Progress - Virtual Scarecrow Festival 2021 - Progress Housing Group
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Progress
Issue 64
A proposed merger
with Reside Housing
Association
page 2
Major works
inside homes
pages 4-5
Virtual
Scarecrow
Festival 2021
SignLive; new online page 2
sign language
service
page 7
Visit us online at www.progressgroup.org.uk
A proposed merger with
Reside Housing Association
In the winter, we wrote to you You can do this by:
to let you know that Reside
Sending an email to community@
Housing Association is progressgroup.org.uk
thinking about joining Progress
Phoning us on 03333 204555
Housing Group.
Or, if you need assistance, please ask
Progress Housing Group is your landlord. your support worker or family member
We provide homes all over the country for to help you contact us
people who have a support need.
What happens next?
Reside Housing Association is like us
and also provides housing to people Over the next six weeks, we will listen
with support needs. Since we last wrote to your comments. We will then use
your feedback to help us decide about
to you, Reside, and Progress Housing
Progress Housing Group and Reside No matter what we
Group have been learning about each
Housing Association joining together. decide, your home
other.
We will write to you again in the summer to and the support you
If you have any questions, you can ask tell you what is happening. receive will not change.
us. We would love you to tell us what
you think about Reside joining Progress You can also read updates on our website, So you don’t need to
Housing Group. www.progressgroup.org.uk/support worry about anything.
Virtual Scarecrow Following a suggestion from one of our tenants,
we are excited to announce our first Virtual
Festival 2021 Scarecrow Festival.
We would like to invite you to get
creative and make your own scarecrow.
You can use anything you have at home
to make it, like old clothes, gardening
gloves, plant pots, garden canes, straw,
or things from your recycle bin.
You might choose to make a traditional
scarecrow or one inspired by your
favourite character like the scarecrows
in these photos made by members of
the Progress Involvement Team and
their families.
Share a photo of your scarecrow
and send it to community@
progressgroup.org.uk to enter or post
it to our Facebook page. All entries
received between now and 30 August
2021 will be shown in our newsletters,
social media, and website. There will be The Minions Gangsta Granny
prizes for the 10 most creative entries.
We can’t wait to see them all!
2
Progress Can you help us make
the next three years
in Bloom count even more?
Entries are now open for our
annual ‘Progress in Bloom’ We are looking for enthusiastic,
gardening competition creative and committed people
or sunflower growing who live in our communities
competition. to help us shape our future
You can enter online at www. organisation.
progressgroup.org.uk/ You will join the second group of our
bloom, email community@ award-winning two-year part-time board
progressgroup.org.uk or call trainee programme.
03333 204555. “We believe it is important to tackle
The closing date is 30 June 2021. inequality and promote diversity. Our
board developed this programme to
Judging will take place on 13 July enable underrepresented people to
2021, with an awards event and gain access to non-executive board
training and opportunities. Helping to
presentation on 23 July 2021. Find out more by calling 03333 204555,
ensure a wider representation of our
society and communities and build using live chat www.progressgroup.org.uk
strong governance for the future” or emailing
enquiries@progressgroup.org.uk
Jacqui De-Rose, Chief Executive,
Progress Housing Group.
Customer through each of the six areas, looking at
what Progress Housing Group can do
scrutiny differently to make improvements.
This is a huge task, so we are looking
at one area at a time. The Scrutiny Pool
update has completed its review of the first
three areas and will complete the full
review over the next few weeks.
Once each area is complete, a
report will be produced detailing the
findings of the Scrutiny Pool and their
recommendations.
You can find out more about the
Our tenant-led Scrutiny Pool has been very busy over Together with Tenants Charter here
the last couple of months. www.progressgroup.org.uk/together.
In our last update, you may remember The Scrutiny Pool comprises tenants
Tenants Charter:
that the current scrutiny review is tenant who volunteer their time to get involved;
engagement and involved looking at Relationships we are always looking for more people
the National Housing Federation’s Communication to join the Scrutiny Pool.
Together with Tenants Charter. Voice and influence
Accountability If you would like to find out more
For the Scrutiny Pool to carry out about this group or if you would like to
their scrutiny review, teams from Quality suggest an area to be reviewed, please
across Progress Housing Group have When things go wrong contact the Progress Involvement
completed a self-assessment of their Team on 03333 204555 or email
This work has now been completed.
tenant engagement activities, using the community@progressgroup.org.uk.
