Housing News and Views Summer 2012

Star performance drives improvementsMore than four out of five (83%) tenantshave told us that they are satisfied withthe housing service we provide.

We have now begun analysing the

feedback sent in by over 4,700 of you as

part of the Survey of Tenants and

Residents (STAR) we sent you in January.

The graph on the right breaks down how

satisfied different resident groups feel.

The survey results show a significant

increase on satisfaction levels shown in

the 2008 Status Survey.

Nine out of ten tenants (89%) agreed that

our staff are friendly and approachable.

You also reported very high levels of

trust in Dacorum Borough Council as

your housing landlord.

However, you showed us where

improvements are needed:

� Car parking and litter are a concern

throughout the Borough.

� Satisfaction with repairs and

maintenance is not as high as it could

be, particularly when it comes to the

time taken before the job is started

and getting the repair ‘right first time’.

� Satisfaction with grounds maintenance

(especially planted areas) is lower than

with other areas of our service.

� You sometimes find it difficult to get

hold of the right person to answer

your queries.

Car parking, litter and improved repairs

form part of our Local Offers to you and

so have already been identified as

priorities. We will look into the other

issues and let you know how we intend

to address them in a future edition of

News and Views. We will be sharing our

performance with other landlords to

establish how our results compare.

For a copy of the full results of the

Dacorum 2012 STAR Survey please call

01442 228000 and ask for TenantInvolvement or email

[email protected]

Calling all to the conferenceWe are starting to prepare for this year’s annual Tenant andLeaseholder Conference – so please put Saturday 29September in your diary.

The conference gives you the opportunity to take part in

workshops which explain more about the housing service, and

put questions to managers face-to-face.

It runs from 10am until 4pm and will be based at the Civic

Centre in Hemel Hempstead. You’re welcome to stay for the

whole day or just part of it. There will be refreshments and

lunch, competitions and prizes plus children’s entertainment

and activities.

We would like more tenants and leaseholders to help us

organise the day so that you all get the most out of it. To have

your say in what goes on, call 01442 228000 and ask for

Selina Burris or email tenantinvolvement@dacorum. gov.ukby Friday 13 July 2012.

If you would like to attend the conference, you can call Selina

now and she will send you an invitation with full details

nearer the event.

HousingNews and Views

Summer 2012

86%(79%)

93%(89%)

71%(54%)

General Needs Housing

Supported Housing

Leaseholders

Satisfaction with Dacorum’s housingservice overall

Key: 2012 (2008)

02 | News and views www.dacorum.gov.uk

We’ve been busy recently improving the planting on a number

of estates.

At Figtree Hill in Hemel Hempstead Old Town (picture inset) the

shrub area was at the end of its life, so new young plants have

now been planted and a weed-proof membrane with wood

chippings placed on top. A small strip of land has been pebbled

so that we can access the building for maintenance.

New planting has also been carried out at Hetchleys (main

picture) and Wood View in Gadebridge.

To find out if similar improvements can be made in your area,

call 01442 228000 and ask for the Estate Improvement Officeror email [email protected]

Housing celebrates Animal Action WeekWe are hosting a week of events around the borough to celebrate AnimalAction Week in July, offering free dog health checks and flea treatment,and free neutering vouchers for cats:

Wednesday 4 July, 10am to 5pm Queens Square, Adeyfield

Thursday 5 July, 10am to 5pm Cowper Road Car Park, Boxmoor

Friday 6 July, 10am to 5pm Rossgate shops, Gadebridge

Saturday 7 July, 10am to 5pm Highfield Community Centre

Sunday 8 July, 10am to 4pm Ashridge Visitor Centre

We have invited the

RSPCA, PDSA, Cats

Protection and

Appledown Dog Rescue

to join us – so there

will also be loads of

free advice on hand

about caring for your

pet.

Tenants can bring their

dog along to be micro-

chipped for free. Please

bring your rent

statement/card for

identification. (It’s only

£10 for everyone else.)

We are also drafting a new pet policy which will give you guidance on

keeping animals in Council-owned properties. Please talk to us at the events

if you have thoughts on this.

See our website www.dacorum.gov.uk nearer the time for more details, or

call Lindsey Walsh or Sarah Lewis on 01442 228000.

Keeping up appearances

Over the last six months, housing staff andcolleagues have spent a total of five wholeweeks clearing personal items from thecommunal areas of flats that residents shouldhave removed themselves.

