In Touch winter 2011/12 - Teign Housing

Welcome to In TouchWelcome to the winter issue of In Touch. It has been another busyyear and we have accomplished a lot to be proud of. We haveinvested nearly £4million on regenerating five blocks of flats incentral Teignmouth, which has received some very positive reviewsby local residents and media. We are slowly transforming theblocks from being a local eye sore, into a more striking landmark.All five blocks are due to be finished by the end of 2012, so wewill keep you up-dated with our progress throughout the year.Whilst going to press, we have also achieved the Investors inPeople Gold award which is another important moment in TeignHousing’s history. Look out for all the details about the award inthe spring issue of In Touch, but if you can’t wait until then, visitour website www.teignhousing.co.uk for all our latest news. Onbehalf of everyone at Teign Housing, we wish you all the very bestfor 2012.COVER PHOTO - Winter scene created by children at Buckland’s Big TidyIs this clear?Do you or someone you know have any difficulty reading thismagazine? In Touch is available in large print, Braille, translatedinto your choice of language or on audio cassette or CD - pleasecall 01626 322722 (Minicom 01626 322797) or e-mailintouch@teignhousing.co.uk to request a copy.qContact usIf you are deaf, hard of hearing, speech–impaired or deafblind you can contact ususing the free Typetalk service. Simplydial 18001 before the number yourequire (remember you’ll have to includeour area code 01626 even if you’recalling from the same area).Repairs hotline and gas repairsFREEPHONE: 0800 1979790repairs@teignhousing.co.ukq@Customer servicesWhatever your query regarding yourhomes – our Customer Services Advisorsare here to help.q 01626 322722Monday-Thursday 8.30am-5pmFriday 8.30am-4.30pm@ info@teignhousing.co.ukMinicom: 01626 322797Teign Housing, Templar House,Collett Way, Newton AbbotTQ12 4PH.www. www.teignhousing.co.ukPlanned maintenanceq 01626 322717@ planned@teignhousing.co.ukGetting involvedFor information on your local tenantgroup, the Tenants’ Forum, Senior Forumand the Tenants Resouce Centre and howyou can get involved.q@01626 322750getinvolved@teignhousing.co.ukTeignCare community alarm01626 355135teigncare@teignhousing.co.ukq@TeignCare, Templar House, CollettWay, Newton Abbot TQ12 4PH.In Touch is written by an Communications Group made up of customersand staff. Thanks to everyone who has helped put together this issueor sent in articles, including Denise Bell-Stacey, Katie Godfrey, Anne-Marie Henderson, George Alfred Husband and Joe Williams.If you’d like to get involved, please contact us on 01626 322722 ore-mail: intouch@teignhousing.co.ukThis magazine is printed on 100% recycled paper with vegetable inks.All calls to 01626 322722 and 08001979790 will be recorded, other calls toTeign Housing may be recorded for trainingand monitoring purposes.Teign Housing is a Registered Social Providernumber: LH4403VAT Registration Number: 825180931Registered Charity Number: 11121962 in touch Winter 11/12

Best practice makes perfectOur communications group having been celebrating afterthe Housing Quality Network (HQN) picked our annualreport 2010 as an example of good practice. The HQNprovides help and support to housing associations tohelp improve their performance. Our annual report 2010has been selected for use in HQN training to show otherhousing associations how it should be done.Every year the tenants who sit on our communicationsgroup work really hard to come up with the design andtheme for our annual reports, which is then producedby our designer. We always try and do something alittle different and make it as interesting as possible foryou. It’s great to see that all their hard work has beenrecognised in this way and hopefully our annual report2011 will be received just as well next year. If you wouldlike to join the Communications Group get in touchwith Katie Godfrey on 01626 322713 or e-mail: katie.godfrey@teignhousing.co.ukVote for your prioritiesAt the back of the annual report 2011 there was a slip foryou to fill in and send back to us to tell us what you thinkour priorities should be. Your votes are still coming inso it’s not too let to send it in. Here’s how the voting islooking so far:A. Environmental change ........................................ 35%B. Working with young people ............................ 42.5%C. Anti-social behaviour .................................... 67.5%D. Services for disabled people .............................. 65%E. Financial literacy/employability ...................... 17.5%F. Rent payment and arrears .................................. 10%G. Repairs, maintenance and safety checks ........... 72.5%H. Empty homes ............................................... 17.5%I. Customer care ............................................... 42.5%J. Working with families ....................................... 25%If you don’t agree with the current top four priorities youshould fill out and return the form on the annual report,or text your vote to us on 01626 500500. Text theletters against your top four priorities, for example, tovote for anti-social behaviour, repairs, maintenance andsafety checks, working with young people and customercare, text CGBI. Text messages will cost the standard ratecharged by your mobile provider.Reward if paidWe understand that this time of year can be tough on your finances and can putanyone’s budgeting skills to the test. We are running a prize draw for all of youwho maintain your rent payments to us through the months of December andJanuary.We will be rewarding 10 of you with £25 if:• Your rent payments are received by us on time• You pay the amount that you are due to pay• Your rent account has been up to date for six months in a row in 2011Don’t forget - banks, building societies, the Post Office and our offices will beclosed on Public Holidays, so you may have to pay earlier, or in person, to ensureyour payment reaches us on time.The prize money will be either a shopping voucher of your choice or we willcredit your rent account depending on your circumstances. The winners will bedrawn in February 2012.If you are struggling to make payments and would like some advice, pleasecontact the Rents Team on 01626 322722 or e-mail: info@teignhousing.co.ukFestiveopening timesFriday 23 December .. 8.30am-4.30pmChristmas Eve .......................ClosedChristmas Day .......................ClosedBoxing Day ............................ClosedTuesday 27 December .............ClosedWednesday 28 December ........ ClosedThursday 29 December ...... 8.30-5pmFriday 30 December . 8.30am-4.30pmMonday 2 January ..................ClosedTuesday 3 January .........8.30am-5pmWednesday 4 January .....8.30am-5pmThursday 5 January ........8.30am-5pmFriday 6 January ....... 8.30am-4.30pmYou can still report emergencyrepairs using our out of hoursfreephone number 08001979790. See page six for detailsabout emergency repairs.3

