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ARE YOU LOOKING FOR NEW BOARD MEMBERS?
01 March 2010
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Are you looking for new board members? If your association is looking for new board members why not advertise in Housing News.
Our free daily news bulletin is the best read housing publication in your region and we offer our advertisers real value for money.
Don’t take our word for it -- look what Jenny George, marketing & communication assistant at Two Rivers Housing Association has to say:
“We recently used the Housing News to advertise for a vacancy on our Board, I’m pleased to say we had the highest number of responses for this position than any other advertisement we placed, it was excellent value for money. As a marketing professional I look forward to receiving the bulletin, it helps keep me up-to-date with local, regional and national news. And the best part is it’s free!”
To advertise, contact Hucksters at 01892 784804 or email: housingnews@hucksters.co.uk
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HOUSING NEWS: JOBS AND TENDERS ROUND-UP
01 March 2010
Housing News is advertising the following jobs and tenders on its regional newsletters:
JOBS
The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Procurement Manager based in Sunderland, salary circa £31k + benefits. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: March 22.
Almond Housing Association is seeking a Housing Manager. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12.
Almond Housing Association is seeking a Corporate & Development Administration Assistant. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12.
Almond Housing Association is seeking a Debt Recovery Officer [Part Time]. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12.
The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Chief Executive based in the North East, salary £108k + benefits. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: March 15.
Barrow Borough Council is seeking a Community Involvement Manager, salary £24,646 to £28,636 p.a. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northwest. Closing date: March 1.
West of Scotland Housing Association is seeking a Director of Property Investment. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com/jobs . Closing date: March 1.
Keelman Homes is seeking Two Ordinary Trustees to join its Board. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: March 5.
Tenders
Craigdale Housing Association is inviting tenders for a Tenant Satisfaction Survey. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 8.
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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MAYOR ‘REFUSES’ TO HELP COMMUNITIES SECURE LOW COST HOUSING, SAYS ASSEMBLY
01 March 2010
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Jenny Jones
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Mayor of London, Boris Johnson has apparently refused to provide professional support to four local communities who want to bring forward affordable housing schemes using a co-operative model he championed in his manifesto.
When pressed by Jenny Jones, Assembly Member to follow Cornwall and employ a single officer to support them, helping achieve his promise of one such scheme by 2011, the Mayor dismissed the suggestion.
Cornwall County Council employed a project officer to help communities understand the local planning process and bring a credible Community Land Trust project forward, resulting in 17 schemes in two years.
Community Land Trusts are a co-operative model that prevents the cost of buying a home from rising faster than incomes. In the past decade in London, the cost of buying a home has risen twice as fast as incomes, and deposits rose from 25% of average household income to 153%.
Jones said: “The Mayor is leaving at least four London communities out in the cold, expecting them to battle through the bureaucracy to secure affordable homes for their neighbourhood.
“The spiralling cost of housing should be one of the Mayor’s highest priorities. On its own, building more unaffordable homes won’t keep the cost of buying a home in check. The Mayor promoted these co-operative models in his manifesto but quickly downgraded them to just one pilot in three years. Now he refuses to help local communities who want to do it themselves.
“After I lobbied the Mayor he sent his housing adviser to meet one of these communities in Tower Hamlets. But his over-stretched senior adviser can’t keep doing this as a hobby – the Mayor needs to show some leadership.”
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BARNET HOMES SET TO CREATE BOROUGH’S FIRST ECO ESTATE
01 March 2010
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Flats in East Barnet will be transformed into the borough’s first low energy eco estate thanks to a major new project by Barnet Homes.
The Eco Flats initiative will see 20 properties in Churchmead Close, EN4, become the first eco estate in the borough, benefitting from A-rated double glazing, high efficiency gas boilers, improved insulation and low energy lighting.
The improvements, which have been demonstrated at a pilot flat before being rolled out to all other properties in Churchmead Close from April, should save tenants and leaseholders up to £245 a year on fuel bills, as well as helping to tackle climate change at a local level.
The work, carried out in partnership with contractor United House, is part of the Barnet Homes’ wider Decent Homes programme, which will ensure council-owned residential properties across the borough meet the government’s agreed quality standard by the end of 2010-11.
The programme has helped cut CO2 emissions from council owned properties by an estimated 1.2 tonnes per property from 2003 to 2007. The Eco Flats project also seeks to build on the success of an award-winning East Barnet eco home, created in Berkeley Crescent in partnership with Barnet Council and constructors the Apollo Group in 2008.
Barnet Homes’ Deputy Chief Executive, Derek Rust, said: “Around 50% of carbon emissions come from domestic properties, so social landlords like us have a huge role play in the fight against climate change.
“Our eco home has shown us that major energy savings can be achieved through often quite simple measures, and we’re looking forward to translating this to a much larger scale with the Eco Flats project.
“This is a very exciting scheme, which will not only help us reduce carbon emissions from our stock but also save residents large amounts of money on their fuel bills. We hope to roll out similar programmes to more of our homes in the coming years.”
Residents had the chance to look at the pilot eco flat earlier this year and discuss issues with Barnet Homes staff. Average heating costs for the 20 properties should reduce from just over £300 a year to less than £130; hot water costs from almost £110 to less than £70; and lighting from £35 to £17.
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MEMBERS VOTE ‘YES’ TO STRIKE ACTION AT NOTTING HILL HOUSING
01 March 2010
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Unison members at Notting Hill Housing have voted overwhelmingly in favor of industrial action.
The strike is over claims that the housing group’s management's refuses to negotiate over changes to terms and conditions.
In a ballot, 93.5% voted ‘yes’ to strike action.
Notting Hill previously had a reputation for being a more enlightened employer. The changes will have a disproportionate impact on female staff with caring responsibilities.
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NEW HOMES FOR LEOPOLD ESTATE
01 March 2010
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Poplar HARCA has secured £6.4m from the Homes and Communities Agency to deliver 62 new affordable rented homes for the first phase of development on the Leopold Estate.
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Working in partnership with developers Countryside Properties UK, work will start in the summer. The 62 new homes will be a mixture of properties including one- and two-bed homes as well as larger family homes.
Neal Hunt, Poplar HARCA’s Director for Development said: “The economic climate has meant that work on Leopold has taken longer than we had hoped. I particularly like to thank the residents of Leopold for their patience during this period.
“It is a very exciting scheme that brings high quality large family homes into the area. We have worked very closely with residents to secure this funding for Leopold.”
