As part of our rolling review programme, we have been updating some of our policies and procedures.

Our tenants have a right to be consulted on key policies and proposals that may have an impact on them.

We welcome you to review our draft policies below and give us your feedback using the survey links below. We will take into account any views that you have before making a final decision.

The consultation period will run until Friday 15th September 2023.

Thanking you in advance for your cooperation.

MEDICAL ADAPTATIONS POLICY 

• Draft Policy – Medical Adaptations – August 2023
• Survey – Medical Adaptations – August 2023

GAS SAFETY POLICY

• Draft Policy – Gas Safety  – August 2023 
• Survey – Gas Safety – August 2023 

ELECTRICAL SAFETY POLICY 

• Draft Policy – Electrical Safety – August 2023
• Survey – Electrical Safety – August 2023

 

Our office will be closed on Friday 14th and Monday 17th July for bank holidays. 

Our normal out of hours emergency repairs service will be in operation via 01290 421130.  

Rent Payment can be made at any time by calling 0330 041 6497, via the AllPay website www.allpayments.net or by using the Allpay mobile app. You can also continue to make payments directly into our bank account, or using the Post Office or PayPoint outlets.

The following numbers may also be of use:

For gas escapes: Transco 0800 111 999

For electrical supply faults: Scottish Power 0800 092 9290

For burst water mains: Scottish Water 0800 731 084

 

As part of your tenancy agreement, you are required to let us know when there are changes to who is living in your home.  To ensure our records are fully up to date, we will be contacting you to confirm the details of the members of your household.

As part of this exercise, we will ask you to, if possible, provide us with an email.

This will allow for a smoother transition to the new method for telephone payments (please see the separate news article here).

All details are held in line with our Data Protection Policy and Fair Processing Notice.

Thanks in advance for your co-operation with this exercise.

As part of our annual target setting review, we have been considering our “hard to reach” targets regarding repairs and maintenance delivery.

Our tenants have a right to be consulted on key delivery targets that may have an impact on them.

We welcome you to consider our draft proposals below and give us your feedback using the survey links provided. We will consider any views that you have before making a final decision.

The consultation period will run until Friday 21^st July 2023.

View analysis report here.

Complete survey here.

Thanking you in advance for your cooperation.

 

Card payment arrangements are changing

To keep your card details secure, we are changing the way we take telephone payments.  In future, when you phone or visit the office to pay by debit card we will send you a link via email or SMS.  Our staff will confirm the reference on the link so that you can verify it is from us.  You will then complete your card payment details yourself.

If you are not comfortable with this, please speak to us for support or consider using one of the other ways to pay, listed below…

Other ways to pay your rent:

By Direct Debit

Please contact your Housing Officer to set up an automated recurring payment.

Standing Order/Faster Payment

You control when and how much you pay directly into our bank account.

Using the Allpay website or app

Make payments using your debit card at any time that suits you, via the Allpay app.

If you don’t have your rent card to set up the payment reference, please call the office to have it confirmed.

www.AllPayments.net   

You can also contact the 24 hour Allpay payment line on 0330 0416497.

Post Office and PayPoint

Take your rent card to the Post Office or a PayPoint outlet and make your payment there.

Thank you for your cooperation, should you have any queries at all please contact us at the Office.

 

The Association continues to invest in its Housing Stock.  As part of this drive of investment, we are installing the exciting and innovative SmartLINK Home Technology into more of our properties.

The SmartLINK Home Technology involves the installation of environmental sensors in each room and a Gateway System to connect to all Aico devices in the property.

This will allow the Gateway System to gather useful data to give you, and us as a landlord, a better understanding of the structural and environmental risks and factors within your home.

What does the technology do?

The environmental sensors will collect humidity, ventilation, and heat loss data to determine the air quality, thermal efficiency and the use and function of the mechanical ventilation components in your home.

This data will be uploaded to the HomeLINK Portal to allow us to monitor key data and establish if intervention or guidance is required to resolve issues in your home.

You will also be able to access the HomeLINK Resident App to monitor the data and trends to determine what changes you can apply to reduce the environmental risks e.g., heat dissipation, humidity surges, underused ventilation.

