for a healthier welsh economy - community housing cymru · will be rolled out in early 2014. to...

PUBLISHED BY THE COMMUNITY HOUSING CYMRU GROUP

December 2013 | January 2014

www.chcymru.org.uk

FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Working with theYoung Foundation

Putting membersFIRST in 2013

Update on theHousing (Wales) Bill

Devolve welfare toWales!

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SOCIAL ENTERPRISEPOLITICSWELFARE REFORM

Sector sets foundations for a healthier Welsh economy

2 December | January edition

Produced by:

Community Housing

Cymru Group

2 Ocean Way

Cardiff

CF24 5TG

029 2067 4800

Designed by Arts Factory

Editor:

Bethan Samuel, CHC Group

tMr rr@Beth_CHC

Sub Editor:

Edwina O’Hart, CHC Group

tMr rr@edwinaohart

Contributors:

Nick Bennett, CHC Group

Steve Evans, CHC Group

Aaron Hill, CHC Group

Clare James, CHC Group

Matt Kennedy, CHC Group

Hayley MacNamara, CHC

Group

Amanda Oliver, CHC Group

Liam Townsend, CHC Group

Dr Mark Lang, CREW

Regeneration Wales

Alwyn Llwyd, CT Clwyd

David Morris,

Monmouthshire Housing

CommunityHousing Cymru

Group

CHCymru

CHCEvents

A year ago, the CHC Group launched our

corporate plan after consulting widely with

members about how we could put them

FIRST (Fighting Poverty, Innovation,

Regeneration, Social Enterprise and Team

Collaboration). A year on, despite the

challenges of welfare reform and increasing

public sector austerity, CHC is proud to

report on the progress being made.

Fighting poverty was our first priority. We

wanted to increase activities and services

which enabled our members to impact

positively on the economic, environmental

and social circumstances of tenants,

leaseholders and communities.

The Your Benefits Are Changing (YBAC)

communications campaign is playing a vital

part in our fight against poverty. The campaign

was launched to support members to raise

awareness of the welfare changes and to

communicate consistent messages to

tenants. Over 70 organisations have signed

up to support the campaign including

housing associations, local authorities and

charities. The next phase of the campaign

will be rolled out in early 2014.

To complement the campaign, we set up

the YBAC advice line to provide advice and

support to tenants and organisations and to

give those affected practical steps and

advice. The YBAC money advisers provide

free independent advice and are members

of the Institute of Money Advisers. This year

the YBAC Money Advisers have:

• Advised over 6,500 people about the

impact of welfare reform

• Attended over 40 community events,

including tenant fun days

• Reduced annual water bills by £61,000

per annum and have given 272 people the

chance to clear £410,000 of debt via the

Welsh Water Customer Assistance Fund

• Advised people on their budgeting and

made potential savings of over £51,000

• Spoken to 148 people who say they

would like to apply for Discretionary

Housing Payments to cover their

shortfall in housing benefit due to

under-occupancy, and

• Identified over £800,000 of unclaimed

welfare benefits

We recently secured funding from the Oak

Foundation which will enable us to conduct

a study to assess the impact of welfare

reform on the sector, local authorities and

tenants. A proportion of this funding will

also be used for a television campaign which

we’ll run as part of a wider campaign in 2014.

We’ve also supported Moneyline Cymru

throughout the year along with our

members. Three new Moneyline outlets

opened in Merthyr Tydfil, Swansea and

Wrexham in 2013, bringing the total to

eight. Since Moneyline Cymru launched in

2009, it has loaned over £7.8m, approved

over 17,000 loans and helped over 80% of

customers to open a savings account.

As welfare reform continues to impact on

tenants, I’m proud that CHC and our

members have done so much to assist

those most vulnerable to financial

exclusion, something that is likely to grow

as the cost of living crisis continues.

Nick Bennett M rr@Nick_Bennett1

Group Chief Executive

Putting members

in 2013The end of one year and the beginning of another is naturally a time ofreflection on what has been done and the challenges ahead.

FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE

3

Over £1m worth of arrears, more than 700 void

properties, and nearly 50% of tenants unable to pay

the ‘bedroom tax’ in full. These are some of the key

findings of CHC’s research into the impact of the

‘bedroom tax’ just six months into the policy.

WELFARE REFORM

Devolve welfare to Wales!

Speaking at CHC’s Annual Conference, Housing and

Regeneration Minister Carl Sargeant called the figures

‘stark but unsurprising’, and criticised the ‘pernicious’ UK

Government policy.

The moral and ethical arguments against the ‘bedroom

tax’ have always been weak. While ideology may lead you

to divide between the ‘deserving’ and the ‘undeserving’

poor, ideology cannot deny the evidence, and it is ultimately

evidence which should dictate government policy.

Of course, the effect on housing associations is only half

the story. Tenants are struggling to afford the basics, the

use of food banks is escalating, energy companies are

increasing their prices and we are seeing a surge in the

use of high interest lenders and loan sharks. Some payday

lenders are reported to be planning to treble their

business on the back of so-called welfare 'reform’. People

are being pushed further into poverty and the threat of

losing their home is very real.

Landlords are faced with tough choices. We note what’s

been happening around Wales with various protests

taking place across the country, with landlords often

getting the blame. Tenant groups and some politicians

have campaigned for a ‘no bedroom tax evictions’ policy,

but landlords can’t continue to subsidise the extra costs

brought about by welfare reform which would impact on

the potential reduction in services for other tenants who

pay their rent.

This divisive measure threatens social justice and

cohesion, turning tenant against tenant, tenant against

landlord and vice versa. We need to stand back and

realise that the only solution is to take power closer to

the people. In an asymmetric union, we can now look to

Northern Ireland and see them using their powers in

welfare policy to do something different. Welfare should

be devolved to Wales so that we can follow their lead!

The findings in full

• 21,694 RSL households were affected by the under-

occupation charge on 1 April

• Between 1 April and 30 September, 78% of Welsh RSLs

have seen an increase in arrears, totalling £1.7m

• Of the total arrears, £1.1m have been directly

attributed to the ‘bedroom tax’

• 51% of tenants are paying the ‘bedroom tax’ in full,

37% are part paying the charge and 12% have not

been able to pay anything at all

• 1,084 Notices Seeking Possession (NOSPs) have been

issued

• 727 void properties have been attributed to the

‘bedroom tax’

• 89% of RSLs have changed their policies to allow

tenants with arrears to downsize

• 679 tenants have been successfully downsized by RSLs

Aaron Hill twiM rr@Aaron_CHC

Policy Officer

POLICY AND RESEARCH


You’re part of thebigger picture

The findings are revealed as part of the latest Welsh

Economic Research Unit (WERU) report which focuses on

the wider economic impact of the sector in the Welsh

economy. At a time when private investment is scarce and

public purse strings are being stretched, it highlights that

housing-led regeneration and building and employment

opportunities delivered by housing associations play a key

role in contributing to the Welsh economy.

The report reveals that the combined spending of Welsh

housing associations in 2012/13 was £1034m, an increase

of 8.7 per cent from the previous year. 81 per cent of this

spend has been retained in Wales, keeping the Welsh

pound local and helping to boost the Welsh economy by

£840m. Almost 30 per cent of the overall spend in

2012/13 was on maintaining, repairing and upgrading

properties to bring homes up to the Welsh Housing

Quality Standard (WHQS) as set by Welsh Government,

and a further £227.5m was spent on the construction of

new affordable homes.

The report also revealed that an estimated £509m was

spent on the regeneration of communities, which might

not have otherwise received investment.

According to the WERU report, the sector’s contribution

to employment has also increased. 8,000 people are

directly employed by Welsh housing associations and for

every direct job provided, two other jobs are supported in

the Welsh economy.

