You have your say on the merger proposal! - Luminus Group

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You have your say on the merger proposal! - Luminus Group
1

                                                                                                 FEBRUARY 2018

                                               v e yo u r s ay
                                       You ha
                                            t h e  m er g er
                                         on
                                            proposal!
Luminus has consulted with           Board felt it was in the best         On 3 October you received a
residents and is planning to         interests of tenants, leaseholders    letter announcing that Luminus’
merge with Places for People at      and staff, for Luminus to seek        preferred merger partner was
the end of February 2018.            a merger with a large housing         Places for People, out of a shortlist
                                     association that shared our values.   of three large housing associations.
In July 2017 you received a letter                                         At the end of October 2017, we
from Luminus, informing you          We held a meeting on 8 August         launched a six-week consultation
that, after the publication of the   2017, where 80 or so tenants and      that ended on 11 December 2017.
Regulatory Judgement in March        leaseholders asked questions about
2017, Luminus had made big           our proposals for a merger.           We wanted to hear your views on
changes to the way it was run.                                             the merger and your thoughts on
                                                                           what improvements can be made,
This included bringing in new        We wanted to hear                     what services you would like to
Board members and the Board
having more control over how
                                     your thoughts on                      maintain or new services you
                                                                           would like to see introduced.
Luminus is managed. We also             the merger
fixed problems with the servicing                                          During the consultation, residents
of heating appliances and other                                            could let us know their views
maintenance work.                    In September 2017 you received        by email, telephone, via our
                                     a Luminus News Special Edition        website, on social media and at 18
The letter went on to say that,      which reported on what was            meetings in towns and sheltered
after careful consideration, the     discussed at the 8 August meeting.    across the region.

   SPECIAL CONSULTATION ISSUE - MORE INSIDE
                                                                                       WWW.LUMINUS.ORG.UK
You have your say on the merger proposal! - Luminus Group
2       THE CONSULTATION IN NUMBERS

    THE CONSULTATION IN NUMBERS
          18
     Consultation
       meetings                                            Where the questions
                                                               came thefrom
                                          8 MEETINGS
                                           IN TOWNS           Where     questions
                                           AND 10 IN
                                          SHELTERED                  came from
                                            SCHEMES
            YAXLEY

                      MARCH

       HUNTINGDON                                               46 QUERIES     77 FEEDBACK
                       ST IVES
                                                                FROM           FORMS
                                                                MEETINGS       (AND 1 ONLINE
           ST NEOTS                                                            SURVEY)

                                                                52 QUERIES
                                                                FROM
                                                                SHELTERED
                                                                SCHEMES
MILTON KEYNES                                                                30 EMAIL
                                                                             & PHONE
                                                                             QUERIES
                           CAMBRIDGE
                                                                  OVER 200 QUERIES

                                                       Responses to
                                 HARLOW

                                                       The merger

                                          87% POSITIVE ABOUT THE MERGER

                                                           13% NEGATIVE ABOUT THE MERGER

                                  What were the questions about?

   LUMINUS NEWS February 2018
You have your say on the merger proposal! - Luminus Group
WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE MERGER               3

      Consultation meeting
       on 5 December 2017
         at Brook House

The Luminus Tenant Services           The benefits of joining                Luminus will have its own Board,
Consultative Forum (TSCF) was         Places for People                      and a senior management team
present at the final consultation                                            and staff all based locally.
meeting in Huntingdon on 5            All housing associations are facing
December 2017, where they also        significant challenges. A four year    How Luminus employees
met with residents from Derwent       period of 1% rent reductions and       are affected
Living housing association (which     changes to the benefit system
has recently merged with Places       have combined to make it very          There will be some reorganisation
for People).                          difficult for Luminus to achieve its   but this will be gradual over
                                      objectives.                            the next 6 to 18 months. There
During the consultation we logged                                            will be no immediate change to
206 comments and questions            By joining the Places for People       staffing levels. However, due to
including:                            Group we will benefit from being       our ambitious plan of building
                                      part of a much larger organisation.    200 homes a year for the next five
•    77 feedback forms and 1          We will share services, skills,        years, it is likely that we will need
     online survey                    knowledge and expertise across         to recruit more staff over time to
•    52 questions from sheltered      the group. The size of the             manage the new homes.
     schemes tenants                  group will bring other benefits
•    46 questions from residents      including the ability to buy goods
     who attended meetings                                                   How the merger will
                                      and services at a lower cost. In
•    30 emails and phone calls.                                              affect tenants and
                                      addition, we will be able to build
                                      1,000 new homes over the next          leaseholders
87% of tenants who expressed an       five years in the area.
opinion about the merger were                                                Your Tenancy Agreement or lease
positive.                             In summary, becoming part of the       will remain in place ensuring
                                      group will safeguard the financial     you enjoy the same terms and
The Board and the TSCF are            future of Luminus, help us keep        conditions as you do at present.
satisfied that the consultation was
concluded successfully and they
noted the results.

