New phones and computer systems - Plymouth Community Homes

news
Issue 4
Autumn 2010
New
phones and
computer
systems
(see back page for details)
Inside: Decent Homes Delivery special

Annual Report
to Tenants
Meeting Tenant Services
Authority Standards
The Tenant Services Authority (also known as
the TSA) are the regulator for social housing in
England – they have been set up to keep an
eye on how Housing Associations are run and
how they provide services to tenants.
Peter Ebsworth
Welcome
Welcome to issue four of
Plymouth Community Homes News
Work across the city is gathering pace as
hundreds of our homes are being improved.
In this issue we bring you news of those
improvements, with lots of information about
what you can expect when it’s your turn for a
new kitchen and bathroom for example.
We’re also announcing changes to our
telephone and computer systems in this issue.
This change sees Plymouth Community Homes
install its own systems, replacing equipment
we brought across at transfer and upgrading
to give us new call handling features. We
hope you’ll see improvements as a result of
this change.
We hope you enjoy this issue. If you have
suggestions about what we should publish in
future issues please do let us know.
We welcome your comments and
ideas by phone to 0800 917 9457
or email residentinvolvement
@plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk
Over the last year some of you have got
involved in the TSA’s consultation about
proposed new national minimum standards for
all social housing providers. Following that
consultation the TSA have recently published
the final set of standards.
There are six standards
• Tenant involvement – including customer
service, choice and complaints
• Home - including the quality of
accommodation and repairs and
maintenance
• Tenancy - including requirements on
allocations, rents and tenancy
• Neighbourhood and Community -
including neighbourhood management and
anti social behaviour
• Value for money
• Governance and financial viability
Along with this issue of the newsletter we’re
sending you a report which will explain more
about how we meet these standards and how
we’ll be working with you to improve things.
It’s called the Annual Report to Tenants.
You can find out more about the TSA
and about the standards at their website
www.tenantservicesauthority.org or you
can telephone 0845 230 7000
2

Handyperson Service
In the transfer offer document we sent to all
tenants last year we promised that we’d
introduce a new Handyperson Service. We’re
ready to keep that promise and now we’d like to
know what you think of our ideas for the service.
The Handyperson Service would offer minor
repairs and maintenance in your home, possibly
for a small charge. As your landlord we take
care of major repairs, maintenance and
refurbishments in most circumstances and in
most homes. But small repairs like fixing new
toilet seats and changing light bulbs are not part
of the landlord service. They are little jobs that
people usually do themselves.
Some tenants told us that they couldn’t do these
jobs. Perhaps because they are older and have
no local family or network that could do the jobs
for them, and they told us that being able to call
someone they trust to do jobs like these for a
small charge would be really useful.
What do you think?
If you’d like to tell us your ideas straight away
call us on 0800 917 9457
We can send you a copy of a consultation
document, or you can see it on our website at
www.plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk/ourcommunity/how-to-get-involved/surveys
Gas servicing update
Don’t forget that we need to do a gas service check on your property every
year. It’s our legal duty to do this, to keep you and everyone around you safe
from dangerous fumes or worse.
It’s incredibly important that you let us in to
your home to do this check so please respond to
letters or visits. If you don’t let us in, we have a
range of legal powers we can use to gain access
to your property.
We implemented a new gas servicing access
procedure back in January this year to boost our
powers, and sadly we’ve had to make over 70
applications to the County Court. Thirty-three
injunctions have been granted allowing us to get
into homes that refused us entry.
Please keep in mind that if we have to resort to
legal action to access your home you could be
charged £150 or more as ordered by the Court.
More than 99% of tenants let us in to homes to
do the gas service, but if you’re one of the 1%
who don’t then please contact us today to avoid
legal action and unnecessary charges.
To arrange your appointment call us on 01752
304790
3

