Tenant Times: December 2024

Hello from your Local Influence Network (LIN) Chair

Hello, my name is Michael (Mick). I live in Thurgarton and through my role as a Local Influence Network Chair I assist tenants on any health and safety issues they are concerned about and take them to District Council Officers to help resolve them. I am also a Grounds Maintenance Champion which involves inspecting local communal areas and filing monthly reports, raising any issues on various sites and reporting back to the appropriate department. Also, with my fellow LIN Chairs we inspect homes prior to letting to make sure they meet the 'fit to let' standard.

I am keen on encouraging the younger generation to join our group of involved tenants! Although the position is a voluntary one, it gives a great insight into social housing management particularly to any tenant who may be interested in working in the sector. Becoming an involved tenant is a great way to gain knowledge, experience, and new skills.

I also attend Community Link Group meetings and myself and the Tenant Engagement team hope to resume meetings on health and safety in the near future.

I hope to see you at future meetings and I'm keen to listen to your experiences as NSDC tenants.

Mick

Stay safe this winter

Now that the weather is colder and the dark nights are longer it is important that we look after ourselves and our friends and family. Therefore, we’ve put together some tips on staying safe this winter.

Cold homes can have a significant impact on your health. One of the best ways of keeping yourself well during winter is to stay warm by:

• Keeping curtains drawn and doors closed to block draughts.
• Having regular hot drinks and at least one hot meal a day, if possible.
• Keeping active if you can.
• Wearing several layers of light, warm clothes, and using a hot water bottle safely.
• Keeping your main living room at around 18-21 degrees and the rest of your house at least 16 degrees – if you can’t heat all the rooms you use, heat the living room during the day and the bedroom just before you go to sleep.
• Having your heating and cooking appliances safety checked.

Driving can be tricky during the winter months! Nottinghamshire County Council have some great tips for driving in all-weather on their website: safe driving in winter.

If you’re cycling in winter, invest in some good quality clothing to keep yourself warm and dry! If you’re cycling at night, make sure you’re visible. Nottinghamshire Police have some information on cycling safety on their website: cycling safety. 

Cost of living, top tips to help you save!

1. Keep on top of your finances

There is lots of different types of support available depending on your circumstances. Citizens Advice can help you, with drop-in sessions across the district. Find out more at www.sn-ca.org.uk or by calling them on 01636 233265..

2. Are you getting all the money you’re eligible for?

We’ve put together a list of benefit calculators and websites offering benefits advice at www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/heretohelp or you can speak to your Tenancy Officer who can point you in the right direction.

3. Getting more from your food budget

Making the best use of food helps reduce food waste and we can also help to support people with low-cost food options when they need it. Generally, you need to be referred to a food bank by an organisation like Citizens Advice, your GP or a social worker. You can also speak to your Tenancy Officer who can help and may be able to provide you with an emergency food parcel or a toiletries pack. Food hubs are also available and open to everyone but may require a small membership fee.  Find out more at www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/foodclubs or by calling us on 01636 650 000.

4. Too good to waste

Fruit, vegetables, bread, and pastries… as much as you like for £1! The Social Action Hub, Kirklington Road, Rainworth offers this on Mondays, 10am – 2pm, Wednesdays 12pm – 3pm and 4pm – 7pm and Thursdays, 10am – 2pm. You don’t have to live in Rainworth – they’re open to everyone! For further information email info@socialactionhub.com or call 01623 490498.

The Social Action Hub also runs an online shop where you can buy things at discounted prices including clothing, tech and toys! You can have a look on their website here: The Social Action Hub Charity Shop.

Your landlords needs you!

What’s the big idea?

The enhanced standards for tenant engagement are shaking things up in the social housing world. Landlords needs to ensure tenants get to have a real say in how things are run, and we are here to listen! You are key to making things better.

The Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs), a new yardstick for judging landlords, means the District Council must measure tenant satisfaction with their services and show that feedback is actually used to improve services. These are official standards that directly impact how the Council is rated as a landlord by the Regulator when inspected.

It’s not just ticking boxes – it’s about truly involving you in decisions about services that affect you. Want to see what you can expect from these standards? Check out the Consumer Standards!

Having an engagement framework that works is critical for us and for that we need you!

TPAS (the Tenant Participation Advisory Service) have a strong reputation for pioneering tenant engagement, best practice and helping landlords improve relationships with tenants.

We are working with them to understand what works and what doesn’t and will work with you to create a new engagement framework.

This is an exciting opportunity to really make a difference.

We will be in touch with some tenants shortly to help us with the project especially people we perhaps haven’t heard from before – it’s important we hear lived experience to help us make sure our future services are work for you.

If you want to help let us know by contacting us at:

• getinvolved@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk
• 01636 650 000
• Letter – Tenant Engagement Team, NSDC, Castle House, Great North Rod, Newark, NG24 1BY

Or speak to your Tenancy Officer or at the Community Link Groups:

• Our Community Link Groups are a friendly, informal way to raise issues that are important to you and are specific to your area! They take place at locations across the district and are run by the local Tenancy Officer and a tenant representative.  
• You can find out when your next local Community Link Group is here: Community Link Group dates.

