| 1. | Promote Street Learning
courses, and other council initiatives to help people get online and/or
improve their IT skills | - Increased awareness of Street Learning amongst tenants
- Teams to advertise and promote Street Learning
- Increased take-up of Street Learning courses by tenants
- Promote the digital Skills booklet highlighting where people can get computer training and advice and access Wi-Fi
- Assess take-up after a year
| 2023 – by the end of the lifetime of the Strategy | - Brochure taken to RL courts.
- Using social media, website and Wealden Weekly to promote Street Learning – Facebook set up in 2022
- Worked with library service to support Get online week 2018 and to provide outreach and promote their IT support services including via Threshold and e-newsletter
- During Covid worked with
the library service who ran a tablet loan scheme, with data and telephone IT
support.
|
| 2. | Training to develop the IT skills of the older tenants and leaseholders | - Identify a training provider
- Link to incentive approach
- Promote the availability of training to older people outside the courts
| 2023 – by the end of the lifetime of the Strategy | - National Get Online week 2018
- Drop in sessions held at Rumsey Court, Mary Burfield, Church Bailey.
- see above 1.
- In 2022 post the lifting of Covid restrictions there are plans to deliver more outreach services.
|
| 3. | Consider the installation of WI-FI within the council’s temporary accommodation | - Consult with tenants
- Identify the impact on the service charge
- Plan the installation
- Ensure details for residents of temporary accommodation are available via the
Housing Portal - Promote take
up to residents of temporary accommodation
| 2020 | Installation cost currently make it unviable but will be kept under review |
| 4. | Promote the take up of Direct Debit amongst tenants and leaseholders | - Link to incentive approach
- Ensure DD mandates are available electronically
- Market the availability of Direct Debits to the tenant population
- Explore offering additional direct debit dates
| 2022 | - Rent First not proceeding. Being done as part of Tenant Reward Scheme, but delayed due to Covid.
- Threshold Spring 2021 article promoting the benefits of
paying your rent by DD.
|
| 5. | Promote the benefits of being online | - Consider running a “get online” campaign
- Link to Street Learning
- Link to corporate promotion of getting people online
| 2023 – during the
lifetime of the Strategy | - National Get Online week 2018 with outreach sessions in 2018 and also 2019.
- Digital Fund bid with
SCDA – was unsuccessful - Utilising publications
- Working with ESCC
library service to hold outreach
sessions as well as those in the library - Working with partners to
promote and support All Digital Week
|
| 6. | Promote internet
security | Ensure we
run at least 2 internet security courses as part of Street Learning per annum | 2023 – during the
lifetime of the Strategy | Now part of all IT
Street Learning courses |
| 7. | Increase the number
of tenants and leaseholders accessing
the internet | - Promote the
advantages of being online - Advertise
where tenants and leaseholders can go to access the internet e.g. local
libraries, Council offices etc. - Explore
providing the internet to our temporary accommodation units
| Next STAR survey in 2020 | Information no longer collected |
| 8. | Ensure tenants and leaseholders can access advice on budgeting | - Refer people to CAB
- Promote the
use of our budgeting form - Include
budgeting as part of the online tenancy training modules - Run
budgeting courses subject to demand via Street Learning - Develop
online budgeting course for tenants
| 2023 – during the
lifetime of the Strategy | - Promote CAB
- CAB provide a quarterly
report on WDC referrals - Budgeting is part of
pre-tenancy training - Part of pre-tenancy
training - 2022 new 3 years SLA
with CAB issued by WDC
|
| 9. | Help tenants and leaseholders reduce their energy costs | - Roll out collective energy switches to help households to save money on their gas and electricity bills
- Promote Warm Home Discounts to tenants on benefits. The warm homes discount is a £140 electricity bill rebate to those on qualifying incomes.
- Council residents to receive promotional publicity via Council Tax bills as well as social media
- Target those who have Rointe and gas central heating to make sure they are on correct competitive tariffs.
| 2023 – during the lifetime of the Strategy | - Active and on-going with annual collective switch initiative. The big switch since 2020 is for renewable electrify tariffs only.
- Letters sent to all tenants who have Rointe heaters and Warm Home Discounts promoted in the letter.
- We have been working with Citizens Advice on a local fuel voucher scheme. Those visiting CAB to get a food voucher may also be entitled to a fuel voucher if the advisor deems the
individual at risk of self-disconnection. Both for those with and without gas. - Your Energy Sussex have now made funding available for fuel vouchers across Sussex.
