Hello and welcome to the October issue of your newsletter

This month, we continue to support you with the cost-of-living crisis and bring you some highlights from our 2021/22 Financial Statements. Halloween is also fast approaching, so we’ve got some frightfully fun recipes for all to get involved in. We are also introducing our repair videos for you – with simple instructions to fix your common household issues.

Our response to the rent cap consultation

As we told you in the last newsletter, the Government launched a consultation about a possible cap on rent increases for social housing tenants, to help with the cost-of-living crisis. This consultation has now closed. We have responded, as part of the Consortium of Housing Associations in the South East and you can see the response on our website. We will let you know when the Government responds to the consultation and sets out their plans.

Government support

Government support for cost of living now totals over £37 billion this year. This means that almost all of the eight million most vulnerable households will get £1,200 of one-off support in total this year to help with the cost of living, with all domestic electricity customers receiving at least £400.

Use the Help for Households page on the Government website to find out what’s available to help with your bills, including electricity, water and broadband.

Energy Saving Trust

We have picked out some of our favourite energy saving tips from the Energy Saving Trust website:

Turn your thermostat down by just 1 degree and save around £50 a year.
Check your tyre pressure once a week as your car uses more fuel if the tyres are under-inflated.
Every minute you cut off your daily shower could save you up to £10 off your energy bills each year
Only boil as much water as you need in the kettle or in pans and keep lids on pans when cooking.

You can visit the Energy Saving Trust website or call them for advice on 0800512012.

Simple repairs you can do at home

We've released some new videos to help you with your every-day repair jobs at home. These videos include practical demonstrations on replacing the battery in a smoke alarm and unblocking a sink.

You can see the full set of videos here.

Speaking directly with customers as part of the Big Conversation

We’ve been out and about talking to customers about their likes, dislikes and suggestions for improvements in their neighbourhoods. We’ve knocked on over 1,000 doors, held wellbeing sessions and organised a Community Action Day on one our estates, Park Place. Our colleagues offered cost-of-living advice, carried out some communal repairs, cleaned up the neighbourhood and collected large unwanted items.

As well as Park Place, colleagues from Customer Engagement and the Neighbourhood team visited 24 schemes across Chesham and Amersham, speaking with 170 customers to get their views. They logged communal repairs and ideas for improvements.

The feedback we got from customers last month is just the start of using customer feedback to make changes and the Big Conversation will continue.

Where you can see us next
During November we will be visiting our high-rise buildings to speak with customers about fire safety and get their views on how we can better engage with them and share fire safety and building information.

Did you know, residents of high-rise buildings in England can now apply to be a part of a Residents' Panel, ensuring their voice will be heard during the development of the Building Safety Regulator. You can find out more about the Residents' Panel here.

Holding us to account on your behalf

The Resident Services Panel (RSP) new scrutiny review

‘How do Paradigm make sure the information you receive is relevant, useful, accurate and given at the right time, so I have the day-to-day information I need to live happily in my home, and know how to access services when needed?’

These are the questions the RSP is asking us. Members have already questioned how information is selected, updated, and shared with you, as well as what procedures are in place to get essential information to you.

They will now "reality check" what they have been told by comparing newsletters and the website to service and policy changes and speaking with key staff members.

This is an exciting challenge, and if this is something you would like to help with, then please contact Rachel Whitrod, Customer Involvement Lead.

Our Financial Statement

This year we:

Grew by 551 homes through new development and stock acquisition
Increased the number of homes in management to more than 16,000
Let more than 550 homes
Invested £28.6m in repairing and improving existing homes with extra resources diverted to reduce work in progress built up by COVID-19.

See the full statement on our website here.

We recently published our Financial Statement for 2021/22, which shows the financial activities and performance of our business.

Julian Ashby, Chair, comments on the statement:

"We continue to operate in challenging and unprecedented times. The lasting effects of the pandemic, the ongoing impact of Brexit and the war in Ukraine continue to disrupt the economy and the lives and livelihoods of our tenants, homeowners, employees and partners.

Despite this we continue to keep our work going, supporting more people in the challenges that face them personally and deliver our wider mission to meet the housing needs of people in the places where we work."

Happy Halloween - stay safe and have fun!

If you’re taking your little monsters trick-or-treating this year, please bear in mind that behind some closed doors may be people who are scared or vulnerable. Look out for the key signs that you’re a welcome guest:

'Trick or treaters welcome' posters
Pumpkins on display
Halloween decorations
Sweets by the door.

Additionally, look out for signs that somebody may not want to be disturbed:

‘No trick or treating’ posters
Houses and gardens in darkness
Shut or locked gates
No answer after the first knock or bell ring.

Halloween treats for the whole family

If you're looking for something to do this half-term, out of the wind and rain, why not get into some gruesome baking! It doesn't have to be expensive, or time consuming, especially with the easily adapted recipes below.

Healthy Halloween pizzas – why not try using a pitta bread for a cheaper, quicker lunch option.

Easy Halloween cookies

Gingerbread zombie - why not use pre-made gingerbread people - you can spend more time decorating and less time cleaning!

If you decide to make any of the treats, or have some photo-worthy pumpkins, we would love to see them, so please send any images into communications@paradigmhousing.co.uk, or share them with us on Twitter.