1. home and garden

ISSUE 12 autumn 2014
Spotlight
The topics that matter to you
Viva la
Fiesta!
See page 6
Everyone's a
winner
Page 7
Life's a garden
Page 4
Editors
Comment
Contents
W
Happy reading!
Suzanne Miller
from Neil Hadden
Chief Executive
4
elcome to the Autumn edition of
Spotlight, the quarterly magazine
for Genesis residents. I am your
new Editor and joined Genesis in July 2014.
Each Spotlight is crammed with
news and articles that affect you, our
customers, as well as information about
our services. We have over 30,000
customers across London and the South
East of England, so while it is impossible
to tell you about everything we have
been doing, we try to have a good mix of
stories that represent what we do.
On page 10, we reveal some of the
improvements we have made based
on what customers have told us.
Your feedback is very important and
there are a number of ways that you
can be involved, including taking our
customer surveys (page 18), joining our
resident involvement groups (page 4),
or becoming a resident Board member
(page 26).
Several residents have recently
started a new career thanks to their
own hard work and the efforts of
Genesis staff. On page 19, read how we
supported two residents to transform
their lives, while on page 5 learn how
a resident for whom volunteering at
Genesis led to permanent employment.
Finally, on page 24, find out how a
catering course found one resident
working for Jamie Oliver!
I hope I will get a chance to meet some
of you in the future and I would love to
hear your thoughts on this magazine.
Welcome
11
14
15
16
19
20
22
24
27
W
Community news
Blooming marvellous
at Moreton
Getting to know you
Spotlight on Sarah
Improving Genesis
Grahame Park Festival
and awards
Fun & games at
Hamara Ghar
You said, we did
We’re absolutely
determined to
improve the
service we
provide you –
so we have a
new “You Said,
We Did” section
Care and Support
Residents at Withipoll
St.
Food for thought at
Costessy
Leaseholders
corner
New
Developments
Genesis Way
Changes to your
repairs service
Service charges
Listening and acting
on your feedback
Enterprise,
Employment and
Training
Welfare Reform
Home Life
Can we fix it?
Stay warm in winter
Volunteering
elcome to the Autumn
edition of ‘Spotlight’, the
magazine for Genesis
residents, where we focus on the
topics that matter to you.
First of all, I want to really thank
those of you who have taken the
time to send us feedback about
how the magazine has changed. In
recent months, we had a bit of a redesign and I am pleased so many of
you have said you find the new look
more accessible, the articles much
more clearly written and that you
like the balance of residents’ stories,
poems and activities alongside the
information that Genesis needs you
to know to help you make the most of
your home.
There’s a lot packed into this edition:
there’s some great stories of people
who have been helped to get new jobs
and opportunities thanks to Genesis.
We’re also highlighting some of the
great community activities that have
recently taken place at Grahame Park
in Barnet, Cannell Court near Norwich
and much more besides.
This edition also has a lot of
information on how Genesis handles
your feedback as customers. We’re
absolutely determined to improve the
service we provide you – so we have
a new “You Said, We Did” section,
information about how Repairs and
Maintenance is changing and an
update on Service Charges – an issue
I know readers have contacted us
about recently.
I hope you find the magazine
interesting. If you have any comments
or queries, there’s a tear-off slip at the
back to give us your views.
We look forward to hearing from
you!
Neil Hadden
Survey
Spotlight Magazine Editor
2
Issue 12 | Autumn 2014 | Spotlight
Spotlight | Autumn 2014 | Issue 12
3
Sarah Nabirye
Getting to know you
Involving you!
Improving
Genesis!
We’re currently exploring how we can
involve customers in improving our
services. We want to ensure that if
you volunteer your time with us, it will
make a difference and that we take
on board your suggestions.
To achieve this, we want to:
• Further develop customer
scrutiny so that customers’
recommendations are taken on
board
• Involve customers more in the
recruitment of our staff and
contractors
• Keep track of and celebrate
what is achieved from customer
involvement.
Dig in: Joan Mayo (left) and neighbours
Our new Customer Involvement
Manager, Jane Eyles, is talking to
customers, existing volunteers,
staff, contractors and Genesis board
members to see how we can improve
and develop ideas for ways that
customers could work with us.
Ideas so far include:
Blooming marvellous
at Moreton
• A customer editorial panel for this
magazine, Spotlight
• Customer inspectors to help us
identify issues with properties and
neighbourhoods
• Using social media to get your
views.
Everything’s coming up roses in Great
Yarmouth, thanks to residents at
Moreton Court who have transformed
the communal garden. Supported by
Genesis staff, residents led by Joan Mayo
completely overhauled the garden (which
was previously just an area of grass) and
arranged donations of plants and flowers
from local businesses and the MIND charity
garden project.
Joan said, “I started doing the garden for
the other residents, and they then started
helping with it.”
But work didn’t stop there as not only
have Joan and her neighbours managed to
If you would be interested in
working with us to make these
improvements, please contact the
Customer Involvement Team on 020
8451 8224 or email mygenesis@
genesisha.org.uk
4
secure donations of surplus plants so that
the garden will continue to flourish, but
they have also successfully secured funding
to hold an event in the garden as part of
National Hate Crime Awareness Week (11th
– 15th October). For more details, see: www.
hatefreenorfolk.com/grants-availablenational-hate-crime-awareness-weekoctober-2014
Well done Joan!
Issue 12 | Autumn 2014 | Spotlight
There may be times when we ask you for personal
information, such as your sexual orientation, your
religion or whether you have a disability. You may
feel that these questions are inappropriate and
unnecessary but the information you provide helps us
offer services that are suitable for individual needs. For
instance, you may have a disability which could affect
communication when we are visiting to carry out a
repair. Or, by understanding faith and cultural issues, we
can make sure that we do not carry out routine repairs
during religious festivals or at other times that are
inconvenient to you.
At Genesis, we have two diversity customer forums
– one for residents with disabilities and the other for
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) residents.
