Linkup Winter 2004

The following stories are extracts from our quarterly tenants' newsletter. If you would like a full paper version then please contact Cath Lee.

From November the Citizens Advice Bureau will be available in our Cardiff Office on Monday and Wednesday afternoons every week. The CAB offers free, independent and confidential advice to anyone about anything.

So if you’re having trouble managing your debts, have got a legal problem or want some advice over your rights or benefits come along and speak to someone.

There are CAB offices all over Wales and they can provide help and advice in many different languages.

To find your nearest CAB look in your phone book for Citizens Advice Bureaux or Yellow Pages under Counselling and Advice Services or check out their website www.citizensadvice.org.uk It gives details of all CAB offices, the services they offer and how to find them. You can even email your query to them.

At this time of year finances can become stretched and it is easy to lose sight of the things that matter. Before you know it, you are unable to meet your regular commitments and it’s perhaps easier to just ignore the reminders and pretend those bills just don’t exist.

Don’t forget there are people who will listen and offer independent advice to try to help you sort out your worries.

If you are in rent arrears then contact your Housing Officer who will happily discuss a realistic payment plan with you. The intention being to avoid any unnecessary legal action and further distress by helping you to “manage the problem” effectively.

If you have other debts, then you can receive independent debt counselling and money advice from agencies such as the Citizens Advice Bureaux. Details of your local branches can be found in your local phone book or via the Yellow Pages.

Remember, it is easier for your debts to be resolved by discussing it with somebody.

It's arrived...the new exchange scheme in Cardiff is now in place!

Any tenant of United Welsh in Cardiff, Cardiff City Council or any other Housing Association in Cardiff who wants to exchange with another tenant can now join one main register which lists all those who want to move regardless of who their current landlord is.

The new exchange register is available at United Welsh’s Cardiff office and at all Housing Association and Council area offices across the city. The aim is to help people to exchange more easily by putting them in touch with others who wish to move.

So what do you need to do?

• If you’re on the exchange list for Cardiff you will have already received a letter and a new exchange form. Please complete this and send it to Cardiff City Council.

• If you live in Cardiff and want to exchange please contact our Cardiff Office and ask for information on exchanges. Alternatively call into the Cardiff office and see the register for yourself.

• If you live outside Cardiff and want to exchange our usual exchange system still exists. Contact our Customer Services Team and ask for information on exchanges.

Community News Roundup

It doesn’t always take much to start to recover the sort of community spirit most people seem to remember from years gone by. There are easy ways to start and you can always get some help to organise them. You’ll have read about some of the summer events in the last Linkup and now some of the communities working with United Welsh have been holding festive celebrations for their children.

VAN COMMUNITIES CAERPHILLY

The Van Communities Partnership in Caerphilly has held their second successive celebration with plenty of fun, games, food and even an appearance from Santa to help the party go with a swing. The Partnership’s Youth Forum has been working hard to raise funds and plan this year’s party and thanks to Elaine and her staff at the Community Centre the hall was beautifully decorated for it.

WINDSOR QUAY, CARDIFF

Windsor Quay Tenants’Association built on their success from last year’s party at the Channel View Leisure Centre and organised another great day of fun for their children. Most of the money for the party came from fundraising events like the tabletop sale held in September which raised almost £300. The team from the summer play scheme were at the forefront of planning and organising the party, which was hugely enjoyed by the children from Windsor Quay. This is becoming an act that gets harder to follow!

FORGESIDE, BLAENAVON

Forgeside Tenants’ and Residents’ Association held their first joint Christmas Party with the Forgeside Welfare Hall this year. Lots of support from all over the community went to give the children there hours of games and fun with presents from Santa, a lovely decorated tree and the hall decked out in truly festive fashion.

Next year this could be your community. Of course there is work involved in organising an event like a children’s party but the rewards are great and you get the added satisfaction of knowing that your children are learning that it can be good to do things for others. The Community Services Team from United Welsh are ready and willing to help you to make events like these a reality in your community. Why not ring David Williams on 029 2085 8166 for a chat about it - you won’t be asked to make a commitment there and then, but it could be the first step in getting something going in your own community, just like the people in Caerphilly, Windsor Quay and Forgeside did!

The Countdown Card, which you received when you became a 5 Star Loyalty Scheme member, can now be used at even more stores in the area. We have listed below the ones that have been added recently and the discounts they offer.

You can also get discounts and value added gift vouchers from the John Lewis Partnership. These vouchers, with a 5% saving, can also be used at Waitrose supermarkets.

Jeff Williams Carpets and Rugs, 350 Chepstow Road Newport 5%
Jacqui Sports, 123 Commercial Street, Newport 10%
Up Up & Away Balloons, Party Shop, 92 Commercial Street, Newport 10%
Footnotes (Shoe repairs and key cutters), 24 High Street Newport 10%
Anthony Bingham Jewellers, 10 Newport Arcade, Newport 10%
Cambrian Trophies, 15 Baneswell Road, Newport 10%
Sunset Boulevard, Hairdressers, 198 Upper Dock Street, Newport 10%
Joan Davies, Florist, 194 Upper Dock Street, Newport 10%
Ace Flowers, 47-49 Market Hall, Newport 10%
Feeling Foxy, Lingerie and Swimwear, 2-4 Skinner Street, Newport 10%
Achilles Heel Bar, 4 Hanbury House, Chepstow 10%
Manor Carpets, 5 St Mary Arcade, Chepstow 5%
Cambrian Carpets, 27 Newport Road, Caldicot 5%
Hilary’s Florist, 74 Cardiff Road, Caerphilly 10%
Sparky’s Guitarz, 20 Clive Street, Caerphilly 5%
The Hockey Shop 6 Clive Street, Caerphilly 5%

Floating Support Services

For some people, living independently can be more of a problem than for others. Things can be really tough for people experiencing problems perhaps with their mental health, maybe with drug or alcohol issues or with physical difficulties. To help tenants in situations like these, United Welsh has a team of Floating Support Workers who can work with people to make sure that they can keep their independence and their tenancies. There are three people in the team. Denise Long works in Cardiff, Damon Huish in Caerphilly and Gareth Lake in Blaenau Gwent. “Our aim is to encourage people to take control of their own lives,” Gareth told us. “We try to help people cope with day to day living and make sure that they can get access to the services they need.” “The amount of support offered depends on an individual’s needs and we will always discuss this with the person so that the right amount of support can be agreed.”

The scheme can offer advice on benefits, debt management, housing and tenancy issues and can support people to get access to essential services such as the doctor, Social Services, Department of Work and Pensions, Community Mental Health Teams and education services. If you think you may benefit from support, you can start by contacting your Housing Officer who will make a referral to the Floating Support Service.

We're listening

So what happens to your comments and complaints?

• When a complaint comes into us we aim to resolve it at the first point of contact and as quickly as possible. Our Customer Services team will look into your complaint and can often get it sorted out there and then for you.

• Sometimes complaints need to be investigated and can take more time. If this happens you’ll be advised either by phone or letter that your complaint is being looked at and you’ll be contacted again once all the facts are known. You’ll also be informed at this stage of what action has been taken and whether we’ll change how we do things in future.

When we get it wrong you’ll get an apology too.

• If you’re not happy with the response to your complaint then you can ask for it to be looked at again by a more senior member of staff who will check out both the complaint and any action that’s been taken to make sure we’ve treated your complaint properly and investigated it thoroughly.

• It’s only once a complaint has gone through these stages and the complainant is still not satisfied does it go to our Chief Executive.

If you want more information please contact the Customer Services Team and ask for the leaflet Making Comments and Complaints