We want to make

sure that access

and escape routes

are free from trip

hazards should

you and your

family need to

evacuate the

building.

However, it is your responsibility to keep

communal areas such as landings and stairwells

clear – for your own safety and to reduce the

time and rent money the Council spends

clearing them.

Residents living in flats with communal areas

need to keep them completely clear of all

belongings, including doormats, shoes and

bikes. Items that have been found in the

communal areas will be removed and residents

will be charged to have their items returned.

For more information on keeping landings clear

please call 01442 228000 and ask for the

Estate Improvement Officer.

Communal areasfeedback

Keep clearDon’t clutter!

Do your communal flower beds need revamping? If so, let usknow and we’ll see what we can do.

01442 228000 [email protected] News and views | 03

Ideas needed forcommunity clean upsWe are teaming up withtenants and local residents torun a series of CommunityClean Up days at locationsacross the borough over thecoming year.

The aim is to tackle issues

such as:

� Fly tipping (dumping

rubbish illegally)

� Street cleaning

� Removing graffiti

� Tidying up drying areas

� Clearing weeds and ivy

What else would you like to see us tackle

– and where? All suggestions are

welcome.

The staff involved will all be

volunteering their time and we would

like as many tenants and residents as

possible to join us to make these days a

success. Please call Simon Smith on

01442 228000 or email

[email protected]

Behind the scenesWho are the

people who

make up

Dacorum’s

Housing

Service? In this

issue we meet

Risk,

Compliance

and Health and Safety Officer Liz Hine.

“I am relatively new to the Asset Team

within Property and Place, having

joined at the end of 2011. My previous

roles have been in the private sector

so social housing is a new challenge

for me.

“I look at a range of health and safety

issues relating to the Council’s housing

stock, acting as a point of contact for

managers, tenants and staff. Health

and safety legislation changes

frequently so I support staff and

contractors in keeping up-to-date and

ensuring that the housing department

is compliant.

“I enjoy getting out and visiting our

properties across the borough and am

keen to meet representatives from

similar organisations to share

knowledge. Unfortunately health and

safety can get a bad press, but by

encouraging a positive, common sense

approach at all levels I hope to remind

people that health and safety is

everyone’s responsibility.”

You can call Liz on 01442 228000 oremail [email protected]

It now costs Council tenants just £8.50 each week(£10.20 for non-tenants) to hire one of our garages.

Call Lettings on 01442 228000 to see if we have

any near you. You can apply to rent a garage using

the form on www.dacorum. gov.uk/garage or call us

and we will post one to you. If you are a Council

tenant you can pay by adding the cost to your

weekly rent. Non tenants will need to pay by

monthly direct debit.

There is limited availability in Tring and

Berkhamsted but it is possible to go on a waiting list

for these areas.

Garage users – please be considerateIn the nicer weather it’s good to get out and about more – but we’vealso been receiving more complaints about people who rent ourgarages.

Householders have reported cars blocking the way by parking in front

of garages and drivers working on vehicles on the forecourts. Other

garages are underneath bedsits and noise can be particularly

disturbing to the residents who live above.

We would therefore like to ask all garage users to please be

considerate of others.

Garages to let

04 | Tenants and Leaseholders Committee www.dacorum.gov.uk

Keeping a close eye on housing The Tenants and LeaseholdersCommittee plays a vital role on theHousing and Community Overview andScrutiny Committee (HCOSC), whichguides and examines the policies andperformance of the Council’s housingservice. Two members from the Tenantsand Leaseholders Committee representthe voice of tenants on the committee.

Who are we? TLC members Stuart Parker

and Mavis Cook, tenants from Tring and

Hemel Hempstead.

When did we join? We were co-opted to

the HCOSC in 2011.

Why were we co-opted? So that tenants

are represented on a key committee of

the Council that affects council tenants

and leaseholders. Having tenant

representatives present at HCOSC

meetings provides the committee

members with an instant response to

questions posed about tenants, and

Councillors hear an independent view.

We are fully involved in HCOSC debates

on all housing matters, reporting directly

back to the TLC. This ensures

transparency and keeps tenants’ interests

at the heart of everything discussed.

Being co-opted also lets us see how

things are run at the Council and why

decisions are made. This knowledge is

passed back to the other TLC members,

and minutes of these meetings are

published online for all tenants to see at

www.dacorum.gov.uk This two-way

communication aims to enhance the

partnership between tenants, the Council

and Councillors, so that tenants are

actively involved as part of the decision-

making processes.

