These are carried out by an estate ranger and a neighbourhood housing officer, alongside other members of our team. During these inspections, we will work with you to identify any issues your community may have, such as fly-tips, anti-social behaviour (ASB) or grounds maintenance. We will then agree on an action plan and time frame to resolve these.

We use data we hold, including ASB cases, fly tips and grounds maintenance works orders raised, to identify which estates we will include in our programme of inspections.

What happens on our estate inspections?

When we are completing estate inspections, we monitor the condition of the neighbourhood, and we look out for the following:

• outstanding repairs to communal areas
• poorly maintained gardens and boundaries
• vehicle nuisance, including abandoned vehicles on communal land and obstructions
• untidy green areas and spaces
• vandalism and graffiti
• work required to trees on communal land
• the condition of garage areas, allotments and play areas
• the existence of pest infestations on communal land; and
• the cleanliness and condition of bin stores and refuse collection points

We are improving the way we carry out and review estate inspections, to ensure we can proactively work with you to improve your community and resolve any issues. We’ve introduced a scoring system for each estate inspection to highlight areas that our team might need to visit more often to carry out proactive work, such as litter picking.

If you attend an estate inspection, you will be asked to score the area on things like, litter, grounds maintenance, ASB and general upkeep. These scores will then be reviewed periodically by our team, to ensure we are making real progress in your local community.

Louise Whatley, our neighbourhood and estates manager, explains:

“These scores will enable us to compare the communities we have visited year after year to ensure we are
maintaining, or ideally improving them. We also look at communities where we could complete an environmental improvement project (like the one below) or work with partner agencies to target specific concerns or behaviours.”

Coming in 2025

We are in the early stages of looking at our 2025 programme, but we hope to resume inspections from week commencing 3 January 2025. We will start in Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill due to the number of homes we have in these areas and the number of communal
areas we are responsible for.

We will be renaming our ‘estate inspections’ to ‘Neighbourhood Check-Ins’ and we hope this new title will truly embody the purpose of why we do these reviews of your local area.

Your feedback about where you live is important, so please get involved if you can. If you live in the area, we’ll contact you directly via email and text message in the weeks leading up to the inspection.

You can find a full timetable of the year here.

For more information get in touch with our Neighbourhood and Estates team on 0300 3300 900 entering extension 7333 when prompted or you can email myarea@havebury.com

The post Being more visible in your communities appeared first on Havebury Housing.

“As the electrical contract lead at Havebury, I look after the electrical elements of your home. My team are responsible for: servicing fire alarms and door entry systems, electrical inspections, and also act as advisors to our technicians if they need any further help or feedback.”

Joe started his career as an apprentice technician at his local council. He then worked for Havebury as a void electrician but left to pursue a different career, but later returned to Havebury as an electrical supervisor before being promoted to his current role.

“Havebury is a great place to work, and everyone is really passionate about providing a great level of service to our residents, which is one of the main reasons I wanted to come back. I see the work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure residents are at the forefront of the decisions we make.”

Most of our electrical inspections are now done in-house, which is around 1,000 a year. It’s really important to us that we get things right first time, and we’ve grown the team to ensure we can do this. Everyone has a key part to play in providing a great service.

Here are some of our technicians who might visit your home:

Laura is one of our technicians and our Qualified Supervisor. As the Qualified Supervisor, Laura oversees the sign-offs of the certificates, regularly supervises the electricians to ensure work is done safely and to a high standard, and provides technical support when required.

Joe explains, “It’s important to make sure that all our services are not only cost-effective, but that we hold ourselves accountable for the services we provide and work hard to continuously make improvements, based on resident feedback.”

We are currently working on ensuring any vulnerabilities or additional needs are factored into all service requests. This may mean we need to carry out repairs quicker or we need to make adjustments to ensure you feel comfortable with us coming into your home.

We know that the thought of an electrical inspection can be a little daunting, as our inspectors need to look at every room in your home. Don’t worry, we will treat your home with care and respect. If you have any issues with moving furniture, please let us know in advance, and we can look to assist with moving items. We will always endeavour to leave your home as it was when we arrived.

