We re Moving! Meet the new board members Check out our new website

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1 LINK The quarterly magazine for residents of Kensington & Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation Kensington & Chelsea TMO Kensington & Chelsea TMO Kensington & Chelsea TMO Kensington & ChelseaTMO We re Moving! Meet the new board members Check out our new website Spring 2010

2 In this issue... 3 Check Out Our New Website 5 Resident Training 7 New Board Members 10 Meet Your Neighbourhood Services Team 3 5 We re Moving 7 10 In May, the TMO will be moving offices with staff moving from Charles House to the Network Hub on Kensal Road in the north of the borough where some staff are already based; this is within a 10 minute journey time for over 65% of our residents. As part of the move, the existing customer reception area at the Network Hub is being improved and extended, and will provide residents with more facilities when visiting us. This includes creating a new dedicated play area for children, computer stations with internet access and private interview rooms. This will enable us to provide an improved level of access to our services for the majority of our residents, and ensure your experience of dealing with the TMO is a good one. In order for us to do this, we must close the existing reception from Friday 9th April at 12 midday to enable building works to take place. A temporary reception facility will re-open next door on Monday 12th April at 9am. There will be limited access to facilities for private interviews, which can only take place by prior appointment. Some interviews may have to take place in other locations until the new reception re-opens. A small number of staff will be moving to a new corporate office which will be located at 346 Kensington High Street providing a close link to the Town Hall. We will also be opening a new office at Blantyre Street in the south of the borough in the latter part of the year, which will give residents better access to our services and neighbourhood teams. In order to accommodate the office move, the TMO will be closed for the whole of Friday 7th May, but residents with emergency enquiries can still contact us via our freephone number on Individual direct line phone numbers will not be available on this day, and all staff moving from Charles House will be allocated new telephone numbers as part of the move. All resident telephone enquiries should be made via our dedicated Customer Service Centre on The office will re-open on Monday 10th May, and as of that day, the main postal address for all TMO communications will be: Kensington and Chelsea TMO 292a Kensal Road London W10 5BE

3 Welcome From the Chair I am delighted to have been elected Chair of the Board. The first thing I must do, is take this company back to basics. Coming from a background honed in resident involvement, I am aware of the issues that surround the organisation at the moment. It is my view that a lot of the issues this company has faced over recent years are a direct result of a lack of engagement with our residents. This arches over the entire organisation, from basic Resident Association contact and support to pre-contract consultation to engage with leaseholders from the off. The TMO was founded on the basis of tenant engagement, putting residents centre stage of the company, with the ethos of providing them with the relevant tools and capacity to proactively participate and engage in all aspects of the company s operations, from caretaker issues through to corporate restructuring. Having risen through the ranks from local Resident Association to Board member, via a plethora of other committees such as Area Revenue Boards, resident panels, contractor selection committees, I am poignantly aware of the areas here, where this form of resident engagement has either been dismantled or left to deteriorate to such a degree as to make resident involvement almost invisible, and the voice of the tenant switched to mute. This will be where I focus my attention, although not exclusively, and have already begun putting into place structures to reinvigorate the tenant voice, such as the reinstatement of the Resident Engagement Committee, whose task it will be to go out to the estates around the borough and reconnect with residents and begin to rebuild the TMO from the ground up. This can only be a success with your enthusiastic participation and support, so look out for the opportunities that will be coming to your areas over the next few months With regards to Decent Homes, I have a lot to say on this matter, and will elaborate in the next issue of LINK, but I am sternly of the view that we can no longer adopt a practice of patch and mend on our estates leaving residents living in buildings that are barely maintainable, which is why we are working with RBKC on a new assest management survey, which will help shape our homes in the future. The Housing Revenue Account, which is the basis upon which our company is funded and survives, is constrained by current Government Legislation. I was present at the Houses of Parliament recently and lobbied MPs to give us greater flexibility in the way we administer and interpret this budget. By the time you read this, I am confident that this issue will have been resolved in our favour. Once again, I am delighted to be your Chair and look forward to meeting as many of you as possible. Reg Kerr-Bell 2