This is the sixth year of the WERU report, commissioned

to demonstrate the true impact of housing associations

on the Welsh economy. The full report is available to read

on CHC’s website.

Edwina O’Hart twtwM rr@edwinaohart

Head of Communications

Sector sets the foundations for a healthier Welsh economy

The latest independent research commissioned by CHC shows that, despite austere

times, Welsh housing associations are bucking the economic trend and boosting the

Welsh economy to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds.

5

POLICY

A new rent policyfor the sector

Our members have considered the proposal and, through

working with CHC, have relayed observations back to

Welsh Government officials. The policy has several

strands with a crucial feature being the proposed shift

from RPI to CPI in the annual rental calculations. This

shift, whilst broadly accepted, has prompted members to

identify the potential impact on future revenue streams

which underpin maintenance programme investment and

future development of new affordable homes.

As a sector we have liaised closely with Welsh Government

and expect an announcement from the Housing and

Regeneration Minister in the coming weeks.

Steve Evans

Head of Finance and ICT

The Ministerial blueprint for a new rent

policy to be introduced from April 2014

has been shared with the sector.

An update on digital inclusion

Universal Credit is due to be rolled out across the UK in

2017 and, as part of the government’s digital by default

agenda, the majority of claims will need to be made

online. Our research has identified that there are over

214,000 digitally excluded social housing tenants in Wales

which represents nearly half of all tenants. An intervention

is therefore required to remove the barriers to digital

inclusion. Significant work has been undertaken by RSLs

and organisations such as Communities 2.0 to overcome

skills and motivation barriers; however, progress on

access, particularly affordable broadband, has been left

behind. It is estimated that 42,000 social housing tenants

that are not online cite the high costs of access and

equipment as the main reason. Broadband packages are

not affordable to social housing tenants. However, in

comparison, the hardware market is more competitive

which is driving down the costs of devices.

This group has identified the work taking place across the

sector and researched the various interventions available

to provide affordable broadband to social housing

tenants. Our research findings are included in the final

report which is currently being circulated amongst Chief

Executives. We have identified that RSLs can develop

broadband schemes for social housing tenants via a

number of interventions, and we have seen examples in

practice across the UK. However, as there is no one size

fits all model that can be replicated by all RSLs due to

differences in stock and priorities, the lack of capacity and

expertise in the sector to identify the most suitable

intervention is preventing progress. We therefore

recommend to the Welsh Government that a new entity

should be created (preferably in the form of a social

enterprise) which would provide RSLs with tailored

support and advice on developing new broadband

services for tenants. Check CHC’s website for updates!

Hayley MacNamara twtwitM rr@Hayley_CHC

Regeneration Officer

CHC has worked with a Task and Finish Group made up of representatives from the

sector and Communities 2.0 to look at how internet access can be made affordable to

social housing tenants.

POLITICS


New powers for Wales

A ‘fundamental shift’ in powers from London to Cardiff –

that’s what the Silk Commission called for back in

November last year. After almost a year of waiting, the

UK Government responded to the commission with their

package of fiscal powers to be devolved to the National

Assembly for Wales. Ditching the rose garden for the

Senedd, we saw a rare joint press conference with the

Prime Minister and his Deputy. They announced that

Wales would gain power over Stamp Duty Land Tax and

Landfill Tax, along with the power to borrow funds for

large infrastructure projects, with the ‘full response’ from

UK Government to follow. Nick Clegg called for the

money raised from devolved taxes to be used to build

affordable housing, and who can disagree?

When the full response came the UK Government said it

would offer Wales a referendum on devolving income tax,

albeit in a very different system to Silk’s recommendation.

Business rates would be devolved fully too, and any

future Welsh Government will be able to create new taxes.

The announcements on fiscal powers mark the halfway

point for the Silk Commission – Part 2 recommendations

will be published in the spring. If a fundamental shift is

what the commission is looking for, why not echo CHC’s calls

and recommend parity with Northern Ireland on welfare?

Update on the Housing(Wales) BillThe first Housing (Wales) Bill was introduced on 18

November and is currently in Stage 1 of the legislative

process. It presents a real opportunity to ‘make a difference’

and outlines a number of ways Welsh Government hopes

to alleviate pressures in the housing system, namely:

• Standardising rents, service charges and quality of

housing as outlined in the Welsh Housing Quality

Standard (WHQS).

• Placing a duty on local authorities to provide sites for

Gypsies and Travellers where need has been identified.

• Giving local authorities the power to charge 50% more

than the standard rate of council tax on homes that

have sat empty for a year or longer to promote the

government’s Houses into Homes scheme.

• Introducing a homelessness prevention duty which

will strengthen the requirement for partnership

working between LAs and HAs in delivering a housing

solutions service.

• Reforming the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy

(HRAS) system, meaning that councils will be able to

use their rental income to fund their housing stock.

• Introducing a compulsory registration and licensing

scheme for private sector landlords and management

agents which is intended to give more power to the

tenant especially when a landlord is not registered.

Assistance will also be given to the provision of housing

by Co-operative Housing Associations which will help

increase the supply of affordable homes.

CHC welcomes the bill and will be feeding into discussions

as it passes through the various committee stages.

Welcome, Liam! I recently joined the CHC Group as a Political and

Administration Assistant. My first week involved going

from meeting to meeting which has provided me with an

excellent chance to meet members of the team and learn

more about the work of the group. I have joined CHC at a

very interesting time. During my first week the Housing

(Wales) Bill was introduced and I have learned a great

deal about the challenges that the Bill hopes to tackle and

those that may still occur. My main role is to monitor

political proceedings that are important to the sector and

share news and information with the policy team and

others so that everyone is aware of everything going on in

and outside of the Welsh Assembly.

I hope to be a useful member of the policy team and of

the Group as a whole, and I will work hard to ensure that

my supportive role is easily accessible to all.

Liam Townsend twtwitM rr@ rr@Liam_CHC

Political and Administration Assistant

029 2067 4822 / [email protected]

7

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

They recently partnered with CHC alongside their existing

partners such as Social Enterprise UK, WCVA, NESTA,

UnLtd and others to set up the first Welsh Accelerator

programme which began in September. Nine ventures

have been identified from Wales, including the Your

Benefits are Changing project.

As you know, CHC’s money advice team first began to

deliver a service in 2010 from Moneyline Cymru offices.

This was solely funded by The Big Lottery. Since then the

service has gone from strength to strength and now

provides advice for Welsh Water customers and housing

associations.

The money advice team has come together with the

welfare reform awareness raising campaign to become

the Your Benefits are Changing team.

Among other things, the YBAC team has to date:

• Helped 740 people in fuel poverty to claim £105,000

via the Warm Home Discount scheme

• Helped people manage over £1.2m of debt

• Identified 216 appropriate trust funds to help people

obtain grants suitable for their needs

Every couple of weeks, the nine projects meet up with

various experts which have been brought in by the Young

Foundation for intensive learning days.

The tools we work with allow us to look at YBAC under

the microscope and spot the gaps in our business plan.

Also, access to people who make funding decisions in

their daily work has allowed us to ponder on some of

those really difficult questions.

The Accelerator programme finishes at the end of January

2014, when we hope to have developed a number of new

products including training, a book of benefits and a wider

media campaign.

If you would like to know more about the work Your

Benefits are Changing is doing with the Young Foundation,

please contact [email protected]

Clare James tM rr@Clare_CHCymru

Housing Services Policy Officer

Working with TheYoung FoundationThe Young Foundation, amongst many other things, provide support and finance to

entrepreneurs running social ventures, advice for organisations seeking to invest in or

procure services from social ventures, and assistance with developing revenue

participation agreements and social impact bonds.