- East Sussex set up at the end of 2021 Housing Support Scheme was set-up to help people with Utility
debts
|
| 10. | Help tenants access basic bank accounts | - Work with East Sussex Credit Union to promote their basic accounts
- Financially assist tenants with the set up costs of basic accounts and savings with the East Sussex Credit Union
- Determine profile using STAR of those without bank accounts
- At sign-up ensure all new tenants have a bank account or provide them with support to
access one
| 2018/19 onwards | - Credit Union no longer receive funding in Wealden so have withdrawn their outreach service from the
council offices - Finances set aside to help tenants without a bank account set one up with the Credit Union
- very small numbers, mainly very elderly
- At sign-ups tenants are asked if they have a bank account, if not they are given information about
the East Sussex Credit Union and their accounts
|
| 11. | Increase in the number of tenants who have a bank account | - Advertise the benefits of being banked
- Promote the services provided by East Sussex Credit Union
- Provide financial assistance to help those unable to afford the set-up cost of a Credit Union Account
| 2020 – next STAR survey | - All opportunities utilized, including at sign-up
- Budget set aside for tenants without a bank account to cover any set-up costs
|
| 12. | Increase home contents insurance take-up | - On sign-up of new tenants get tenants to complete a form so crystal insurance can call them to quote for contents insurance
- Target tenants and leaseholders living in flats to ensure they have contents insurance
| 2022 – Next STAR survey | - We are no longer able to promote specific schemes for tenants as legal and procurement require more general sign-posting
- we do general advert in Threshold Autumn 2021
- looking to procure a preferred partner in 2022
|
| 13. | Work with the Credit
Union to promote affordable loans and savings | - Increased awareness of East Sussex Credit Union services
- Increase in number of tenants saving with the East Sussex Credit Union bank account
- Reduction in the number of tenants with loans from a doorstop lender or payday loan
| - 2022 – Next STAR survey
- 2018/19
| - GDPR makes it difficult to undertake general publicity
- no longer work closely with Credit Union and outreach from WDC offices has stopped
|
| 14. | Work with CAB to ensure tenants and leaseholders receive debt advice when needed | - Ensure staff make appropriate referrals to CAB
- Ensure new staff are aware of CAB services
- Promote the services of CAB
| 2022 – Next STAR survey | Quarterly report received from CAB which monitors referrals and use of their services |
| 15. | Promote awareness of the dangers of illegal money lending and where to go for help | - Promote the work of the Illegal Money Lending Team
- Raise awareness of loan sharks
| 2022 – Next STAR survey | Social Media campaign supporting national campaign Dec 2018, 2019 and 2020 with Illegal Money
Lending Team |
| 16. | Provide advice to ensure tenants and leaseholders are accessing all the benefits to which they are entitled | - Provide benefit checks for tenants
- Promote and assist tenants to apply for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP)
- Promote Discretionary East Sussex Support Scheme (DESSS)
| 2023 – during the lifetime of the Strategy | - Employment of a housing Tenancy Support Officer
- Tenancy Support Officer has been holding benefit outreach sessions in the retirement living courts
over 2019/20. On old currently due to Covid but due to re-start in 2022
|
| 17. | Support and maximise the take up of free Street Learning courses amongst tenants | - Carry out a survey of tenants training needs
- Look to provide any new courses identified by tenants ideally as part of Street
Learning - Promote Street Learning courses
| 2023 – during the lifetime of the Strategy | Brochures taken to all RL courts and all resident groups. Promoted on social media, website Wealden Weekly
etc, Threshold, monthly e-newsletter. |
| 18. | Advertise services to help tenants and leaseholders attend structured training courses e.g. those
to develop self-confidence or those to support people access training | - Promote specific courses e.g. those to help with self-confidence
- Promote Southdown’s Student Buddies scheme
| 2023 – during the lifetime of the Strategy | Southdown’s Student Buddy Scheme has ceased so no longer able to do this. |
| 19. | Promote free employment support available in Wealden including outreach services | Promote support services available | 2023 – during the lifetime of the Strategy | Work closely with JCP and People Matter |
| 20. | Offer/fund courses specifically to meet tenant’s and leaseholders needs e.g. IT training in Retirement Living Courts, those to help tenants and leaseholders get involved or deliver community projects | - Carry out surveys to identified what training is needed
- Deliver training to meet these needs where sufficient need exists
| 2023 – during the lifetime of the Strategy | - Tenant Involvement Team have provided accredited courses in 2018. Also part of TPAS which enables
tenants to attend their courses and conferences. - training IT outreach support provided during to some retirement
living courts provided by the library service - 2022 will be running dementia awareness training
|
| 21. | Develop online training for tenants | - Explore the possibility to offer online Street learning Course
- Explore the possibility to expand the Online Housing Applicants Tenancy Training to offer
modules for tenants - Survey Housing Teams to determine what courses should be provided
- Survey tenants to find out what they need
| 2020 | pre-tenancy training used for applicants based on modules they need to cover rather than the whole course |
| 22. | Promote Scams awareness | Work with the East Sussex Against scams partnership to promote their SCAMs their work | 2023 – during the lifetime of the Strategy | Wealden social media used. IT security part of any Street Learning IT course |
| 23. | Provide access to numeracy and literacy courses | Provide as part of Street Learning numeracy and literacy training | 2023 – during the lifetime of the Strategy | ACRES and Sussex Coast College and the library service provide free maths and English courses which
are promoted in Street Learning |