How often do we meet? Meetings are

held approximately every four to six

weeks, with a full agenda at each

meeting.

What areas have been looked at so far?Housing performance, the 2012/13

housing budget, hard standing for

creating additional parking, tenant policy

reviews, community alarm monitoring –

and much more.

Getting advice on getting involved In April, Mavis Cook and Barry Stoker from the TLC, along with Jules Goodridge andSue Prowse from the Tenant Involvement team, attended a Tenant Scrutiny inPractice conference called ‘Secrets of your success’ to pick up some hints and tips onsetting up a tenant scrutiny panel.

The conference was run by three of the leading organisations championing co-

regulation and tenant scrutiny: the Tenant Participation Advisory Service, Chartered

Institute of Housing and HouseMark.

Mavis said: “It was a really informative day and I’ve learnt lots about how other

organisations are working to scrutinise their landlord services”, while Barry felt that

“It was good to see that other organisations are in the same position we are – just

starting the process.”

If you are interested in getting involved, call Jules Goodridge on 01442 228000 or

email her at [email protected]

By Stuart Parker and Mavis Cook

Contacting the TLCPlease remember the TLC representsyou, the tenants and residentleaseholders from all over Dacorum.To get in touch, email us [email protected] We promise torespond to all emails that areaddressed to us. You can also write tous, in confidence, c/o:

Tenant and Leaseholder Committee,Hemel Hempstead Civic Centre,Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 1HH.

What have we been scrutinising?Procurement for housing repairs and

planned maintenance, implementing

Choice Based Lettings, CCTV, analysing

the move to self-financing, refurbishment

and re-decoration of sheltered housing

schemes, and the Housing Service Annual

Report. The HCOSC in our opinion is

managed and organised very well by the

Chair, Cllr Janice Marshall, who has a

broad and balanced view.

The next HCOSC meeting is on

Wednesday 18 July. Anyone is welcome

to attend this public meeting at the Civic

Centre in Hemel Hempstead at 7.30pm. If

you want to speak about something on

the agenda, just call Member Support on

01442 228000 first to let them know.

The agenda is published the week before

on www.dacorum.gov.uk

01442 228000 [email protected] Help and advice | 05

If you’re thinking of going awaythis summer, please don’t forget toput money aside to pay your rentand Council Tax first – and keepyourself out of debt.

If you are struggling, please

remember that our Income Team

are here to help. We can help you

prioritise your existing debts, sort

out your finances and, if

necessary, arrange an individual

payment plan to get you back on

track.

Income Team Leader Katie Kiely

says: “It can be tempting to just

pack your suitcase and get away

for a while, but if you are having

problems it’s important to face

them. Please get in touch – and

together we’ll work out a plan.”

Heads up onbenefits systemchanges Major changes to the benefits systemare planned for April 2013.

These involve replacing means tested

benefits and tax credits for working age

people on a single benefit.

The way you are paid for your housing

costs will be affected. If it is considered

that too few people live in your house

for its size (that it is underoccupied),

the amount you get paid will be

reduced.

The way you receive benefit for Council

Tax will also change. However, this will

be phased in over several years,

starting with new claims.

We will do our best to guide you

through these changes and will provide

more information nearer the time.

For help and advice on the current

benefit system, call 01442 228000 or

visit www.dacorum.gov.uk/benefits

We are looking at which of ourproperties would benefit from improvedinsulation to save you money on yourfuel bills and make homes morecomfortable.

Thanks to a successful bid to get

Government funding, we will be able to

make these improvements at no cost to

you.

We have asked surveyors from Interglow

to check if cavity walls have been

insulated and, where appropriate, look at

the amount of insulation in lofts. You will

get a letter confirming when they are

visiting and all representatives will carry

identification. Please always ask to see

this.

A quarter of a house’s heat can be lost

through an uninsulated roof. Insulating a

loft is a simple and effective way to save

waste and reduce heating bills. If you

have a loft, please clear out any clutter

Useful contact details

Citizens’ Advice Bureau or CAB

Call 08444 111 444 from a landline or

0300 33 00 650 from a mobile

Drop in to your local branches: the

Civic Centre, 161 High Street,

Berkhamsted, HP4 3HD; and Dacre

House, 19 Hillfield Road, Hemel

Hempstead, HP2 4AA. Please call for

opening hours.