New contractor:Eagaheat
Eagaheat appointed for service, maintenance and installation of heating
Plymouth Community Homes has appointed
the Green services company Eagaheat to
service and repair heating systems for
tenants, and to deliver a number of heating
installations under its ‘Affordable Warmth’
programme.
Eagaheat is the main service delivery
division of Eaga plc, the UK's largest
provider of household energy efficiency and
renewable technology solutions.
Since 1990 it has worked with central and
local government, housing associations,
energy suppliers and the private sector to
help more than 5 million households have
warmer homes and more affordable
heating.
Alan Ring, Managing Director of Eagaheat,
said: “Winning this contract is hugely
significant for us and means we can extend
our presence in the region and create more
green-sector jobs – both through this
agreement and with other services we
offer. We are looking forward to providing a
first class service for our Plymouth
Community Homes customers here in
Plymouth”.
Decent Homes delivery special
Welcome to our Decent Homes Delivery special pages. In the next few pages you’ll find:
• Special features on the contractors who are
installing thousands of new kitchens and
bathrooms in Plymouth Community Homes
properties.
• Photos of work that’s happening right now,
to give you an idea of what it’ll look like
when your home is improved!
• Answers to some ‘frequently asked
questions’. On this page we’re publishing
answers to some of the common questions
that people ask us when phoning to
enquire about improvements in their homes.
Contact details:
To find out when improvements are happening
in your home you can:
• Call our head office on 0800 694 3101
• Drop into any of our housing offices
• Keep an eye on our website – we hope to
be adding the database containing all
improvement information very soon.
www.plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk
• Call in to see us on the Trailer when we’re
out and about in neighbourhoods.
4

Decent Homes delivery special
Meet the team from
Left to right: Mark O’nions (Foreman), Emma Wale (Tenant Liasion Officer) Jonathan Haigh
(Site Manager) Craig Russell (Trainee Quantity Surveyor) Stuart Nicholls (Contracts Manager)
Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) are a regeneration
specialist delivering a holistic package of housing
services, including refurbishment, repairs,
facilities and asset management, extra care
residential schemes, maintenance and new build
projects.
FHM are one of four contractors who have been
awarded a multi-million pound contract as part
of a five-year investment programme to bring
thousands of former council homes up to the
Plymouth Community Homes Standard.
Mark O’nions, Foreman
Mark’s main responsibilities include ensuring
that all work is carried out to a high standard
and to support the Site Manager. Mark moved to
Paignton with his family in September 2009. He
is originally from the Midlands. Outside of work
Mark enjoys railway modelling.
Emma Wale, Tenant Liaison Officer
Emma’s role is to ensure that all tenants are
happy with the works being carried out in their
homes and bringing awareness to the local
community. She recently moved to Plymouth
from North Devon.
Jonathan Haigh, Site Manager
Jon has overall onsite responsibility ensuring
that health and safety is adhered to, all
sub-contractors complete works to schedule and
that the contract runs as smoothly as possible. In
his spare time Jon enjoys white water rafting
and canoeing.
Craig Russell, Trainee Quantity Surveyor
Craig joined FHM in March 2010 as a trainee
quantity surveyor. The QS has overall cost
control of the project and is there to ensure the
contract is completed within budget. Craig has
lived in Plymouth all his life and in his spare
time Craig enjoys football.
Stuart Nicholls, Contracts Manager
Stuart manages the delivery of the contract
ensuring that all works are completed on time
and to a high quality standard.
5

