Get Connected Autumn Winter 2017

THE MAGAZINE FOR RESIDENTS
Autumn/Winter 2017
25 years
of support
Celebrating our
homeless service
Universal Credit help
Winter Safety
1

In this issue:
3 High Five
Latest news and events
Welcome
4
CRF’s best friend
Tenants make new
furry friends at their
general meeting
5 Sharing Talents
Sharing skills for World
Mental Health Day
6
7
Cooking up
conversations
Getting to know our
communities better
Complaints
Introducing a new
complaints policy
8 Winter safety
Tips to stay warm and
safe this winter
10 Home tips
Condensation and light
bulb changing advice
11 We want you!
Get involved in a service
charge consultation
12 Party time
Our homeless scheme
celebrated their 25th
anniversary
As the clocks go back and
the nights draw in we hope
that you find this edition a
good winter read.
In this issue, we cover the
25th anniversary of our
service that supports young,
single homeless people
in Kirklees.
On the theme of celebrations,
Connect Residents
Federation (CRF) has
been celebrating the work
that guide dogs and their
volunteer trainers do.
We marked World Mental
Health Day with a talent
show at Thrive. The
community were invited
to share their skills in front
of a supportive audience.
Our Community Housing
Officers have been out and
about chatting to tenants and
gaining useful insight to help
shape our services.
Tenants at Hawthorn Mill had
a celebration on the theme
of culture for International
Older People’s Day.
We’ve got some handy tips
to help you look after your
home and keep warm during
the colder months.
As Universal Credit rolls out
across the country, we hear
from our Income Services
Manager, Ilyas about
the changes.
We hope you enjoy this
issue of Get Connected –
happy reading!
Share your
thoughts
Get in touch by
phone, email,
Facebook or Twitter
0300 5000 600
communications@
connecthousing.org.uk
/ConnectHousing
@ConnectHousing
13 Culture club
COPS celebrate cultures
from around the world
14 Universal Credit
A Q&A on the new
benefits system
Thank you
Tenants, volunteers and community partners have all been
involved in this issue of the magazine. We’d like to say a big
thank you to the Connect Residents Federation (CRF) and
Thelma, Rhoda and Sabre from the Dogs Trust, all of the staff
at Community Links and Rebecca from Sakura CMT who made
Sharing Talents a great event, the residents of Hollinbank – our
single homeless scheme for celebrating 25 years of support
and all of the Connect Older People’s Strategists.
2

High Five
News you can use
Festive closure times
Our offices will close at 5pm on Friday 22nd December for the
holidays and will reopen at 9am on Tuesday 2nd January.
For all emergencies during this time, please call 0300 5000 600.
We wish you all a happy New Year.
It matters –
Annual Review
We are proud to release our Annual Review,
which celebrates some of the important things
we have been focusing on over the past year.
In a world where change and uncertainty has
become the norm, we remain committed
to our passion for a fairer society
where people’s homes, health
and happiness matter.
To see the report visit:
www.connecthousing.org.uk/ar17
Welcome
on Board
We would like to give a warm
welcome to Helen Forman,
Karen Lythe, David Wilmshurst and
Yasmin Hussain who have joined us
recently as new Board members.
Our Board are vitally important and
they volunteer to give their expertise
and knowledge to the organisation.
Find out more about the Board at:
www.connecthousing.org.uk/board
Volunteer at
Thrive
Value for money
We’ve carried our annual Value for
Money (VFM) self-assessment of
our activities, which is looked at
by our regulator and is published
on our website.
A summary version and our VFM
strategy can also be found at:
www.connecthousing.org.uk/VFM
We are currently looking
for volunteers to help us
in our community focused
café and meeting space –
Thrive in Dewsbury.
If you’d like to gain
valuable experience in the voluntary sector
and help us continue to make a difference in
the community, this could be the opportunity
you’re looking for.
Find out more information and apply at:
www.connecthousing.org.uk/thrivevols
3