£105,000

740

£1.2m

216trust funds to

help people

obtain grants

suitable for

their needs

goes to help people manage

debts

claimed via the Warm Home

Discount scheme

people helped

in fuel poverty


SupportingPeopleProgrammeIt was highly encouraging when the draft budget figures

were released to see that the Supporting People Programme

Grant had only received a 1.5% cut. Of course, any reduction

to key budgets is a bad thing, but the ‘only’ in this case

reflects the far heftier cut we were once expecting.

Going forward, developments within the programme will

include the development of an option for long term

governance and an approach to accreditation. In addition,

all Regional Collaborative Committees are in the process of

producing their Annual Report and Welsh Government will

be commissioning work on a review of the transition year.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank members

and partners such as Care & Repair Cymru and Cymorth

Cymru for their efforts in highlighting the vital role of

services provided through the programme, both through

raising this locally and working with CHC to highlight the

work of members nationally.

If you would like to share the views of your organisation

on the changes taking place regarding how Supporting

People is delivered in Wales, please contact

[email protected]

Collaboration with theWelsh NHS ConfederationIn an exciting move towards greater collaboration, CHC

has seconded two members of staff (Matt Kennedy and

Aaron Hill) on a part-time basis to provide a policy and

public affairs service to the Welsh NHS Confederation. We

believe that this collaboration will provide great

opportunities to build on the work members have been

conducting at a local level with colleagues in health by

feeding into the national health agenda in Wales.

This will also allow for further promotion of the role that

housing associations and Care & Repair agencies have in

reducing the pressures on Health and Social Services. At a

time where the NHS is facing a number of pivotal

challenges relating to finances, service re-configuration

and integration, this is a prime opportunity to build the

links in shaping some of these changes and ensuring that

appropriate opportunities for members are identified.

We strongly welcome this opportunity to work closely

with the Confederation and will be providing members

with further updates on this work. This collaboration is an

important element of the ‘Team Collaboration’ objective

in CHC’s Corporate Plan for 2013-16, and we look forward

to reporting on the results.

Matt Kennedy twM rr@Matt_CHC

Policy Officer: Care, Support and Health

Update

HEALTH AND HOUSING

9

NEWS IN BRIEF

#HousingDayTweetathon Housing organisations across the UK recently took part in

a ‘Tweetathon’ where we used the #HousingDay hashtag

to tweet about our activities on 13 November. This was a

great way of raising awareness about what goes on in the

sector on a daily basis, as well as demonstrating the

variety of projects staff are involved with. Tweets from

the sector included community regeneration activities,

working with hard to reach groups, launching housing

schemes, producing the tenant magazine, processing

applications, working on recruitment adverts, organising

events, visiting tenants, liaising with the local Care &

Repair agency, giving money advice, fitting kitchens,

providing tenants with advice on getting back to work,

digital inclusion activities, working on an energy saving

strategy… the list goes on! The #HousingDay hashtag was

the top trending topic at its peak in Cardiff and the UK,

and we’re hoping to arrange a Welsh equivalent in the

new year. More information to follow!

The Welsh Housing Partnership (WHP) was established in

August 2011 as a collaborative funding vehicle to deliver

quality housing for intermediate rent across Wales. The

WHP is a joint venture between CT Clwyd, Coastal,

Hendre and Seren and provides affordable housing in a

financially efficient manner. Its target market was

‘working people in housing need but not a priority for

social housing, households not in a position to buy, and

people who were looking for a more secure solution than

the private rented sector’. In 2012/13, Welsh

Government made available a further £6m to the WHP,

resulting in a further 266 homes purchased and

extending its coverage to 20 local authorities. Based on

the success of the first two years, Welsh Government has

made budget provision for funding of a further £12m

during 2013-2015. During the four years, WHP will have

delivered over 920 additional affordable homes across

Wales for a total investment of over £100m.

Welsh HousingPartnershipUpdate

Royal Approval forDoiran Jones

CHC and Care & Repair Cymru’s Vice Chair, Doiran

Jones, has been awarded with an OBE for his services

to housing. The Officer of the British Empire award

was presented by Prince William at Buckingham

Palace. Doiran is passionate about housing and has

been a board member with Melin Homes and

involved in the sector in a variety of roles for 31

years. He has also been a local magistrate for over

20 years. Doiran was delighted to receive what he

described to be an ‘overwhelming honour’ for his

services in housing, which he feels is ‘a privilege to

have been involved in for the past 31 years.’ On his

return from The Palace Doiran said: ‘It was great to

meet Prince William and he seemed very well

informed on the issues facing the housing sector

today.’ Congratulations, Doiran!


A MEMBER’S PERSPECTIVE

Tackling Anti Social Behaviourin MonmouthshireOver recent years, Monmouthshire Housing Association (MHA) has been improving the

way we deal with Anti Social Behaviour (ASB). Our robust ASB policy, procedures and

toolkit put victims first, focusing on early intervention, supporting both victims and

perpetrators. This and our partnership working with other organisations were key

factors in achieving HouseMark’s accreditation for Anti Social Behaviour.

A new Community Safety Team was introduced with a

wealth of experience, including two experienced senior

housing officers and two retired police officers. The new

team brings a wide mix of skills with extensive experience

of generic housing, ASB and community safety. Using

these skills, the team has been able to expand the

services provided to include perpetrator profiling and

supporting and safeguarding victims of domestic abuse.

The team works closely with our neighbourhood officers,

our tenants, local residents and our partners to achieve

safe and secure local communities. Early intervention is a

key part of our community safety work with mediation,

dedicated support and in some cases cognitive behavioural

therapy offered to both victims and perpetrators.

By using our IT systems and through partnership working,

the team is able to identify hot spots of different types of

ASB, therefore targeting prevention or support projects

accordingly. As a result of this a recent successful project

was set up, organised by MHA’s Community Investment

Team, to help women suffering from isolation or domestic

abuse. The project encourages confidence building

through learning new skills and meeting new people.

Through perpetrator profiling, the team can now work

with tenants to identify reasons which contribute to them

committing ASB. One example of this involved the team

working closely with a tenant and their family. The team

identified that unemployment was a factor in the poor

behaviour they were displaying. It was apparent that they

wanted to work but required essential training to secure

employment. By referring them to MHA’s Work and Skills

Wise Team, the relevant training was sourced and funding

was secured through Jobcentre Plus. The tenant is now in

employment and no further complaints of ASB have been

received.

The accreditation process encouraged the team to

scrutinise all aspects of the ASB service. Challenging

targets have been set and information gathered through

feedback from service users helps to steer continuous

improvement in the service.

In short, we are very proud of the achievements and

dedication of our staff in promoting safe and secure

communities in Monmouthshire.

David Morris

Director of Housing

and Communities, MHA

11

CREW UPDATE

Busy times at CREWRegeneration WalesVibrant & Viable PlacesCREW has been asked by Welsh Government to provide

support to local authorities in Wales as part of the Vibrant

and Viable Places bidding process. Vibrant and Viable

Places is the Welsh Government framework to provide

regeneration funding to local authorities and their

partners. CREW will not be involved in assessing any of

the Stage Two applications and will therefore be able to

provide independent and impartial advice.

CREW is providing advice on monitoring and evaluation;

innovative regeneration practice; town centre issues;

stakeholder engagement; housing-led regeneration; and

‘critical friend’ review of proposals prior to submission.

Where Waters Meet Conference

On 16/17 October Maritime Heritage Wales Ltd, working

with CREW, held the Where Waters Meet conference in

Swansea. The conference included a variety of speakers

focusing on the theme of maximising waterfront locations

and making them the focus of business, science and

economic development in Wales.

Business Improvement Districts In the last month, CREW has arranged two seminars in

Wrexham and Swansea to promote the development of

Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in Wales. Both

seminars attracted an audience of over 90 people from

private, public and third sector organisations in Wales.

The presentations can be found on the CREW website.