The Leopold development is part of Poplar HARCA’s ongoing commitment to reshape Poplar. With reducing overcrowding a priority, Poplar HARCA is committed to building 500 larger family homes for local people in Poplar by 2012.
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HYDE GROUP WINS FUNDING FOR NEW RETROFIT & REPLICATE CHALLENGE
01 March 2010
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The Hyde Group has been awarded funding of £136,000 by the Technology Strategy Board’s ‘Retrofit for the Future’ competition to retrofit a property in Eltham, South London.
This follows the success of its first award winning Retrofit and Replicate project in Mottingham, South London, which aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 80%.
The project sees the same three key partners – Hyde, ECD Architects and Mears Limited – come together to apply what they have learned to the new challenge of retrofitting a home in a conservation area.
Simon Chatfield, Hyde’s Director of Major Developments, said: “We’re pleased to have been selected by the Technology Strategy Board to develop this project and implement innovative home energy efficiency solutions that significantly reduce CO2 emissions and save money on fuel bills.
“Hyde has put itself at the forefront of environmental sustainability and its Retrofit and Replicate work over the next few years will bring benefits both to its own residents and the broader environment.”
The ‘Retrofit for the Future’ competition challenged housing providers and architectural companies to bid for funding to design and install new high performance solutions to dramatically improve the energy efficiency of houses.
Mark Elton, Associate Director at ECD, said: “The targets set by the competition are very demanding, particularly so where the architectural appearance is sensitive - as in this house. Our retrofit package aims to preserve the property’s heritage, whilst greatly improving insulation standards using natural materials, and to generate electricity on site via micro-CHP and photovoltaics.”
Paul Kellaway, Environmental Manager for Mears said: “We know that by working closely with our partners this provides us with an opportunity to push the boundaries of retro fit, share our experiences as well as make a positive contribution to the reduction of CO2 emissions.
"We completely understand our obligations to the environment, and by improving our retro fit techniques, as well as understanding more fully the integration of new technologies, we can reduce emissions and move towards our long term goal of reducing fuel poverty.”
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‘ICE CREAM’ FOR RESIDENTS’ VIEWS
01 March 2010
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Residents will enjoy a taste of summer when they get free ice creams and hot chocolate in return for their views on what community services will benefit their neighbourhoods.
Thames Valley Housing (TVH) staff will be dishing out the cones from an ice cream van, on over 60 TVH estates in Hounslow, Rushmoor and Reading in early March.
The consultation exercise is being carried out by TVH as part of their newly launched Community Investment Strategy. The residents’ views will help define how investment of £150,000 will improve local services for the whole community, not just TVH residents.
The programme, which runs over 3 years, also includes work with local youth services, developing a Young People’s Forum, providing training & employment opportunities and administering TVH’s Community Chest, which funds wider community initiatives.
Paul Augarde, TVH, Community Investment Manager, TVH said, “We are passionate about our residents leading our understanding of service needs in their local areas.
“Through targeted partnerships with local service providers including councils, schools voluntary and community groups, we can invest in the service improvements that communities really want.
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JOB OF THE WEEK: GET YOUR ADVERT HERE!
02 March 2010
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OVER 1,700 OF LONDON’S EMPTY HOMES BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE
02 March 2010
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Boris Johnson
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Over 1,700 of London’s abandoned, derelict and unused buildings have been brought back to life, providing urgently needed homes for hundreds of families across the city and revitalising communities, the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson has announced.
Having trebled funding to £60m the Mayor plans through his London Housing Strategy, published today, to bring at least 3,000 of empty homes back into use. £39.9m of funding has so far been released to London’s boroughs, focused on bringing long-term unused, derelict and listed buildings at risk back into residential use to provide much-needed affordable homes, many of them family sized. The work is also benefiting neighbourhoods by tackling properties that have become an eyesore and a magnet for anti-social behaviour.
The London Housing Strategy, the capital’s first statutory housing strategy, also aims to deliver 50,000 affordable homes before the Olympics, the most in a single Mayoral term, halve severe overcrowding by 2016, inject millions of pounds of funding to kickstart stalled regeneration projects, bring to an end rough sleeping in the capital and give London’s boroughs more say over delivering affordable homes in their areas.
The publication of the Strategy comes as figures from CLG show that London was the only region in England to see an increase in net housing supply last year, despite the severe economic conditions. In England as a whole net housing supply was down by 20% between 2007/08 and 2008/09, but in London it was up by 3%.
The Strategy also complements the Mayor’s draft replacement London Plan which proposes the highest targets for the delivery of new homes for the capital than at any point since before the Greater London Council was set up in 1960s, including more affordable homes to be delivered each year than has been achieved since the GLA was established.
Johnson said: “Good quality housing is the backbone of any great city and despite the recent economic maelstroms we remain on course to deliver a record number of affordable, quality homes.
“With so many people, particularly families, in need of a place to live it is absolutely unacceptable for potentially decent homes to stand empty. Empty homes are not only a waste of resources but also a travesty for the communities around them. They devalue neighbouring properties and for the people living near them they act as a magnet for crime.
“Plans are already well under-foot to transform the quality and quantity of affordable housing in the capital and we are determined to make it easier for everyone to get the home they need. I am in no doubt that these 1700 resurrected buildings will not only help to change the lives of thousands of Londoners by providing them a home, but will also transform the communities they formerly blighted.”
Belinda Porich, head of London at the National Housing Federation, said: "We welcome the mayor's support for affordable housing and his public commitment to the need for high quality housing in the capital. Housing associations already build homes to tough environmental and design standards and it's important that all houses developed in London should meet these high standards.
“We also welcome the mayor's initiatives on tackling overcrowding, ending rough sleeping and providing more family sized homes."
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MARSH SPEAKS AT LONDON BME DIRECTOR FORUM
02 March 2010
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Sheron Carter and Peter Marsh
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Tenant Services Authority chief executive, Peter Marsh has updated members of the London BME Directors Forum on how the new regulatory standards may impact on small associations.
The meeting was organised by the BME Forum and the London region of the National Housing Federation. Marsh was welcomed by Sheron Carter, chief executive of ARHAG housing association and chair of the BME forum.
The TSA head covered six areas, including how the new standards will apply to small organisations, including BME associations; how complaints from tenants to TSA will be dealt with; the ongoing issue of rent restructuring; imbedding diversity throughout all activities and service areas with leadership coming from housing association boards; how local standards or local offers ought to be defined, based on local circumstances; and what the future inspection regime could look like in place of the current full and short notice inspection.
