on July 27, starting at 5pm and sessions will run until October. The event is supported by St Leger Homes of Doncaster and has been funded by South Yorkshire Police Authority’s ABC Awards. The careers advice is currently being organised and will run for the girls later in the year. Organiser Jackie Smith said: “The idea is for the girls to come and have their make-up and nails done by a beautician and pick up these skills themselves, but at the same time they can discuss girls’ issues, learn more about girls’ health and careers.” Jackie, who is also treasurer to the Radburn Tenants’ and Residents’ Association, added: “A lot of girls in the area hang around the streets in the evenings, I wanted to organise something to give them something to do and where they could discuss any girly issues.” The sessions are weekly but there is a maximum limit of 20 per session.

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HOUSING NEWS: JOBS AND TENDERS ROUND-UP
27 July 2010

Housing News is advertising the following jobs and tenders on its regional newsletters: JOBS Tarka Housing is seeking a Resident Involvement Manager, based in Bideford in North Devon, salary £29,274 to £32,461. For more information, go to: southwest.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: August 6. Tarka Housing is seeking a Housing Services Manager, based in Bideford in North Devon, salary £29,274 to £32,461. For more information, go to: southwest.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: August 6. The Gateshead Housing Company is looking to appoint Independent Directors to its Board. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: August 20. North Devon Homes is seeking a Voluntary Board Member. For more information, go to: southwest.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: July 31. West Kent Housing Association is seeking a Finance Manager. For more information, go to: southeast.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Housing Training and Events Manager based in Sunderland. Salary up to £33k plus benefits. For more information, go to: housingnews.co.uk/NorthEast. Closing date: July 30. The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Performance Improvement Advisor based in Sunderland. Salary up to £35k plus benefits. For more information, go to: housingnews.co.uk/NorthEast. Closing date: July 30. Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association is seeking an Area Manager. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com/jobs. Closing date: August 6. ACHA is seeking an Investment Manager. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com/jobs. Closing date: August 6. TENDERS Hillhead Housing Association is inviting tenders for gas servicing and maintenance works. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: August 11. Hillhead Housing Association is inviting tenders for reactive maintenance works. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: August 11. Hillhead Housing Association is inviting tenders for landscape maintenance works. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: August 11. St Georges Community Housing is inviting tenders for a district heating contract. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/southeast. Closing date: August 19. Hyde Housing Association is inviting tenders for affordable housing new-build residential accommodation projects. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/london. Closing date: August 6. Notting Hill Housing Trust is inviting tenders for construction work for multi-dwelling buildings and individual houses. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/london. Closing date: August 19. Cairn Housing Association is inviting tenders for its day to day repairs service and void management service. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: August 17. To reach the best candidates in the social housing sector, advertise your top jobs in one of our eight regional newsletters or go national to over 40,000 readers. For more information, call Hucksters on 01892 784804.

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IMPORTANT – GUARANTEE YOUR CONTINUED HOUSING NEWS SERVICE
27 July 2010

Housing News is currently in the process of updating its email subscriber list and is removing a number of ‘bouncebacks’. These are email addresses that are faulty, no longer exist, or where the person has left the company. However, though many of these need to be removed, there might be some genuine addresses that are removed by mistake. This will be happening over the coming week, so if your service stops, please let us know by emailing us at: news@housingnews.co.uk stating which regional edition you have stopped receiving. Also, to make sure you receive a continued, unbroken service, if you do not subscribe directly to the newsletter (e.g. if someone in your organisation forwards the newsletters to you), please sign up now by contacting the same address.

JOB OF THE WEEK: INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS
28 July 2010

The Gateshead Housing Company is looking to appoint independent directors to its Board. The company, which manages over 21,000 homes in the North East of England, has been seen by the Audit Commission as 'excellent' with 'excellent prospects for improvement’. Any new recruit will work alongside existing independent, Gateshead Council and tenant directors, and will be involved with making key decisions about housing services across the borough. Ideal applicants should have some knowledge of social housing issues and experience of finance, business, strategic decision-making, staff management or corporate governance. Since the company was set up, the company’s Board has approved contractors for its HomeRepairs service and the teams that have carried out Decent Homes improvements to thousands of homes. The company offers ongoing training and development support to members of its Board, which meets bi-monthly. To find out more call Stuart Gibson at The Gateshead Housing Company on 0191 433 5308 or e-mail stuartgibson@gatesheadhousing.co.uk The closing date for applications is Friday, 20 August with interviews taking place during September. For more information on The Gateshead Housing Company log onto www.gatesheadhousing.co.uk Please mention Housing News when applying for these positions.

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NEW GATESHEAD HOUSING SCHEME TOPS OUT
28 July 2010

Work on almost 150 new homes in Gateshead has reached a major milestone with a topping out ceremony of the first bungalows completed on site. Prefabricated 1940s ‘Airey’ properties at Kibblesworth have been demolished to allow Keelman Homes, a subsidiary of The Gateshead Housing Company, to build the majority of the new homes with overall site constructor Keepmoat. The £14m scheme, which is also supported by Gateshead Council and the Homes and Communities Agency, will create 81 new affordable family homes and bungalows to rent, plus 54 additional homes for sale. In addition, 13 homes will be offered for ‘intermediate rent’ – a unique and flexible way for first-time buyers to get on the housing ladder over the next three years. The first homes will be fully completed in September with older residents of the estate moving in to the new homes. Picture: Bill Fullen, Chief Executive of The Gateshead Housing Company tops out the first bungalows with Councillor Angela Douglas, left, Brian Kelly of Keelman Homes and Michelle Bell of the Homes and Communities Agency. Councillor Angela Douglas, Gateshead Council’s cabinet member for Housing, said: "Local councils like us have struggled for many years to match people’s housing needs with the ever-reducing supply of social housing, especially for older people who have very specific housing needs. "We have been given the chance to replace poor quality post-war houses with new homes that will be some of the most modern and energy-efficient in the borough." The Gateshead Housing Company’s Chief Executive, Bill Fullen, said: “We have already made improvements to thousands of homes across Gateshead through our Decent Homes programme - with less than one in 14 now needing any work. "We are now literally building on our previous success, through this first scheme to bring new affordable homes to Gateshead. "Our plans also include a range of improvements to the whole estate to include play areas and landscaping to be enjoyed for generations to come." Michelle Bell of the Homes and Communities Agency, said: “This scheme will make a real difference for the community in Kibblesworth. “By providing a wider range of homes, we can make it easier for families to find a quality, energy-efficient home to meet their needs in the area.”

