P1188 SILVA SPOTLIGHT AUTUMN 18 flip

Spotlight

Issue 43 / autumn 2018
The newsletter for customers of Silva Homes

New homes feowRwEenfnmoqeruarssiinhhreiainpr.egd
online.
More on page 4

Inside this issue

New homes Home safety tips Free computer How to get a Annual report
training course home, explained special

Contents Hello from the editorial team

New homes p4 After a hot summer, autumn is here - as the nights draw in,
please take extra care and follow advice from the police
Top money saving for home security.
tips p5
We love receiving your wordsearch entries and comments with
How to get a requests for articles. As a result of your feedback, in this edition
home, explained p6 we have included more home safety tips, explained the process for
getting a property, given details of free computer training events
How we’re performing and money saving tips.
annual report If there are any news items or events you would like to read about,
pull out p8 please contact us.

Home safety tips p10 Would you like an electronic copy
of Spotlight?
A bit of fun... p14
wordsearch and Get Spotlight the way you want to and help save on
recipe print and post.

Western Peninsula opening hours: If you’d like to receive Spotlight
Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm electronically, please contact us at
[email protected]
We make every effort and endeavour
to ensure that accuracy of content You can also access an electronic version
is correct at the time of print. of the latest Spotlight magazine on our
Please visit www.silvahomes.co.uk website or social media.
for updates and more news.
Many thanks to our contributors. Secret gardener

Silva Homes is a charitable registered society under the
Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014
registration number 30230R Registered Provider L4513

Get in touch

Silva Homes, Western Peninsula,
Western Road, Bracknell,
Berkshire RG12 1RF

Telephone: 01344 382800

[email protected]
www.silvahomes.co.uk

For enquiries about housing benefit,
street lighting, gritting, street care,
social services, please contact
Bracknell Forest Council:
01344 352000

If you would like this newsletter in After such a hot summer, now is the time to cut back the
large print, braille, on audio tape or perennials, shrubs and hedges. The lawns have been burned but
CD, please contact 0800 692 3000. a few showers and it should bounce back. Collect the seeds from
favourites and either store them for next spring or plant them now.
Português | Espanol | Polski Rake up leaves from your lawn and dead head roses. If the ground
in the borders is not too hard, weed it to get ready for planting
winter shrubs and bulbs later in the year.

2 FolFloolwlowuuss @silvahom

Welcome to the
autumn edition

It’s been a busy time since I last wrote in Spotlight. In that time we have had our
annual report and accounts signed off by auditors with no causes for concern.
We have included a short review of how we are doing in this edition and the full
annual report and accounts are available on our website.

We have also met the Regulator of Social Housing as redecoration of the communal areas and there
for an in-depth assessment. This is a detailed are more works planned for next year to replace
review that the regulator carries out on all housing windows and soffits.
associations with more than 1,000 homes every
few years, to rate their governance and financial We are also working on our new customer service
viability. They visited our office, interviewed me offer and improving and expanding our use of
and other executives and met with the chair of digital services. We are starting work to redesign
the board and the chair of our audit committee. our website so that it makes it easier for customers
They have reviewed a lot of documentation and to access the services they need – for example you
observed a board meeting. We expect the results will be able to book a repair at a time to suit you,
before the end of the year and they will be rather than having to phone up. We will publish
available on our website. more information on this in the coming months.

