MAD Awards 2012 - City West Housing Trust

MAD Awards 2012 

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THE MAGAZINE FOR CITY WEST CUSTOMERS 

p4-5 

Issue16 

Winter 2012 

Achieve with 

City West p8 

Welfare 

Reform p14-15 

Contacting 

us over 

Christmas p17 

Customer Magazine 

Magazine client 

Magazyn klientów 

াহক পিকা 

ءﻼﻣﻌﻟﺍ ﺔﻠﺟﻣ 

یﺭﺗﺷﻣ ﻪﻠﺟﻣ 

ہﻟﺎﺳﺭ ﺎﮐ ﮏﮨﺎﮔ

2 | talking trust 

Hello! 

Welcome to our Winter 

issue of Talking Trust. 

Our third annual Customer 

MAD Awards took place 

in September to celebrate 

the achievements of our 

customers. You can read 

more about the winners of 

the awards on pages 4 and 5. 

You can fi nd out more 

about how the Welfare 

Reform changes will 

affect you and the support 

available from City West on 

page 14 and 15. 

On behalf of everyone at 

City West, we send you all 

warm wishes for Christmas 

and the New Year! 

Tim Doyle 

Chief Executive 

P.S. This magazine is sent 

to all customers who have 

opted-in to receive a copy 

by post or email. If you know 

anybody who would like 

to receive a copy please 

ask them to contact us 

by emailing marketing@ 

citywest.org.uk or by calling 

0161 605 7610. 

Fairway 

Our Equality and Diversity Strategy 

for 2012-2015 has been developed 

with our Board, customers, staff and partners. 

It sets out our approach and commitment to equality 

and diversity and outlines our commitment to being an 

inclusive, fair and supportive service provider 

and employer. 

The strategy is available on our website 

www.citywesthousingtrust.org.uk 

Your City West website 

We want to make our website 

as informative and easy to use 

as possible. Any feedback you 

have about our website will 

help us develop the site. Tell 

us what you like or don’t like, 

what you visit our website for 

and what you would like to be 

able to see and do. 

Please email 

marketing@citywest.org.uk 

or call 0161 605 7610. 

Bogus Callers 

If you think a bogus caller has knocked at your 

door report it to the Police as soon as possible. 

Dial 999 tell them what has happened and give 

them a clear description of the person. Also tell 

a neighbour, caretaker and your Neighbourhood 

Offi cer in case the caller tries other homes. 

Remember, when answering the door always 

ask for identifi cation. Look out for familiar logos 

and only let someone in once you are confi dent 

they are who they say they are. 

City West staff should always produce their ID 

card. If you are unsure call 0300 123 5522 to 

check before allowing anyone to enter your home. 

Asbestos 

Within City West’s housing stock there are 

certain properties that contain asbestos. 

However, even if there is asbestos in 

your home, it is usually not a serious 

problem unless it is disturbed. 

City West is currently surveying many of 

our properties to identify any potential 

asbestos risks that may be present. 

If you fi nd damaged asbestos in your 

home, let us know immediately. If you 

don’t know whether something contains 

asbestos, phone us on 0300 123 5522 

and we will check our register. 

For more information on Asbestos 

see our website 

www.citywesthousingtrust.org.uk/ 

asbestos 

Right To Buy 

If you were a tenant of Salford City Council 

at the time of transfer to City West on the 

6th October 2008 you may be eligible for 

the Preserved Right to Buy. The maximum 

discount available for your right to buy recently 

been increased from £26,000 to £75,000. 

Find out if you are eligible by visiting our 

website or call us on 0161 605 7531 for a 

Right to Buy information pack. 

When you see this symbol throughout the 

magazine, it means customers are invited 

to have their say or have been involved. 

Fancy some fresh, 

healthy fruit and 

veg at a ordable 

prices? 

You can order and collect 

your fruit or veg bags from 

your nearest food club. 

See our website www.citywesthousingtrust.org.uk 

or call 0161 605 7792 to nd out more. 

talking trust | 3 

Satisfaction 

Surveys 

Since October 2012 we’ve introduced a new 

approach to gathering customer satisfaction, 

through the use of a company called 

Customer Metrics. 

Customer Metrics will be contacting a 

sample of customers each month until 

March 2013 to identify satisfaction with 

our key services. 

The company will not be asking for any 

personal information. They are interested in 

your experience with City West and whether 

we have provided great customer service. 

By using this new approach, we hope to gain 

better and more timely feedback from our 

customers. We will then use this information to 

address any issues and improve our services. 

Christmas Closure 

Christmas 

Opening 

Hours 

Over the festive period, our local 

area area offi ces ces will be closing 

at 4.30pm on Friday 21st 

December and re-opening 

on Wednesday 2nd 

January 2013 at 8.30am. 

For full details see page 17 

or or visit our website. 

City West 

Highlights 

from 2011/12 

Our 2011/12 Annual 

Report is now 

available. You can 

read the report on our website 

www.citywesthousingtrust.org.uk/ 

annual-report or pick up a copy at 

your local area offi ce.

4 | talking trust talking trust | 5 

MM AA D 

A D 

Making ierence 

Awards 2012 

Charity Supporter winner 

Our third annual 

Customer Awards 

were held in 

September at The 

Lighthouse in Eccles. 

Over 250 customers 

attended the event to 

see 10 awards presented 

to those who have made 

a positive impact in the 

community by improving 

people’s lives, opportunities 

and neighbourhoods. 

Representative Role Model winner 

Community Leading Light 

Derek Hodgekinson has been recognised 

for his outstanding contribution in Monton, 

Eccles, where he lives. Derek lends a 

helping hand to his neighbours and cares about 

the environment, regularly organising litter picks, 

tending to gardens and representing the estate on 

the Monton Village Community Association. 