CRF
CRF’s
best friend
v
On Tuesday 12th September the Connect Residents Federation (CRF) held
their bi-monthly general meeting. There was something different about
this meeting though, their special guests were dogs! Thelma from the
charity ‘Guide Dogs’, brought in her two Labradors to meet the CRF and
talk about the good work that the dogs and volunteers do.
v
The charity trains dogs to
aid visually impaired people,
and has 16,000 volunteers
countrywide (and always on
the lookout for more!).
The potential guide dogs are
trained for the first two years
of their life and take a test
to see if they would make
suitable guides.
Not every dog is destined to
be a guide, but these highly
trained pooches are still in
demand with many people
wanting to adopt any that
don’t make the cut. Rhoda
and Sabre didn’t pass the
guide dog test because of
allergies and a squirrel
chasing habit, but they are
successful in bringing joy
and happiness as loving pets.
It was heart-warming and
Rhoda and Sabre have new
fans with the CRF.
If you’d like to find out more
about guide dogs, how to
volunteer or sponsor a
puppy, visit their site at
www.guidedogs.org.uk.
The CRF spent the afternoon
crafting tea light holders and
catching up with each other.
They raised £100 for Prostate
Cancer UK in memory of a
much loved member.
If you’d like to attend a meeting or find
out how to join the CRF, please contact:
Lisa Longbottom, Tenant Involvement Officer
T: 0300 5000 600
E: lisa.longbottom@connecthousing.org.uk
Join the CRF
The CRF is an independent
organisation run by
tenants for tenants.
They scrutinise Connect
and help to shape and
improve services.
2018 Meetings
Tuesday 13th February
1pm - 3pm in Leeds
Tuesday 10th April
6pm - 8pm in Leeds
Tuesday 12th June
6pm - 8pm in Huddersfield
4

v
THRIVE
Sharing Talents
World Mental Health Day was on Tuesday 10th October this year, and we
marked it with a talent show, Sharing Talents. In partnership with Community
Links, we opened our doors at Thrive in Dewsbury and welcomed singers,
poets, guitarists, artists, photographers and supporters.
World Mental Health Day
is an opportunity to raise
awareness of mental
health, the stigma that
some sufferers face and the
support that is available.
Sharing Talents was an
opportunity for people to
showcase their talent in front
of a supportive audience.
The event promoted the link
between creative hobbies
and good mental health.
The participants felt
that painting, writing
songs, poetry and taking
photos positively affected
their wellbeing.
On show at the event, you
could see vibrant sculptures,
paintings and photographs
with stories from the artists,
explaining their positive
experience of creating the
pieces. The songs were
performed and written by
service users with help from
music therapist, Rebecca
from Sakura Community
Music Therapy.
There was a mental health
quiz, karaoke, lots of coffee,
cake and conversations. The
event was a huge success.
Sing your
socks off!
Do you want to get
involved with music too?
Community Links run
a free music group at
Thrive, which aims to
improve wellbeing by
bringing people together
to sing and play.
Get involved
Contact Community Links
on: 01924 465054
5

COMMUNITY
Cooking up
conversations
Our Community Housing Officers (CHOs) are spending more time
out and about having conversations about what matters to you in your
local community.
v
From these informal
conversations, you have
been telling us what it is like
living in your community
and have given us some
thought provoking ideas
about what would make your
neighbourhood a better place
to live in.
So far, you have given us
some great suggestions and
we are looking at how we
can work with you to take
these forward.
We also want to find out about
any community initiatives or
resources that are available in
your area, and your ideas as
to what would really make a
positive impact.
We appreciate that you know
your local area best.
With all of the insight that we
are gathering, this will help
us to make better informed
decisions based on what
matters to you.
We would love to hear more –
if you have ideas and would
like a chat with your CHO
please get in touch.
These conversations
give us some great
local knowledge and
ideas about what
we can do to make
communities more
welcoming places
to live.
Helen Gallimore,
Senior Neighbourhood
Housing Officer
If you would like to have a chat with your
Community Housing Officer, please contact:
Helen Gallimore
Service Manager - Neighbourhoods
T: 0300 5000 600
E: helen.gallimore@connecthousing.org.uk
6