A family day outJust over 100 adults and children attended our second family day at PaigntonZoo, on what was the warmest October weekend on record. We wanted to get theviews of Teign Housing families to find out what services are important to them.The children were entertained whilst the adults heard about our new customercare plan, Thrive, and how to get involved and make a difference. We askedparents questions that related to three specific areas:• Customer care – to help the Scrutiny Panel’s customer care service review.• Community Pledges - to help us to evaluate the work we have done over thepast 12 months and will also help us to plan our work for the coming year.• We repeated some questions from last year so that we could compare theanswers. This will help us to see if there have been any changes in opinion.To get the views of young people aged 12 - 17, our Youth Involvement Coordinatorand staff from South Devon College asked them about what it is like tolive in the area and what is important to them. Their feedback will be the basisfor a Youth Group that we are currently setting up.Once the morning questions and answers session finishedeveryone was free to spend the rest of the day at the zoo4 in touch Winter 11/12

Tailored to youAs you read this, we will be busy carrying out a Census ofall of our customers. If it hasn’t landed on your doorstepalready, it will very soon.You might remember filling out the Government’s NationalCensus – the purple booklet – in March of this year. OurResident Census will ask you about things like your age,income, religion and any disabilities you may have, amongother things.It’s really important that you fill out this Census. Byknowing about you and your household we can make surethe services we provide are the ones you need and want.Why are you asking all these questions?There is a reason for every question we will ask you.The Census is all about tailoring the services we provideto your needs - developing new homes with enoughbedrooms, budgeting for disability aids, providing financialadvice if you’re feeling stretched.Don’t you know all my details already?We hold some information for each of our customers butthere are lots of gaps. For example, only 40% of peoplehave told us if they have a disability or not. Some of ourinformation is also quite old. We have a responsibilityunder the Data Protection Act to keep it up to date.How will you keep my information safe?The information you give us will be kept on our securecomputer system. We will only share relevant detailswith companies who work for us – your phone number forappointments or information like “Mrs Jones has mobilityproblems, please give her time to answer the door”. Wewill never sell your information.Will I have to fill out another ResidentCensus in future?Teign Housing is changing the way it works to make surethat we update a little of your information each timewe’re in touch with you. Next time you call in to reporta repair you might be asked your email address or ethnicbackground. This will help us to reduce the number ofsurveys we have to send out in future and make sure wehave the most up to date information we can.If you have any questions about the Resident Censusplease call Lisa Maunder on a Tuesday or Thursdayon 01626 322714 or e-mail: lisa.maunder@teignhousing.co.uk who will be happy to answer yourquery.Tailoring our services to suit youJoslin Court before the improvements5

Keeping warmand safe this winterLast winter our repairs contractor, Ian Williams carried out over 466 burst pipeand leak repairs in your homes. As the evenings get darker and the weathergets colder, it’s time to start thinking about taking measures to minimise homerepairs and keep your families safe and warm this winter. These can include:• Store some water in bottles in case of frozen systems and pipes as thesecannot be fixed until they have defrosted.• Report leaks as soon as they happen to minimise any disruption and stopthe problem getting worse. The speed in which we can repair a leak willdepend on its severity• Ensure your gas and electric meters are topped up including those of anyolder relatives.• Keep heating on a low level to build up warmth in your home rather thanusing more gas or electric by heating it once. If you can, try to keep atemperature of 21ºC (70ºF) in all the rooms you use during the day. If thisis not practical at least keep your living room warm throughout the day andwarm your bedroom at night.• Set the timer on your heating to come on before you get up and switchoff when you go to bed. In very cold weather, set the heating to come onearlier, rather than turn the thermostat up. This means you won’t be coldwhile you wait for your home to heat up.• Shut the doors to any rooms that you don’t use. The closed door makes thatroom another barrier between you and the cold weather outside.• Use a hot water bottle. It doesn’t have to be just for bed time. Hot waterbottles are a quick, easy and cheap way of warming yourself up. Use anelectric blanket OR a hot water bottle in bed, but NEVER both together.Remember the Teign Housing 24hour repairs Freephone: 08001979790Fixing itWhen you call us to request a repair, we will give you oneof three timescales. Emergency repairs will be carried outwithin 24hours, urgent repairs will be done within sevendays and any routine repairs will be done within 21 days.Emergency repairs are the most costly because of thespeed in which they are done. Therefore we have tomake sure that emergency repairs are real, genuine,emergencies. Our customer services team have beentrained to diagnose repairs over the telephone and tograde its severity.An emergency repair is when we consider it to be puttingyour health and safety or security at risk. This couldinclude things like a serious roof leak or other majorstructural failures. A roof that was leaking slowly wouldonly be considered an urgent repair as it affects yourcomfort, not your safety. We understand that this canbe inconvenient, but we have to make sure that we arespending money on everyone’s repair needs fairly. If youstate that a repair is an emergency, which then turns outto be an urgent or routine repair, we will have to rechargeyou for the additional cost.For more details about what type of repair is consideredemergency, urgent or routine, please refer to the repairsbooklet of your tenant handbook. A copy of the repairsbooklet is also available to download from our websitewww.teignhousing.co.uk6 in touch Winter 11/12