The team are really keen to work with you to get any issues resolved and understand your circumstances.

“If you are concerned about anything, we are happy to meet with you, and walk around your home. We want to give you confidence in what we will do during the inspection. It’s not as intrusive as you might first think.”

We aim to conduct our electrical inspections during the week at a time that suits you. However, please contact a member of the team if you would benefit from an alternative appointment time – we are here to help.

The post Keeping you safe in your home appeared first on Havebury Housing.

We want to provide you with some guidance over the festive season on how to recycle smart and avoid untidy bin stores and contaminated waste.

Did you know, it costs at least £125 to carry out the below works:

• Clearing a fly-tip
• Emptying the bin if the council refuse to empty it due to misuse
• Clearing the bin store if it has been misused

These costs are then recharged to you through your service charges.

What shall I do with my rubbish this festive season?

The festive period is a time to spend with friends and family, but it’s also the time when we overindulge and create the most waste. Whether it’s lots of packaging from food and presents, the amount of wrapping paper we use, or what is left behind after a house full of visitors, the waste can be endless. However, if we are mindful, we should be able to prevent some of the above from happening or at least minimise the effects on the local community.

When should I put my bins out for collection?

Many local authorities will have made changes to their rubbish collections over the Christmas period.
You can find out who your local authority is by entering your postcode here. This will help you determine if you are affected by any changes and when to put your bin out for collection.

We want your home and community to be a nice place to live and we ask that you respect where you live and your neighbours.

Please do not leave rubbish in the communal areas and keep the bin store area tidy (if you have one). If the bin is already full, please wait until the bins are empty.

Food

Please ensure you put food waste in your general waste, not your recycling bags. Food can leak and spill, ruining good recycling. There are also many great ways to make the most of unused food, such as donating it, freezing any leftovers, composting your food scraps, or using a food waste bin. You could find some food waste recipes and make the festive food last well into the new year.

Electrical items

Please do not put electrical items in your household waste or recycling bins. These can be taken to your local household recycling centre, which you can find out more about here.

Batteries

Batteries can explode when compacted so these must be disposed of safely. Please don’t put batteries in your household waste or recycling bins. Instead, you’ll find disposal points at local supermarkets and your household recycling centre.

Recycling

Soft plastics– We know plastics can be confusing. The general rule is that if you can crumple it easily in your hand, it can’t be recycled. So crisp packets and the seal on tops of ready meals go in the rubbish. But trays and punnets can be recycled. Remember to give them a rinse first.

Christmas cards and wrapping paper – Many Christmas cards can be recycled, but they must go in the rubbish if they have glitter. Many retailers are now selling recyclable wrapping paper, so look out for that when you’re shopping. If paper is shiny or sparkly, that tends to mean there are sneaky soft plastics in there. Anything glittering goes in the rubbish.

Check if wrapping paper can be recycled; try the scrunch test:

1. Scrunch the paper into a tight ball.
2. Open your hand to see if the paper stays scrunched together or bounces back open.
3. If the paper stays scrunched in a ball, it can be recycled.
4. If it bounces back open, it likely contains foil or plastic and cannot be recycled.

Decorations – Sparkly decorations, wrapping paper, or cards with shiny metallic decorations or glitter cannot be recycled. They should go in your household waste bin or be taken to your local household waste recycling centre. Paper ornaments, cards, and paper can be recycled at home if there’s no glitter!

Real Christmas trees

If you have a real Christmas tree, composting is the best thing for it and for the environment. That might not be possible at home, but many local authorities run schemes, so please look at their website for the best way to dispose of them.

Alternatively, EACH offers Christmas tree collection and disposal (for real trees only) across Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. For a small donation, you can register your tree here for it to be collected and disposed of correctly.

The post Household waste over the festive period. appeared first on Havebury Housing.

We are really pleased to be able to announce the publication of Havebury News winter 2024, and we hope you will agree it’s a great issue!

Just click the image below to start reading, or you can download a PDF version here.