4 Check Out Our New Website Visitors to our website org.uk, will have noticed that the site has changed recently. We ve made the site easier to use and enhanced the navigation so that it is quicker to find the information you are looking for. Over the coming months we will be launching a new online recruitment section where prospective candidates can apply for any of our vacancies online, and enhanced services for reporting and tracking repairs. Services available via the website include paying your rent or service charges online, reporting a repair or enquiring about an existing repair, making a complaint, applying for a parking permit and reporting anti-social behaviour. There is also information on how to contact us, and you can also find out more about the organisation, including details of the executive team and board members and read all the latest board reports and minutes. You can also check out all the latest news from across the organisation which is updated regularly. 3

5 Get Involved and Have Your Say Would you like to become more involved in the way your home is managed and help influence and shape the services we provide for you? If so, as a resident there are a number of ways in which you can make a difference to your home and community. Recently you should have received a leaflet through your door giving you more information on how you can get involved. Please do take the time to complete this as your views and involvement are important to us. The TMO wants to improve and increase ways in which residents can actively get involved and would like to know if you are interested in developing and participating in new initiatives such as a boroughwide forum, a Home Ownership group, or a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) group. We are also looking for residents to join our new parking review panel which will help us assess and implement cost effective parking solutions. You can choose to dedicate as much, or as little time as you like and there are a range of activities that you can get involved in. We are also reinstating the Resident Engagement Committee with board members and representatives from the Area Review Boards. If you would like to find out more about the TMO s resident engagement strategy and the ways in which you can be more involved, why not pop along to our informal session on Thursday 15th April at 6.30pm, at Charles House to discuss in more detail what options are available to you. If you are interested in attending, or you are unable to attend but would like more information, please contact our Residents Involvement Team on or ResidentsFirst@kctmo.org.uk. You can also send us your feedback, questions or ideas on developing resident engagement further, via ResidentsFirst@kctmo. org.uk or by post to: Resident Engagement Strategy, Kensington and Chelsea TMO, Charles House, 375 Kensington High Street, W14 8QH 4

6 Want to Learn a New Skill? Would you like to learn basic first aid, how to change a lock or find out more about how the TMO works? If so, why not sign up for one of our resident training workshops starting this month. These workshops are extremely popular and places are limited, so please book early to avoid disappointment. First Aid for Parents & Carers of Young Children April 27th - 28th and October 5th - 6th These two day workshops focus on key life saving skills and provide an opportunity to learn the first aid response for most common accidents and situations. Upon completion residents gain a certificate which is valid for three years. Cook and Taste May 11th, 18th, 25th, June 8th, 15th and 22nd - Morning Session This six week workshop will show you how to make inexpensive, healthy meals for all the family. Repairs with Morrison June 9th - All Day Learn the basic skills and knowledge needed to undertake simple repair jobs at home including changing a lock, fitting a tap washer and unblocking drains and pipes. How the TMO works June 29th - Morning Session Your opportunity to meet members of the TMO Executive Team who will explain how the organisation works. Maximise Your Money July 8th - Morning Session Learn how to manage your personal finances, budgeting skills, dealing with banks, and examining the hidden costs behind credit cards. Free ongoing budgeting coaching for those who attend. Energy and Recycling July 8th - Afternoon Session This workshop teaches you how to live in an eco-friendly manner and the growing importance of recycling. The workshop will also look at energy saving at home. Repairs with Morrison September 14th - All Day For residents who have completed the basic repairs workshop and would like to learn more including tiling, decorating and basic plastering. You and Your Neighbours Building Communities September 28th - Morning Session Led by Confidential and Local Mediation (CALM), this course is designed to give you the skills to further develop and build good community relationships. Committee Skills Throughout the year, we can provide various courses to help run effective Residents Association Committees. Courses include chairing skills, minute taking and diversity training. If you would like to find out more, or book a place, please contact Resident Involvement on or ResidentsFirst@kctmo.org.uk. 5