Marsh added the TSA was very pleased to have received around 500 written responses to their consultation from members and local authorities. There was a lively discussion after his talk at the forum.
Marsh also appeared at this forum last year and it was clear that the TSA had listened to comments made by members at that time.
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FIRST GREEN VICARAGE APPROVED AT BRENT HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
02 March 2010
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The first vicarage in the UK to meet the Government’s rigorous Code for Sustainable Homes Level 6 is to be built in west London.
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The flagship development is being undertaken by LHA-ASRA, with construction due to commence in spring 2010. The zero-carbon vicarage will form part of the St John’s Church Grounds development in Wembley which has received the green light from Brent Council.
Level 6 is the highest set by government and it is expected that all grant funded social housing will have to meet the exacting standard by 2016.
As well as a new home for resident vicar, the Reverend Francis Adu-Boachie, the scheme will provide a new community centre for the Parish Church Council of St John’s, and 20 affordable homes built to Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4. The vicarage itself will boast photovoltaic panels, state of the art ground source heat pumps and solar thermal technology.
The affordable homes will benefit from thermal technology and PV panels, helping residents keep utility bills and their carbon footprint particularly low. Some of the homes will be available for intermediate rent to local residents and workers who can not afford to rent on the private market.
William Cornall, Director of Development and Regeneration at LHA-ASRA, said: “The St John’s Church Grounds development will provide much needed affordable housing in Wembley for families, couples and single people, as well as a high quality community facility.
“We have worked in close consultation with the Parish Church Council and LB Brent Council to present a quality-built, attractive, low carbon scheme that will enhance the local area whilst meeting the needs of the local community.”
The development will also incorporate children’s play facilities by the new community centre, along with 20 car parking spaces throughout.
The Grade II listed St John’s Church, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and built in 1846 will be unaltered, but enhanced by the sensitive design of the new buildings and landscaping that will surround it.
West of Wembley town centre, St John’s is just 400 metres from Wembley Central London Underground and national rail station, and minutes from local shops and amenities.
The architect for the scheme is nationally based calfordseaden.
Christopher Rainsford, Partner and architect specialising in conservation at calfordseaden, added: “A sustainable development will be created that makes the best use of brownfield land whilst maintaining the integrity of an historic site. Meeting the Level 6 Code for Sustainable Homes criteria only adds to the quality of the build and sets down a marker for others to follow.”
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PHOENIX CHAIR NOMINATED FOR AWARD
02 March 2010
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Pat Fordham and local children
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Pat Fordham, Chair of Phoenix has been shortlisted from more than 300 entries to the 2010 Housing Heroes Awards.
These awards are in their second year and will once again shine the spotlight on the people and teams that are doing great work in the social/affordable housing sector. Pat Fordham is now one of six finalists left in the running for the Inspirational Board Member of the year.
The event is organised by Inside Housing magazine and the CIH, and attracted a phenomenal response with submissions from the length and breadth of the UK.
The winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony at London’s Hilton Hotel on 14 May hosted by TV presenter, Antarctic explorer and Atlantic rower Ben Fogle. The awards are sponsored by Campbell Tickell, EMA, Asset Skills, Synergy Group and The Hire Standard. Last year more than 700 people attended.
Howard Farrand, the President of the CIH said: “Our sector spends a great deal of time talking about policy and strategy, business plans and budgets, our visions and our mission statements. Of course all of these things are really important.
“But in my experience it is the extraordinary people that do fantastic work for our customers that make the real difference. So I want to congratulate every finalist for getting this far in these awards.”
Mayor of Lewisham, Sir Steve Bullock said: “Many people know Pat through her work on behalf of her fellow tenants but the impact she has had on the lives of local people goes much further. Pat is someone that many people turn to when faced with challenging situations.”
Phoenix Chief Executive, Jim Ripley said: “We’ve always known what an extraordinary person Pat is, and now we are so pleased that others will have the chance to recognise her warm personality and phenomenal voluntary work rate.”
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CENTREPOINT USERS GET MAKE OVER
02 March 2010
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A group of young women supported by Centrepoint have been treated to top beauty makeovers by one of the UK’s most sought after hairdressers, Errol Douglas MBE, and beauty experts from cosmetics firm, Maybelline.
They also received inspirational ‘mind makeovers’ to help enhance their inner self-belief to tackle their current circumstances and look forward to a more positive future. The 14 young women spent three hours having their hair cut and re-styled by Errol Douglas and his team of top stylists and received makeup tips and treatments from professionals at Maybelline to help build their confidence. The event was held at The L’Oreal Academy in Hammersmith.
Errol Douglas said: "I feel so lucky to be able to work with Centrepoint and the young women that came to see us. As every woman knows, there is an enormous psychological boost when you improve your physical appearance and to be involved with improving the self-confidence of such inspiring and deserving women is a real pleasure for me."
One of the young participants, Ami, said after the beauty makeover session: “It’s been a really good event. It’s made me feel pretty and I now want to go into the beauty industry!”
The young women are one of the lucky groups to be offered the makeover workshops over two evenings organised by the Make a Difference Makeover committee, which has been running the course for Centrepoint for 10 years. The beauty makeover was followed by a ‘mind makeover’ by Sharron Lowe, expert business consultant and life coach, and author of the ‘Beauty Bible’ Jo Fairley.
The ‘mind makeover’ training was designed by Sharron Lowe especially for the young women from Centrepoint and its focus is on building confidence from within and helping set goals in life, giving the young women the confidence boost they need to go out and achieve those goals.
Sharron Lowe said: “Running the workshops together has an enormously positive impact; helping these young women to recapture the boost they felt after the professional beauty makeover and using it to generate positive thoughts and a can-do attitude is a brilliant way to release the vast potential that is within each of them. By taking conscious control over their thoughts and focusing on their goals and aspirations, they can begin to move towards who they want to become.”
To top it all off, the young women were given a luxury goodie bag, containing to of the range hair and beauty products, and a handbook distilling all of the wisdom from the mind makeover workshop, to take away with them.
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HACKNEY HOMES TAKES A TOUGH STANCE ON RUBBISH DUMPERS
02 March 2010
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Dumped rubbish is an eyesore on estates and that is why Hackney Homes is taking a tough stance on residents who do this.