Fairway Champion 

Little Hulton and Walkden Community Group 

were awarded for providing essential services to 

vulnerable people and promoting unity, respect 

and tolerance in the community. 

Green Achiever 

Tindall Street Allotments in Eccles has 

received recognition for its work with local 

unemployed people, the probation service 

and young people in the community. Through 

horticulture and gardening skills they are helping 

offenders turn their lives around and running a 

young person’s gardening club. 

Number One Neighbour 

Cath Read will do whatever she can to keep 

community spirit alive and get residents involved 

in activities at Enfi eld House sheltered housing 

scheme at Barton Village, Eccles. 

Charity Supporter 

Ivor Williams has raised more than £11,500 

for the Poppy Appeal which is a charity he 

has supported for a number of years despite 

having overcome his own health problems. 

Ivor spends his retirement tirelessly helping out 

various charitable causes and working with local 

schools and community groups. 

Greatest Group 

Based in Little Hulton, The Big Dance Group 

started off as a small group of people who couldn’t 

afford to go to the gym and has now grown to a 

membership of more than 30. They meet regularly 

to promote good health through dance. GPs are 

now sign posting local people to the group. 

Representative Role Model 

Carol Mawers regularly takes part in estate 

walkabouts where she lives in Little Hulton, 

is a witness mentor for anti-social 

behaviour, a member of the 

complaints performance panel and 

Little Hulton Local Area Panel. 

Star For Seniors 

Singing with Dementia supports patients with 

Dementia and their carers living in West Salford, 

helping them to communicate and express 

themselves through music. They also provide a 

counselling and bereavement service for carers. 

Young Rising Star 

At just 10-years-old Declan Birkett is the 

youngest member of the Youth Empowerment 

Panel (YEP). Although he has had his 

own struggles, involvement in youth 

projects has helped to channel his 

behaviour in a positive way. 

Star For Seniors winners 

Judges’ Special Award 

The Judges’ Special Award was presented to 

the Youth Empowerment Panel (YEP), which 

provides a voice to local young people aged 

13–24 years. In times when young people are 

often portrayed in a negative light their positive 

work is an inspiration to others. 

The awards were judged by Chris Dabbs, Chief 

Executive of Unlimited Potential who provide a 

range of health and support services to people 

in Salford, and Baroness Helen Newlove the 

government’s Community Champion. They were 

joined by City West’s Director of Communities 

and Neighbourhoods, David Cummins. Over 

100 nominations were received for the awards. 

Baroness Newlove said: “I was so pleased 

to be a judge of the Making a Difference 

Awards again this year. It’s an honour to see 

and hear about the great things that people 

do in and for their communities.” 

You can see more pictures from 

the awards on our Facebook page 

www.facebook.com/citywesthousing 

Thank you to everyone who attended 

the awards. The winner of the prize draw 

was Anne Faulkner from Eccles who won 

a Kindle. 

Young Rising Star winner


Here come the home 

improvements... 

We’ve spent over £160 million on 

improvement works to your homes over the 

last three years. 

The summary below shows the number of works 

delivered from October 2008 to October 2012: 

• Central heating: 

6,964 

• Roofs: 5,261 

• Kitchens: 6,677 

• Bathrooms: 3,533 

• Entrance Doors: 

16,592 

• Windows: 29,528 

Respite for Eccles couple 

Earlier this year City West customers, Rose 

and Norman from Eccles were having an 

electrical rewire in their property. Norman 

suffers from breathing diffi culties and both 

have mobility issues so City West arranged a 

temporary stay in sheltered accommodation 

at Laurence Lowry Court. 

Rose and Norman were welcomed by the other 

residents at the scheme and were invited to join in 

all the activities which take place there. 

At the end of the four day stay, many new 

friendships were made and phone numbers 

exchanged and Rose and Norman have been 

invited back to celebrate Christmas! 

Empty homes work 

Extensive work has been taking place on a 

block of cottage fl ats on Seddon Street in 

Little Hulton which have previously been the 

cause of anti-social behaviour. 

The fl ats have been empty for a number of years 

and began to attract local youths who targeted 

the properties for anti-social activities causing 

disruption and misery to the lives of local residents. 

The work includes full internal refurbishment 

and the renewal of all water and gas mains 

and will be complemented by external 

landscaping. Discussions are taking place with 

the local neighbourhood team regarding the new 

prospective tenants. 

Are you having work 

carried out in your home? 

If you have any issues or problems during 

the work to your home which needs attention 

from the contractor, please complete the 

Issue Log which will be given to you during 

the pre-work visit by your Liaison Offi cer. 

The Contractor will give you a “resolve by date” 

and your issue will be dealt with. 

If you’re not happy with the outcome please 

refer to your Customer Works Guide for 

further guidance. 

You can fi nd out what works are planned for 

your home by entering your property details 

into our investment search on our website 


First new homes to be 

built in Little Hulton 

We’ve been given the green light from the 

council to build new affordable homes. 

Planning permission has been given to build 73 

new family-sized homes and fi ve bungalows for 

older people. 

A ‘Home Zone Street’ will be included giving 

priority to pedestrians and cyclists, with features 

including benches, street art and an area for 

children to play safely giving the area a sense 

of community. 

Barton Village 

Work is continuing on Enfi eld, the second 

high rise block to undergo works, at Barton 

Village in Eccles. 

Bathrooms, kitchens, decoration and vinyl fl ooring 

are now fully installed in all apartments and the 

carpeting of apartments and communal areas is 

well underway throughout the block. 

All customers will receive a pre-move visit by City 

West’s Project Offi cer and Daley’s removals prior 

to their move date. 

Find out more about the investment at 

Barton Village by visiting the Barton Village 

website www.bartonvillage.co.uk. You can 

also contact the Project Offi ce. 