Decent Homes delivery special
Frequently asked questions about your
kitchen and bathroom installation
When will work be done in my home?
Call Plymouth Community Homes Contracts
Team on 388424 and we’ll look up your property
records. We’ll be able to tell you what
installations are planned and approximately
when that will be.
Why can’t you give me an exact date
for my kitchen and bathroom?
Because the programme of installations is so big.
Many thousands of homes are having many
thousands of installations, which means that
dates can easily get ahead or slip behind. When
we get to within four weeks of installation we’ll
be able to give you pretty accurate dates.
sure you can still live comfortably, and they will
clear up all mess that they make.
I’m worried because I have some
particular needs, for example I am not
mobile, I’m ill, or I’m frail. How can
you help?
Your contractors will always put your needs first.
This applies both to the time that they are doing
work in your home, and to the actual fittings
they install. It’s very important that you tell the
contractors about everything you might need –
whether that’s a specially adapted tap,
somewhere to stay while work is done, or help
emptying and refilling your cupboards.
What written information can I expect
about my installation, and when?
The contractor installing your kitchen and
bathroom should give you a handbook containing
everything you need to know, including contact
numbers, at least two weeks before they start
work.
When can I make choices about colours
and styles in my kitchen and bathroom?
Your contractor will send a surveyor and liaison
officer to visit you at least four weeks before
your installation starts. That’s when you’ll be
able to see colours and styles that you can
choose from and you will have a seven day
period to make changes in choice following the
design if necessary.
How much mess can I expect when my
kitchen and bathroom are installed?
Having a completely new kitchen or bathroom
will be disruptive. The room will be inaccessible
for a while, you may lose water and/or heating
temporarily and there’ll be some mess while
work is being completed.
But your contractor has promised that they’ll
keep disruption to a minimum, that they’ll make
all the special arrangements you need to make
What should I do if I’m not happy with
the work being done in my home?
Tell your contractor first. They will have
provided you with contact names and numbers.
If you cannot resolve the problem with the
contractor you can tell our Plymouth Community
Homes contracts team on 388424.
I want more cupboard space than
the contractor will provide. Can I buy
extra wall units and ask the contractor
to fit them?
There should be no need to purchase additional
wall/base units because the contractors are
instructed to make the maximum use of the
space available in the kitchen (provided there is
no breach of safety).
I don’t like the choice of tiles that the
contractors are offering. If I buy my
own tiles, will the contractor fit them
instead of the standard choices?
No, the range to be fitted should be from the
colour choices offered, three for the kitchen and
three for the bathroom. If you want to change
this in the future that’s fine, but remember that
it makes maintenance difficult because we only
stock the standard choices.
6

Decent Homes delivery special
The colour and style choices I’m being
offered are different to the ones I saw
in the show homes in 2009, why is this?
Because suppliers have moved on and ranges
have changed. Just like the changes in ranges
you see in DIY stores, the ranges available to us
have also changed. The ranges we’re offering
are as close as possible to the ones we showed
you in 2009.
The contractor won’t put my cupboards
or radiator where I asked them to.
Why is that?
Sometimes the contractors have to put safety
laws first. For example, building regulations
dictate that you cannot place cupboards near to
a gas boiler, and there are rules about placing
radiators too. If the contractors tell you that
something isn’t possible because of a safety
regulation you can always check with us to check
that this is correct. Call 388424.
7

Decent Homes delivery special
Case Study:Karl Donegan
8
Better places to live
Karl Donegan (47) is a team
leader for maintenance, repairs
and decoration and he believes
that his job is about more than
just a lick of paint.
“Your first impression of a
home is so important” he says.
“It may be fabulous inside, but
if the outside needs a facelift,
then sometimes you can feel
like, “who’s house is this?!”
“That’s where we come in. A
facelift can make all the
difference and I’ve seen first
hand how it can lift people’s
spirit.”
Part of Karl’s role is talking
with tenants, explaining how
his team works and what you
can expect in terms of repairs
and redecoration to homes.
Sometimes people are
concerned about timing – how
long until their home will be
painted – sometimes it’s about
which shade of blue.
Tenants now get a choice of
colour for their home. Going
out to estates with the resident
involvement team Karl is able
to show people the options on a
colour chart, and the eight
most popular choices become
the standard for that area.
A good place to work
Born and bred in Plymouth, Karl
started out as a painter and
decorator with the council in
1979, working his way through
various roles including charge
hand, foreman and contract
surveyor. He moved to
Plymouth Community Homes as
team leader with the stock
transfer at the end of
November 2009.
“It’s great that tenants now get
some choice” says Karl. “It’s a
time of transition for all of us,
because Plymouth Community
Homes is so new. I’ve been in
the painting trade a long time
and seen a lot of changes in
how things are done.”
“What I’m seeing now is a
massive difference. Things are
really happening for our
tenants, things that have
needed to happen for a long
time. The quality of work is
getting better and
better and we are joining up
with our contractors to make
sure we offer the best service
we can”.
Putting residents first
“For some of our clients, we
can be the face of Plymouth
Community Homes so it’s
important that we are able to
answer questions about all
aspects of their homes and
lives.
People can be concerned
about all sorts of things,
from the colour of their
kitchen floor to what day
their rubbish is collected;
from what to do about
noisy neighbours to more
serious private issues such as
health. The conversation might
start with the colour of paint
but it’s often about more than
that.”
“A lot of our residents have
been in their homes for years”
says Karl. When Plymouth
Community Homes started, I
think perhaps there was a sense
of “heard it all before. But
that’s not what I’m hearing
now.
“When we walk around and talk
to people, we’re hearing a lot
of good about the stage we’re
now at. I’ve seen a lot of
changes for local people in 30
years, but I really believe this
is the best period for Plymouth
Community Homes residents.
“Many that I’ve talked to really
feel part of it. Its hope, and
they’re grabbing it with both
hands!”

