Housing Matters – October 2024
Tuesday, 1 October 2024
This is the latest edition of Housing Matters.
Stay safe: the importance of your annual gas safety check
Make sure your home is safe from carbon monoxide by keeping up with your annual gas safety check
You can’t smell it, taste it or hear it, but carbon monoxide can prove deadly if you’re exposed to enough of it. It's important that you allow us to carry out your annual safety check.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is caused by unmaintained gas, fossil fuel appliances, unchecked flues and chimneys. Every year, there are around 60 deaths from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning in England and Wales.
For your safety, we need to make sure all gas and fossil fuel appliances are checked and serviced every year. Carrying out these checks greatly reduces the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Please help us make sure your home is safe by allowing our contractor to carry out safety checks in your home.
When you receive your appointment letter, make sure you are in to allow access to the contractor. If you can’t make the time and date, change it to a time that you can. If you miss your appointment, you could be putting yourself, your family and your neighbours at risk.
If you have any concerns about carbon monoxide poisoning or your gas safety check, please email: housing.repairsteam@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.
If you do hear the alarm or think you may be suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, leave the house immediately and contact the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.
Could you, or someone you know, be missing out on Pension Credit?
Pension Credit tops up pension income and can help with day-to-day living costs
If you are over State Pension age, you may be eligible to claim Pension Credit, even if you own your home or have savings.
You can claim as soon as you reach the qualifying age, which is now State Pension age.
Pension Credit is worth, on average, £3,900 per year and unlocks additional support including help with Council Tax, NHS dental care and for those over 75, a free TV licence.
Around a third of those eligible for Pension Credit are not claiming it and could be missing out on extra money each week.
Make sure you’re not missing out; check your eligibility online or by calling 0800 99 1234.
Are your contents insured?
Did you know that you need to make sure you have contents insurance for your home possessions?
As your landlord, we are responsible for making sure the building is insured, but the contents of your home are down to you. For example, if your water tank overflows, we are responsible for fixing and replacing the parts to rectify the issue, but if your furniture or carpets are damaged, these would be for you to replace.
We don’t like to think that bad things can happen to us, and we hope that it never does, but if it happens you may find yourself unable to replace what is lost. For peace of mind, we strongly recommend sourcing contents insurance.
Our annual report is now available
Do you want to know how your rent was spent?
Are you interested in seeing the investments we have made over the past year, and how we have invested in maintenance and improvements?
Our Annual Report for 2023 to 2024 is designed to share our performance and achievements, including our Tenant Satisfaction Measures. Read the report on our website.
If you have a question, or know of someone who would like the reports in a different format, lets us know by emailing: housinginfo@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.
Problems where you live?
Tell us the issues where you live; is it dog poop, fly tipping, or do you have serious organised crime happening near you?
Please help us to improve safety for everyone in Central Bedfordshire. You can help shape the work of our Community Safety Partnership by sharing your views and completing our community safety survey.
We ask for your opinions every year to keep us up to date on safety issues in your community. We know that no one knows better what is happening in your immediate area, and with the information you can provide we can work together to make a difference, creating a safer environment for everyone.
Your opinions really do make a difference to help us focus our work where our residents want to see improvements.
You can also invite one of our friendly Safer Communities Officers to join your community groups for a visit to talk about keeping safe.
If you would like to contact our Community Safety Team, please email community.safety@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.
Your complaints help us drive service improvements
How we're learning from mistakes and taking action
Working within the housing service is an incredibly rewarding job, the demand on the service can sometimes mean we fail to meet expected standards. When this happens, we recognise the fault, apologise, and identify learnings to improve the service. This is to make sure we do not make the same mistake again.
Being transparent and publishing our learnings is important so we can rebuild trust. Here are just two examples of real complaints we have upheld, and what we have done to put things right.
Complaint one
Residents were not notified in advance of works to remove asbestos from the communal area.
What we did to make sure this doesn’t happen again
The contractor has changed their process to ensure any residents effected by works involving asbestos removal receive a hand delivered letter. This will outline the works that are due to be completed and appropriate risks that may be associated (and how those risks will be lessened).
Complaint two
Failure of an officer to respond in a timely manner to a report of an escalation of domestic abuse.
What we did to make sure this doesn’t happen again
The service area has reviewed the written protocol to ensure there is a clear instruction to officers to maintain regular contact with any customer they are working with. In addition, the service manager will deliver a training session to ensure all staff members understand and can implement the written protocol.
If you are not happy with the service you have received and what to know more about how your complaint will be handled, visit our website or contact us on customer.relations@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.
If you would like to take part in helping improve the services we provide, join our team of involved tenants and have your voice heard. Sign up online.
Dates for your diary
Do you have views to share and want to help us provide a better service?
Come and be part of our tenant involvement resident team, where you can join a focus group or take part in a survey. If you would like to have a chat with us, come along to one of our housing related hubs (dates listed below) to find out more.
October 2024
- Friday 4 October, 10am until 2pm, Older Persons Network Celebration, Rufus Centre Flitwick
- Tuesday 8 October, 1pm until 3pm, Housing Information Hub, Dunstable Library
- Wednesday 9 October, 10am until midday, Housing Information Hub, Houghton Regis Library
- Thursday 10 October, 10am until midday, we'll be visiting various areas of Caddington and knocking on doors to speak to residents
- Thursday 24 October, 5pm until 7pm, repairs focus group. This is taking place online, if you'd like to attend please sign up online
November 2024
- Monday 11 November, 1pm until 3pm, web page overview focus group, All Saints View, Houghton Regis. This event is invite only, if you'd like to attend please complete this form
- Tuesday 12 November, 10am until midday, Housing Information Hub, Leighton Buzzard Library
- Tuesday 19 November, 1pm until 3pm, Housing Information Hub, Dunstable Library
- Wednesday 27 November, 10am until midday, Housing Information Hub, Houghton Regis Library
If you want to be included in how we shape the service to better suit our tenants’ needs, we would love to hear from you. You can pick and choose what you would like to be involved in. Find out more about our tenant involvement schemes.