West Fife - Ochil View Housing Association
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West Fife
West Fife
Investment Update Tenancy
During the coming months we plan to invest to improve
the quality and safety of our homes. This includes: Sustainment Team –
External decoration in Dunimarle Street and South Avenue which is
complete.
WINTER NEWS
Smoke, heat & CO detector So far in 2021/22 we have helped a
upgrades to properties throughout our total of 683 tenants with a variety
stock to meet new regulations are in of different enquiries, ranging from
progress and should be complete by benefit advice to help with energy
February 2022. costs. Our tenants are better off by
5 yearly electrical inspections to £770,316. This includes Housing
properties throughout our stock to Benefit of £115,763 and Universal
meet new regulations and will be Credit of £401,397.
complete by March 2022.
Replacement windows in Carlyle In your area this included helping
Street has been awarded to our 85 tenants, leading to overall
new contractor, Timetra. Works will Additional Income of £133,159,
commence in February 2022. including £18,352 Housing Benefit
Replacement aerial / Sky and £76,832 Universal Credit. This
TV systems to communal is an average gain of £1,567 for
blocks throughout and will
commence in the coming each tenant we helped.
months.
If you would like information
on Benefits, then please
contact the Tenancy
Ochil View Housing Association are partners of the Fife Sustainment Team.
Housing Register and the new online mutual exchange
service called HomeSwap.
Homeswap allows you to register your own property
advert and search online for other
tenants who are looking to exchange.
You can create an account, upload photos and search for
matches of available properties by logging onto
www.fifehousingregister.org.uk/options-mutual-exchange
If you wish to discuss in more detail or have any questions, do not
hesitate to contact your Housing Services Officer. Robert Cowan, Tenancy Margaret Hall, Tenancy
Sustainment Assistant Sustainment Officer
Looking after your neighbourhood
Every 3 months we inspect your neighbourhood for repairs, STAY INFORMED
general cleanliness, vandalism and any other issues.
Following restrictions during 2020-21, estate inspections Follow us on Facebook to
resumed in April this year and have continued over the last 70
inspec get more local news and info
6 months. During July, August and September we completed Comp tions
leted
70 inspections (100%).
01259 722899
Throughout the majority of areas we visited, the main issues found
were dumped items, landscaping issues and a small number of repairs. customerservices@ochilviewha.co.uk
We are working to have these addressed as quickly as possible.
www.ochilviewha.co.uk
Do you have any concerns with your neighbourhood or would ochilviewha
you like to join us to inspect your neighbourhood? It is an twitter.com/ViewOchil
opportunity for you to tell us about anything that’s not right.
If you are interested contact Vicki Brown.
FROM OCHIL VIEW HOUSING ASSOCIATION: YOUR LOCAL TENANT NEWSLETTER: WINTER 2021
Grit Bins
IDVerde have
Keeping
commenced
winter service and
Cozy this
all salt bins have
been replenished with Winter
premium grade white salt.
The bins at Mill Road, Alloa The t
news! n
are filled with a salt alternative to Good me Discou ,
avoid the metal walkways corroding. m H o e n e d
War op
e has efit
Please do not use salt on the schemu could ben ount
yo i s c
walkways at Mill Road. If you find and one-of f d gy
r
salt bin to be empty let us know and from am your ene 0. If you have qualified in the past, now is
we will arrange for it to be refilled. fro o f £ 1 4 the time to re-apply as not all energy
er
suppli suppliers automatically renew their
Questions or comments:
Contact Vicki Brown, Assistant customers’ special discounts each year.
Property Services Officer We work with Home Energy Scotland who can check if you are eligible.
A friendly advisor will help you see if there is any other support you
Advice from can get. If you’re not sure, just call Home Energy Scotland.
the RAC on how If your circumstances have changed, and the team find you no longer
qualify for discount, there may be other ways we can help you make
to prepare for your home easier to heat which will reduce your bills.
driving on ice Or have a look online here:
https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme
Firstly, think about whether your
journey is really necessary. Keep cosy for less this winter – top tips
Tyre grip is hugely reduced on With winter just around the corner, here are a few top tips from Home
icy roads, and braking distances Energy Scotland to help keep you cosy for less.
are much longer. Set your heating controls to manage the temperature of your home.
1 Remember to use the weekday and weekend settings.
Even if you avoid an accident,
your car may get stuck – By regularly bleeding your radiators you will avoid cold spots and get
potentially leading to a long walk 2 the most out of your heating system.
home. Traffic congestion is likely
to be worse, too. If you don’t get Keep your radiators clear and avoid putting furniture against them.