In the past few weeks, a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) was issued to a resident on Woodberry Down caught dumping rubbish next to the recycling bins.
Councillor Alan Laing, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: "Recent improvements to recycling services on estates means it has never been easier for residents to support the Council's efforts to help make Hackney cleaner and greener.
“Dumped rubbish discourages people from using the facilities and makes a mess on estates. It is irresponsible, carries hefty fines and won’t be tolerated.”
Hackney Homes cleaners will continue to monitor rubbish dumped by recycling bins and elsewhere on estates and work with the enforcement teams in Hackney Council to issue Fixed Penalty Notices to offenders.
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HOUSING NEWS: JOBS AND TENDERS ROUND-UP
02 March 2010
Housing News is advertising the following jobs and tenders on its regional newsletters:
JOBS
The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Procurement Manager based in Sunderland, salary circa £31k + benefits. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: March 22.
Almond Housing Association is seeking a Housing Manager. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12.
Almond Housing Association is seeking a Corporate & Development Administration Assistant. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12.
Almond Housing Association is seeking a Debt Recovery Officer [Part Time]. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12.
The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Chief Executive based in the North East, salary £108k + benefits. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: March 15.
Keelman Homes is seeking Two Ordinary Trustees to join its Board. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: March 5.
Tenders
Craigdale Housing Association is inviting tenders for a Tenant Satisfaction Survey. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 8.
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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JOB OF THE WEEK: POLICY/SERVICE IMPROVEMENT MANAGER
03 March 2010
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HEALEY PUBLISHES RESPONSE TO MAYOR’S AFFORDABLE HOUSING STRATEGY
03 March 2010
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John Healey
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Housing Minister, John Healey has published the Government's response to the Mayor of London's plans for affordable housing.
In a letter to the Mayor, Healey highlights the particular importance of providing affordable housing in London, both in ensuring its long-term economic success and in meeting the needs and aspirations of ordinary Londoners. Under powers granted in the 2007 GLA Act, Ministers can exercise their power to direct the Mayor to change his housing strategy if any part is in conflict with national housing policy.
In his letter, Healey explains that the Government has decided not to use these powers - both in recognition of the Mayor's electoral mandate, and because a number of key policies contained in the London Housing Strategy which are of concern to Government will be taken forward by the London Plan, which will be subject to scrutiny through Examination in Public later this year.
But in his letter, Healey warns that the housing strategy will not sufficiently address London’s needs, and outlines areas of particular concern, including plans to provide only around 13,200 affordable homes a year; plans to move away from the strategic target that 50% of new homes in London should be affordable to a London-wide numeric target. Mr Healey argues in his letter that this could make it harder for the Mayor to use his planning powers to ensure the need for affordable homes is met across the city.
He is also concerned about plans to reduce the number of new social rented homes provided by councils and housing associations by an equivalent 2,755 homes a year compared to current plans; and plans to increase the annual household income limit for families to qualify for support to buy a home through the Government's Homebuy programme from £60,000 to £74,000.
Healey said: "The provision of enough good quality affordable homes is essential to London's economic future, and meeting the needs and aspirations of Londoners. That's why since June, I have approved nearly £1.4bn for affordable homes to councils and housing associations across the Capital. And with too many families on ordinary incomes unable to buy a home, we are targeting our help through the Homebuy programme to those who would otherwise struggle most to get a start in the housing market.
"Ultimately, the Mayor is accountable to the people of London through the ballot box - so I will continue to monitor closely the delivery of affordable housing and the likely impact of these policies on London and its future success."
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CO-OPERATION THE KEY TO MAYOR’S EMPTY HOMES PROBLEM, SAYS ASSEMBLY
03 March 2010
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Jenny Jones
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The Mayor’s funding has helped bring 1,700 empty homes back into use since his election in May 2008, but figures from the Empty Homes Agency show that this is a relatively modest achievement, the London Assembly has pointed out.
Compared to previous years, 9,000 homes were brought back into use in 2000; 5000 in 2002; and 7000 in 2006.
Jenny Jones, Assembly Member, said: “Too many homes are left empty by councils and landlords who lack the money or motivation to do them up. What the Mayor should be doing now is to encourage councils and landlords to work with co-operatives, which can bring these homes into short-term use until they’re ready to be rebuilt or fully refurbished, using his Housing Strategy to push this approach.
“I recently visited a co-operative who trained homeless and unemployed people to do up homes for next to nothing, giving them a place to live and bringing the empty homes into use while the council worked on a major regeneration project. We need imagination and co-operation as well as money to reduce this waste.”
There are still approximately 82,000 empty homes in London, of which 35,000 have been empty for more than six months. The Mayor set a target of no more than 32,000, or 1% of the housing stock, to be long-term empty homes.
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ST MUNGO’S INTEGRATED AND PERSONALISED SERVICE HIGHLIGHTED AS GOOD PRACTICE
03 March 2010
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Charles Fraser
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Neighbourhood Link, an innovative St Mungo’s scheme in Islington, developed in partnership with the Revolving Doors Agency, has been highlighted in a Government report for its good practice, and as just the kind of service that needs new sustainable ways of funding.
The Role of Third Sector Innovation, published by the Cabinet Office, features the Neighbourhood Link scheme as a prime example of a successful integrated and personalised, early intervention service. The scheme helps people with multiple and complex needs who are at risk of getting into serious trouble with the law and becoming homeless.
The report said it is the kind of scheme that needs more stable ways of funding: “Many of these organisations often find it difficult to secure stable statutory funding for their services as the benefits of investment are often felt in the longer term and across multiple statutory funding streams. ... Government and the third sector should consider new and innovative approaches to funding personalised early interventions.”
St Mungo’s Chief Executive, Charles Fraser, said: “This is welcome recognition of the vital work that St Mungo’s does in tailoring its services to the specific needs of the individual. The people who are referred to our Neighbourhood Link Scheme often present with multiple and very complex needs – anti-social behaviour, drug and alcohol use and mental health issues.
“If we can prevent people from becoming homeless, that’s one less crisis for them to deal with. It’s also better for the local community and ultimately the taxpayer. It is vital that holistic services like this are sustainably commissioned and replicated if we are to support vulnerable people more effectively.”
Catherine Hennessy, Director of Developments and Partnership at Revolving Doors Agency, said: “We are pleased with this recognition that third sector partnership working with community policing can provide personalised early intervention for adults with multiple problems. It thereby ensures that they receive adequate support and are diverted from increasing involvement with the criminal justice system.”