At its meeting on 20 December
2017 the Board considered the
feedback and decided to continue
with the merger. The Board
agreed that any questions from
residents that were not about the
merger would be answered directly
                                      our local base, build new homes
                                      and maintain good quality services.

                                      Luminus will become a subsidiary
                                      of Places for People.
                                                                             The Luminus name

                                                                             near future.
                                                                                                   ‘‘
                                                                             We will change our name in the

by staff, and that questions about
the merger would be answered in
this edition of Luminus News.

                                                                                          WWW.LUMINUS.ORG.UK
You have your say on the merger proposal! - Luminus Group
4       WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE MERGER

Consultation Meeting
   at a Sheltered
Scheme in Huntingdon

                                                                           We are looking for
                                                                           residents to become
Charitable status                      Aids and adaptations
                                                                           ‘Scheme Champions’
Luminus Homes will continue to be      We will continue to work with the
a not-for-profit organisation and      Home Improvement Agency to
is likely to become a Community        install aids and adaptations that    Resident involvement
Benefit Society shortly after the      help residents move around and
merger. This will have no impact       use their homes.                     Over the last few years we
on your tenancy or lease.                                                   have not offered tenants and
                                                                            leaseholders enough opportunity
                                       Sheltered scheme                     to get involved with Luminus. We
Rents and service charges              Wardens                              are very sorry about this and we
                                                                            want to put it right.
Rents and service charges will         All sheltered schemes currently
continue to be set by Luminus          have a visiting sheltered housing    With the help of the Tenants
taking account of Government           warden. This will continue.          Services Consultative Forum and
regulations and other legal                                                 residents more widely we will be
requirements.                          Sheltered scheme                     offering tenants and leaseholders a
                                       Champions                            wide range of opportunities to be
Rent free weeks at                                                          involved so that you can easily give
Christmas and Easter                   We are looking for residents to      us your views and help shape and
                                       volunteer to become ‘Scheme          improve services.
If you pay your rent on time and       Champions’ who will be a point
are not in arrears you will get rent   of contact for residents who are     We will tell you more about this in
free weeks as normal.                  considering moving into sheltered    the next edition of Luminus News.
                                       accommodation.                       In the meantime take a look at the
Repairs                                                                     advert on page 5.
                                       Right to buy
With the merger will come                                                   We are keen for you to volunteer
improved systems and processes         The ‘Right to Buy’ and ‘Right        now to be part of a group of
so that, in time, waiting times for    to Acquire’ schemes remain           residents to help us take the next
repairs will be reduced.               unchanged.                           step.

LUMINUS NEWS February 2018
You have your say on the merger proposal! - Luminus Group
THIS IS YOUR
                           5

 CHANCE TO

           WWW.LUMINUS.ORG.UK
You have your say on the merger proposal! - Luminus Group
Embrace helps
people aged 65
and over to remain
independent

The Embrace service provides support and advice to assist with:
 Maximising your income • Mobility and assistive technology aids for living safely at home
 Grants for repairs and improvements to your home • Ensuring your health needs are met
       Safety and security • Housing advice • Becoming active in your community

 For more information contact us on 01480 428562 or embrace@luminus.org.uk

                                                            Eden Place, St Ives
                                                               High quality extra care living

                                        Peace of
                                     mind is just
                                     a call away

                                                             EDEN PLACE - INDEPENDENT LIVING
                                                             Eden Place offers an independent, active and sociable
                                                             lifestyle with landscaped gardens, patio area, restaurant,
                                                             hairdressers, laundry room, assistive bathroom,
LifeLine is a community alarm system which enables           communal lounge and guest suite available for visitors.
you to call for help or reassurance if you feel unwell or
have an accident whilst alone in your home. All you          To find out more contact us on 01480 411250 or email
need to do is press a button on a unit or pendant and        info@luminus.org.uk
you will be connected to a control centre.
                                                             Eden Place is available to residents who have an
Please call our team on 01480 428562 to find out more.       appropriate level of housing and assessed care needs.