How are we doing?To make sure our services are always improving, we settargets for our work. We monitor them regularly to see ifwe are meeting our targets or if more work needs to bedone to improve our performance. We give these figures atraffic light rating: green means we have met or exceededour target, amber means it’s within 5% and moving in theright direction and red means we haven’t met our targetand we need to improve in this area.Repairs Performance indicators Overall %2010/11April –June 2011July 2011 Aug 2011 Target* % repairs completed on time: 94.81% 93.73% 98.04% 98.5% 96.60%Emergency (24 hours) 94.28% 95% 97.01% 95.59% 98.50%Urgent (1 week) 93.2% 97% 96.2% 99.04% 97.00%Routine (3 weeks) 95.87% 99.02% 99.02% 98.99% 95.50%Sawing in styleCarpenter Aidan Truelove is an expert in her trade butdon’t expect her hands to show it. Aidan is set for a busywinter carrying out bathroom and kitchen repairs throughher job with our repairs contractor Ian Williams. She hasjust completed her three-year apprenticeship in what istraditionally a male-dominated industry. Yet Aidan doesn’tfit the industry stereotype, regularly getting her nails doneso her hands look glam even when she’s hanging doors andrefurbishing cabinets.Aidan said: “There’s a joke that you can spot a carpenter bytheir missing fingers but I still get my nails done. Some ofthe blokes even discuss with me what designs I should getnext.”Aidan is one of many apprentices who have trained on thejob alongside Ian Williams experienced tradespeople. Thescheme gives young people a head start in today’s difficultjob market by offering a chance to learn a trade.Don’t forget staff carrying out repairs will carry joint brandedTeign Housing and Ian Williams identity cards. Always askto see this ID. Visit www.ianwilliams.co.uk for moreinformation about career opportunities.7

Kids art competitionOur budding young artists have been busy drawingpictures for our art competitions. In the spring issue ofIn Touch we asked them to draw a picture of where theyWinnersthink aliens live and in our family issue we had a dinosaurtheme. Well done to everyone who entered. We had lots ofreally good entries. Our lucky winners this time are:Winners6 years and under -Charlotte aged 6The aliens live in a gardenwith lots of flowers and it’salways dark with a yellow skyand the ground is pink.7 to 9 years - Kaili aged 8WinnersI’ve used a light and shady effect. Myalien lives on the moon and he eatsanything that he sees. His name is Yukey.7 – 9 years – Katie aged 7My dinosaur is really fierce,he has blood on his teethand speckles on his back. Mydinosaur is really big and heis a predator so he must killhis pray to eat it. My dinosaurlives in a gigantic cave! Youmight be thinking ‘he mustbe the king?’ Well here isyour answer ‘No No No!’ theking is much bigger than mydinosaur!How do youget an alienbaby to sleep?You rock-et!8 in touch Winter 11/12

WinnersWinners10 years and over -Shannon aged 10Once upon a time there wasan alien called Bobby. Waybefore he became famous helived in the house with hisfamily and friends. His houseis pointed and spiky, thereare weird trees like coral,grass and bulbs on plants.Nothing like our world.Winners10 years and over –Matthew aged 10My dino is calledChompasaurus and it is biggerthan a T-Rex. He is part snakeand part dino. He loves beinga meat eater. He has lethalspikes with venom insidethem which can kill you inseconds. So that’s why youshould choose Chompasaurus.He also lives at the base of avolcano.6 years and under - Alexandra aged 3This is Alexandra’s blue dinosaur, it haslots of sharp pointy teeth, fingers fortickling and four legs to sneak with. Hehas two horns and his head, he likes toeat people and leaves and he goes todance class on his own.What colouris a burp?Burple!9