Case StudiesTwo recent case studies have been uploaded to the CREW

website. Jemma Bere has updated a case study

completed by CREW in 2010 on the Glyncoch Community

Partnership. This has been updated to reflect the changes

to the Community First Clusters and the pattern of

community regeneration delivery to date, utilising co-

production methodology.

Hayley MacNamara has also completed a case study on

the Loudoun Square Regeneration Project in Butetown,

Cardiff. The project involved the building of a new state of

the art health centre, a new culture and media centre, a

community hub, 11 brand new retail units and the

creation of 61 new affordable homes.

Opinion PieceGuest author, Sarah Wyburn, considers the important

role played by small legal practices in the high street

economy in the latest CREW Opinion Piece. Her opinion

piece, 'High Street Legal Practices: A Key Role in Small

Towns', is available on the CREW website. If you would

like to contribute a future Opinion Piece please contact

[email protected].

www.regenwales.org

Dr Mark Lang twtwM rr@DrMarkLang

CREW Regeneration Wales

M rr@CrewRegenWales

Conferences:

Training Courses:


JANUARY 2014

22 HR Conference

Mercure Holland

House Hotel

CARDIFF

EVENTS

For further information about our training courses, please

contact: [email protected].

FEBRUARY 2014

06 Rent Arrears Management: The ‘Bedroom Tax’ and

Universal Credit Conversations CARDIFF

19 Managing Complaints CARDIFF

20 Introduction to Housing Development CARDIFF

FEBRUARY 2014

4/5 Chief Executives’

Conference

Rossett Hall Hotel

WREXHAM

JULY 2014

10/11 Resources Conference

Metropole Hotel

LLANDRINDOD WELLS

JANUARY 2014

14 An Introduction to Housing Associations CARDIFF

15 Bribery Act & Data Protection CARDIFF

21 Reducing the Risks of Lone Working NORTH WALES

23 Recovering Housing Debt CARDIFF

24 Social Media: Facebook, Twitter & Blogging CARDIFF

28 Chairing Skills CARDIFF

For further information about our conferences, please contact: [email protected]

Follow us on @CHCymru and @CHCEvents

FEBRUARY 2014

20/21 Governance Conference

Metropole Hotel

LLANDRINDOD WELLS

Annual ReviewIt’s been a busy year for CHC. Find

out how we’ve been putting our

members FIRST in 2013:

PR and Communication AwardsCHC’s PR and Communication Awards took place earlier

this month during the Communications Conference in

Llandrindod Wells. Once again, some fantastic projects

were submitted with over a hundred award submissions.

You can read all about the winners and their projects in

the enclosed insert.

Campaign of the Year award The Your Benefits are Changing' campaign won the

'Campaign of the Year' award at CIH Cymru's Welsh

Housing Awards last month. Partnership working has

been key to the success of the campaign with over 70

supporting organisations, so our thanks go out to all

organisations and individuals who have supported the

campaign. We look forward to working on the next

phase... more details to follow in the new year!

PinterestThe CHC Group has recently joined Pinterest in order to

promote members’ activities on yet another social media

channel. Pinterest is a visual social networking site which

allows you to create different ‘boards’ for various

categories. You can ‘pin’ images to these boards which

then link straight back to the site they originated from.

CHC’s Pinterest account has the potential to be a fantastic

visual representation of the great work housing associations

carry out in their communities all over Wales, and we’re

excited about this new development. Please contact

[email protected] for further information.

www.pinterest.com/chcgroup

APRIL 2014

08 An Introduction to Housing Associations CARDIFF

MARCH 2014

06 Creating Successful Tenancies Through Void

Management CARDIFF

21 An Introduction to Service Charges CARDIFF

26 TUPE changes & Employment Law Update CARDIFF

31 Repairs for Non Technical Staff CARDIFF

Rhagfyr 2013 | Ionawr 2014

www.chcymru.org.uk

GAN Y PRIF WEITHREDYDD

Gweithio gydaSefydliad Young

CAMAU i roiaelodau’n gyntaf yn2013

Diweddariad ar FilTai (Cymru)

Dylid datganolillesiant i Gymru!

–– t7–– t3 –– t6–– t2

MENTER GYMDEITHASOLGWLEIDYDDIAETHDIWYGIO LLES

Sector yn gosod y sylfeini ar gyfer economi mwy iach yng Nghymru

CYHOEDDWYD GAN GRŴP CARTREFI CYMUNEDOL CYMRU

2 Rhifyn Rhagfyr | Ionawr

Cynhyrchwyd gan:

Grŵp Cartrefi Cymunedol Cymru2 Ocean WayCaerdyddCF24 5TG

029 2067 4800

Dyluniwyd gan Arts Factory

Golygydd:

Bethan Samuel, Grŵp CHC

tMr rr@Beth_CHC

Is-olygydd:

Edwina O’Hart, Grŵp CHC

tMr rr@edwinaohart

Cyfranwyr:

Nick Bennett, Grŵp CHC

Steve Evans, Grŵp CHC

Aaron Hill, Grŵp CHC

Clare James, Grŵp CHC

Matt Kennedy, Grŵp CHC

Hayley MacNamara, Grŵp

CHC

Amanda Oliver, Grŵp CHC

Liam Townsend, Grŵp CHC

Dr Mark Lang, CREW

Adfywio Cymru

Alwyn Llwyd, CT Clwyd

David Morris, Tai Sir Fynwy

CommunityHousing Cymru

Group

CHCymru

CHCEvents

Flwyddyn yn ôl, lansiodd Grŵp CHC eincynllun corfforaethol ar ôl ymgynghori’neang gydag aelodau ar y CAMAU i’w rhoi yngyntaf (Cydweithredu fel Tîm, Arloesi,Menter Gymdeithasol, Adfywio ac Uno ynerbyn Tlodi). Flwyddyn yn ddiweddarach, erheriau diwygio lles a chynildeb cynyddol yny sector cyhoeddus, mae CHC yn falch iadrodd ar y cynnydd a wnaed.

Uno yn erbyn tlodi oedd ein blaenoriaethgyntaf. Dymunem gynyddu gweithgareddaua gwasanaethau oedd yn galluogi ein haelodaui gael effaith gadarnhaol ar amgylchiadaueconomaidd, amgylcheddol a chymdeithasoltenantiaid, lesddeiliaid a chymunedau.

Mae gan ymgyrch gyfathrebu Mae Budd-daliadau yn Newid ran hollbwysig yn einbrwydr yn erbyn tlodi. Lansiwyd yr ymgyrchi gefnogi aelodau i godi ymwybyddiaeth o’rnewidiadau mewn budd-daliadau a chyfathrebunegeseuon cyson i denantiaid. Mae dros 70sefydliad wedi ymuno i gefnogi’r ymgyrchyn cynnwys cymdeithasau tai, awdurdodaulleol ac elusennau. Caiff cam nesaf yrymgyrch ei ymestyn yn gynnar yn 2014.

I gyd-fynd â’r ymgyrch, fe wnaethomdrefnu llinell gyngor ffôn i roi cyngor achefnogaeth i denantiaid a sefydliadau arhoi camau a chyngor ymarferol i’r rhai yreffeithiwyd arnynt. Mae cynghorwyr arianMae Budd-daliadau yn Newid yn rhoicyngor annibynnol rhad ac am ddim ac ynaelodau o Sefydliad y Cynghorwyr Arian.Eleni mae ein Cynghorwyr Arian wedi:

• Rhoi cyngor am effaith diwygio lles i dros6,500 o bobl

• Mynychu dros 40 digwyddiadcymunedol, yn cynnwys dyddiau hwyltenantiaid

• Gostwng biliau dŵr blynyddol gan£61,000 y flwyddyn a rhoi cyfle i 272 obobl i glirio £410,000 o ddyled drwyGronfa Cymorth Cwsmeriaid Dŵr Cymru

• Rhoi cyngor i bobl ar drin arian agwneud arbedion posibl o dros £51,000

• Siarad gyda 148 o bobl a ddywedodd yrhoffent wneud cais am Daliadau Tai arDdisgresiwn i gau’r bwlch yn eu budd-daltai oherwydd tanddefnyddio, a

• Dynodi dros £800,000 o fudd-daliadaunad oedd yn cael eu hawlio.

