mhs homes newsletter | winter 2024
Take a look at what’s been
happening in the mhs community
Welcome to your
winter newsletter
We’re celebrating the opening
of our new 24-hour supported
housing project for young people
experiencing homelessness.
The new Sunrise Foyer will provide
much needed homes for up to 30
young people.
It’s a safe place where they can
learn important life skills, such
as budgeting and cooking, and
be supported into education,
training or employment.
Together with our existing
Endeavour and Springboard
Foyers, the scheme has the
New support for young
homeless people
potential to change the lives of
hundreds of young people in
Medway.
Local councillors Simon Curry
and Louwella Prenter were
joined by MP for Chatham and
Aylesford, Tristan Osborne, and
leader of Medway Council,
Vince Maple, to ofcially open
the new foyer.
Tristan Osborne said: “The new
Sunrise Foyer will be a lifeline for
young people who have nowhere
else to go. With a safe place to
live, they can move away from
homelessness for good.”
£500 worth of vouchers to be won!
There’s a whopping £500 up for
grabs in our Christmas voucher
giveaway.
Our festive competition will see
10 lucky winners receive a £50
voucher each, which can be
used to stock up on seasonal
goodies from the supermarket of
your choice.
You've got to be in it, to win it!
Turn to the back page for details
on how to enter…
mhs homes newsletter | winter 2024
Christmas fire
safety tips
The Christmas period brings joy to many, but also increases the number
of fire hazards. Here are some tips to help you enjoy the festivities safely.
•
Water a real Christmas tree daily
•
Turn of all lights and decorations at night and when you’re out
•
Check your lights are in good working order before using them
•
Never overload your sockets, and check them regularly for signs of
overheating
•
Never plug an extension lead into another
•
Keep candles away from other flammable items, and always blow
them out at night or when you’re out
•
Never leave cooking unattended
•
Buy directly from manufacturers or known high street brands.
Ashley Hook has made the decision
to step down as Chief Executive of
mhs homes in spring 2025.
Ashley joined the organisation as
a director in 2003 and has served
as CEO since 2009. He said: “I
love my job but the time is right
to retire.
“I’m confident we have in
place an incredibly talented
Leadership Team that will drive the
organisation forward with strong
values, integrity and ambition.”
Nigel Hopkins, chair of mhs
homes Group Board, said: “Ash is
passionate about the communities
we serve, and he’s been a
champion for Medway and north
Kent, its people and its places. He
leaves the organisation in a strong
position to continue providing
quality homes and services across
the region.”
mhs homes
CEO Ashley
Hook to step
down in 2025
Changes to how we
protect your data
We’ve recently updated our
privacy notices so you can see
how we collect, store and share
your personal information safely.
You can read more on
our website, or email
data.protection@mhs.org.uk
Who we are
mhs homes and Heart of Medway
are part of the mhs homes group.
Visit mhs.org.uk to find out more
about the work we're doing in
your community.
The easiest way to protect your
home and family from fire is with
working smoke alarms. Test them
by pressing the button until the
alarm sounds. If it doesn’t sound,
you need to replace the battery.
If a smoke alarm starts to beep
on a regular basis, you need to
replace the battery immediately.
You can find more information
and advice on keeping your
home fire safe at www.kent.fire-
uk.org/safety-home
If you have any questions around
fire safety in your home, please
contact fire.safety@mhs.org.uk
Follow the manufacturers' instructions when charging
and storing e-bikes and scooters. Always unplug your
charger when it's finished charging.
mhs homes newsletter | winter 2024
Many people are missing out on
the chance to save money on their
broadband and mobile contracts.
Social tarifs are discounted
deals for people on Universal
Credit, Pension Credit, Jobseeker’s
Allowance, and other benefits.
These tarifs are delivered in the
same way as normal packages,
just at a lower price.
Check if your current provider
ofers a social tarif, or see a full
list at ofcom.org.uk/cheap-
broadband
Social tarifs:
Cheaper mobile and
broadband packages
Winter Fuel Payments:
How you can access help
The UK government has introduced
new rules for Winter Fuel Payments.
From this winter, you’ll only be
able to get a payment if you’re
over State Pension age and you
receive benefits like Pension Credit,
Universal Credit, or Income Support.