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TWEEDMOUTH’S LADYWELL PLACE PROGRESSING APACE
28 July 2010

Work on a development of 21 new homes by 4Housing Group at Ladywell Place in Tweedmouth is continuing to progress well. The homes will be managed by Berwick Borough Housing who are part of the North East Group. Having started on-site in February this year, the ground works and foundations are now complete, with the first nine properties due to be finished in February 2011. The remaining 12 will be ready just two months later. Throughout the work, the contractor has had an extremely considerate and positive approach to the current community, building an excellent relationship with the adjacent Sure Start children’s centre and local primary school. Made up of nine 2-bedroom houses, nine 3-bedroom houses and three 2-bedroom bungalows - the latter designed specifically for older people - 16 of the new homes will be available for social rent and five for shared-ownership scheme Homebuy. The properties will be advertised and allocated via Northumberland County Council’s housing allocation service, Northumberland Homefinder.

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‘GREEN’ RENOVATIONS TO SAVE NORTH TYNESIDE TENANTS £19,000 ON ENERGY BILLS
28 July 2010

Residents living in Shiremoor, North Tyneside are set to save more than £19,000 collectively on their energy bills and reduce their carbon emissions by over 100 tonnes in the next year, thanks to a package of ‘green’ refurbishments by Kier North Tyneside. The scheme to improve the energy efficiency of social housing involves large-scale refurbishments to almost 50 homes in the area with a view to rolling the project out across the remaining properties in North Tyneside. The Shiremoor properties before and after refurbishments The work to the prefabricated concrete homes, known as ‘Orlits’, includes cladding the buildings with traditional looking brick slips backed by three inch insulation board, installing new windows and doors, and replacing roofs where necessary. The improvements, which will insulate the buildings and eliminate damp, are set to save every family approximately £400 on their annual fuel bills in addition to reducing their carbon emissions by around 2.1 tonnes. Commenting on the scheme, Kier North Tyneside operations manager, Charles Rayner, said: “The refurbishments will make a real difference to the lives of residents currently living in Orlit homes. Not only are the environmental benefits of the scheme encouraging, but the refurbishments will translate into real financial savings for tenants. With a fresh new look for their homes, we hope the works will also boost tenants’ sense of pride in their communities.” Orlit houses are pre-cast concrete frame structures connected with high alumina cement joints and externally clad with two inch reinforced concrete hollow blocks. North Tyneside Council owns 163 Orlit homes across Shiremoor and North Shields. The work being carried out in Shiremoor, which is part of the Decent Homes programme to bring Orlit-type housing up to date, is due to be completed in August 2010. Charles Rayner added: “All work will be carried out with consideration to environmental requirements in the management of waste and recycling materials. The materials themselves will be purchased with consideration to their environmental long-term sustainability.” Kier North Tyneside was awarded the contract to maintain 16,000 homes and more than 400 buildings, including 80 schools, on behalf of North Tyneside Council in September 2009. Kier North Tyneside’s employees have already carried out improvement works on over 1,500 properties brining them up to the government’s Decent Homes standard.

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WATER FEATURE COMPETITION FOR HOYLAND'S NEW EXTRACARE SCHEME
28 July 2010

Students of Barnsley Art College took part in a competition to design an internal water feature for Hoyland’s new Extracare scheme, Fitzwilliam Court. Gavin Thistlewood produced the winning design and Jessica Barker was runner up. The students were presented with prizes of £100 and £25 by John Ray, Head of East Region for local housing association, Guinness Northern Counties. Picture: Winner Gavin Thistlewood and runner-up Jessica Barker with John Ray. Gavin’s winning design will now be manufactured from textured stainless steel and have a carved hard wood base. It will be installed in the reception area when the scheme opens for new residents April 2011. The three storey scheme, for residents over 55 years who have care and support needs, will have 44 self contained apartments for rent and 4 for shared ownership. Fitzwilliam Court will also have a range of communal facilities including spacious lounges, a restaurant, multi function/activities room, laundry, hairdressing salon, an assisted bathing suite and guest suite to ensure residents live independently.

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EDUCATION PROGRAMME GIVES BLYTH STUDENTS A REALITY CHECK ON LEAVING HOME
28 July 2010

An innovative educational programme created by Homes for Northumberland highlights the realities and consequences of young people leaving home before they are ready to cope with this kind of responsibility. Entitled ‘NO HOME NO HOPE’, its aim is to try to prevent homelessness by giving young people an accurate picture of facts to enable them to make informed decisions, as well as signposting them to what help is on offer in their local area. The Homelessness & Housing Advice Team for Homes for Northumberland has been working with Blyth Community College to pilot and deliver the programme to pupils in years 9 and 10. It has been positively received by the pupils and is designed to include a wake up call to show that living on your own, without support isn’t that easy. Janice Thompson, Curriculum Leader for Personal Social Health & Economic education (PSHE) at Blyth Community College said: “I think this is important work as it informs young people who think leaving home at an early age is desirable. The factors which can cause homelessness and the possible consequences of homelessness are explored and discussed with the young people. It is engaging and young people respond positively. “All our students found the presentation and workshop interesting and thought provoking. I hope to book this facility for more students in the next school year.” Jeff Reid, Leader for Northumberland County Council, said: “I welcome the innovative approach which Homes for Northumberland have made in making young people aware of what is involved in running a home and how things can easily get out of hand resulting in loss of tenancy. This concept fits directly with the council’s targets for 2012 as well as the aims and objectives stated in our new homeless strategy, to keep the numbers of homeless people in the county to a minimum. “Making sure that the younger members of our country are informed before they decide to leave home has a central role in tackling homelessness and will help them to avoid making the decision too early in life.” Homes for Northumberland are pleased with the success of the program and are hoping to roll the programme out to other high schools in both the Blyth & Alnwick areas. Managing Director of Homes for Northumberland, Ray Boycott said: “We feel it is very important to invest time working with young people to help them understand what the reality is if they leave home at a young age. The production of this package has been very well received and we are looking forward to working closely with Blyth Community College, and other schools, in the future.”

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CHEVIN RESIDENTS’ AWAY DAY A BIG SUCCESS
28 July 2010

A fantastic day was had by all at Chevin’s South Region Residents Away Day at the Holiday Inn in Barnsley. Around 150 residents attended the day starting out with presentations from Steve Close, Group Chief Executive, Denis Creaghan, Deputy Group Chief Executive and Caroline Grosvenor, Head of Housing. The focus of the morning session was to inform residents what Chevin has achieved over the last 12 months along with the latest housing news and how it impacts on Chevin and residents. A digital voting session was also held giving Chevin the opportunity to find out from residents their feedback on specific services and how much they know about Chevin. After lunch there was the opportunity for residents to have a look around the market stall area where there were lots of stands offering information along with stalls with goods for sale. Chevin staff were on hand throughout the afternoon talking to residents about various issues and giving out lots of information and services on their stands which included reinvestment/refurbishment, Rosa Homes, resident involvement, have a go on the internet, repairs and maintenance, housing and DLO have a go. There was also Fire & Rescue, Police, Mobility Aids, Thorntons, handmade cards, jewellery, bags, a lavender stall, healthy eating with 5 a day promotional freebies and fruit, clothes, homemade jams and preserves, Past-Times gifts and lots more. Southdale kindly sponsored the beautiful cupcake stand with each resident receiving a free cupcake and Bramall sponsored the voucher prizes which were drawn at the end of the day along with other prizes which were hand-made by Chevin DLO staff including a bird table and planter with flowers. Helen Wood, Resident Involvement Officer said: “We were overwhelmed by the interest from residents for this event and places were booked up very quickly. The programme for the day was led very much by feedback received from residents who had attended previous away days and conferences where residents told us that they wanted to keep the ‘business’ work in the morning and have something informal in the afternoon. “We were really pleased with how the day went, it was good to meet lots of new people who were attending a Chevin event for the first time. The feedback we have received so far has been excellent and people are already asking when the next event will be taking place.” Caroline Grosvenor, Head of Housing added: “Residents seemed to thoroughly enjoy the event and the comments we received on the day and afterwards were very positive. Our digital voting session allowed us to get instant feedback on a number of Chevin issues and we will be able to use this data when reviewing our services. “The market place theme was a great success attracting tenants who had never been to one of our events before so it’s something we will definitely look at doing again.”