7 Meet Our Repairs Contractor Come along and meet our repairs contractor, Morrison, during one of our estate roadshows taking place over the coming months. During the events you will have the opportunity to meet with the contractor on site and discuss any repair requirements or questions you may have. Morrison will also have operatives available at the events who will be on standby to fix any small repair jobs you may have. The estate roadshows will take place between 10am - 4pm on the following days: 21st April Kensal Resource Centre Adair Road W10 11th May Cremorne Sheltered Clubroom Ann Lane Chelsea SW10 8th June Swinbrook Estate Clubroom 145 Acklam Road W10 30th June World s End Estate Clubroom 16 Blantyre Street World s End Estate SW10 0EW 24th July Residents Community Event Holland Park Environmental Health and Housing Services During both 2008/09 and 2009/10 Environmental Health and Housing Services (EHHS) received over 200 complaints from TMO residents relating to a range of issues including disrepair, housing management, and general satisfaction with the standard of services. This has impacted on the workload of RBKC s Environmental Health team and has meant that the TMO has not had a true picture of the level of complaints about services or levels of dissatisfaction. Following discussions on the impact for both organisations, it has been agreed that all new complaints received by EHHS from TMO residents will be referred to the TMO to respond to, and resolve in line with our complaints procedure. On receipt of a call, the Environmental Health contact centre advisor will identify whether the call is from a TMO resident. Where the call is from a TMO resident, they will be notified that that they need to contact the TMO directly to make a complaint. The exceptions to this protocol will be complaints relating to Fly Tipping (which will be referred to Waste Management), pest infestation, filthy and verminous problems due to hoarding or mental incapacity, noise nuisance and overcrowding. Overcrowding issues will be referred to RBKC s Allocations team, and calls related to filthy and verminous problems and noise nuisance will be dealt with in line with existing protocols between Environmental Health and the TMO. For further information or if you have a query, please contact complaints@kctmo.org.uk or

8 Meet The Board Following the recent Board elections, we have a new Chair, Reg Kerr-Bell and a new Vice Chair Kathy Harris. Sylvia Collet was re-elected to the position of Vice Chair. We also have two new tenant Board members, Fay Edwards and Roy Turner, and one new leaseholder Board member, Celine Green. We are currently in the process of appointing a new independent Board member following the recent stepping down of Ian Doolittle. The TMO Board meets regularly and is made up of 15 Members, comprising six tenants, two leaseholders, two councillors, two RBKC appointees and three independents. The Board meetings dates for this year are: May 13th June 17th July 22nd September 23rd October 21st December 9th Board papers and meeting minutes can be found in the Board Meetings section of our website If you would like to attend a Board meeting, please contact the TMO s Company Secretary s Team via rreger@kctmo.org.uk TMO Chair Reg Kerr-Bell Vice Chairs Sylvia Collet Kathy Harris Tenant Board Members Fay Edwards Iain Smith Roy Turner 7

9 Leaseholder Board Members Independent Board Members Council Nominees Celine Green Peter Chapman Cllr Maighread Condon-Simmonds - Conservative Councillor for the Cremone Ward Anthony Ward Jon Dee Cllr Emma Dent Coad - Labour Councillor for the Goldborne Ward Rona Nicholson Jeff Zitron 8