Building of the new homes will start in early 

2013, we’re hoping they will be completed in 

summer 2014. 

This project will boost the local economy and 

provide training and jobs for local people within 

the area. 

For more information see our website 


Ladywell Green 

Phase One works are now complete on 

Craunton, Cremer, Ewood and Kemball in 

Eccles. The works included over cladding 

with insulated render, new windows and 

balconies and the installation of the new 

EcoPod heating system, all of which will 

reduce customers energy bills. 

Customers will soon be making their colour 

choices for their new kitchens and bathrooms and 

will receive an information pack and a purpose 

made DVD to talk them through the works. 

The planning process to bring College Croft in 

Eccles into the Ladywell Green project is ongoing 

following recent customer consultations. 

Final designs for College Croft have now been 

developed and will be submitted for planning 

consent shortly. 

For more information on either of these 

projects, please call the Project Offi ce on 

0161 605 7665, email high.rise@citywest.org.uk 

or visit our website 

www.citywesthousingtrust.org.uk.


Achieve 

with with City City West West 

You can achieve more with City West 

customer training courses. 

All our training courses are free of charge, run 

in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere covering a 

range of interesting subjects where you can learn 

new skills. Dates for all our training courses will be 

available in the New Year. 

For more information on any of the courses, 

or to book your place at the next training 

session please call 0161 605 7792 or email 

achieve@citywest.org.uk 

Customer DIY 

This half day practical workshop covers basic 

awareness of home DIY and some practical advice 

and tips on fi xing simple issues around the home. 

City West Work Club 

This programme consists of eight 2-3 hour 

sessions which are designed to help you develop 

your skills and improve your chances of fi nding 

employment. The sessions cover goal setting, 

team building, communication and customer 

service, money advice and interview skills. 

Achieve 

This course consists of four sessions of fi ve 

hours. It is designed to develop the key skills 

you will need to operate effectively in a range of 

involvement activities at City West. 

For more information and to see the latest 

training courses at City West, visit our 

website www.citywesthousingtrust.org.uk/ 

opportunities-achieve or email 

achieve@citywest.org.uk. 

Fly Tipping 

At the start of September, in the Eccles 

area, skips were placed in all 

neighbourhoods to encourage customers to 

get rid of their bulky items the right way. 

A new customer factsheet has also been created 

with advice on the correct ways to dispose of 

rubbish and the penalties that are in place for 

illegally fl y-tipping. 

New procedures were also trialled for taking 

action, including working closely with Salford City 

Council’s Environmental Crime Unit to secure 

prosecution and also taking tenancy action 

following a conviction. 

New signs have been placed in hot spot areas 

warning residents not to fl y-tip. Since the 

introduction of the trial, there have been no 

Committed to Complaints 

Complaints Accreditation 

City West is currently working towards the 

HouseMark Complaints accreditation. 

This accreditation is awarded to landlords who 

meet the minimum standards set by HouseMark, 

the accrediting agency. This looks at the way we 

handle complaints and will help us to improve this 

for the benefi t of our customers. 

We’re doing this to: 

• Demonstrate our commitment to great 

complaint handling 

• Improve customers’ awareness of our 

complaints process 

• Continually improve our process 

by challenging the way we handle 

complaints now 

• Increase customer satisfaction in the 

overall complaints service 

Get involved with the Performance Panel 

The City West Customer Complaints Performance 

Panel scrutinise our performance in handling 


fl y-tipping costs incurred by City West in the 

Eccles area. This represents a saving of over 

£1,400 throughout the month of September. 

During the fi rst month of the pilot, only one 

instance of fl y-tipping has been reported and this 

was removed free of charge using the new method 

of working therefore, reducing the cost of removal. 

To report an instance of fl y-tipping call our 

service centre on 0300 123 5522. 

complaints, and play an important role in helping 

us to improve the process. The panel meets every 

three months and places are still available. 

You don’t need any experience, just enthusiasm 

and we will provide the training you need. 

Complaints and The Localism Act 

In the summer issue of Talking Trust, we told you 

about the changes planned to our complaints 

process in response to the Localism Act. 

Thank you to all of the customers who sent us their 

feedback. Almost two thirds of the customers who 

got in touch with us told us they thought that City 

West should consider setting up a new designated 

customer panel. Since then, we’ve been working 

with customers and other social landlords in the 

area to look at how this might work in practice. 

If you are interested in getting more involved 

in the Complaints Performance Panel, 

please contact Lindsey Farquhar, Customer 

Feedback Offi cer, on 0161 605 7600 or email 

feedback@citywest.org.uk


Your Neighbourhood Plan 

The areas we cover are divided into 31 

neighbourhoods, and in May 2011 we 

launched Neighbourhood Plans for each 

neighbourhood. Since then we’ve been 

monitoring 14 indicators, 7 of these relate to 

measures that we can make an impact on, the 

other 7 (external indicators) are areas which 

we seek to infl uence through the work we do 

in partnership with other local agencies. 

Below are examples where performance has improved since the Neighbourhood Plans 

were introduced: 

Agecroft 

Eccles and Weaste 

• Percentage of properties failing to meet the 

Decent Homes Standard 

– Reduced from 30% to 0% (Gold) 

Amblecote 

• Number of anti-social behaviour (ASB) 

cases opened per 1000 properties managed 

– Reduced from 12 (Silver) to 4 (Gold) 

Baronfold 

• Number of tenancies terminated as a 

percentage of all properties 

– Reduced from 10% (Silver) to 9% (Gold) 

Boothstown 



– Remains at Gold with no ASB cases opened 

Here are some examples of partnership work in each region: 

Eccles 

• At Barton Village Unlimited 

Potential have worked with the 

Barton Ladies, Engels TRA Games Night and 

Enfi eld Coffee Hour to raise awareness about 

bowel cancer. 