To check if you’re eligible, visit
gov.uk and search ‘Winter Fuel
Payment Eligibility’.
With energy costs rising, it's
important to check if you’re
eligible for additional benefits that
unlock support. If you or someone
you know could benefit, make
sure to explore your options to stay
warm this winter.
At mhs homes, we’re committed
to helping those in need. Our
Customer Support Fund provides
one-of grants of £50 to £500 for
those facing financial hardship.
This is open to mhs homes and
Heart of Medway customers
struggling with essential household
costs. If you’d like to apply, visit our
website or call us on 01634 565333.
Other support available
Household Support Fund
Local councils may also
ofer help with essential
costs through the Household
Support Fund. Reach out to your
local council to find out what’s
available in your area.
Cold Weather Payment
This benefit ofers £25 for every
seven days of extremely cold
weather between 1 November
2024 and 31 March 2025.
Payments are automatic for
people receiving certain benefits,
so visit gov.uk and search ‘Cold
Weather Payment’ to check if
you’re eligible.
Warm Home Discount Scheme
If you qualify, you can receive a
£150 discount on your electricity
bill. The discount is applied
directly by your electricity
supplier, so visit gov.uk and search
‘Warm Home Discount Scheme’
to see if you’re eligible.
Housing
Ombudsman Service
The Housing Ombudsman Service is
a free service that looks at customer
complaints about their landlord.
You can contact them at any
time if you’re not happy with
something, or for independent
advice and guidance.
They will usually only investigate
if you’ve already complained to
us and we have responded, so
please tell us first. We want to put
things right if we’ve got it wrong.
If you want to make a complaint,
you can fill out a form on our
website, call us on 01634 565333 or
visit our head ofce in Chatham.
If you need to contact the Housing
Ombudsman, you can do so by:
Telephone: 0300 111 3000
Email: info@housingombudsman.org.uk
Website: housing-ombudsman.org.uk
Spring seeds
in bloom
A big well done to our green-
fingered customer who has shared
photos of her fabulous nasturtiums.
They were grown from the packet
of seeds she received as part of
our spring newsletter giveaway.
‘I planted the free seeds at the
end of June and they have grown
vigorously along my communal
border and through the fence into
my neighbour's garden. She likes it.
‘They have done very well
considering I had to contend with
caterpillars and blackfly!’
mhs homes newsletter | winter 2024
At mhs homes, we value your safety, happiness and
wellbeing. We want to make sure our communities are
places where everyone feels secure and respected.
This means we sometimes have to make decisions to
protect the interests of the entire neighbourhood.
We recently took steps to repossess a property where
ongoing violent anti-social behaviour (ASB) was putting
the safety and peace of the community at risk.
We don’t take such action lightly but we understand
the negative impact this extreme behaviour was
having on neighbours. Before taking legal action, we
worked closely with the police and other partners to
manage the issue and try and find joint solutions.
The decision to repossess someone's home is made
by the courts and we rely on witness reports to help us
build the evidence. ASB is a very serious issue and we'll
continue to take firm action to improve the lives of our
tenants and the neighbourhoods where they live.
Young people from our Foyer housing projects joined with
residents from our supported living schemes for a special visit to
the Tenterden Christmas Market. The weather was terrible but
with unique gif stalls and delicious seasonal snacks there was
something for everyone to enjoy.
But this trip was about more than just festive treats and holiday
cheer – it was a chance to bring together diferent generations
to enjoy each other’s company and see the season from new
perspectives.
Intergenerational events like this one can help to promote
understanding and respect and build on the positive resources
that the younger and older generations have to ofer each other
and those around them.
If you’d like to join in on future adventures, please let your support
worker know. We’d love to see even more residents next time!
Taking firm action
to protect your neighbourhoods
The changes we’re
making
In our last tenant satisfaction
survey, just 56% of you were
satisfied with the way we
handle ASB.
We're committed to doing better. We're reviewing
our response times to make sure we get back to
you quickly when you let us know about ASB, and
that we keep you informed as we make progress.
We're sharing more on how to report ASB and
developing guidance on what you can expect
from us when we're handling your case.
A new process will prioritise the most serious ASB
incidents. And we’re doing some in depth analysis
of your feedback and the insight we already have
and using this to improve our services.