Anti-social behaviour up-dateYou have told us that tackling anti-social behaviour isone of your top priorities. Our Neighbourhood ServicesAdvisors and Anti-Social Behaviour Officer have been busymaking sure that we are doing everything we can to keepyour communities safe and sound.Action speaks louderWe obtained a possession order against a tenant fromLonsee Gardens, Kingskerwell, whose son had beenconvicted of cannabis possession within the home. Thetenant has been allowed to remain in their home by theCourt, provided there are no further breaches of theirtenancy. A tenant from Ireland House, Ashburton alsoreceived a possession order after causing a nuisance andannoyance to their neighbours. They have now beenevicted.A three month Anti-Social Behaviour Injunction (ASBI)was obtained against a tenant from Raleigh Road,Newton Abbot for causing nuisance and annoyanceto their neighbours. This included playing loud music,shouting and arguing in the street and being verballyabusive. Several neighbours assisted us by coming toCourt as witnesses to give their account of what had beenhappening. The witnesses now report that the tenant haschanged their behaviour and is a much better neighbour.The Court has since discharged the injunction.Prevention is better than cureEviction is always a last resort and we will try to getpeople to change their behaviour before taking this step.Where there is no criminal conviction, to evict someoneor to grant an injunction because of their behaviour,the Court need to understand the impact it is having ontheir neighbours. This often involves witnesses comingto Court to give their statements, which can be stressful,and is why our community pledge for anti-social behaviourfocuses on supporting witnesses.If you are being affected by anti-social behaviour you cannow report it using our on-line form on the anti-socialbehaviour page of our new website www.teignhousing.co.uk. You can also report anti-social behaviour bycalling our 24 hour reporting line 01626 322775. Duringoffice hours you will be able to speak to a member of theteam and out of hours and during weekends you can logincidents which we will respond to, if appropriate, thenext working day.Teignbridge Neighbourhood WatchThe Teignbridge Neighbourhood Watch is an organisation runentirely by volunteers and covers the whole of Teignbridgeincluding Newton Abbot, Teignmouth, Dawlish, Exminster,Chudleigh, Bovey Tracey, Teign Valley, Buckfastleigh,Ashburton and Moretonhampstead.What is the TeignbridgeNeighbourhood Watch?It is a community initiative supported by the Police andaims to create safer communities and encourage communityspirit to help reduce crime.It is about:• knowing your neighbours and the area well enough toknow when something is unusual• recognising suspicious vehicles and people• feeling confident about reportingan incident. Almost every crime hasa witness, sometimes people just donot know what they have seen.What it’s not about:• being a nosy neighbour• or, being a ‘curtain twitcher’Did you know?Some insurance companies recognise the value ofNeighbourhood Watch schemes and offer a discount onhousehold contents insurance for members of schemes inoperation that are headed by registered coordinators.To find out more about the Teignbridge NeighbourhoodWatch and how to join, please e-mail: nhwteignbridge@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk. Alternatively you cancall 01626 326604 or write to Teignmouth Police Station,Exeter Road, Teignmouth, Devon TQ14 9FN.10 in touch Winter 11/12

Tidy TeignmouthEarlier in the year we attended a listening event where lotsof local organisations were able to find out what the WestTeignmouth community thought of their area. Residentssuggested a number of ways in which we could help improvethe area and we have been working with residents and theother organisations to make sure that happens.A big tidy up event was held where local families joined ourstaff, the fire service and members of the local authority tohelp pick litter, weed flower beds and clear up fly-tippedgoods. We provided two large skips for the event whichwere paid for through our Can-Do-Fund and everyone gotstuck in.You can do it with the Can-Do-FundYour Neighbourhood Services Advisor has a small potof money that they can use to make improvements inyour neighbourhood. We call this our Can-Do-Fund. Inthe past it has been used to help fund projects like theones in West Teignmouth, but has also been used toimprove communal gardens and to help get local groupsup and running, such as, the 1st Heathfield Scouts. If youhave an idea or know of a group that needs some extrafunding in your neighbourhood, let us know about it bycompleting and returning the form on the right to: TeignHousing Can-Do-Fund, Templar House, Collett Way, NewtonAbbot, Devon, TQ12 4PH.Name:_________________________________________Address____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Telephone number:______________________________E-mail address:__________________________________Details of your idea or project:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Local children made thisfantastic sea mosaic throughan art project that our Can-Do-Fund helped. It will beplaced in the new bus shelterwhen it is completed.11

