One Voice

Welcome to our latest news round up for residents.

One Housing and Riverside complete Transfer of Engagements

In December 2021, One Housing became part of The Riverside Group and in December 2022 we announced our intention to move towards legal integration through a process known as a Transfer of Engagements.

Following resident consultation and approval from the One Housing and Riverside Boards and One Housing shareholders, the Transfer of Engagements is now complete.

As of 1 April 2023, Riverside has become your landlord and the legal employer of staff at One Housing, with all assets and liabilities having transferred to Riverside. However, for the time being, we will continue to use the name ‘One Housing, part of Riverside’ as a trading name, when communicating with you about our services. You will continue to see this on office signs, uniforms and some of our literature.

As part of the proposed transfer, we ran a consultation with residents which was overseen by a Resident Task and Finish Group and conducted by an independent survey organisation. Thank you to everyone who took part and shared with us your views.

Scrutiny Panel is here 

Following your feedback during our Resident Engagement Strategy consultation, we were pleased to support residents to create a new Scrutiny Panel, the resident-led body charged with the job of inspecting different services provided by One Housing. It is made up of residents, including those living in your local area.  

First up for their inspection is our Customer Service Centre.    

“This is our own process,” said one member, “it isn’t being imposed by officers of One Housing – and we very much want to have your opinion as to the most important aspects of the Contact Centre. Your comments will influence the areas that we investigate.   

“If you have suggestions or comments to make, we would be happy to hear from you. You can contact us via the Resident Engagement Team at residentengagements@onehousing.co.uk.”    

Ivan’s pathway to work 

Our Employment and Training Team is here to support you so you can take the next steps in finding the right job or career path for you.

The ‘Cleaning Academy’ has been one of our most successful recent training and employment support projects, just ask Ivan.    

Ivan was being supported by Crisis, the charity for people experiencing homelessness, when he was offered a place on one of our day courses designed to provide people with the knowledge and confidence needed to apply for and be offered work in the cleaning industry.  

He successfully passed the one-day course and impressed our training team who later offered him an interview. Successful at interview, Ivan has since been working for Churchill Cleaning at the Stratford Centre.  

“I was desperate to find a job, not only for the money but for my sense of self-worth,” say Ivan. “When you have experienced having no fixed abode and no job, the world feels so bleak.”  

You can read more of Ivan’s story on the Churchill Group’s website. 

If you would like to access the Employment and Training service, please contact us at employmentandtrainingteam@onehousing.co.uk.

A day in the life of a Resident Engagement and Partnership Officer – West Region

By Marie-Noelle Djoma

What does a day in the life of a Resident Engagement Officer entail? That’s not the easiest question to answer!

I cover the West Region, from West London to Berkshire, and to describe a single working day would not really do justice to the variety of work involved in my role. And it is this variety that I love.

From meeting community groups, managing community spaces, supporting events, co-ordinating local meetings so that issues can be addressed, supporting groups with funding applications and good governance… It is fair to say no two days are the same, and that each is rich in relationship building and learning.

We have recently helped organise a variety of activities for residents across the West Region. The primary objective was to engage local communities through the promotion of wellbeing and by hosting fun events that both residents and their families could enjoy.

One of these events was the Annual Health and Wellbeing Fayre in Maidenhead, designed to raise awareness of local services and resources accessible to residents that promote good health and wellness.

Due to the success of last year’s event, the team planned on a larger scale this time. We used a bigger venue, and more than 25 organisations attended. The hard work and dedication shown by all concerned paid off, and the event exemplified the need for initiatives that improve residents’ understanding of what help is available to them.

The team also collaborated with Housing Solutions and Christians Against Poverty (CAP) to hold two community fun days over Easter for Wokingham and Maidenhead residents.

Both events attracted high numbers. Residents participated in Easter Egg hunts and exercised their creativity through arts and crafts. They also made, and then enjoyed, delicious soups prepared during a guided cooking lesson.

All involved were pleased with how these events went. It was good to see community rooms packed with all the families and children taking part in the activities. Outcomes like this mean my work is paying off.

In addition, as part of the new Resident Engagement Strategy, I’ll be working to increase ‘social value returns’ as part of our resident engagement activity. This means designing accessible activities for residents enabling them to become involved in our procurement processes – the choosing of contractors and the design of new services. 

What is my job all about? In a word, empowerment. And in the months and years ahead, I look forward to supporting residents in all these ways, to get involved, and to help shape decisions affecting their lives and the place they call home.

Join our West and Island Resident Panels

We are looking for residents to join our West and Island Resident Panels.

With meetings four times a year, and with the support of our teams, this is your chance to scrutinise our services in detail, suggest improvements and tackle local issues.