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ALL THE FUN OF THE FAYRE IN EAST DURHAM
28 July 2010

Well over 200 people attended East Durham Homes’ first Summer Fayre which took place earlier this month at the Helford Pavilion in Peterlee. Action from the football competition The day ‘kicked off’ with a football competition with 7 teams, all aged under 11 years old competing. The winners were Kathryn Kickers. The event was officially opened by Grahame Morris MP and East Durham Homes Chair Keith Gallagher. There was plenty of fun and entertainment on offer with face painting, climbing wall, bouncy castle and outdoor games. Live music was provided from local band Central Park and the weather even stayed fine for the barbeque. Prizes were on offer from a tombola stall which raised over £140 for the Chairs charity East Durham Domestic Violence Forum. There were also information stands about customer involvement and becoming a board director, the Housing Partnership and key partners Kier, Morrison, Wates and FHM all had stalls where people could get more information. Paul Tanney, East Durham Homes Chief Executive said: “The Summer Fayre and football tournament were a great success. We wanted to provide a fun day for all the family and it was great to see so many people enjoying the sun and entertainment.” He added: “I would like to give special thanks to the Housing Partnership for donating the medals and trophies for the football competition and to Groundwork North East Youth Workers and Peterlee Town Council for their support and help.”

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TWO CASTLES RESIDENTS RAISE FUNDS FOR CHILDREN’S CHARITY
28 July 2010

Two Castles Housing Association staff and residents at Castle Close in Whickham are organising a series of events to raise funds for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). Two Castles staff & residents at Castle Close Castle Close provides sheltered housing, with around 68 residents living at the scheme. Resident manager, Joan O’Neill, joined forces with the NSPCC to organise a Strawberry Tea for residents and their families, helping to raise £485 for the charity with a raffle, tombola, quizzes and craft stalls. The event follows on from a High Tea which was held at Castle Close in the spring, raising £444 for the NSPCC. Joan is also currently working with residents to organise a Soup and Pud event which will take place in the winter to raise further funds for the children’s charity. Dave Armstrong, housing services director at Two Castles Housing Association, said: “Joan is an inspirational member of our team who has worked closely with Two Castles’ residents to raise money for this worthwhile charity. It is great to see the residents of Castle Close get involved in this way to do their bit and raise money for the NSPCC by helping to organise these events.” Lilian Sillars, treasurer for the Whickham branch of the NSPCC, said: “I’ve really enjoyed working with Joan and the residents at Castle Close to organise these events and it has been a pleasure to see everyone pull together to raise these funds for the NSPCC. This is a fantastic way of raising money for the charity and I’d like to thank the staff and residents at Castle Close for all of their support.”

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HOUSING NEWS: JOBS AND TENDERS ROUND-UP
28 July 2010

Housing News is advertising the following jobs and tenders on its regional newsletters: JOBS Tarka Housing is seeking a Resident Involvement Manager, based in Bideford in North Devon, salary £29,274 to £32,461. For more information, go to: southwest.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: August 6. Tarka Housing is seeking a Housing Services Manager, based in Bideford in North Devon, salary £29,274 to £32,461. For more information, go to: southwest.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: August 6. The Gateshead Housing Company is looking to appoint Independent Directors to its Board. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: August 20. North Devon Homes is seeking a Voluntary Board Member. For more information, go to: southwest.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: July 31. West Kent Housing Association is seeking a Finance Manager. For more information, go to: southeast.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Housing Training and Events Manager based in Sunderland. Salary up to £33k plus benefits. For more information, go to: housingnews.co.uk/NorthEast. Closing date: July 30. The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Performance Improvement Advisor based in Sunderland. Salary up to £35k plus benefits. For more information, go to: housingnews.co.uk/NorthEast. Closing date: July 30. Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association is seeking an Area Manager. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com/jobs. Closing date: August 6. ACHA is seeking an Investment Manager. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com/jobs. Closing date: August 6. TENDERS Hillhead Housing Association is inviting tenders for gas servicing and maintenance works. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: August 11. Hillhead Housing Association is inviting tenders for reactive maintenance works. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: August 11. Hillhead Housing Association is inviting tenders for landscape maintenance works. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: August 11. St Georges Community Housing is inviting tenders for a district heating contract. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/southeast. Closing date: August 19. Hyde Housing Association is inviting tenders for affordable housing new-build residential accommodation projects. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/london. Closing date: August 6. Notting Hill Housing Trust is inviting tenders for construction work for multi-dwelling buildings and individual houses. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/london. Closing date: August 19. Cairn Housing Association is inviting tenders for its day to day repairs service and void management service. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: August 17. To reach the best candidates in the social housing sector, advertise your top jobs in one of our eight regional newsletters or go national to over 40,000 readers. For more information, call Hucksters on 01892 784804.

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IMPORTANT – GUARANTEE YOUR CONTINUED HOUSING NEWS SERVICE
28 July 2010

Housing News is currently in the process of updating its email subscriber list and is removing a number of ‘bouncebacks’. These are email addresses that are faulty, no longer exist, or where the person has left the company. However, though many of these need to be removed, there might be some genuine addresses that are removed by mistake. This will be happening over the coming week, so if your service stops, please let us know by emailing us at: news@housingnews.co.uk stating which regional edition you have stopped receiving. Also, to make sure you receive a continued, unbroken service, if you do not subscribe directly to the newsletter (e.g. if someone in your organisation forwards the newsletters to you), please sign up now by contacting the same address.

JOB OF THE WEEK: INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS
29 July 2010

The Gateshead Housing Company is looking to appoint independent directors to its Board. The company, which manages over 21,000 homes in the North East of England, has been seen by the Audit Commission as 'excellent' with 'excellent prospects for improvement’. Any new recruit will work alongside existing independent, Gateshead Council and tenant directors, and will be involved with making key decisions about housing services across the borough. Ideal applicants should have some knowledge of social housing issues and experience of finance, business, strategic decision-making, staff management or corporate governance. Since the company was set up, the company’s Board has approved contractors for its HomeRepairs service and the teams that have carried out Decent Homes improvements to thousands of homes. The company offers ongoing training and development support to members of its Board, which meets bi-monthly. To find out more call Stuart Gibson at The Gateshead Housing Company on 0191 433 5308 or e-mail stuartgibson@gatesheadhousing.co.uk The closing date for applications is Friday, 20 August with interviews taking place during September. For more information on The Gateshead Housing Company log onto www.gatesheadhousing.co.uk Please mention Housing News when applying for these positions.

