Community Lives Consortium

ACTIONS AGREED IN HOUSING SUPPORT CO-ORDINATORS FORUMS

Housing Co's Meeting 18th December 2008

• Housing Matters training will be 19/01/09 and 06/02/09.
• The 10% discount available in Curry's is only for large items. The Finance Manager will be informed.
• Valerie Rees is to be formally invited to our meeting in February for 2-3pm.
• A discussion took place around the appropriate wording on a disclaimer which will be an appendix to the Housing Management Policy. This will be queried with the CLC Policy Reviewer. lotte for advice on the wording.
• Information regarding the Social Tariffs will be emailed to the HSC`s.
• A discussion took place re: fire visits by the fire brigade. This information was passed to the Health & Safety Officer.  The HSC has also asked for clarification around staff using fire extinguishers/blankets.
• The Operations Manager has asked the HSC's for contributions re: tenants opinions on our development as Housing Support Co ordinators. HSC's to ask the tenants for input.
• Next Meeting is Friday 16th January 2009

Housing Co's Meeting 28th November 2008

• The Finance Manager and Finance Co-ordinator attended the meeting to discuss purchasing white goods. The Finance Assistant has set up a discount scheme with Curry’s in Llansamlet, where the Consortium can get up to 10% discount on goods purchased there. This is only for new schemes being set up. Anyone using this scheme should speak to a member of staff first, and explain about the scheme, before going to the till. For cash purchases, a purchase order must be produced, Finance will devise a form.

• Minutes of the last meeting were read and agreed.
• HSC's have received their revised job description.
• A discussion took place on the Housing Support Co ordinator data base in preparation for the Information Support Officer.
• One HSC brought up that in one of the schemes she deals with there are two hi lo sinks, and only space to record servicing dates for one. United Welsh are not on one of the drop down lists.
• Coastal Housing has been added. Dewi Sant and Swansea Housing are still on there, as they cannot be removed yet. Margaret felt that the a few parts of the site needed ‘tidying up’ to make it flow a bit easier. Everyone agreed with this.
• Housing Matters training:  One HSC will take the training on 19/01/09. One other HSC to do this as well. Two HSC's will take the training on 06/02/09.
• Social Tariff. British Gas have definitely stopped this service. With BT, some Service Co’s have looked into this for their Service Users, and it is not always the best option, the tariff is only for occasional phone use, and could work out more expensive if there is high use on the phone. The advice for Service Co’s is to check with BT first before going ahead with it.
• The Information Support Officer joined the meeting at this point to give an update on Housing Support Co database. The current database will be offline in preparation for the new financial year, this would be an ideal time to make any small changes. HSC’s will still be able to access any old data, but if there is anything specific we need, then the ISO advised we create a separate report for this. Any issues that are not complete should be re entered on the new system. The ISO will look into filtering information where there are several issues in one house, so we don’t have to keep re entering the house name and number.
• Housing Support Plan dates only have to be entered once, when they are completed, unless they are changed within the year. We discussed with the ISO the points brought up earlier in the meeting, she will look at these. Also she will look at a separate management section, so the information which is not relevant to the individual properties is not repeated. We will decide the mapping of this at the next HSC meeting ready to give the information to the ISO by the end of January.
• Two HSC's recently delivered training to the Support Co’s, which they said they enjoyed as it was a lively group, who enjoyed sharing experiences and had very positive verbal and written feedback.
• Changes to Housing Management Policy is to be discussed at the next Quarterly Sub Group in February.

• A HSC asked that we add a disclaimer to the policy, to be signed by the tenant or their advocate, that covers when a tenant moves, and does not want to take any furniture with them, that they can be used as the Consortium sees fit.
• Fire Log Books – the Administration Assistant asked for any updates to Fire Log Books, ready for distribution in December. Some Service Co’s have asked for extra pages for contractors to complete (Service Contract Record). This will be added to all. Also that the signature boxes at the bottom of each page be made larger and the date box be made smaller. Also more secure binding for the books, as they are used frequently and often fall apart.
• A discussion took place around the revised Job Description, all present HSC’s felt it was a good reflection of what our roles are. To be discussed again when all HSC’s are present.
• A lengthy discussion took place around demonstrating the Housing Support Co Ordinators role, and how best to demonstrate it. What kind of format the document would take, the design of it, and what it would include. We will all gather information etc to be discussed at the next meeting, ready to be put in place in January.
• There has been positive feedback around the Carbon footprint survey.
• Also very positive feedback around the training that we are delivering to Support Co’s.
• The group were also pleased with Feedback the group were given on how tenants are progressing in reporting repairs.
• Next Meeting 18th December 2008

Housing Co Meeting 28th October 2008

• 1. The temporary acting Director attended the meeting to discuss & agree revised Housing Support Coordinators job descriptions. A lengthy discussion took place around this & some changes/updates will be made. This session was productive & useful.