Interested? Read more about the roles on our website.

To apply, please submit your CV and cover letter to residentengagement@onehousing.co.uk. Please put 'RP Member' in the subject line.

Community Fund is open for applications

Do you run a TRA, community group or any small organisation that supports our residents? If so, this Fund could be for you! 

We have made £275,000 available to help fund projects that promote opportunities and wellbeing and tackle poverty in our communities. 

If you have an idea that could make a difference, we want to hear from you. There is no closing date and will come back to you as soon as we have assessed your application. 

Date for your diary

G15 Apprenticeship Fair

Wednesday 7 June 2023

Where could an apprenticeship take you?

On behalf of G15, of which we are part of, we would like to invite you to the Apprenticeship Fair on Wednesday 7 June 2023, 10am-12.10pm where you can meet employers, attend information sessions and network.

Please note the event will take place at Glaziers Hall, 9 Montague Close, London Bridge SE1 9DD.

Looking after your home and neighbourhood

“Bin the wipe”

Wet wipes are everywhere these days. We use them in the kitchen and in the bathroom as well as when changing nappies and to remove makeup. What we often don’t realise is that they pose a threat to the environment, especially if we don’t dispose of them properly.

Many problems with drains begin in the home. Water UK, the charity that launched “Bin the wipe” campaign, says as many as 75% of drain blockages are caused by people flushing wet wipes down the toilet.

Flushed wipes will eventually gather in your pipes which will stop your toilet from flushing correctly, potentially resulting in sewage backing up into your home through your toilet.

These wipes don’t break down in the sewer, like toilet paper. Instead, they congeal with other “unflushables” and cause so called “fatbergs”– a rock-like mass of waste matter made up of a combination of flushed non-biodegradable solids, such as wet wipes, and fat, oil and grease deposits. Fatbergs are costly and time-consuming to remove, and cause blockages in our sewers.

Please remember, it is just as important to avoid disposing of nappies in toilets, and also fats, oils and grease down kitchen sinks. These too will, over time, cause damaging blockages.

If the blockage occurs on a section of pipe you are responsible for, it can leave you with an expensive mess to get fixed. But it doesn’t necessarily stop there.

In some blocks, we share plumbing stack pipes, and this means blocked drains can affect neighbouring homes and communal areas as well as the environment.

Please help us prevent any blockages by doing the right thing – Bin it, don’t flush it!

Help us combat fly-tipping

We know that when you step out of your front door, you want to see that the building you live in, and the surrounding estate, are well looked after.

When bulky rubbish gets dumped down your street, it is ugly, can be dangerous and is expensive to clear.

Unfortunately, it’s not our responsibility to remove fly tipping as a service. Therefore, we charge this to you and your service charge increases for that year. We provide adequate waste and recycling bins across our schemes, so fly tipping is avoidable.

If you see that your bin area has black bags on the floor or fly tipping occurring, please don’t do so yourself. Just because someone else is doing it, it doesn’t make it okay. The more fly tipping, the greater the cost to remove it and the bigger the increase in service charge.

Your safety at home

If you have window opening restrictors, please use them. 

If you have a balcony, keep the door locked when you are not using it. 

Please also consider installing a child-proof gate that you can keep locked when you are not in the room and don’t want to lock the balcony door. You must never allow young children access to a balcony when an adult cannot be present. 

Take care when buying pest control products

We know it can be distressing to see pests in your home.

Although you might be able to get rid of some pests on your own, we urge you to be vigilant when buying pest control products.

You should buy your products from a physical store, rather than online. A reputable store will have products that are safe for you to use, not just professionals.

If you are unable to visit a store and need to shop online, choose products from brands you recognise and order directly from those websites.

If you prefer to buy from online marketplaces, please research the individual seller to check that they are a UK based company and that the products are not industrial-grade strength. Pest control products sold in the UK go through rigorous testing to make sure they are safe for households to use.

Before you use any of the products, always make sure you read and understand the instructions on the label.

If you have any concerns about pests, please visit the British Pest Control Association (BPCA)’s website where you can find information on common pests in the UK along with pest advice sheets.

Please note we treat pests that are a communal problem and carry out pest proofing so if you notice anything, please contact us via ask@onehousing.co.uk or call 0300 123 9966. You can also report the issues via your MyOneHousing account.

Charging e-bikes and e-scooters safely

E-bikes and e-scooters are becoming increasingly popular. Most are powered by lithium-ion batteries which can be charged in the home. 

It is important when charging e-bikes and e-scooters, you do so safely to avoid a risk of a fire starting and putting your families and homes at risk. The London Fire Brigade has warned that they have seen a spike in fires as a result of electric bikes and e-scooters.