The Scrutiny Pool is working its way
six areas set out in the Together with
3 Visit us online at www.progressgroup.org.uk
Investing
in your
home
April 2021 was the start of this year’s of each element of every property in a Every year we carry out a package
maintenance and improvement database. We continually update our of necessary major internal works,
programme. We plan to spend £9 records using information collected from including the following:
million on improving and repairing your our property inspections. We will contact
Kitchen replacements
homes over the coming year. you if we need to inspect your home and
advise you when we will be attending. Bathroom refurbishments
Looking back to last year, despite the Heating system renewals
restrictions of COVID-19, we carried out How will I find out if any work is being
carried out to my home? Electrical rewiring
£10.5 million worth of improvements.
We will tell you in advance if we are The major planned programmes run
planning to carry out improvements throughout the year (starting on 1 April
This is how the money was spent: to your home. We will usually let you and ending on 31 March).
Planned improvements know by letter at least four weeks before We only carry
starting any work that may affect you. out those
Bathrooms, kitchens, electrical
We will explain the works planned and works that are
rewiring, heating systems, etc.
£1.4 million
the level of disruption you can expect. If required in Planned
you live in a scheme, we will also work each property. improvements
Cyclical maintenance closely with the care providers to ensure For example,
Gas servicing, electrical testing,
everyone is aware of the work being
undertaken.
one house
may have had
£1.4
painting, energy efficiency works, etc.
Planned maintenance and a new kitchen
million
£4.6 million
improvements installed more
Responsive repairs Every year we carry out a programme recently than
Day-to-day repairs, empty of planned maintenance and neighbouring properties and so may
property repairs, etc. improvements to replace or repair the not need a replacement at this time.
£2.8 million parts of your home that need to be Before any major internal works and
updated. This year, we will carry out the external painting work, we will need
Miscellaneous following works to your homes. Most of to carry out an asbestos survey at
Environmental improvements, the work will be delivered by our chosen your property. You will be told if your
major repairs and partner contractors. We will make sure home is part of the planned works
maintenance, etc. the work is of a high standard and that programme, and an asbestos surveyor
£0.2 million quality products are used. All the work will contact you in advance of the
will be monitored and managed closely works to carry out the survey. If you
TOTAL £10.5 million refuse to have an asbestos survey
by our Progress Contracts Team.
carried out, we will not be able to
Types of work Number continue with the
This year we will be investing more planned works.
money into improving your homes, Major internal works
with a repairs and maintenance budget Aids and adaptations
of £9 million. This includes planned Kitchens and electric 65 Every year we carry out aids and
improvements, repairs and maintenance upgrades adaptations work to help those with a
and ensuring you are safe in your home. Bathrooms 61 disability enjoy their homes. Demand
We will also make sure that if you were for these works is high, so we carefully
Major external works
on a planned improvement programme assess every request.
last year and we were unable to carry Roofs 13
We have a health and wellbeing officer
out the work, you will be on our priority Double glazed windows 11 who can advise on making the best
programme this year.
External Doors 52 use of your home. If you think that you
How is the work planned? would benefit from an improvement of
Heating systems
To help us plan our future maintenance this type, email us at enquiries@
Gas heating 48 progressgroup.org.uk or phone
programmes, we record the condition
03333 204555.
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ProgressStreetTalk
4
Ma j o r w o r k s
insid e h o m e s
Painting the assist you if you need help. in communal Miscellaneous
outside of your
home Responsive Electrical testing
areas of our
supported £0.2
We will spend repairs
We have increased the number of
electrical tests we undertake by
living schemes,
and disinfecting
million
over £120,000
painting the £2.8 reducing the frequency of these
tests from every 10 years to every
water storage
tanks. We
outside of your
homes this year.
million five years. The electrical test is always try to minimise disruption to
for your safety, to ensure that tenants, and, in most cases, you will
Often this will
everything is working safely. not know that they are happening -
involve carrying
but where you do need to know, we
out minor repairs to rotten or damaged It is very important that we carry out
will contact you in advance. We must
timber before the painting is carried these checks every five years (and
carry out regular health and safety
out. All tenants will be notified if their sometimes more frequently), so
checks. This year, we have increased
property will be painted within the next please try to keep to the appointment
our investment to ensure the safety of
few months. we have made with you. If you are
our tenants and residents.
not available on the day of your
Gas servicing appointment, please contact us Day-to-day repairs
Every year we need to check the immediately to rearrange. This helps Every year, we carry out thousands
safety of all the gas appliances that to reduce the number of ‘no access’ of day-to-day repairs at the request
we have provided in your home. This visits we carry out and means we can of our tenants. We also repair and
service is for your safety, to ensure rearrange an appointment to suit you. carry out improvements to empty
that everything is working safely and
If an electrician calls at your property properties and prepare them for new
efficiently.