• The Brookhouse and 

Newlands Community group have 

been working with Salford City Council on a 

project to improve their community centre for 

future community usage. 

Overall, performance has continued to improve. 

All neighbourhoods now fall into the Silver and 

Gold categories. 

Compared to the original plans, 17 neighbourhoods 

have moved up a category, either from Bronze to Silver 

or Silver to Gold and 14 have remained the same. 

This shows that we are working hard to improve 

our neighbourhoods to make them more 

sustainable and better for you to live in. 

• Average responsive repair cost per job 

– Reduced from £83.72 to £76.22 (Gold) 

Higher Irlam 



– Reduced from 30 (Bronze) to 0 (Gold) 

Manchester Road South 

• Customer satisfaction with their 

neighbourhood as a place to live 

– Improved from 94% to 100% (Gold) 

Monton and Ellesmere Park 

• Average responsive repair cost per job 

– Reduced from £96.55 to £91.77 (Silver) 

• A Neighbourhood Watch scheme has been 

introduced at Grindle Green. 

• We are working with Westwood Park 

Community Centre in partnership with Salford 

Community Leisure to deliver a “grow your own” 

project with partners including Henshaws for 

the Blind. This includes locally grown produce, 

cooking on a budget and healthy eating with 

partners including the health improvement team. 

Irlam and 

Cadishead 

• Following consultation 

with residents, there is 

a proposed 20 mph 

speed limit to be 

implemented on 

Caroline Street & Dixon Street. 

• Customers in Higher Irlam have completed a 

road audit and this has been shared with the 

highways department at Salford City Council. 

Pot holes, grid issues and general road safety 

concerns were identifi ed as concerns 

by customers. 

• Two extra bins have been placed in 

the Cadishead area which support the 

decrease in litter problems across the 

Nelson neighbourhood. 

Swinton 

• A key and signifi cant achievement in the 

Manchester Road South neighbourhood 

is the formation of the Mossfi eld Residents 

Association. The group will work to address 

the lack of activities and opportunities for 

children and young people in the area. 

• City West worked closely with Salford City 

Council’s Housing Crime Reduction team 

to provide security and fencing in the 

Newtown area. 

• A local lettings policy has now been set 

up in the Wyndham Avenue within the 

Manchester Road South neighbourhood. 

This policy will help City West to reduce 

anti-social behaviour by ensuring customers 

are provided with homes suitable to 

their needs. 

Little Hulton 

• We have worked in partnership with 

Salford Council’s ASB Team and the 

Community Safety Team to install a CCTV 

camera at an ASB hot spot in the 

Amblecote neighbourhood. 

• Improvements have been made to a 

footpath on Baronfold Crescent adjacent to 

the St Paul’s Peel Primary School which has 

made the footpath safer for residents to use in 

bad weather. 

• An Olympics fun day was held in Peel Park 

with a wide range of services and healthy 

activities on offer to all residents. 

• A Good Neighbour Day was held in September 

in the Mountskip neighbourhood. 

For more information and news 

from your area visit your local 

neighbourhood on our website: 

www.citywesthousingtrust.org.uk/your-local-area


Our Local Area Panels (LAPs) are continuing 

to support community projects and play 


a key role in monitoring our performance 

LAPs 

and improving our services. As part of this 

commitment, each of the four LAPs has 

provided £5,000 funding to local projects 

and initiatives. 

Local Area Panels 

Little Hulton 

It’s coming up to that time of year; the nights 

are getting longer, the cold is creeping in and 

you are thinking about that heating bill again. 

Step 3 

Your central heating will usually have a timer 

control that allows you to easily control when you 

Here are a few easy-to-follow ways you can keep 

your home warm and energy bills down this winter. 

want to have the heating on or off. Setting your 

heating to come on ½ hour before you wake up 

and ½ before you go to sleep will save you money. 

Swinton • In 2012 the Little Hulton LAP have funded projects 

• The Swinton LAP have funded several projects 

in 2012 such as new football kits for Swinton 

Tigers Football Team and a DVD Player for the 

Laurence Lowry Court Residents Group. 

Eccles 

• In recent months the Eccles LAP have funded 

several projects such as new cultural educational 

material for Winton Children’s Centre and 

EDEN Eccles young person’s project. 

If you have an idea for a project which 

will benefi t your local community, 

you can apply for funding through 

the City West Project Fund. You can 

fi ll out an application form on our 

website or contact your Local Area 

Panel for help and advice. 

ASB 

Change your Choices 

Swinton, Clifton 

& Pendlebury 

Chair 

Keith Oliver 

07921 749 912 

Change your Choices was launched in Little 

Hulton earlier this year to reduce ASB in local 

communities by offering support to young 

people involved in nuisance behaviour. The 

project aimed to be a preventative measure, 

educating young people on the negative impact 

ASB can have. 

Ten people took part in the fi rst course attending 

a series of activities designed to give them the 

confi dence to make better life choices and look 

at their future positively. The week long course 

includes a visit to a homeless hostel, magistrates 

• In 2012 the Little Hulton LAP have funded projects 

such as new play areas at local primary 

schools, Christmas parties for Tenants and 

Residents Associations and planting schemes 

to improve the appearance of the area. 

Irlam and Cadishead 

• In October the Irlam and Cadishead LAP 

attended a presentation to thank them for the 

funding which they provided for the Irlam Youth 

Centre Ownership Committee to refurbish the 

inside and outside of the youth centre. 

Eccles, 

Barton & 

Winton Chair 

Lilian Johnson 

07921 749 913 

Little Hulton, 

Walkden & 

Worsley Chair 

Davina 

Johnson 

07921 749 915 

Irlam & 

Cadishead 

Chair 

Gary Corrigan 

07921 749 917 

court and a prison where the participants meet 

inmates who talk to them about the reality of being 

behind bars. They also receive educational visits 

from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service 

and the Drug and Alcohol Action Team. 

