Your livin home guide A guide to the services provided by livin. 14 A guide to getting involved 1 - 4 16 A guide to moving on 1 - 3 18 Useful contacts 1 - 3 11 A guide to aids and adaptations 1 - 5 12 A guide to managing and improving your neighbourhood and communities 1 - 5 13 A guide to tackling antisocial behaviour 1 - 3 17 A guide to ending your tenancy 1 - 3 15 A guide to giving feedback on our services 1 - 5 1 Introduction 1 5 A guide to reporting repairs 1 - 6 6 A guide to gas safety 1 - 5 8 A guide to Legionella control 1 - 2 2 A guide to your tenancy - rights and responsibilities 1 - 7 3 A guide money matters, paying your rent and debt advice 1 - 3 4 A guide to taking care of your home 1 - 4 10 A guide to understanding tenants improvements 1 - 3 9 A guide to dampness & condensation 1 - 3 A guide to asbestos 1 - 5 7 Contents
Everything you need to know about your tenancy in one place
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Transcript
Your livin home guideA guide to the services provided by livin.
14 A guide to getting involved 1 - 4
16 A guide to moving on 1 - 3
18 Useful contacts 1 - 3
11 A guide to aids and adaptations 1 - 5
12A guide to managing and improving your neighbourhood and communities 1 - 5
13 A guide to tackling antisocial behaviour 1 - 3
17 A guide to ending your tenancy 1 - 3
15 A guide to giving feedback on our services 1 - 5
1 Introduction 1
5 A guide to reporting repairs 1 - 6
6 A guide to gas safety 1 - 5
8 A guide to Legionella control 1 - 2
2 A guide to your tenancy - rights and responsibilities 1 - 7
3 A guide money matters, paying your rent and debt advice 1 - 3
4 A guide to taking care of your home 1 - 4
10 A guide to understanding tenants improvements 1 - 3
9 A guide to dampness & condensation 1 - 3
A guide to asbestos 1 - 57
Contents
You, our tenants, are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to providing you with excellent services and ensuring you can choose to have a say in how we develop your services in the future.
This guide provides a range of interesting and helpful information; it will act as a useful reference guide to living in your home and community. We want you to be settled in your home and make a success of your tenancy.
We provide an “On the phone and in your home” service which means that our teams are on hand to offer advice and support at a time, and location, convenient for you.
Once again, welcome to livin and I hope you find this guide helpful and interesting. Please contact us if you have any questions about your home or the services we provide.
Colin Steel Chief Executive of livin
Welcome to yourlivin home guide
1
2A guide to your tenancy - rights and responsibilities
IntroductionThis chapter explains the gas safety service. By
law we must ensure that all of our homes that
have a gas supply have an annual gas safety
check. The gas safety check that we carry out
is very important, as it will ensure that our gas
appliances and fittings are safe to use and we
will carry out a visual check to your own gas
appliances (cookers and fires) while we are in
your property. This ensures that your gas fixtures
and fittings are safe. All safety checks are free of
charge.
The dangers of carbon monoxideEvery year, approximately 50 people die in the
UK from carbon monoxide poisoning caused
by gas appliances and flues that have not been
properly fitted or maintained.
When gas does not burn properly, it produces
poisonous carbon monoxide. You can’t see it.
You can’t taste it. You can’t even smell it. Carbon
monoxide can kill without warning in just a matter
of hours.
The early symptoms of carbon monoxide
poisoning include tiredness, drowsiness,
headache and pains in the chest and stomach.
You are at risk of this if:
n Your gas appliances are not working
properly
n Your gas appliances have not been checked
for safety or maintained regularly
n There is not enough fresh air in your room
(do not block air bricks or other vents)
n Your chimney or flue is blocked
n You have allowed unqualified people to
install or maintain your gas appliances.