When charging your e-bike or e-scooter, it is important to:

• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and always unplug your charger when its finished charging.
• Ensure you have a working smoke alarm where you charge your e-bike or e-scooter.
• Charge batteries whilst you are awake and alert. Do not charge batteries overnight while you are asleep or away from home.
• Always use the approved manufacturers charger for the e-bike or e-scooter. Buy an official replacement charger from a reputable seller.
• Do not cover chargers or battery packs when charging as this could lead to overheating.
• Do not charge batteries or store your e-bike or e-scooter near combustible or flammable materials.
• Do not over charge the battery.
• Do not overload socket outlets or use inappropriate extension leads.

Please note residents aren’t permitted to store or charge e-bike and e-scooters in communal areas as any items left there can block emergency exit routes and create a fire risk.

For more information on how to safely charge your e-bike or e-scooter, please visit https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/the-home/e-scooters-and-e-bikes/

Your safety in the community

Tenancy Intervention Officers to support residents

We are committed to providing safe homes in safe communities.

To help us achieve this, we have recruited Tenancy Intervention Officers who joined our Community Safety Team to help residents with additional needs and those struggling to sustain their tenancies.

If you have any concerns and would like to speak to a member of the team, please contact us via ask@onehousing.co.uk.  

Please also read the story below to learn how they have recently supported one of our residents.
 

Care and support in action

Cynthia Williams, Tenancy Intervention Officer, writes:

A member of our staff team who attended a property to carry out works raised a safeguarding concern. During the appointment the resident kept apologising for the unkept condition of the property. The property was in a poor condition with numerous alcohol bottles in the kitchen.

This referral was picked up by our Safeguarding team of which I am part of. I made a phone call to the resident and explained who I was and what I do. The resident said that they had mobility issues, family problems and were struggling.  

There had also been domestic abuse, including historic physical abuse, which had been ongoing for years. The resident had no support from family or friends because they had been hiding what had been happening for many years.

I was able to calm the resident down and explained various options that were available.  We agreed for a referral to be made to the local authority Adult Safeguarding Team. After making the referral, I visited the property the next day with a social worker and our Safeguarding Team Leader.

We talked to the resident and their partner who agreed to seek help to overcome alcohol addiction. We also helped to clean the property.

Both residents now seem to be in a much better place and have a much better quality of life.

I believe everybody should feel safe at home, and ideally, we would not need Tenancy Intervention Officers, but I know that I am making a real difference in the work we do.

Tackling noise nuisance

Our recently launched Noise App is having a positive effect on tackling noise nuisance. The smart phone-based App allows our Community Safety Team to easily review and manage ASB noise cases. Residents can use the App to submit noise recordings to us, enabling us to review the recordings and take the required actions.

Our Community Safety Manager, Lee Andrews says: “Since the launch of the Noise App we are already noticing a much more streamlined approach in respect of our noise related ASB investigations. We are in a position to resolve noise issues faced by our residents more quickly than before, and we are confident that the App will continue to help us deliver a better ASB noise service to our residents.”

Please note that as part of our commitment to tackle anti-social behaviour, we will be hosting a series of events for residents during the National ASB Awareness Week between 3-9 July 2023. Please follow us on Twitter and Facebook to learn more.

Money matters

Cost of Living Payments during 2023/24

To help ease the financial pressures during the rising cost of living, millions of households across the UK will receive further support from the Government in the form of Cost of Living Payments worth £900 which will be made over 2023/2024. 

This will apply to people on means-tested benefits: Universal Credit, Pension Credit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support, and tax credits: Child Tax Credit, and Working Tax Credit. 

The Cost of Living Payment will be issued automatically, meaning those eligible do not need to apply. It will be paid separately to benefit payments and will appear in accounts with the account holder’s National Insurance number and DWP COLP. For if you claim tax credit, the reference will appear in accounts as 'HMRC COLS', referencing Cost of Living Support.

To be eligible for the first payment, families must have been entitled to a payment (or later found to be entitled to a payment) of either: 

• Universal Credit for an assessment period that ended in the period 26 January to 25 February
• income based JSA, income related ESA, Income Support or Pension Credit for any day in the period 26 January 2023 to 25 February 2023. 

For tax credit-only customers, you must have received a payment of tax credits any day in the period 26 January to 25 February 2023. 

Please don’t contact DWP or HMRC or apply for the payment – it will be made automatically into the accounts of those eligible.

For more information, please go to the Cost of Living Payment page on gov.uk.

Payment schedule:

• First payment of £301 made between 25 April and 17 May 2023
• Second payment of £300 will be made in the Autumn of 2023
• Third payment of £299 will be made in the Spring of 2024