The disability forum has told us about some of the
barriers they have faced when trying to talk to our
staff about disability. We have taken these issues on
board and communicating with disabled people now
forms a standard part of staff training. On LGBT issues,
customers told us that we could do better on how we
responded to hate crime so an innovative buddying
scheme for vulnerable LGBT residents was set up.
You are not required to answer
these type of questions but we
do encourage you to respond.
The information you provide is
kept completely confidential and
will only ever be used to help us
improve our services.
The LGBT Forum and Disability Forum each meet twice
a year and both forums are open to any residents
who would like to join. The LGBT facilitator is Miles
Lanham who is a gay Business Manager based in
London and can be contacted in confidence at: miles.
lanham@genesisha.org.uk. For more information
about the Disability Forum, call 033 3000 300 or email
mygenesis@genesisha.org.uk
Spotlight | Autumn 2014 | Issue 12
Community News
SPOTLIGHT
Office Move: Our Willesden
office has now re-opened:
192-196 High Road, Willesden,
London,
NW10 2PB
This is Genesis resident, Sarah Nabirye.
Amazingly, Sarah found time to volunteer with
Genesis while also studying for a degree and
bringing up a very young family (a two year
old and an 18 month old), and has now gained
employment.
Sarah joined Genesis’s volunteering programme
in April this year, working one day a week in the
Enterprise, Employment and Training (EET) Team
and helping other residents find jobs, training or
volunteering opportunities. Over the past few
months, she provided invaluable support which
included helping out at a jobs fair in Kilburn and
assisting with organising and running the Genesis
staff conference.
In August, as a result of her experience as a
volunteer, Sarah was offered not one but two jobs!
She was offered a full-time administration position,
which she was unable to accept due to the hours
clashing with her university course, but was also
offered and accepted a part time job working for
Catalyst housing association as a Health Care
Assistant.
Sarah is truly an inspiration to many and plans to
still volunteer with Genesis when she can to help
other residents.
Well done, Sarah!
Volunteers are a huge benefit to Genesis
and joining our volunteer programme can be
successful route to paid employment. For more
information, see page 24.
5
Community News
Care & Support: To find
out more about Care &
Support, turn to page 11
Awards all round as Grahame Park Summer Programme draws to a close
Children enjoying the day. The RAF Museum showing their support
Grahame Park anniversary festival
draws crowds
Music, games and a bouncy castle kept the crowds entertained at a family fun day.
Hundreds of people gathered in
Heybourne Park on Saturday 5 July to
celebrate more than ten years of the
Grahame Park Festival.
Festival-goers were also treated to a
dance stage and face-painting sessions at
the free event, which was coordinated by
Genesis Housing Association.
Genesis Housing took the opportunity
to tell people living in the area about
opportunities and services on offer in
Colindale, such as training and childcare,
as well as a residents’ association.
Sherine McFarlane, head of social and
6
economic regeneration at Genesis, said:
“The festival was a great success - it was
wonderful to see so many residents
getting together to have some fun
and find out what’s available in their
community.
“The day is always a major highlight in
the Grahame Park calendar. It’s a chance
for us to give something back to the
community and celebrate the long-term
transformation of the area.”
Grahame Park is one of Barnet’s largest
regeneration schemes, and will provide
3,000 new homes when all phases of the
18-year project are completed in 2028.
The regeneration project is led by
Genesis in partnership with Barnet
Borough Council and Countryside
Properties PLC.
Other organisations that took part
at the festival included Barnet Homes,
Colindale Community Trust, the RAF
Museum, Barnet and Southgate College
and Nutmeg Community.
MP for Hendon Matthew Offord and
London Assembly Member for Barnet and
Hendon Andrew Dismore, also dropped by
to speak to festival-goers.
Issue 12 | Autumn 2014 | Spotlight
50 local youngsters celebrated after
successfully completing an exciting
programme of summer activities in and
around Barnet.
The young people, who are all aged
between 8 and 14 years old, marked
the end of the three-week Grahame
Park Summer Programme with an
awards ceremony held at the St James
Catholic High School in Colindale. Family turned up to cheer them on as
certificates and medals were handed
out to everyone who took part, along
with trophies in categories including
‘Best Team Player’ and ‘Most Positive
Attitude’.
Participants had the chance to get
involved with a wide range of fun
activities including dance, drama and
go-karting, as well as a VIP visit to
Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. They also
got clued up on solving mysteries and
investigative techniques thanks to a
special workshop run by the Detective
Project.
The Grahame Park Summer
Programme is funded by Genesis
Housing Association, with the majority
of activities run by the voluntary
organisation Excellence Through
Sports. Genesis is one of the lead
partners in the regeneration of the
Grahame Park estate, which will offer
3,000 new homes when all phases of
the 18 year project are completed in
2028. Polly Boardman, Commissioning
Manager at Genesis Housing
Association, said: “The Grahame
Park Summer Programme has been
a calendar highlight for many years,
and it’s great to see that it continues
to capture the imaginations of
children and young people in the
local community. Feedback has been
fantastic; we’d like to say a big thank
you to everyone who made this year’s
programme the biggest and best yet,
and congratulations to the participants,
whose awards today were very well
deserved!”
Junior Taylor, Director of Operations
at Excellence Through Sports, said:
“I’m really pleased that there’s been
so much enthusiasm and such a
high level of demand for this service
– the programme was actually
oversubscribed. The kids voted with
their feet and really enjoyed engaging
with the activities every day.”
Chika Ogakwu, who won the ‘Ideal
Participant’ trophy, said: “This is the first
time I’ve taken part in the programme
and I had a great time. My favourite
part was being able to learn new skills
like communications and leadership,
making new friends and trying out lots
of different games. I’m surprised but
really pleased that I won a trophy.”
Does surfing the net leave
you all at sea?
Are you baffled by emails, floored by
Facebook and stumped by Skype?
Then Get online week is for you.