Accessing your homeMaking appointments with youAt least 10 working days before we carry out
the annual gas safety check we will give you an
appointment. If this appointment is inconvenient,
please contact us on freephone 0800 587 4538 or
0300 111 2344 (cheaper from mobiles – charges
vary) and we will rearrange it to a time that suits
you better.
If you are unavailable during normal working
hours, we will make you a special appointment
on an evening or on a weekend.
If you cannot keep your appointment, please
let us know in advance. If you do not, our costs
increase and our time is wasted.
Text aheadIf we have your contact telephone number we will
send you a text message to remind you that we
are coming to carry out the gas safety check. This
will give you a further opportunity to contact us if
the appointment is no longer suitable. To enable
us to provide this service, please ensure that we
have an up to date telephone number for you.
6A guide to gas safety
3
Failing to allow us accessDespite the importance of gas safety checks, a small number of our tenants do not allow our gas engineers access to their home.
Failure to allow access for the annual gas safety check to be completed is a breach of your tenancy agreement and you may be charged the cost of any missed appointments.
If you do not allow us access you will receive a warning card from the gas engineer.
If you fail to allow us access for a second appointment you will receive a further warning card from the engineer.
If a further appointment is not kept you will receive a final warning card and if you still fail to allow the gas safety check to be completed after receiving these cards, your details will be passed to the Support and Intervention Team for legal action to be taken.
This could result in you losing your home!
What happens during a gas safety check?During the gas safety check we will service and repair all the gas appliances that we own. We will also carry out a visual inspection your own appliances, such as your cooker, and list any faults. You can then arrange any necessary repairs.
We will also check that all of your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are clean and are working correctly. If any of your detectors are not working properly then we will
repair or replace them for you free of charge.
If you haven’t got a smoke detector or carbon
monoxide detector fitted already, then we will fit
one for you free of charge.
We will explain the gas safety certificate, send
out by post two to three days after the service a
copy of the certificate and tell you what we will
do next if any extra work is needed.
The gas safety check will only take up around one
hour of your time to complete. We will protect
the areas where we work with dustsheets and our
engineers will clear up any mess that is made.
This work could save you money as it will ensure
that our gas appliance(s) are in good working
order.
Any problems with our gas appliances during the
period between annual gas safety checks should
be reported to our customer service centre
immediately by calling 0800 587 4538 or
0300 111 2344 if using a mobile.
Gas Safe RegisterGas Safe Register is the new Governing body
responsible for ensuring that all our gas
engineers are qualified and competent to work in
your home.
The Gas Safe Register scheme came into effect
on 1 April 2009 and is administered by the
Health and Safety Executive. By law anyone who
works with gas has to be registered with the Gas
Safe Register and should carry photographic
registration cards as proof of this.
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Always remember to check the engineer’s
registration card before allowing them to carry
out work on your gas appliances. All our gas
engineers are registered with the Gas Safe
Register.
For more information on the Gas Safe Register
visit their website at gassaferegister.co.uk
How will I know the work has been done correctly?We only employ qualified staff to carry out
this work and you will be given a copy of the
Landlord’s Gas Safety record. We will also check
a sample of works done to make sure it is carried
out to a very high standard.
We may ask you to let us or a contractor working
on our behalf to check the work done in your
home. If we do, please let us in to do this, as it
will help ensure the work has been carried out to
a high standard.
Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectorsMost of our homes are fitted with smoke
detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. In
the event of a fire or the occurrence of carbon
monoxide, these devices will give you and your
family precious seconds to escape serious injury
or even death.
We will check that these detectors are in good
working order during the annual gas safety check,
however, you should ensure that you test them
on a weekly basis by pressing the ‘test’ button. If
you are elderly or disabled, ask a relative, friend
or neighbour to do it for you.
Under no circumstances should you disconnect
or remove batteries from smoke or carbon
monoxide detectors.
What should I do if I smell gas? Turn off your gas supply immediately. Find the
lever next to your meter and move it one quarter
of the way round, either right or left, until the gas
stops.