Estate inspectionsWe’ve made some changes to the Neighbourhood ServicesTeam in the past few months which will help us dealwith problems in your areas more effectively. YourNeighbourhood Services Advisor now deals with:• re-letting empty homes• low level nuisance and anti-social behaviour• the condition of your neighbourhood• tenancy queriesWe have one Anti-Social Behaviour Officer who deals withthe more serious cases of anti-social behaviour and ournew Neighbourhood Assistants, who work from our MarketWalk office, help with enquiries and reports when yourNeighbourhood Services Advisor is out and about.Holly ReynoldsTel: 01626 322746E-mail: holly.reynolds@teignhousing.co.ukHolly is your Neighbourhood ServicesAdvisor for: Ashburton, Bickington,Broadhempston, Buckfastleigh,Denbury, Kingskerswell, Ogwell, SafeHouse and Woodland.Kathy NorrishTel: 01626 322719E-mail: kathy.norrish@teignhousing.co.ukKathy is your Neighbourhood ServicesAdvisor for: Broadlands, Chudleigh,Chudleigh Knighton, Heathfield,Newton Abbot town centre andOgwell.Adrian SelwayTel: 01626 322825E-mail: adrian.selway@teignhousing.co.ukAdrian is your Neighbourhood ServicesAdvisor for: Bishopsteignton, Dawlish,Starcross and Teignmouth towncentre.Michelle ChilcottTel: 01626 322745E-mail: michelle.chilcott@teignhousing.co.ukMichelle is your Senior NeighbourhoodServices Advisor for: Bovey Tracey,Bridford, Christow, Doddiscombsleigh,Dunchideock, Dunsford, Hennock,Kingsteignton, Liverton, Lustleigh,Manaton, Moretonhampstead, NorthBovey, Tedburn St Mary, Whitestoneand Widecombe in the Moor.Josh LewisTel: 01626 322821E-mail: josh.lewis@teignhousing.co.ukJosh is your Senior NeighbourhoodServices Advisor for: Abbotskerswell,Exminster, Ide, Ipplepen, Kenn,Kennford, Kenton, Shillingford StGeorge and Teignmouth West.Rachel LlewellynTel: 01626 322784E-mail: rachel.llewellyn@teignhousing.co.ukRachel is your NeighbourhoodServices Advisor for: Buckland,Ideford, Iisington, Milber, Netherton,Shaldon, Stokeinteignhead andTeigngrace.12 in touch Winter 11/12

DecemberPlace Starting point Time DateAshburton The Hall 9.30am 7thBridford Butts Close 10.45am 1stBuckfastleigh Williams Court 9.30am 20thBuckland C Dr Surgery, Raleigh 10am 13thRoadChristow St James Place 10am 1stDunsford The Orchard 11.30am 1stDunchideock Sideling Close 12pm 1stDoddiscombsleigh Doddiscombsleigh 12.30pm 1stTedburn St Mary School Lane 3.30pm 22ndWhitestone Crossways 2.30pm 22ndJanuaryAbbotskerswell Laburnum Terrace 3.30pm 12thBroadlands & Brunswick House car 3pm 2ndBradley Valley A parkBroadlands &Bradley Valley BBroadlands &Bradley Valley CBroadlands &Bradley Valley DParking area, 85 4pmBroadlands AveGlebe Close car park 3pmCorner of NevilleRoad4pm2nd4th4thBuckfastleigh Williams Court 10am 10thBuckland E Tor View parking 10am 10thareaExminster 1 Gissons 10.30am 23rdHeathfield Sharps Crest parking 9am 12thareaHennock Palk Close 3pm 5thIlsington Drewsmead 9am 17thKenn St Andrews Close 3pm 19thKennfordGissons Lane car 3.30pm 19thparkKenton 12 Sunnybank 4pm 19thKingsteignton East Crossley Moor Rd car 2pm 12thparkKingsteignton West New Park Road 2pm 11thKingsway Kingsway Office 1pm 16thLiverton Ley Close 3pm 19thOgwell Garners Close 3pm 3rdStarcrossBrickyard Lane car 4pm 9thparkTeigngrace School Rd 3pm 4thFebruaryBishopsteignton Cockhaven Close 9am 13thBuckland B Co-op store 11am 8thPlace Starting point Time DateBuckland D Block A Drake Rd 10am 15thBuckland F Community Centre 11am 15thBuckland G Elizabeth Square 10am 22ndBroadhempston Radfords Orchard 11am 14thChudleigh Oldway 3pm 23rdChudleigh Knighton 4 Teign View 4pm 23rdCoombeinteignhead Sackery 10.45am 14thDawlish Newlands 4 Newlands 2pm 11thDawlish The Londis Shop 11am 11thAvenuesDawlish The Lindens 1 North Lodge 4pm 23rdDenbury West End Terrace 9.30am 14thIde 1 The Hams 9am 26thIdeford Broadlands 11am 7thIpplepen Ipplepen 11am 30thKingskerswell Princess Rd 10am 8thLustleigh Pethybridge car park 1pm 8thManaton Manaton 2pm 8thMilberOutside 1 Addison 10am 10thRoadMoretonhampstead Embleford Crescent 2.30pm 15thNetherton Ridge Road 10.30am 14thNewton Abbot town Quay Terrace 9am 25thcentreNorth Bovey Ridgnor car park 3pm 8thShaldon Palk Close 11.20am 14thShillingford St Manstree Terrace 10am 24thGeorgeStokeinteignhead Pool Weir 11am 14thTeignmouth Town Parson St Flats 10am 25thCentreTeignmouth West Mill Lane, bySurestart4pm 23rdWidecombe in theMoorWidecombe in theMoor4pm8thWoodland Rose Cottages 12pm 14thMarchAshburton The Hall 10am 6thBridford Butts Close 10.45am 7thBuckfastleigh Williams Court 10am 13thBuckland C Dr Surgery, Raleigh 10am 6thRoadChristow St James Place 10am 7thDunsford The Orchard 11.30am 7thDunchideock Sideling Close 12pm 7thDoddiscombsleigh Doddiscombsleigh 12.30pm 7thTedburn St Mary School Lane 3.30 14thWhitestone Crossways 2.30pm 14th13

