Welcome to Newyddion. Here's a sneak peek into what you'll find inside this newsletter:
Making homes more energy efficient
Handling your complaints
What do you really think about our services?
Protecting your loved ones from second-hand smoke
Are your belongings at risk?
Tonypandy Fire Station inspires young minds
As part of the Welsh Government Optimised Retrofit Programme we have been making our homes more energy efficient. We’ve been installing loft insulation, windows, external doors, solar panels or if the roof needs renewing, we have been installing integrated solar panel systems.
We are also in the process of installing new air source heat pumps to a small number of properties that needed their current pump upgraded.
Our contractor GB-SOL have recently been installing solar panels and we’ve had some great tenant feedback about the work so far:
“Very happy with the communication from Gareth, he kept us informed throughout. We lost our signal with sky when the scaffolding was erected but the guys were very quick to rectify and put it right for us.”
Sustain Homes Ltd recently renewed 4 heat pumps into homes that had old style pumps. It took between 2 to 3 days to install the new heating systems into these properties. One tenant told us:
“The guys were amazing and respectful towards us and our homes. Mike the engineer was exceptional. They went behove and beyond. They had plastic sheets whilst working and cleaned up after themselves. Very professional people.”
To allow us to monitor humidity and temperature within your homes we have been installing an Aico system. This is an environmental sensor to ensure that all the above work that we are undertaking has a positive impact on your home.
Join our focus group
We have a tenant focus group focussed on decarbonisation which includes discussing the benefits of solar panels, new heating systems, carbon footprint, the optimised retrofit programme and water poverty.
We would like to get your views on these topics. The group meets once every 3 months. Our next meeting is on Wednesday 15th May at 10.30am, you can join us online or in person at the office in Tongwynlais, Cardiff. If you would like to take part, please text Caroline on 07501 052835 with your name, address and “FOCUS GROUP” or email her on Caroline.Evans@newydd.co.uk
We recently set up a tenant group to review how we have dealt with recent formal complaints. The group had their first meeting on 4th April and provided valuable feedback on what we are doing well and what could be done better.
New members wanted
Our tenant group needs more members. If you would like to get involved to help us improve how we handle complaints please email Hana below. The group will meet every 3 months on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday from 10am - 12pm.
I’m not happy with Newydd’s service
If you’re not satisfied with any element of the services that we provide , please do let us know so we can aim to put things right at the earliest opportunity. Click here for a summary of our complaints process and a reminder of how you can tell us about any of your concerns.
Every year we ask an independent market research company to conduct telephone surveys. They contact about 500 tenants every year.
The company we use is called Acuity and they follow a set of questions covering a range of things such as repairs, the quality of your home, your neighbourhood, whether our staff are helpful and whether you think your rent and service charge is value for money.
The survey takes about 10 -12 minutes to complete, and the telephone interviews are conducted at agreed times, typically between the hours of 9am and 7pm Monday to Friday and between the hours of 10am and 6pm on Saturday. No calls will be made on Sundays.
Survey Timetable for 2024/25. Please expect calls between these dates:
20th May to 8th June
19th August to 7th September
18th November to 7th December
13th to 25th January 2025
The telephone number Acuity will use is 029 2255029. If they call you please answer the survey as this will help us improve the services we deliver to you.
Results
We will share the results with you on an annual basis.
The Welsh Government also publish a survey that compares all housing associations and their services. Click here to see last year’s results.
The only way to protect those around you from second hand smoke is to keep the environment around them smoke free. We understand this your home, so we are asking you to “help us keep our staff healthy” and when staff visit to undertake works or visits every effort to keep your cigarette smoke away from their working areas. This can be done by
Smoking outside when there are staff in your home and ask your visitors to do the same.
If you are unable to smoke outside, please smoke in a room away from the work areas and open the window.
If you have an appointment or receive a message to say a member of our team is on their way, please refrain from smoking in the house ideally 2 to 3 hours before they arrive.
Open windows in rooms where you smoke or where our staff will be working prior to them arriving or permit them to do this when they arrive.
The safest way to prevent passive smoking is to quit, if you feel ready to do this here are some helpful links
Help Me Quit | Stop Smoking Services In Wales
Using e-cigarettes to stop smoking - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Paan, bidi and shisha - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
As your landlord we are responsible for the physical structure of your home including the walls, roof, and floors. You are responsible for your belongings within your home such as furniture, carpets, curtains, clothes, bedding electrical items, jewellery, pictures, and ornaments.
For example, if there was a roof leak we would come out and repair the roof and any damage to the structure of your home. We would not be responsible for replacing any damage caused to your personal belongings.
We highly recommend that you consider a home contents insurance policy to protect you from any damage or loss that occurs within your home. You may be surprised as to how much all your contents are worth.
We have teamed up with Thistle Tenant Risks, and Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Ltd who provide the ‘My Home Contents Insurance Scheme’, a Tenants Contents Insurance policy designed for tenants living in social housing.
You can still get Home Contents Insurance if you live in a flood risk area, you just need to make sure you tell the insurance company in your application form.
View our insurance page here or you can call Thistle Tenant Risks on 0345 450 7288.
Here's Thistle Insurance Rate Card for 2024
On Monday 25th and Tuesday 26th March, young people from Rhydyfelin visited Tonypandy Fire Station. They had a brilliant time learning about the dangers and consequences of grass fires, how to become a firefighter and they even learnt how to put out a fire themselves using specialist equipment.
“Being a firefighter for the day was lots of fun, I really want to be a firefighter in future and this has made me want it more.”
“It was really good, we learnt loads, using the hoses was the best bit.”
“It did make me think a lot more about the risks of fires in the summer.”
These trips were organised alongside Rhondda Cynon Taf’s Youth Engagement and Participation Service (YEPS) to allow 14 young people from Rhydyfelin the opportunity of taking part in educational activities.