Cawsom gyllid yn ddiweddar gan SefydliadOak fydd yn ein galluogi i gynnal astudiaethi asesu effaith diwygio lles ar y sector,awdurdodau lleol a thenantiaid. Defnyddircyfran o’r cyllid yma ar gyfer ymgyrch deledua gaiff ei rhedeg fel rhan o ymgyrch ehangachyn 2014.

Rydym hefyd wedi cefnogi MoneylineCymru ar hyd y flwyddyn ynghyd â’nhaelodau. Agorodd tair cangen newydd oMoneyline ym Merthyr Tudful, Abertawe aWrecsam yn 2013, gan ddod â’r cyfanswm iwyth. Ers lansio Moneyline Cymru yn 2009,mae wedi benthyca dros £7.8m, cymeradwyodros 17,000 o fenthyciadau a helpu dros80% o gwsmeriaid i agor cyfrif cynilo.

Gyda diwygio lles yn parhau i effeithio ardenantiaid, rwy’n falch fod CHC a’nhaelodau wedi gwneud cymaint igynorthwyo’r rhai sydd fwyaf agored iallgau ariannol, rhywbeth sy’n debygol ogynyddu wrth i’r argyfwng cost byw barhau.

Nick Bennett M rr@Nick_Bennett1

Prif Weithredydd Grŵp

i roi aelodau’ngyntaf yn 2013Mae’n naturiol bod diwedd un flwyddyn a dechrau blwyddyn arall ynamser i fwrw golwg yn ôl ar yr hyn a gyflawnwyd a heriau’r dyfodol.

GAN Y PRIF WEITHREDYDD

3

Gwerth dros £1m o ôl-ddyledion, mwy na 700 ounedau gwag, a bron 50% o denantiaid yn methutalu’r ‘dreth ystafelloedd gwely’ yn llawn. Dyma rai oganfyddiadau allweddol ymchwil CHC i effaith y ‘drethystafelloedd gwely’ chwe mis ar ôl i’r polisi ddod i rym.

DIWYGIO LLES

Dylid datganoli lles i Gymru!

Wrth siarad yng Nghynhadledd Flynyddol CHC galwoddCarl Sargeant, Gweinidog Tai ac Adfywio, y ffigurau’n

‘llwm, ond dim yn syndod’ a beirniadu polisi ‘dinistriol’Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig.

Bu’r dadleuon moesol a moesegol yn erbyn y ‘drethystafelloedd gwely’ yn wan bob amser. Er y gall ideolegeich arwain i wahanu rhwng y tlawd ‘haeddiannol ac‘anhaeddiannol’, ni all ideoleg wadu’r dystiolaeth, ac yn ypen draw tystiolaeth ddylai osod polisi’r llywodraeth.Wrth gwrs, dim ond hanner y stori yw’r effaith argymdeithasau tai. Mae tenantiaid yn ei chael yn anoddfforddio pethau sylfaenol, mae’r defnydd o fanciau bwydyn cynyddu, mae cwmnïau ynni yn codi eu prisiau agwelwn ymchwydd yn y defnydd o fenthycwyr llog uchel asiarcod benthyca. Dywedir fod rhai benthycwyr diwrnodcyflog yn bwriadu treblu eu busnes ar gefn yr hyn a elwiryn ‘ddiwygio lles’. Caiff pobl eu gwthio ymhellach i dlodiac mae’r bygythiad o golli eu cartref yn un real iawn.

Mae dewisiadau anodd yn wynebu landlordiaid. Nodwnyr hyn fu’n digwydd o amgylch Cymru gyda gwahanolbrotestiadau ar draws y wlad, gyda landlordiaid yn aml yncael y bai. Ymgyrchodd grwpiau tenantiaid a rhaigwleidyddion am bolisi o beidio troi neb o’u cartrefioherwydd y dreth ystafelloedd gwely, ond ni alllandlordiaid barhau i roi cymhorthdal at y costauychwanegol oherwydd diwygio lles a fyddai’n effeithio ary gostyngiad posibl mewn gwasanaethau ar gyfertenantiaid eraill sy’n talu eu rhent.

Mae’r mesur hwn yn peri rhwyg ac yn bygwth cyfiawnderac undod cymdeithasol, gan droi tenant yn erbyn tenant,tenant yn erbyn landlord a landlord yn erbyn tenant. Maeangen i ni sefyll yn ôl a sylweddoli mai’r unig ateb ywmynd â’r pŵer yn nes at y bobl. Mewn undeb asymetrig,gallwn yn awr edrych at Ogledd Iwerddon a’u gweld yndefnyddio eu pwerau mewn polisi lles i wneud rhywbethgwahanol. Dylid datganoli pwerau lles i Gymru fel y gallwnddilyn eu harweiniad hwy!

Y canfyddiadau yn llawn

• Effeithiodd y tâl tanddefnydd ar 21,694 o aelwydyddLCC ar 1 Ebrill

• Gwelodd 78% o LCC Cymru gynnydd mewn ôl-ddyledion rhwng 1 Ebrill a 30 Medi, yn gyfanswm o£1.7m

• O’r cyfanswm o ôl-ddyledion, priodolwyd £1.1m ynuniongyrchol i’r ‘dreth ystafelloedd gwely’

• Mae 51% o denantiaid yn talu’r ‘dreth ystafelloeddgwely’ yn llawn, 37% yn talu rhan a 12% wedi methutalu dim o gwbl

• Cyhoeddwyd 1,084 NOSP (Hysbysiad Ceisio Meddiant)

• Priodolwyd 727 uned wag i’r ‘dreth ystafelloedd gwely’

• Newidiodd 89% o LCC eu polisïau i alluogi tenantiaidgydag ôl-ddyledion i symud i gartrefi llai

• Mae LCC wedi llwyddo i symud 679 tenant i gartrefi llai

Aaron Hill twiM rr@Aaron_CHC

Swyddog Polisi

POLISI AC YMCHWIL


Rhan o’r darlunmwy

Datgelir y canfyddiadau hyn fel rhan o adroddiaddiweddaraf yr Uned Ymchwil i Economi Cymru (WERU)sy’n canolbwyntio ar effaith economaidd ehangach ysector yn economi Cymru. Ar adeg pan fo buddsoddiadpreifat yn brin a’r pwrs cyhoeddus dan bwysau cynyddol,mae’n dangos fod gan adfywio dan arweiniad tai a chyfleoeddadeiladu a chyflogaeth a gyflwynir gan gymdeithasau tairôl allweddol wrth gyfrannu at economi Cymru.

Dengys yr adroddiad fod gwariant cyfunol cymdeithasautai Cymru yn 2012/13 yn £1034m, cynnydd o 8.7 y canto’r flwyddyn flaenorol. Cadwyd 81 y cant o’r gwarianthwn yng Nghymru, gan gadw’r bunt Gymreig yn lleol ahelpu i hybu economi Cymru gan £840m. Gwariwyd bron30 y cant o’r cyfanswm gwariant yn 2012/13 ar gynnal achadw, atgyweirio ac uwchraddio anheddau i godi cartrefii Safon Ansawdd Tai Cymru a osodwyd gan LywodraethCymru, a gwariwyd £227.5m arall, bron chwarter, aradeiladu cartrefi fforddiadwy newydd.

Dangosodd adroddiad WERU hefyd y gwariwyd amcangyfrifo £509m ar adfywio cymunedau, na fyddai fel arfer efallaiwedi derbyn buddsoddiad.