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£10M HOUSING DEVELOPMENT APPROVED FOR NEWCASTLE
29 July 2010

Newcastle City Council has given planning permission for a £10m housing development on a brownfield site at Colwyne Place in Blakelaw. Regeneration and affordable homes specialist Keepmoat Homes will be building 98 properties, of which 57 will be for sale and the remaining 41 will be owned by Leazes Homes, the charitable subsidiary of Your Homes Newcastle (YHN). These homes will be available for shared ownership and rent. Houses for sale will include two and three bedroomed houses and a two bedroom bungalow – all at competitive prices. The house types are likely to be those which have proved popular with first and second time buyers elsewhere in the region. The properties to be owned by Leazes Homes include two, three and four bedroomed homes and six bungalows, two of which have been specifically designed for wheelchair access. All of these properties will be managed by YHN. Proximity to the A1(M) and other major road networks are expected to make the development popular with house hunters commuting to the region’s major cities. It is on the former site of the Blakelaw Deck Access flats. Built in 1969 and designed by the council architect Doug H Cunningham, the deck access flats, standing on stilts above the ground with connecting walkways, were part of a grand plan to create communities. But this never worked and the blocks gradually fell into disrepair, and local people and Councillors lobbied YHN to replace the flats with modern housing. Demolition works completed in April 2010. It is anticipated that work will start on site at the beginning of September (2010) with the first homes completed in early 2011. Bill Midgley, Chair of Leazes Homes, said: “Local residents have been actively involved in shaping this development before and since demolition, culminating in a series of open days held earlier this summer. Their involvement has helped us produce a scheme that it is sustainable and in tune with what local people want. We're pleased that work can now start on site this summer - it's great news for Blakelaw and Newcastle as a whole.” Ian Prescott, Land and Partnership’s Director with Keepmoat Homes North East, said: “We’re delighted to have secured this site in Blakelaw and look forward to working with our partners Newcastle City Council, Leazes Homes and Your Homes Newcastle to deliver new housing to the area to benefit the local community and economy. “As a company we have a strong presence in County Durham and Teesside but are now increasing our presence across Tyne and Wear with exciting developments at Wallsend, Blaydon, Washington and now this one in Blakelaw.”

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ON THE ROAD WITH DALE & VALLEY HOMES
29 July 2010

Residents are being urged to join Dale & Valley Homes on a vintage camper van tour of Wear Valley this summer. The customer involvement team hit the road The organisation wants to know what residents think about how council housing is run in the area and are going out and about to find out. The camper van will be visiting various areas in the community as part of a massive consultation on new standards for how Dale & Valley Homes delivers its services. Sam Brennand, acting customer involvement manager, said: “There has been a change in the way housing providers like us are regulated and, as a result, we are having to produce a new set of service standards. “We are involving customers at all stages of the process and this is just the latest of several rounds of consultation. We hope people will pop along and tell us what they think. “The tour is from August 16 to 19 beginning in Wearhead and ending in West Auckland. A full list of stops is on our website at www.daleandvalleyhomes.co.uk.”

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COUNTY DURHAM TENANTS DELIGHTED WITH NEW SHELTERED HOME
29 July 2010

Tenants from Derwentside Homes are over the moon after they were given a special tour of their new home for the first time. All of the tenants and their families were invited to Haven House Sheltered Court in Plantation Street, Leadgate to view the new £1.2m scheme which has been restructured from traditional outdated sheltered housing into state of the art, modern new apartments. Earlier this year, the high quality sustainable scheme received all the plaudits after winning theInnovation Category in the Constructing Excellence Awards in the North East and attracted the attention of David Orr, the Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation in his recent visit to the region. Picture: Kenneth & Lillian Ball with Kathleen Barrass, Sheltered Court Housing Support Officer for Haven House. All 21 one and two bedroom apartments have fully fitted bathrooms, kitchens, upgraded communal washing/drying area, modern up to date wet rooms and new lounge furniture and carpets. The scheme, which was built by Southdale, also benefits from increased security and CCTV door entry systems, attractive sensory gardens and double glazed windows. New tenants Kenneth & Lillian Ball who are aged 81 and 72 respectively said: “We are really looking forward to moving into our new home – it is beyond our dreams. We can’t put it into words how we felt and how it will change our lives living here. It has far surpassed any expectations we had.” Mr John Brannigan (84) who is one of the original tenants from Haven House is looking forward to moving into his new flat. He said: “I am really impressed and cannot wait to move in. I love the layout and I am looking forward to the company and security of living in the Court.” Shelagh McGinn, Head of Housing Services at Derwentside Homes, said: “We are very proud of this project which will go a long way towards setting the standard for independent living in the region and regenerating living accommodation for older people. “The old sheltered courts were built 40 years ago and weren’t suitable for the requirements of tenants in the modern age. “We have consulted tenants every step of the way and you can see from their faces today, they’re delighted with the look of the modern new apartments which reflect their different lifestyles and aspirations.” David Pye, Head of Development and Asset Management at Derwentside Homes said: “The project team have been magnificent and I would like to congratulate them all. From inception through to construction, all project team members have ‘bought into’ what was an innovative idea and developed it jointly to deliver the aspirations of our tenants.” Tenants are expected to start moving into Haven House in August.

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DOUBLE SUCCESS FOR TENANTS AND LANDLORD
29 July 2010

Over 60 Incommunities tenants have successfully completed courses organised by the housing group to develop their skills and support their community work in Bradford. The courses included basic IT skills, using the internet, first aid training and food safety. The training was developed in response to customer feedback from some of Incommunities’ ‘involved customers’. They include tenants who are volunteer customer inspectors and members of Incommunities’ consultation group, the 100 Club. Local training provider, Safety First, ran the training courses from their base at Evans Towers, off Manchester Road. Yesterday a group of tenants were presented with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Food Safety Level I certificates. One of the successful learners, Jean Grogan from Thorpe Edge said: “I am really proud to have completed the course. “As part of Incommunities’ consultation with customers I said training in food safety and preparation would be a big help for people looking for work and those involved in catering. “It is great that Incommunities is keen to encourage customers to learn new skills.” At Wednesday’s event, Safety First Manager Chris Graham will also present Incommunities with the ‘Most Supportive Community Landlord Award 2010’ in recognition of its contribution to tenant participation, employment support and lifelong learning. Adrienne Reid, Incommunities Assistant Chief Executive, Neighbourhood Services, said: “Well done to all our customers on their training awards. These individual successes and the Safety First award demonstrate Incommunities commitment to putting our Customers 1st. “Incommunities has many customers who give their time and energy to provide us with valuable feedback which helps us improve local services for everyone. It is important that we support them and encourage their lifelong learning.”

