NCH Round the Houses September 2019

It’s Fun Day Spotlight On...
time again!
Building Skills
See page 3 for Construction
See page 14

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100 Years plaque is
unveiled at Stockhill

September 2019 www.facebook.com/groups/Nottmcityhomesstaff

Nick’s News

On the national scene things seems a little uncertain at the moment (understatement!).

In due course, I am sure things will become clearer, but maybe not for quite while yet. We have taken the decision to
stockpile certain materials and we are working with the city council on how to prioritise fuel supplies should it be necessary.
Please can I ask you all to be mindful and support our colleagues who are EU nationals at this time of uncertainty.

Despite this turbulence, it is worth taking the long view into consideration. Over the last few weeks we have unveiled a blue
plaque at Stockhill to celebrate 100 years of Council housing and opened our first extra care scheme, the sensational
Winwood Court. Governments come and go, but the homes we build will last for generations.

And there’s more to come – later this month, we’ll be holding our AGM at the Council House with some very special invited
guests (see page three). Then it’s the Fun Day on 14 September – if you haven’t been involved before, I hope you can
make it this year; many colleagues volunteer because it’s such a great day, but we can always use more help on the day
(and in setting up the night before). It’s a celebration for residents and staff alike, and there are some special things planned
for this year to celebrate 100 years of council housing.

At the end of September, I look forward to seeing you at our Staff Conference. It’s going to look a little different from previous
conferences – you’ll have a choice of workshops to take part in, to support both your home and your work life, and there’ll be
lots of useful information available about things like staff benefits and support in the workplace.

And of course, we’re getting ever nearer our STAR 100 Years plaque
Awards celebrations in December, which is one of is unveiled
my favourite events. It’s not too late to make your
nomination; remember, if your nominee is shortlisted,
both you and they get a free ticket to the Awards!

Whatever happens in the world at large, we will A plaque commemorating 100 years of
carry on doing our best for staff and the residents social housing was unveiled on 25 August
we serve. Thank you to everyone who is delivering at a house on Stockhill Estate – one of the
great services as normal while the country is going first council homes to be built in Nottingham.
through these difficult times.

Best wishes, Pictured are Chair of the
Stockhill and Ladbrooke
Nick Murphy Tenants and Residents
Chief Executive Association Angela
Cairns, Hilary Silvester,
Got a great story?TwIlfnihkyoieeoltltufneib’nvaegeetxuhgortaionnmetglad,cicinigtatyreielhloafuontrsmeooomemnfsp6.‘lootR9ryh0goe1e.euu9-bknfooebrdcgeeuitfmsonheradeneils2isHnt0aogomrSyueo.twphsftaheeOtsimtywcobtoueor’rd.tbhe@r. Chair of the Nottingham
Civic Society, Alex
Norris MP, Cllr Linda
Woodings, and our
very own Nick Murphy.

2 ‘Round the Houses – September 2019

Staff conference
This year’s Staff Conference is at the Gateway Hotel (Doubletree
Hilton) on Monday 30 September and Tuesday 1 October.

It’s a chance to celebrate successes and learn more about our direction for the future, and will
feature workshops and information hubs, plus information about the upcoming Best Companies
survey which opens on 27 September, and how to make STAR Awards nominations.

Your manager will talk to you about booking onto a session, then you’ll be contacted nearer the time about which workshops
you want to attend. Priority will be given to trades colleague for the 8.30am sessions – if you’re a trades colleague and you
work in a pair or groups, please book on the same session as your partner or team, so you can come along together.

Please don’t turn up for a session other than the one you’re booked on – we won’t be able to accommodate you.

cCoeulnecbirlahtoinugs1in0g0aytetahres AofGM
The NCH Annual General Meeting (AGM) is on Thursday 12 September at The Council House.

This year, we’ll be joined by two very special guest speakers:

Aileen Evans, Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Housing

Aileen’s career in housing began in 1979 with Nottingham City Council as a Neighbourhood Services Manager. She has
held executive level positions in housing for the last 22 years and was elected Vice President of the Chartered Institute
of Housing in August 2018.