Yn ôl adroddiad WERU, mae cyfraniad y sector atgyflogaeth hefyd wedi cynyddu. Caiff 8,000 o bobl eucyflogi’n uniongyrchol gan gymdeithasau tai Cymru ac ambob swydd uniongyrchol a ddarperir, caiff bron ddwyswydd arall eu cefnogi yn economi Cymru.

Dyma’r chweched blynedd i adroddiad WERU, agomisiynwyd i ddangos gwir effaith cymdeithasau tai areconomi Cymru. Mae’r adroddiad llawn ar gael i’wddarllen ar wefan CHC.

Edwina O’Hart twtwM rr@edwinaohart

Pennaeth Cyfathrebu

Sector yn gosod y sylfeini ar gyfer economi fwy iach yng Nghymru

Er y cyfnod o gynildeb ariannol, dengys yr ymchwil annibynnol ddiweddaraf agomisiynwyd gan CHC fod cymdeithasau tai Cymru yn mynd yn groes i’r tueddiadeconomaidd ac yn hybu economi Cymru gan gannoedd o filiynau o bunnau.

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POLISI

Polisi rhentnewydd i’r sector

Mae ein haelodau wedi ystyried y cynnig, a thrwy weithiogyda CHC, wedi cyfleu sylwadau’n ôl i swyddogionLlywodraeth Cymru. Mae gan y polisi nifer o feysyddgyda’r cynnig i symud o RPI i CPI wrth gyfrif rhentblynyddol yn nodwedd hollbwysig. Er y derbyniwyd ysymudiad yn gyffredinol, mae wedi ysgogi aelodau iddynodi’r effaith bosibl ar ffrydiau refeniw’r dyfodol sy’nsylfaen i fuddsoddiad mewn rhaglen cynnal a chadw adatblygu cartrefi fforddiadwy newydd yn y dyfodol.

Fel sector rydym wedi cydlynu’n agos gyda LlywodraethCymru a disgwyliwn gyhoeddiad gan y Gweinidog Tai acAdfywio yn yr wythnosau nesaf.

Steve Evans

Pennaeth Cyllid a TGCh

Cafodd y glasbrint Gweinidogol ar gyferpolisi rhent newydd i’w gyflwyno o Ebrill2013 ei rannu gyda’r sector.

Diweddariad ar gynhwysiant digidol

Caiff Credyd Cynhwysol ei ymestyn ar draws y DeyrnasUnedig yn 2017 ac, fel rhan o agenda digidol diofyn yllywodraeth, bydd angen gwneud y rhan fwyaf o’rhawliadau ar lein. Dynododd ein hymchwil bod dros214,000 o denantiaid tai cymdeithasol sydd wedi euhallgau’n ddigidol yng Nghymru, sef bron hanner yr holldenantiaid. Felly mae angen ymyriad i ddileu rhwystraucynhwysiant digidol. Mae LCC a sefydliadau felCymunedau 2.0 eisoes wedi gwneud gwaith sylweddol ioresgyn rhwystrau sgiliau a chymhelliant; fodd bynnag,gadawyd cynnydd ar fynediad, yn neilltuol fand eangfforddiadwy, yn llusgo. Amcangyfrifir fod 42,000 odenantiaid tai cymdeithasol nad ydynt ar-lein yn nodi maicostau uchel mynediad ac offer yw’r prif reswm. Nid ywpecynnau band eang yn fforddiadwy i denantiaid taicymdeithasol. Fodd bynnag, o gymharu, mae’r farchnadcaledwedd yn fwy cystadleuol ac mae hynny’n golygu bodcostau dyfeisiau yn gostwng.

Dynododd y grŵp y gwaith sy’n digwydd ar draws y sectorac ymchwilio’r gwahanol ymyriadau sydd ar gael i

ddarparu band eang fforddiadwy i denantiaid taicymdeithasol. Cynhwysir ein canfyddiadau ymchwil yn yradroddiad terfynol sy’n cael ei gylchredeg ymysg prifweithredwyr ar hyn o bryd. Rydym wedi dynodi y gall LCCddatblygu cynlluniau band eang ar gyfer tenantiaid taicymdeithasol drwy nifer o ymyriadau a gwelsomenghreifftiau ar waith ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig. Foddbynnag, gan nad oes unrhyw un fodel yn ateb pob galw ygall pob LCC ei defnyddio oherwydd gwahaniaethaumewn stoc a blaenoriaethau, mae diffyg galluedd acarbenigedd yn y sector i ddynodi’r ymyriad mwyaf addasyn atal cynnydd. Rydym felly’n argymell i LywodraethCymru y dylid creu corff newydd (os oes modd ar ffurfmenter gymdeithasol) a fyddai’n rhoi cefnogaeth achyngor pwrpasol i LCC ar ddatblygu gwasanaethau bandeang newydd ar gyfer tenantiaid. Cadwch lygad ar wefanCHC am y newyddion diweddaraf!

Hayley MacNamara twtwitM rr@Hayley_CHC

Swyddog Adfywio

Mae CHC wedi gweithio gyda Grŵp Gorchwyl a Gorffen yn cynnwys cynrychiolwyr o’rsector a Cymunedau 2.0 i edrych sut y gellir gwneud mynediad i’r rhyngrwyd ynfforddiadwy i denantiaid tai cymdeithasol.

GWLEIDYDDIAETH


Pwerau newydd i Gymru

‘Symud sylfaenol’ mewn pwerau i Gaerdydd o Lundain -dyna’r hyn y galwodd Comisiwn Silk amdano ym misTachwedd y llynedd. Ar ôl bron flwyddyn o aros,ymatebodd Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig i’r Comisiwngyda’u pecyn o bwerau cyllidol i’w datganoli i GynulliadCenedlaethol Cymru. Gan symud o’r ardd rosod yn StrydDowning i’r Senedd, gwelwyd cynhadledd ar y wasg brinar y cyd rhwng Prif Weinidog a Dirprwy Brif WeinidogLlywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig. Cyhoeddwyd y byddaiCymru’n cael grym dros y Dreth Stamp, Treth Tir a’r DrethDomen Lanw, ynghyd â’r grym i fenthyca arian ar gyferprosiectau seilwaith mawr, gyda ‘ymateb llawn’ ganLywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig i ddilyn. Galwodd Nick Cleggam ddefnyddio’r arian a godwyd o drethi a ddatganolwydi adeiladu tai fforddiadwy, a phwy all anghytuno?

Pan ddaeth yr ymateb llawn, dywedodd Llywodraeth yDeyrnas Unedig y byddai’n cynnig refferendwm i Gymruar ddatganoli treth incwm, er mewn system wahanoliawn i argymhelliad Silk. Byddai trethi busnes yn cael eudatganoli’n llawn hefyd a gallai unrhyw LywodraethCymru greu trethi newydd yn y dyfodol.

Mae’r cyhoeddiadau ar bwerau cyllidol yn nodi’r pwynthanner ffordd ar gyfer Comisiwn Silk - cyhoeddirargymhellion Rhan 2 yn y gwanwyn. Os mai newidsylfaenol yw’r hyn mae’r Comisiwn yn edrych amdano,pam nad yw’n adleisio galwad CHC ac argymell y dylaiCymru gael yr un pwerau â Gogledd Iwerddon ar les?

Diweddariad ar Fil Tai(Cymru)Cyflwynwyd Bil Tai (Cymru) cyntaf ar 18 Tachwedd ac maear hyn o bryd yng Ngham 1 y broses ddeddfu. Mae’n gyflegwirioneddol i ‘wneud gwahaniaeth’ ac mae’n amlinellunifer o ffyrdd y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gobeithiolliniaru pwysau yn y system dai, sef:

• Safoni rhenti, taliadau gwasanaeth ac ansawdd tai felyr amlinellwyd yn Safon Ansawdd Tai Cymru.