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GENESIS COMMUNITY SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2010 HOUSING HEROES AWARDS
03 March 2010
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Robert Butler
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Robert Butler, Financial Inclusion Officer at Genesis Housing Group, has been shortlisted from more than 300 entries to the 2010 Housing Heroes Awards.
These awards, now in their second year, shine the spotlight on people and teams that are doing great work in the social and affordable housing sector. Genesis Housing Group is now one of six finalists left in the running for the Inspirational Mentor of the Year category.
Iain Mackechnie-Jarvis, Head of Genesis Community, the charitable arm of Genesis Housing Group, said “Financial inclusion is a service that overarches all our programmes to give disadvantaged people in London and the south east better life chances.
“Bob’s work is invaluable in helping our residents to turn their lives around. We all congratulate him on reaching the shortlist.”
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CITYWEST RESIDENTS IN CHURCH STREET OFFICIALLY ‘MONEY SAVVY’
03 March 2010
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CityWest Homes residents living in Church Street are now officially money savvy after successfully completing a six week Managing your money course.
Run by CityWest Homes and CHAS CL, the course aims to make residents more financially aware. Topics covered in the course include tips on how to cut the cost of household shopping, budgeting tips and how to avoid falling into debt.
Many of the residents who attended were keen to continue their financial education and would recommend the course to their family and neighbours.
Resident, Shabana Begum, who took part said; “I was feeling quite stressed about my debts until I went on the course. I would definitely recommend it to my friends and family.”
Another resident said that as result of the course she did meal plans for the week and learnt useful ways to stay in budget. The successful group was awarded certificates, grocery vouchers and a CityWest Homes digital money counter at their graduation ceremony.
Darren Levy, CityWest Homes Director of Customer Services said: “Congratulations to everyone who has completed this course. Offering the right services to our residents is important to us and that includes helping our residents gain financial advice and support during this difficult economic time. That these courses are proving popular means we are all on the right track to becoming more money savvy.”
More courses are planned for later in the year. CityWest Homes residents who would like to attend should call 0207 245 2052.
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CAMDEN SCHEME USE ITS NOODLE
03 March 2010
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Chinese residents at Jubilee House sheltered scheme in Camden have enjoyed a Healthy Eating Event at their communal kitchen, organised by EPIC Trust, part of Circle Anglia.
Throughout the afternoon the many participants learned how to prepare new, healthy meals such as steam bean curd and discovered new flavours. A Chinese nutritionist explained to residents how they can lead healthier lives, with an emphasis on promoting healthy food and fitness tips.
Resident, Mrs Mang-Sheung Leung, said: “I really enjoyed myself and found the event very interesting. I will start using the new recipes immediately. The event created a lovely atmosphere in our kitchen and we all come here now to help each other with the cooking or just for a chat.”
EPIC Trust’s Scheme Manager, Waiman Cheung, added: “I am very pleased about the event; it was great to see everyone getting involved in the cooking session and asking different questions. Many of our residents cook for themselves and will benefit from the event.
“We are committed to enhancing people’s Life Chances, events like these bring the community closer together and help improve their health and wellbeing.”
The event was part of the Activate London programme, funded by the Big Lottery, to improve the general health and lifestyle of Londoners living in social housing. It is one of 126 small, local projects, and the programme is supported by Circle Anglia, the Peabody Trust and five other London Housing Associations: Southern Housing Group, Family Mosaic, Broomleigh Housing, Metropolitan Housing Trust and CBHA.
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HOUSING NEWS: JOBS AND TENDERS ROUND-UP
03 March 2010
Housing News is advertising the following jobs and tenders on its regional newsletters:
JOBS
The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Procurement Manager based in Sunderland, salary circa £31k + benefits. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: March 22.
Almond Housing Association is seeking a Housing Manager. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12.
Almond Housing Association is seeking a Corporate & Development Administration Assistant. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12.
Almond Housing Association is seeking a Debt Recovery Officer [Part Time]. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12.
The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Chief Executive based in the North East, salary £108k + benefits. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: March 15.
Keelman Homes is seeking Two Ordinary Trustees to join its Board. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: March 5.
Tenders
Craigdale Housing Association is inviting tenders for a Tenant Satisfaction Survey. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 8.
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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JOB OF THE WEEK: POLICY/SERVICE IMPROVEMENT MANAGER
04 March 2010
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HABINTEG AND LIVABILITY HOUSING JOIN FORCES
04 March 2010
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Livability Housing, formerly John Grooms Housing Association, has merged with Habinteg.
The combined organisation will retain the name Habinteg Housing Association Ltd and will provide homes and services to over 3,400 households, of which 1200 are homes that are designed specifically for wheelchair users.
The merger follows extensive consultation with customers, staff and stakeholders from both organisations and included a selection process that identified Habinteg as the preferred partner in May 2009.
Sue Goodrich, Chair of Livability, said: “We are delighted that we are finally in a position to join together with Habinteg HA as the Board of Livability Housing believes that this represents the best opportunity to improve services to our tenants.
“Together we will be well placed to become the leading national provider of affordable accessible homes, whilst simultaneously providing responsive housing services to our tenants. We are really excited about the future as we realise our shared vision to enable and empower people with disabilities to live independently.”
Habinteg will continue both organisations’ mission to improve housing opportunities for disabled people and campaign for better designed homes and services.
Paul Gamble, Acting Chief Executive at Habinteg said, “We are pleased to welcome Livability Housing into Habinteg. Both organisations have been at the forefront of creating housing opportunities for disabled people and together we aim to continue that work by working with disabled people to improve our services and to campaign for better designed homes and services.”
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EAST LONDON H.A. CELEBRATES 25 YEARS
04 March 2010
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Mitali Housing Association has hosted a 25th anniversary event to celebrate its achievements and to recognise the lasting impact its founding Bangladeshi members have had on local East London communities.
In the early 80’s, a pioneering group of Bangladeshis living and working in the East End of London saw derelict, boarded up buildings in Whitechapel’s Commercial Road and decided to make use of them. Initially moving into the buildings as squatters, they began to help one another renovate them.
Their vision was to provide secure homes for their families and community so that their children could aspire to a better future. After forging good relations with the then Greater London Council, they went on to form a housing cooperative and apply for public subsidies, enabling them to buy their homes and provide housing for others.
Twenty five years on many of their children are studying to become professionals and the hard work and ambition of the founders continues to benefit the wider community.