Henry Normal, Writer, Poet and Film Producer

Born in St Ann’s, Henry has co-written some of the most famous comedies of the past 20 years – including The Royle
Family, The Mrs Merton Show and Coogan’s Run. In 1999 Henry set-up Baby Cow Productions Ltd, producing and
script editing many famous shows like Alan Partridge, Gavin and Stacey, The Mighty Boosh and Red Dwarf. Since
retiring, Henry has toured the country performing poetry, comedy and stories about bringing up his autistic son.

Spaces are limited, but if you’d like to attend, please speak to your line manager in the first instance, then contact
[email protected].

Ever staffed a glow in the dark disco room?!
Our Fun Day is the biggest event we organise, with more than 1,600 people attending
last year.

This year, we’ve got lots of exciting activities planned including crafts, storytelling, vintage motorbikes, bingo,
live music and dance and a glow in the dark disco room!

It’s a huge event and we simply can’t run it without the help of volunteers.

We need as many people as possible – many of you have helped in previous years, and we’re really
grateful for this support. Jobs are varied and include serving drinks, staffing the reception, setting up the
site, and keeping things clean and tidy. It’s a really enjoyable day with a great atmosphere.

We need volunteers from 8.30am to about 5pm, but mainly while the event is taking place between
midday and 4pm. You don’t have to commit to the whole day (although that would be great!). It could
be half a day or just an hour or so – any time you can spare would be a great help. And you can take
the time volunteering on the day as time off in lieu later – but do please get your line manager’s
permission first.

If you can volunteer please get in touch by emailing [email protected] 3
or calling 69100.

and Staff
Charity News

When did YOU last take part in a bit of plogging?

The Tenancy Sustainment Team is arranging a half-day plogging (that’s doing
a litter pick whilst jogging or walking, in case you were wondering!) around
Bestwood on Friday 20 September from 12 noon to 3.30pm (weather permitting).

Everyone’s welcome to go along and join in – if you haven’t already, you can use your
volunteering time. The team is also keen to hear from anyone who has any funding
suggestions for a further half day activity at a later date – this time to raise money for
Nottinghamshire Blood Bikes at a later date.

To get involved, call 0115 746 9372 or email [email protected].

Stonewall survey TheStonewallWorkplaceEqualityIndexisallabout
assessing how we make sure that LGBT+ staff
members are fully included in the workplace.

We need your support with our 2019 Index application – we want to stay in the Top 100, and you can help by completing Stonewall’s
online questionnaire. It’s important because it lets NCH understand the reality of how LGBT people feel in the workplace. It also gives
employees the opportunity to be heard without disclosing their personal identity.

Chair of the LGBT+ Forum Rebecca Dennis says, “The Stonewall Survey a great way of creating awareness in the work
place about LGBT people. I feel that it’s an important tool for measuring how NCH is making progress when it comes to creating
an LGBT-friendly working environment. It certainly gives people like myself confidence and peace of mind to know that NCH is
taking action to consider the needs of their LGBT employees.”

George Pashley, Company Secretary and portfolio holder for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for NCH, says: “Our inclusion
in the Stonewall Top 100 demonstrates how much we value the diversity of the people who work for us and helps us to attract a wide
range of people into our organisation. All our policies, procedures, services and employee benefits are explicitly LGBT+ inclusive.”

You can find a link to the survey on the intranet homepage – and the unique code that you’ll need to input is 1453.

Update from Hayward House

We’ve had a letter from Hayward House, our former Chosen Charity,
to tell us what the £15,530 we raised has been spent on.

The letter says, “There has been a whole host of activity to help enhance the experience for
our patients and their families at the Centre – and we are so grateful for your part in making this happen.

“Within the last year we have funded new books to help support children through loss and bereavement, and enabled the
purchase of memory boxes for families to spend precious time together. These meaningful enhancements ensure that
everyone who accesses these services can receive the best possible care, in what can be the most difficult time.

“Significantly, we have also secured the continued funding for the Palliative Care Counselling and Bereavement Service this
year, which offers gentle support to those who need it most, helping to enhance patents’ quality of life within the ethos of
a calm, comfortable environment.”