Once the gas has been turned off, open the
windows and doors to let in plenty of fresh air.
Do not turn any electrical switches on or off, light
matches or lighters, or smoke.
Immediately ring the National Gas Emergency
Service on 0800 111 999. They will come to your
home and make it safe.
If the engineer from the National Gas Emergency
Service tells you something in your home
needs to be repaired, call our contact centre
on 0800 587 4538 or 0300 111 2344 (cheaper
from mobiles) and we will arrange for one of our
engineers to call.
If you believe you may have suffered from any
symptoms related to carbon monoxide poisoning
visit your GP or the hospital at the earliest
opportunity.
6A guide to gas safety
5
Stay safe n Never use a gas appliance if you think it
is not working properly. Signs to look out
for include yellow or orange flames, soot or
stains around the appliance and pilot lights
which frequently blow out.
n Never cover an appliance or block the
convection air vents
n Never block or obstruct any fixed ventilation
grills or airbricks
n Never block or cover outside flues
Further informationIf you have any questions about gas safety,
What is asbestos?Asbestos is a fibrous material that is made
from a group of natural materials found in
rocks. Large amounts of asbestos-containing
materials (ACM’s) were used for a wide range of
construction purposes in new and refurbished
buildings until 1999 when all use of asbestos was
banned.
This means that some homes built or refurbished
before this time may contain asbestos.
When is asbestos a problem?Generally, asbestos is perfectly safe if it is in
good condition and not disturbed or damaged.
However, if asbestos containing materials are in
poor condition or are damaged or disturbed, for
example, drilled, cut or sanded, this can release
fibres into the air. Breathing in these fibres can
cause serious damage to the lungs.
Sound, undisturbed asbestos-containing
materials do not pose a direct health risk but they
should be carefully managed to ensure they are
in good condition and to prevent fibres being
released accidentally.
Where in my home could I find asbestos?Asbestos can be found in many materials
including:
n Roofing sheets, roof slates and tiles
n Roofing felts or lining panels
n Guttering and rainwater pipes
n External wall cladding and panels
n Fascia and soffit boards
n Panels beneath window frames
n Pads fitted beneath stainless-steel sinks
n Cold-water tanks in loft spaces
n Service ducting
n Tiles, slats, canopies and firebreaks
above ceilings
n Internal partitions walls
n Decorative textured coatings
n Panels behind or under heaters
n Panels on or inside fire-resisting doors
n Toilet cisterns
n Bath panels
n Floor tiles and linoleum
*This list is not exhaustive
7A guide to asbestos
3
What do I do if I find asbestos?You can’t tell whether something contains
asbestos simply by looking at it. Often you
can only find out by analysing it in a specialist
laboratory.
If you think any material may contain asbestos
or if you think your home contains damaged
asbestos material, then don’t try and deal with it
yourself, contact us immediately on
0800 587 4538 or 0300 111 2344 if using a
mobile.
How do we manage asbestos?We have a legal duty to protect against the
health risks posed by asbestos.
We regularly survey and sample all our empty
properties for any possible asbestos-containing
materials and if we find asbestos containing
materials, we record these on our database.
When planning refurbishment or major repair
work for your home, we will arrange for a survey
to be undertaken before we begin the work, if
there is not a survey already in place.
A specialist surveyor from the asbestos surveying
company we use will make an appointment with
you to come and do the survey. They may need
to take samples from your home for testing.
We need to know what asbestos-containing
material may be in your home before starting any
building work. If you don’t allow the surveyor into
your home, this could delay the planned work.
What if asbestos is found in my home?If we find some asbestos-containing material that
has been identified as high risk, we will remove it
immediately using licensed contractors.
If the asbestos-containing material carries a much
lower risk, we will:
n remove (if appropriate) when we do any
major building work to your home, or
n seal and bond the material to stop it
releasing fibres.
If the material is in good condition, sealed and
not exposed, and so unlikely to break up, we will
record its type and where it is.