10 Your Home - Managing Materials Containing Asbestos Due to its high fire retardant properties, asbestos was used in the construction of millions of homes across the UK for many years, and is now commonly found in many houses and flats. With such widespread use, some of the homes managed by the TMO include materials which contain asbestos, however, this does not present a health hazard to residents living in these properties. Asbestos, in good condition, presents a very low risk to people, and it is the policy of the Council and the TMO to manage asbestos containing materials by ensuring they are maintained in a safe, hazard-free condition, presenting no potential health risks to residents. Asbestos only becomes a potential hazard when its condition deteriorates and there is a risk of fibres being released into the air, becoming airborne and possibly inhaled. The TMO s Health and Safety Team keep records of homes where asbestos is known to be present, and where possible, we advise those residents of its presence. In particular, new tenants, Right to Buy applicants and residents who mutually exchange properties are advised in writing of the location of any known asbestos containing materials within their home. It is important that in properties where there is known to be asbestos containing materials, residents do not disturb these, and particular caution should be carried out when undertaking any do-it-yourself work close to these materials. Additionally, efforts are made to advise longer standing residents of the possible presence of asbestos containing materials within their home via letters with information specific to that block. Prior to planned works, blocks are thoroughly surveyed for the presence of asbestos containing materials and if it is anticipated that these could be disturbed in the course of the works the material is removed before the refurbishment starts. Asbestos removal works are carried out in compliance with the statutory requirements. Residents wishing to check if asbestos materials can be found within their homes can contact the TMO s Health and Safety Team on or jwray@kctmo. org.uk. It is the responsibility of leaseholders to manage asbestos containing materials within their homes. 9

11 Meet Your Neighbourhood Services Team The TMO s Neighbourhood Services department is your frontline team which provides assistance to both tenants and leaseholders on a wide range of estate and neighbourhood issues. These include tackling anti-social behaviour, fly tipping, graffiti and rubbish collection, to help dealing with domestic violence, through to advice on dealing with rent arrears and debt management, via our Income Management team. Neighbourhood services is divided into two teams, with one covering the north of the borough and one covering the south. They are the first point of contact if you have a problem with your home or neighbourhood and can be approached directly or through the Customer Service Centre. If your postcode begins with W2, W10 or W11, your home falls within the north, and the north team will deal with your enquiries. If your postcode begins with SW3, SW5, SW6, SW10, W8 or W14, your home falls within the south of the borough, and the south team will deal with any issues you may have. If you would like to speak with a member of your neighbourhood team, please contact the TMO s Customer Service Centre on Alasdair Manson Assistant Director of Neighbourhood Services Neighbourhood Services South Neighbourhood Services North and Income Management Neighbourhood Services South Amie Dascombe Neighbourhood Manager Justine Hart Senior Neighbourhood Officer Tim Huntley Neighbourhood Officer Faye Williams Neighbourhood Officer Nicola Rees Neighbourhood Officer Nadia El Sayed Housing Assistant Neighbourhood Services North Annabel Davidson Neighbourhood Manager - North West Gary Riley Neighbourhood Manager - North East Lisa McCreadie Senior Neighbourhood Officer Felicia Karikari Neighbourhood Officer Seraphima Kennedy Neighbourhood Officer Steve Rowe Neighbourhood Officer Glenn McAllister Neighbourhood Officer Income Management Wendy Stevenson Rent Income Manager Emma Sinclair Rent Income Team Leader Reena Visram Sundry Debts Officer Prince Masama Faris Saric Louise Nezandonyi Anne Archer Trudy Agbodza Adebisi Talabi Alice Ohene Rent Income Officers 10

12 Taking Stock of Your Home As part of the TMO s long term planning, we are currently carrying out surveys on selected properties to assess their general condition, and find out where future improvements and maintenance works may need to be carried out. This will help us identify how much money we may need to invest in the homes we manage over the coming years. Over a period of time, all homes will be surveyed, but as a starting point, we are looking to survey over one third of our homes, covering as many different types of property as possible. The surveys will take place until the end of May this year. The surveys will assess the condition of the main parts including windows, boilers and kitchens. You will be consulted and advised well in advance if any works are proposed to your home. If your property is selected for one of these surveys, a Rand Associates surveyor will be coming to your house over the next few weeks. All surveyors will carry a Rand Associates ID badge with a photograph and a letter of authority from Kensington and Chelsea TMO. These will be shown to you on arrival. The surveyor will need to go into each room of your house to carry out the survey, which will take about 30 minutes, and should not disturb you too much. They will not be lifting carpets, moving furniture or checking how you are maintaining your home. If you have any concerns about letting this person into your home, you can call us on , to check the name of the surveyor. 11