Thanks to all who contributed to Hayward House.

4 ‘Round the Houses – September 2019

Housing office changes

We’ll shortly be looking to improve customer service by
creating appointments for any customers attending our
five public facing housing offices.

The appointment system will reduce waiting times and will mean that we can make
sure we’re providing enough time to respond to residents’ concerns. There will still
be a drop-in service, but it’ll be for emergency issues only.

Once the new system starts, towards the end of September, instead of advising
residents to ‘go down to your nearest housing office…’, please ask them to call
0115 746 9555 for an appointment. Any residents who visit a housing office without
an appointment will be asked to call to arrange one.

Please also check anything that your team sends out to residents and remove option
of ‘calling in to your local housing office’. Please replace it with, ‘Please call your local
housing office on 0115 746 9555 for an appointment to discuss the issue.”

Residents will be able to get an appointment at their nearest office or an office of
their choice within two weeks.

We will be providing further information before the system goes live – in the meantime, if you have any queries, please call
Cath Stocks on 07939 284002 or email [email protected], or Will Morritt on 07940 406250
or at [email protected].

mReosdideernntselavvicetreydcaofntveirction

We’ve evicted a Hyson Green resident after his conviction for abusing two men and
forcing them into slavery.

Nottingham Police received information that a vulnerable person was being held as slave at the property, and found evidence
that the resident had abused – physically, mentally and financially – two men he was keeping as slaves.

Cllr David Mellen, Leader of Nottingham City Council, said:
“This is a great result… Anyone who treats another human being like this in Nottingham will
be caught, and there will be repercussions. Many people believe slavery is something that
just doesn’t happen on their doorstep, but this proves that modern slavery is a real threat
to vulnerable people.”

Nick Murphy said: “This and any crime being committed in one of our homes is
unacceptable and we will push for the hardest punishments. We have a long waiting
list for social housing in the city and we will do everything in our power to make sure
that our homes are not misused.”

If you have concerns about modern slavery in any of our homes, please talk to your line manager.

5

Oracle, which everyone can access from the homepage of the
intranet, covers finance, purchasing, payroll and HR systems
(including booking leave).

The Fit for the Future project will see Oracle replaced in 2020 with a new and better system – Oracle Fusion.

We’ll keep you updated as the programme progresses – but you can help by getting ready now:
• Get into the habit of saving your payslips each month, as they won’t be moved onto the new system.
• Check your work and personal information on the current system to make sure they’re up to date.

There are user guides on managing personal information, changing your bank details and viewing your work information
are on the intranet – just search Fit for the Future.

People said in the Best Companies survey that they wanted better ways to work
flexibly and share information – so we’re introducing a new corporate filing
system to replace the current shared drive.

The new filing system, Sharepoint, will give everyone improved access to documents such as polices and templates. It’ll
also provide an easier way to share and collaborate on documents with colleagues.

We don’t want to fill up the new filing system with this unnecessary clutter so please delete your unwanted files now. That
way we can move only the files you need over to the new system.

Look out for more guidance and training on Sharepoint coming soon.

A member of staff has been in touch recently to suggest that ‘Round the Houses
should include ‘the more human side of colleagues.’ She suggested things like,
‘What’s it like to live with…’, or the secret talents or hobbies of staff.

We’re delighted to oblige – so if YOU have any fun content about yourself (or you know that one of your colleagues has
a great story to tell), please let us know! Just email [email protected].

We look forward to hearing from you!

gFiertcsroafnt eGwarldoeonks!
Fircroft Gardens in Bilborough has a new look, thanks to
Commercial and Contract Services and Decent Neighbourhoods. Image for illustration only

The teams worked together to transform a patch of land into a modern and easily accessible
community garden, for use by local residents and the nearby school alike. Well done to all involved.

6 ‘Round the Houses – September 2019

launches a new
way to rent in city

Nottingham LiviNG is our market rent subsidiary.
It’s been created to meet local demand for market
rent properties that are owned and managed by
a responsible landlord.

