Cath's journey with Visibly Better
Arthur Davis Court is the fourth Newydd Housing Association independent living scheme to receive RNIB Cymru’s Visibly Better Platinum Award for the redesign, which enables older people with sight loss to live independently for longer. Cath Kinson, a Newydd tenant who has been part of the Visibly Better project for over 10 years, developed glaucoma and cataracts during lockdown. Since then, she said, she has a deeper understanding of how changes to living spaces can help people with sight loss.
Watch the video to hear first-hand from Cath and our Housing and Communities Director, Oonagh Lyons, as they share their insights on the remarkable transformations that have taken place at Arthur Davis Court.
Join us for anti-social behaviour week!
Join us for #ASBAwarenessWeek this week as our Safer Communities Team will be going out and about to spread awareness, engage with the community, and take proactive steps to address anti-social behaviour (ASB).
Where are they going?
Join us at these locations as we work together to create safer communities. Stay tuned on our social media channels for updates and the latest whereabouts of our officers #YouSpokeWeListened.
We can help! Our employability programme offers a range of free services to help you get into work, including:
Contact our Jackie, our Employability Officer Jackie.Holly@newydd.co.uk
We are responsible for the area you live in, which means we have a duty to ensure that all communal spaces in your building (if there are any) comply with fire and safety regulations.
If you have access to communal areas, your tenancy agreement will state that you should not store items in communal areas and we will treat any items left as a breach of your tenancy. Communal areas include stairways, lifts, landings, hallways, and any other spaces that you share with other residents. It also includes service or meter cupboards in your building. If you currently have items, including but not limited to prams, buggies, bicycles, plants, furniture, shoes or other household items, stored or left in these spaces, please remove them immediately.
We understand why you may choose to store the items in the communal area for ease, however we want to keep you and your neighbours safe and the items cause a significant fire risk which as we have all seen can have devastating consequences.
Items stored or left in communal areas are a hazard as they can prevent people from leaving the building safely in the event of a fire. It’s important we all do what we can to prevent hazards which is why we have a zero-tolerance approach to items left in communal areas. This means after notice being given, we will remove items we find in these spaces.
We would like to thank you for your cooperation on this matter.
Our June community pop-up was held in Treforest, and it was a big success. We have 70 homes within easy reach of this community pop-up, staff from across the organisation helped with repairs, money information and concerns related to anti-social behaviour. We would like to thank everyone who took the time to speak to us. Your insights and feedback have been incredibly valuable.
If you would like us to host a community pop-up in your estate, please do not hesitate to get in touch by emailing marketing@newydd.co.uk.
We want to bring an important matter to your attention regarding claim management companies and disrepair claims. We understand that some of you have been approached by these companies about making a claim against us for disrepairs.
We would like to make you aware that these companies may not be what they seem. They may not give you all the information you need before you agree to work with them, and they could put you at serious financial risk.
Claim management companies may tell you that they operate on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis. This may be true, but we’ve seen examples where tenants have faced thousands of pounds of debt as a result of signing up to agreements. Tenants have also told us that they have been put under pressure and have not been able to stop a claim when they have changed their mind. These companies may also not explain that if your case goes to court and is dismissed, you could be ordered to pay our legal costs, which could be thousands of pounds.
If you’d like to discuss any issues you may have in your home please get in touch. Your repairs will be completed quicker if you speak to us, as the disrepair process can take a long time. It’s important to us that you’re happy with the services we provide. We’ll do everything we can to support you and look after your home.
To shed more light on the risks associated with claim management companies, you can find information about it on our website here.
Thank you to the tenants from the Reading and Policy Panel who helped with the development of this newsletter.