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KIDS GIVE WEST YORKSHIRE STREET A NEW NAME
29 July 2010

A new housing development in South Kirkby has been given a new identity thanks to the imagination of children from Stockingate Mill Junior School. Wakefield and District Housing’s (WDH) new build homes on the old West Street site will now be known as Western Court and Howell Mews after pupils took part in a ‘Name the Street’ competition. Eleven-year olds Luke Glasby and Jordan Bryan provided the winning entries, which were chosen by Wakefield Council after WDH’s Local Management Committee submitted their favourite four names from the raft of suggestions. Picture: Jordan Bryan (left) and Luke Glasby (right) hold their winning entries at their end of year school assembly. They are joined by runners-up Carmen Tsang and Arnold Tabor, with Emma Stead and Jane Gwilliam from WDH. Stockingate Mill deputy head Steve Albaya said the competition was a first for the school. He said: “It was a privilege for the school to be involved with the naming of the street – we’ve never been asked to be part of anything like this before. The children have seen the regeneration that has gone on and this will give them some ownership of the area. “They feel like they have had a say in the development. It’s part of their neighbourhood and they will be thrilled to see the signs when they go up.” For Year 6 pupil Luke Glasby it was the perfect end to his time at the school and the perfect start to the summer holidays. He said: “I got the idea for Howell Mews from learning about the local area. The new houses aren’t far away from Howell Wood, so I thought it would be good to name the street after that.” Jordan, who came up with Western Court to retain the history of West Street, added: “The new houses look like they are in a court. I think my family will be excited that my name has won.” Eight year olds Carmen Tsang and Arnold Tabor claimed runners-up prizes for their suggestions. All children received a certificate and £10 book token donated by WDH. Local Management Committee chair Eric Clamp said: “It’s great that children from the local school have been involved in naming a street in their community. “There were many excellent suggestions and choosing our top four wasn’t easy. We would like to thank all the children who took part. They were imaginative, creative and thoughtful with all their proposed names.”

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BERWICK COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUND RE-LAUNCHED
29 July 2010

Having helped over twenty projects with a total of £53,000 since it began, Berwick Borough Housing is re-launching its successful Community Development Fund this summer. Previously funded projects have included the Berwick Disabled Sports Day, Seahouses Festival and a website portal kiosk for the Citizens Advice Bureau. With £28,000 available for community projects this year, the fund is being re-launched to ensure people know about it and how to apply. Also, there have been slight changes to the application process. Neil Brown, Managing Director of Berwick Borough Housing, said: “We are looking for applications from community-based projects which will have a lasting, positive effect on local people. We particularly encourage projects that bring together different generations, religions, abilities or cultures.” Applications can be made for up to £10,000 if the project is substantial, but the majority of the fund will go to smaller projects of up to £2,500. Anyone interested in the Community Development Fund can download an application form from www.berwickboroughhousing.co.uk - go to the ‘getting involved’ page. Housing Manager Simon Lord said: “People are getting to know that Berwick Borough Housing is more than just bricks and mortar. We are here to help strengthen communities and add to the quality of local life.”

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GATESHEAD COMMUNITY FUND SEES HOW THE GARDEN GROWS
29 July 2010

A day centre for people with learning disabilities has celebrated the completion of a new garden with The Gateshead Housing Company and its partners. Support from the housing company’s Community Fund helped Gateshead’s ‘Sow and Reap’ group to set up a new sensory garden. The garden will provide the day centre’s attendees with an outdoor facility that will stimulate their senses with a new camomile lawn and herb garden. Picture: Gateshead’s Sow and Reap Group show off their recently-opened garden to Bill Fullen, left, Chief Executive and Barbara Dennis OBE DL, Board Chair of The Gateshead Housing Company, along with other partners from the community fund. The housing company’s Chief Executive Bill Fullen said: “As well as making improvements to thousands of local homes, we wanted to do more to make Gateshead an even better place to live. “Our Community Fund allows hard working groups and organisations such as Sow and Reap to carry on making a real difference to the lives of local people. “It was pleasing to see the results of our donation during our recent visit to the centre and long may their good work continue.” The Gateshead Housing Company, along with its partners Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) North East, Gateshead Council’s Local Environmental Services and Morrison plc, provide support, both in money and work ‘in-kind’, towards the fund. The Community Fund offers cash and in-kind awards from £500 to £10,000 to groups that aim to improve the lives of people in the borough. The Community Foundation, which manages over £40m of charitable and community funds, are administrating the fund on behalf of the housing company. Groups in Gateshead wanting to find out more about applying for funds can call 0191 222 0945 or log on to www.communityfoundation.org.uk.

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KNH GARDENING COMPETITION A BLOOMING GOOD SHOW
29 July 2010

Residents from Sycamore Grange retirement housing in Golcar, Huddersfield have taken the top prize in Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing’s (KNH) annual gardening competition. The grange gardeners were also awarded the top prize in the most improved category for south Kirklees. The judging panel, which included KNH board members and local gardening expert, Graham Porter, were particularly impressed by the garden’s broad appeal. Mick and Pat Brewster, who head up the gardening club, only started the garden earlier this year: “the existing garden was overgrown and not used so we decided to do something about it.” Helped by the KNH caretakers and by grants from KNH Excel, Age Concern, the By and Buy charity shop in Golcar, Mick and Pat have created a beautiful and useable space for everyone to enjoy. They even recently held their daughter’s wedding reception there. With accessible vegetable plots, seating and walking areas, an abundance of bright and colourful flowers and shrubs, bird feeders and even a resident rabbit, the garden has something of interest for all grange residents and visitors. One resident is using the garden for the first time in 13 years, something she credits to the hard work of all those who have made it such a beautiful place to relax. Reacting to the top award, Mick said: “I genuinely did not expect to win. I’m absolutely blown away by it – it really makes all our work worthwhile.” The gardening club received £100 in gardening vouchers, as well as a gas barbecue, donated by Kenny Mann of Huddersfield Travel. Head judge Graham Porter said: “This communal garden is the best we have seen in all the years of the competition; it is a truly communal effort by some very enthusiastic staff and residents. “This year’s competition has once again showed that individual, family and communal effort can make people’s surroundings both beautiful and useful.” Cllr Shabir Pandor, the cabinet member responsible for housing, said: “I’d like to congratulate all those who took part in this year’s competition. Their gardens bring pleasure to their neighbours and help make sure their estates are attractive places to live.” Paul Buckley, KNH’s Director of Operations, said: “Many of our tenants work very hard in their gardens and their efforts deserve to be recognised. This competition is our chance to thank them for their work and to encourage others to start taking pride in their gardens.” KNH Excel Manager Helen O’Sullivan, added: “This is the fourth year we’ve run the competition and we’ve been overwhelmed by the quantity and quality of the entries. “The standard has been amazing and the gardens are a real testament to the hard work of the tenants.” “We’d like to thank everyone who entered and hope that even more people will take part next year and help make their estates blossom.”