We’re now looking to introduce the course across 

West Salford. 

ASB Handbook 

Available on our website, and 

in our offi ces, our handbook 

contains details of all aspects 

of our ASB service. 

Don’t forget – you can 

report ASB 24 hours a day 

by calling 0300 123 5522. 

Energy Saving 

Step 1 

The ideal temperature for the room you spend 

most time in (usually the living room) is between 

18 and 21°C. This can be set in most homes using 

the room thermostat. 

Step 2 

If you are cold turn your central heating up, as 

using secondary heating systems such as electric 

fi res is much more expensive. 

Are you prepared? 

If you are unsure how your 

boiler works or you want to 

check you are using it as 

effi ciently as you can then 

please don’t hesitate to 

contact our energy advisor 

on 0161 605 7649 or email 

greenscheme@citywest.org.uk 

If you fi nd that your boiler is not working, 

please contact our Service Centre on 

0300 123 5522 and they will help get 

your boiler up and running again. 

Speak to 

your Energy 

Supplier 

Step 4 

Use your thermostatic radiator valves to reduce 

the temperature in rooms you do not spend 

much time in: setting 3 will give you a comfortable 

temperature whilst being energy effi cient. Setting 

4 and 5 will provide extra heat where needed. 

Step 5 

Save heat and electricity by: 

• Keeping internal doors closed 

• Close the curtains as dusk falls 

• Don’t drape curtains over heaters or radiators 

• Use energy saving light bulbs 

• Don’t leave your appliances on standby or 

charge unnecessarily 

Contact your supplier to ensure you are getting the best deal on your 

energy, better yet shop around and fi nd the cheapest deal. 

Visit www.myhomeenergyswitch.org.uk or call 0800 0515346 for free 

impartial advice on getting the best price for you gas and electricity.


Welfare Reform 

In October and November City West sent a 

letter to customers who might be classed as 

under-occupying their properties under the 

Government’s new size limit rules. 

These letters were sent to customers of working 

age who are currently claiming Housing Benefi t 

and living in a property with two or more 

bedrooms. The letters ask customers to check 

their details and to contact us to discuss the 

support and advice available to them. 

The Welfare Reform Act gives the Government the 

power to introduce what is being called a ‘Bedroom 

Tax’. This will mean that any working-age 

household deemed to be under-occupying their 

home will lose part of their Housing Benefi t 

from April 2013. If your accommodation is too big 

for your needs, your Housing Benefi t will be reduced 

by 14% if you have one extra bedroom and 25% if 

you have two extra bedrooms. 

Want to move to a 

smaller home? 

Our team is always available to advise 

and help fi nd homes that are available and 

suitable for the size of your family. 

Visit your local housing offi ce or telephone 

0300 123 5522 for more information. Customers 

can also take advantage of a FREE service 

called Homeswapper. This service will help you 

exchange or swap your home with other City West 

customers or those of other participating landlords. 

Bedroom Tax 

Calculator 

We have a Bedroom Tax 

Calculator to help you 

understand the impact of the 

changes to Housing Benefi t. 

Our dedicated Welfare Reform 

page on our website, 

www.citywesthousingtrust.org.uk, will 

give you all the information you need and the 

organisations that you can contact for more 

help and advice. 

You can also visit www.facebook.com/ 

mutualexchangepageforcitywestcustomers 

to fi nd other people looking to exchange. 

Money Advisors 

For more information on these changes, visit our 

website or ask a member of staff for our fact sheets. 

Our Money Advisors can help you manage your money and ensure you 

are receiving all the benefi ts you are entitled to. If you live in Eccles, Winton, 

Irlam or Cadishead call 0161 605 7860 to speak to Gwyneth Halliwell. 

How the changes from the 

Government may affect you... 

As well as the introduction of Bedroom 

Tax, the Government’s Welfare Reform 

Act will bring many other changes to 

benefi ts from April 2013 which you 

need to be aware of. These include: 

‘Non-Dependant 

Deductions’ 

When an adult, other than your partner, lives 

with you, they are called a non-dependant. If you 

have a non-dependant living in your home, your 

Housing Benefi t may be reduced by a certain 

amount each week. 

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) 

Disability Living Allowance is being scrapped, 

with claimants having to apply for Personal 

Independence Payments. Fewer existing 

claimants will qualify for this. 

If you live in Swinton, Pendlebury, Clifton, 

Little Hulton or Worsley call Sarah Wood on 

0161 605 7796. Alternatively you can email 

moneyadvice@citywest.org.uk. 

Universal Credit 


Why should I pay my rent 

by Direct Debit? 

There are many benefi ts with paying your rent 

by Direct Debit: 

• It’s the easiest and most effective way to pay 

• It gives you peace of mind that your rent is 

being paid automatically 

• You can pay it weekly, fortnightly, every four 

weeks, or monthly 

• It saves you queuing at the post offi ce or 

pay points 

• It takes minutes to set one up 

Contact the Income Team on 

0161 605 7887 to set up your Direct Debit 

over the telephone. 

from 

October 

2013 

Universal Credit will replace most 

existing benefi ts for working age 

people and change the the way way tenants 

receive Housing Benefi t; in most cases, 

removing the option of having benefi ts paid direct 

to landlords. To receive benefi ts, you will need a 

basic bank account or a simple payment card. 

If you do not have a bank account now 

is the time to open one - you will need 

identifi cation. Most banks offer a basic bank 

account which offers all the features of a current 

account which includes setting up Direct Debits, 

without access to an overdraft. 