We've launched our new Living Well booklet

We have created a Living Well booklet which contains advice and support that is available across our district.

It acts as a central location to important information and is in a friendly and easy to read format!

Inside you will find information on:

• Food banks and emergency food provision
• Food Hubs and Social Supermarkets
• Warm spaces and coffee mornings
• Social eating
• Financial support
• Council Tax support
• Careline service

Home Release Incentive Scheme

Have you heard of our Home Release Incentive Scheme? If you live in a 3 or 4 bed home and are interested in downsizing or if you live in an adapted property that you no longer need, you can receive up to £2,000 for moving to a home that better suits you!

You can use the money in the way that suits you - to help with the move, decorate your new home or something else!

For more information or if you're interested in applying for this scheme, please speak to your Tenancy Officer.

Would you like to learn some new skills?

To help you see courses available in the area that you’d like to try we have put together an assessment which will help you to identify which skills you can develop!

The assessment is a very simple online form that you, your carer or a friend or family member can complete that asks you to rate how confident you feel in certain development areas.

At the end of the assessment, you will be able to view relevant information and a catalogue of courses that are available that could help you!

Get involved

We are currently looking for tenants interested in taking on the following roles to help us make sure your views are involved in the decisions we take for your areas:

Grounds Maintenance Champion – walk around your neighbourhood making sure we have cut the grass, trimmed hedges, and remove fly tipping as we say we do.

NSDC Sounding Board Member – we want to hear your opinions before we make changes to services. You can have your say - online, in person, or by post, committing as much time as you want.

Communal Cleaning Inspector – do monthly checks of communal areas or community centres near you and submit a score on how our cleaning contractors have done.

Empty Property Inspector – inspecting properties available to let and ensure they meet the lettable standard.

Estate Walkabouts - a great way to meet others and help us keep our communities clean, tidy and problem free through identifying issues and areas for improvement.

If you would like any more information on getting involved, get in touch with the Tenant Engagement team at getinvolved@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk

Tenant Garden Scheme in operation!

We’ve introduced a new scheme for tenants experiencing difficulties with their gardens. Eligible individuals may receive free assistance from a local tradesperson to maintain their garden.

The scheme can be accessed through your local Tenancy Officer who will come out and assess the garden and whether you meet the criteria for support. If successful, you could receive a one-off clear and tidy. 

Contact your local Tenancy Officer if you feel you could benefit from this scheme.

Know your rights as tenants

Do you know what your rights are as a tenant? Check out Four Million Homes which provides you with free knowledge, guidance and training on your rights and how to stand up for them, on a wide range of issues such as repairs and maintenance, anti-social behaviour, dealing with poor service by your landlord and much more. Visit the Four Million Homes website.

There is also information about tenants’ rights and what our responsibilities are to you on our website: Your home, your tenancy.

Good news story - Vale View Veggies!

Grow Incredible help communities grow their own produce which in turn helps reduce loneliness, improves mental and physical health as well as help people learn new skills!

Miles Harriman, from Grow Incredible, has been helping residents grow some veggies in the Vale View greenhouse and they have been a success! Pictured here, helping Chris Kirby, Helen Marshal and Michelle Longhurst pick radishes!

The veggie patch at Vale View was funded through our Community Chest Scheme! The next round of the Scheme will open in January 2025 so keep an eye out for more information or speak to your Tenancy Officer.

Think Pharmacy First

Going to your local pharmacy offers an easy and convenient way to get clinical advice on minor health concerns - you don't need an appointment, and you can be seen in a private consultation room.

Your local pharmacist can now offer treatment and provide some prescription medicine for seven conditions, if appropriate, without the need for a GP appointment or prescription. Conditions include:

• Sinusitis (for those aged 12 years and over)
• Sore throat (for those aged 5 years and over)
• Earache (for those aged between 1 and 17 years old)
• Infected insect bite (for those aged 1 year and over)
• Impetigo (for those aged 1 year and over)
• Shingles (for those aged over 18 years old
• Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) (for women aged 16-64)

Don't wait for minor health concerns to get worse – think pharmacy first and get seen by your local community pharmacy team.

Let Us Know How We Are Doing

Are we doing a good job or falling below your expectations? Please let us know, as with your feedback, we can make changes and improve our services. You can provide feedback via email, telephone or via an online form.  Find out more at www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/tenantfeedback

Please let us know if you have a specific complaint. You can do this online at www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/customerfeedback

• Make a complaint to us at Newark and Sherwood District Council here
• Make a complaint through the Housing Ombudsman here

Let us know what you think about the information in this e-newsletter and what you would like to see in future editions by emailing getinvolved@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk.

Boughton Community Hub success

A Community Hub which has been established in Boughton has seen its first few months become a great success.  Partners from Citizen Advice Bureau, Change Live Grow, Police and Anti-Social Behaviour Teams are using the venue to benefit tenants.

The Hub, which has been operating since May 2024 has seen more than 500 people cross the threshold to get support for a range of services, including benefits, housing issues and looking for work. Residents have also established a coffee morning on Tuesday mornings. Anyone from the Retford Road Estate or Hallam Road estate are welcome to join them.