3 Drying your washing on the radiator can make your house colder and
stuck, the driver in front of you
probably will… can also encourage condensation and mould growth.
Your room thermostat should be set to the lowest comfortable
Before you leave home, make 4 temperature (typically between 18°C and 21°C) Turning down the room
sure you pack a charged mobile thermostat by one degree can save up to £80 a year.
phone (and a charger cable),
a bottle of water, a few snacks A quick shower uses less water and energy than taking a bath. For
5 every minute you shave off your daily shower, you’ll save £7 a year on
and a warm blanket. If snowfall
looks likely, a set of snow socks your energy bills.
– high-grip fabric covers fitted Use heavier curtains during the winter months and make sure you close
over the car’s driven wheels – is 6 them when it gets dark to keep the heat in and the cold out.
worth having, too.
If you’re driving to meet
someone, let them know your
route and when you expect Heating and preventing frozen pipes
to arrive. Make sure the car’s Ensuring your heating is working at all times is really
windows and mirrors are important especially over the winter months.
completely clear before you set It is important to keep your house warm and protect from frozen pipes.
off. And in cars with selectable To assist with this in very cold weather keep heating on overnight at low
drive modes, select the best temperature, report leaks to taps or valves immediately and you can ask
option for cold conditions. us where your mains stop valve is located.
To make sure it is working effectively, please report any repairs as soon
as possible to City Technical staff directly on 0333 202 0708 and allow
access for your boiler service. We as your landlord have a
legal obligation to service your boiler every 12 months. If
you have any pressure loss issues, please do not top
your boiler up and report this as there may be a leak
within the boiler itself or on the heating pipework.
If you would like a referral to Home Energy
Scotland for Energy Advice, please contact
Margaret Hall, Tenancy Sustainment Officer
2
FIRE SAFETY Electrical Safety
Have your smoke detectors been upgraded? If you think
your property is yet to be upgraded, get in touch with us now. Checks
With the deadline approaching in the next few months, the
Association will be continuing to contact tenants who have not made Our contractor, Magnus
an appointment with us. It is really important that we keep your family, Electrical are currently making
the property and the surrounding neighbours safe and it is a legal requirement appointments to carry out
for us to be 100% compliant by February 2022. All residential properties must electrical safety checks in our
be fitted with one smoke alarm in the living room, one smoke alarm in every properties.
circulation space such as hallways or landings, one heat detector in the Is it a legal
kitchen and a carbon monoxide detector. These appliances must be linked requirement for
so that if one is activated, they will all sound together so that wherever you the Association
are in your home, you will hear it. to be fully
compliant by
The presence of working smoke and heat detectors has been proven to March 2022
significantly reduce fire casualties and fatalities. If you have not had an in ensuring
appointment to have these fitted, you can call Leona Hens and she will book all properties
you in for the upgrade. Final attempts to contact tenants will be made in the have a
next few weeks but failure to allow access will result in a situation where we current
force access to the property. Electrical Installation
Condition Report (EICR). Similar
to your annual gas service,
Scottish Fire & Rescue Service provide a wealth of legislation in Scotland has made
this important check a legal
safety information and advice on their website at www.firescotland.go.uk.
requirement and action will be
This includes important guidance on being safe during this festive period,
taken to gain entry to properties
particularly when it comes to things like cooking, lights, and decorations.
where access is not given.
As part of their commitment to building a safer Scotland, they offer An electrical safety check
everyone a free home-safety fire visit. They help you sort out a fire escape identifies any damage,
plan and provide information about smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide alarms. deterioration or defects which can
To book a visit, simply call 0800 0731 999 or text “FIRE” to 80800 from cause danger and by allowing
your mobile. Alternatively, you can visit https://www.firescotland.gov. into your home to do this work, it
uk/your-safety/at-home/home-fire-safety-visit/ keeps you and your family safe.
If you would like to check
when your electrical check is
Fire Safety - COMMUNAL AREAS due, please call Leona Hens,
who will be happy to help.
The Association has an obligation to ensure your building and
the communal areas within it meet fire safety regulations. This
includes ensuring that in the event of an emergency, everyone
can escape quickly and safely from the building.
We have recently completed fire Mobility scooters, buggies or bikes
risk assessments of all of our can cause obstructions to escape
common closes and this identified routes if anyone in your building
several areas for action including: needed to get out in a fire. Even small
• Installing additional signage; items such as door mats, bin bags,
shoes or plants form an obstruction
Are your contents
• Carrying out additional repairs to
doors/access routes;
if it is dark and smoky as people
may stay close to walls to help guide
insured?