and has been unable to gain access, a tenants to move into once the old
We must carry out these checks card will be posted through your door tenant has
every year if you have gas in your to tell you that someone has called to moved out.
property, so please try to keep to the do your inspection. The card will have Customer satisfaction
appointment we have made with you. a phone number, and it is important for
If you are not available on the day of We have received some fantastic
your own safety that you contact us to feedback from our customers over
your appointment, please contact us make a suitable appointment. If you
immediately to the last year. For example, you told
have a support worker, they will be us that our operatives were following
rearrange. This able to assist you if you need help.
helps reduce COVID-safe working practices. This
the number helped give you the assurance you
Cyclical of ‘no access’ You must allow us access to your
needed at a difficult time. We are
always delighted to hear from our
maintenance visits we home to carry out these checks. customers. Please let us know if we
carry out and
£4.6 means we can
Gas servicing and electrical testing
are carried out to keep you safe
get it right, as we’ll keep on doing
the things that you appreciate and
million rearrange an
appointment to
in your home. We will do our very let us know if we get it wrong so we
best to schedule an appointment can look at ways of improving our
suit you. convenient for you. It is important services. So if you have any feedback
If a gas engineer calls at your property you allow us access to your on any part of our repairs and
and has been unable to gain access, a home before the date of your last maintenance service, please don’t
card will be posted through your door certificate. hesitate to contact your Supported
to tell you that someone has called to Living Housing Officer or our Property
do your inspection. The card will have Services Continuous Improvement
our phone number on it. It is important Other health and safety works Manager, Diane Strickland. You
for your own safety and to comply with We have many other maintenance can reach Diane at enquiries@
the law that you contact us to make programmes running all the time. progressgroup.org.uk or by calling
a suitable appointment. If you have These include servicing all lifts and fire 03333 204555.
a support worker, they will be able to alarms, testing electrical appliances
5 Visit us online at www.progressgroup.org.uk
Fire safety
in your home
Fire safety here at Progress However, you can reduce the risk of fire in your home by following these
Housing Group is a high basic rules:
priority. Our employees work
extremely hard to ensure that
egularly test
R xtinguish
E
our buildings are maintained your smoke cigarettes
as safe as possible. alarms and carefully and
Fire risk assessments are carried out at report any faults never smoke in
properties managed by the Group that bed
have common means of escape,
such as:
• Community centres Keep all
exits clear of eep candles
K
• Blocks of flats obstructions so in secure and
that people can non-flammable
• Houses of multiple occupations
escape quickly holders
• Shared houses identified as and never
supported accommodation (more leave them
than one tenancy) unattended
• Houses with support staff sleep
rooms or offices identified as Take care in
supported accommodation the kitchen
and never
leave cooking o not overload
D
The fire risk assessment identifies unattended electrical
actions and recommendations to be sockets
carried out to keep all our properties
safe and protect you from the dangers
associated with fire. Any significant ever leave
N
findings and recommendations are electrical o not leave a
D
recorded by the Group and monitored appliances fire door open,
through to completion of the action. switched on and never
when no one is remove an
Unfortunately, fires are common and at home automatic door
can cause serious injury and damage closer
to your home and possessions.
lways keep
A
matches and o not store
D
lighters out anything
of reach of flammable such
By following these simple tips, it children as petrol in your
will keep you safe in your home. home
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6
Project SEARCH interns SignLive
join Progress! The Group is now using
an online sign language
We now have ten young people The ten young people will take part
in a mix of classroom-based learning service, SignLive
set to join us in September
as part of our partnership and workplace experience within SignLive is an online video British
one of our departments. Look out for Sign Language (BSL) interpretation
with DFN Project SEARCH. further updates about Project Search service available for free for our
Project SEARCH is a project to in our future newsletters and on our tenants and customers.
help people to find work and was Facebook and Instagram pages.
launched in South Ribble with partners To use this service, you need
including Progress Housing Group, to register on the SignLive
Runshaw College, Lancashire County website www.signlive.co.uk
Council, South Ribble Borough and either download an
Council and a national charity app or access it via
called Hft. Hft provides services for the internet on your
people with learning disabilities. computer or
The project will help young people smartphone.
with a learning disability or autism
(aged18-24) gain workplace skills.