Appointed Contractor

M.T.C. Electrical have been appointed to facilitate the installation of these devices and will be targeting specific construction, property, and house types across our range of stock.

We have issued a Letter of Authority to M.T.C. Electrical to produce to our tenants when cold-calling our properties and conducting their door-to-door visits.

If you have any queries or concerns, please contact Ross McCrindle, Asset Officer at Shire Housing Association on 01290 421130.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Proposed Legionella Risk Assessment

On behalf of the Association, Legionella Risk and PAT have been appointed to conduct a legionella risk assessment to a small proportion of our stock.

We have issued a letter of Authority to Legionella Risk and PAT to produce to our tenants when cold-calling our properties and conducting their door-to-door visits.

The attending surveyor will require access to all water sentinel outlets i.e., taps, showers, and operational/redundant hot and cold-water storage tanks.

The findings of the risk assessment will identify any risk of Legionella.

Our policy on Legionella Management can be found here.

Please see the control leaflet below providing more information in relation to Legionella and how to prevent legionnaires disease.

Legionella Control – Tenants Advice

What is Legionella?

• The bacteria, Legionella pneumophila, is common in natural water sources such as rivers. It may also be found in purpose-built water systems such as hot and cold-water systems.
• If conditions are favourable, the bacteria may grow, increasing the risks of Legionnaires’ disease.  It is therefore important to control the risks – The Control of Legionella bacteria in water systems (L8).

In October 2013, the HSE amended the Approved Code of Practice L8 – Legionella control.

How does this affect me?

• Your landlord (Shire Housing Association) will carry out a survey to a sample of flatted dwellings to comply with the guidance, and demonstrate compliance under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

What do I have to do?

• As the person living in the property, you have a duty to inform your landlord if the hot water is not reaching 50 degrees or above.
• If you leave the property vacant for 2 weeks, you must run the cold water taps for 5 minutes and the hot water taps for 2 minutes to flush all stagnant water out of the pipework.
• You have a duty to inform your landlord if the property is going to be vacant for 4 weeks or more.
• You should clean and descale your showerheads and taps every 3 months.

If you have any queries or concerns, please contact Ross McCrindle, Asset Officer at Shire Housing Association on 01290 421130.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Following a recent external review of the ‘Customer Service Excellence (CSE)’ accreditation, the Association are pleased to advise that we have passed the review and maintain this accreditation.

Furthermore, the Association were awarded the ‘Compliance Plus for Customer Service Excellence’ in recognition of their support to its people and community in the following areas:

• Developed customer insight about its customer groups to better understand their needs and preferences,
• Efforts to identify hard to reach and disadvantaged groups and individuals and develop our services in response to their specific needs,
• Positive changes to services as a result of analysing customer experience, including improved customer journeys.

The Association continues to support its people and its community.  Please do not hesitate to contact our office for any assistance or guidance with matters relating to Housing and Financial support.

Thank you to our tenants, members, employees, and Board – your cooperation is invaluable and helps shape the services provided by the Association.

As part of our rolling review programme, we have been updating some of our policies and procedures.

Our tenants have a right to be consulted on key policies and proposals that may have an impact on them.

We welcome you to review our draft ‘Procurement Strategy’ below and give us your feedback using the survey link below. We will take into account any views that you have before making a final decision.

The consultation period will run until Thursday 15th June 2023.

Thanking you in advance for your cooperation.

PROCUREMENT STRATEGY 

• Draft Procurement Strategy – June 2023
• Survey – Procurement Strategy – June 2023

Our office will be closed on Friday 26th and Monday 29th May for bank holidays. 

Our normal out of hours emergency repairs service will be in operation via 01290 421130.  

Rent Payment can be made at any time by calling 0330 041 6497, via the AllPay website www.allpayments.net or by using the Allpay mobile app. You can also continue to make payments directly into our bank account, or using the Post Office or PayPoint outlets.

The following numbers may also be of use:

For gas escapes: Transco 0800 111 999

For electrical supply faults: Scottish Power 0800 092 9290

For burst water mains: Scottish Water 0800 731 084