With its vast experience in housing the Bangladeshi community in Tower Hamlets, over the years – especially since it became a part of Network Housing Group in 2001 – Bethnal Green-based Mitali has expanded its reach and now serves a more diverse community providing more than 400 homes
for people whatever their ethnic group, across several East London boroughs.
Mitali Managing Director, Nazir Hafezjee, said: “The founding members of Mitali were dedicated to helping those people whose needs were not being met. Providing more than just decent housing, we continue to contribute to the creation of thriving neighbourhoods and to improve the quality of life of our residents, ensuring our people are well-housed, feel safe in their
neighbourhoods and have the opportunities they need.”
Constantly striving to ensure that its residents are at the heart of all decisions, Mitali has helped them to set up resident associations as well as a central residents’ forum.
Kimmi Jasper, a resident and Chair of the residents’ forum, said: “Mitali serves everyone. It doesn’t matter what race of religion they are, it’s about people in need. Through the residents’ forum we do our best to make sure everyone is represented.”
Mitali's team and founding members were joined at the celebratory event by residents, as well as by key stakeholders including Tenant Services Authority Chief Executive, Peter Marsh, National Housing Federation Chief Executive, David Orr and Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Councillor Ahmed Omer.
Peter Marsh said: “Ever since Mitali was established it has been a key part of the East London community. It has a clear mission to deliver and manage high quality, affordable homes and to regenerate and support BME communities across the area. Like the TSA, Mitali is committed to delivering improved services for residents and it has an important role to play in meeting the housing needs of the local people it serves and supporting a wider agenda of local community cohesion.”
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KENSINGTON HOUSING TRUST PROVIDES ‘STRONG’ MAINTENANCE SERVICES
04 March 2010
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Kensington Housing Trust provides strong maintenance services and is improving its engagement with residents, according to the Audit Commission.
KHT is delivering a good repairs service and is working effectively to ensure that it meets its legal obligations to ensure the safety of gas appliances in its tenants’ homes. Overall, resident involvement is satisfactory but more could be done in this area. KHT is helping its customers access services but, again, more could be done to ensure that it fully understands what barriers are facing some of them.
Inspectors concluded this following a short-notice inspection of how well the housing association provides general repairs and gas servicing and how effectively it involves its tenants in managing and improving services.
Ann Bennett , Lead Housing Inspector, said: “KHT has significantly improved its maintenance services in the last 12 months and is now providing a strong repairs service and is working effectively to meet its statutory obligations regarding gas safety. It is also developing better ways of working with all its tenants to ensure that it is meeting their needs. However, in a few important areas there is still some way to go before services match the best performing landlords.”
Strengths include that customers have easy access to meet with staff, and are provided with high quality information and a wide range of service standards. Customer feedback processes are in place and help to develop service improvements. A programme of assessments is helping to identify any customers who are facing barriers to accessing services.
There is also effective working relationships with contractor partners has produced a range of efficiency savings as well as improved services for customers; repairs are completed quickly and within target based on appointments which suit customers’ needs; and the majority of gas appliances are serviced annually and effective formal steps are taken where access is not made available by tenants. The servicing programme is well managed and promoted to tenants.
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REGISTER NOW FOR FREE OUT-OF-HOURS SHARED SERVICES EVENT
04 March 2010
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There less than a week to register for the A Year of Delivery & Savings - Out-of-Hours Call Handling event, which takes place on March 10 (1pm-4pm) at Cottons Centre, London Bridge.
This anniversary event from London Councils will present client case studies and host interactive workshops lead by participating authorities, customer service agents, and operations manager reflecting the significant cost savings and improvement in services.
With demands higher than ever for cheaper, better, faster customer services in local government this event is not to be missed!
Speakers will include Bernard Diamant, Capital Ambition, Keith Paulin, Tower Hamlets and Michelle Bernard, Ealing.
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BARNET TENANT SHORTLISTED FOR NATIONAL HOUSING HEROES AWARDS
04 March 2010
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A 21-year-old from Edgware could be named the most inspirational tenant in the UK after being shortlisted for a major national award.
Rui Jorge Octavio is one of just six people across the country in the running for the Inspirational Tenant of the Year Award at the 2010 Housing Heroes Awards.
Rui was nominated by his landlord, Barnet Homes, in recognition of his work in setting up Nutmeg (New Unique Talented Motivated Energetic Generation) – a group that seeks to motivate, empower and support young people in the west of Barnet.
Rui was originally motivated to help other young people following the murder of 15-year-old Kiyan Prince outside his school, the London Academy in Edgware, in May 2006.
He and his friends wanted to counter the negative perceptions of youth arising from Kiyan’s death, and agreed to stage an event during Peace Week in September 2008 under the Nutmeg banner. Subsequent Nutmeg events have proved increasingly popular - more than 500 young people attended a one year anniversary event in September 2009.
Rui has also held “Grab Ur Mic” comedy workshops for youth in the area aimed at instilling confidence in his peers and giving them a better platform to succeed in later life.
The Nutmeg events have been given funding through Barnet Homes’ Youth Engagement Panel, which offers up to £30,000 a year for projects which will provide long-term benefits for young people on its estates. Nutmeg has also received support from the Metropolitan Police and was recently offered funding from the Home Office.
Barnet Homes’ Deputy Chief Executive, Derek Rust, said: “We invited Rui to our AGM last November to talk about his work and he just blew us all away. We think it remarkable that someone so young is willing to give up so much of his time to help others – he’s an inspiration to us all.
“Rui’s work is clearly helping us in our aim of creating safer and stronger communities in Barnet, so we’re thrilled that he has been shortlisted for the Housing Heroes award. I wish him the very best of luck at the ceremony.”
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EALING TENANT ORDERED TO LEAVE AFTER MAKING NEIGHBOURS’ LIVES A MISERY
04 March 2010
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A 65-year-old man from Ealing, has been evicted from his home after making his neighbours’ lives a misery.
A2Dominion obtained a court order instructing the tenant to leave after receiving numerous reports of anti-social behaviour. Complaints about the tenant, who lived at an A2Dominion flat in Ramsay Road, Acton, included threatening behaviour, noise nuisance and alleged drug-related issues.
Brentford County Court issued a court order earlier this month, enabling the eviction to take place on February 25, 2010. A2Dominion has worked with local agencies, including local police in Acton, to tackle the anti-social behaviour.