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HOUSING NEWS: JOBS AND TENDERS ROUND-UP
29 July 2010

Housing News is advertising the following jobs and tenders on its regional newsletters: JOBS Tarka Housing is seeking a Resident Involvement Manager, based in Bideford in North Devon, salary £29,274 to £32,461. For more information, go to: southwest.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: August 6. Tarka Housing is seeking a Housing Services Manager, based in Bideford in North Devon, salary £29,274 to £32,461. For more information, go to: southwest.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: August 6. The Gateshead Housing Company is looking to appoint Independent Directors to its Board. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: August 20. North Devon Homes is seeking a Voluntary Board Member. For more information, go to: southwest.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: July 31. West Kent Housing Association is seeking a Finance Manager. For more information, go to: southeast.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Housing Training and Events Manager based in Sunderland. Salary up to £33k plus benefits. For more information, go to: housingnews.co.uk/NorthEast. Closing date: July 30. The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Performance Improvement Advisor based in Sunderland. Salary up to £35k plus benefits. For more information, go to: housingnews.co.uk/NorthEast. Closing date: July 30. Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association is seeking an Area Manager. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com/jobs. Closing date: August 6. ACHA is seeking an Investment Manager. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com/jobs. Closing date: August 6. TENDERS Hillhead Housing Association is inviting tenders for gas servicing and maintenance works. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: August 11. Hillhead Housing Association is inviting tenders for reactive maintenance works. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: August 11. Hillhead Housing Association is inviting tenders for landscape maintenance works. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: August 11. St Georges Community Housing is inviting tenders for a district heating contract. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/southeast. Closing date: August 19. Hyde Housing Association is inviting tenders for affordable housing new-build residential accommodation projects. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/london. Closing date: August 6. Notting Hill Housing Trust is inviting tenders for construction work for multi-dwelling buildings and individual houses. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/london. Closing date: August 19. Cairn Housing Association is inviting tenders for its day to day repairs service and void management service. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: August 17. To reach the best candidates in the social housing sector, advertise your top jobs in one of our eight regional newsletters or go national to over 40,000 readers. For more information, call Hucksters on 01892 784804.

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IMPORTANT – GUARANTEE YOUR CONTINUED HOUSING NEWS SERVICE
29 July 2010

Housing News is currently in the process of updating its email subscriber list and is removing a number of ‘bouncebacks’. These are email addresses that are faulty, no longer exist, or where the person has left the company. However, though many of these need to be removed, there might be some genuine addresses that are removed by mistake. This will be happening over the coming week, so if your service stops, please let us know by emailing us at: news@housingnews.co.uk stating which regional edition you have stopped receiving. Also, to make sure you receive a continued, unbroken service, if you do not subscribe directly to the newsletter (e.g. if someone in your organisation forwards the newsletters to you), please sign up now by contacting the same address.

JOB OF THE WEEK: INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS
30 July 2010

The Gateshead Housing Company is looking to appoint independent directors to its Board. The company, which manages over 21,000 homes in the North East of England, has been seen by the Audit Commission as 'excellent' with 'excellent prospects for improvement’. Any new recruit will work alongside existing independent, Gateshead Council and tenant directors, and will be involved with making key decisions about housing services across the borough. Ideal applicants should have some knowledge of social housing issues and experience of finance, business, strategic decision-making, staff management or corporate governance. Since the company was set up, the company’s Board has approved contractors for its HomeRepairs service and the teams that have carried out Decent Homes improvements to thousands of homes. The company offers ongoing training and development support to members of its Board, which meets bi-monthly. To find out more call Stuart Gibson at The Gateshead Housing Company on 0191 433 5308 or e-mail stuartgibson@gatesheadhousing.co.uk The closing date for applications is Friday, 20 August with interviews taking place during September. For more information on The Gateshead Housing Company log onto www.gatesheadhousing.co.uk Please mention Housing News when applying for these positions.

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BROADACRES UNVEILS NEW EXTRA CARE SCHEME
30 July 2010

A flagship development providing homes with 24 hour support for vulnerable adults and the elderly has been opened in Northallerton. Rivendale has been developed by Broadacres Housing Association in partnership with North Yorkshire County Council and Hambleton District Council, with grant funding from the Homes and Communities Agency. Reverend Canon Brian Mayne, Broadacres’ Chairman presents a bouquet to Mrs Cox Land for the £7.7m scheme was sold to Broadacres by North Yorkshire County Council at less than market value, the Homes and Communities Agency provided grant funding of £2.605m, the county council a capital investment of £50,000 and the balance of £5.045m was funded by Broadacres. The development is on the site of the old Ashlands learning disabilities day centre and has replaced the Oak Mount Elderly Persons Home. 51 two bedroomed apartments have been provided which are available for rent, shared ownership or outright sale. The amenities on site, which are available to the wider community, include a restaurant, hair and beauty salon and a shop. The scheme was opened by Mrs Baby Cox, a Board Member of Broadacres. Baby, who is now 76 years old, still works as a carer following a career in nursing and care that has spanned nearly 63 years, in both Northallerton and her native South Africa.

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YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER PLANS TO BECOME NATIONAL EXEMPLAR FOR ASSET TRANSFER
30 July 2010

The Development Trusts Association (DTA) is to support 120 community organisations throughout Yorkshire and the Humber to transform land and buildings into vibrant community spaces. In the first region specific initiative of its kind, the DTA’s ‘Supporting Asset Transfer in Yorkshire and the Humber’ project, will offer support to forward thinking local authorities and third sector organisations to develop joint plans for community asset transfer. The project was launched on the 10 June to an audience of over 70 key third sector organisations, development trusts, local councillors, council officers, regional third sector infrastructure partners and funders. The event was the first conference to be held at the newly refurbished Hebden Bridge Town Hall venue since it became one of the first town halls in the UK to be owned and managed by the community in April this year. Community asset transfer refers to the transfer of under-used land and buildings from the public sector to community ownership and management with the aim of delivering long-term social, economic and environmental benefits. There are already a dozen examples of community asset transfer from across the region, including Hebden Bridge Town Hall and Hillside Primary School in Leeds, and with the launch of the DTA’s new project, there will be many more to come - making Yorkshire and Humber a national exemplar for community asset transfer. ‘Supporting Asset Transfer in Yorkshire and the Humber’ is a specific resource, additional to that of the national Asset Transfer Unit which is managed by the DTA and funded by Communities and Local Government. The project will offer support to both local authorities and third sector organisations. This support will be delivered by the DTA and its professional partners; Wrigleys, Arup, Camberwell, and Leeds Metropolitan University. The type of support on offer includes practical help and signposting, as well as technical support and project-specific expertise. Yorkshire Forward has awarded £445,000 to the project over the next three years. The project is expected to achieve at least 12 asset transfers and lever in investment to Yorkshire and the Humber amounting to several times the cost of the project. At the launch event, Neil Berry, the DTA’s Regional Development Manager for the Yorkshire and the Humber said: "Community asset transfer must be a crucial aspect of any localism agenda. The empowerment of communities which is achieved through local, independent ownership of key public buildings in a neighbourhood has been seen time and again. “Now more than ever we need to unlock local potential – skills, vision, energy, and capacity for future growth – and asset transfer will be a key way to do that.”