v
Building a new complaints
system around you
Getting it right for tenants is our top priority and we’re
making changes to our complaints procedure to make it easier for customers
when things do go wrong. We understand that things aren’t always perfect
and know it’s important to put things right quickly.
Our proposed changes
When you aren’t
happy with the
service, this will be
formally logged as
an expression of
dissatisfaction.
If we are unable to
resolve your issue,
you can raise a
formal complaint
at any stage,
however we will
ask you to justify
your complaint and
give further details.
We will aim to
resolve these
quickly and will
treat them with the
same seriousness
that we do formal
complaints. This
will be an improved
experience with
fewer delays.
A manager will
reply within 21 days
of receiving your
complaint (stage 1).
By logging all
expressions of
dissatisfaction,
we will gain
a better
understanding
of when our
processes or
services go wrong.
If you are unhappy
with the response,
you can appeal
and a Director will
review and respond
(stage 2).
Tell us
We want to hear
what you think of our
proposal. Do you think it
will improve the way we
handle complaints and
are there any changes
you would make?
Please share your
feedback with us.
Contact us
To have your say,
please contact:
Richard Baggott
Customer Experience
Manager
T: 0300 5000 600
E: richard.baggott@
connecthousing.org.uk
If you are still unhappy, you can refer the issue to the Housing Ombudsman. Our new process will
enable us to resolve problems much quicker, which means we can make improvements to our
processes and services. The process will launch next year.
Tackling anti-social behaviour head on
Since we have introduced
a new approach to working
in the community with the
Community Housing Officer
team, we have had greater
success in resolving
anti-social behaviour
(ASB) cases.
Our new approach encourages
neighbours to be considerate
and tolerant of one another,
and supports tenants to
try and resolve issues for
themselves. For serious cases,
we have an Enforcement
Officer who works with
tenants through the process,
keeping them informed of the
action being taken.
This has enabled us to work
more efficiently and gain
better results in enforcement.
7

SAFETY
Winter Safety
As the nights draw in and the thermometer mercury drops, we thought
it would be good to share some practical hints and tips to help you keep
warm and well this winter.
Financial
support
Some people will be eligible
for some financial support
during the cold months, here
is some information on what
you might be able to claim.
KEEPING YOUR BILLS LOW
Our Money Matters team can
help you look at your budget
and lower your energy and
fuel bills, contact them on:
0300 5000 600
COLD WEATHER PAYMENT
You may receive a cold
weather payment if you are
on certain benefits. You can
get a payment if the average
temperature in your area
is forecast, recorded as or
is zero degrees Celsius or
below for seven days in a row.
You will receive £25 for every
seven day block of very cold
weather between the dates
of 1st November 2017 and
31st March 2018. For more
information, visit:
www.gov.uk/cold-weatherpayment
WINTER FUEL PAYMENT
If you were born on, or before
5th August 1953, you can
claim between £100-£300
to help with your winter fuel
bills. You usually get this
paid automatically if you
receive state pension. If you
qualify but don’t receive this
payment, you can make a
claim at: www.gov.uk/winterfuel-payment
Staying
Warm
Setting your home thermostat
to the right temperature
can keep your home warm
and efficient. Make sure it’s
between 18-20°C and set the
timer so it comes on early in
the day and clicks off when
you go to bed.
Keep yourself warm during
the day by wearing plenty of
layers, eating and drinking
hot food and beverages such
as soups and casseroles,
accompanied by a hot water
bottle to warm the cockles.
It’s also a good idea to keep
well stocked up with food in
case bad weather, such as ice
or snow, prevents you getting
out and about.
8