Now in its eighth year, Get online
week is a national campaign to
bring digital skills and know-how to
everyone. Events take place across
Spotlight | Autumn 2014 | Issue 12
the country during October - from
post offices to mosques, cafes to
community centres, supermarkets
to town halls - challenging thousands
of people to see what they could do
online.
Keep an eye out in your local area
for UK Online events that will help you
improve your digital skills.
If you already have some IT skills but
want to improve them, you can visit
www.learnmyway.com
7
Rajpal Singh, Services Manager
Is it an
emergency?
What about a suggestion for an event to
celebrate your area or the people who live there?
Or perhaps a venue that could be improved for
community use?
The Genesis Community
Foundation is a new grants
scheme that aims to:
• Create great places;
• Empower residents and;
• Sustain better neighbourhoods.
Residents to the rescue!
Residents at a supported housing scheme
in East London have been taught skills that
could help them to save a life.
The ‘Everyday First Aid
Workshop’ sessions were
arranged by Genesis
Housing Association
staff and taught free of
charge by the British Red
Cross to residents at Kina
House, a supported living
scheme for older people
and people with learning
difficulties in Newham,
East London. The skills
covered in the sessions
included how to treat
bleeding, choking and
burns.
Rajpal Singh, Services
Manager at Genesis
Housing Association,
said: “The first aid
sessions were designed
to give residents the
confidence that they
would know what to
do in a life threatening
situation.
8
“At Kina House we
have a diverse range of
customers but there is no
reason why any of them
could not be taught and
apply the skills to help a
person in need, and we
encourage customers to
live as independently as
possible.
“15 residents attended
and all of them said that
they found the first aid
course really useful. I
would love to arrange this
training for some of our
other schemes as well
and I would like to take
this opportunity to thank
the British Red Cross for
all their help.” Well done
Grove Road residents and
to the Support team.
It’s all fun and games
at Hamara Ghar
Board games, bingo and a tea party were just some of
the activities on offer at a fun day at a sheltered housing
scheme in East London in July
Staff at Hamara Ghar, a supported
scheme for older people in
Newham, teamed up with
leading charity The Challenge to
lay on a variety of fun and games
for residents and raise funds to
help maintain Hamara Ghar’s
community garden which is
tended by residents.
Rajpal Singh, Services Manager
at Genesis, said: “The Challenge
is a great charity that aims to
bring together diverse groups
of people in order to create a
more integrated society and
culture. We enjoyed working with
them to promote the great work
that our customers do with the
community garden.”
For more information about
The Challenge, see
www.the-challenge.org
Issue 12 | Autumn 2014 | Spotlight
If you need to contact us to report
a repair or for any other reason, our
Contact Centre will be happy to help.
You can speak to a member of the team
between 8am and 6pm, Monday to
Friday, by dialling 033 3000 3000. At all
other times, we would ask that you only
call us in an emergency, such as:
• danger to life or a serious injury
• loss of heating and hot water
between the months of October and
April
• complete loss of electricity
• property is unsecured.
Remember, you can also report repairs
online via www.interfinder.net/cgibin/ghgdif_launch.pl or by email at:
customer.services@genesisha.org.uk
Community News
Do you have an
idea to make your
community better?
First Aid at Kina House: "We encourage
customers to live as independently as
possible"
Although Genesis has offered
community grants for a number
of years, the Genesis Community
Foundation is an enhanced
scheme which will award ‘small
grants’ of up to £5,000 and
larger grants of up to £50,000
to help residents improve their
local areas. The Foundation will
disperse grants by theme, all
of which are in line with how
Genesis carries out its work as a
leading social housing provider.
So, applicants will need to make
clear which of the following
themes their individual project
supports:
Applications will be judged on
how well the idea matches with
one – or more – of the above
themes and will need to offer
clear evidence of the positive
difference the grant would make
and its legacy.
We are keen for as many
residents as possible to benefit
from the Genesis Community
Foundation. To find out more,
including the date from which
applications can be made,
contact Victoria Labeodan on
0330 3000 3000 or at: Victoria.
Labeodan@genesisha.org.uk
• Financial inclusion;
• Enterprise, Employment &
Training;
• Volunteering;
• Social research and
• Health and well-being.
Spotlight | Autumn 2014 | Issue 12
9
You said
We did
Improvements made to Grand
Union Close, Westminster
You asked us to investigate
a number of problems,
including damp and mould in
the property and issues with
vermin.
Our Markets and Portfolios team
carried out a stock condition survey
to investigate the cause of the
damp. We called in pest control and
Neighbourhood Assistant Keisha
Chin worked with the local authority
to replace all the bins for ones from
lids. We’ve jet-washed the block and
are keeping a more regular eye on
the gardens with increased visits.
Weaver Walk, Tulse Hill,
Lambeth
You told us that the bin
storage area was untidy and
that bins were not stored
properly. You also said that
the hall and stairway carpet
was threadbare and needed
replacing
We tidied, swept and washed down
the bins area and replaced the
carpet.
Neighbourhood Assistant Talatu
Badejo now visits South London
several times a week to ensure we
offer an improved service south of
the river.
Thanks to those residents for your
feedback!
Great Western Road, West
London
You let us know that there was
a lot of dumped waste and dirt
in the courtyard of a scheme
shared with supported
housing.
Neighbourhood Assistant Hajanee
Gnanentherin took ownership of
the problem across the whole site
and had all the bulk items removed,
and the courtyard thoroughly
cleaned. We now make regular
visits to maintain the standard of
cleanliness.
Again, thanks to residents for
working with us
10
Issue 12 | Autumn 2014 | Spotlight
Care & Support
Community News
Here are just some
of the areas of work
that residents have
been involved with
over the last few
months
Having a quiet space where
residents can relax and reflect
is really helpful.
Kim Organ, Service Coordinator
Residents chill out at
Withipoll Street
The attic of a women’s only hostel
in Ipswich is now a haven of calm
thanks to funding from Genesis’s
minor improvements budget.