If a crimehas alreadyhappenedTo giveinformationabout crimeTo speak toyour localofficerOnline: www.devon-cornwall.police.ukEmail: 101@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.ukTextphone: 18001 101If you’re deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired14 in touch Winter 11/12

Our canine partnershipWe have been working with the Devon and CornwallPolice Dog Unit to provide access to empty properties sothat they can stage drug search training for their teamof sniffer dogs. Two properties have been used, one inAshburton and one in Newton Abbot, after the previousoccupants had been given notice of possession.Rachel Llewellyn, Buckland’s NeighbourhoodServices Advisor (second from left) withstaff from the Police dog unit.The Police hide previously seized drugs in differentlocations around the house and garden for the dogs andtheir handlers to find. Both properties were left in a messwhen they were vacated, but this increased the challengefor the dogs who had to sniff their way through piles ofclothes, kitchen equipment and wardrobes to find thehidden drugs, some of which was hidden in toys, shoesand CD cases.We will continue to work with the dog unit so that theyhave realistic and practical training which will helpmaintain the dog’s high standards of competance.Crackdown on illegal sublettingCustomers have been helping us to address tenancy fraudand empty homes in their area by letting us know if theybelieve a tenant is illegally sub-letting or no longer living intheir home. Since April of this year, following reports fromresidents we have been able to re-let one 3 bedroom housein Bovey Tracey, one 2 bedroom house in Christow, one 2bedroom house and two 1 bedroom flats in Newton Abbot.These homes have now been used to house people with agenuine housing need.If you believe a tenant is illegally sub-letting or hasabandoned their home please let us know. You can contactus anonymously by telephone or post, but if you give usyour details and your information helps us to re-let thathome, you may be entitled to a £30 shopping voucheras a thank you. Please be reassured that we will treat allinformation given to us in confidence.Community Environment Wardensby Devon and Cornwall Police as part of the CommunitySafety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS).It gives them powers aimed at providing a better qualityof life for local people. They include confiscating alcoholand tobacco from under 18’s, enforcing local ‘No Alcohol’areas and issuing fines to litterbugs, fly-tippers andvandals.On the beat in your areaTeignbridge Council’s four-strong team of CommunityEnvironment Wardens have recently been re-accreditedIt also means they can provide local patrols and theshare information with agencies like councils, housingassociations and the police, helping keep crime andanti-social behaviour down. They patrol regularly aroundTeignbridge, helping keep our streets even safer.15

Good Neighbour Award 2011Congratulations to Mr Eric Beechingfrom Whitestone who has beenselected by the Anti-SocialBehaviour Improvement Group as ourfirst Good Neighbour of 2011. Hisneighbour commented that “he isalways available and willing to assisteach and everyone”. Mr Beechingreceived a £30 shopping voucher.Do you know someone who isalways helpful, works within thecommunity and makes a differenceto someone’s life? If you do, pleasefill in the nomination form on theright and return it to Teign Housing,Templar House, Collett Way, NewtonAbbot, TQ12 4PH. The winner will bepicked by the Anti-Social BehaviourImprovement Group and will win a£30 shopping voucher.Name of person being nominated_________________________________Address_ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Your name___________________________________________________Address_ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________Contact telephone number______________________________________Why do you think this person should be considered for aGood Neighbour Nomination?_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Buckland Residents’ AssociationDid you know that Bucklandhas a residents’ association?It’s been up and running since January2011 with numbers steadily increasing andbringing a new lease of community life toBuckland. The group have worked together tocampaign for answers about the paddling poolclosure and is helping us to identify areasfor improvement on the estate. They heldtheir first official AGM in September and theirmeetings are on the second Monday of eachmonth, starting at 7pm in the communitycentre.Young Buckland residents enjoy the junk bandat Buckland’s Big Tidy eventFor more details about the BucklandResidents’ Association, contact the ChairDavid Palmer on 07763 183297. If youwould like more information on your localresidents’ association or how to go aboutsetting one up, please contact Julie Cleaveon 01626 322751 or e-mail: julie.cleave@teignhousing.co.uk16 in touch Winter 11/12