We share our surveys with all of our contractors
so they are aware of the presence of asbestos
and will take this into account before they start
any work.
We will also inform you about the presence of
asbestos in your home after a survey has been
conducted, we will also inform you if no asbestos
is present.
If asbestos containing material has been found
within your home from time to time we will
arrange with you to re-inspect the material.
7A guide to asbestos
4
Frequently asked questionsWhat are the health risks?Asbestos-containing materials can cause serious
illness, including some forms of cancer. Often it
takes many years for the disease to show itself.
There is asbestos-containing material in my home, why not remove it straight away?Disturbing asbestos-containing materials that
are in good condition may produce dust and
increase health risks. We survey homes to find
out whether there are asbestos-containing
materials, we also check their condition. Materials
in good condition do not cause health problems.
If we find materials in poor condition, we will
consider removing them or sealing them.
However, when we need to do building work
on your home, disturbing asbestos may be
unavoidable. If so, we would look at how we
could safely remove the material.
I may have disturbed or damaged some asbestos containing materials in my home - what should I do?Contact our Building Health and Safety Team
on 0800 587 4538 or 0300 111 2344 if using a
mobile and we will arrange to have the material
inspected and assessed. We will then decide
what needs to be done to make it safe.
I’ve been told my decorative wall coating (Artex) contains asbestos. What is it and is it safe?Decorative coating was widely used in properties
on interior walls and ceilings. Older types of
decorative coating contained a small amount of
asbestos. Decorative coating is safe as long as
it is left alone - it is very hard and is unlikely to
produce dust.
Can I hang a picture on a wall coated with old decorative coating?Tapping in a normal picture hook is not a
problem, but never drill or screw through old
decorative coating as this could create harmful
dust.
Your guide to asbestos in your homeCan I decorate walls and ceilings coated with old decorative coating?You can paint walls and ceilings coated with old
decorative coating, but do not scrape. If you
notice any damaged areas, please contact the
5
Building Health and Safety Team for advice.
Is it OK for tenants to sand off old decorative coating?No, because this could cause large amounts of
harmful dust. Contact us for advice.
Can I repair or re-skim walls or ceilings that are coated with decorative coating?Please contact us for advice.
Can I remove and dispose of plastic floor tiles that contain asbestos?Plastic floor tiles are unlikely to produce much
harmful dust, but you still need to be cautious.
Environmental and Waste Regulations state that
you should transport and dispose of all waste
asbestos safely and properly. We suggest you
contact us for advice before removing floor tiles.
Can I overlay old plastic floor tiles that contain asbestos with another floor covering?Generally, this is OK as long as no sanding or
scraping is involved. Nailing down floor coverings
or gripper rods though the tiles will not produce
harmful dust. If in doubt, contact us for more
advice.
I have noticed some broken pieces of plastic floor tile that I think contain asbestos. Is my health at risk?No, even broken pieces of tile don’t produce
much dust, so there should be little health risk.
But contact us and we will help you dispose of
them safely.
Further informationIf you have any questions about asbestos, please
What is the aids and adaptations service?This is a discretionary service provided by livin for people who live in one of our homes and need it adapting because they:
n Have difficulty with normal day to day activities because of age, illness or disability
n Have problems with climbing steps or stairs
n Have problems getting in and out of their home or around the rooms inside it
n Have difficulty with personal care such as bathing or using the toilet
What is an adaptation?
It is an alteration to the home to make it easier to carry out daily activities such as:
n Getting in and out of the home
n Climbing steps or stairs
n Preparing meals
n Using the toilet
n Bathing
We may be able to help with providing:
n Grabrails or handrails
n Stair lifts or vertical lifts
n Ramps for wheelchair users only (not motorised scooters)
n Alterations to doors and steps
n Alterations to bathrooms or kitchens
We can fund adaptations up to a maximum of
£15,000. Above this tenants will need to apply to
Durham County Council for a Disabled Facilities
Grant.