What you can look forward to in this issue:

• Financial inclusion
• The importance of gas servicing
• Keeping you safe in your home
• Maintaining your home
• TSMs and performance data
• Meet Karen
• Connecting with our communities
• Meet our resident, Helen
• Maintaining your community

Your feedback

We would love to hear your thoughts on this issue. Please consider taking our short survey if you have a spare two minutes. The feedback you give will help us with future issues.

The post Havebury News winter 2024 appeared first on Havebury Housing.

If you answered yes to any of the above we want to see your displays!

Share your photos with us by sending them to engagement@havebury.com, sharing them with us on Facebook or by completing the online form below.

If you share your photos with us you could win a £30 supermarket voucher in the New Year.

Your photos will be judged by our team, so make sure they really capture the festive spirit. The competition will be open until Monday 6 January 2025 at 10am, so you have plenty of time to get involved.

Terms and conditions apply.

The post Festive outdoor display competition. appeared first on Havebury Housing.

Here is some of the feedback we received this year –

• “Thank you to the team for tidying the communal area so we can use this space and gain access to our gas meters. You have really made a difference.”
• “The grass is the best it’s been cut in my 20 odd years of living here. Thank you for your hard work.”
• “We at Autumn Close are very pleased with the work carried out today by the Grounds Maintenance team. They have done a great job of clearing the bin area and the central square area. We will be able to enjoy the areas now and will endeavour to look after it with ongoing attendance by the team.”
• “Definitely impressed with how much better it is and looks now, I’ve even told the team they are doing a really good job of it, makes the Howard Estate look good.”
• “I would like to comment on the fantastic job done by the garden team. The work completed is 10 out of 10. Jasmine is so pleasant and polite, and nothing was too much trouble.”

As we are now in the winter months, our service will look slightly different than earlier in the year. Rest assured our teams are still working hard to keep your communities looking good.

• Hedge and shrub pruning and reduction – this is done to maintain the appearance of our local areas. We must take into consideration when we cut hedges due to conservation areas, bird nesting season and considering the needs of the local wildlife.
• Litter picking – our Cleansing team will be working hard to keep your communities free from litter.
• Leaf clearance – to ensure that pathways are clear, and the leaves aren’t allowed to pile up and make the area look untidy.
• Weeding – our teams will ensure they are keeping on top of the weeds and keep all our areas in a manageable condition.

It’s important to note that between October and February, our teams won’t be out cutting the grass. But if you do have an issue, you can report this to us in a number of ways.

• Log any issues on the myHavebury app on your phone or by visiting my.havebury.com
• Email the Neighbourhood and Estates team on myarea@havebury.com
• Or call the team on 0300 3300 900 entering extension number 7333 when prompted.

The post Grounds maintenance in the winter appeared first on Havebury Housing.

Our goal through our events is to create neighbourhoods that are more inclusive, sustainable, and empowered to talk to us about their issues, so that we can bring change to all our residents.

By the end of this year, we will have completed 20 resident engagement events including drop–in sessions, Resident Voice Panels and community days, as well as attending external events held in our community. We will have also completed 22 estate inspections which you can read about on pages 24 – 25. Between April and September of this year, we also asked you to take part in voting on five community investment grant applications via The Place and invited you to get involved with our anti-social behaviour consultation and sustainability survey.

Here is some of the feedback from our residents who attended some of our events:

• “At the last event, I raised issues with trees, and it was actioned straight away, and I am very grateful for this.”
• “I am very happy an evening event was put on, so I was able to attend.”
• “It was great to be able to discuss issues face to face.”
•  “It is so great to be able to talk with different teams, saves my time having to ring up and try and find the best person to speak to!”
• “Thank you for putting on this event; the children enjoyed growing and looking after their sunflowers and we hope it comes back next year!”
• “It is so lovely to be able to put faces to names!”
• “It is great to see a housing association putting on free activities for the children over the summer holidays.”

What are our plans for next year?

Next year, we are looking at bringing you much of the same as this year, however we really want to understand how you want to be involved with us.