13 Cavity Wall Insulation Work Underway Work is now well underway on our major cavity wall insulation project following our successful bid last year to obtain Homes and Communities Agency grant funding to improve the insulation of many of our homes. Cavity wall insulation is an effective way of improving the energy efficiency of homes. A well insulated home uses less energy and reduces carbon dioxide emissions, and can help you save money on your heating bills. Letters have been sent to all residents affected by the works advising when, and what works will take place. In some instances, a scaffold or mobile access platform may be used to reach higher levels. It is advisable that any breakable items be moved away from internal walls in case the drilling of holes outside causes a vibration inside, damaging ornaments. Due to the nature of the works, contractors may work from ladders, but will endeavor to keep all disruption to a minimum. All work will start on the ground floor and will usually take three to five days per block to complete. All leasehold properties which are included in the project will be funded by Carbon Emission Reduction Target Funding (CERT), and therefore no charges will be made to leaseholders. All work is covered by a 25 year guarantee warranty of installation of works. Transfer of Housing Allocations Service The Housing Allocations Service has transferred to the Council and is no longer managed by the TMO. As a result, the Council will manage all future allocations for transfer applicants. What does this mean? The TMO no longer deals with housing transfer requests and associated functions, and the Council now manages the following:- Housing transfer applications Requests for medical assessment relating to housing transfers Housing advice and options The management of the choice based lettings scheme, Home Connections If you want to move from your current home, you can contact your Neighbourhood Officer who will arrange for a Common Housing Register application form to be sent to you. Alternatively, you can contact the Council on or by at housingregister@rbkc.gov.uk. If you are already registered for a transfer, you will continue to receive property advertisements in the usual way, and they will continue to be advertised on Home Connections. If you have any queries about the allocation or short-listing of properties, you can contact the Choice Based Lettings and Allocations Team on They can also be contacted by at housingnominations@rbkc. gov.uk. If you would like advice or information on other housing options, overcrowding or information about training and employment, you can contact the Housing Opportunities Team on Residents cannot be seen without an appointment, so please contact the Council on the above numbers to either discuss your query or arrange to see an officer. 12

14 How are we doing? You can see our key performance figures for yourself and check on our progress. For more detailed information, visit our website Complaints Oct Nov Dec Q3 YTD Dealt with at first stage (%) 94% 100% 100% 98% 91% Dealt with at formal complaints stage 2 100% 67% 67% 78% 77% Members enquiries 50% 92% 64% 69% 84% Repairs Oct Nov Dec Q3 YTD % emergency jobs completed on time 99.0% 97.8% 99.3% 98.7% 98.6% % urgent jobs completed on time 99.1% 96.7% 99.3% 98.4% 97.7% % routine jobs completed on time 90.6% 96.1% 100.0% 96.6% 95.5% Gas Servicing Oct Nov Dec Q3 YTD % of tenanted properties with valid CP % 99.51% 99.15% 99.15% 99.15% Call Centre Oct Nov Dec Q3 YTD Average waiting time (secs) Stay Safe and Secure in Your Home For residents living in homes with communal entrances, it is important to make sure you close and lock all doors when entering and leaving the buidling, and don t let uninvited guests follow in behind you. The TMO is responsible for maintaining the main entrance doors into the communal areas of your building, and ensuring the property has a proper lock fitted. If you notice any entrance doors where locks are not working correctly, please contact the TMO s Customer Service Centre on However, it is your responsibility, as a tenant, to not let strangers tailgate you into the building. Here are five tips from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Community Safety Partnership to help keep your home safe and secure: Lock all your doors Lock all your windows If you have one, set your alarm every time you leave the property Use timer switches on your lights when you are away on holiday, or out for the evening Don t let anyone you do not recognise tailgate you into the property There are dedicated Safer Neighbourhood Teams for each of the 18 wards in the Royal Borough, and they are actively dedicated to responding to local issues and concerns you may have about home security. You can also join your local Neighbourhood Watch scheme, check out its website co.uk for more details, or find out more about home security from your Safer Neighbourhood Team. Details of your local Safer Neighbourhood Team can be found opposite. 13