Who can apply for an adaptation?
Tenants can apply if they live in a livin property;
however an assessment needs to be carried out
by a member of the Occupational Therapy team,
who are employed by Durham County Council
Social Services, before we can carry out any work.
Occupational Therapy service will arrange to visit
to carry out an assessment.
11A guide to aids and adaptations
3
The appointment will be confirmed by letter or telephone, but if this is inconvenient, another time can easily be arranged.
An Occupational Therapist or an Occupational Therapy Assistant will carry out an assessment using the Fair Access to Care (FAC’s) guidelines from the Government. (For more information on this visit the Department of Health website at dh.gov.uk and check the publications section).
What will happen during the assessment?
You may like to ask a member of your family or a friend to be with you during the assessment.
You will be asked questions about your health, disabilities and how you cope with daily activities. Any information that you give to the Occupational Therapist including medical and personal details is treated in the strictest confidence.
You will be asked to show them how you carry out the tasks which are difficult for you and perhaps try out some equipment that may help you.
The Occupational Therapy staff will suggest ways of helping with your difficulties and discuss what is available to you. They may recommend adaptations to your home or equipment which will help you to carry out an activity more easily and safely.
You may be asked to go for Physiotherapy for further rehabilitation before a decision about alterations to your home to meet your long term
needs can be made.
What happens after the assessment?
Following your assessment your levels of need will be determined as either:
n Critical
n Substantial
n Moderate
n Low
Only those that are assessed as having a critical or substantial need will be eligible for adaptations.
It is important to remember that what may be a solution to another person with similar needs may not be the answer for you.
The Occupational Therapist or the Occupational Therapy Assistant may visit with a surveyor or Occupational therapist from livin to see if the recommendations made are feasible and comply with law.
The most cost effective solution to your problems will always be recommended. Showers, stair lifts and ramps are always a last resort and cannot be recommended for reasons of personal choice alone.
Ramps are only installed if you are dependent upon a wheelchair (to access your home).
It is sometimes necessary to use specialist companies to carry out some of the work (stair lifts and ramps for example). If this is the case we will let you know when the adaptation is
approved.
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The work on your adaptation will be carried
out as soon as possible and you will receive a
letter to tell you when it has been ordered with a
contact name and telephone number to enquire
about the time of the work.
Major items like stair lifts and bathroom
alterations will take longer than small ones
like grab-rails and handrails. This is because of
the extra time needed to carry out the surveys
necessary at the planning stage, ordering the
materials and carrying out the work.
Once your application has been assessed your
adaptation will be placed on our waiting list in
date order.
Only adaptations that have been assessed as
urgent by the Occupational Therapy Team will be
moved to the top of the list.
Can livin refuse to carry out the work?
Adaptations are a discretionary service and
all recommendations from the Occupational
Therapy team will be assessed by the Property
and Development team. If the work is not classed
as reasonable or practicable, we may refuse to do
the work. We will confirm in writing why we have
refused to do the work.
What if my home is not suitable for adaptations?
Occasionally the outcome of the assessment
is that you need a more suitable property,
especially if your existing one is not suitable for
adaptations. However, Occupational Therapists
or Occupational Therapy Assistants can only
write a letter of support to livin highlighting the
type of property you need. This information will
be used when they allocate empty properties.
If you are currently on a housing list, you are not
eligible for adaptations other than minor health
and safety works to your current property whilst
you wait.
Will I have to pay towards the adaptation?
No, we do not charge for this type of work to be
carried out. We currently have a limited budget
for Disabled Persons Adaptations that is set from
our annual budget.
You will be required to complete an eligibility
declaration to assist livin in this process to claim
relief for Value Added Tax (VAT) on the work to
your home.
How long will I wait for an adaptation?
There is not a set timescale for adaptations,
however, from the assessment to the work being
complete could take 12 months.
11A guide to aids and adaptations
5
How much disruption will there be during the works?
