November 2024: Extra Care Court Newsletter

A note from Caroline Kaiser 

As we enter November, nature reminds us of the beauty of autumn with the spread of colours as the leaves change and drop in preparation for the colder winter months.

This month, we also commence the consultation meetings for next year’s service charges and your Regional Extra Care Managers will be leading these. We have new supporting documentation to further explain what Service Charges are and what services they cover.

I am excited to announce the launch of the refreshed Residents’ Handbook. 

The updated handbook includes information about: 

• The Social Housing (Regulation) Act and how this impacts residents in social housing
• The new process for feedback and complaints
• How residents can get involved to influence decision making

The refreshed handbook is available to view and download from the Resident Information section on the website.

Please speak to your scheme manager if you require a hard copy of the handbook or in a different format.

I hope you will all enjoy the fireworks displays this month and the hot chocolate and marshmallow snuggles around cosy fireplaces (electric ones obviously).

Hello, I’m Ally, Head of Extra Care, and I look after the North Region for Housing 21 (H21).

This month all our managers in the North came together in York to help plan for the next quarter. 

There were lots of interesting presentations, discussions, ideas and planning about how we can keep continuously improving the experience for all our residents and team members. As well as discussing changes in regulation and future ways of working as a group, I also had the opportunity to have one-to-one conversations with managers about the areas you have raised to myself for consideration, including the creation of a ‘North in Bloom’, as well as other ideas and areas of interest that you have been raising with your scheme managers. Ranging from a H21 scarecrow competition, themed photography competitions, poetry, limerick & art competitions, baking competitions (yes please to a tasting panel – Yum!) and a ‘Pet of the Month’ which could all feature in future newsletters.  

I loved the ideas, I loved the passion, and I love Autumn (another snippet about me…. it’s my favourite season).

So, let’s make a start and let’s have us a little competition in the North this month.  Get your cameras ready, sharpen your pencils, and fire up your cauldrons (Halloween Bakers). Please forward anything autumnal or Halloween related to me before next month’s newsletter and I will feature the winning entry and award a prize. It can be anything at all, a picture of an autumn leaf, yourself in a costume for Halloween, a poem/rhyme you have written about the season or Halloween, or some baking, snacks, or decorations you have made. Have some fun and let’s see who, or what, wins….best of luck!

I would also like to say a quick thank you to the residents who got in-touch with regards to ‘North in Bloom’. I’m arranging to meet with those interested in the next month so we can make a start planning and designing North’s first ever in-bloom competition (exciting times). 

If you would like to keep in touch or, if you have any questions for myself or my wider leadership team within the North, please contact us via email: alastair.dewar@housing21.org.uk