We are continuing to deliver our new strategic Strengthening the customer voice
plan, which was agreed earlier this year and sets
out what we will do between now and 2021. I Finally, we are launching our new customer
wrote about the key priorities in the last edition. partnership. As part of this, involved customers
will be invited to a partnership event in early
Investing in improvements and November. We hope this will be a really exciting
interactive event that will help us forge a real
providing new homes partnership with an increasingly diverse group of
customers as time goes by. We are also setting up
We live in challenging times and we are trying to our new customer partnership board.
do as much as we can to help solve the housing We sent a postcard to every home a few weeks ago
crisis locally as well as look after our existing inviting customers to apply to become customer
homes and customers. We have plans to deliver partnership board members. That postcard said
1,100 new homes over the next five years (some what I know to be true … we’re passionate about
of which you can see on page 4) and for the next good customer service but we know we don’t
few years we have made provision to significantly always get things right. The aim is to help us
increase investment in existing homes. engage with you in the right way at the right time
on issues that affect customers, and to use what
In particular we have a large scale improvement we find out to shape the decisions we make. Have a
programme at Iveagh Court in Bracknell, investing look at our website for details about the customer
£7 million in the refurbishment of the flats. The partnership board.
works will significantly improve the security,
heating, energy efficiency and decoration of the Alan Ward, Chief Executive
scheme. We have encountered a number of issues
whilst undertaking the works but we are working Check our websiteFaonldloswociuasl
with our contractors and consultants to get the
best solution possible and are committed to media for latest news, tips
keeping customers informed as we progress. We
have invested in our high rise block Point Royal too and new homes @silvahomes
– this has included a new sprinkler system as well

www.silvahomes.co.uk 3

Providing new homes

We’re committed to providing much-needed new homes for young people,
families, and retirement living in Bracknell and surrounding areas.

We have nearly 600 homes under construction or contract for rent and shared ownership in
Berkshire, East Hampshire, Hart, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse.

Abercrombie Mews,
Bracknell

Our 28 apartments at
Abercrombie Mews
in the centre of
Bracknell have
completed and many have already been reserved by
people eager to get on the property ladder by taking
advantage of our shared ownership scheme.

One new customer said: “I am so excited for new beginnings in my new home.
Silva Homes have been great and have made my experience a positive one.
I would recommend the scheme to anyone who is a first time buyer.”

Amen
Corner,
Bracknell

These are the first
handovers of 94
properties we are
acquiring from
Bellway.

Lawrence Court,
Warfield

The internal finish and the
landscaping is now complete
at Lawrence Court in Warfield
and our 65 retirement living
apartments there are proving
very popular.

Keep up-to-date and see what’s available
Visit our website at

www.silvahomes.co.uk/apply-for-shared-ownership to find out more

Charles Shaw, Head of Development

4 FolFloolwlowuuss @silvahom

MONEY MATTERS

Money saving top tips

Start planning and saving for Christmas Save money on your
energy bills and
It could be a good time to start buying Christmas change tariffs
items now rather than having a last minute big
shop in December. Get the best energy tariff,
reduce your bills and save
Some items may be cheaper to buy before Christmas. energy using social housing
energy specialists Citrus Switch
Reclaim lost Tesco vouchers service.

Many people lose or forget to use their Tesco vouchers, but there’s Customers using Citrus
an easy way to claw back the last two years of unused vouchers Switch save on average
(some report successes from even further back). Based on those £208 a year on gas and
who’ve reported it to MoneySavers, £33,502 has so far been found electric by switching
in lost Tesco vouchers.
energy suppliers.
1. Log in online
Citrus Switch is an easy to use
Go to the Tesco Clubcard site and enter your email address, service specifically designed to
password and Clubcard number to access your account. make switching your domestic
energy supplier a simple and
2. Make sure you’re registered straightforward process. All it
takes is a five to 10 minute call
You’ll need to be registered for a Tesco.com account. to 0800 221 8089.

3. Check for unspent vouchers More details about this ethical
energy switching service are
In your Clubcard account, click on ‘vouchers’ on the left-hand here http://citrusenergy.
side and you should see a table listing the vouchers you still businesscatalyst.com/citrus_
have to spend. switch.html

4. Instantly print vouchers or use the codes online

If you want to spend vouchers online, you simply need to use
the code listed, eg, beginning “A6TCD”. To spend in store, print
vouchers yourself.

Did you know you can get these things through Tesco vouchers:
• Restaurant vouchers
• Day trips to theme parks and venues
• Railcards and tickets.