Looking after
yourself
The flu jab is available on
the NHS for people who are
vulnerable, however it is
worth having the jab even if
you aren’t at risk to protect
yourself. To find out if you can
get the jab for free and if you
are considered at risk, visit:
www.nhs.uk/conditions/
vaccinations/pages/fluinfluenza-vaccine.aspx
Alternatively, you can speak
to your local pharmacy or GP.
If you have any prescriptions
or medication delivered,
make sure you order them in
plenty of time, especially if the
weather or forecast is poor.
If you feel unwell at any point
and it’s not an emergency,
call the NHS hotline on: 111
for medical advice.
The service is available
24/7 and is free to call.
The website is also useful for
checking symptoms:
www.nhs.uk/conditions/
Pages/hub.aspx
Looking after
your home
PREVENTING CRIME
Prevent crime during winter
by keeping valuables and
Christmas presents out of
sight. If you are going out,
ensure your home is locked
and looks occupied with
a light timer switch and
possibly leave a radio on.
Make sure your keys are not
on show.
INSURANCE
Make sure your home is
insured just in case the worst
happens. We insure the
structure and fittings in your
home, but your belongings
aren’t covered by us.
If you need support with
insurance, our Money Matters
team can help you, contact
them on: 0300 5000 600
LOOKING AFTER FROZEN PIPES
If your pipes freeze and you’re
without water, we advise
you to follow the guidance of
Yorkshire Water which
can be found at:
www.yorkshirewater.com/
winterready
SNOW AND GRITTING
We will help you by taking
reasonable steps to ensure
safety by gritting key
footpaths and communal
areas. We actively risk assess
estates to make sure we
put grit down where it is
most needed.
Low risk: If there is no grit
bin on your estate, you can
collect self-help bags from
our offices during prolonged
periods of icy weather.
Medium risk: In severe
conditions we’ll top up
grit bins on estates every
fortnight. We can’t spread the
grit or clear footpaths.
High risk: We’ll top up
bins and clear footpaths
for designated supported
housing schemes and for
older people.
For more information on how
we grit, visit our website:
www.connecthousing.org.uk/
grit
9

HOMES
Home tips
Reducing condensation
Condensation is more common during the winter months. Everyone gets
condensation but it’s how you manage it that makes a difference and ensures
you don’t get any build-up of black mould in your home.
Here are 10 top tips to help prevent a build-up of condensation and black mould on walls:
During winter, you should try to
maintain a even temperature in your
home. The cold air causes warm air
to release moisture. If the air is all
the same temperature then this
won’t happen.
Keep your home well ventilated by
opening windows daily to allow airflow
that will combat condensation.
Dry your clothes outside or in an
enclosed room with an open window.
If you use a tumble dryer, the vent pipe
should run outside your home.
You should leave a small gap between
your walls and your furniture as
this allows the air to move away
from the bottom of the walls and
circulate effectively.
Before and after cooking, always turn
the extractor fans on a high power. If
possible, open the kitchen windows
while cooking for added ventilation.
Always keep the lids on pots and pans
while cooking so the moisture does
not escape.
To stop condensation forming in the
bathroom after a bath or shower,
the windows should be opened and
extractor fans turned on.
Trouble lighting up the bathroom?
10
Your property’s airways such as
airbricks and chimneys should be clear
to allow airflow in and out of your home.
If possible, check your roof to see if
there are any problems such as
water leaks – but don’t climb ladders.
Check guttering and down pipes to
ensure that they are carrying the water
away and that there are no damaged/
blocked gutters or drains causing the
external walls to become wet.
Here is a short guide on how to change light bulbs (lamps) in enclosed bathroom fittings.
The lamps are your responsibility to change and maintain, so we advise you to:
1 2 3 4 5
Turn the light
switch off at the
wall.
Remove the
cover taking out
the screws and
supporting it,
you may need to
push it inwards
within the
mounting and
slide it to one
side to release.
Change the
lamp by
holding the
centre point of
the unit (not
the lamp itself)
and pull it out
of the fitting.
4
Buy a new
lamp: we
recommend
you take the
old lamp with
you to make
sure you get
the correct
type and keep
a spare one.
To replace:
simply push the
new lamp back
into the fitting,
re-fit the cover
and secure with
the screws.