• 2. The minutes of the last HSC meeting were read out.

• 3. We have now condensed the Housing Management Policy to a revised suitable format for future training needs. This is now on Power Point Presentation in readiness for the forthcoming Housing Management Policy Training. All HSC will meet on 13/11/08 to finalise the details of this before the training commences for Support Coordinators on 17/11/08.

• 4. We discussed a topic to take forward to the next Quality Housing Sub Group Meeting. A topic was agreed & Andrea & Margaret will take this to the next QHSG meeting in November 2008.

• 5. Updates for the HSC database was discussed. HSC notified Rosanna to make the appropriate changes to the database as required.

• 6. The Timetable of tasks was updates & will be added to the attachments of these minutes for perusal.

• 7. The ‘Social Tariff’ was discussed for the Gas, Electric & B.T Suppliers & the possibility of there being a reduced tariff for service users claiming benefits. Service Coordinators are in the process of discussions with the suppliers to establish if the service users are eligible for these discounts. When they have done so they will forward the relevant information to their HSC, this will then be fed through to tenant services. British Gas however have ceased to do the Social Tariff for the foreseeable future.

• 8. New private contractors have been identified for various general maintenance jobs etc & the relevant numbers passed on to all the HSC for future reference.

• Next Meeting - Friday 28th November 2008

Minutes of Housing Support Co Meeting 26th September 2008

• 1. Minutes of previous meeting read and agreed.

• 2. Paul Bevan and Lisa Taylor from First Choice Housing joined the meeting to discuss and resolve issues. The first issue was that sometimes the length of time contractors take to complete repairs can go over the completion date. Trafalgar are winding up jobs at present and will no longer be contracted by First Choice. A new company Kingfisher Development will be taking over most of the contracts along with Ian Williams Ltd. Hopefully we will see a difference with this new company. First Choice have sent out new job satisfaction sheets and it is essential we ask our staff to complete these and return to First Choice with the arrival and leaving time of the contractor.

• 3. The second issue discussed was recharges. Damages etc will be recharged and a Lisa will try to pass this information on to staff when they ring regarding a repair, but sometimes it will be up to the contractor to assess if it is a rechargeable repair. Mileage should be less as Kingfisher is based in Bridgend. It is essential that we pass on to staff that when a contractor makes an appointment to visit the scheme then they need to gain access at that time. If there is no one at the scheme to let them in then a recharge will be raised. First Choice have a five star contract with British Gas, which also covers all plumbing issues i.e. toilet leaks, overflows, radiator leaks etc. if we have any problems with British Gas please let Lisa know. We need to improve communication links between the schemes and First Choice. The tenants via the staff to initially report the repair and fill in the completion form. They can also email Lisa to confirm this. Service Co should make staff aware of the repair when a contractor is calling. The contractor will have a work order sheet that staff must sign when the job is completed.

• 4. The third issue was using local contractors which First Choice has no objection to as long as we have informed them of the Liabilities certificate etc. Let Paul or Lisa know if we are using outside contractors to do work i.e. decking, patios etc. Housing Co’s to speak to our regular contractors to see if they want to be considered for contracts by First Choice. We will continue to use the workshop for small repairs and internal decorations. If we use an outside contractor for decorations please ensure that they are made aware of not painting over the intermittent strips on the fire doors as this can be very costly to correct.

• 5. Staff to continue to support tenants to report repairs.

• 6. Lisa has agreed to email all Housing Co’s copies of the quarterly Fire Alarm Checks and any other relevant certificates.

• 7. Recharge invoices from First Choice have to be sent to the Finance department, but a copy will be sent to the Housing Co’s so that we can ensure payments are made by the schemes.

• 8. Paul informed us that EON will be calling to all schemes to assess for cavity wall and loft insulation.

• 9. Y strainers (water filters) will be fitted to all First Choice properties by 2012 and will be checked annually.

• 10. We thanked Paul and Lisa for attending today, we all found it very productive and useful and both partied agreed that it would be beneficial for us to meet up at least once a year. Lisa to email HSC's with the dates of Paul's bi yearly inspection visitis in October.

• 11. The Maintenance Manager joined the meeting. He had a list of unpaid invoices by several of our schemes which we said we would chase up. The Maintenance Manager has also agreed that when he sends an invoice to the scheme he will give us a copy and hopefully this will resolve the issue of outstanding invoices.

• 12. The last induction went very well, feedback was good and the group contributed to the session.

• Next meeting Tuesday 28th October 2008 10 am.

Housing Support Co-ordinators Meeting August 22nd 2008

Minutes of last meeting read and agreed. Housing Management Policy review didn’t take place due to sickness and has been added to this month’s agenda.

