LYHA Customer Bulletin
With the recent wet weather, the gardens and estates are looking good and it's great that we've got so many keen gardeners amongst our customers.

These Bulletins are a chance for us to share our latest activity and update you about our plans. If you have any comments or suggestions, please contact: georgina.thompson@lyha.co.uk
Our new Repairs Contractor

We are delighted to announce that we have appointed GTD as our new lead maintenance contractor. From this week they will be undertaking all day to day repairs to our properties.

Customers should continue to report jobs in exactly the same way as before, either via our website www.lyha.co.uk/repairs or calling our Customer Service team on 0113 278 3335. We have already worked with GTD for many, they have an thorough knowledge of our homes and we are confident that they will deliver an excellent service.

Please note this does not apply to customers in Whitby and Scarborough, as we use a different contractor to maintain your properties.
Welcome to our new Scrutiny Panel Members

We have recently relaunched our Scrutiny Panel and welcomed a number of new members.

The group is responsible for co-producing our improvement plans and ensuring that the services we provide meet our customers' needs. The first area they will look at is Estates Services.

Over the next few weeks they will be commissioning a telephone survey of customers, carrying out site visits and interviewing members of the team in order to formulate a view of improvements that can be made to the service. These recommendations will be reported to our Board in October. If you have any comments you wish to share, please email: jason.hutchinson@lyha.co.uk
Customer Survey Results

We have now received the results of our annual Customer Survey. Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond - we had just over 600 responses in total.

Listening to our customers is incredibly important to us. By sharing your views it helps us understand how we are doing and where we can improve our service to you.

We are encouraged by the results, as they show an uplift in almost all areas. However, there is still a way to go to achieve the highest levels we would like and we will be continuing our improvement drive over the coming months.

  • Our overall customer satisfaction level was 70% (up from 66% in 2017/2018)
  • 77% of you told us you are happy with the quality of your home (up from 76%)
  • 82% are happy with your neighbourhood as a place to live (up from 78%)
  • 83% feel that your rent represents 'value for money' (up from 77%)

The full results will be shared with you in our Annual Report for Customers which will be sent out to all customers in September.
Catherine's Walk scheme nearing completion

Our latest development, at Catherine's Walk in Barnsley, is now nearing completion, with the first homes ready from October 2019.

The development comprises 8 apartments, 6 bungalows and 40 houses. Five of the homes are available for shared ownership and the remainder will be let for affordable rent.  

The site sits in a very popular area, in the middle of existing housing and close to two local primary schools. If are interested in applying for one of the rental properties, you need to register as soon as possible with  Berneslai Homes  who will be carrying out the allocations process. Alternatively, if you are interested in finding out more about Shared Ownership, please contact  helptobuy@lyha.co.uk  or call 0113 278 3335. 
Get online in Leeds

Leeds Libraries are helping more people to get online. As part of our 100% Digital Leeds programme we want everybody in Leeds to have the opportunity to access the online world and develop the skills they need.
If you or someone you know needs help using the internet or getting the most out of technology, come along to one of our weekly drop-in sessions and we’ll help you on your learning journey, at your own pace. For details of locations and times click here .
Equality and diversity training for our team

We recently held Equality and Diversity Training for all our team. We want to deliver services that are inclusive and accessible to everyone so that we can support the needs of all our customers.

The training forms an integral part of our commitment to ensuring that inclusion is at the heart of all decision making at LYHA and was carried out by the Housing Diversity Network (HDN), who awarded us the HDN Accreditation last year.
Welcome to our new Estates Caretaker

We are delighted to welcome Richard Lancaster who joins our Estates Team this week. He will be the new caretaker on the St Ann's, St Mary's and Spring Valley estates.
Meet our team
Joanna Chambers

Job: Head of Home & Growth

How long have you worked at LYHA?
Six years.

What is your favourite part of the job?
Handover day – when a new development completes and the keys are handed over to a new customer. I never tire of the feeling that this new home is going to make such a difference to a person’s life and the possibilities it will bring. 


Where would be your ideal day out in Yorkshire?
With 3 sons, it would have to be an active day and involve food! A walk and cricket on the beach at Whitby, followed by fish and chips. 

If a visitor to Yorkshire only had time to visit one place in Yorkshire, where should they go?
York – it’s steeped in history and great for shopping and food.    
Norman Davidson

Job: Assurance and Compliance Manager

How long have you worked at LYHA?
Six years.

What is your favourite part of the job?
The variety of work involved in Assurance and Compliance; no two days are ever the same. One of the most important parts of my role is around improving and ensuring customers' fire safety in LYHA homes and we have recently invested significantly in this.


Where would be your ideal day out in Yorkshire?
Mountain Biking in the North York Moors, either the Rosedale Abbey / Hutton Le Hole area or Whitby to Scarborough along the old railway track. 

If a visitor to Yorkshire only had time to visit one place in Yorkshire, where should they go?
Beautiful Dalby Forest or York.
And finally..............

If you would like to receive this Customer Bulletin in braille or any other language options, please contact georgina.thompson@lyha.co.uk
Leeds & Yorkshire Housing Association | 0113 2783335 | georgina.thompson@lyha.co.uk | www.lyha.co.uk