TENANTS NEWSLETTER
SPRING 2021
DEVELOPMENT North East Troon Work on our latest development began in February and is due to be completed in October 2022. The 52 homes will be a mix of two and three bedrooms and fully energy efficient.
Office
Troon
New community hub / office extension The work to extend our office is really taking shape after an initial slowdown given the current Covid restrictions. We are very much looking forward to us being able to welcome our tenants and the general public to the much improved facilities soon.
Are you part of a local community group looking for a space to hold meetings or get togethers? For details, contact Shonya on 01292 880120 s.mcginlay@ayrshirehousing.org.uk
New homes planned for Maybole
Maybole
We’ve just applied for planning permission to build 22 new houses in Queen’s Terrace. We hope to start work on these early next year.
Ayrshire Housing 119 Main Street Ayr KA8 8BX Tel: 01292 880120 Text: 07860 020459 Email: info@ayrshirehousing.org.uk Web: www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk Facebook.com/ayrshirehousing Twitter: @ayrshirehousing
Thank you
to everyone who took the time to return the rent consultation survey. The survey was sent to all our tenants in December asking for your views on a possible rent increase of 1.5%. The results of the survey are as follows: Congratulations to the five lucky tenants whose names were picked out of Proposal % of responses the hat to win a £25 No increase 24% shopping voucher. Laura Ferry, James McPherson, Increase below 1.5% 3% Hugh Cowan, Phyllis Increase of 1.5% 73% Callo w and St ac ey Stewart. We hope you We are very grateful for your feedback and responses, which the enjoy your prize! Board took into account when it finalised the increase of 1.5%.
As reported on the front page, our new community space is now taking shape in the shell of the former Craft and Harbour pub. We intend that it will provide a place for community groups to meet alongside exhibitions and advice services. If you are involved in a local community group that’s looking for space or perhaps a club looking for somewhere for its committee to meet, just get in touch. We are also looking for any suggestions for events or advice services that we can host. The space will be either free to eligible groups or subject to a modest charge.
2
NEW COMMUNITY SPACE
If you’d like to find out more about our community space please contact Shonya on 01292 880120 or email s.mcginlay@ayrshirehousing.org.uk
We can supply this document in a print size to suit. It is also available in Braille, audio and other formats, and in other languages. Our website also has several accessibility features which you may find useful.
Coronavirus Update on our Repairs Service We would like to express our appreciation of your understanding of the difficulties we have all faced during the past year. We hope that you understand that we have tried to provide the best levels of service possible during these very difficult times. Since lockdown restrictions were introduced a year ago, the service which has been worst affected by the pandemic is our repairs and maintenance activities.
Throughout the year the Scottish Government have updated the guidance regarding the type of work that we and our contractors have been allowed to carry out. This guidance has been directly linked to the levels of Coronavirus infections being experienced at different times during the year. For large parts of the year, we have only been able to carry out emergency repairs, focusing on essential health and safety related works. This has been very frustrating for many of our tenants who have reported repairs which we could not consider as emergencies and so within the work that we are permitted to do whilst the restrictions remain in place. We want to reassure you that our staff have been working very closely with our contractors to maintain services as best we can whilst following the guidance. We look forward to re-commencing non-emergency repairs under our “urgent” and “routine” works categories and getting back to the levels of service which tenants previously enjoyed. We do know, however, that there may be quite an upsurge in demand and a backlog for such works and we will work closely with our contractors to respond to requests as efficiently as we can. To report a repair contact us on 01292 880120 (option 1).
We are delighted to welcome Sarah Hamilton (right) to Ayrshire Housing. Sarah joined the repairs and maintenance team in January as a full time Repairs Assistant. Sarah works closely with tenants and contractors fulfilling a key role within the team. 3
Complaints to Ayrshire Housing about our housing services are subject to review by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO). To ensure that we meet the SPSO’s expectations, we previously adopted their Model Complaints Handling Procedures for Registered Social Landlords in 2012. The SPSO has now issued a new version of these to take effect from 1 April 2021. The new model builds on the previous one with a particular focus on sound record keeping so that complaints can be analysed and lessons learned. All complaints or dissatisfaction with our services will be logged and reviewed. We do hope, however, that most complaints received can be dealt with and resolved at Stage 1, the “frontline”, and by face-to-face or telephone contact. Where someone is not satisfied with the frontline response or where the complaint is complex, serious or 'high-risk' it will be escalated to Stage 2. The model also expects that we issue regular reports to our tenants and other services users. Through the model procedures, we commit to having regular reports on the outcome of complaints and how they can positively influence service delivery. In adapting, the model we have committed to include such reports in each newsletter to tenants and factored owners. A summary of the revised Complaints Handling Procedure is available on our website, www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk UPDATED PRIVACY NOTICE
Everyone should have received a consent form from us. Please remember to complete and return this to us. This ensures that we have your consent on file should we need to contact any third parties on your behalf. If you have not received a form please contact us on 01292 880120.
We have updated our Privacy Notice. This includes how we handle any medical or public health information as we continue to provide services during the pandemic. www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk/contact/privacy-policy/ NEW MY-BIN APP Confused as to which bin to put out each week? South Ayrshire Council have launched a new My Bins app. Simply go to www.SAC-bins.co.uk information and to download the app.
for
more
Changes to Allpay Payment Authentication From September 2021, customers using Allpay will be asked to provide two types of authentication for some online transactions. This is because debit and credit card issuing banks will implement a regulation called Strong Customer Authentication (SCA), which comes into UK law on that date. This will see a new standard for verification, 3D Secure 2.0 (3DS2), required for transactions made through websites and mobile apps. Mastercard and Visa have 3DS2 security products called “Identity Check” and “Verified by Visa” respectively. These are used by Issuing Banks to evaluate transactions and authenticate themselves that the transaction is genuine. 4
Housing Officer Changes Housing Officer Michelle Reid has now returned to full time hours following her maternity leave. This has led to a few changes to some of the areas that the officers cover. The changes are noted below together with contact details for the officers.