Withipoll Street offers a safe, stable
and homely environment to women
aged 16-24 years and encourages
residents to develop the skills
they need to live independently.
Previously there was no designated
‘quiet area’ in the hostel where
residents could go to relax and
reflect, and both staff and residents
felt that such a place would be
beneficial.
Kim Organ, Service Coordinator at
Withipoll Street said: “The women
who live here have often experienced
domestic violence, sexual abuse or
family breakdown. We encourage
residents to rebuild their lives and
try to give them the support they
need to do this, but tensions do rise
occasionally. We believed strongly
that having a quiet space where
residents could go to chill out and
relax would be really helpful and
prevent residents from simply
shutting themselves in their rooms.”
With space for 10 residents,
Withipoll Street is not a large hostel
but Kim and her colleagues identified
the attic as having the potential to be
transformed into a designated quiet
area.
Kim continues, “We didn’t really
use the attic much and the items
stored there could be easily moved
elsewhere. It is a good size, it had a
skylight so there was ample natural
daylight and being at the top of the
Spotlight | Autumn 2014 | Issue 12
house where it is quieter, it was ideal
really.”
In October 2013, the residents
along with Kim and her colleagues
applied for money from Genesis’
small minor improvements
budget which funds projects
that benefit – either directly or
indirectly - residents, properties
and their surroundings, or both.
The application was successful and
Withipoll Street received £7,000 to
carry out the work which was finished
in May this year. This included
moving the door to the attic to create
more space, building cupboards
for storage, fitting new lights and
completely redecorating the room.
Kim said: “Everything about the
quiet room is designed to encourage
peace and relaxation. The room
was painted and carpeted in neutral
colours, there is no TV or stereo and
the giant beanbags and cushions
really do make you want to sit or lie
down and just think or reflect for a
while. Even staff have been known
to use this room occasionally and
residents have told us that it really
does work as a place to chill out and
get away from it all.
“We’re really pleased with how it’s
turned out and we’re very grateful
to residents for all their help and
support.”
For more information about
Withipoll Street, contact Kim Organ
on 0208 451 8180 or at: kim.organ@
genesisha.org.uk
11
Care & Support
Welfare Reform:
Your guide to the new
changes, turn to page
9 for more information.
: www.genesisha.org.uk/reformguide.co.uk
Appointments at
Harrow Road
Top left: Anthony Wicker mans the barbeque.
Food for thought at Costessey
A Genesis hostel
is working to
overcome fears and
preconceptions among
the local community,
and build ongoing
relationships with
neighbours and local
residents.
Cannell Court in
Costessey near Norwich,
which houses vulnerable
single adults of any
age, held an open day
in August and invited
friends and neighbours
to meet residents, have a
tour of the scheme, and
enjoy tasty barbecued
food prepared by local
chef – and former
resident – Anthony
12
Events like
these are so
important
as they give
the local
community
the chance to
meet residents
face-to-face
and hear for
themselves
what the
residents have
achieved and
their aspirations
for the future.
Wicker. Over 30 people
attended, including members of
the community, and a number
of Cannell Court residents
helped out on the day.
Residents at Cannell Court,
many of whom are homeless or
have suffered personal tragedy,
are given support to help
them live independently and
find training and employment
opportunities.
Genesis Support Worker,
Lynne Morton, said: “Because
many of the adults we work
with have criminal convictions
and/or issues with substance
addiction, we as a hostel are
sometimes regarded with a
degree of uncertainty by the
neighbourhood. This is one
reason why events like these are
so important as they give the
local community the chance
to meet residents face-to-face
and hear for themselves what
the residents have achieved and
their aspirations for the future.
“Many of our neighbours
came along to support us, along
with a number of current and
former residents of Cannell
Court. These included Anthony
Wicker, who did a great job of
manning the barbecue and
much of the food was his own
recipes! Well done to him.”
“A big thank you to everyone
who came along to support this
event. We’re already looking
forward to the next one!”
From 31 October 2014, we will no longer
be able to see residents at Genesis offices
without an appointment.
To make an appointment or for any other
enquiries, please contact us on 033 3000
3000 or at: contact@genesisha.org.uk
We apologise for any inconvenience.
Issue 12 | Autumn 2014 | Spotlight
Spotlight | Autumn 2014 | Issue 12
13
“Zenith House offers sustainable
living in a spectacular setting”
8 residentsmagazine@genesisha.org.uk
The Leasehold Services Team deal with a wide range of
enquiries, including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Purchasing the Freehold
Lease Extensions
Presales Packs
Right to Manage
Re-mortgage
Subletting
Alterations and improvements
Adding and Transferring a Lease
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Probate
Lease variations
Retirement Sales
Sale of Loft Space
Breaches of the Lease
Ground Rent
First Tier Tribunal (formerly LVT)
Leasehold Advisor
Regions
Contact Details
Ophelia Smith
Brent & Barnet
0208 451 8216
07590 962164
ophelia.smith@genesisha.org.uk
Joyce Bridge
North London
Hackney
Hertfordshire
0207 563 0329
07824 134479
joyce.bridge@genesisha.org.uk
Barry Khan
Bedfordshire
Buckinghamshire
Cambridge
Essex
North East London
South East London
0208 548 2122
07825 273870
barry.khan@genesisha.org.uk
West London
Surrey
Sussex
South East London
South West London
0208 451 8257
07740 022 471
marlene.nwaokolo@genesisha.org.uk
Marlene Nwaokolo
Leasehold Assistant
Contact Details
Tim Johnson
0208 451 8161
tim.johnson@genesisha.org.uk
If you have any queries, the Team will be happy to hear from you.
14
New Developments
Leaseholders Corner
Introducing the Leasehold
Services Team
Florence Chomba, Leasehold Services Manager
Issue 12 | Autumn 2014 | Spotlight
Zenith House, Colindale, London NW9 6BR
Newly-constructed Zenith House is a modern and spectacular tower, in a prime position on the Edgware
Road which makes it one of the most sought-after addresses in the area.
