Hello from Joe Garrod

Hello everyone, I am really pleased to have started as the Corporate Director of Housing after having been at Waltham Forest for nearly five years, initially as Director of Capital Delivery and then as Corporate Director of Change. I look forward to leading this vital frontline service, and to working with all of you and the Housing Senior Leadership Team to take forward Cabinet’s key priorities around tackling homelessness, carrying out repairs and maintenance, and providing excellent services to our tenants. It will be great to meet you all over the coming weeks.

I'd like to congratulate Charlene Smith, Welfare Reform Officer, who has been awarded a Pride of Waltham Forest staff award earlier this month. This award recognises Charlene’s relentlessness efforts helping residents who are experiencing financial hardship during the cost-of-living crisis to maximise their incomes, sustain tenancies, and keep their homes. Charlene has been very successful in supporting residents and is a well-respected member of her team. Thank you for your service, Charlene. Also, congratulations to Marie Modeste, Digital and Environmental Energy Officer, who was Highly Commended in the Council Priorities Award: Tackling the Climate Emergency. Well done to you too, Marie.

View all the Pride of Waltham Forest Staff Awards winners here.

In loving memory of Su Gomer

On Sunday 4 December we were all devastated by the sudden and tragic news of Su Gomer, our beloved colleague, who had sadly passed away. On Friday 16 December lots of people attended her funeral in Amersham, but instead of flowers the family set up a JustGiving page in Su’s memory. For anyone who knew Su, would know that one of the most important things to her was helping others, and this JustGiving page supports one of her favourite charities, Crisis. If you would like to donate, please follow the link below.

Remember if you need any support please reach out to either your line manager, or contact the 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), using the access code 'LBWF', contact details are below:

• calling 0800 328 1437
• visiting their website www.employeeassistance.org.uk 

We will also be providing a further six face-to-face sessions in January, as now may not be the right time for some colleagues. 

We have received funding from the Carbon Offset Fund

The Assets team were recently successful in their bids for funding from the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) through its Carbon Offset Fund. The 2021 London Plan requires all major developments to be net zero-carbon. Where this cannot be achieved on site, a carbon offset payment is required. The carbon offset fund supports four types of projects:

• Energy efficiency - installation of improved insulation, boiler replacement or heating controls
• Renewable energy - installation of PV panels, wind turbines or heat pumps
• Embodied energy - more sustainable building materials within a construction project
• Behavioural change - education initiatives to encourage more sustainable lifestyles, including reduced and more efficient energy use

The funding has been allocated to the following projects:

• Solar PV and LED lighting upgrades to be installed at Downland Court, Leytonstone and Turners Court, Leyton.
• Solar PV, vertical wind turbines and LED lighting upgrades at Walsh and Wigg Towers. Solar PV also to be installed on boiler room roof.
• Solar PV with battery storage to be installed on 19 small blocks with LED lighting upgrades which will take them off-grid.
• Solar PV to be installed on 60 houses which are included in the Social Housing Decarbonisation Funded project.

Our homelessness count

Each year local authorities must report the number of rough sleepers on a particular night. This information is then submitted to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to help inform the national statistics of homelessness in the UK.

This year we were joined by 18 volunteers, members of the public as well as Councillor Louise Mitchell. Remember if you are concerned about a rough sleeper please use StreetLink to report it. This will then be referred on to our team.

• App – download the StreetLink app for either iPhone or Android 
• Phone – 0300 500 0914

Report a rough sleeper

DAHA update

The Council has been working with a panel of survivors of domestic abuse, their aim is to advise and scrutinise the council’s support offer around domestic abuse. One of their recommendations was for us to provide a small leaflet for contractors and estate caretakers to distribute in Council properties and estate communal areas that provides information on domestic abuse support but in a covert way. This is to ensure the leaflet is not solely about domestic abuse support, as if a perpetrator came across this, they may be alerted that the survivor is trying to get help.

Download our domestic abuse leaflet

Councillors give thumbs up to new affordable housing scheme

Local Councillors joined Cllr Ahsan Khan, Portfolio Lead for Housing and Regeneration and Deputy Leader of Waltham Forest Council, for a behind-the-scenes tour of Whitethroat Court on Sansom Road in Leytonstone, a new social housing scheme that has just been completed.

Sixty Bricks built the scheme in partnership with construction partner Equans; the development consists of 31 apartments, including three fully accessible apartments for disabled residents, with a mix of 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom homes – all for social rent.

The Leader visits Hylands Road

The Leader of the Council, Cllr Grace Williams, and Deputy Leader Cllr Ahsan Khan were been given a behind-the-scenes peek of the new social housing development on Hylands Road, in Walthamstow.

The scheme consists of 120 new homes, including thirteen fully accessible apartments for disabled residents, with a mixture of 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments – all for social rent. Residents also have access to a play area, landscaped communal garden, onsite cycle store and disabled parking bays.

Handover of our new builds

Over the last couple of month we have completed the handover of Essex Road, Sansom Road and Hylands Road. Our Allocations and Tenancy Teams are working hard to get residents in these fantastic new homes in time for the festive season.  By the end of the year Sixty Bricks will have built 234 new homes, with nearly three quarters available for social rent tenants. Sixty Bricks

Our resident engagement activities update

Our Engagement Team has been forward planning this month, they have focussed on STAR / Scrutiny Panel recruitment, with the selection meetings being held earlier this month; we will share details of the new panel members shortly.

The Independent Living Service hosted 14 Christmas parties across the Sheltered Housing Schemes, they were supported by the resident engagement team. The residents celebrated by enjoying fun games, winning some incredible prizes and sharing delicious food together. 

Fraud awareness

We work to prevent and detect fraud that happens at the expense of the council, borough or wider community to make sure that public funds go to those that genuinely need it.

Up until April 2022, our anti-fraud team closed 460 investigations, recovered 35 properties to the value of £5m+ and identified £1.1m in benefits, housing, pension & blue badge fraud. If you suspect fraud, you can report anonymously by:

• calling our 24-hour hotline on 0300 003 109
• emailing fraud@walthamforest.gov.uk
• visit our website

Cedar Wood House is closed during the festive break

Cedar Wood House will close from 5pm on Friday 23 December 2022 and will reopen as normal on Tuesday 3 January 2023. Staff normally based at Cedar Wood House are invited to work from the Town Hall building during this time.

Looking forward to the festive break

Hopefully you are looking forward to the festive break. But over the next few months, make sure you plan ahead, take regular breaks and don't leave taking your annual leave to the last minute.

Welcome to our new starters