Refunds on Power of Attorney fees

In winter 2016 and spring 2018 editions of Spotlight, How to claim
we featured Lasting Power of Attorney and we’ve
recently seen that refunds may be available if you You can make a claim if you were the person
took this out. From 2013, the Office of the Public who made the Power of Attorney or the person
Guardian’s operating costs went down, but the fees appointed to make it.
stayed the same, so the Government is now repaying The deadline for claiming a refund is 31 January 2021.
some of the charges under a new scheme announced To apply, you can either claim a refund online or
in February 2018. phone the Office of the Public Guardian on
If you paid for a Lasting Power of Attorney in 0300 456 0300.
England or Wales between 1 April 2013 and 31 March If the donor has died you can still claim.
2017 you can apply for a partial refund.
The level of refund depends on when you got the
Power of Attorney, and whether you paid the full
registration fee or the half-price fee.

www.silvahomes.co.uk 5

The letting process

Finding a new home or transferring with a social landlord can be a daunting
prospect and we receive many enquiries about how the process works. To help
customers through this process, here are some answers to common questions:

How do I apply What is the bidding within the advert. Details of the
for a Silva Homes cycle? priority applicants are sent to the
property? landlord for them to contact. So,
You can bid at any time during the if you are not high enough on the
The majority of our properties cycle and you can also withdraw list you will not be considered for
are advertised on the councils’ your bid during the cycle if you the property.
websites, so to be eligible you must change your mind. However,
apply to go onto their waiting list. if you are shortlisted for the If I am on the
We have properties in a number property and then change your shortlist when will
of local authority areas, so please mind, this would be classed as a I be contacted?
contact your local council for their refusal.
housing policy and how to apply If you are the top bidder for a
to join their housing waiting list. I have seen an Silva Homes property, we will
Each local authority has a bidding empty property but usually contact you within three
cycle every week. If you are an I have not seen it days of receiving the list. It is
existing customer and would advertised? important to keep your contact
like to transfer, follow the same details up-to-date. If you are the
process of registering for housing Silva Homes is allowed to use a second or third bidder we will not
with the local council. small percentage of its properties contact you unless we are unable
To exchange your home with to let for emergency transfer, to proceed with the first bidder.
another social housing tenant, visit such as fires, flood or serious
www.homeswapper.co.uk threats of violence. The council Why do I need to
You should notify the council of will also retain some properties be interviewed and
any changes in circumstances and for direct matches and these assessed by Silva
re-register once a year. properties will not be advertised. Homes when I have
completed a form
Contacts: I have been bidding with the council?
but I have not been
Silva Homes - for enquiries offered a property. We are a completely separate
once you have been nominated Why not? organisation from the council and
for a property with us. need to assess all prospective
Your local council - to The council manages the waiting tenants according to our own
register on the housing list and places each applicant policies and rules. For example,
waiting list and for enquiries into a banding system according we will not usually offer a
about your priority banding. to their circumstances and property if an applicant has rent
housing need. When you bid on arrears or housing related debt.
a property, you are placed on
the shortlist according to your We can then make a fully
banding. When the cycle closes, informed decision on accepting
the council will review the list of you for housing with us and will
bidders and draw up a shortlist explain in full if we decide that
according to their allocations we are unable to proceed with an
policy and the restrictions offer.

6 FolFloolwlowuuss @silvahom

Jargon buster: Annual

Void – empty property. Properties
Re-let standard – the condition of our properties
when let. Total number of properties owned
Choice based lettings (CBL) – the council’s on- and managed
line system for advertising and allocating empty
properties. 7,415
Advert – the property details placed on the
bidding system. It is important that you read the Number of rented properties
details carefully before placing a bid.
Direct match – when a council allocates a property 6,1622017/18 62,0016/2176
directly to an applicant rather than advertising
it, for example, adapted properties for disabled Number of shared ownership properties
applicants or properties for homeless families.
Bidding – expressing an interest in a property on 1702017/18 1352016/17
the bidding system.
Matching – when a successful bidder has been Number of leaseholder properties
shortlisted and is being considered by us – the
bidder will no longer be able to bid on other 1,0832017/18 12,0016/7177
properties. This is not an offer.
Offer – when we have completed our assessment Total new homes built
and accepted you for housing.
Deferral – when we have completed our 1922017/18 1372016/17
assessment and are unable to proceed to an offer.
Assisted viewing – when you are offered the
property we will arrange for you to view it with
one of our team. (Because of health and safety
requirements, we cannot allow unaccompanied
viewings).
Tenancy agreement – this is the legal document
which you sign with Silva Homes to accept
the property and agree to the rights and
responsibilities.
Fixed term tenancies - a tenancy for a fixed
period rather than a lifetime tenancy.
Transfer – when you have a social housing tenancy
and request a move to another property.
Mutual exchanges – customers can swap their
homes with other tenants within their local area or
across the country using www.homeswapper.co.uk
For advice on this please contact the Voids and
Lettings team.
Affordable rent - a rent higher than a social rent,
which is usually 80% of local market rent.