LiviNG differs from mainstream sales and letting agents in a number of ways,
the most attractive of which, as far as prospective tenants are concerned, is the
absence of any admin or management fees and the flexible one to three-year
tenancies on offer.

Tim Shirley of Nottingham LiviNG says, “LiviNG offers longer tenancies
than most market rent landlords. Longer tenancies offer more security to
tenants and contribute to building more stable communities.

James Marshall, the other half of the LiviNG team, adds, “Our homes Pictured is Tim (right), presenting Lawrence,
have proved very popular, and all are currently let. We’re always busy acquiring one of the first tenants to move in to LiviNG’s
and building more homes, which are advertised on Rightmove and on our
own website.” brand-new Masson House development on
Arkwright Walk, with a hamper to celebrate

his new home.

Find out more about Nottingham LiviNG at www.nottinghamliving.org.uk.

Best Companies Survey
Opens 27 September

This year’s Best Companies survey opens on 27 September, and we want
everyone to get involved.

You’ll be able to rate NCH as an employer in a range of categories, including your manager,
your team, and what you think of the organisation in terms of things like staff benefits and ways
in which you can give something back – for example, by volunteering.

Please get involved and share your views – they will be used to help inform making things
better across the organisation, and making work a place we all like to come.

sSaTvAeRthAewdaartdes!

This year’s STAR Awards are on Friday 29 November at the Crowne Plaza
– and we’re planning something pretty special to celebrate 100 years of
council housing!

Save the date! 7

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School governors can make a real difference to young people’s lives
– and they can develop their own skill set in a Board-level environment.

Governors for Schools is an organisation that connects schools with skilled and committed volunteer governors, with the
aim of making sure that every school in England has excellent governance in place. People who work in, for example,
HR, Facilities, Finance and Procurement are particularly welcome, but people in leadership roles in other disciplines will
have lots of expertise to offer too. You don’t need to be a parent, or to have an understanding of the education system.

Volunteering helps us achieve our vision of creating homes and places people want to live by getting you directly involved
in the local community. We can support you to volunteer by giving you up to one day paid leave a year (which can be
taken in parts of a day) and allowing flexible working arrangements to help volunteering outside work hours fit in with
work responsibilities.

Andy Culshaw, NCH Business Intelligence and
Change Manager, has been a Community Governor
at a local primary school for over seven years.

“My responsibilities are to support the school with strategic planning, hold the
headteacher to account on educational standards, and make sure the budget
is used correctly to benefit our children’s learning.

“I volunteer for around 10 hours a month. This includes preparing for and
attending Board meetings, as well as interacting with teachers and pupils
during classroom sessions.

“It’s very rewarding – I’m part of a team striving to improve the educational standards, welfare and aspirations
for pupils in my local community. I also believe it has helped with my career progression, because it has given me
experience of being involved in making challenging strategic decisions.

“I’d recommend it to anyone who’s keen to learn more Board-level skills, and to make a positive impact in their
local community.”

Find out more at www.governorsforschools.org.uk.

8 ‘Round the Houses – September 2019

Welcome aboard!

Movers and starters in September include…

Zoe Jones – Data Administrator Scott Woolley – Gas Heating Engineer
Emma Hall – Finance Assistant Shane Adams – Joiner
Shanuah McBrand – Housing Patch Manager Joanne Wilkinson – Independent Living Co-ordinator
Richard Winter – Sustainability Officer Mark Burrows – Business service assistant
Zowie Dixon – Fleet and Facilities Manager Sharon Hadfield – Supported Housing
David Curtis – Repairs Service Manager Administration Assistant
Mark Swain – Gas Heating Engineer

Celebrating success in the Customer Service Centre (CSC)

Sobia Bibi has now said goodbye to the CSC to take up a new role as Employability Officer with the Employability Team.
Kelsey Matthews has also moved into a new role, that of CSC Development Officer, and Parul Amalean has joined the
Customer Relations Team – both have made a great start. As if that isn’t enough, Natasha Ring joins the HomeLink team
at the beginning of September. Congratulations and best wishes to you all!