Michelle Reid (left) will cover Troon, Dundonald, Symington as well as the following developments in Ayr; The Sandgate, Peebles Court, Crown Square and West Sanquhar Avenue, Road and Place. Michelle can be contacted on 01292 885569 or 07884 586454. Email: m.reid@ayrshirehousing.org.uk
Dawn Bigham (right) will return to her original areas of Forehill and Blackfriars Court in Ayr and Kilmarnock, Saltcoats and Springside. Dawn can be contacted on 01292 885584 or 07796 176291. Email: d.bigham@ayrshirehousing.org.uk
Debi Love (left). Debi will be handing over West Sanqhuar Avenue, Place and Road in Ayr to Michelle but will continue to cover all her current areas with the addition of Cross Gait, Ayr.
Debi can be contacted on 01292 885570 07776 692011. Email: d.love@ayrshirehousing.org.uk
or
All other areas will continue to be covered by the same Housing Officer as before. You can find a list of all the Housing and Maintenance Officers on our website: www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk/contact/ your-housing-officer
5
Many of us have been able to enjoy spending time with our four (or two) legged friends over the past year.
First prize is a £50 pet shop or garden centre voucher!
Our PurR editor, Ruby (above left), loves to hear all about your pets. If you think they deserve to win a prize why not enter them into our annual pet competition. You can enter through My Home or email a picture of your pet to ruby@ayrshirehousing.org.uk along with their name, age and breed. Alternatively, complete and return the form below to: Ayrshire Housing, 119 Main Street, Ayr, KA8 8BX. PET COMPETITION ENTRY FORM Name: ____________________________ Address: ___________________ __________________________________ Postcode: ___________________ Tel/Email: _________________________ Pet’s Name: _______________________ Pet’s Breed: _________________ Pet’s Age: ______________ (Don’t forget to attach a photo of your pet).
While the weather hasn’t been brilliant yet, fingers crossed it gets better and that lots of you are able to get out in your gardens or outdoor spaces. Our ever popular garden competition is now open and we’d love to hear from you! You can enter via the My Home portal. You can also email your photos to k.broadfoot@ayrshirehousing.org.uk or complete and return the slip below to us at: Ayrshire Housing, 119 Main Street, Ayr, KA8 8BX. Remember to enclose a photo of your garden. GARDEN COMPETITION ENTRY FORM Name: ________________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________ __________________________________ Postcode: ____________ Tel/Email: _________________________ Garden type: (please circle): Private / Shared / Container / Window box 6
Over the past year, we have supported several local voluntary organisations, as they responded to the Coronavirus pandemic, to the tune of £54,000. Each year, we support local groups through our community grants scheme. This year, we have been able to really expand our support thanks to grants of £46,000 from the Scottish Government. It’s great that they have recognised us as a key community organisation in Ayrshire. Here are some of the organisations we’ve been able to support: Vics in the Community for its youth work in north Ayr. Closing date: Friday Care and Share for its homelessness prevention work. 7th August
No One Dies Alone who provide bereavement counselling. South Ayrshire Toy Bank’s Christmas gifts project. Seascape’s support to new tenants with furnishing and utility costs. VASA for a project that gives isolated households access to digital resources. The digital project may be of interest to any of our tenants and their families who are struggling to get connected at the moment. Just ask your Housing Officer for a referral to VASA if you think that you might benefit.
This year Ayrshire Cancer Support will launch Children’s and Young People’s services in Ayrshire. The charity provides support to families and their children to navigate the traumatising diagnosis of cancer. Children and young people are often the forgotten statistic and can struggle the most with little or no support. Ayrshire Cancer Support are aiming to change this. Their new Ayr centre will be a relaxed hub for them to come along and be children, talk to other children and young people going through the same thing. They will offer confidential counselling sessions, group therapy and play therapy sessions. Ayrshire Cancer Support aim to ensure that every child and young person gets the support they need, through their cancer treatment and beyond. Support will always be accessible to everyone, whether they have cancer, they’re worried about cancer or someone they know has been given a cancer diagnosis. If you would like any further information or if you would like to be kept up to date with the progress of the Centre, please contact Ayrshire Cancer Support on Tel: 01563 538008. 7
Can you solve our Easter crossword? Answers below
Down; 1—Daffodil 2—Hot Cross bun 3—Easter egg 4—Chocolate Across: 5—Chicks 6—Snowdrop 7—Nest 8—April 9—Bunny Crossword answers:
Hunt the Easter Egg competition Can you find all the Easter eggs hidden throughout the newsletter? If you can you could be in with a chance of winning a voucher for Toy Town in Ayr. Simply complete and return the form to us by Friday 30th April or email us at info@ayrshirehousing.org.uk You must be between 3 and 12 to enter this competition. Good Luck! Name: ________________________________________________________ Address:_______________________________________________________ Postcode: ____________________________ Tel No: __________________ Age: ______________ How many Easter eggs did you find? _____________ Return form to: Ayrshire Housing, 119 Main Street, Ayr, KA8 8BX
8