If you think any of the Government’s 

welfare reform changes are going to 

affect you, you need to take action 

now. We’re waiting for your call. 

Contact us for advice on 

0300 123 5522. 

You can also speak to any member 

of staff at your local area offi ce, or see 

our website for more information 

www.citywesthousingtrust.org.uk


HomeHunt 

We advertise properties in a number of places 

including Salford Home Search and mutual 

exchanges through HomeSwapper to give 

customers access to all available homes as well as 

those from landlords in other areas and properties 

where people are looking to transfer. 

City West is now advertising homes through 

HomeHunt; a new online service which will reach a 

wide audience in a range of housing needs. 

City West’s 14,600 homes range from family 

houses and sheltered housing through to low-rise 

fl ats and multi-storey blocks. 

HomeHunt offers City West customers: 

• Quick initial registration 

• A clear, easy search and bidding functionality 

Contact City West 

at the touch of a 

button 

You can now contact City West through our 

Looking Local Digital TV service and My 

Landlord Smartphone app. Our Looking Local 

Digital TV service and Smartphone app are 

free and easy to use. 

Report a repair or ASB incident, request customer 

leafl ets or view City West’s latest news and 

information all at the touch of a button. 

• Go to Community Channel (539) 

• Press Red 

• Enter the QuickCode ‘CW’(29) 

• Go to Community Channel (233) 

• Press Red 

• Enter the QuickCode ‘CW’(29) 

Another way to nd a 

suitable home 

• Automated ‘match alerts’ informing a customer 

when new properties matching their criteria are 

added 

• The ability to view the outcome of previous bids 

• The ability to view all available properties on one 

website 

• The ability to view and bid upon all eligible tenure 

types in one area no matter who the landlord is 

HomeHunt has been designed to make the 

application, shortlist and lettings process of any 

type of social housing far easier. 

For more information on HomeHunt and to 

register, visit the HomeHunt website at 

www.homehunt.co.uk. 

Scan this QR 

code on your 

smartphone 

or text your 

postcode 

to 61061 to 

download the 

app. 

No spaces in 

postcode; 

e.g. M300JB. 

Scan it 

Android 

Phones 

Scan it 

iPhones and 

other iOS 

devices 

For more details on Looking Local visit our 

website www.citywesthousingtrust.org.uk 

or call 0300 123 5522. 

Contacting 

City West 

over 

Christmas 

couldn’t be 

easier! 

As always when our oces are 

closed we will be providing essential 

services to our customers: 

• Customers should continue to call 

0300 123 5522 to report an emergency repair 

or any other urgent housing related issue. 

• For all non-urgent enquiries you can still report 

these online via our website; however these 

will be treated as being reported on 

Wednesday 2nd January 2013. 

• Our Service Centre will re-open as normal on 

Wednesday 2nd January 2013 from 

8.00am to 6.30pm. 

• Our Local Area Offices will re-open as usual on 

Wednesday 2nd January 2013 from 

8.30am to 4.30pm. 

Our 

City West offices 

will be closing on 

Friday 21st December 

2012 and reopen on 

Wednesday 2nd 

January 2013. 

Make a note… 

To contribute to the wider regeneration of 

Eccles town centre, a new purpose built 

City West head office will be built on the 

existing Eccles Local Area Office. 

Subject to planning permission work will 

start on site in April 2013. 

It is planned that the new office will open 

in Summer 2014. 

Whilst the new head office is being built, 

the service will be re-locating to office 

space in the old Eccles Town Hall. 

52 Regent Street will close for 

development when we close for 

Christmas in December 2012. 

We will re-open in our temporary location 

at The Old Town Hall in Eccles from 

January 2013. 

Opening times and contact 

details will remain the same (see back 

page for details). 

www.citywesthousingtrust.org.uk


Customer Forum 

The Customer Forum is organised by 

customers for customers. At our Forum in 

October, customers enjoyed an evening 

discussing how to keep warm and stay 

safe. The Police and Fire Brigade, along 

with offi cers from City West updated 

customers with tips and advice for the 

winter months. 

At this month’s Customer Forum it was your 

turn to set the agenda in a question and answer 

session with City West’s Directors. 

You can see more details from the forum on our 

website www.citywesthousingtrust.org.uk 

Alternatively you can call the 

Communities Team on 0161 605 7296 or 

email: involved@citywest.org.uk 

‘YEP launch a 

Youth Fund’ 

YEP have introduced a 

youth fund proposal for 

young people. The panel’s ideas were 

presented in a Dragons Den style 

presentation to members of the Eccles and 

Irlam Housing team at their residential weekend 

away earlier this year. 

The pilot of the fund is now underway in the 

Eccles, Irlam and Cadishead areas. 

The fund is split into two pots, which will be 

available to: 

Individuals - A young person aged 16-24 years 

who lives within Eccles, Irlam or Cadishead 

who wants to achieve a goal or go into further 

education. 

Groups - A group of young people aged 10-24 

years old who want to work on a project within the 

Eccles, Irlam or Cadishead areas that will benefi t 

the wider community. 

The types of projects that will be funded 

include: 

Individuals - Educational trips, educational course 

fees (lifeguard course, food hygiene), books, 

course equipment. 

Groups - Project costs, training sessions, and 

activities for young people. 

For more information please contact Leanne 

Gleave, Community Development Offi cer 

on 0161 605 7652 / 07540 671 628 or email 

leanne.gleave@citywest.org.uk 

Customer Customer Scrutiny Scrutiny 

Inspectorate Inspectorate (CSI) 

The CSI have completed a scrutiny exercise on 

Estate Walkabouts and have produced their Board 

Report which contained 9 recommendations 

which would improve the walkabout process for 

both City West and their Customers. 