Dawn Wightman, A2Dominion’s Area Director (London), said: “A2Dominion is committed to ensuring that our homes, neighbourhoods and estates are safe and peaceful places to live. When incidents of anti-social behaviour occur we do not hesitate to take action.
“In this case, neighbours of the tenant involved endured months of anti-social behaviour, which made their lives a misery. We worked very closely with the tenant, residents and local agencies to try to resolve the problems as quickly as possible. It was regrettable that in the end we had no other option but to resort to eviction.”
The eviction means that A2Dominion has now regained legal possession of the home. A2Dominion’s Neighbourhood and Lettings teams will work together to ensure it is re-let to a suitable new tenant.
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HOUSING NEWS: JOBS AND TENDERS ROUND-UP
04 March 2010
Housing News is advertising the following jobs and tenders on its regional newsletters:
JOBS
West Kent Housing Association is seeking a Policy/Service Improvement Manager. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/london. Closing Date: March 18.
The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Procurement Manager based in Sunderland, salary circa £31k + benefits. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: March 22.
Almond Housing Association is seeking a Housing Manager. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12.
Almond Housing Association is seeking a Corporate & Development Administration Assistant. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12.
Almond Housing Association is seeking a Debt Recovery Officer [Part Time]. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12.
The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Chief Executive based in the North East, salary £108k + benefits. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: March 15.
Keelman Homes is seeking Two Ordinary Trustees to join its Board. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: March 5.
Melville Housing Association is seeking a Housing Assistant (Temporary). For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12.
Melville Housing Association is seeking a Property Manager. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 15.
Tenders
Craigdale Housing Association is inviting tenders for a Tenant Satisfaction Survey. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 8.
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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JOB OF THE WEEK: POLICY/SERVICE IMPROVEMENT MANAGER
05 March 2010
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NORTH KENSINGTON ESTATE REDEVELOPMENT GETS GO-AHEAD
05 March 2010
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Plans for the redevelopment of the Wornington Green Estate in North Kensington have been given the green light by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
The Council's Major Planning Development Committee recommended that s (KHT) application be approved. The application has now been sent to the Mayor of London for final clearance.
The regeneration of the area will set in motion an exciting new era for the estate's residents, replacing homes that have simply not stood the test of time. All current tenants on the estate will be eligible for new homes.
By reconnecting Portobello Road to Ladbroke Grove, the regeneration will have a much wider impact, and the return to a more traditional street pattern means that Wornington Green will no longer be an `estate', but an integrated part of Kensington.
Key features of the redevelopment include 538 high quality affordable homes to replace those demolished, an additional 30 shared ownership homes, more than 300 new homes for sale, and
ten per cent of dwellings to be wheelchair accessible.
Work is due to commence in the autumn and to minimise the disruption to the existing community, a phased build is planned, using part of Athlone Gardens during construction. This will reduce the number of temporary moves and enable the vast majority of residents to move straight into new homes on the estate. Once work has finished a park will be returned to residents that is the same size as the existing Athlone Gardens.
The Council has also insisted that an area of public open space at least half the size of the current Athlone Gardens is available at all times during the construction; and any replacement community centre is built before the existing Venture Centre is demolished.
Cllr Daniel Moylan, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Planning Policy, said: "We have kept our pledge to the Wornington Green community by making it clear to Kensington Housing Trust what would be acceptable in any application they submitted for the development of the estate.
"Minimising disruption to the estate's residents has also been at the forefront of our minds and we have insisted that a park and community centre are available throughout the construction. Finally, the physical regeneration of the estate and the related benefits for the wider area will help reduce the disparity in opportunity between the north and south of the borough."
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ARHAG PROVIDES A ‘FAIR’ HOUSING MANAGEMENT SERVICE
05 March 2010
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Arhag Housing Association provides a ‘fair’ housing management service, which has ‘promising’ prospects for improvement, according to the Audit Commission.
The inspection team gave the service a ‘fair’, one–star rating, as it is easy to contact the association, staff are helpful and tenants are benefiting from improved properties. However, performance in rent arrears and dealing with anti-social behaviour is weak.
Hugh Boatswain, the Lead Housing Inspector for London, said: “Arhag has improved services in key areas such as major works and customer care, resulting in improved resident satisfaction. Clear leadership is leading to better outcomes for residents, but significant weaknesses remain in the collection of rent and dealing with anti-social behaviour. The association is not yet tailoring services to meet the diverse needs of its tenants.”
Strengths include a strong focus on customer care, and effective working with partners to promote social inclusion; an active programme of major, planned and cyclical works; a range of ways for tenants to get involved in the work of the association; improved value for money; and positive leadership, improved performance in most areas and increased satisfaction.
Weaknesses include leaflets and service standards do not fully cover the full range of services; satisfaction with overall services remains low compared to other landlords; knowledge of policies and targets is variable among staff; there are limited outcomes from the approach to equality and diversity; the approach to rent arrears, aids and adaptations, anti-social behaviour and domestic violence is weak; and value for money is not a key element of the work of the association.
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HARINGEY LEADER OPENS SHIAN’S NEW DEVELOPMENT
05 March 2010
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Councillor Claire Kober, Leader of Haringey Council, was the special guest at the official opening of Shian Housing Association’s new Narrowboat development.
Started in December 2008, the scheme is a mix of 30 homes available for social and intermediate rent for local residents, of which two of the properties are adapted to wheelchair standard, and is Shian’s first new development for ten years.
The scheme, built on the site of the former Narrowboat Pub in Haringey, has been developed for Shian by Sanctuary Group through an arrangement which forms part of an innovative development consortium.
Established by Sanctuary, the consortium allows smaller housing associations to draw on the skills and support of Sanctuary’s experienced development team, providing them with the opportunity to develop much needed affordable accommodation.
The celebratory event to mark the completion of the scheme saw speeches from Cllr Kober, Leslie Laniyan, Shian Housing Association Managing Director, and Vijay Asi, Managing Director of Asra Midlands, part of Sanctuary Group.
Guests were then be taken on a guided tour of the development, providing the perfect opportunity for guests and partners involved in the project to network in a relaxed environment and view the properties.
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LONDON CHARITIES LAUNCH ELECTION MANIFESTOS
05 March 2010
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A powerful coalition of children and young people’s charities in London has launched an election manifesto, United We Stand: A Voluntary and Community Sector Manifesto for London’s Children and Young People.