We’ve made lots of changes over the last few years, including listening to your views through surveys, complaints, feedback, and increasing the number of events we do in your communities.

To make sure we focus on what really matters to you moving forward, we are asking you to complete our engagement survey which you can find at the end of this article.

The aim of this survey is to find out how you want to get involved providing feedback on our services and what more we need to do to make sure your voices are heard.

We are also using the opportunity to ask you about ways we can improve our community investment grant, which you can find out more about on our website.

If you complete the survey, you will be in with a chance to win a £250 supermarket voucher of your choice, just in time for Christmas. We will review all the feedback and share our new plans in spring 2025.

/* = 0;if(!is_postback){return;}var form_content = jQuery(this).contents().find(‘#gform_wrapper_127’);var is_confirmation = jQuery(this).contents().find(‘#gform_confirmation_wrapper_127’).length > 0;var is_redirect = contents.indexOf(‘gformRedirect(){‘) >= 0;var is_form = form_content.length > 0 && ! is_redirect && ! is_confirmation;var mt = parseInt(jQuery(‘html’).css(‘margin-top’), 10) + parseInt(jQuery(‘body’).css(‘margin-top’), 10) + 100;if(is_form){jQuery(‘#gform_wrapper_127’).html(form_content.html());if(form_content.hasClass(‘gform_validation_error’)){jQuery(‘#gform_wrapper_127’).addClass(‘gform_validation_error’);} else {jQuery(‘#gform_wrapper_127’).removeClass(‘gform_validation_error’);}setTimeout( function() { /* delay the scroll by 50 milliseconds to fix a bug in chrome */ jQuery(document).scrollTop(jQuery(‘#gform_wrapper_127’).offset().top – mt); }, 50 );if(window[‘gformInitDatepicker’]) {gformInitDatepicker();}if(window[‘gformInitPriceFields’]) {gformInitPriceFields();}var current_page = jQuery(‘#gform_source_page_number_127’).val();gformInitSpinner( 127, ‘https://www.havebury.com/wp-content/plugins/gravityforms/images/spinner.svg’, true );jQuery(document).trigger(‘gform_page_loaded’, [127, current_page]);window[‘gf_submitting_127’] = false;}else if(!is_redirect){var confirmation_content = jQuery(this).contents().find(‘.GF_AJAX_POSTBACK’).html();if(!confirmation_content){confirmation_content = contents;}jQuery(‘#gform_wrapper_127’).replaceWith(confirmation_content);jQuery(document).scrollTop(jQuery(‘#gf_127’).offset().top – mt);jQuery(document).trigger(‘gform_confirmation_loaded’, [127]);window[‘gf_submitting_127’] = false;wp.a11y.speak(jQuery(‘#gform_confirmation_message_127’).text());}else{jQuery(‘#gform_127’).append(contents);if(window[‘gformRedirect’]) {gformRedirect();}}jQuery(document).trigger(“gform_pre_post_render”, [{ formId: “127”, currentPage: “current_page”, abort: function() { this.preventDefault(); } }]); if (event && event.defaultPrevented) { return; } const gformWrapperDiv = document.getElementById( “gform_wrapper_127” ); if ( gformWrapperDiv ) { const visibilitySpan = document.createElement( “span” ); visibilitySpan.id = “gform_visibility_test_127”; gformWrapperDiv.insertAdjacentElement( “afterend”, visibilitySpan ); } const visibilityTestDiv = document.getElementById( “gform_visibility_test_127” ); let postRenderFired = false; function triggerPostRender() { if ( postRenderFired ) { return; } postRenderFired = true; jQuery( document ).trigger( ‘gform_post_render’, [127, current_page] ); gform.utils.trigger( { event: ‘gform/postRender’, native: false, data: { formId: 127, currentPage: current_page } } ); if ( visibilityTestDiv ) { visibilityTestDiv.parentNode.removeChild( visibilityTestDiv ); } } function debounce( func, wait, immediate ) { var timeout; return function() { var context = this, args = arguments; var later = function() { timeout = null; if ( !immediate ) func.apply( context, args ); }; var callNow = immediate && !timeout; clearTimeout( timeout ); timeout = setTimeout( later, wait ); if ( callNow ) func.apply( context, args ); }; } const debouncedTriggerPostRender = debounce( function() { triggerPostRender(); }, 200 ); if ( visibilityTestDiv && visibilityTestDiv.offsetParent === null ) { const observer = new MutationObserver( ( mutations ) => { mutations.forEach( ( mutation ) => { if ( mutation.type === ‘attributes’ && visibilityTestDiv.offsetParent !== null ) { debouncedTriggerPostRender(); observer.disconnect(); } }); }); observer.observe( document.body, { attributes: true, childList: false, subtree: true, attributeFilter: [ ‘style’, ‘class’ ], }); } else { triggerPostRender(); } } );} );
/* ]]> */