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SAFETY IS GOLDEN FOR KEEPMOAT HOMES
30 July 2010

Keepmoat Homes’ drive to improve health and safety in the workplace has been rewarded with a prestigious Gold RoSPA Award. The company, which is building in the Midlands, the North East, the North West and Yorkshire also gained OHSAS 18001 - the internationally recognised benchmark for occupational health and safety management systems – becoming one of just a handful of construction companies to achieve this standard and the first volume house builder listed on the British Standards Institute web site. These accreditations are reward for the implementation of a rigorous health and safety programme, designed to develop a safety culture to which everyone is committed - from boardroom to building site. At the presentation ceremony in Birmingham, RoSPA Awards Manager, David Rawlins, said: “Keepmoat Homes has shown a commitment to protecting the health and well-being of its employees and others. Organisations which do this deserve to have such dedication recognised. “As well as good ethical and legal reasons for good health and safety management, there is also a strong business case and we are delighted to publicly honour organisations which have shown a genuine commitment to improve performance in this area.” Keepmoat Homes’ Safety Manager, William Cameron said: “This is a fantastic achievement and also recognition of a great deal of hard work not just by our staff but also our sub contractors – about 600 people in all. “It acknowledges that we have developed a strong and positive safety culture where people take individual and collective responsibility for working safely. It also endorses the robust safety management systems which we have developed to ensure this safety culture becomes embedded in the company.” Programmes established by Keepmoat Homes include regular site safety inspections and safety audits, tool box talks for site personnel and a reward scheme for safety innovations.

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WHEEL SOLUTIONS TO EMPLOYMENT SCHEME HELPS PEOPLE INTO WORK
30 July 2010

A Coast & Country-backed initiative is making inroads in helping people find work. Wheel Solutions to Employment has helped people secure apprenticeships as well as providing work placements. Under the scheme, people in the Grangetown area volunteer to become involved in environmental projects to transform untidy waste grounds into pleasant community areas. As a reward for this work, they receive a series of cut-price driving lessons and a free provisional licence, theory test and driving test. Another element of the project, spearheaded by the Future Regeneration of Grangetown (FROG) group, is an eight week employability course, helping people expand their skills base, followed by a 12 week work placement. Of the 16 young people and adults who signed up to Wheel Solutions to Employment in January, seven are now doing apprenticeships and others have found placements in a range of sectors including leisure, community care, retail and business administration. All of those taking part have also passed their driving theory test. Iain Sim, Chief Executive of Coast & Country, one of the largest housing and regeneration in the North East, said: “Wheel Solutions to Employment is an innovative way of inspiring, motivating and encouraging people to equip themselves with a range of skills that will help them find employment. “There is a double positive in that we get environmental schemes done, which is a big boost for the community, and the volunteers get access to driving lessons, which are really important when people are looking for work. “Coast & Country is really proud to be involved in an initiative that has proved such a success with nearly half those taking part now on apprenticeships and the others gaining valuable experience on job placements.” The volunteers loved sprucing up the open spaces so much they have become involved in further work to improve the area which has involved 70 gardens, fence painting and flower baskets. Volunteer June Williams said: “We all enjoyed doing the environmental work so much that we decided to carry on and go forward to see what more we could do in the community.” The Wheel Solution to Employment initiative is made up of two schemes – one focusing on environmental improvements involving 30 volunteers and a learning programme to which 16 people have signed up. Lynn Pallister, FROG Wheels Project Coordinator, said: “The Wheel Solutions Environmental Project has been an excellent example of grass roots partnership work with local housing associations Coast & Country, Accent, Tees Valley and the council’s area environmental team to engage local people to improve their community. “It has been a Win Win project for everyone - all 30 volunteers will receive 25 subsidised driving lessons at £5 a lesson, one free theory/driving test and a provisional licence that will help remove barriers to employment, the wider community have seen fantastic improvements to community spaces/streets and all partners have had an opportunity to strengthen relationships with local residents.” Other agencies involved in Wheel Solutions to Employment are Tees Valley Housing, Accent and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.

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WORKING TOGETHER FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY
30 July 2010

East Durham Homes and Dale and Valley Homes are now working in partnership to provide health and safety support and advice. Terry Cranston and Geoff Parker Both companies have created an in-house health and safety role with Geoff Parker starting at East Durham Homes this month and Terry Cranston starting at Dale and Valley Homes in April 2010. It is planned that both officers will work closely together on new initiatives, sharing best practice and providing cover for holidays to ensure there is always a health and safety representative available for both companies. Their roles will involve monitoring safe working practices during decent homes refurbishment schemes and routine repairs and maintenance works which will ensure a safer environment for our tenants and members of the public. They will also support in-house managers in relation to making sure any departmental risks are adequately controlled. Geoff and Terry are both looking forward to their roles and the challenges that lie ahead. Working together means they can ensure an excellent standard of health and safety across both companies. Peter Chaffer, Dale and Valley Homes Chief Executive said: “This initiative demonstrates both organisations willingness to work together to deliver more efficient services for our customers.” Paul Tanney, East Durham Homes Chief Executive added: “This will be the first of hopefully many joint initiatives to share ideas and best practice that will benefit both organisations and our customers.”

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HULL HOMESEARCHERS DO IT ONLINE
30 July 2010

More and more people are using the Internet to bid for Hull City Council homes. Online bidding for homes was only introduced in January 2009, and now over 40 per cent of bids are received via the Internet. Internet bidding has become so popular because it’s easy, flexible and convenient. You can do it from home, or if you haven’t got access to a computer, you can use the computers in any of the council’s libraries and customer service centres (CSCs). On-line bidding has the added flexibility that if you change your mind, all you have to do is log back into your account and amend accordingly, so long as it is before the close of bidding for that particular fortnight. Bidding starts when the properties are advertised every other Thursday, and you can place your bid up to 5pm on the following Monday. Over the following days, the allocation will be made and you should know within 7 days whether you have been successful. Bidding for homes is only open to people who are registered with Hull City Council’s housing service. Once registered, you are given a priority banding which determines how many bids per fortnight you can make. A further advantage of Internet bidding is that there’s more information on-line about the homes listed than there is space to publish details in a hard copy newsletter. So, you can see much more about the home in question before deciding whether or not to bid (such as being able to link to a map showing the property’s precise location). Also, the information on-line is always the most up to date. For example, there may be the occasional time when a property has to be withdrawn after the list of available homes has been published. Mrs T. Collins, a user of the online bidding system, said: “I have been told today that a bid I made through Homesearch on-line was successful. I liked making bids this way because I could do it myself. It is easy to use and I particularly like the ‘view property location’ map to see exactly where the property is.” Cllr Mike Ross, whose portfolio includes housing management said: “Homesearch is a much more focussed approach to letting properties because, unlike the old days, people can choose to bid on properties that interest them, rather than just being allocated a home. “Like most areas of the country, demand for homes in Hull outstrips supply so I can’t say that bidding through Homesearch guarantees you will get a home. However, it does make everything more transparent. People can see what’s available, where they are and appreciate their chances of getting a home.” As well as property details being published on-line, you can find out about Homesearch properties by using your interactive button on Sky TV, by entering ‘lookinglocal.gov.uk/hull’ in your browser on your mobile phone or Wii, in the property supplement in the Hull Daily Mail and also property sheets are kept at housing offices and customer service centres.

