Affordable housing programme hit by spending cuts
Cuts will affect housing budgets and communities The coalition government has cut the housing budget for the affordable housing programme from £8.4bn to £4.5bn, making social housing one of the biggest losers of the government’s spending review. More
Private Sector Renewal
Private Sector Renewal works on a wide range of projects within Bolton. Their remit is to work on privately owned terraced dwellings that were built before 1919. The section works on improving the exterior appearance of buildings by pointing, roofing, completing structural repairs, rebuilding damaged boundary walls and also assists with environmental improvements. There are also improvements made to the security of properties.
To qualify for grants for improvements any landlord must join Bolton at Home’s Landlord Accreditation Scheme which enforces strict criteria for Gas and Electrical safety certificates with good standards of tenancy agreements. This initiative is used to back up enforcement action where landlords do not comply with Housing & Public Housing requirements.
Home Repairs Assistance helps to maintain independence for elderly and vulnerable home owners in enabling them to carry out essential repairs to keep them dry, warm and safe.
Private Sector Regeneration operates across 3 areas of significant deprivation within Tonge, Great Lever and Queens Park.
You can see examples of the work of our Private Sector Renewal projects all over these areas of Bolton on Settle Street, Bury Road, Oxford Grove, and Hatfield Road.. This work is so important to the local neighbourhoods as it allows properties to retain their value creates employment and assists in the look of the local area reduces crime and makes the local areas more sustainable and avoid deprivation in the local communities.
Disabled Facilities Grants of £400K (2010/2011) were used to support those residents with mobility and disabilities to access life changing aids and adaptations.
The Care & Repair service providing a Handyperson service to the over 60’s, carrying out small jobs around the home either free of charge or at a subsidised rate has been a very successful addition to the section providing a service which has not been provided by the council before.
These schemes for the older vulnerable members of our community are a lifeline to independence and allow our elderly residents dignity and support with difficult repairs. In this way Bolton at Home provides a diverse range of services to the most frail and vulnerable members of our society and enable them to maintain a fulfilling existence without having to rely on institutionalized care.
In relative terms the funding for these activities is minimal, given the potential savings in stopping neighbourhoods’ suffering market collapse and in terms of Disability and Home Repairs Assistance intervention saving the NHS many times more than the initial investment.
Steve Rigby
TU Pay Review Team
Steward Housing Services
Senior Steward Regeneration Directorate
Bolton Branch Labour Link Officer
Bolton at Home
July 30, 2010
Tenants vote to transfer their homes
Council tenants in Bolton have voted in favour of transferring the ownership and management of their homes to a new-style Bolton at Home. In the ballot, 76 per cent of tenants voted yes to transferring their homes from the council to the new-style Bolton at Home.
Only 24 per cent voted no. Overall there was a 56 per cent turnout.
The result of the ballot, carried out by the independent organisation, Electoral Reform Services, was announced today (July 30).
Councillor Cliff Morris, Leader of the Council, said: “The council has believed from day one that any decision to transfer should rest with the tenants. We’d like to thanks tenants for taking the time to vote. This ‘yes’ vote shows that tenants have listened to the proposals and made an informed decision to transfer.
The yes vote means, that under existing rules, Bolton at Home would spend around £124m on homes and estates in the first five years after transfer. Around £1.2bn would be spent over the next 30 years and £288m of housing debt would be written off.
Councillor Morris added: ““The Executive will now consider a formal proposal to transfer the ownership of homes from the council to Bolton at Home on the basis that the existing rules for writing off the debt still apply. We have said all along that the reason we’re considering this proposal is to ensure that we can get extra funding for tenants’ homes.”
If approved then the council would then proceed to negotiate the detailed terms of the transfer with Bolton at Home and its advisers.
Should the transfer go ahead then Bolton at Home, which has managed the homes on behalf of the council since 2002, would become a not-for-profit registered housing provider. The whole process could take around a year to complete.
Noel Spencer, Chair of Bolton at Home, said: “I’d also like to thank tenants for taking the time to vote. We understand that some people have concerns and we would like to reassure them that, if the Executive vote to transfer, then we will be working hard to deliver on the commitments made to tenants in the formal offer document.”
Of 12,107 votes cast, 9201 were in favour and 2,906 were against. There were 31 spoiled votes.
Labour Councillor Nick Peel
Legal Rights Under Tupe
The TUPE Regulations protect the pay, terms and conditions of transferred employees, preventing these entitlements being changed without agreement. The Regulations also protect their accrued pension rights, provide some protection against unfair dismissal and state that trade union recognition and collective agreements in force at the time of the transfer, be maintained.
Full Document Here
Sickness Procedure
This briefing note is intended to inform Unison members of their rights and of the recent changes to how the sickness procedure is implemented.
Unison locally has won a concession from the employer that as of right all OFIU reports will be sent to the employee without exception. This will be done by HR/Personnel departments who will forward the report to the employee. We have the right to see these reports which are being used by the organisation to decide the future action to be taken against our members.
Locally we have represented our members to ensure that their return to work after a period of sickness is as smooth as possible and they receive the support and facilities that the organisation can offer iii partnership with the employer. Unison welfare is also an important resource our members have taken advantage of in times of crisis.
Unison has recently pulled out of co-operation with the organisation on a working group due to the way the sickness policy is being implemented. Our Union is bombarded with reports and innuendo from the employer without the facts to back up their assertions around sickness. Bolton at Home Stewards are also concerned about several of the proposals being put forward by the employer around sickness.
Unison is working hard to stop any direct or indirect discrimination of its members through an unfair sickness system.
Your Union will still fully participate in a meaningful consultation process when the employer is ready with a set of proposals. Your stewards also have a range of innovative suggestions to put to management around this issue.
We have already suffered a reduction in sickness benefits and will not sit idle against another set of reductions to our Term and Conditions.
Please contact your local steward if you need further information or representation on this or any other matter.
Bolton at Home Stewards Committee
Violence & Aggression
Two years ago Unison negotiated a policy of zero tolerance to Violence & Aggression in the workplace with our organisation culminating in posters being displayed in offices throughout Bolton at Home.
Since that time many of our members have been subjected to physical assaults, verbal assaults & harassment by our customers. This has been brought to the attention of management both at a local level and at an organisational level. Unison feel the time is right for the organisation to act to protect it’s workforce by strengthening the tenancy agreement and promptly responding to and resolving all claims of Violence, Aggression and Harassment.
It is unacceptable in this society for our members to face this treatment in the workplace and we call for management to mirror the NHS policy of Zero tolerance and to put in place tough measures to protect its employees.
This will help with sickness levels by relieving the stress created by this type of behaviour.
If you have experienced any such behaviour or have any other comments please contact your local Unison steward.
Bolton at Home Stewards Committe