Completed in March 2014, this mixed
tenure scheme consists of 308 new
apartments and mews homes for
affordable rent, shared ownership
and outright sale and commercial
space. Six months on, Zenith House
is now an integral part of a vibrant
and growing community. The shared
ownership and outright sale homes
have proved popular and are selling
well.
There is a choice of supermarkets,
shopping areas and eateries within
walking distance, while Brent Cross
and its 100-plus stores are just a few
minutes’ drive away. Green open
spaces, like Colindale Park and the
Montrose Playing Fields, are plentiful.
In addition to using state-of-the-art
Spotlight | Autumn 2014 | Issue 12
materials and building techniques,
Genesis has created landscaped
courtyards, tree-lined walkways
and living garden roofs on each
apartment building. Sustainability
is key and the carbon footprint at
Zenith House is being reduced by
including community heating and
solar panels to generate electricity.
For more information about Zenith
House, see www.genesisha.org.uk/
regeneration/zenith_house.aspx
15
In partnership with
We are changing our service
but you don’t have to change
anything.
Report your repair to our
Customer Contact Centre
and we’ll direct you to the
right area.
Telephone:
033 3000 3000.
Genesis Way – Our Improvement Programme
Reporting
your repair
033 3000 3000
www.genesisha.org.uk
Building Better Futures
Changes to your repairs
& maintenance service
From now on, our new partner, Kier, will be working alongside our Genesis
Property Maintenance Service team to look after your home.
The new partnership is shaped
by what you’ve told us you
want from your repairs and
maintenance service.
Website:
www.genesisha.org.uk select the ‘report a repair’
option.
E-mail:
contact@genesisha.org.uk
Any questions?
If you have any questions or
concerns, please let us know.
You can speak to any Genesis
or Kier staff on site, or you
can contact us through the
contact centre and we would
be happy to help you.
For more information,
including a list of frequently
asked questions, see
www.genesisha.org.uk
Further updates will be in a
future edition of Spotlight.
16
We will give you
advance notice
of any work and
tell you what
is happening
and when. We’ll
also coordinate
planned
works so you
experience fewer
interruptions,
and work
with you to
minimise any
inconvenience
whenever we
need to access
your home.
How the partnership will work
Genesis Property Maintenance
Services and Kier will work
together to manage your repairs
service, with Kier working in
East London and the East of
England, and Genesis Property
Maintenance Services looking
after most of the rest of our
London properties.
Kier will also manage all of
our:
• planned investment works,
such as kitchen and bathroom
replacements etc.
• cyclical works, such as
painting and decorating of
external and communal areas
• compliance works, such
as electrical testing, lift
maintanance and other work
to comply with our landlord
requirements and keep you
safe in your home.
We are rolling out the
partnership carefully, starting
with a small number of works.
The full partnership will be in
place by the end of 2014.
Working in partnership to
support our community
A key focus of the partnership
will be to work with customers
to build opportunities and
support the communities in
which we work.
In July, we held a joint
employment and training fair
to showcase opportunities
available through our two
organisations. 50 people
attended and everyone signed
up to participate, whether
it was applying for training
opportunities or getting further
information about volunteering
or job vacancies.
We are also working together
to launch various apprenticeship
opportunities and a work
experience package, which will
provide two weeks of on-the-job
work experience with qualified
Kier professionals. Participants
will also be paid to get their
first aid and health and safety
certificates.
To find out more, please
contact the Genesis
Employment and Training team
by calling the Contact Centre on
033 3000 3000.
Issue 12 | Autumn 2014 | Spotlight
Service
Charges
A lot done, a lot more
to do
We know from what many of you
have told us that Service Charges
are a major concern. We are aware
that this area of our work is not
as good as it could be, and we are
absolutely committed to improving
this.
A lot of work has happened during
the past year to ensure that Service
Charge statements and bills are
accurate. We’ve received nearly
1,000 queries about Service Charges
and have also reviewed over 2,000
individual customer accounts and
taken a lot of action to correct data
held in our systems so that we will
be able to get the benefits from our
new Service Charge software. This
process that has involved a lot of
careful scrutiny to make sure we
bill you correctly for the services
you actually receive, and that any
disputes are resolved quickly and
Spotlight | Autumn 2014 | Issue 12
efficiently. To help us carry out this
important work, we recruited new
members of staff who have been
really helpful at supporting the team
to clear the backlog of queries and
answering your questions.
We have also set up a page on
the Genesis website of the most
common queries along with a guide
to the process. You can access the
page at: www.genesisha.org.uk
So what’s next?
In Autumn, all residents will receive
their ‘actuals’ statement which
describes the services your Service
Charge covers. Any queries or
comments we receive in response
to these statements will be handled
in October, when we may make
adjustments or changes depending
on what you tell us and when we
have jointly agreed that a change is
needed. This is important because
we want to make sure the bills you
receive are accurate.
By November, we will have a
good, up-to-date position on
service charges which will mean
we can accurately budget for the
year ahead in terms of what repairs
need to be paid for, what levels of
investment can happen and so on.
How do I get in touch?
We will be only too pleased to hear
from you if you have any queries
relating to your Service Charge. You
can contact us via our Customer
Contact Centre on 033 3000 3000
or via email at: servicecharges@
genesisha.org.uk
17
Listening to and acting on your
feedback
Since July 2014, Genesis has surveyed over 500 customers as part of a brand new approach to obtaining
feedback from customers to help us improve the services you receive. The feedback we’ve received so far
has helped us identify and prioritise areas for improvement and how we can start to put these in place.
Baysiti Yaasin
Chris is a STAR!
A bird in the hand
is worth two in the
bush
A
If you receive a call asking you to
complete a survey, please do take the
time to tell us what you think of our
services. The surveys are anonymous
and customers are selected at
random.
There are two types of survey;
1. One is about your overall
satisfaction with Genesis, and the
other is about a particular service
you received on a specific occasion.