Get advice from the CAB website

www.adviceguide.org.uk

Dacorum Borough Council

Call 01442 228000 and ask forHousing Income

Visit our website

www.dacorum.gov.uk/dontforgettopay

Struggling to pay your rent?

Reduce your fuel bill withoutspending a penny

to enable us to lay insulation.

Not all properties have cavity walls, but

where they do, insulating the cavity

keeps the warmth in and makes the

property more energy efficient.

Please contact Ricky Lang or PeterFarrier on 01442 228000 if you have

any questions.

06 | Children and young people www.dacorum.gov.uk

Calling all children and young peopleToday’s children and teenagers may beour future tenants, so it’s important tous to know what they think about livingin our homes.

If you can spare a few minutes, we’d like

to ask them some quick questions.

Please bring them along to our Olympic

Torch Event in the Marlowes on Sunday

8 July between 11am and 4pm and in

return for completing a short survey

they can have a free go on the fantastic

Aqua Zone underwater simulator ride

(pictured - minimum age five years).

If you don’t want them to take part in

the survey then they can still have a ride

for just £2. All proceeds raised will be

donated to Dacorum’s Olympic Legacy

Fund.

Play area improvementsChildren will soon be seeing a difference to nine of ourplay areas, including:

� Jocketts Road,

Chaulden

� Coronation Fields,

Bennetts End

� Warners End Valley

Lower, Warners End

� Hyde Lane,

Bovingdon

� Lockers Park,

Boxmoor

� Butts Meadow,

Berkhamsted

� Miswell Lane, Tring

� Lagley Meadow,

Berkhamsted

� Marlowes, Hemel

Hempstead

We are carrying out improvements this summer, such as

installing new and servicing existing equipment, catering

for wider age groups and improving safety surfacing.

For more information contact Joe Guiton, Neighbourhood

Action Team Leader, on 01442 228000 or email

[email protected]

Are your children into skateboarding or BMXing? GadebridgeSkate Park is the place to go.

Back in March, we refurbished the skate park in Gadebridge

Park, strengthening and re-concreting the ramps. Since then,

we’ve been working with a newly established skate park users’

group to make sure that we continue to make the

improvements that the skaters and BMXers using the facility

want to see. An impressive 138 local users gave us their

feedback in a recent survey.

Louis Smith, BMXer at Gadebridge Park and member of the

user group said: “We’ve set up a group to have a say in what

needs doing at the skate park and what we would like to see in

the future. … All of us on the group are really into skating and

BMXing and we want to see more people taking it up. We’ll be

organising some skate-jams and BMX-jams for everyone to

join in.”

For more information about the group, please contact RobertCassidy on 01442 228000.

Re-ramp forGadebridgeskate park

01442 228000 [email protected] Supported Housing | 07

Schemeswave theJubliee flagSupported housing schemes across theborough held Jubilee celebrations overthe June bank holiday weekend.

To set the scene, we provided each

scheme with a start up box of red, white

and blue flags, bunting, balloons and

table wear.

Age Concern Dacorum, which runs active

living clubs for residents, organised

afternoon tea parties at Southernwood

Close, Christopher Court, Phyllis

Courtnage House and Gilbert Burnett

House.

Phyllis Courtnage residents also enjoyed

watching the Coronation on a big screen

and ended the afternoon with a group

sing song.

Other schemes joined up with

On your marks,get set, grow!The fiercely contested annualSupported Housing gardeningcompetition has an Olympic Gamestheme this year.

There’s still time for last minute entries

if you get your application form in

quickly.

There are two categories: supported

housing schemes and individual tenants

under the care of our Supported

Housing service. Prizes will be awarded

to the best three gardens in both

categories.

Gardens will be judged by a panel of

members from the Tenants and

Leaseholders Committee at the

beginning of July and winners will

feature in the next issue.

To get an application form call 01442228000 and ask for Supported Housing.

Young people delighted residents of William Crook House in April (pictured) withmusic, singing and Irish dancing – and are now calling on others to join them.

They were part of a group called Youth Action Entertainers who visit older people in

supported accommodation across Dacorum to provide entertainment, serve

refreshments and chat with the older residents.

We are looking for more people, between 10 and 19 years old, to join. You don’t have

to perform; we also need people to help organise.

