Tenant Newsletter - March 2023

We asked Helen Cole some questions about her role at Rugby Borough Council.

As lead officer of the Housing Services Team, what does your job involve?

I am three months into my new role, which includes the management of our gypsy and traveller site in Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Woodside Park, and leading the council's team of tenancy sustainment officers who each cover a patch in the borough.

I offer the officers support and guidance with cases, and work with officers to tackle high-level cases.

What's the best part of the job?

So far, encouraging the growth and development of the team while making a difference for our tenants.

And the worst part?

No worst parts as such, as I really love a challenge.

What three things would you like to achieve in your role during 2023?

I'd like to support the team to be more proactive on the estates and housing schemes, streamline some of our work processes and review our procedures.

What inspired you take on this new role?

Having been a tenancy sustainment officer for eight years, I felt my experience could really help support and guide the council's team of officers.

And what do you count as your biggest achievement in the role?

It's still early days, but ultimately I want to ensure the team provides a first-class service to our customers.

 

 

The February meeting of the Tenant Panel took place at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, and was a great chance for us to meet with you face-to-face over a hot drink and biscuits.

We heard about issues some of our tenants have experienced and also introduced our new Tenant Portal, where you can now pay rent, check your account balance, view transactions and update your personal details all online.

Tenants let us know it was preferred to have a dedicated independent living co-ordinator working at our independent living housing schemes, rather than several different co-ordinators working on a rota. We agree the continuity a dedicated co-ordinator brings provides a better service.

We recently reviewed the council's lettable standard, which sets out the condition of a property a new tenant can expect to move into. Feedback from the Tenant Panel suggests we have set a good standard for our properties for new tenants.

The next Tenant Panel meeting takes place in late May. If you want to come along or suggest topics for discussion at the meeting, email rbc.tenants@rugby.gov.uk

We held a community information event in February to give residents the chance to find out more about our plans to redevelop Biart Place.

Residents who attended the event at St Peter's and St John's Church had the opportunity to view our plans to build 100 new, high-quality and sustainable social homes on the site, and speak to council officers and representatives from construction company Willmott Dixon and rg+p, the architects.

Feedback from the event was positive, with comments welcoming the plans to bring the site back into use, supporting the balance of flats and houses proposed for the redevelopment, and praising how sustainability had played a major role in the project.

You can keep up-to-date with progress on the Biart Place redevelopment on the council's website: www.rugby.gov.uk/biart

 

 

Our programme of estate walkabouts gives you the chance to join council officers on a walk around your community - and can help us make a difference to where you live.

Walkbouts give you the opportunity to speak to officers from a wide range of council teams - including housing services, property repairs and independent living co-ordinators.

And it can make a difference. Following a recent walkabout, a mattress which had been fly-tipped in Alexander Court was removed.

Remember, you can report fly-tipping online at www.rugby.gov.uk/reportaproblem

We have included the April programme of walkabouts below - if you want to join us, just email rbc.tenants@rugby.gov.uk and let us know which walkabout you want to attend.

Date	Location
Tuesday 4 April	Featherbed Lane, Coton Road, Lever Road, Jenkins Road, Jackson Road, Wigston Road, Vere Road, Eden Road, Bromwich Road, Sewell Place, Phipps Avenue and Perkins Grove
Thursday 6 April	Coton Park, Lobelia Close, Aster Drive, Eden Park, Osier Close, Spruce Close, Skelhorn Avenue
Wednesday 19 April	Avon Court and Dickenson Court
Thursday 20 April	Broadwell - The Green; Leamington Hastings - Swedish Houses; Birdingbury - Back Lane and Main Street; Marton - Birdingbury Road and The Orchard; Princethorpe - Fosse Crescent and Fosse Way; Frankton - Biddulph Terrace and Fair Close; Bourton-on-Dunsmore - Shuckburgh Crescent
Tuesday 25 April	Church Lawford - Coronation Road and Kings Newnham Road; Kings Newnham - Fitzalan Close; Long Lawford - The Crescent and The Ryelands
Thursday 27 April	Brownsover - Bleaberry, Borrowdale, Copeland, Grizedale, Skiddaw, Eskdale and Thirlmere

You can download the full 2023 programme of estate walkabouts on the council's website.

Download the 2023 estate walkabout programme

If you want to speak to us about your housing, please get in touch with us.

Your feedback allows us to address your concerns directly and gives us valuable information about how we deliver our services.

Whether it's a comment, compliment or complaint, we want to hear from you. You can call us on (01788) 533533 or simply complete an online form on our website.

Report a repair or issues with anti-social behaviour

If you want to contact us to report a repair required at your property or issues with anti-social behaviour from council tenants, please use the online forms on our website to ensure we can deal with your request efficiently and effectively.

Report a repair

Report anti-social behaviour

If you have an issue with your rent, please call us immediately (01788) 533533 so we can try to help. You can find more information about your rent on our website.

View more information about your rent

Housing Ombudsman

The council has signed up to the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code, which aims to enable landlords to resolve complaints raised by tenants quickly.

Under the code, we have published a self-assessment which details how we deal with complaints.

If you make a complaint to us and do not agree with our response, you have the right to appeal. If you remain unhappy with how we have handled your complaint, you can contact the Housing Ombudsman.

The Housing Ombudsman website contains a range of information which you might find useful.

Visit the Housing Ombudsman website

If you plan to vote at a polling station at the local elections on Thursday 4 May, remember to take a valid form of photo ID with you.

The requirement to produce a valid form of photo ID in order to receive a ballot paper at a polling station was introduced by the Government in the Elections Act 2022.

Accepted forms of voter ID include:

• UK, European Economic Area (EEA) and Commonwealth passports
• UK, EEA and Commonwealth driving licences
• specified concessionary travel passes, including older person's bus passes

Around 94 per cent of eligible voters already own a valid form of photo ID.

Anyone who does not have one of the accepted forms of ID can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate.

You can read a full list of the accepted forms of ID on the Electoral Commission's website.

Visit the Electoral Commission website

You can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate and find out more about the introduction of voter identification on the council's website.

Apply for a Voter Authority Certificate and find out more information on voter identification

 

The Tenant Newsletter forms part of our tenant involvement programme, which aims to give our tenants the chance to get involved and help shape our housing services and ensure we deliver value for money.

We want to hear from you to find out what you think about the programme and, most importantly, how you want to work with us to have a say on your home, your community and the services we provide to you.

Please take a moment to complete the short survey below and tell us how you want to get involved.

Create your own user feedback survey