15 Your Safer Neighbourhoods Team NORTH KENSINGTON SECTOR Royalty Studios, 105 Lancaster Road, London, W11 8QF KENSINGTON SECTOR Kensington Police Station, 72 to 74 Earl s Court Road, London, W8 6EQ St Charles Ward Abingdon Ward Courtfield Ward Mobile number StCharles.snt@met.police.uk Mobile number Abingdon.snt@met.police.uk Mobile number Courtfield.snt@met.police.uk Golborne Ward Queen s Gate Ward Redcliffe Ward Mobile number Golborne.snt@met.police.uk ST CHARLES Mobile number QueensGate.snt@met.police.uk Mobile number Redcliffe.snt@met.police.uk Notting Barns Ward GOLBORNE Earl s Court Ward Mobile number NottingBarns.snt@met.police.uk NOTTING BARNS COLVILLE Mobile number EarlsCourt.snt@met.police.uk Colville Ward Mobile number Colville.snt@met.police.uk NORLAND PEMBRIDGE CHELSEA SECTOR Chelsea Police Station, 2 Lucan Place, London, SW3 3PB Cremorne Ward NOTTING HILL GATE SECTOR Notting Hill Police Station, 101 Ladbroke Road, London, W11 3PL HOLLAND CAMPDEN Mobile number Cremorne.snt@met.police.uk Norland Ward Stanley Ward Mobile number Norland.snt@met.police.uk Pembridge Ward Mobile number Emai: Pembridge.snt@met.police.uk Holland Ward Holland.snt@met.police.uk ABINGDON EARL S COURT REDCLIFFE QUEEN S GATE COURTFIELD STANLEY CREMORNE BROMPTON HANS TOWN ROYAL HOSPITAL Mobile number Stanley.snt@met.police.uk Brompton Ward Mobile number Brompton.snt@met.police.uk Royal Hospital Ward Mobile number RoyalHospital.snt.@met.police.uk Campden Ward Mobile number Campden.snt@met.police.uk Hans Town Ward Mobile number HansTown.snt@met.police.uk Safer Neighbourhoods teams are now established in each ward in the Royal Borough to provide local solutions to local problems. The teams are led by a sergeant and comprise two police constables and at least six police community support officers. Officers will spend most of their time out on patrol in your neighbourhood, meeting the community and dealing with the issues and crimes you have prioritised whether it be robbery, drugs, antisocial behaviour, criminal damage, under-age drinking, abandoned cars or graffiti. Safer Neighbourhoods teams want to hear from you. Each team has its own contact number. If your call is unable to be answered please leave a message, or call the non-emergency reporting telephone number The numbers are NOT to be used to report an emergency or crime in progress. In that case call

16 How to contact us our repairs and customer service centre on: Post You can send your queries to: Customer Relations Team, Kensington & Chelsea TMO, Charles House, 375 Kensington High Street, London W14 8QH Freephone Network Hub 292a Kensal Road, W10 5BE Open: Monday to Friday am to 4.30pm. Closed between 1-2pm World s End Estate Office Blantyre Street, London SW10 0DS Tel: Open: Mon/Tues/Thurs 9.00am pm and Weds/Fri 9.00am pm Lancaster West Estate Office Grenfell Tower, W11 1TQ Open: Monday to Thursday 9.00am pm and Friday 9.00am pm If you would like to contact the editor, submit an article for consideration or tell us about any forthcoming events you are organising please get in touch by post or The Editor, Kensington and Chelsea TMO, Charles House, 375 Kensington High Street, London, W14 8QH or editor@kctmo.org.uk