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HOUSING COMPANY SETS STANDARDS FOR THE FUTURE
30 July 2010

The Gateshead Housing Company is giving its customers information about the standards of service they can expect from it in the future. The company has published a complete guide for customers about the services they can expect all year round from the company, which manages over 21,000 homes. Covering everything from getting a home, to seeing it improved and dozens of other services, the newly-published standards are set to be useful for existing and up to 1,700 new customers a year. Leaseholders and tenants will receive their own guide to the standards during July, with customers then being involved in making sure the company meets the standards in the future. The standards are also available at any of the company’s offices or online at www.gatesheadhousing.co.uk/ourservices. Bill Fullen, Chief Executive of the housing company, said: “Every year we help hundreds of people move into a new home, carry out thousands of improvements and help our customers feel safe and secure in their neighbourhood. “By having this set of standards across everything we do we can keep our high standards up. And where we don’t meet the mark, we want to make it easy for our customers to tell us so.” Audio and large-print version of the standards are also being produced for customers with visual impairments. Customers wanting to give their views on the new standards can do so at almost 70 events across the borough being this week. ‘Opportunity knocks again!’ will give over 21,000 households the opportunity to get involved in making local housing services better in the future.

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PUPILS TAUGHT DANGERS OF PLAYING ON BUILDING SITES
30 July 2010

Pupils from Bullion Lane Primary School in Chester-le-Street, County Durham were taught the dangers of playing on building sites just before they broke up for their summer holidays. Community regeneration specialists, Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) North East called in to take assembly which highlighted the dangers of playing on building sites, health & safety and the importance of site security. Always keen to get involved in the communities where it works, the Wearside-based firm joined in with assembly to talk to the children from reception to year six. The pupils were shown an interactive DVD and were invited to develop a poster for a campaign that FHM will launch to communicate the dangers to other children living on the estates where they will be working. Picture: (left to right) Jake Robinson, Richard Linton (FHM Site Manager), Margaret Lloyd (Assistant Head Teacher at Bullion Lane Primary School), Charlie McSkelley and Sarah Whorlton (Resident Liaison Officer). FHM’s lead resident liaison officer, Heather Miller, said: “Prior to starting any project, we always visit the local school to talk to the pupils to tell them who we are, what we do but more importantly, highlight the dangers of building sites. “Children, in particular, see building sites as an ideal playground however, we try to point out that they are very dangerous places and I was pleased with their response. “The poster designs were excellent with so many different ideas and I would like to thank all the pupils for taking part.” Margaret Lloyd, Assistant Head Teacher at Bullion Lane Primary School said: “It was really good that all the children were able to participate in the assembly and watch the DVD. They really enjoyed it and quickly picked up the issues that were highlighted. “I think it is really important to highlight the dangers to children and I think it is good that FHM involved the local school and community.” Heather and her colleague Sarah Whorlton, also from FHM, selected six winning poster designs. The winners who each won art stationary were Courtney Sinclaire, Jake Robinson, Corey Jackson, Bethany Staver, Charlie McSkelley and Liam Blackie. FHM has just been appointed by Cestria Community Housing to undertake external improvements to 160 properties in the Avenues in Chester-le-Street. The works, which are expected to commence next week include roof replacements, chimney repairs and replacing fascias.

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HOUSING NEWS: JOBS AND TENDERS ROUND-UP
30 July 2010

Housing News is advertising the following jobs and tenders on its regional newsletters: JOBS Tarka Housing is seeking a Resident Involvement Manager, based in Bideford in North Devon, salary £29,274 to £32,461. For more information, go to: southwest.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: August 6. Tarka Housing is seeking a Housing Services Manager, based in Bideford in North Devon, salary £29,274 to £32,461. For more information, go to: southwest.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: August 6. The Gateshead Housing Company is looking to appoint Independent Directors to its Board. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: August 20. North Devon Homes is seeking a Voluntary Board Member. For more information, go to: southwest.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. Closing date: July 31. West Kent Housing Association is seeking a Finance Manager. For more information, go to: southeast.housingnews.co.uk/jobs. The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Housing Training and Events Manager based in Sunderland. Salary up to £33k plus benefits. For more information, go to: housingnews.co.uk/NorthEast. Closing date: July 30. The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Performance Improvement Advisor based in Sunderland. Salary up to £35k plus benefits. For more information, go to: housingnews.co.uk/NorthEast. Closing date: July 30. Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association is seeking an Area Manager. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com/jobs. Closing date: August 6. ACHA is seeking an Investment Manager. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com/jobs. Closing date: August 6. TENDERS Hillhead Housing Association is inviting tenders for gas servicing and maintenance works. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: August 11. Hillhead Housing Association is inviting tenders for reactive maintenance works. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: August 11. Hillhead Housing Association is inviting tenders for landscape maintenance works. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: August 11. St Georges Community Housing is inviting tenders for a district heating contract. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/southeast. Closing date: August 19. Hyde Housing Association is inviting tenders for affordable housing new-build residential accommodation projects. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/london. Closing date: August 6. Notting Hill Housing Trust is inviting tenders for construction work for multi-dwelling buildings and individual houses. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/london. Closing date: August 19. Cairn Housing Association is inviting tenders for its day to day repairs service and void management service. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: August 17. To reach the best candidates in the social housing sector, advertise your top jobs in one of our eight regional newsletters or go national to over 40,000 readers. For more information, call Hucksters on 01892 784804.

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IMPORTANT – GUARANTEE YOUR CONTINUED HOUSING NEWS SERVICE
30 July 2010

Housing News is currently in the process of updating its email subscriber list and is removing a number of ‘bouncebacks’. These are email addresses that are faulty, no longer exist, or where the person has left the company. However, though many of these need to be removed, there might be some genuine addresses that are removed by mistake. This will be happening over the coming week, so if your service stops, please let us know by emailing us at: news@housingnews.co.uk stating which regional edition you have stopped receiving. Also, to make sure you receive a continued, unbroken service, if you do not subscribe directly to the newsletter (e.g. if someone in your organisation forwards the newsletters to you), please sign up now by contacting the same address.