CSC Manager Paul Spencer says, “It’s important that these people-related success stories should be recognised, both
to celebrate the achievements of the individuals involved, and also because they reflect the fact that the CSC team is
crammed full of talented people who continue to move into the wider organisation and add value to their new teams to
NCH as a whole.

“I’d also like to thank every single person in the CSC team for the way they continue to deliver a great service. Being
a Customer Services Advisor is no easy role – in fact it’s not only one of the toughest roles in NCH, but also one of the
most important. CSC staff are in many cases the first impression our residents get of NCH, and they’re also the ones in
the firing line when our residents are angry, upset, frustrated and disappointed. The fact that they continue to deliver the
service they do tells me that they really do have the customers’ interests at the heart of what they do, and they deserve
recognition for that.”

New staff from partners and contractors – coming soon!

We currently have a number of staff joining us under TUPE arrangements from Engie, PH Jones and Ashfield.

Three members of staff transferred from Engie on Monday 2 September – this is because over the next six months,
we plan to renew 200 bathrooms and 200 kitchens. Tenant Liaison Officers Lynne Thatcher and Debra Ashton will be
working closely with residents, and Driver / Labourer Phil Miles will also be working on the replacement kitchen and
bathroom programme. Welcome to you all!

Mechanical and Electrical are in the process of insourcing the maintenance of district heating from 1 October – so the
engineer working for contractor PH Jones will transfer over as part of the insourced works.

And finally, Nottingham on Call will be taking on care alarm monitoring services and out of hours repairs on behalf of
Ashfield Homes from December. The changes will include the TUPE Transfer of two Ashfield Homes employees.

Trades recruitment is underway

We’ve already had 10 new trade apprentices join NCH in the last month, across various trades. We’re now recruiting for
a talent pool of tradespeople to join CR&M, and the roles are proving popular, with 161 people shortlisted for 39 posts.
Look out for the new staff around Harvey Road, and please be sure to make them welcome!

In other news, two customer service apprentices due to complete at the end of September, plus nine trade and one
caretaking apprentices are due to complete before December – and two of the trade apprentices have already
been offered jobs at NCH!

9

Are you up to date with your training?

Compliance training is legally required training, as well as training that is in the NCH essential category such as
fire safety. It’s your responsibility to check Your Required Learning on the Learning Zone and complete it on time.
Please be aware that all adherence to legally required training is monitored – so get yours done today!

Appraisals

If you haven’t had your appraisal yet, please speak to your manager immediately and go on to the Learning Zone to complete your
preparation form. After your appraisal, please remember to sign it off! If you have any questions or concerns, please speak to your
manager or email [email protected].

Do you want to start a qualification in September?

Over 80 apprenticeships are running across NCH at the moment – some of them are on our apprenticeship
schemes, and some are being undertaken by employees who are doing an apprenticeship linked to their exiting
role. If you’re interested, speak to your line manager, then email [email protected] or
call 07903 651 725.

Top marks for online training!

John Carr, Senior Electrical Technical Officer, got in touch to say, “Last week I completed my GDPR training on the Learning Zone.
I know people grumble about online training but last week I also had two phone calls from an individual asking about the whereabouts of
a colleague. Initially the conversation was pretty innocuous, but when he called back, the individual admitted that he was the colleague’s
father-in-law and was attempting to find out if the colleague was still employed by NCH.

With the GDPR training fresh in my mind, I refused to provide any personal details and suggested that caller contact HR. Obviously not
a national security issue, but I understand that the colleague’s personal situation is very sensitive so the online training did exactly what it
was supposed to.”

Thanks for the feedback, John. This outlines the importance of the training – if you haven’t done yours yet, please complete it on the
Learning Zone.