These recommendations included: 

• Co-ordination of walkabouts centrally would 

make the best use of resources – this could 

include marketing, delivery, reporting, feeding 

back, inviting external agencies 

• Further consultation is needed throughout the 

wider customer base to fi nd out what customers 

want out of walkabouts 

• City West to come up with more innovative ways 

of publicising estate issues and how City West 

deal with them 

Customer Inspections 

and Mystery Shopping 

Results 

Our Customer Inspectors have been busy 

reality checking to make sure City West are 

delivering an excellent Customer Service. 


The Executive Management Team were very 

supportive of the recommendations and have drawn 

up an action plan to address the issues outlined. 

The report and action plan have been submitted to 

the Board and The Operations Group will be asked to 

monitor the progress of the action plan going forward. 

Full details of the scrutiny programme and estate 

walkabout exercise can be found on our website 


For further information on Customer 

Scrutiny please contact Jacqui Holmes on 

0161 605 7630 or jacqui.holmes@citywest.org.uk 

During the fi rst half of this year, they have carried 

out mystery shopping and inspections across a lot 

of our service delivery areas as well as carrying out 

general customer care standard checks. 

The summary of the inspections in quarters 1 and 2 of this year are tabled below. 

Area Inspected 

Number of 

Inspections/Shops 

Number Satisfi ed/ 

Passed 

% Passed 

Direction of 

Travel from 2011 

Caretaking/Cleaning Block Inspections 12 11 92% New area of inspection this year 

Re-let Standard 22 21 95% 

Re-Investment Satisfaction 17 16 94% 

Repairs Reporting 18 18 100% New area of inspection this year 

Finding a Home 5 5 100% New area of inspection this year 

Making a Complaint 5 5 100% New area of inspection this year 

Reporting ASB 6 6 100% New area of inspection this year 

Customer Care Standards Met 34 34 100% New area of inspection this year 

Total 119 43 97% 

If you would like more information on mystery shopping or becoming a Customer Inspector 

then please contact Jacqui Holmes on 0161 605 7630 or jacqui.holmes@citywest.org.uk


How 

wedoing? 

are 

City West’s 

Performance 

as at 30th 

September 

2012 

We continually strive to deliver excellent services to our customers. New targets have been 

set for 2012/13 to ensure that we can keep a close eye on how we perform and to make sure 

that we achieve what we set out to do. How we performed in the second quarter of 2012/13 

(July - September) in comparison to our new targets is detailed below. We’ve also provided 

details on whether performance has got better or worse since Q1, June 2012. 

Area of Performance 

Percentage of all complaints 

responded to within published 

timescales 

Percentage of customers 

satisfi ed with the complaints 

handling process 

Target for 

Quarter 

2 

Performance 

as at 

30/06/12 

Performance 

as at 

30/09/12 

100% 100% 100% 

70% 100% 75% 

Current tenant arrears as a 

percentage of rent owed 4.77% 4.64% 5.18% 

Percentage of properties with 

an up-to-date CP12 (Gas 

Servicing) certifi cate 

100% 100% 100% 

Percentage of emergency 

repairs completed on time 99.4% 100% 100% 

What September’s 

performance 

means 

Dealing with Complaints 

38 responded to 

on time out of 38 

6 very or fairly 

satisfi ed out of 8 

Reducing Rent Arrears 

Repairs & Servicing 

Re-letting Homes 

Average number of days to 

re-let a property 28 days 22.21 days 25.23 days 

Percentage of properties 

vacant 

Customer satisfaction with 

the service received at Area 

Housing Offi ces 

Percentage of customers 

satisfi ed with the outcome 

of their anti-social behaviour 

complaint 

Customer satisfaction with 

their neighbourhood as a 

place to live 

*1st = Top 25%, 2nd or 3rd = Middle 50% 

£2.89m 

outstanding out 

of £55.91m due 

14,511 valid out 

of 14,511 

828 completed in 

time out of 828 

9,864 days to 

repair and re-let 

391 properties 

1.87% 1.86% 1.84% 

269 properties 

empty out of 

14,600 owned 

Customer Satisfaction with Services 


80% 92.97% 93.3% satisfi ed out 

of 104 

52% 94.7% 90% 

88% 94.48% 97.1% 


satisfi ed out 

of 50 


satisfi ed out 

of 138 

Getting 

better or 

worse? 

(compared 

to Jun 12) 

Overall 

performance 

against 

target 

Performance 

compared 

to other 

organisations 

N/A 

2nd 

3rd 

1st 

1st 

2nd 

2nd 

N/A 

1st 

N/A 

Q2 Performance 

At the end of the second quarter (July to 

September 2012), performance in 9 out of 

the 10 indicators has achieved their current 

target. There is only one indicator which has 

not, which is in relation to current tenant arrears. 

This is a great success demonstrating that steps 

have been taken to ensure that we are a high 

performing organisation. 

Compared with other housing providers, 

we are in the top 25% of performers in relation 

to 3 indicators - completion of emergency repair 

jobs on time, percentage of properties with gas 

servicing certifi cates and the satisfaction with 

the outcome of Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) 

complaints. We aim over time to become top 

performers across all service areas. 

For the remainder of indicators where we are 

able to compare performance, we have 3 in the 

middle 50% of performers and 1 in the bottom 

25% of performers. 

Our largest area of spend 

at the moment is improving 

and maintaining homes. For 

every £1 that we spend, over 

78 pence is spent on our 

Investment Programme or on 

repairing and maintaining homes. 

An exercise was undertaken where targets were 

reviewed by customers and new challenging 

targets set for 2012/13. Customers examined 

and challenged targets on a selection of PIs. These 

targets were then approved and put in place for the 

coming year. The involvement of customers is to 

make sure that you are satisfi ed we are aiming to 

improve in all service areas. We’re working hard to 

improve performance in all areas, however actions 

for improvement are identifi ed on a regular basis to 

those which are getting worse and we will continue 

to work with residents and staff to ensure service 

delivery improves. 