Mandy Creed, Voids and Lettings Manager

www.silvahomes.co.uk www.silva.co.uk 7

review 2017/2018 £
£££
Services

Rent arrea£rs Number of Time Routine repairs
anti-social to let completed within
2.28%2017/18 behaviour a home 20 working days
2016/17 cases closed
2.46% 16£ 2017/18 2017/18
28 days
9£ 9%
2016/17 2016/17
99%
22 days

Number of visits to 68,594
website
Total calls to customer experience
87,475 centre answered

1,6432017/18 86% Enquiries answered at the
first point of contact

Number of 91% Number of
live chats unique customers
Overall satisfaction with repairs
online (based on Bright 1,280 surveys) participating
in customer
Facebook 147Compliments received 2016/17 165 involvement
followers 2017/18
activities
1,340 155Complaints received 842016/17
2017/18 2017/18

587

2016/17

389

FolFloolwlowuuss @silvahomes 8

Finances

Where our money comes from

Sales through Right to Buy 1% 35% Loan finance
Grants 1%

Proceeds from shared ownership 6%

Proceeds from sale of properties 2%

Rents & service charges 55%

Total income
£70,714,000

How we spend our money
Major works to
14% Housing management
existing homes 10%

5% Services

Development of new 6% Responsive repairs
1% Planned maintenance
homes 52%
12% Interest paid

Total expenditure The surplus of £17.6m will
£53,113,000 be used to fund more new

homes in the future.
Our full annual report

and accounts are
on our website.

Value for money

Here are some of the ways we are delivering value for money
Lost rent reduced by £65,000 by cutting the number of days to re-let a home to
16 days from 22 days
Reduction in rent arrears has brought in an extra £53,000
Procurement savings of £362,000
Moved office to reduce annual lease cost by £350,000
£24 of social impact generated for every £1 invested in community programmes.

9 www.silvahomes.co.uk

Home and safety tips

Tips to reduce condensation Fire prevention
and safety

All air contains water vapour but the amount of water air can Taking simple steps to prevent
hold is determined by the temperature of that air. Hot air can fire can make a big difference
carry much more moisture than cold air, so as the temperature of in reducing the number of fires.
air rises it can hold a greater volume of water. The water comes
from everyday activities like bathing, cooking and washing (even
breathing causes condensation).

Once the air is saturated with water vapour (at any given Have a look at the short film
temperature) it will deposit beads of water (condensation) onto on our website or check out
any surface that is cold enough. Even when the weather is hot, social media for tips including:
condensation can literally run off a bottle taken out of the fridge.
Effective condensation control is all about lifestyle and adopting Remember to frequently
habits that will stop condensation forming. Here is our quick guide to test your smoke detector –
condensation prevention: make a regular time to check
• do not push furniture right up against the walls (especially #testittuesday
external walls which are often the coldest in a room) - keeping If you live in a block of flats,
furniture a bit further away from the wall allows air to flow familiarise yourself with the
around the room fire safety plan for the block
• don’t over fill cupboards - allow the air to flow Don’t overload sockets or
• make sure any insulation is not blocking ventilation points (there extension cables
are often vents in the loft which should be kept clear of blockages) Fully
• cavity wall insulation helps to eliminate cold spots on the put out
internal walls cigarettes
• have heating thermostatically controlled wherever possible As nice as
• ventilate tumble driers externally if you don’t have a self- candles
condensing model are we
• use extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom advise you don’t use them
wherever possible as they are the cause of lots
• keep a lid on your saucepans of fires in homes, but if you
when cooking to reduce steam do, make sure candles are
• use window vents or have in sturdy and stable holders
windows slightly open for away from curtains or
part of the day to allow a furnishings
change of air and improve Turn appliances off at the
ventilation. mains if you’re away for a
For more useful information on period of time
dealing with condensation, Don’t leave anything in
download the leaflet from our communal areas as they
website at could be flammable or cause
www.silvahomes.co.uk/leaflets a trip hazard in the case of
emergency
Check out more fire safety tips
at www.silvahomes.co.uk/home-
safety-and-tips/fire-safety-624/