There may be some disturbance to your home
during the works, particularly if we are doing
internal alterations. This will however be kept to
a minimum by the workmen who will clear up
afterwards.
All new fittings and fixtures will be decorated
where necessary. However, we are not
responsible for redecoration of existing areas
disturbed by the works.
Whenever possible the workmen will restore or
provide all existing essential amenities within
your property at the end of each working day.
The contractor that will be carrying out the work
will visit you before commencement of the work
to inform you of all arrangements.
Further information
If you have any questions about adaptations
please contact us on 0800 587 4538 or
0300 111 2344 if using a mobile.
12A guide to services to help you in your home and how we manage your neighbourhood and communities
Supported servicesWe know that managing a new home can be
difficult, especially if it is your first tenancy. If
you are having problems with your tenancy,
please contact us and we may be able to provide
support and advice.
We can help you to:
n Understand your tenancy agreement and
how to keep it
n Help you manage your money and your rent
payments
n Help you claim benefits
n Provide advice on getting your gas and
electric connected
n Advise you how to look after your property
n Help you deal with antisocial behaviour
n Assess if you need extra support and put
you in touch with other support agencies,
if you need them. Some of these agencies
can help people with alcohol and drug
problems
Supported/Sheltered housing
This type of housing can help older and
vulnerable people to keep their independence
and maintain their privacy in a safe environment
by providing a low level of support.
If you are living in supported housing you can
choose how much you become involved in any
activities that take place in the schemes.
Care Connect
The Care Connect service is an alarm service
provided by Durham County Council.
This provides 24-hour emergency cover every
day of the year. In the event of an emergency,
operators will respond to your call and offer
reassurance and appropriate support.
For more information about this service contact
Durham County Council.
Tenancy visits
We carry out annual visits to your home to talk to
you about your tenancy and ensure that you are
keeping to your tenancy conditions.
During this visit we will update the information
we have on you and your household so that we
can make sure you are getting the right services.
Garden maintenance scheme
We provide a garden maintenance service for
vulnerable tenants needing support to maintain
their garden. Please contact us for further
information.
Sponsored decoration scheme for our vulnerable tenants
The sponsored decoration scheme is available
to vulnerable tenants who have had major works
carried out in their homes or who have moved
into a home which is in need of decoration. If you
are eligible for the scheme, you can exchange
12A guide to services to help you in your home and how we manage your neighbourhood and communities
3
the decoration allowance you receive to have
up to two rooms fully decorated to your own
requirements. You would be required to provide
your own decoration materials. If you would like
further details about this scheme please contact
your Property Services Team.
Being a good neighbour
Everyone is entitled to enjoy their home quietly
and peacefully. You must not cause nuisance or
disturb your neighbours. You must also make
sure that anyone living with you or visiting your
home behaves responsibly.
As a good neighbour, please be considerate by:
n Keeping the volume of televisions, radios
and stereos as low as possible, late at night
and early in the morning
n Trying to avoid installing music systems
against walls that divide you and your
neighbour
n Carrying out work to your home during
reasonable hours
n Parking vehicles responsibly and respecting
your neighbours’ parking and access needs
n Return your rubbish bin back to its normal
storage area when it has been emptied
n Being a responsible pet owner, for example,
if you have a dog, make sure it does not
bark or whine for long periods and arrange
for it not to be left alone if you are away
from home for a long time. Do not let it soil
communal areas inside or outside flats
n Controlling your children when they are
playing outside your property
n Making sure any visitors respect your
neighbours and the area you live in whilst
they are travelling to and from, and while
they are in your home
Nuisance
If your neighbour is being too noisy or is causing
a nuisance, talking to them is often the best
way to solve the problem. Most people are
reasonable if you speak to them in person and
sometimes they may not realise that they are
causing a nuisance.
If you do not think you are able to sort the
problem out yourself please contact us and we
will discuss the best way to deal with it.