Connaught Update
Many of our residents are aware that some parts
of the Connaught business ceased trading
recently, when they went into administration.
Connaught were installing some kitchens and
bathrooms, and some central heating systems
for us.
We’re sad to see the loss of this major Devon
business, especially that it’s meant the loss of so
many local jobs, and worries for our residents
who were having Connaught kitchens and
bathrooms. We are working closely with the
other contractors on the ‘Kitchen and
Bathroom Term Partnering Contract’ to agree a
long term solution to the loss of Connaught.
Meanwhile, work to our homes doesn’t stop. In
some areas we’ve brought in workers of our own
to complete properties started but not finished
by Connaught, but we want to reassure you
that the changing situation won’t affect our
installation programme.
We’ll keep you updated, but meanwhile if you
have any concerns or enquiries about
installations, please call the Asset and
Programmes Management Team on 01752
388424.
Money Tree
Fund update
Kitley Way
Residents in Kitley Way have for many years
suffered problems caused by an abandoned and
overgrown green space behind their homes.
A magnet for anti social behaviour and
fly tipping, the patch of brambles and
weeds was a big issue.
With transfer and the introduction of the
Money Tree Funds, residents worked
with their housing office and the
Resident Involvement Team to transform
the area and reclaim the land for useful
garden space.
This massive project is nearing
completion, and the before and after
photos illustrate the huge changes that
have happened as a result of the Money
Tree Fund.
If you’ve got an idea to improve your neighbourhood,
why not think about submitting a bid for Money Tree
Funds yourself? Leaflets and application forms are
available in any of our offices, on the website at
www.plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk, or by calling
us on 0800 694 3101.
9

Money Tree Fund update
Henderson Place
Henderson Place off Wolseley Road is
going through a big make over with
financial help from the Money Tree
Fund. Improvements at the block
inlude new secure front doors, a
secure communal entrance door with
an intercom system, new fencing, and
painting and cladding.
Rick Clark, Housing Officer for the area said,
“The Money Tree Fund is great; we can improve
neighbourhoods that really need it”
To find out what Henderson Place residents
wanted to see happen the Resident Involvement
Team parked Trevor the trailer outside the flats
and invited residents to come and talk about
improvements.
Residents were overwhelmingly pleased with the
ideas and said that it would help stop anti social
behaviour at the flats.
Resident Nickita Wreford said;
“I think it’s going to be so much better and more
secure”
Ryan Huws from the Resident Involvement
Team said;
“Residents have had a real say about what
happens to their area. There’s lots of work to
be done but we’re all ready for the challenge.
I’m really looking forward to seeing the place
when all the improvements are done”
10

New opening times for
main housing offices
Plymouth Community Homes’
first Continuous Improvement
Group (CIG), made up of 7
residents and 7 staff, has
worked hard to identify what
customers’ expectations are of
the services we deliver. This
group is also looking at ways to
address any issues and what
needs to happen for us to
improve our customer service
to our residents.
The group has made several
requests and recommendations
and as a result, one action to
happen is the opening of the
four main housing offices all
day.
The offices have traditionally
been closed over the lunchtime
period.
The opening times for
North Prospect, Estover,
Whitleigh and Devonport
are
Mon
Tues
Weds*
Thurs
Fri
8.45am - 4.30pm
8.45am - 4.30pm
8.45am - 4.30pm
8.45am - 4.30pm
8.45am - 4.00pm
* Please note that the
four offices do not open
until 10.30am on the 2 nd
Wednesday of the month
and 12.30pm on the
4 th Wednesday of each
month – this is for staff
training.
Front row, left to right - Paul Llewellyn (Charge Hand at the Sign Shop), Kevin Atkin
(Housing Officer), Back row, left to right, Stacey Kendall (Tenant and CIG member), Nicola
Finnegan (Leaseholder and CIG member), Kaye Pocock (Resident Involvement Officer)
11