10 ‘Round the Houses – September 2019

Courses CIH Level 3
8 October, Elmbridge Suite
Mobile Device Training
5 September, BMK room, Harvey Road CIH Level 3
9 October, Garfield, Harvey Rd
Project Management at NCH
9 September, Loxley LB21 Finance and Sourcing
9 October, The Training Station, Harvey Road
CIH Level 3
10 September, Elmbridge Suite Chainsaw Training
10 October, Hodsock Priory Estate
CIH Level 3
11 September, The Training Station, Harvey Road Leading and Managing Flexible Working
10 October, The Training Station, Harvey Road
Finance and Sourcing
16 September, The Training Station, Harvey Road MS Excel – Advanced Classroom Course
10 October, Beckhampton Suite
Pre-Retirement
17 September, The Training Station, Harvey Road Health and Safety core classroom modules
16 October, The Training Station, Harvey Road
Company Induction
18 September, Elmbridge Suite Manual Handling – classroom only
16 October, The Training Station, Harvey Road
Mobile Device Training
19 September, BMK room, Harvey Road Asbestos awareness – classroom only
16 October, The Training Station, Harvey Road
Leadership events 2019
20 September, The Training Station, Harvey Road Leading and Managing Flexible Working
17 October, The Training Station, Harvey Road
Finance and Sourcing
23 or 24 September, The Training Station, Harvey Road Leading and Managing Flexible Working
18 October, The Training Station, Harvey Road
Recruitment and Selection
25 September, The Training Station, Harvey Road Health and Safety core classroom modules
21 October, The Training Station, Harvey Road
Fuel Poverty
26 September, Beckhampton Manual Handling – classroom only
21 October, The Training Station, Harvey Road
Emergency First Aid
26 September, PRS Training Centre Asbestos awareness – classroom only
21 October, The Training Station, Harvey Road
Finance and Sourcing
30 September,The Training Station, Harvey Road MS Powerpoint Training
23 October, Beckhampton Suite
Absence management
1 October, The Training Station, Harvey Road Health and Safety core classroom modules
29 October, The Training Station, Harvey Road
Mental Health Awareness
2 October, Elmbridge Suite Manual Handling – classroom only
29 October, The Training Station, Harvey Road
Ms Excel – Intermediate
3 October, Beckhampton Suite Asbestos awareness – classroom only
29 October, The Training Station, Harvey Road
Health and Safety core classroom modules
8 October, The Training Station, Harvey Road Coercive Control Training
30 October, Training Station, Harvey Road
Manual Handling – classroom only
8 October, The Training Station, Harvey Road

Asbestos awareness – classroom only
8 October , The Training Station, Harvey Road

11

It’s nice to get a compliment – and if someone’s happy with something you’ve do

The Customer Relations Team handle more than just complaints – they also form
a compliment for you, your team or anyone else in NCH, send it over to feedbac
on – so help to share the good news and record your compliments. It might just

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Homelink application.

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with

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12 ‘Round the Houses – September 2019

one at work, we want to know about it.

mally record compliments. And they want more! If you get
[email protected]. It’ll be logged and passed
brighten someone’s day!

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eIaInannomdouwsgsoohhmahmveaoepmnpaeoynynaeetnowydllilevolieffoet kfcofoeurmepalssfhotaaortirlalisodbtaalybyn.,edTatthdneaodrnwkaknnlloybiwoneuimcn.”agyuIhsheoauovsfeeyou.
How lovely is that?!

HTPLhinMiobsIsrumahnatLtratsaMuimodsrvanmneniaauefoyyosf,reepsrHitdkTcdehnr,eteeaoea“hitinanIvmnsdnl’ewmgelaecgtpsiglensankbo,o,ociyfupntapraboyosttesnraiedropSodgodlntyvownouwutatilsnerdhyseowi,gestirteenraieotrvkwonageifsuen!e”baimulimhdednaotseedtanvwelolnibwpnkednotmaeystearafcukO’yoaninvknilnlfdedfrmfIoaomgicsmbgfleepreuyeepena,orpytrr.ltnaaasepioforaniitsonsotiniogdiverdmdtneef.eMonisdnTtnwrohhahttoMtieoasrpakro.myadnma.nMhreknlkhaaysradakstrtMoeoksobahnabmereneekeldenp,,nkteheep DliinkDaatgehhhbatpntoiaehdeontrooLtleiylupnpdswusitt.ngea.hectaIgsdThyaanvssehnlsutweo,tektparaofhi“yrtIkIrhkoriaasrewimmangntsgphenguoiardPetngcoohpreteedhtdpelanatrmeeorwsftcBnyo,rekeStauwryanf,natosaanotawttisrnnsdcntseayoefkdhvoRlhlspperortfsoiehhrolrrtleyyhctoeTrLsonettrTgaogsharoarpndcaenatayilearcasttnledeholefqledvoefar.ruua’ernesnpImlertncklhitnihnteeeusao,oadanrntattwiseooomttvsloeygneclad.wodreifllatoaioleernfprywtokalaglhtsrthmhiaonseaoveslvyltsewilarheherthkohhanyeeeeueevtlplnellpdpi.ne”gd
Well done gents.