The group has been set up by Age Concern and Dacorum Borough Council. Call

Susan Lea on 01442 228000 or email [email protected]

Wanted: Youth action entertainers

Above: Gilbert Burnett House gets festive

Right: Doreen from Gilbert Burnett goesthe extra mile

neighbours to celebrate, while residents

at Mayflower Avenue booked a meal at

The Midland pub to celebrate.

Evelyn Sharp House and Field Road

organised commemorative mugs, a

tombola and a street party buffet.

08 | Involving you www.dacorum.gov.uk

Street Championsmake a difference

29 volunteers have registered as Street

Champions, a scheme launched in April in

Maylands Woods (pictured).

They have pledged to improve the area

by reporting faults, looking after the

environment and encouraging neighbours

and friends to get more involved in

community events and activities.

14 sacks of rubbish and six sacks of

recycling were collected from Maylands

Woods and we are making arrangements

to remove the fly tipping that was found.

New volunteers are always welcome.

To sign up or find out more please call

Neighbourhood Action on

01442 228000 or email

[email protected]

Estateimprovementsbids all grantedIn the last issue of News and Views weasked: how you would improve yourarea if we gave you some money?

We received ten bids of up to £1,000

from the housing service’s new Estate

Improvement Budget – and we were

pleased to be able to grant each request.

Sheila Stapleton from Florence Longman

House (pictured with fellow resident

Edward Matthews) asked for a new shed

and a lawn mower to enable her and

other green-fingered residents to look

after the communal garden.

Sheila wrote to us saying: “I just wanted

to show my appreciation for the

wonderful shed ... We are making very

good use of it. The guy who took the old

shed down and put the new one up was

so very helpful. Once again thank you.”

Would some new planters in your drying

area or a new patio, bench or water butt

benefit your local area? Have a think as

we’re hoping to open up the fund again

later this year.

For more information and details of how

to apply please call 01442 228000 and

ask for the Estate Improvement Officer.

Going walkabout in Grovehill The Local Area Walkabout aroundGrovehill back in March was a bigsuccess, bagging an unbelievablefour tons of rubbish.

Councillors Ann Ryan and

Alexander Bhinder joined council

staff and local residents, who

responded after receiving a hand

delivered invitation.

Litter is an issue which residents

bring up regularly, so a team of

litter pickers also got stuck in.

Other walkabouts which took place in Tring and Berkhamsted during May highlighted

faults such as pot holes, blocked drains and road signs that need renewing. We will be

working with colleagues at Hertfordshire County Council to tackle these.

The dates and times of walkabouts in July will be publicised on

www.dacorum.gov.uk/walkabouts, and on our Facebook page

www.facebook.com/dacorum Please come and join us and improve your own local

environment.

Residents in Adeyfield have been showing how much their community means tothem by donating their spare time to make a difference.

01442 228000 [email protected] Your tenancy | 09

How should tenanciesbe let in the future?

We have been considering how we willrespond to changes brought in by theGovernment's Localism Act 2011 whichrequires us to create a tenancy strategyby January 2013. This needs to explainhow different types of tenancies will begranted and clarify how they will berenewed.

We have prepared a draft Strategic

Tenancy Policy and we would like to

hear your views on it.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing,

Councillor Margaret Griffiths, said:

"These proposals do not affect existing

tenants. Their rights are protected

permanently. But we do need to be more

flexible in how we allocate homes in the

future to ensure they are more widely

available to the next generation. This

proposed new policy aims to get the

right people in the right accommodation

and set out the rules openly and fairly."

"I hope that all parts of our community –

tenants, owner occupiers and people

already on the housing register – look at

the proposals and let us know what they

think."

The policy contains the following

recommendations:

� Current tenants will not be affected by

the proposed policy. You will be able

to keep your existing tenancy length

and conditions if you transfer to a new

property.

� All new and re-let properties (except

supported housing in sheltered

schemes) will be let as five year fixed-

term tenancies.

� There will be a presumption to renew

a five year fixed-term tenancy if the

household's circumstances do not

change.

Councillor Griffiths concluded: "We need

to achieve a balance between ensuring

that the housing is used by those who

need it most while providing the level of

stability that households need –

particularly those with children."

From July you can complete the

consultation paper on our main website

www.dacorum.gov.uk or on our housing

register website

www.movingwithdacorum.org.ukFor more information call 01442 228000and ask for Jack Burnham.

Time for tenancyagreementreviewWe are updating the agreementwhich all tenants sign before gettingthe keys to their door.