Stepping Stones to Nature is a
new, 4 year project funded by the Big Lottery
Access to Nature programme, to encourage
Plymouth people to get healthy by using the local
natural spaces on their doorstep for walking,
cycling, playing, art and learning.
The first year’s activities have already started in
Efford Valley, Forder Valley (Leigham/Mainstone)
and Woodland Wood nature reserves (Honicknowle/
Whitleigh) and we’re working with schools, youth
and community groups and local residents to make
it safer and easier to get around the sites. There
are a range of activities in which you can take part,
including practical conservation and nature walks.
If you would like to participate or help to
run activities and events please contact the
Stepping Stones to Nature team, Zoe Goss and
Jemma Sharman on
E: steppingstones@plymouth.gov.uk
T: 01752 307849
W: www.plymouth.gov.uk/steppingstones
Ham Wood – Next Steps
Do you live near Ham Woods? Stepping Stones to
Nature has been talking to residents and groups over
the last few months about the woods and what they
think are the priority for improvements. Many
thanks to those residents who have already been in
touch and offered support to help with improvements.
You may have seen a group of young people from
Groundwork’s Green Team and the British Trust for
Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) working hard in
Ham Woods to help clear paths, litter and remove
some of the invasive plants.
We’re organising a meeting to:
• share the community responses about Ham
Woods
• agree the next steps to improve access
• support a ‘Friends of Ham Wood’ group
• identify opportunities for community activities,
education, walks for health and conservation
volunteering
Step Into Nature is a 1 year project to
encourage people to get walking for health in the
natural spaces in and around Plymouth. Funded by
Natural England’s Walking for Health initiative, and
supported by the NHS and Stepping Stones to
Nature, walks will be led by trained volunteer
leaders. The walks are for people who haven't been
active for a while. Most of the walks last between
45 minutes and an hour.
Support and training is available to help you
become a walk leader and guide you through the
process of setting up a group. We’ve organised our
2nd training day on 17th November 2010 – why not
come along and become part of the Plymouth
Leader’s Network.
To find out more about walks in your area,
setting up your own walking group and
becoming a walk leader contact
Dean Blagdon on 01752 314449 or
email Dean.Blagdon@plymouth.nhs.uk
OCTOBER HALF-TERM EVENTS
Ham/North Prospect
Half-term Spooky Walk in the Woods on Saturday 30
October - 5.30pm - FREE - meet at the Halcyon Centre
for a spooky, torch-lit walk in the woods with family fun
and games on the way!
Honicknowle, Whitleigh & West Park
Wild About Woods…FREE activities in your local woods
Thursday 28 October - 10am – 12noon Wild About Woods
games & activities.
12 – 1pm help us design entrance signs for Woodland
Wood. Lunch provided.
2 - 4pm Lantern making at Four Woods Children’s
Centre Call 01752 366795 to book. (Suitable for under 5’s)
4 – 5pm Torch-lit walk with spooky woodland stories
leaving from Honicknowle, Whitleigh and West Park
Southway
Tuesday 26 October, 3pm – 6pm Family Autumn Event at
Langley Play Park, Southway.
Detailed information leaflets will be
sent to each area or look out for more
information on our website or contact
the Stepping Stones team
13