For the first survey, if you are
selected, an independent
market research company – The
Leadership Factor – will call you and
ask you to rate how satisfied you
are with different aspects of your
home and the services provided by
18
Chris Hickling
Genesis. Calls should last around
15 to 20 minutes and you will be
guided through each step of the
process.
2. For the second survey, if you have
spoken to our contact centre
for any reason, you may receive
an automated call back shortly
afterwards to ask how you felt
we performed on that particular
occasion. You will be asked to rate
on a scale of 1 to 5 how satisfied
you are with the service you
received. The call will last less than
five minutes, and you will be asked
to make selections using your
telephone keypad. Your feedback
will be anonymous but will be
made available to us immediately,
including the contact centre
operative you spoke to.
You do not have to take part in either
survey if you do not want to, but we
do encourage you to do so as your
feedback will have a direct influence
on the services we provide, including
staff training and development.
We will start to publicise the
outcomes of both surveys, including
the changes we are making as a result
of your feedback, in future editions of
Spotlight magazine.
In the meantime, if you would like
more information, please contact our
contact centre on 033 3000 3000.
Issue 12 | Autumn 2014 | Spotlight
repeat offender with more
than 30 convictions has
turned his life around with
support from the Genesis STARS
project.
Chris Hickling had problems in
the past with drugs and alcohol.
He had worked periodically and
been in and out of prison for
long periods of time. Chris was
living adjacent to one of Genesis’
supported housing schemes,
where he was given advice
and support to help him live
independently for two years.
Supporting Treatment,
Accommodation and Recovery
in Suffolk (STARS) is a recovery
programme from Genesis to help
prolific offenders improve their
quality of life. It provides tailored
support to assist offenders
with finding accommodation,
employment, to recover from any
substance addictions, and build
a settled lifestyle to help them
avoid re-offending.
Chris also spent six months at
a treatment centre - Passmores
House - and eight more as a
volunteer at the centre.
As a result of all this support,
Chris began to transform his
life – and then some! Having
successfully overcome his
own drug addictions, he began
volunteering as a mentor at
the Westminster Drug Project
Spotlight | Autumn 2014 | Issue 12
to help others do the same.
He also started doing other
voluntary work to help improve
his employment prospects,
and took it upon himself to
organise projects and activities
at Bromfield Hostel, a Genesis
homeless project in Saffron
Walden, including arranging for a
local hairdresser to offer residents
cheap haircuts!
Chris’s hard work paid off.
Not only is he now living
independently in a rented
property at Hastoe Housing
Association, he has also been
offered – and has accepted –
paid employment as a Support
Assistant for Genesis.
Chris said: “I am very grateful for
all the support I have received and
to the staff at the Genesis hostel.
Without their help, I probably
wouldn’t be sitting here now.”
Gary Spiers, Genesis STARS
Recovery Scheme Service
Coordinator, said: “We’re all really
proud of Chris and it’s been so
encouraging to see how far he’s
come since we first met him.
He worked really hard and was
determined to change his life. He’s
a real inspiration.”
For more information about
the Genesis STARS project, call
01284 732550 or email starsref@
genesisha.org.uk
Enterprise, Employment and Training
Genesis Way – Our Improvement Programme
Your feedback will have direct
influence on the services we
provide and training for staff.
A
t least that’s the philosophy of resident
Baysiti Yaasin. A single mother with
four young children all under eight
years old, Baysiti enrolled on to Genesis’s
Teaching Assistant Level Two course in April
this year. Although childcare was a real issue,
Baysiti commuted from Barnet to Lawrence
Hall in East London two days a week for
three months to complete the course.
She applied to various schools for a paid
job as a teaching assistant but instead has
been offered a part-time role as a dinner
lady at Dangrove School. Baysiti says “Being
a dinner lady is not my dream job but it is a
step to achieving my dreams. I left school
with low GCSEs and now I am NVQ level 2
qualified. I hope working in a school will
give me the opportunity to connect with
the right people and develop a career in
Teaching."
“A big thank you to Genesis for giving
me the opportunity and supporting me
to complete the course. My children
and I do not only have a home, we also
have a steady income. Life can only get
better”.
19
The benefit system is changing.
As a responsible landlord, we will
keep you informed and updated
through direct contact and
information here in Spotlight.
Welfare Reform
Welfare
Reform
Credit unions can provide you with a
loan at a repayment rate you can afford.
Spare Room Subsidy (or Bedroom Tax)
If you have one or more spare rooms your housing benefit may be reduced
by 14% for one spare room or 25% for two or more spare rooms.
14%
ne spare room
O
benefit reduced by 14%
25%
Two or more spare rooms
benefit reduced by 25%
Crediting you with success
Genesis is working with leading
credit expert company Experian
to help residents in social housing
improve their credit score. Having a
good credit history makes it easier
to open or change bank accounts,
shop online, get better deals on
mobile phone, gas and electricity
rates or apply for credit at a cheaper
rate. Residents who have a mortgage
already have their details shared with
Experian, and these payments count
towards their credit score. At Genesis,
we believe regular rent payers should
be able to do the same.
Experian is the UK’s biggest credit
reference agency and a highly
respected and trusted custodian of
personal data. If you rent from us, this
partnership could help you build up a
good credit history and – as a result improve your financial situation.
Sharing your rental payment
history will also help you prove that
you are who you say you are and live
where you say you live. To help with
this, Experian has developed the
‘Rental Exchange’ and has liaised with
regulators and consumer groups to
make sure that we fully comply with
all relevant laws, including the Data
Protection Act.
Your information will be secure and
confidential. Information about your
tenancy will only be made available
to a company or organisation when
relevant and strictly necessary, and
only when you have agreed to them
doing a check.
Keep an eye out for more
information in your next rent
statement or a future edition of
Spotlight.
Avoid the ‘sharks’ with Credit Unions
Universal Credit
Universal Credit will replace a range of benefits such as Housing Benefit,
Income Support, Working Tax Credits into a monthly single benefit.