The post Connecting with our communities appeared first on Havebury Housing.

Remember to leave your details to be entered in to our competition! Good Luck!

The post Havebury’s Christmas Quiz! appeared first on Havebury Housing.

If you need a food parcel, please get in touch with the Financial Inclusion team on 0300 3300 900 extenstion7305 or please email myadvice@havebury.com

Free Christmas dinner for those spending Christmas Day alone

This Christmas, Bury St Edmunds Town Council is supporting local residents who are living alone. A free heat-at-home Christmas dinner will be delivered to anyone spending Christmas Day alone within the Bury St Edmunds area (IP32/IP33). You can make a referal here: Reducing isolation with food | Abbeycroft Leisure

Salvation Army Christmas – Haverhill

The Salvation Army in Haverhill will be open on Christmas Day for those people who may be spending it alone. There will be a Christmas Day service from 10.30 am followed by coffee at 11 am and a roast dinner at 12.15 pm.

If you would like to book, please call Sue 07783089468

Food banks over Christmas

Reach Haverhill

Open until 24th December

Reopens 2nd January

Christmas food hubs offering emergency food parcel , but no hot meals, no appointment needed.

• Friday 27th December (2-4 pm) Chalkstone Community Centre

• Tuesday 31st December (2-4 pm) Chalkstone Community Centre

For food parcels Phone: 0800 009 6710 or Email: info@reachhaverhill.org.uk

The Gatehouse

Open until 12 on Christmas Eve

Opening as normal 30th December

Closed New Years Day

Normal opening times – Monday-Friday 9am–2pm

The Vineyard Church

Open for emergencies on Tuesday 24th December, then closed until Thursday 2 December.

Normal opening times – Monday-Tuesday, Thursday-Friday 9am–1pm – Closed Wednesday’s

Help for older residents

During the winter months, it can become harder to manage your money, particularly when it comes to heating your home. But don’t worry, there is support out there. This page provides a variety of support options for residents 66 and older.  

If you want to talk to someone about anything we’ve included here, or just want to get a bit of extra advice, please call our Financial Inclusion team on 0300 3300 900 ext 7305 or email myadvice@havebury.com

We have also added further links to all of these resources on our website.

Pension Credit

If you didn’t already know, you can now only receive a Winter Fuel Payment if you receive Pension Credit. This makes determining whether you might be entitled to Pension Credit more important than ever. Pension Credit gives you extra money to help with your living costs if you’re over state pension age and on a low income.

You might also get extra help if you’re a carer, severely disabled, or responsible for a child or young person on Child Benefit.

Pension Credit is separate from your state pension and is designed to support you, regardless of your other sources of income, savings, or tenure. If you become entitled to Pension Credit, you will continue receiving the Winter Fuel Payment.

Attendance Allowance

Attendance Allowance helps with extra costs if you have a severe disability, that requires someone to help look after you.

You don’t need to receive care to be entitled to this benefit; you just have to have a need for it.

The application process for Attendance Allowance is straightforward. You just need to complete a form about your health and how it affects your daily tasks.  

You may also get extra Pension Credit, housing benefits, and a council tax reduction if you qualify.