Communal areas
Everyone living in your block is responsible for
keeping the shared communal areas neat, clean
and tidy. This includes the stairs, landing and
hallways.
You must not leave rubbish on the stairs or in the
hallways, as this may be a safety hazard. You must
not place any items of furniture in the hallways
or on landings – this could be a hazard if people
need to leave the block quickly in an emergency.
Keep communal areas secure by keeping doors shut when not in use.
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We inspect shared areas on a regular basis. Please contact your Communities Team if you need to report any problems or if you would like to know more about the inspections for the shared areas near your home.
Enviromental assessments
The Communities Team will carry out regular assessments to make sure that the neighbourhood is clean and well maintained.
If you notice any problems in your neighbourhood or you would like more information about assessments in your neighbourhood please contact your Communities Team.
Community plans
19 community plans have been produced that highlight the key issues across each of our communities. Residents and tenants helped identify issues and actions to improve their community after teams at livin carried out a series of public consultation events. Our teams will work in partnership to deliver actions from each plan in a bid to tackle problems and improve neighbourhoods. To find out more or to view a copy of your community plan visit our website or call the Community Team using the contact details at the front of this chapter.
Abandoned homes
If you think that a property that is owned by us looks abandoned, please tell us immediately. We
will investigate and take the appropriate action.
Dumping rubbish
We want neighbourhoods to be clean and attractive places to live. If you find dumped rubbish in a shared area or you see someone dumping rubbish in your neighbourhood, please contact your Communities Team. If the rubbish has been dumped on land we are responsible for we will take necessary action. If it is not on our land we provide appropriate guidance and advice to try to resolve the problem.
Neighbourhood improvements
We carry out a wide range of work in your neighbourhood including:
n Ground maintenance – we will maintain grass, trees and flowerbeds on open spaces that we are responsible for
n Unadopted footpaths – we will keep footpaths that are our responsibility maintained so they are safe
n Neighbourhood improvements – we put money aside to improve car park areas and so on
n Open air communal areas – we inspect and manage our garage blocks, garage sites and garden sites
Vandalism and graffiti
If you see vandalism or graffiti please let us know, if it is on our land or property we will arrange for it to be removed. If it is not our land or property we will refer your report to Durham County
Council.
12A guide to services to help you in your home and how we manage your neighbourhood and communities
5
livin community fund
The livin community fund is open to all tenants or residents as well as community groups from our neighbourhoods. Our aim is to create economic, social and environmental communities by investing in local projects and initiatives.
We are encouraging initiatives to tackle issues in three different categories:
Economic – to help people and neighbourhoods to thrive. This includes tackling unemployment, financial confidence, antisocial behaviour and much more
Social – to help to improve the health and wellbeing of Residents
Environmental – to help residents to live ‘greener’ and be environmentally responsible as well as improving the landscape where you live
If you’ve got an idea simply fill in a submission form which can be found online or by requesting
a form from our Improving Communities Team.
Untaxed and abandoned vehicles
We will investigate untaxed or abandoned vehicles that are found in our neighbourhoods; however these vehicles can also be reported to
Durham County Council.
Rubbish and refuse collection
Durham County Council is responsible for both rubbish and refuse collections. A wheeled bin collection service is provided for each home and has a regular collection. If you have a large
amount of household waste to dispose of you can take it to any of the council amenity sites free of charge.
The council also provided a bulky waste collection for items to be removed from outside your home. For more information on the full range of services and any charges contact
Durham County Council.
Street lighting
If you notice a broken or faulty street light you
should contact Durham County Council to
report it.
Stray dogs
Please contact Durham County Council’s Dog
Warden service to report stray dogs.
Vermin and pests
For advice about pest control and problems with vermin you should contact Durham County
Council.
Further information
If you have any questions about our services
please contact us on 0800 587 4538 or 0300 111
2344 if using a mobile.
If you need to contact Durham County Council, please telephone 0300 123 7070.