Payments will be paid monthly rather than fortnightly, and residents will
need a bank or building society to receive the payment.
In April, Universal Credit will be rolled out to couples making a new claim for
out of work benefits in W6, and W14 postcodes of Hammersmith and Fulham.
Benefit Cap
For more information on
welfare reform:
Visit: www.genesisha.org.uk
Call: 033 3000 3000
Email: contact@genesisha.org.uk
20
The government has applied a limit to the amount of benefits you can claim
per week:
•
£350 per week for single people
•
£500 per week for single parent
•
£500 per week for couples with or without children
The Benefit Cap affects people of working age. If you’re a pensioner,
receiving certain disability benefits or qualify for Working Tax Credit , the
Benefit Cap won’t affect you.
Issue 12 | Autumn 2014 | Spotlight
When money is tight, it can be
tempting to turn to pay day loan
companies or unofficial money
lenders (‘loan sharks’) to help make
ends meet. However, many of these
lenders charge very high interest
rates – so much so that you could end
up paying back at least double the
amount you borrowed!
Credit Unions are different; they
are not out to make a profit as their
primary aim is to better the lives
of members/customers, and most
can provide you with a loan at a
repayment rate that you can afford,
even if you have limited income or no
credit history. Credit Unions operate
across the UK and loans can often be
provided against child benefit, where
there is little or no other income.
Not all Credit Unions use credit
scoring to help them make lending
decisions but many report all
regular loan payments to Experian.
This allows members to use their
repayments to build a credit history,
which will help when applying for
other finance i.e. phone contract
or new rent agreement. Hillingdon
Credit Union, for example, can offer
Spotlight | Autumn 2014 | Issue 12
a prepaid Visa card for members that
gives access to in-store and online
purchases. The card also provides a
budgeting facility and cashback on
purchases in a variety of major high
street stores (see www.hillingdoncu.
co.uk for more details or call Debbie
on 01895 25958). In addition, a loan
from London Capital Credit Union Ltd,
which operates in Barnet, Camden,
City of London, Hackney, Haringey &
Islington, can help members buy lowcost electrical goods
(see www.credit-union.coop).
To find your local Credit Union, visit
www.abcul.org/home or call 0161
832 3694.
21
Can we fix it?
At Genesis, we are responsible for
keeping your home in good condition.
While we will carry out most repairs
to gas, central heating and repairs in
the home caused by normal wear and
tear, there are certain repairs that you
are responsible for yourself, even if the
damage has not been caused by you.
These include:
• Repairs to any damage caused by you, your family or visitors
• Repairs to any criminal damage. While we can visit to make your
property safe, you are responsible for any repairs or replacements
needed
• Repair and/or replacement of fences separating your property from
another (unless your property borders a public highway, footpath or
communal garage area)
• Clearing blocked sink/bath/basin and replacing missing or broken
plugs and chains
• Clearing blocked toilets, including toys or anything else that has been
put down the toilet by accident
• Changing lightbulbs
• Bleeding radiators
• Replacing lost keys or providing additional keys, changing locks
• Keeping your garden tidy, including cutting grass and hedges
• Pest control
• Clearing rubbish.
A full list of the repairs you are responsible for is in your individual
tenancy agreement or resident handbook.
If you are an older resident with mobility issues, we can sometimes
help with repairs and decorations. Please speak to your Neighbourhood
Manager for more information, or call us on 033 3000 3000.
22
Home Life
Home Life
Enterprise, Employment
and Training: Turn to page
19 for more information.
Tackling tenancy fraud
Tenancy fraud is when someone rents out
their council or housing association home
without the knowledge of their landlord, or
gains possession of a council or housing
association property through deception
e.g. lies about their income or already has
an existing property. This type of criminal
activity prevents someone who really needs
a home from having one. In 2012, the Audit
Commission reported that at least 98,000
social homes in England were subject to
some form of tenancy fraud .
Our dedicated tenancy fraud team makes
sure that our properties are only occupied
by those that should be living there. Last
month, the team seized back two properties
that were being illegally sublet, and more
cases are currently being investigated.
Several cases were reported to us by
customers and we would like to thank those
of you who helped us in this way as we really
do need your assistance.
As well as investigating individual reports,
the tenancy fraud team also carries out
‘block audits’; visiting each property in an
area to verify that the legal resident is still
living at the property. We may be visiting
your area soon.
Tenancy fraud is a criminal offence and
if found guilty you could receive a prison
sentence of up to two years and a £5,000
fine. We also have the right to try to recover
lost profits. If you suspect that a property is
being illegally sublet, you can contact the
Tenancy Fraud Team on 020 7563 0064 or
at: fraudteam@genesisha.org.uk
Issue 12 | Autumn 2014 | Spotlight
Stay
warm
this
winter
top tips to keep
your boiler going
With summer drawing to
a close, many of us will be
turning up the heat for the
first time in a while as the
weather gets colder. To help
make sure your boiler is still
fully functional, here are a
few top tips:
While there may still be
times when we will need
to send an engineer, this
checklist is a good place for
you to start and hopefully
get your boiler up and running again quickly.
Spotlight | Autumn 2014 | Issue 12
1
Make sure the power supply is on and check that the
fuse is working (burn marks around the fuse could
indicate that it has blown).
2
Check the gas supply - if the gas stopcock is open but no
gas is coming through, contact your gas supplier.
3
Make sure your programmer or timer is switched back
on. You may need to adjust it so that the heating comes
on earlier in the mornings or evenings. If you can’t
switch the timer on, you may have a flat battery or
problem with the power source.
4
Is the thermostat turned up high enough? The heating
will only come on when the thermostat is set higher
than room temperature.
5
Check that the pilot light is lit. If it is out, re-light it by
following the instructions in the manufacturer’s manual
or on your boiler.
6
Radiators not heating up properly? Try bleeding them to
release any air pockets in the system.