Once
registered,
Are you ready for changes you can
search and
to online payments?
look for Progress
Housing Group in
the online community
directory.
Banks are starting to add You can prepare for these changes by:
Then, by clicking on the phone
more checks to keep you safe M
akingsure your bank has your number, you will be connected to
when using your bank card correct contact information, such an interpreter who will support you
online to buy things or make as your telephone number throughout the call using BSL via a
payments to organisations. A
lternatively,
you can call our
live video link.
Progress Housing Group is not Progress Connect Team on Karen Cookson, Customer Contact
bringing it in, but it might make it 03333 204555 to find out about Manager, said:
harder for you to pay your rent to us if other ways to pay your rent or
you use our online payment service. speak to your housing officer. “We hope that using this new
service will make it easier for
British Sign Language users
Lisa
Easter with her to contact us; particularly at
fabulous the moment when face-to-
Easter card face appointments are limited,
cheer
We received 21 entries
and deaf or hearing impaired
customers may not be able
to have the support they
to our Easter card usually use from family or
decorating competition friends.”
which we ran across the
Group.
Congratulations to our ten
winners, we received some
Philip’s
fantastic designs. A special entry
mention goes to Lisa, who
won for her design and
thank you to Philip for his
wonderful entry.
7 Visit us online at www.progressgroup.org.uk
Competition time!
✂
Useful addresses and
Congratulations to Debbie, who lives in Lancashire,
who is our competition winner. Debbie participated
telephone numbers
in our creative activities in the last edition of Progress Due to coronavirus, our offices are
People and drew this fantastic self-portrait. Your £20 currently closed to visitors.
One4all voucher is on its way to you!
You can still contact us in the
If you would like to be in with a chance of winning a
£20 One4all voucher, please complete the spot the following ways:
difference below and either take a photo and email it to Write to us at:
marketing@progressgroup.org.uk with your name Progress Housing Group
and address. Or you can send your entries with your Sumner House, 21 King Street,
contact details to Joanne Hodson, Progress Housing Leyland, Lancashire, PR25 2LW
Group, Sumner House, 21 King Street, Leyland,
Lancashire PR25 2LW. Good luck! 03333 204555
Live chat with us on our website at
The deadline for entries is Friday, 30 July 2021. www.progressgroup.org.uk
enquiries@progressgroup.org.uk
Find 10 differencies
Leeds office
Progress Housing Group
New Pudsey Court, 101 Bradford Road,
Pudsey, Leeds, LS28 6AT
LiLAC tenants 0345 241 6041
Progress Housing Group tenants
living in Cambridgeshire, Durham,
Essex, North Lincolnshire, Norfolk,
Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Scottish
Borders, Suffolk, Yorkshire.
0345 241 0208
Live chat with us on our website at
www.progressgroup.org.uk
Online tenant account
Visit our website www.progressgroup.
org.uk/activate to set up and activate
your tenant account. If you have already
set up your tenant account, you can log
on to it via the website.
Repairs
There are now several different
arrangements for repairs, so please
check with your Supported Living
Housing Officer to find out about the
correct telephone number to ring.
Remember: Repairs lines are usually
Brain-teasers 4:Which famous road bridge links the very busy first thing in the morning.
Houses of Parliament to the London If your repair is not urgent, please try
Questions: phoning after 11am. You can report
borough of Lambeth?
1: What small flat tool is used by repairs online 24 hours a day!
5: In the UK we call it a curriculum vitae
stringed instrument players to pluck
or CV. What is it called in America?
or strum while they’re playing?
6: Ant Middleton is the author of the This newsletter is available in
2: Which married couple created the audio CD, large print, Braille or an
newly published motivational book
Sci-Fi TV series ‘Thunderbirds’, alternative language.
‘Zero Negativity’. On which Channel
‘Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons’
4 show is he the Chief Instructor? To request your alternative format
and ‘Stingray’?
7: In Thunderbirds who was the pilot of please contact the Progress
3: Who succeeded Jimmy Carter
Thunderbird 2? Involvement Team on 03333
as US President in the 1980 US
presidential election? 8: Which former Charlton Athletic and 204555 or write to us at our Head
Newcastle United player is now the Office address (details above) or
manager of Fulham FC? email enquiries@progressgroup.
Answers: 1: A plectrum, 2: Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, 3: Ronald Reagan, 4: Westminster org.uk
Bridge, 5: A resume, 6: SAS: Who dares wins, 7: Virgil Tracy, 8: Scott Parker
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