Granby Street Week of Action
Plymouth Community Homes recently joined forces with other local
agencies for a week of action to make a difference to the lives of residents
in Granby Street, Devonport.
Aimed at transforming what had been labelled ‘the forgotten flats’, a blitz of action on cleaning,
repairs, painting and decoration took place over five days. The project brought together residents
and local agencies with PCH Housing and Resident Involvement Officers.
The area has been troubled by problems around drugs and anti-social behaviour. By working with
agencies ranging from the Police to Plymouth College of Art and Design, the project has tried to
kick-start a process of positive change that will have a lasting impact.
Steve Ford, Area Housing Manager, said:
“This project has been about bringing
people together, listening to what
residents want, and empowering the
neighbourhood to make lasting change.”
Gavin West, Housing Officer added: “All
of these changes have been about what
residents have told us needed to happen.
Whether it’s a lick of paint or a hanging
basket, it is really a story of local people
restoring pride in Granby.”
Our thanks to Ian Williams, Dulux and the Crownhill Garden Centre for their donations of paint and plants
14

Plymouth Community Homes Services
Did you know that Plymouth Community Homes
has its own in-house manufacturing section?
This is a traditional manufacturing unit that has
skilled craftsmen and professionals to make
many of the new things we need to install
in tenants’ homes. We have a window factory,
a joinery, a sign makers and a metal workshop.
Sometimes it'll be our manufacturing teams that
are called out to deal with tenants' emergency
repairs. But we're also able to work
for other people as well as for Plymouth
Community Homes and its tenants. We do
this through our trading company
Plymouth Community Homes Services. So
if you are a tenant or not, but you've seen
the great goods that we’ve made such as
windows for example, you can order them
too. We'll be able to offer you great prices
and a great service. For a free estimate
call 08000 323401
PVCu windows and doors
The Window Shop offers the latest in window
and door technology. Products are durable,
secure and mostly maintenance free.
We give you individual and personal attention to
detail, and the highest quality products.
To contact the Windows Shop please email
pvcushop@plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk or
call us on 0800 1114328.
Joinery
Our Joinery Shop makes wooden interior and
exterior doors, casement and box frame
windows, counters, shop fronts, staircases,
furniture and benches. Using the highest
quality timber from sustainable sources,
everything we produce is made to last.
To contact the Joinery Shop please email
joinershop@plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk
or call us on 08000 323401
Signs
Our Sign Shop can both design and produce
anything from exterior and interior signs, vehicle
graphics, window graphics, banners and posters,
road traffic signs, labels and stickers, to newly
available contemporary style canvas wraps for
any occasion. And all at extremely low prices.
To contact the Sign Shop please email
signshop@plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk or
call us on 08000 323401 or vist our website at
www.thesignshopplymouth.co.uk
Metal fabrication
Our Metal Fabrication Shop does traditional hand
crafted or modern high volume work. They also
perform on-site repairs and improvements to
metal work. Products and services include:
fencing, railings, stairs, ladders, agricultural
ironwork, ducting, architectural metalwork,
doors, windows and all aspects of welding.
To contact the Metal Fabrication Shop please
email metalshop@plymouthcommunityhomes
.co.uk or call us on 08000 323401.
Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)
We also offer a portable appliance testing
service. Our fully qualified PAT testers can come
to your site, visually and electrically check
equipment, carry out minor repairs and provide
detailed reports with timely reminders for
re-checks.
For further information email portableappliancetes@plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk
or call
us on 08000 323401.
15