Festive trip brings residents together
mhs homes newsletter | winter 2024
You’ve told us we need to answer the phone more quickly so we’re
restructuring our contact team to make sure you get a speedy response.
As well as changing the way our team works, we've significantly increased
stafng levels. This has helped us increase the calls answered and reduce
the average wait time. We hope you're already seeing improvements.
We know there's still work to do to achieve this level of service
consistently. We're continuing to recruit to the team to make sure we're
answering calls quickly and keeping waiting times as low as possible.
A big year for giving:
We’ve raised over
£17,000 for charity
At mhs homes, we want to make a
diference to the communities we
serve. This year, our fundraising
eforts have already raised
£17,000 for our charity of the year,
Swale Community Care Project.
It’s a small charity that works
to support people experiencing
financial hardship by providing
food parcels, clothing, and
signposting to local services.
To find out more visit
swalecommunitycareproject.org
Call waiting times are improving
April to June
July to September
•
See your balance
•
Access your statements
•
Book repairs
•
Set up a direct debit
•
Manage occupants
•
Manage repairs
•
Update your details
Watch our ‘How to’
video to register
Have you registered to
use
Account yet?
Calls answered
61%
81%
Call wait times
12m 16s
5m 32s
We’re calling on young artists
to get creative and design us a
poster encouraging dog owners to
clean up afer their pets.
Dog mess is a health hazard and a
big problem in some public areas.
You can play a part in tackling
this important community issue
by encouraging everyone to be
responsible in keeping the local
environment clean.
The competition is for 5-11 year
olds and the winner will receive
a £50 voucher. Your design will
be printed up and displayed
in residential areas and posted
across our digital channels.
You can use pen, crayon or paint
and we want you to be as colourful
and creative as possible!
Poster competition
How
to
enter
Please design your poster at
A4 size (8 inches x 11 inches).
You'll then need to post it flat to
Poster competition, Broadside,
Leviathan Way, Chatham, Kent
ME4 4LL. Good luck!
mhs homes newsletter | winter 2024
Getting to know
you better
We want to better understand our
customers, learn more about your
current situation and the best way
we can deliver services to you.
That’s why we ask you to
tell us about your individual
circumstances, for example, if you
or someone you live with has a
disability which means we need
to make adjustments when we’re
working in your home.
A customer who has two children
with autism told us how much
she appreciated the way our
operative managed a recent
situation. “When he was fixing
my electric plug socket, he went
above and beyond to reassure
my children. They have sensory
issues and were worried about
the noise of the drill.”
We want to get it right for you
every time, but we know there’s
more to do. That’s why we
recently consulted you on what
we can do to meet your needs
when we visit your home, or when
you’re communicating with us.
As a result of what you’ve told us,
we’ve stopped using the word
‘vulnerable’ to describe individuals
or groups. And we’re improving
the way we record temporary and
permanent needs and looking at
how we can adapt our services
appropriately.
We want you to feel understood
and supported in all your
experiences with us.
To help us deliver a better
service, everyone at mhs homes
is having ‘allstars’ customer
experience training.
It's about learning how to
communicate more efectively,
showing empathy and
adapting to people's individual
needs, and actively listening to
truly understand the customer's
perspective.
Next time you call us, let us
know about any support
needs you or someone in your
household has. Speak to our
team on 01634 565333 or email
us at contactus@mhs.org.uk
Tell us about
your needs
Congratulations to John and Roseveminda who have said “I
do”, almost seven years to the day they first met. The couple
are residents in one of our supported living schemes and are
a big part of the community
At this year's Medway Pride, we were joined by customers and
members of our scrutiny panel in the parade, and on our stall.
Thank you to everyone who came to say hello on the day.
mhs homes newsletter | winter 2024
Scrutiny panel fly the flag for
tenants at mhs conference
“Your feedback is helping to
change mhs services for the better.”
That was the message from the
Customer Scrutiny Panel at a
conference for tenants last month.
June Patey from the panel, which
carries out independent checks
on mhs services, talked about the
improvements that have been
made to gas services following an
in-depth review.
"Your feedback identified issues
around poor communication, time
waiting for jobs and appointments."