13

Spotlight on… Volunteers
In each issue of ‘Round the wanted for me
Houses, we put the spotlight on health support
one of our teams or initiatives.
We’re committed to supporting
This month we’re highlighting the work of our to have the best possible menta
Building Skills for Construction project! so we’re introducing two new vo
roles – mental health first aiders
New employability project Building trauma practitioners.
Skills for Construction helps to
engage local residents who are We’re looking for sympathetic people with
looking for a career in construction. ence. People who may have experienced
ill health themselves, or supported family
The project delivery team consists through it. They’ll need to have good listen
of our Construction Employability Officer Sobia communication skills, a non-judgemental
Bibi and colleagues at Nottingham City Council, and the ability to show empathy.
Futures and Nottingham College.
Cycle to work
The project, funded by the Department for Education and
commissioned by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Here are six reasons why cycl
is helping to bring £1m into Nottingham to provide a one-stop shop makes you a winner… and you
for construction employability. A new, purpose-built training facility an even bigger winner in the p
has been launched on the new Nottingham College site to provide
free training, including employability skills, Women in Construction 1. Cycling saves you cash. Yes, y
taster workshops, CSCS cards and work experience placements. pay for your bike, and there’s a
maintained, but it’s still way che
The launch event of the new project welcomed more than 30 most other ways of travelling.
visitors, including construction employers, training candidates
and partners. Building Skills for Construction will bring training 2. Going by bike can be quicker t
to live sites – allowing learners to apply their knowledge in car. Motorists spend a total of n
a real-world environment. a year stuck in traffic – wherea
whizz through the traffic and av
Building Skills for Construction helps (and the delays!).
Melius Homes recruit apprentices
3. It’s an easy way to get some e
Recently, the team has worked with our contractors Melius day. If you cycle regularly, you
Homes to organise a recruitment day to appoint their first the fitness levels of someone u
ever Multi-skilled Apprentices. years younger!

Within two weeks, the project engaged with 20 potential Do you get
candidates and Melius are delighted to have appointed three enough sleep
of them. Well done to Lesley Wolf and Sobia Bibi for delivering
this success!

14 ‘Round the Houses – September 2019

ental They’ll also need to be effective decision makers. You’ll also be trained to spot signs of distress in
t If you’re interested, and once you’ve completed your people that may go unnoticed.
training, you’ll be asked for help, often at short notice
everyone – so please consider whether you can manage The training will be for two full days at Harvey Road,
al health, the additional requests for your time, and discuss dates TBC.
olunteer it with your line manager.
s and You can apply for one or both of the
Mental Health First Aiders will be trained by Mental roles by emailing monica.dakin@
h life experi- Health England, and will learn how to spot the early nottinghamcityhomes.org.uk,
d mental signs of mental health issues, how to offer and explaining in 400 words or fewer
or friends provide initial help, and how to guide a person which role you are interested in,
ning and towards appropriate treatment and other sources why you want to take it on and
approach, of support. They will not be trained to make how you meet the requirements.
a diagnosis or to offer therapy.