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction

If you are on a low income or become entitled to Pension Credit or Attendance Allowance you might qualify for help towards your rent and council tax.  

You can claim this through your local council, usually online. If you are unsure of who your local authority is head to www.gov.uk/find-local-council to find out.

Winter Fuel Payment and Local Welfare Assistance

If you think you will struggle to afford your energy/fuel now that you won’t get the Winter Fuel Payment, you might be able to ask your local council for help. This short application can be completed via your local authority and a payment can be made straight into your account.  

NHS Low Income Scheme

If you have a low income, such as a state pension or other small pensions, you might be able to get help with dental and eyecare costs and other things that you have to pay for through the NHS. To find out more about this just visit www.nhs.uk and search ‘Low Income Scheme’ in the search box.

The post Support during the festive period appeared first on Havebury Housing.

According to YouGov research in 2023, 1 in 4 people (26.9%) say that ASB has made them feel unsafe in their local area. An estimated 1.7 million people experience ASB at least once per day, every day (3.3% of UK adults).

We understand the impact anti-social behaviour (ASB) can have on you and your family, and we play an active role in addressing this. In addition to working with partner agencies such as the police and local councils, we are also a member of the Western Suffolk Community Safety Partnership, which works strategically to tackle criminal and ASB across the region.

So far, for 2024 -2025, 84% of ASB complainants have been satisfied with the handling of their ASB case.

We caught up with Scarlett, one of our neighbourhood housing officers, to learn more about how she helps residents with their ASB issues.

“When residents report anti-social behaviour to us, I want them to feel heard and know I will try to help them. I always ensure our residents clearly understand our next steps and how they can support us in managing their cases. It’s never as simple as a quick fix, but I want them to know that their communication with us is important, and it will be investigated.

I always try to manage their expectations as best I can early on. When a resident is reporting ASB, I want to know how it affects them and how it impacts day-to-day living in and around their home. This gives me an understanding of how they are affected and how we can help find a solution. Sometimes, we can’t always do anything, but we will always provide advice or signpost to support the resident.
By ensuring that I update the resident regularly, I can make sure that they don’t feel let down or are unsure of what is going on, which is very important when dealing with ASB cases.

Of course, when dealing with an ASB case, it can be challenging to resolve all of the issues. In a dispute, finding a practical solution that benefits both parties can be hard. In some instances, we have barriers dealing with ASB that are out of our control, but I will always try and do what I can to resolve the issue. Most of the challenges we face can be overcome, but I would say the biggest challenge is the time we manage multiple ASB cases, and sometimes that can restrict us from being as present as we would like to be.

However, a big highlight for me is when we close an ASB case, and the residents tell me things have improved and that they have no further concerns. It’s really rewarding to know that all parties have listened and taken on board advice and support, ensuring no further impact on other residents and the community, meaning people can enjoy their homes and where they live.

If you are experiencing ASB, there are multiple agencies who can help and support you regardless of the housing situation. Always do your research or speak to your local council if you are unsure who can help you. If you can and feel comfortable, try to resolve the matter yourself. I would always recommend this in the first instance to avoid escalation.”

Here are some compliments Scarlett has received:

• “I just wanted to say a massive thanks to Scarlett and the wider team involved in a recent ASB case as the issues are now resolved after a number of years.”
• “I would like to thank Scarlett and Kerry for everything they have done to help and support me. Thank you for your kindness and support.”
• “Top result, Scarlett really is an asset to Havebury.”
• “Thank you Scarlett for all your hard work and compassion. You have really helped me in a difficult time.”

If you are experiencing ASB and the behaviour is criminal, please call 101; if there is a risk to your life, always call 999.

You can report fly-tipping and abandoned vehicles on myHavebury. For anything else, you can call our Neighbourhood and Estates team on 0300 3300 0900 and enter extension number 7333 when prompted, or you can email the team at myarea@havebury.com.

We also have an online form you can complete.

The post Anti-social behaviour (ASB) Awareness Week appeared first on Havebury Housing.