The CSP's recommendations
included a contract service review
to make sure terms and conditions
are being met, increased training
and better monitoring and
reporting of data.
Ola Akintelure, our assistant
director of asset management
said the CSP’s review has shone
a light on the areas to work on.
“By helping us understand what
the service looks like for you – our
customers – we’ve strengthened
the way we manage our gas
contract.”
Knowing your
rights
Delegates heard from guest speaker
Alistair McIntosh, Chief Executive of
the Housing Quality Network, about
new regulations in social housing
and your rights as a tenant.
There were opportunities to
talk to members of our housing
management, repairs and estates
and grounds teams. And free tickets
for a prize draw for ideas and
suggestions about our services.
CSP goes from
strength to strength
Following a successful recruitment
process, an additional 11 new
customers have been appointed
to the Customer Scrutiny Panel
(CSP). This brings the total number
of members to 17.
The CSP uses your feedback to
help us make improvements and
challenge us to do better.
CSP member, Annette Beer, said:
“I was the lead for this recruitment
process which I enjoyed. We’re
pleased to have so many new
recruits and members who can
share diferent experiences of mhs
including general needs tenants,
supported housing residents and
homeowners and leaseholders.”
Learn more about the CSP and
how you can get involved at
mhs.org.uk/csp
Festive Crossword
ACROSS
2 What's on top of the tree
3 Who stole Christmas
6 Another name for Santa
8 Festive pies
DOWN
1 Who's coming to town
4 What has red and white
stripes
5 What does Santa come down
7 A festive song
mhs homes newsletter | winter 2024
Get in touch
Email contactus@mhs.org.uk or you can call us on 01634 565333.
mhs.org.uk
mhshomesgroup
@mhshomes
@mhs_homes
We’ve got 10 supermarket vouchers to give away.
To be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do is
scan the QR code and enter your details, or email us at
newsletter@mhs.org.uk.
Entries close on 30 December so we can get the lucky
winners' vouchers sent out in the new year.
Over the festive period, we’ll be
operating on slightly reduced hours.
•
Christmas Eve | 9am – 4pm
•
Christmas Day | Closed
•
Boxing Day | Closed
•
Friday 27 December | 9am –
4pm
•
Monday 30 December and
New Year’s Eve | 9am – 4pm
•
New Year's Day | Closed
•
Thursday 2 January | Open as
normal
If there's an emergency:
For repairs, call 01634 565 333
For boilers, radiators, gas and
hot water, call Liberty Gas on
0330 3338 397
For gas leaks or suspected
carbon monoxide (CO),
report immediately to the
National Gas Emergency
Service on 0800 111 999
Holiday opening
times
Win a £50 supermarket voucher
Finding support this Christmas
The festive season can be
challenging for many reasons –
whether it’s financial worries, a
recent bereavement, a relationship
breakdown, or health concerns.
If Christmas feels especially hard
this year, remember that you’re
not alone. The mental health
charity Mind ofers helpful advice
on managing tough times and
supporting others, which you can
find on their website. You can also
reach them at 0300 123 3393.
Other organisations ofering
support
Age UK
For advice and support for older people.
0800 678 1602
ageuk.org.uk
LGBT Foundation
Resources and support for LGBTQ+ individuals.
0345 3 30 30 30
lgbt.foundation
MoneyHelper
Free, impartial money advice.
0800 138 7777
moneyhelper.org.uk
The National Association for People
Abused in Childhood (NAPAC)
Support for adult survivors of childhood abuse.
0808 801 0331
napac.org.uk
Cruse Bereavement Support
Help for those experiencing
bereavement.
0808 808 1677
cruse.org.uk
National Domestic Abuse Helpline
24-hour support for women facing
domestic abuse, with female advisors.
0808 2000 247
nationaldahelpline.org.uk
NHS 111
For non-emergency medical advice.
111
111.nhs.uk
Relate
Help and counselling for relationship
concerns.
relate.org.uk
Samaritans
Available 24/7 for anyone who needs
to talk.
116 123 (freephone)
samaritans.org
The Trussell Trust
Provides emergency food support
and local foodbank locations.
0808 208 2138
trusselltrust.org
Papyrus HOPELINEUK
Support for young people under 35
and anyone concerned about youth
suicide.
0800 068 4141
papyrus-uk.org