Since it was last reviewed in 1998,

there have been many changes to the

law and different types of tenancies

can now also be granted. We need to

have a document which sets out the

complex conditions clearly both for

tenants and staff to help us to manage

our homes more effectively.

At the ‘stop while you shop’ road

show last December we asked tenants:

1. What is the one most important

thing that you would want included in

the new tenancy conditions?

2. What one thing do you consider is

good about the current tenancy

conditions?

3. What one thing would you change

in the current tenancy conditions?

The feedback we received was varied,

ranging from tenants wanting stricter

anti-social behaviour sanctions to

having more security for family

members to take over tenancies.

Following on from this consultation,

we have set up working groups made

up of staff, residents and Councillors

to discuss how these specific issues

will be covered in the agreement:

� Repairs

� Anti-social behaviour

� Pets

� Consultation and estate

management

� Rent

� Support services

� Legal issues

We are now writing a draft Tenancy

Agreement and will be asking for your

feedback later in the autumn. Look

out in the next issue of News andViews for more information.

How do you think we should grant tenancies to make the bestuse of homes in Dacorum?

10 | Repairs www.dacorum.gov.uk

How are we performing?Reducing re-let times

When tenants move out of a property

our repair teams work quickly to get it

back up to standard. The faster we can

do this, the sooner new tenants can

move in. We are doing everything we

can to keep the time that properties are

empty to a minimum.

The graph below compares re-let times

over the last three years and shows the

target we are aiming for next year.

Average number of days taken tore-let an empty home*

� Working together with tenants

(represented by the Maintenance Focus

Group) and staff from Apollo, MITIE

and the Council to examine the

process.

� Visiting the out-going tenants before

they move to inspect the property and

ensure they are aware what condition

they need to leave it in. This means

properties are now returned to us in a

better condition.

� Providing a clearance service at a

realistic price, should the tenant prefer

us to carry out this work.

� Monitoring every stage of the process

to minimise delays.

� Taking action immediately if tenants

refuse to leave their property in an

acceptable condition.

� Introducing the improved Standard for

Letting Empty Homes which clarifies

what needs to be done.

� Advertising properties earlier so that

we can allocate them as soon as

repairs are complete.

� Allowing new tenants to visit while

repairs are still in progress to prepare

for the move (where it is safe to do so).

However, we have set ourselves an even

lower target of 25 days by next year, so

will be working hard to meet this.

Be gas safe,not sorryAn explosion at a house in Gateshead inMay which injured seven people was astark reminder about the need to carryout regular gas safety checks.

If you smell gas or are worried about gas

safety, you can call the National Gas

Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 at

any time, day or night. Your call will not

cost you anything.

As your landlord, Dacorum Borough

Council has a legal requirement to carry

out a gas safety check on any Council-

owned gas installation or appliance in

your home. This must be carried out

every year by a qualified gas safety

engineer. We have appointed Carillion

Energy Services (previously known as

AFR) to do this on a ten-monthly cycle.

Carillion will send you a letter to let you

know when your service is due. When

you receive your letter, please contact

them as soon as possible to confirm or

re-arrange your appointment as

necessary. All tenants who help us to

carry out the check first time are

entered into a monthly prize draw to

win £100. For terms and conditions call

01442 228000 and ask for Pat Coles.

*These figures relate to general needsaccommodation

Carillion engineer Neal Rutherforddelivers the latest £100 prize

How are we reducing re-lettimes? As you can see we have already

managed to significantly reduce the time

taken to re-let empty homes. We have

managed to achieve this by:

We want to keep you up-to-date with how the housing service is performing andwill be putting the spotlight on a different area in each issue of News and Views. Inthis issue we are looking at how we manage our empty homes to get them ready tobe re-let.

2009/10 39 days

2010/11 29 days

2011/12 28 days

2012/13

Pelham Court re-claddingWe are replacing the externalinsulation system on the second blockof Pelham Court in Leverstock Green(pictured).

The insulation on the first block was

replaced in 2006. The second block

will be finished by the end of July.

Target 25 days

01442 228000 [email protected] Repairs | 11

Scouting for a new apprenticeWe are working with Apollo to recruit another apprentice who will become an assetto our partnership.

In May, managers and directors from Apollo and Dacorum’s housing team, and the

Scout group Chairman Peter Collins, helped trainees (pictured) to renovate the Scout

hut in Potten End as part of the Kick-Start programme.