Leaseholders page
Annual Service Charge Invoices
Since the date of the last newsletter the
ground rent and annual service charge
invoices for the period 1 April 2010 – 31 March
2011 have been sent to leaseholders for
payment. With the invoices I enclosed a
Leaseholder Newsletter dated April 2010. This
gave important information about how the
amounts for each of the charges had been
calculated.
As the amount for each of the service charges is
an estimated amount of what each service will
cost for the next 12 months, we then calculate
what the actual costs are for each service.
Following this we will adjust all leaseholders’
service charge accounts to ensure that everyone
will pay exactly what it has cost to provide each
service.
I have received a number of telephone calls from
leaseholders who were concerned that this
would mean that all leaseholders would receive
large additional amounts to pay in the future. I
can reassure you that we undertake the same
exercise each year in estimating what the
service will cost and the way we do this is no
different in PCH than it was in the Council. At
this stage it’s impossible to say what the impact
will be as we are a new organisation and not
part of the council.
For your information, in the previous years
exercise, 770 leaseholders had adjustments
made to their service charge accounts of which
250 had additional amounts to pay and 520
received refunds. There is no guarantee this will
be the same every year but Plymouth
Community Homes promises that this exercise
will be carried out fairly and in accordance with
legislation aimed at protecting you. Any
adjustments will be reasonable and no one will
be asked to pay more than the service cost.
Under the law PCH can not make surpluses from
service charges and we always endeavour to
provide services that are good value for money.
Interested Leaseholders Network
• Do you want to play a part in shaping the
services that Plymouth Community Homes
will deliver in the future?
• Would you like to be consulted on
proposed changes to the way that services
are provided to residents, or on any
proposed new services?
• Would you like to be involved in a group who
discusses service standards and help to
improve them?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes,
have you considered being a member of the
Interested Leaseholders Network?
Meetings are usually held in the early evening so
that those leaseholders who work or who have
children at school are able to be involved.
The last meeting of the group was held before
the transfer from Plymouth City Council and we
would like to relaunch the group within
Plymouth Community Homes. If you would like
more information about this please contact
Paula Williams in our Resident Involvement
Team on 0800 917 9457 and she will be happy to
tell you all about it.
We are hoping to hold the next meeting of the
group in late autumn/early winter. I hope that
you are able to be involved.
Frank Corbridge Tel. 01752 312531
16
Rent Restructuring
The Government has a policy for rents to ensure
that:
• Rents for social housing remain affordable and
well below rents set by private landlords.
• The calculation of rents for social housing is
fair and easy to understand.
• There is a close link between the rent you pay
and the size of your home.
• There is no significant difference between the
rent set by councils and Registered Social
Landlords, like Plymouth Community Homes,
for the same or similar homes.
We are producing a booklet to explain rent
restructuring. This will explain in detail
• What is rent restructuring
• How target rent is worked out
• The target rent
• How it affects you

Fire safety advice for parents and child carers
The best way to teach children about fire safety
is by example. Let your children see you being
sensible and careful about cooking, candles and
other potential fire risks. Find out more about
talking to children about fire – and what they
should do if there is one.
Fire and children
Fire is one of the most common causes of
accidental injury and death among children.
They are naturally drawn to the warmth and
light of fire, but without proper guidance this
can turn into a dangerous fascination. The
following tips will help keep your children out of
harm's way.
Talking to your children about fire
Give children under five clear instructions of
what they should and shouldn’t do. With older
children, it’s better to also explain why. You will
probably need to talk about fire safety more
than once, to make sure they have remembered
and understood what you have taught them. Tell
them:
• to tell a grown-up if they see matches or
lighters lying around
• never to play with matches, lighters or
lighted candles
• never to play, or leave toys, close to a fire
or heater
• not to put things on top of heaters or lights
• not to pull on electric cables or fiddle with
electrical appliances or sockets
• never to switch on the cooker or put
anything on top of it
• never to touch any saucepans on the
cooker.
Fire instructions for children
It's important to talk through with children what
to do if there's a fire - don't avoid it for fear of
frightening them. Children need to know the
basics of how to react, as there may not be an
adult around to tell them what to do if a fire
happens. Here are the basic instructions to give
to your children:
• if they see smoke or flames, they should
tell someone straight away – a grown-up if
possible
• get out of the building as soon as possible
• never go back into the building for
anything
• never hide in a cupboard or under a
bed – get out of the house and call for help
straight away
• find a phone and call 999, and ask for the
Fire and Rescue Service – give the address
of the fire slowly and calmly (they may
need to go to the neighbours to find a
phone)
• make sure that children know their address
so they can raise the alarm.
17