Setting new
standards
Early next year we are going to review the service
standards for communal cleaning and grounds
maintenance and we would like your help to do it.
We would like to hear from you
if you live in a property where
we employ contractors to clean
the hallways and stairs, or to
look after the garden areas.
We are going to try out a new
approach, gathering feedback
online and we would like
to involve as many tenants
as possible.
In addition, we’ll host an event
for those of you who would like
to give feedback in person.
In exchange for a small
amount of your time, you
can help us reshape these
important services.
If you would like to help, visit:
www.connecthousing.org.uk/
consultation
HELP
WANTED
Contact us
If you would like more
information, contact:
Lisa Longbottom
Tenant Involvement
Officer
T: 0300 5000 600
E: lisa.longbottom@
connecthousing.org.uk
New policy on
mobility scooters
We have recently clarified tenant responsibilities when storing and
using mobility scooters around their homes, particularly where there
are shared spaces.
The policy focuses on
health and safety, storage,
maintenance and insurance
of mobility scooters. It also
highlights schemes
which have suitable storage
facilities available.
The policy highlights safety
aspects that you should
consider if you are thinking
about buying a scooter or if
you already own or use one.
The storage of mobility
scooters can be a fire risk if
they obstruct escape routes.
One of the aims of the policy
is to keep our communal
areas safe.
If you are considering buying
a scooter or you already own
one, you can see the policy at:
www.connecthousing.org.uk/
scooters
or you can call: 0300 5000 600
11

SUPPORT
25 years
of support
Our young homeless service, Hollinbank hosted an anniversary party to
celebrate 25 years of supporting people in Kirklees.
v
The service is vital in
providing a home and
support for young homeless
16-25 year olds from
all backgrounds.
Hollinbank staff support
residents in many ways,
including emotional support
and help with their mental
and physical wellbeing.
There is also practical
support such as learning
how to cook, how to manage
on a budget and life skills
needed to live independently.
The party celebrated this
important milestone.
It was enjoyed by service
users and staff with a party
atmosphere, food, music
and laughter.
The event was a trip down
memory lane and everyone
was able to reflect on the
achievements and positive
impact the service has.
If you would like more information on our
young homeless support, please contact:
Matthew Ginn
Service Manager - Single Homeless Services
T: 0300 5000 600
E: matthew.ginn@connecthousing.org.uk
Services like
Hollinbank
are vital for
providing
support
when people
need it the
most and in
tackling the
homelessness
crisis in our
communities.
Anna Broadbent,
Senior Manager -
Support Services
12

Culture
club
On Wednesday 4th October, Connect Older
People’s Strategists (COPS) celebrated the
International Day of Older People at Hawthorn
Mill, Leeds. The theme was cultures around the
world through the generations and it was a
colourful celebration.
Hawthorn Mill had been
decorated brightly for the
party. Flags, props and
costumes from different
cultures and memorabilia
spanning from the 1950’s
were on display.
After the strategising
business was complete, it
was time for a trip down
memory lane, with cultural
quizzes on food and music
from around the world.
Members shared their
experiences of the 1950’s –
which brought back lots of
memories of rationing,
when food was seasonal and
there were no supermarkets
or freezers.
Fortunately, there was a
good choice of food at the
COPS buffet and not a spam
fritter in sight. The event was
enjoyed by all and the group
can’t wait to meet again.
Join COPS
(Connect Older
People’s Strategists)
If you are a Connect
tenant over the age of
50 and interested in
the services and wider
issues affecting older
people, COPS is the
group for you. You’re
welcome to join a
session, meet
like-minded people,
have fun and help design
the services.
Contact us
If you are interested in
joining COPS, contact:
Sarah Lumb
Senior Scheme Manager
T: 0300 5000 600
E: sarah.lumb@
connecthousing.org.uk
13
13