Nine NVQ construction students applied to take part in the scheme, gaining hands on

experience in basic construction skills as well as learning about team working, CV and

interview skills and health and safety awareness.

The trainees will now be interviewed for the one apprentice position which will be

based in Dacorum. Their participation during the training programme and input

during the work experience will also be taken into account.

Apollo meetsKeepmoatIn late March, our plannedmaintenance contractor Apollomerged with the Keepmoat Group ofcompanies. From now on it will beknown as Keepmoat.

But nothing is

changing

overnight. The

existing contract

between Apollo

and Dacorum

Borough Council

will be

completed and

letters and staff

identity badges

will remain with Apollo logos for the

time being. If you are concerned at all

about the identity of a repairs worker,

please call 01442 228000 and ask for

Housing.

Our repairs contractor MITIE hasbeen helping Age Concern collectand dispose of large unwanted itemssuch as cookers and armchairs fromelderly residents’ homes inDacorum.

Maria McKenna, MITIE’s Dacorum

Residents Liaison Officer, has also

joined Age Concern’s Befriending

Scheme. She will be matched up with

an elderly resident and then visiting

their home once or twice a week.

If you’d like to join the Befriending Scheme, call Age Concern Dacorum on

01442 259049 or email [email protected]

Maria has a weekly repairs hot desk at Hemel Hempstead Civic Centre every

Thursday from 9.30am to 1pm where you can drop in and talk to her about your

repairs.

HeatingrepairsreminderA quick reminder that during thewarmer months (1 May to 31October) we aim to carry outheating and hot water repairswithin three to seven workingdays.

In exceptional circumstances (such

as a vulnerable person returning

from hospital) we try to carry out

repairs faster.

During the colder months (1

November to 30 April) heating and

hot water repairs will normally be

carried out within one working day.

More details about when we carry

out repairs can be found in your

Tenants’ Handbook.

Age Concern gets a helping hand

12 | News and views www.dacorum.gov.uk

Register to vote

You’ll receive a form by the end of June,

which includes the names of the electors

who are registered at your address.

If there are no changes to the

information on the form you can confirm

your details quickly and easily using our

automated text, free phone or internet

service. If there are any changes to your

details simply amend the form, sign it

and return it to the Council in the

prepaid envelope.

For more information call

01442 228000 and ask for

Electoral Services,

email elect-reg@dacorum. gov.uk or visit

www.dacorum.gov.uk/registertovote

Summer Digestout nowHave you read the latest DacorumDigest, our quarterly residents’magazine? This issue includes:

� A whole

programme of

events to

mark the

London 2012

Olympics and

Paralympics.

� Your latest

copy of the

Dacorum

Card

Directory,

with full details of where you can get

discounts.

� Details on how you can now recycle

more of your plastics.

You should have received a copy through

your door by now, but you can also read

it online at www.dacorum.gov.uk/digest,

read it at your local library or pick up a

copy from our civic centres.

A message fromyour local fireserviceGet free advice and a free home fire safety checkfrom your local fire and rescue service. This canhelp you and others to get out quickly and safelyif a fire does break out.

To arrange for your free home fire safety check,

and free smoke detectors fitted where necessary,

please phone 0300 123 4046 or go on line at

www.hertsdirect.org/fire

ASB feedback Have you contacted us recently toreport anti-social behaviour? We’d liketo know how your complaint was dealtwith.

If you

haven’t

already

filled one in, please ask us for a

satisfaction survey. Contact Tracy Vause

on 01442 228000 or email

[email protected]

Of the 11 surveys returned between

January to March this year, eight people

said they were satisfied or very

satisfied. We are using the feedback to

help us improve our service further.

The Council is signed up to the Respect

ASB Charter for Housing, demonstrating

our commitment to tackle this serious

issue.

Contact us...If you would like more information, want to give us somefeedback or would like this issue in another format such aslarge print, audio tape or in another language, please call01442 228000 and say the name of the person you want tospeak to or simply ask for Housing or Tenant Involvement.You can also email us on [email protected] visit www.dacorum.gov.uk

Textphone users please call 01442 228656.

Find us on facebook and twitter.

This summer we’re asking every household in Dacorum to update their details onthe electoral register. Although we normally update the register in the autumn, weare doing it earlier this year to prepare for the Police and Crime Commissionerelection being held in November.