MEMBERS PRESENT
Shirley Baldwin - Chairperson
Diane Howls - Vice Chair person
Margaret Valleley - Secretary
Molly Hodges Treasurer
Greta Ashford
Rose Price
Gordon Cartwright
Betty Marchant
Peggy Cavanagh
Lillian Jones
Jo Anscombe
Jim Harding
Doreen Gower
Jack Halfpenny
Betty Barnfield
Jess Bolton
Gloria Godwin
Joan Robbins
Nancy Evans
Leslie Beeks
Jean Coverdale
Glen Collins Gas and Solid Fuels Servicing Manager
Sarah James Communications and Customer Involvement Manager


1. Welcome and apologies
Shirley opened the meeting and welcomed all members. She also welcomed Glen Collins and Sarah James, both of Herefordshire Housing.
The group welcomed the cat aptly named "SHTUG" back from his holidays. Apologies were from: Crawford Powney, Joyce Harding and Mary West.

2. Minutes from the last meeting
All members had received a copy of the minutes and they were accepted as a true record of the proceedings.

3. Matters arising from the last meeting
A member asked the chair if there had been a reply to the matter raised at the last meeting regarding Care-Line? Shirley told the group that hopefully Kim would be able to give the group an answer at the next meeting.
Smallbrook Gardens asked if Sarah would send the relevant forms and explain again the requirements to claim the annual grant.

4. Guest speaker
Shirley welcomed Glen Collins, Gas and Solid Fuels Servicing Manager as the guest speaker this month.
Glen told the group that there were eight fully qualified operatives, two admin. assistances and one-supervisor in the team. A contractor---Wal-Mart Servicing, carries out 40per cent of the servicing for Herefordshire Housing tenants. They also have a local girl who is employed by Wal-Mart and she is based at Legion Way, which helps to ease the load.

Glen explained that his team also deal with the servicing of solid fuel systems.
A member said they had experienced difficulty in getting through on the telephone to Glen's department. Glen said that they were very busy at times and they were looking at ways to alleviate the problem.
Status Heating has got the contract for work on the thermostats at Ballinger Court.
The group discussed at length the future of heating -- the preferences ---and other problems experienced by tenants with Glen.

Shirley thanked Glen for taking the time to come along to the meeting. Members agreed that they had gained a lot of information and a lot of questions had been answered. They all hoped Glen would come back soon.
Shirley Welcomed Sarah James---Communications and Customer Involvement Manager.
Sarah had come along to the meeting to hand out 'Power Down' energy savers to those members who have computers.
She had also come to the meeting to tell the group about the challenge being set to improve customer involvement with groups like SHTUG.

The communications team had been criticized by the Audit commission for their customer involvement with tenants in some areas.
Sarah asked if she could sit in on our SHTUG meetings in the future or at least for several months' members disagreed.
Guests are by invitation only by the members.

Each month SHTUG invites a guest speaker to its meeting. If there are issues that need answering the group invites the relevant department to send a guest speaker to the next meeting. Every month the minutes from the SHTUG meeting are distributed to heads of department in Herefordshire Housing and any information and feedback can be gained from them. All queries and questions are usually answered at the next meeting.
Seven years ago SHTUG was set up for the tenants of sheltered housing to be run by the tenants, approved and supported by the landlord.

We are a very strong group and work well together. There is no need for anyone to 'sit -in' on SHTUG meetings for as the above issues show there is enough feedback for Herefordshire Housing.
Shirley thanked Sarah for coming to the meeting.

5. treasurers report
After today's draw we have £364-06p in the fund.

6. Tenant liaison meetings
Brierley Court: Very poorly attended. We covered a lot of ground and the Housing Officer attended. They promised to write to all tenants but have not as yet.

Putson: We had a meeting last week. The trees that need trimming still have not been attended to.

Fowbridge Gardens: Representatives had not been able to attend.

7. Chairpersons report
Shirley reported that she had applied for the £200 grant for the group. We are waiting for the cheque.

The Chairperson requested the orders for the Christmas party photographs. They are free -- thanks to the Customer Involvement team.

Please make sure your name is on the list for fish and chips for the Easter lunch.

Peter Brown: a few of us attended a tenants meeting with Peter Brown Chief Executive of Herefordshire Housing.
Peter explained the need for tenant involvement within the company. It is about the company being open and willing to change. It's also about understanding the tenant's needs and meeting their requirements.
Question and answer time were very interesting and enlightening'.

Shirley attended a Service Review Group presented by Stephen Sheehan and Helen Greenway.
'We were split into small groups to get our opinion on the order of how repairs should be implicated on importance'.
'I think we came to a 90 per cent or more agreement'.

Helen invited tenants to sign up for the Tenant Inspectors Project. Training will be given.

8. Any other business
Brierley Court: the black strips on the steps on the stairs are causing problems. Please can we have a yellow strip instead? Another member from the scheme explained that the black strips were used because a tenant had tunnel vision and could not tolerate bright colours.
ActionKD

Smallbrook Gardens: Please would it be possible to have the security cameras put back up? We have had more burglaries. Action KD

Ballinger Court: thank you --- the work has now finished on the communal area. We will be welcoming you all at the next meeting to christen the new kitchen.

Barklie Court: what is the age limit on tenants moving into sheltered housing? We have a forty-year old who has just moved into the scheme and he seems to have problems adjusting.
Members of the group said that some money from the annual grant should go to the Chairperson and the Secretary. They appreciated that it was costing them for stationary, stamps, inks, telephone calls and the Internet and that they should be reimbursed. It was suggested that the officers could agree an amount for the next meeting.

9. Guest speaker for the next meeting.
It was agreed that the group invite Anna Toon---Chairperson of the Board to Herefordshire Housing.

10. Date and venue for the next meeting
The next meeting will be held at Ballinger Court on Thursday 3rd April 2008 at 10:30am. After the meeting members and guests will have a fish and chip lunch. Taxis' will return home at 2pm.

COPIES OF THE MINUTES TO GO TO-------
Peter Brown Chief Executive to Herefordshire Housing All Directors of Herefordshire Housing

Anna Toon Chairperson to the Board of Directors

Wendy Jones Chairperson to the Federation

Kim Davies Acting Principal Sheltered Housing Officer

Sarah James Communication and Customer Involvement manager

Guest Speakers.