Racial harassmentWe do not tolerate any incidents of harassment or hate crimein any form. Harassment and hate crime is singling out orintimidating a person because of their:• race• colour• ethnic or national origin• gender including transgender• sexual orientation• marital status• disability• ageWe recently received reports from a tenant that childrenwere making racist comments towards another child. At thetime we asked the child’s parent how they would like us toproceed, but they said that they did not wish us to interveneat that time, we did however, log it on our anti-socialrecording system.teignCareThe TeignCare community alarm gives peace of mindto many of our elderly customers, but it can also offeradditional security and confidence to younger customers.It’s not just older people who may feel they need someadditional support to maintain their independence. If youhave a disability, mobility difficulties or are recoveringfrom a hospital visit, then the TeignCare alarm could help.The TeignCare team will visit local community groups,village halls and events to give a presentation aboutthe TeignCare community alarm and demonstrate how itworks. If you or your community group would like ourTeignCare team to visit, please contact the TeignCare teamusing the following details.Unfortunately, a few weeks later the parent of the childbeing harassed got in touch with us again. They told us thatanother incident of racial abuse had happened and thistime they wanted us to intervene. We worked with the Policeand wrote to the parents of the children who were beinganti-social to highlight the seriousness of their children’sbehaviour. Since we intervened, there have been no morereports of racial harassment.You don’t have to put up with racial harassment or hatecrime. Whether you’re the victim or have witnessed it, youcan talk to us about it confidentially. We won’t take anyaction unless you want us to, but we can help you to put astop to it. You can report it online at www.teignhousing.co.uk, over the telephone on our 24 hour reporting line01626 322775 or in person at any of our offices.Visit our www.teignhousing.co.uk or call 01626 355135or e-mail: teigncare@teignhousing.co.uk for moreinformation.treating you fairlyBeing disabled does not mean that you become invisibleor are unable to contribute to the way we run TeignHousing. Our Disability Focus Group is part of the Respectfor People Group. It has a mix of staff and customers whomeet up four times a year, to review how our servicesaffect customers who have a disability. They look at awide range of subjects from mobility scooters to the formsof disabled adaptations we have available.We would like more of you to help us make sure thatdisabled customers are treated fairly. We would especiallylike to hear from people who have a visual impairment,hearing difficulties or mental health problems that canhelp us to improve our services.If you would like to become a member of our Respect forPeople Group or the Disability Focus Group, please get intouch with Marty McAuley on 01626 322704 or e-mail:marty.mcauley@teignhousing.co.uk17

Village lifeResidents from Tedburn St Mary helped us to celebratethe completion of 10 new homes in their villageLocal MP Mel Stride helped us to celebrate the completionof 10 new homes we have built in the village of Tedburn StMary. The celebrations coincided with the National HousingFederation’s South West Rural Housing Week which aims toraise the awareness of the value of affordable housing forkeeping local communities and villages alive.MP Mel Stride: “I was delighted to attend this event andin particular to have an opportunity to meet with someof those fortunate enough to be benefiting from theseexcellent new affordable homes. I was particularly impressedthat they have in the main been made available to localpeople with a strong connection to the area.”Jo Reece, our Deputy Chief Executive: “Buildingaffordable homes in rural locations is vital in sustainingcommunities by keeping the need for services such as localshops, schools and pubs. Including the larger rural townssuch as Bovey Tracey and Ashburton 40% of our housingstock is in rural areas. We want to work with our partnersand rural communities to provide the housing that theyneed, with extensive consultation and are designed andbuilt in a sympathetic way.”As the site is a rural exception site on the edge of thevillage, planning permission would not normally be granted.However, a housing needs survey was carried out by theCommunity Council for Devon which established the need formore affordable housing in the area.Peter Bromell, District Councillor: “Tedburn St MaryParish Council is delighted that 10 local families have beenable to move in to their new homes at Tremletts, so thatpeople who grew up here are able to stay. We recognisethat many local people have a housing need and we aregrateful to Hastoe Homes, Teign Housing, TeignbridgeDistrict Council and Coyde Construction for making thisdevelopment possible. We are very pleased to see how wellbuilt and designed they are and the occupants seem to bevery happy in their new homes.”The site was originally owned by Teignbridge District Counciland was located close to existing homes at Tremletts Close,which are owned by ourselves. We managed the developmentof the scheme and acquired the site, the 10 new homes werebuilt with a Homes and Communities Agencies (HCA) grantand then four homes were transferred to Hastoe HousingAssociation on completion. All the homes have now beenallocated to people with a local connection to Tedburn StMary through Devon Home Choice.18 in touch Winter 11/12

Attention leaseholders and shared ownersAre you paying the right Council Tax?Did you know that your yearly Council Tax bill assumesyou’re living in household of two or more people aged 18years or over, including you. However, depending on yourcircumstances you may be entitled to a discount and mayeven be able to cut that bill by half.A discount may apply if:• You live alone in the house• If other adults in the property can be officially‘ignored’ for Council Tax purposes (e.g. students,carers, severely mentally impaired people)• If the second adult living there is not your partner orthe owner, does not pay rent and is on a low income.This may include grown-up children, other relatives orfriends• If no-one is living in a property, even if it is furnished• Or if a person who resides in a property issubstantially and permanently disabled and requiresspace for wheelchair use or an additional or adaptedroom for their needsTo find out if you’re entitled to a discount visit www.teignbridge.gov.uk/discounts where you’ll also find anapplication form. Alternatively contact TeignbridgeCouncil on 01626 215000.Even if you don’t qualify for a discount, if you’re on a lowincome and have savings of less than £16,000 (with someexceptions), Council Tax Benefit could help pay some orall of your Council Tax bill. This applies even if you ownyour own home and whether or not you work. To find outif you qualify visit www.teignbridge.gov.uk/benefitsand use the Benefits Calculator, or call 01626 215000.Council making things easier onlineIt’s a 24/7 world and lots of people have busy lifestyles thatdon’t always make it easy to call or visit your local council.It’s now easier than ever to do things quickly and cheaplyonline at a time that’s convenient for you. There are manybenefits including no queues and around the clock access,and you can do more things which used to require a phonecall or a visit.Teignbridge Council’s new-look website www.teignbridge.gov.uk lets you pay bills and parking tickets, apply forbenefits, apply for bus and travel passes and much more.You can also find answers to lots of common questions.The ‘My Neighbourhood’ tool offers personalised informationjust by entering your postcode. Find out about bincollection days, local planning applications, your localcouncillor details, council tax banding and more. It’savailable at the top right hand menu on every page of theirwebsite.If you’re a Facebook fan, Tweeter or YouTube visitor, youcan also find the Teignbridge Council online at these sitesoffering service specific news.Leisure, parks and open spaces:www.facebook.com/teignbridgeleisurewww.twitter.com/TDC_Leisurewaste and recycling:www.facebook.com/pages/Teignbridge-Recycling/247768388568508www.twitter.com/TDC_recyclingForward Planning:www.twitter.com/planteignbridgeJobs:www.twitter.com/teignbridgejobsBusiness:www.twitter.com/TDC_BusinessYouTube:www.youtube.com/teignbridgedcCouncil news:www.facebook.com/pages/Teignbridge-DC/202730196413285www.twitter.com/teignbridgenews21