Trauma Practitioners will be trained on stress by
a psychological health consultancy, and will be
taught the effects that traumatic events can have
upon people.

k 4. It could make you live longer. Research Competition time!
ling to work published in the British Medical Journal found
u could be people who commuted by bike had a 41% If you cycle to work (and it doesn’t have to
prize draw! lower risk of premature death, a 45% lower be every day), email monica.dakin@
risk of developing cancer, and a 46% lower nottinghamcityhomes.org.uk and tell her what
you have to risk of developing heart disease when you like about it – and you’ll be entered into a free
a cost to keep it compared with those who didn’t cycle. prize draw to win a mystery prize. Please email
eaper than Monica by 30 September.
5. It’s good for your mental health. According
than going by to the Mental Health Foundation, physical
nearly five days activity can increase mental alertness, energy,
as cyclists can positive mood and self-esteem, as well as
avoid the stress reducing stress and anxiety.

exercise every 6. It’s good for the environment. Cars, buses
could have and lorries are responsible for 80% of all air
up to 10 pollution, and cycling can play a huge part
in reducing this.

p? Quality sleep – and enough of it – is really • Keeping your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool
important. • Not watching TV or using a phone or tablet in bed
• Investing in a comfy mattress, pillows and duvet
Not having enough sleep can have profound • Exposing yourself to morning sunlight as soon
consequences on your health. Regular poor sleep is as you can.
linked to depression and puts you at risk of obesity,
heart disease and diabetes. It also weakens your Some nights, falling asleep
immune system, making you more likely to fall ill. seems impossible.

Tips for a good night’s sleep include: If that happens, don’t stay in bed worrying about it –
• Trying to maintain a consistent sleep pattern,
instead, go to another room and do something relaxing
even at weekends
• Being active during the day until you feel sleepy. Don’t use screens – the blue light
• Avoiding large meals, caffeine, and alcohol
they give out tells our bodies that we need to be awake.
before bed
• Adopting a relaxing bedtime ritual to give And if you continue to struggle, talk to your doctor –

your body the cue that it’s time to sleep problems sleeping may be a sign of an underlying

health condition, and the sooner you get help, the

sooner you can start enjoying quality rest. 15

aHirgehfwreosohd! gets

A team of young volunteers from the Mansfield NCS (National Citizen
Service) have been to our Highwood House hostel to help out by
clearing the garden at the back of the building.

The group brought their own gardening tools and bags and set about weeding and clearing away the brambles and overgrown
bushes. By late afternoon the area was transformed. Well done to all concerned.

Keeping it green

A lot of us are interested in green issues – and some of our biggest successes are at Harvey Road and Bestwood,
where we’ve made some dramatic changes including:

• Installing solar panels on the roof of Harvey Road: so far, the panels have generated a carbon saving equivalent

to planting 62 trees!
• Putting electric vehicle chargers in at Harvey Road and Bestwood: thanks to a £25k grant from NCC. So far, they’ve

been charging for 329 hours – saving the equivalent of 72 litres of petrol or diesel.
• Making pool bikes available: they’re a great alternative to using a car; you can book them through the Facilities Team.

• Reducing waste: In 2016/17 we were producing over 430 tonnes. It’s now fallen to 260 tonnes – that’s 170 tonnes less!

We’re also working closely with the council to make sure Loxley House and housing offices in joint service centres are more
environmentally friendly.

How you can help

• Think before you print: at Harvey Road we use 1,350,000 pieces of paper a year – almost 4,000 sheets per person.
Do you really need to print off agendas or documents before a meeting, or can you display them on-screen?

• Save energy: always switch off PCs and monitors when you leave for the day. And If the aircon or heating is on, don’t
open the window! Maybe turn air con or heating off and open the windows instead.

• Recycle: think before you throw rubbish away. Are you using the right bin?
• Choose greener travel: we have a range of discount travel passes available, and changing rooms if you choose to
walk or cycle to work. There’s more info on the intranet.

Are you interested in joining like-minded colleagues to help make NCH an even greener place to
work? Please email [email protected].

The Whisky Shop gets a makeover –

thanks to Commercial and Contract Services!

We don’t only do homes these days –
we do shops too!

This is some work we did for Nottingham City Council on
one of their commercial properties in Cheapside that had an
unsafe floor because of water damage – we put in a new
floor, and they’ve described it as an ‘amazing transformation’!

Well done to Mark Cropley, Wayne Peet, and all involved. Before

After

16 ‘Round the Houses – September 2019