• Rhoi dyletswydd ar awdurdodau lleol i ddarparusafleoedd ar gyfer sipsiwn a theithwyr lle dynodwydangen.

• Rhoi’r pŵer i awdurdodau lleol godi 50% yn fwy nachyfradd safonol treth gyngor ar gartrefi a fu’n wag amflwyddyn neu fwy i hyrwyddo cynllun Troi Tai’nGartrefi y Llywodraeth.

• Cyflwyno dyletswydd atal digartrefedd fydd yncryfhau’r gofyniad am weithio partneriaeth rhwngawdurdodau lleol a chymdeithasau tai wrth ddarparugwasanaeth datrysiadau tai.

• Ad-drefnu’r system Cymhorthdal Cyfrif Refeniw Tai(HRAS) gan olygu y gall cynghorau ddefnyddio euhincwm rhent i ariannu eu stoc tai.

• Cyflwyno cynllun cofrestru a thrwyddedu gorfodol argyfer landlordiaid sector preifat ac asiantau rheoligyda’r nod o roi mwy o rym i’r tenant yn arbennig pannad yw landlord wedi cofrestru.

Rhoddir cymorth hefyd i ddarparu tai gan gymdeithasautai cydweithredol fydd yn helpu cynyddu’r cyflenwad odai fforddiadwy.

Mae CHC yn croesawu’r bil a bydd yn bwydo i drafodaethauwrth iddo fynd drwy’r gwahanol gamau pwyllgor.

Croeso, Liam! Ymunais â Grŵp CHC yn ddiweddar fel Cymhorthydd Polisia Gweinyddiaeth. Yn fy wythnos gyntaf es o gyfarfod igyfarfod a roddodd gyfle ardderchog i mi gwrdd agaelodau’r tîm a dysgu mwy am waith y grŵp. Ymunais âCHC ar amser diddorol iawn. Cyflwynwyd Bil Tai (Cymru)yn ystod fy wythnos gyntaf a dysgais lawer iawn am yrheriau y mae’r Bil yn gobeithio eu trin a’r rhai a all ddal iddigwydd. Fy mhrif rôl yw monitro trafodion gwleidyddolsy’n bwysig i’r sector a rhannu newyddion a gwybodaethgyda’r tîm polisi ac eraill fel bod pawb yn gwybod beth sy’ndigwydd y tu mewn a’r tu allan i’r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol.

Gobeithiaf fod yn aelod defnyddiol o’r tîm polisi a’r Grŵpyn ei gyfanrwydd, a byddaf yn gweithio’n galed i sicrhau ybydd fy rôl gefnogi ar gael yn rhwydd i bawb.

Liam Townsend twtwitM rr@ rr@Liam_CHC

Cymhorthydd Gwleidyddol a Gweinyddiaeth029 2067 4822 / [email protected]

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MENTER GYMDEITHASOL

Buont yn gweithio’n ddiweddar gyda CHC ynghyd âphartneriaid presennol megis Social Enterprise UK,Cyngor Gweithredu Gwirfoddol Cymru, NESTA, UnLtd aceraill i sefydlu rhaglen gyntaf The Accelerator yng Nghymrua ddechreuodd ym mis Medi. Dynodwyd naw menter oGymru, yn cynnwys prosiect Mae Budd-daliadau yn Newid.

Fel y gwyddoch, dechreuodd tîm cyngor arian CHCddarparu gwasanaeth yn 2010 o swyddfeydd MoneylineCymru. Ariannwyd hwn yn llwyr gan y Loteri Fawr. Aeth ygwasanaeth o nerth i nerth ers hynny ac mae’n awr ynrhoi cyngor i gwsmeriaid Dŵr Cymru a chymdeithasau tai.Daeth y tîm cyngor arian ynghyd gyda’r ymgyrch codiymwybyddiaeth diwygio lles i ddod y tîm Mae Budd-daliadau yn Newid.

Ymysg pethau eraill, hyd yma mae tîm Mae Budd-daliadauyn Newid wedi:

• Helpu 740 o bobl mewn tlodi tanwydd i hawlio£105,000 drwy’r cynllun Disgownt Cartref Cynnes

• Helpu pobl i drin dros £1.2m o ddyled• Dynodi 216 o gronfeydd ymddiriedolaeth priodol i

helpu pobl i ganfod grantiau addas ar gyfer euhanghenion

Mae’r naw prosiect yn cwrdd bob ychydig wythnosaugyda gwahanol arbenigwyr y daeth Sefydliad Young â hwyat ei gilydd ar gyfer dyddiau dysgu dwys.

Mae ein dulliau gwaith yn ein galluogi i olwg ar MaeBudd-daliadau yn Newid dan y chwyddwydr a gweld ybylchau yn ein cynllun busnes. Hefyd, fe wnaethmynediad i bobl sy’n gwneud penderfyniadau cyllido yn eu gwaith beunyddiol ein galluogi i ystyried rhai o’rcwestiynau gwirioneddol anodd hynny.

Daw rhaglen The Accelerator i ben ddiwedd Ionawr 2014,a gobeithiwn y byddwn erbyn hynny wedi datblygu nifer ogynnyrch newydd yn cynnwys hyfforddiant, llyfr am fudd-daliadau ac ymgyrch ehangach yn y cyfryngau.

Clare James tM rr@Clare_CHCymru

Swyddog Polisi Gwasanaethau Tai

Gweithio gydaSefydliad YoungYmysg llawer o bethau eraill, mae Sefydliad Young yn darparu cefnogaeth a chyllid ientrepreneuriaid sy’n cynnal mentrau cymdeithasol, rhoi cyngor i sefydliadau sy’ndymuno buddsoddi neu gaffael gwasanaethau gan fentrau cymdeithasol, a chynorthwyoi ddatblygu cytundebau cyfranogiad refeniw a bondiau effaith cymdeithasol.

£105,000

740

£1.2m

216Dynodi 216 o

gronfeyddymddiriedolaeth

priodol i helpu pobli ganfod grantiauaddas ar gyfer eu

hanghenion

Helpu pobl i drin dros £1.2mo ddyled

drwy’r cynllun DisgowntCartref Cynnes

Helpu 740 o boblmewn tloditanwydd i hawlio


DiweddariadRhaglenCefnogi PoblRoedd yn galonogol iawn gweld pan gyhoeddwydffigurau’r gyllideb ddrafft mai dim ond toriad o 1.5% a fuyn y Grant Rhaglen Cefnogi Pobl. Wrth gwrs, mae unrhywostyngiad mewn cyllidebau allweddol yn beth gwael acmae’r ‘dim ond’ yn yr achos hwn yn adlewyrchu’r toriadaullawer halltach y buom yn eu disgwyl ar un amser.

Yn y dyfodol, bydd datblygiadau o fewn y rhaglen yncynnwys datblygu opsiwn ar gyfer llywodraethiant hirdymora dull gweithredu at achrediad. Hefyd, mae pob PwyllgorRhanbarthol Cydweithredol yn y broses o gynhyrchu euHadroddiad Blynyddol a bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yncomisiynu gwaith ar adolygiad o’r flwyddyn drosiant.

Hoffwn fanteisio ar y cyfle yma i ddiolch i aelodau aphartneriaid megis Care & Repair Cymru a CymorthCymru am eu gwaith yn amlygu rôl hanfodol gwasanaethaua ddarperir drwy’r rhaglen, drwy godi hyn yn lleol agweithio gyda CHC i amlygu gwaith aelodau’n genedlaethol.

Os hoffech rannu barn eich sefydliad ar y newidiadau amy ffordd y cyflwynir Cefnogi Pobl yng Nghymru, cysylltwchâ [email protected] os gwelwch yn dda.