MONEY
MATTERS
Universal
Credit
Q&A
with Ilyas
This is an update on Universal Credit and how we can support you with the
benefit changes. We caught up with our Income Services Manager, Ilyas
Lunat for a question and answer session.
Q. What is Universal Credit?
A. Universal Credit is the new
benefit that will be replacing
existing benefits such as
Income Support, Job Seekers
Allowance, Employment
Support Allowance, Housing
Benefit, Child Tax Credits and
Working Tax Credits.
These are now known as
‘legacy’ benefits.
Q. What is the frequency
of payments?
A. Tenants will receive each
monthly payment in arrears.
Q. Who does it affect?
A. Universal Credit will
eventually affect everyone
of working age. If you are of
state pension age or in receipt
of Pension Credit you will not
be affected by this change.
14
It’s affecting people in
different ways due to the
Government rolling it out
in stages.
If you live in Kirklees or
Calderdale and you have a
change in circumstances that
affect your benefits, you will
be asked to make a new claim
for Universal Credit.
This will transfer you from
the old ‘legacy’ system.
Once you have transferred,
you will not be able to claim
any of the ‘legacy’ benefits.
If you currently receive
any ‘legacy’ benefits and
don’t have any change in
circumstances, you won’t
be affected until 2019
when the migration to
Universal Credit is
fully implemented by
the Government.
Q. How does this affect
Housing Benefit?
A. Once you start receiving
Universal Credit, you will
no longer receive Housing
Benefit. However, you will
receive help towards
rent within your Universal
Credit payments.
You are responsible for paying
your rent to us and budgeting
other costs. The most
significant change is that you
will only receive your money
once a month, so how you
budget is important.
Q. Are tenants who are
working affected as well?
A. If you are working and
claiming Working Tax Credits
you will eventually be moved
onto Universal Credit. If you
have a change in your income,

v
which means your Working
Tax Credits are re-calculated,
you will be asked to claim
Universal Credit.
Q. How do affected tenants
receive payments?
A. In order to receive
Universal Credit payments,
you will need:
• An email address, and
have access to your
emails.
• A bank account to receive
payments.
• To be able to budget
monthly as Universal
Credit is paid monthly
in arrears.
• Understand when and
how to pay your rent to us.
Q. What can tenants do to
prepare for Universal
Credit if they think they’ll
be affected?
set up and an understanding
of when their rent is due and
how to budget.
We also encourage tenants
to start paying a little more
towards their rent to build a
buffer to put them ahead.
Universal Credit will be paid
in arrears every month. This
puts tenants at risk of falling
behind on their rent.
It’s beneficial for tenants
to be in credit on rent
accounts, prior to the
changes coming into place
so they are prepared.
Anybody who feels they need
support, please contact the
Money Matters Team.
We can help
Our Money Matters
team can help you
prepare for the
transition to Universal
Credit and make it
easier for you.
They can show you how
to budget, give debt
advice, help with
digital skills and give
careers advice.
Contact
If you need help with
Universal Credit,
please contact:
T: 0300 5000 600
E: moneymatters@
connecthousing.org.uk
A. Tenants will need to
ensure that they have an
email address, bank account
Keeping up the festive spirit
The Christmas holiday is a
time to spend with friends
and family, but for some
people it can be worrying and
stressful, both financially
and emotionally.
The festive period can place
pressures on people to spend
and entertain, even though
their bills and rent have yet
to be paid.
If you’re struggling to pay
your rent or having any
difficulties with debt over the
festive period or any time of
the year, please contact our
Money Matters team.
15

Get in
MONEY
MATTERS
touch
0300 5000 600
www.connecthousing.org.uk
hello@connecthousing.org.uk
Connect Housing is
a charitable housing
association.
Our passion is for a
fairer society, where
people’s homes, health
and happiness matter.
/ConnectHousing
@ConnectHousing
Leeds Office
205 Roundhay Road
Leeds, LS8 4HS
Mon, Tues, Thurs: 9am - 5.30pm
Weds: 10.30am - 5.30pm
Fri: 9am - 5pm
Dewsbury Office
21 Bond Street
Dewsbury, WF13 1AX
Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri: 9am - 5pm
Weds: 10.30am - 5pm
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