Discussed the email we received from the Chief Executive (CEO)regarding the responsibilities of support providers in implementing fire checks. A HSC has emailed the CEO to find out if it refers to only United Welsh houses and is waiting for a reply. A HSC will contact First Choice to find out if they have any requirements as to how often fire equipment is checked and how that balances out legally.

A lengthy discussion took place around responsibility, and how involved Housing Co’s should get, especially in training etc. It was felt that any training should be facilitated by professionals, and that we can only pass on what the professionals tell us.

A HSC sent an email reply to the CEO confirming all The Consortium’s Policies and Procedures are covered in the Fire Log Books, and are being carried out.

The Staff Development Manager (SDM) said that she hasn’t had any luck in finding one of the HSC's suitable training to gain a qualification as yet. But will look into a relevant NVQ at Swansea Business College.

The SDM asked how the Housing training for Support Co’s was going.We informed the SDM that it was still under development, a date had to be cancelled due to sickness, but a new date will be arranged today.The SDM said they were planning to start a rolling programme of training in November for Support Co’s. It was agreed to have groups of no more than 10, and that powerpoint and flipchart would be provided.

One HSC fed back on the footage she had taken of the building and developing of an activity room over a period of two years, that she had shown at the Quarterly subgroup.The feedback from outside organisations was very positive.NPT Contract and Monitoring thought it was great and should be shown to more people.Swansea Contract and Monitoring felt it should be on the website and possibly be shown at our AGM. The HSC will show it to us at our next Housing Co meeting.

A lengthy discussion took place about reproducing the questionnaire from a few years ago. No real conclusions were reached, and it was agreed that it would be a topic for discussion at the next meeting, when we have a full complement of Housing Co’s.A HSC to email Alice with the results.

Two HSC's will facilitate the next Housing Matters training.

A discussion took place around providing training and ongoing cover for Network One. When all Housing Co’s are available for a meeting, we will devise a rota, to ensure equal participation.

Jadon are now asking staff to sign off certificates when calling at the properties.

HSC to invite Lisa Taylor and Paul Bevan from First Choice to our meeting in October. (this may occur earlier if possible)

Housing Management Policy to be reviewed on 18th September.

Housing Support Coordinators Meeting July 21st 2008

The Acting Director to be informed on the results of emails sent to all the RSL’s by HSC’s requesting their expectations of Consortium staffs using firefighting equipment in the event of an outbreak in their properties.

The meeting of the First Choice Focus Group on 15th July was discussed at length, overall the general opinion was that the meeting went well and the Auditors received a rounded view of First Choice Service to its tenants.

The remainder of the meeting was taken up preparing the Housing Management Policy for a Power Point presentation to be given later in the year to Support Co’s. The first stage of this work was completed. The second stage will be compiled on 15th August at Pontardawe Office.

Next meeting 22nd August at Walters Road in the Resource Room at 9.30am

The Housing Support Co-ordinators Meeting Minutes for the 20th June 2008

Action Points

Fire safety equipment – responses received from RSLs (with exception of United Welsh). All responses indicate that RSL’s do not have any expectation of staff using fire safety equipment unless trained and confident in use. All responses state priority is for tenants and staff to evacuate and await Fire Brigade.

Rent Statements – Rent Statements covering the period 1/10/07 to 31/3/08 will be ready for signing on 10th and 11th July. Housing Cos to visit TS on these dates.

Rent Statements will be amened of houses on Network 1 to show photos and names of the Housing Co’s supporting these schemes.

Housing Co’s to advise Tenant Services Manager of the schemes they support. 

Sustainable Policy – This Policy was explained. Housing Co’s to support Service Co’s to complete a Carbon Footprint in each scheme. This work is to be completed by April 09 and will begin when the Sustainability Policy is distributed.

AOB – This years Housing Support Plans to be taken to Admin for footer to be stamped on each page. In readiness for next year, Hsg Co’s to copy their Housing Plans to their own folder on the ‘F’ drive. Admin will access these and insert footer. Please advise Administration Co-ordinator when Plans are ready for amendment.

The Housing Support Co-ordinators Meeting Minutes for the 22nd May 2008

Staff using the fire fighting equipment - Staff`s priority should be to evacuate the building and call the fire brigade, and follow Community Lives Consortium procedures. 

Training Support Co-ordinators in the Housing Management Policy will affect Networks 2,5 & 6 at the moment and the first course is 17th November 2008.

The codes on the Housing Support Co-ordinator database have been changed to allow for accurate information for the quarterly reports. A box will be included for Housing Support Plan dates on the database and take them off the paper QSMR sheets. 

The company that services fire alarms will when servicing them: ask a member of staff to sign and date the certificate. Plus all staff to have the engineer sign the fire log book. 