• Sealing potential routes for smoke/ them if they cannot see through thick Remember as your landlord
flames; smoke. we only provide buildings
insurance. This means that we do
• Carrying out additional checks on To ensure we keep you safe, we will not provide cover for items such as
common electrical systems; be taking a tougher approach towards your furniture, electrical goods, floor
• Ensuring cupboards and common all items stored in communal areas coverings including laminate or carpet
areas are free from stored items such as stairways, lifts, landings. If we or any other personal belongings that
which have the potential to catch find personal items, we will ask you to become damaged.
fire or block escape routes. remove them and if you fail to do so,
we may remove the items ourselves The Thistle Tenant Risks Home
We are working to resolve all these and dispose of them. Contents Insurance Scheme is a
areas but also require assistance specialist insurance scheme for social
from tenants, especially where items Remember: housing tenants living in Scotland.
have been stored. • Keep all communal areas clear of They offer flexible payment options
obstructions. such as a fortnightly or monthly
• Do not wedge fire doors open. basis. This can be paid by cash, at
any post office or pay zone outlet,
• Place all rubbish in bins (where
monthly by direct debit, annually by
provided).
cheque, postal order, debit or credit
• Report damage to lights or fire card. Please note that fortnightly
alarms promptly. and monthly premiums include a
• Do not tamper with any electrical, transaction charge and details are
fire or smoke detection systems. available in the application pack
If you have any questions For more information visit https://
on this, please contact your www.thistletenants-scotland.co.uk/
Housing Officer. or they can be contacted by
telephone on 0345 450 7286
3
Safer
Calling ahead for Ochil View staff
Communities your upcoming out and about
repair
Partnership Working As part of our monthly
tenant satisfaction
In The Community monitoring, we ask for
We were delighted to announce YOUR FEEDBACK on
in our Summer Newsletter that our contractors Logie
we would be participating in Building Services and City Technical
regular meetings with other Services calling you ahead of your
housing providers and local repair appointment.
Police Officers from the West This is an area we are looking to
Fife area. I am pleased to update improve with both contractors over
you that we have now attended the coming months, therefore if
two meetings with partners, and any of your contact information has
these have proven to be very changed, please advise us as soon
useful. as possible. Our office telephones
It is hoped that these meetings are now back on and you can reach Adele Rae, Assistant Hazel McLean, Assistant
will enable Ochil View to be us on 01259 722899 Housing Services Officer Housing Services Officer
aware of any issues ongoing Please be aware that operatives
within the villages and be part may call you direct from their
of any joint action required. work mobile telephone therefore
We are hoping this will provide please make efforts to answer
a consistent approach for all as it may be to do with your
tenants no matter who their upcoming repair!
landlord is.
We will also continue to work
with the Safer Communities South Avenue Vicki Brown, Assistant David Bishop, Housing
Team who work to deliver
community safety across Fife.
Drainage Works Property Services Officer Services Assistant
They cover a range of issues Following a competitive tender
including crime, anti-social exercise we are pleased to
behaviour, public perception of report that the drainage works
crime and safety in our homes at South Avenue have now been
and on our roads. completed by ID Verde.
They have dedicated officers ID Verde were on site for
who work with colleagues approximately 4 weeks carrying
across the council and partner out the installation of a new
organisations to improve the French drain and tanking around Marian Kelley, Housing Grahame Phillips,
Services Officer Property Services Officer
local environment, make people the perimeter of the (Inspections)
feel safer and reduce crime, its building.
causes and the fear of crime. BULK
The Safer Communities Team
has responsibility for the
UPLIFTS
enforcement and issuing of fixed Ochil View Housing
penalty notices including dog Association subsidise
fouling fixed penalty notices, the cost of bulk uplifts
dog control notices, fly tipping for our Fife tenants, a
fixed penalty notices and formal service that is provided
warnings of noise to name a few. by Fife Council. As of 1st April 2021
our subsidy is changing to £20 for
If you would like to find an uplift.
out more about the team This change does not affect the
or to report an issue you process and if you have any items
may be having please see you would like them to collect, you
www.fife.gov.uk/kb/docs/ can request this online at https://
articles/community-life2/ www.fife.gov.uk/kb/docs/articles/
safer-communities bins-and-recycling/bulky-uplift-
service or by calling
03451 55 00 22.
Once they have
processed your
payment, please
send us a copy of
your receipt and we would be
happy to reimburse you to the
value of £20!
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