10 FolFloolwlowuuss @silvahom

Be prepared for
the worst -
get home
contents
insurance

Covering yourself in case a home Get the best prices for insurance
emergency occurs can give great
peace of mind so get home Ask your existing provider for a new quote before
contents insurance which covers renewing, which could reduce your premium. A comparison
your belongings. site is the best way to start getting quotes. This is a quick
We do not insure your contents but and easy way to search for a policy that’ll give you a
we do offer a contents insurance decent benchmark for prices.
plan with Thistle Insurance – this They don’t all compare the same companies, so it’s worth
can give you low cost premiums using different sites, like money supermarket, compare the
and offers payment plans suited to market and confused. Some insurers aren’t on comparison
you. There’s no excess so you don’t sites, so it’s worth getting a quote directly from them, for
have to pay the first part of the example Direct Line and Aviva.
claim. Check all the information is correct and that the policy is
Find out more at www.silvahomes. suitable for you. Always read the small print too.
co.uk/contents-insurance
Buildings insurance is organised by
Silva Homes.

Asbestos safety information

Asbestos was one of the most commonly used materials in domestic and commercial buildings in the
UK up until it was totally banned in 1999.

Asbestos fibres are microscopic undisturbed and in a good is to assess the condition of any
and not visible to the human condition, these materials do known materials that contain
eye. They become a health not present any kind of health asbestos and confirm these
risk when the materials in risk. If you are planning any DIY materials are in a good condition
which they are contained are please consider whether there and not creating a hazard. If
disturbed, for example by may be asbestos and always get at this time we identify any
drilling or breaking up parts of a an approved contractor to check materials that are not safe we
building. The fibres are released or remove asbestos as required. will make arrangements for our
into the atmosphere. We manage any asbestos approved licensed contractor to
It is most commonly found in containing materials in your come and remove and dispose
artex ceilings, floor panels home and carry out asbestos of the asbestos containing
and fire proofing for older surveys in all our properties. The materials.
style boilers. When in situ, main purpose of the inspection
Daniel Hooper, Health and
Safety Compliance Manager

www.silvahomes.co.uk 11

Free courses for you

Learn to:
Shop online
Keep in touch
Share photos
Find jobs
Pay your bills
Find good deals
or just ask a
question?

FREE
computer drop-in

sessions at

Great Hollands Library
Every Wednesday

10.30am - 12noon

To find out more or to book your space
please contact Community Investment team on

T: 01344 382853
E: [email protected]

St John’s Thank you
Ambulance/
Red Cross Thanks to the hard work of Daphne John, one of Clement
offer first House’s residents, The Heart Rehabilitation Organisation
aid training of Berkshire (THROB) has donated an automatic external
defibrillator device to the scheme. Steve from South Central
Daphne John, Customer Ambulance Service gave a familiarisation session for the
residents to show them how to use the device.

The device is registered with SCAS and the details will be
loaded onto the ‘Save a Life’ app for mobile devices. This is a
free mobile application that can be downloaded for any IOS or
Android device and indicates the location of all AED’s near your
location.