7
If you live in a block of flats served by a communal boiler,
check if any of your neighbours are having the same
problem, or speak to the on-site concierge (if there is
one).
23
Want to help create this
magazine?
We are currently looking for people to
join our editorial team to assist with the
content and design of Spotlight and make
sure it has a customer focus. If you are
interested, please contact the Customer
Involvement Team on
020 8451 8224 or email
mygenesis@genesisha.org.uk
Cooking up success
A
I feel as if my
situation has
improved as I
now feel I have
the skills required
to work in the
world of catering.
Having graduated
two years ago, I
had had little luck
with finding a
job or vocational
opportunity. I now
feel more positive
and optimistic
about the future.
Dorrell Merritt
Well done Dorrell!
For more information about volunteering opportunities, see
www.genesisha.org.uk/genesis_community/volunteering
24
Issue 12 | Autumn 2014 | Spotlight
This is an emotional poem written by one of our
residents who attends creative writing classes at
the Hope Centre in Northampton, which helps
homeless people to develop life skills. The poem tells
her story.
Can you see that lonely girl sat at the back
of the church? I can!
And as I look closer I can see her tears; then
I realise it’s me.
dorrell merritt
on being positive
‘What are the tears for?’ I ask myself
Pain and anger, loss and sadness.
Readers'
Corner
resident who had been unemployed
for two years has landed a job as a
chef at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant after
attending a training course facilitated by
Genesis.
22 year old graduate Dorrell Merritt
from Brent had been struggling to find
employment due to his lack of skills and
work experience. Earlier this year, Dorrell’s
Mum saw an advert in this magazine
for Recipe to Work, a catering course
run in partnership with the Jamie Oliver
Foundation, and urged Dorrell to sign up.
Along with nine other Genesis residents
and supported by Genesis’s Volunteering
Programme, Dorrell completed all parts of
Recipe to Work, learning key cookery skills
(including butchery, fishmongery and bread
and pasta making) and gaining accredited
qualifications (Level 2 Food Hygiene and
First Aid). All the course attendees did
one week of chef training at Jamie Oliver’s
restaurant, Fifteen (near Old Street in
London), and a one week work placement
at Union Jacks restaurant in Covent Garden,
but Dorrell made such a good impression
during his placement that he was offered a
job as Assistant Chef at Jamie’s Italian with
immediate effect.
Dorrell said: “I feel as if my situation has
improved as I now feel I have the skills
required to work in the world of catering.
Having graduated two years ago, I had had
little luck with finding a job or vocational
opportunity. I now feel more positive and
optimistic about the future.”
Poem
What did you think?
Volunteering
Home Life: Get ready for
the winter. Turn to page 23
for details.
Spotlight | Autumn 2014 | Issue 12
‘Why all the emotions?’
Well I’ll tell you now - my life has hit an all-time low.
I’m always at the bottom of a bottle of cider
Feeling lost and alone as my house is gone
My children too, through no fault of my own, for
the sake of another.
All of a sudden I wake with a jump
And realise that today I see my children as I do
every week
And remember that all this pain is actually reality
but now in the past
As slowly but surely I’m climbing back up the
ladder and into the light.
Thank you God for your strength to help
overcome this bad past.
I now go to church and I sit not at the back but
now at the front
As I can see a positive future.
Emma
25
What did you think?
Resident Board member
wanted
Disagree
Please tick the appropriate
response
Unsure
Agree
Let us know your thoughts on the W issue of Genesis Magazine
What did you think?
What did you think?
New Developments:
Turn to page 15 for more
information.
I like the design of this issue
I like the articles in this issue
I have visited the Genesis website in the last month
We currently have two members
of our Board who are Genesis
residents - Brian Ansell and Imani
Douglas-Walker. Brian’s term of
office ends in July 2015 and we are
looking for someone to take his
place.
Board members are responsible for
the overall governance and strategic
direction of Genesis Housing Association,
and developing the organisation’s aims,
objectives and goals according to governing
document, legal and regulatory guidelines.
This role is open to all residents in line with
our Board recruitment policy. If you are
interested, please contact Doug Wynne,
Head of Compliance on 020 7563 0363 or
at: doug.wynne@genesisha.org.uk for more
information. Should you wish to apply, Doug
will send you an application form, role profile
and information sheet from Brian and Imani
about their experience as resident board
members.
Complete the
survey and
send to:
Spotlight Magazine,
Genesis Housing
Association,
Atelier House,
64 Pratt Street,
London,
NW1 0DL
If you prefer, you can
email your feedback to
residentsmagazine@
genesisha.org.uk
The closing date for applications is 3
November 2014 and applicants that are
shortlisted will be invited to an interview on
Monday 1 December with members of the
People Committee (Charles Gurassa, Chair of
GHA, Genie Turton, board member of GHA,
and Neil Hadden, chief executive).
I follow Genesis on Twitter or Facebook
What was your favourite article in this issue?
What would you like to see more of?
How do you get the most useful information from Genesis?
Your Property Manager
Genesis magazine
Letters in the post
Genesis website
Posters
Would you prefer to recieve Spotlight by email?
The successful candidate will be given
training over six months to allow them to
assume this role in July 2015.
Yes ( please supply us with your email address below)
No
Contact details
NAME:
PHONE NUMBER:
EMAIL:
@GenesisHousing
www.facebook.com/
GenesisHousingAssociation
26
Issue 12 | Autumn 2014 | Spotlight
SpotlightMagazine
Genesis
| Winter
Autumn2013
|2014
Autumn
| Issue
| Issue
2013
10
12| Issue 9
27
If you need any part of this information in large print,
Braille, on audio tape or explained in your own
language please contact us on the number below.
Albanian
Arabic
Bengali
Farsi
French
Somali
033 3000 3000
Turkish
contact@genesisha.org.uk
www.genesisha.org.uk
Genesis Housing Association, Atelier House, 64 Pratt Street, London, NW1 0DL
www.genesisha.org.uk