Board member profilesJames O’DwyerJames is a commercial and residential property manager witha degree in Housing and Development who lives in Torquay.James is a former Chair of a local housing association aswell as a Director of Torquay United Football Club. James haspreviously been a Councillor for Torbay and is now a SchoolGovernor and Chair of its Finance Committee. Peter said“James has a wealth of experience in commercial and socialhousing that will help to strengthen the Board as it movesforward in times of change.”Mike HallMike Hall is a tenant who lives in Tedburn St Mary. Mikehas been on the Senior Forum since 2008 and is an activemember of the Tedburn St Mary community. Peter said“Mike will be an excellent ambassador for the tenants. Heis passionate about local people and will strengthen thetenant perspective on the Board.”Allen DanielsAllen Daniels is a self employed consultant who grew upin Teignmouth. He has over 20 years experience workingin social housing. Allen has worked for Teignbridge DistrictCouncil as well as TPAS (Tenant Participation AdvisoryService). He also has previous experience of being a BoardMember. Peter said “Allen possesses a unique skill set as anindependent Board Member by having experience working intenant engagement and is a welcome and exciting additionto our Board”Fun and games in Courtenay ParkAlan SoperAlan Soper is the former Managing Director of a majorrepairs contractor and spent his working life on thecontractor side of outsourced services, to both the publicand private sectors. Alan brings considerable commercialexperience and strong business insight to the Board. Petersaid “Alan is a valuable asset to the Board at a time whenorganisations need to focus on value for money whilstdelivering quality services.”22 in touch Winter 11/12

the digital ageWe have set up a series of computer training classes thatwe are running from some of our community rooms inTeignmouth and Newton Abbot. We are working with alocal training provider, Inverteign, who will be runningthe classes with the help of some IT experts from thelocal sixth form college.The classes are aimed at beginners and will involve basiccomputer training that will help you use a number ofcomputer packages and the internet. As well as learninga little more about computers, it is an opportunity tosocialise, have fun and make new friends. If you wouldlike to get involved, please contact Francis Bourke on01626 322803.Six reasons to get online in the new Year• Save money – you could save yourself hundreds ofpounds by paying bills and shopping online• Save time – paying your rent, buying groceries andshopping is quicker and easier online• Find a job – 90% of all new jobs now require IT skillsand most jobs are advertised and applied for onlinetoo• Stay up-to-date – access all the latest news fromaround the world at an instant• Hobbies and interest – what ever you are interestedin, there will be a website out there for youIf you can’t make it to one of our computer trainingclasses, then you can access free computer courses at anumber of your local libraries. Bovey Tracey, Chudleigh,Kingsteignton, Kingskerwell, Newton Abbot andTeignmouth Libraries are all recognised UK Online Centres,along with the Inverteign Family Learning Centre inTeignmouth.BOVEY TRACEY LIBRARY01626 832026CHUDLEIGH LIBRARY01626 852469KINGSTEIGNTON LIBRARY01626 367980KINGSKERSWELL LIBRARY01803 873723NEWTON ABBOT LIBRARY01626 206420TEIGNMOUTH LIBRARY01626 774646INVERTEIGN FAMILYLEARNING CENTRE01626 77636323

spot the differenceCompetitionwin £25 Can you spot five differences in the right-handpicture? If so, mark them, cut out, fill in your details and returnto us by Friday 27th January 2012 for your chance to win a a £25Marks and Spencer gift voucher.Name: _________________________________Address: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________E-mail: ________________________________Telephone number: ____________________________________________________________Sudokufor funThis puzzle is just for fun - how quicklycan you complete it?To play Sudoku you must enter digitsfrom 1-9 into the blank spaces. Everyrow must contain one of each digit, somust every column and 3x3 square.The answers will be printed in thespring issue of In Touch.The completedpuzzle fromthe last issue7 3 1 81 75 1 7 9 6 43 8 25 79 1 38 6 9 3 7 11 85 6 3 224 in touch Winter 11/12