Luminus Group, Brook House, Ouse Walk, Huntingdon PE29 3QW • 0345 2669760 • info@luminus.org.uk • www.luminus.org.uk
You have your say on the merger proposal! - Luminus Group
KEEPING RESIDENTS SAFE         7

 KEEPING
 RESIDENTS
 SAFE                                                                        SHELTERED
                                                                             HOUSING
Working with                           Group Commander Kevin                 AVAILABLE!
Cambridgeshire Fire                    Napier, head of community fire
and Rescue Service                     safety for CFRS, said:                Sheltered housing could suit
(CFRS), Luminus installed                                                    you if you would like to live
two automatic fire                     “We work hard to ensure the           independently but need a bit
suppression systems                    most vulnerable people in our         more support, or if you want
in the homes of                        communities are supported to          to live in a smaller, easier-to-
vulnerable residents in                live well and stay safe from a fire   manage home.
Cambridgeshire.                        in their home. We are delighted
                                       to build on our partnership work      Sheltered housing for older
The systems provide rapid and          with Luminus.                         people includes:
effective fire suppression across
the room to help protect the           By installing these automatic         •     24-hour emergency help
                                                                             •     Social activities
occupant in the event of a fire.       fire suppression systems in the
                                                                             •     Attractive gardens and
                                       homes of those who are most at
                                                                                   lounges
The system is aimed at those           risk, we can help keep our most       •     Affordable rent.
who may be living at home              vulnerable residents safe.”
alone or are less likely to be                                               Each home is a self-contained
able to escape in the event of         If you have any worries about         apartment, with its own front
a fire, giving residents peace of      fire safety, please call Gary Pyle    door.
mind and helping them to live          or Lewis Orrow, our Fire Risk
independently for longer.              Assessors on 0345 266 9760.           For more information please call
                                                                             us on 01480 428780

   TOP 5 FIRE SAFETY TIPS                                                    (Sheltered housing is available
                                                                             to those aged 55 and over.)
                            1.      Check your smoke alarm regularly.
                            2.      Make a fire action plan so that
                                    everyone in your house knows how         Did you know?
                                    to escape in the event of fire.
                            3.      Take care when cooking with hot oil      Luminus has 10 sheltered
                            4.      Never leave lit candles unattended.      schemes across
                            5.      Ensure cigarettes are stubbed out        Cambridgeshire, including
                                    and disposed of carefully.               two Extra-Care schemes.

                                                                                          WWW.LUMINUS.ORG.UK
You have your say on the merger proposal! - Luminus Group
CONTACT US
                There are a number of ways you can contact Luminus including by email, by
                telephone, on our website, by visiting our Brook House Office or on Twitter
                and Facebook (Just search for ‘Luminus Group’).

                                         General Enquiries                      Service Centre
                                                                               For reporting all repairs
                                       Monday to Thursday, 9am - 5pm
                                                                            Monday to Thursday, 9am - 5pm
                                         and Fridays, 9am - 4.30pm
                                                                              and Fridays, 9am - 4.30pm

                                      0345 266 9760                         0345 850 9994
                                            Out of Hours                           Anti-Social
                                            Emergencies                            Behaviour
                                       Monday to Thursday, 5pm - 9am
                                        Friday, 4.30pm - Monday, 9am          You can use this number to
                                                                              report anti-social behaviour
                                      0345 850 9994
                                      FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN         01480 428563
                                                                                Rent Enquiries
                                       Customer Relations
                                            Officer
                                                                            01480 428521
                                                                              Out of Hours rent
                                       01480 428721                            payment line
                                                                            0844 557 8321
                                            Leaseholder                       Income & Benefits
                                             Enquiries                            Advisor

                                      0345 266 9760                         01480 428521
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        Published by Luminus Group • Registered Office Brook House, Ouse Walk, Huntingdon PE29 3QW
                Tel: 0345 266 9760 • Email: info@luminus.org.uk • Website: www.luminus.org.uk
You have your say on the merger proposal! - Luminus Group You have your say on the merger proposal! - Luminus Group
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