The 15-strong London Child Policy Forum includes major national charities including Barnardo’s, NSPCC and Save the Children plus pan-London networks London Play and London Youth. Never before has such a range of voluntary and community groups come together with one voice to demand action from the capital’s politicians.
Covering topics including education, employment, health, sport and criminal justice, United We Stand is an authoritative call for collaboration. The evidence-based recommendations represent some of the crucial practical steps we can take to make London better for our successor generation.
Nick Wilkie, London Youth’s Chief Executive, said: “This manifesto is the result of unprecedented collaboration between a broad range of charities. We now ask that London’s policy makers stand with us to fight for a better future for all of the capital’s children and young people. It is only by working together that we can help the next generation to be happier, healthier and wealthier than the one before.”
Delroy Pomell, Barnardo's Director for London, East & South-East (England), said: “There is still so much more to be done to help children in London as they are short changed in so many ways from living in poverty to homelessness and childhood obesity to higher social exclusion rates. It is vital that protection, health and welfare of children remain high on the agenda of policy-makers and commissioners so we can start to see improvements for children and young people in the capital.
“We must all do more to protect the physical and emotional well-being of children. This challenge must be faced by the voluntary and statutory sectors and policy-makers working in close co-operation. It is important that London's children and young people feel part of a com-munity and through us all coming together we can help build a brighter future for them.”
Dr Ute Navidi, Chief Executive of London Play, said: “Imagine what London would look and feel like if all children and young people could play outdoors and meet their friends, close to where they live. Past generations could play in the street, in parks and public spaces, with a minimum of adult supervision.
“Today, four out of five young Londoners say they would prefer to play outdoors but less than half do so. We all need to help ensure that they can access staffed play areas and public open spaces, to relax, have fun, and experience and negotiate risks. It’s all part of becoming competent and well-balanced citizens. We will work with politicians and coalition partners for a capital where all children and young people always feel welcome and valued.”
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HOUNSLOW HOMES CELEBRATE BEAVERS LANE PROJECT
05 March 2010
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Mohammad Chaudhry in the digger
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Hounslow Homes new build projects are in full swing and to celebrate the progress, Chief Executive, Bernadette O’Shea, Board Chair, Mohammad Chaudhry, Hounslow Council’s Head of Housing Client and Partnership Barbara Perry, United House Director, Ron Roberts and A2Dominion Director, David Price have visited to the site to commemorate the demolition.
The Beavers Lane project involves the demolition of former housing. The four blocks on Beavers Lane had extensive structural problems, which made redevelopment a more cost-effective option.
A total of £5.3m has been allocated to the project by the London Development Agency and council’s Capital Programme. In addition, the Homes & Communities Agency has allocated nearly £3m of direct grant funding to Hounslow Homes, one of the first instances of such a grant for a London-based Arms Length Management Organisation.
The first stage of the project comprises 32 new homes for social rent, which tenants will be moved into by early 2011. 23 shared ownership homes will be sold through A2 Dominion and 38 homes are for private sale. United House will also be improving lighting, parking and boundaries in order to ‘design out’ crime and anti-social behaviour in the area.
The whole project will provide a total of 190 new homes in Hounslow and includes one, two and three bedroom apartments and two and three bedroom houses.
Bernadette O'Shea said: "It was so exciting being on site and being part of the action. We are delighted to move on with Stage One of the Beavers Estate Scheme with our partners Hounslow Council, United House and A2 Dominion. We look forward to progressing with Stage Two in a couple of years time and completing much needed new housing in Hounslow."
Jeffrey Adams said: “This project demonstrates the important alignment of private and public organisations working together to deliver high quality housing for London.”
David Price said: “We’re delighted to be providing 30 shared ownership homes over two phases as part of the regeneration of Beavers Lane in Hounslow. As an award-wining housing provider, we are committed to providing high quality homes and helping to strengthen local communities through regeneration schemes such as this. The shared ownership homes will play an important part in the regeneration of Beavers Lane, helping people who can’t afford to buy a home on the open market to get on the property ladder.”
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ALDWYCK IN LINE FOR HOUSING HEROES AWARD
05 March 2010
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Aldwyck Housing Group’s Community Involvement team has been shortlisted for the prestigious 2010 Housing Heroes Awards.
The awards, organised by the Chartered Institute of Housing and Inside Housing magazine, are in their second year and are intended to shine a spotlight on the people and teams that are doing great work in the social/affordable housing sector.
The Community Involvement Team consisting of Emma Wallington, Sue Crossey, Geoff Collins and Rhys Evans, is now one of six left in the running for the Tenant Empowerment Team of the Year 2010.
Aldwyck Chief Executive, Harj Singh said: “Over the past two years we have made great strides in involving our customers. The Customer Scrutiny Panel, the new youth panels and the focus groups that we run are increasing opportunities for residents to influence and shape our services. I have no doubt that the input we gain from our customers is vital in ensuring we provide the excellent services for all.”
Howard Farrand, President of the CIH said: “In my experience it is the extraordinary people that do fantastic work for our customers that make the real difference. So I want to congratulate every finalist for getting this far in these awards. It was extremely tightly contested, and I look forward to helping to unveil the eventual winners in May.”
The winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony at London’s Hilton Hotel on 14 May hosted by TV presenter, Antarctic explorer and Atlantic rower Ben Fogle. The awards are sponsored by Campbell Tickell, EMA, Asset Skills, Synergy Group and The Hire Standard.
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HOUSING NEWS: JOBS AND TENDERS ROUND-UP
05 March 2010
Housing News is advertising the following jobs and tenders on its regional newsletters:
JOBS
West Kent Housing Association is seeking a Policy/Service Improvement Manager. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/london. Closing Date: March 18.
The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Procurement Manager based in Sunderland, salary circa £31k + benefits. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: March 22.
Almond Housing Association is seeking a Housing Manager. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12.
Almond Housing Association is seeking a Corporate & Development Administration Assistant. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12.
Almond Housing Association is seeking a Debt Recovery Officer [Part Time]. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12.
The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Chief Executive based in the North East, salary £108k + benefits. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: March 15.
Keelman Homes is seeking Two Ordinary Trustees to join its Board. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: March 5.
Melville Housing Association is seeking a Housing Assistant (Temporary). For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12.
Melville Housing Association is seeking a Property Manager. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 15.
Tenders
Craigdale Housing Association is inviting tenders for a Tenant Satisfaction Survey. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 8.
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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NEWS 