More information can be found by visiting the South Central
Ambulance Service website at:

www.scas.nhs.uk/news/campaigns/savealife/

Save a Life

South Central Ambulance
Service NHS Foundation
Trust

12 FolFloolwlowuuss @silvahom

Thanks from Assets Forum

One day a leaflet came Moving on, though still a member Over the years we have
through my letter box asking of the Tenants and Leaseholders worked together - Silva Homes,
for volunteers who would Panel I was voted in as Chair of community and staff. I would like
like to join the Tenants and the Direct Services Organisation to thank Steph and Tina for always
Leaseholders Panel - I thought (later known as the Assets going the extra mile for us all to
I have time and it would be Forum), which I enjoyed very get involved.
nice to give something back to much. This is where you could I wish each and everyone good
the community. I received a really put your views forward. luck in the future.
telephone call to say I had been We learnt of the repairs service Silva Homes and fellow customers,
voted in as a representative for and planned major improvement let’s build on what we have
my area. It was here I learnt of works for the coming years. already achieved and move
all the hard work that goes on Though the Tenants and forward together.
in the background. All sorts of Leaseholder Panel and Assets
things were included, and you Forum have come to a close, Find out more about
could do as little or as much as this is not the end of customers the new customer
you wanted to, from inspections, getting involved, as new ideas partnership board
interviews and meetings, to news are being put in to place and I at
group. Of all the things, helping personally hope you will feel you
customers (like myself) to get have something to add. www.silvahomes.co.uk/join
things done, I liked the most. I would like to thank all of the
Working with staff and customers people concerned who have had Shirley Killoran, Customer
side by side. faith in me, and have come to
After a period of time I became discuss anything large or small that
the vice chair of the Tenants and has been a troubling them.
Leaseholders Panel.

Get involved
with volunteering

Studies clearly show the benefits of volunteering, You can use the website to join the Bracknell
with most volunteers feeling they have more volunteer pool so that you can be notified when
control over their health, lower stress levels and there’s a one-off group activity that needs
a greater sense of purpose in life. It helps local volunteers. In this way, anyone can help out in the
organisations and the community and is a great community, in their own time, in their own way.
way to get work experience and enhance your CV. We want as many people as possible across
involve is the volunteer centre for Bracknell Bracknell Forest to get involved in volunteering,
Forest and they have set up a new website to so please spread the news about their new site.
encourage volunteering in the area. It provides Visit www.BracknellForest GetInvolved.org.uk to
an easy and convenient way to apply for find a way to help out in your local area or contact
opportunities and enables charities to update involve to learn more: 01344 304 404 or
available volunteer roles. [email protected]

www.silvahomes.co.uk 13

Time for a bit of fun
New home developments
ABERCROMBIE BUCKLERS SANDHURST Find the 10 words in the box opposite, then
ALTON DRAYTON SPENCERSWOOD complete the form below and send your entry
AMENCORNER LAWRENCE THREEMILECROSS to us.
BLUEMOUNTAIN All entries will be judged and the winner will be notified.
Closing date 2 November 2018.
The prize is £25 Love2shop vouchers.
Competition open to tenants and leaseholders only.

Name:

Daytime telephone number:

Address:

Please give us your feedback on Spotlight.
What do you like or dislike and what would you
like to see next time?

Would you like any information about benefits or
Universal Credit? Yes No

Send your completed entry to the news group,
c/o Silva Homes, Western Peninsula, Western Road,

Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 1RF.

Congratulations to last edition’s competition winners: Mrs Weston, Great Hollands and Mrs Kavanagh, Bullbrook.

Recipe... Apple and

blackberry crumble

Fruit base Topping

340g/12oz cooking apples 170g/6oz plain flour
120g/4oz blackberries 85g/3oz butter
120g/4oz granulated sugar 60g/2oz soft brown sugar

Method

Peel and slice apples and layer with blackberries in a 1.2 litre (2-pint)
buttered dish sprinkling sugar between each layer.
Place flour in a bowl, add butter and rub into a fine breadcrumb
consistency. Add the soft brown sugar and mix in with your fingers,
then spread the crumb over the fruit, patting it down with your hand.
Place in the oven at gas mark 5,190o (170o fan) for 15 minutes.
Turn the temperature down to gas mark 4, 180o (150o fan) for
45 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve with cream or custard.
(You can give a bit more crunch to your crumble by adding a handful
of chopped nuts or flaked almonds to the mix before spreading the
crumb on top).

14 FolFloolwlowuuss @sil1v2ahom