Resident Involvement
Left to right: Helen Moore, Bob Goodson, Louise Parrish, Elaine Pellow, Sallyann Ball, Sue Shaw, Glynis Leaton, Helen Ryan,
Patricia Turner, Nigel Warn, Mel Leonis, Peter Ebsworth, Sheila Cooper
Pictured are tenants receiving their certificates in community Governance
from Sue Shaw, Director of Housing and Neighbourhoods. Participants
worked for over 9 months at the specially developed course provided by
City College and had to submit numerous assessments.
Providing training to help you get involved
18
One of the services that our Plymouth
Community Homes Resident Involvement Team
offer is training to help tenants get more
involved with the decisions we make about
homes and neighbourhoods. It’s a small part of
what we do, but we’d love to see it get bigger
and more important. Here are some of the
things we’ve been doing lately;
• Set up and paid for more than 25 tenants to
attend basic food hygiene training. This is a
certificated course that helps tenants who
want to provide buffets or catering at
community events or local group meetings.
• Funded Plymfed to provide IT (computer)
taster courses for residents association
members at their Harwell Centre base.
• Interviewed nearly 300 tenants to find out
what training they would like us to provide
in future.
We’re finding that demand for training is around
three different areas:
• Training that increases awareness about how
Plymouth Community Homes works, who does
what, and how we deliver services.
• Training that helps tenants who are running
residents groups or neighbourhood events to
provide better events and meet requirements.
For example, first aid certificates, risk
assessment.
• Tenants also wanted to learn practical skills
such as DIY, First Aid and Energy Efficiency.
Learning about DIY was very popular with
young tenants.
In a few months time we’ll know more about the
demand for training, what that might cost, and
how we need to change to provide that training.
We’ll report back in the next issue of the
newsletter.
If you have an idea for training that we could
provide, please call us on 0800 917 9457 or email
residentinvolvement@plymouthcommunity
homes.co.uk

Resident Involvement
New Resident
Involvement Strategy
Plymouth Community Homes is a new Housing
Association, and that means some of the ways
we work in Resident Involvement have to change
from when we were a pre-transfer Council
Tenant Participation service.
One of the first changes we started to make
after transfer was to develop a new Resident
Involvement Strategy. The Resident Involvement
Strategy sets out what we will aim to deliver in
the next three years (our objectives) and how
we’ll do that (the menu of involvement).
We need a strategy to make sure we have
enough resources to deliver what we aim for, to
be clear about what our service can and can’t
do, and to help explain what the service should
be providing.
If you’d like to see a copy of our Resident
Involvement Strategy you can get one by calling
us on 0800 917 9457 or emailing us at
residentinvolvement@plymouthcommunity
homes.co.uk.
Plymouth Community Homes
provides extra support for
those who need it
Our events for tenants that have a learning
disability have proved so successful that
attendees have now decided to meet regularly.
These events are a great opportunity for tenants
to tell us their views and hear updates on
changes.
At the last event tenants asked if they could
have extra time to go through the new Plymouth
Community Homes Handbook and Tenancy
Agreement. We arranged special events to
focus on these two things in more detail.
David Aiken, who attends regularly, said; “We’d
like a story about us in PCH News so that our
events can get some publicity”
The Resident Involvement Team would like to
thank Plymouth Independent Living and other
agencies who work with people that have a
learning disability, for their invaluable help and
specialist advice to make these events work so
well.
19

Changes to telephones
and computers
We’re installing completely new telephone and computer
systems in November. Some old telephone numbers may not
work. Please use our free phone numbers for all your calls –
they’re not affected by the changes. Please see below for
these numbers. Email addresses will not change.
Repairs
For all repairs reporting and repairs
enquiries call the one number
08082 306500
Other useful Plymouth Community
Homes’ telephone numbers
To find out when new kitchens, doors, windows or other
programmed improvements will be installed, please call our
Asset and Programmes Management Team on 01752 388424.
Useful Plymouth City
Council numbers:
• Enquiries
(including waste)
01752 668000
• Devonport Housing Office
0800 917 9497
• Estover Housing Office
0800 917 9496
• Whitleigh Housing Office
0800 917 9498
• North Prospect Housing
Office
0800 917 9499
• Leaseholders
01752 312531
• Head Office
(Princess Court)
0800 694 3101
• Resident Involvement Team
0800 917 9457
• Sheltered Housing Team
0800 917 9452
• Rent payment by debit /
credit card
0800 917 9456
• Report fly tipping
01752 304147
• Housing needs
01752 305496
• Housing advice
01752 305950
• Anti-Social Behaviour
01752 307049
20