If you’d like more information on 

how we are doing, benchmarking or have 

suggestions on how you think services 

could be improved then please contact 

Tereska Leach, Performance Offi cer, or the 

Business Assurance Team on 0161 605 7600 

or email performance@citywest.org.uk 

alue for Money 

How each £1 is spent (11/12) 

61p 

Investment Programme 

The next largest item of spend is Neighbourhood 

Management. For every £1 that we spend, 

10 pence is spent on delivering and improving 

services in your neighbourhoods. Other areas of 

spend include central overheads and services which 

covers staff wages and back offi ce team activities as 

well as rent for the various buildings we occupy. 

18p 

Repairs and 

Maintenance 

2p 

Other 

10p 

Housing 

Management 

9p 

Central 

Overheads 

and Services


Salfordian Hotel 

Are you looking for a friendly hotel where nothing is 

too much trouble for the staff and the rates are very 

reasonable - well look no further! 

The Salfordian Hotel, which mainly caters for senior 

citizens, is situated in the heart of Southport, where there 

are plenty of things to do and see. 

Open all year round the hotel offers an affordable break 

where you can meet with old and new friends in relaxed 

surroundings. 

• Single, twin & triple rooms • Fully Licensed bar area 

• En-suite facilities 

• Day trips available 

• Full board packages • Lift & wheelchair access 

To check availability or to fi nd out more please call 

0161 925 1233 or e-mail: salfordian@salford.gov.uk 

Gas Safety 

We are continuing to maintain 100% success 

in accessing ALL of our properties within 

the prescribed timescales to carry out annual 

gas safety checks and we thank you for 

your cooperation. 

Although we carry out an annual gas service in 

your home, badly fi tted and poorly serviced gas 

boilers, cookers and fi res can cause gas leaks, 

fi res, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning. 

In the event you think you can smell gas then it is 

important you: 

• Get fresh air immediately. Open all doors and 

windows to ventilate the room 

• Switch off the appliance and do not use it 

again until it has been checked by a Gas Safe 

registered engineer 

• Turn off the gas supply at the mains 

• Call the National Gas Emergency number 

• If you are feeling ill visit your GP or the 

hospital immediately and tell them that your 

symptoms may be related to carbon monoxide 

poisoning 

• Contact City West on 

0300 123 5522 to check and 

fi x the appliance. 

Please be aware that 

you also have a legal 

obligation in respect of 

Gas Safety. Any work of 

this nature should be carried 

out by a competent, qualifi ed engineer. 

If in doubt then please ring the City West 

Gas Team on 0300 123 5522 for further 

information. 

Independent 

Living Service (ILS) 

Our ILS continues to support customers 

across West Salford through our Tenancy 

Sustainability Service, Money Advice Service 

and our Independent Living Offi cers. 

In October City West customers living at Laurence 

Lowry Court, in Swinton, were invited to the event to 

decide which photographs and pictures should be 

displayed in communal areas around their properties. 

The sheltered housing scheme, which is named 

after the area’s most famous artist, has just 

undergone a multi-million pound regeneration and 

residents were keen to add the fi nishing touches to 

help give the development a ‘homely’ feel. 

Residents were invited to put forward their own 

suggestions for pictures they would like to see 

at the scheme with others put forward by staff at 

City West. Each customer was then given a ballot 

paper to choose their favourite images. 

SURVEY COMPETITION! 


The images chosen included Lowry’s famous 

“Coronation Street” and also featured artists such 

as Thomas Kinkade and Henri Rousseau. The 10 

most popular pictures were installed at the scheme 

in November. 

For more information about the 

Independent Living Service, please 

contact Charlotte Pilling on 0161 605 7633 

or email independent@citywest.org.uk 

We are always looking to improve Talking Trust for all customers and value your 

feedback. By answering the questions below you will be in with a chance of winning a 

£100 Tra ord Centre Voucher! 

What kinds of articles appeal to you most? 

e.g events in my area, details of improvement works, information 

on anti-social behaviour, photographs of customers. 

Is there anything currently not in Talking 

Trust that you would like to read about? 

Any other comments? 

Do you use the City West website? 

Yes No 

Are there any improvements you would 

like to see to our website? 

Please send your completed form along with your name and Send entries by 31st January 2013. 

address to: Marketing, City West Housing Trust, Freepost 

RRZZ-YYCG-UKAY, Salford M50 1RF or email them to 

marketing@citywest.org.uk 

Last issue winner: Congratulations to Miss Watts from Eccles who won the £100 Trafford Centre Voucher. 

Terms and conditions: fi rst entry drawn will be awarded the 

prize. Judges decision is fi nal and no cash alternative is 

offered. Winners details will be published in the next issue.


Getting in touch 

Head Office: 

City West Housing Trust, 

4th Floor, Centenary House, 

1 Centenary Way, 

Eccles M50 1RF 

Email: enquiries@citywest.org.uk 

Local Area Offices: 

19/25 Hulton District Centre, 

Longshaw Drive, Little Hulton M28 0BA 

Email: walkden@citywest.org.uk 

From 2nd January 2013 The Old Town Hall, 

Corner of Irwell Place/King St, Eccles M30 0FN 

Email: eccles@citywest.org.uk 

7 Wesley Street, Swinton M27 6AD 

Email: swinton@citywest.org.uk 

Irlam Library, Hurst Fold, Irlam M44 6FD 

Email: irlam@citywest.org.uk 

A Charitable Industrial & Provident Society registered with the FSA, 

registration number 30483R at Centenary House, 1 Centenary Way, Eccles M50 1RF.

MAD Awards 2012 - City West Housing Trust

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