The Environmental Policy (now called Sustainability Policy) was discussed, Service Co`s and staff to encourage the tenants involvement where possible. 

R&R spreadsheet was discussed if any issues or concerns Finance Department are to be contacted.

The Consortiums I D cards have an expiry date on them. Staff must check that these dates have not expired, and must contact personnel to obtain up to date ones. If going to the bank, the cashier will not accept expired cards.

There was a very poor response to the Unison open day with only 5 people attending. 

Next Meeting Friday 20th June 2008 at 10.00am

The Housing Support Co-ordinators Meeting Minutes for the 22nd April 2008

The minutes of the last meeting were read and agreed. 

HSC will attend Network 1 meeting on 6th May 2008. 

2 HSC's will be presenting Housing Matters training at the next induction which is on 2nd June 2008.

HSC's to contact all the landlords that we work with, to clarify what their expectation is of the Consortium staff `s use of fire fighting equipment provided in the schemes.

The new R&R procedures are going ahead very well, only one issue has arisen and the Finance Manager is in the process of rectifying this.

The Tenant Participation Officer discussed Greenhouse Gases and the Carbon Footprint. As an organisation we will be looking at recycling and tenants carbon footprints. There will be a group set up, and we are asked to encourage the tenants to participate.

Next meeting Thursday 22nd May 2008

The Housing Support Co-ordinators Meeting Minutes for the 29th February 2008

Insurance – Tenants Private Property – The Business Manager gave a presentation on the new insurance cover for tenant’s private property (Contents Insurance).

Historically, tenants’ content insurance cover was part of The Consortium’s policy.

A decision was made to look at identifying an independent policy for tenants.

The meeting discussed the need for the new cover to be arranged before 31/3/08. Acceptance of the new arrangements was agreed in principle. The Business Manager is to e-mail Service Co’s, asking them to discuss this with tenants and if tenants agree, application forms should be completed on behalf of the tenants and returned, with a cheque (from Tenants accounts) for the appropriate amount.

Rent Letters – Tenant Services Manager asked HSCs to sign Rent Letters on either 6th or 7th March

New R & R Procedures – The Finance Manager gave a presentation on the new R & R structure and, together with the Finance Co-ordinator, delivered training on the procedures for managing and recording R & R expenditure, by Network. 

Complaints & Grievances - The Complaints and Investigations Co-ordinator joined the meeting to discuss and explain the new Complaints and Grievances procedures. Whilst everyone agreed, in principle, with the draft as presented, a discussion followed regarding the need for procedures for staff members to follow, should they need to make a complaint against a service user.

Recharges/Reporting Repairs - HSC’s to give as much information as possible to RSLs when reporting repairs. This is to help contractors be more prepared prior to carrying out repairs and to help alleviate the need for repeat visits. The cost of re-charges was also discussed and it was agreed that if a re-charge was likely, quotes from local contractors would be sought to ensure tenants are able to fulfil their responsibilities in the most cost effective way.

Any Other Business – Due to annual leave commitments it was decided to cancel the next meeting (scheduled March 27th).

When internal redecoration takes place it is important that no paint gets on the intumescent strips, on the edges of fire doors. Any paint on these strips affects the seal.

The Housing Support Co-ordinators Meeting Minutes for the 28th January 2008

The 2008 Fire Log Books are now in use and HSC are in the process of signing off the 2007 Fire Log Books.

Housing Support Co-ordinator attendance at Network One’s network meetings will be covered by 2 other HSC's on the 5 February 2008 and 4 March 2008. Theongoing support of Network One was discussed.

The Finance Manager and the Finance Co-ordinator attended the meeting at this juncture to update the meeting on the new method of administration of the R&R account.

The change over date will be the 1st of March 2008. The Finance Department will be sending briefing notes on the change to Service Co’s. The Finance Manager asked HSC's to collect breakdowns on the R&R accounts as soon a possible. Bank mandates were given out to HSC for their signatures’ as well as Service Co’s and Contract Managers signatures’. At the next HSC meeting on the 29 February training will be given on the use of the new account. The Finance Manager asked that HSC call in the Finance Dept to have their laptops updated to enable accesses to the data base. There followed a general discussion around the new method, all HSC feel confident that the new method will work well.

Access to computers

The Swansea People Support Officer (SPSO) introduced an eight module course that will enable staff to have the skills to support Service users to access their computers. The course would take ten to eight weeks depending on staffs needs. The SPSO is hoping the course will start at the end of March this year with Network Six.

Investigations and Complaints Officer

Congratulations went to Gerald Samuel who once was a HSC on his achieving the position of Investigation and Complaints Coordinator with the Consortium. 

Housing Support Co-ordinator use of data base was discussed.