Cydweithredu gydaConffederasiwn GIG CymruMewn symudiad cyffrous tuag at fwy o gydweithio, maeCHC wedi secondio dau aelod o staff (Matt Kennedy acAaron Hill) ar sail ran-amser i ddarparu gwasanaeth polisia materion cyhoeddus i Gonffederasiwn GIG Cymru.Credwn y bydd y cydweithredu yma yn rhoi cyfleoeddgwych i adeiladu ar waith aelodau ar lefel leol gydachydweithwyr yn y sector iechyd drwy fwydo i’r agendaiechyd cenedlaethol yng Nghymru.

Bydd hyn hefyd yn caniatáu hyrwyddo rôl cymdeithasautai ac asiantaethau Gofal a Thrwsio ymhellach wrthostwng y pwysau ar Iechyd a GwasanaethauCymdeithasol. Ar adeg pan fo’r GIG yn wynebu nifer oheriau hollbwysig yn ymwneud â chyllid, ail-gyfluniogwasanaeth ac integreiddio, mae hwn yn gyfle rhagorol i

adeiladu’r cysylltiadau wrth lunio rhai o’r newidiadau hyna sicrhau y dynodir cyfleoedd addas ar gyfer aelodau.Rydym yn croesawu’n fawr y cyfle yma i weithio’n agosgyda’r Conffederasiwn a byddwn yn rhoi newyddionpellach i aelodau ar y gwaith. Mae’r cydweithredu yma ynelfen bwysig o’r amcan ‘Cydweithredu fel Tîm’ yngNghynllun Corfforaethol CHC ar gyfer 2013-16, acedrychwn ymlaen at roi adroddiad ar y canlyniadau.

Matt Kennedy twM rr@Matt_CHC

Swyddog Polisi: Gofal, Cymorth ac Iechyd

IECHYD A THAI

9

NEWYDDION YN GRYNO

Trydarathon#HousingDay Cymerodd sefydliadau tai ar draws Prydain ran ynddiweddar mewn ‘Trydarathon’ lle defnyddiwyd hashtag#HousingDay i drydaru am ein gweithgareddau ar 13Tachwedd. Roedd hon yn ffordd wych o godiymwybyddiaeth am yr hyn sy’n digwydd yn y sector arsail ddyddiol, yn ogystal ag arddangos yr amrywiaeth obrosiectau y mae staff yn ymwneud â hwy. Roeddnegeseuon gan y sector yn cynnwys gweithgareddauadfywio cymunedol, gweithio gyda grwpiau anodd eucyrraedd, lansio cynlluniau tai, cynhyrchu’r cylchgrawntenantiaid, prosesu ceisiadau, gweithio ar hysbysebionrecriwtio, trefnu digwyddiadau, ymweld â thenantiaid,cydlynu gyda’r asiantaeth Gofal a Thrwsio leol, rhoicyngor ar arian, gosod ceginau, rhoi cyngor i denantiaidar fynd yn ôl i’r gwaith, gweithgareddau cynhwysiantdigidol, gweithio ar strategaeth arbed ynni... mae’r rhestryn parhau! Ar ei frig, hashtag #HousingDay hashtag oeddy prif bwnc trendio yng Nghymru a Phrydain, agobeithiwn drefnu ymgyrch debyg yng Nghymru yn yflwyddyn newydd. Mwy o wybodaeth i ddilyn!

Sefydlwyd Partneriaeth Tai Cymru ym mis Awst 2011 felcyfrwng cyllid ar y cyd i ddarparu tai o ansawdd ar gyferrhent canolraddol ledled Cymru. Mae’r Bartneriaeth ynfenter ar y cyd rhwng CT Clwyd, Coastal, Hendre a Serenac mae’n darparu tai fforddiadwy mewn modd sy’neffeithiol yn ariannol. Ei marchnad darged oedd ‘poblmewn gwaith sydd angen cartref ond nad ydynt ynflaenoriaeth ar gyfer tai cymdeithasol, aelwydydd heb fodmewn sefyllfa i brynu, a phobl yn edrych am ddatrysiadmwy sicr na’r sector rhent preifat’. Clustnododd LlywodraethCymru £6m arall i’r Bartneriaeth yn 2012/13, gan arwainat brynu 266 yn fwy o gartrefi ac ymestyn ei wasanaeth i20 awdurdod lleol. Yn seiliedig ar lwyddiant y ddwyflynedd gyntaf, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gwneuddarpariaeth yn y gyllideb ar gyfer £12m arall yn ystod2013-2015. Yn ystod y pedair blynedd, bydd y Bartneriaethwedi sicrhau dros 920 o gartrefi fforddiadwy ychwanegolledled Cymru am gyfanswm buddsoddiad o dros £100m.

Diweddariadar BartneriaethTai Cymru

CymeradwyaethFrenhinol i Doiran

Dyfarnwyd OBE i Doiran Jones, is-gadeirydd CHC aCare & Repair Cymru, am ei wasanaethau i’r sectortai. Cyflwynwyd yr OBE iddo gan y Tywysog Williamym Mhalas Buckingham. Mae Doiran yn angerddolam dai a bu’n aelod o fwrdd Cartrefi Melin ac ynymwneud â’r sector mewn amrywiaeth o rolau am31 mlynedd. Bu hefyd yn ynad lleol am dros 20mlynedd. Roedd Doiran wrth ei fodd i dderbyn yrhyn a ddisgrifiodd fel ‘anrhydedd anhygoel’ am eiwasanaethau yn y maes tai, ac mae’n teimlo iddi fodyn fraint ymwneud â’r maes am dros 31 mlynedd.Pan ddychwelodd o’r Palas, dywedodd Doiran:‘Roedd yn wych cwrdd â’r Tywysog William ac roeddyn ymddangos yn wybodus iawn am y materion sy’nwynebu’r sector heddiw.’ Llongyfarchiadau, Doiran!


SAFBWYNT AELOD

Mynd i’r Afael ag YmddygiadGwrthgymdeithasol yn Sir FynwyMewn blynyddoedd diweddar, bu Cymdeithas Tai Sir Fynwy (MHA) yn gwella’r ffordd ydeliwn gydag ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol. Mae ein polisi a gweithdrefnau cadarn a’npecyn cymorth yn rhoi dioddefwyr yn gyntaf, yn canolbwyntio ar ymyriad cynnar, gangefnogi dioddefwyr a thramgwyddwyr. Roedd hyn a’n gwaith partneriaeth gyda sefydliadauyn ffactorau allweddol wrth sicrhau achrediad HouseMark am ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol.

Cyflwynwyd Tîm Diogelwch Cymunedol newydd gydachyfoeth o brofiad, yn cynnwys dau uwch swyddog taiprofiadol a dau swyddog heddlu wedi ymddeol. Mae gany tîm newydd gyfuniad eang o sgiliau a phrofiad helaeth odai cyffredinol, diogelwch cymunedol a thrin ymddygiadgwrthgymdeithasol. Gan ddefnyddio’r sgiliau hyn, galloddy tîm ehangu’r gwasanaethau a ddarperir i gynnwysproffilio tramgwyddwyr a chefnogi a diogelu rhai sy’ndioddef o gam-drin domestig.

Mae’r tîm yn gweithio’n agos gyda’n swyddogioncymdogaeth, ein tenantiaid, preswylwyr lleol a’npartneriaid i sicrhau cymunedau lleol diogel a chadarn.Mae ymyriad cynnar yn rhan allweddol o’n gwaithdiogelwch cymunedol gyda chyfryngu, cefnogaethymroddedig ac mewn rhai achosion gynnig therapiymddygiad gwybyddol i ddioddefwyr a hefyd dramgwyddwyr.

Drwy ddefnyddio ein systemau technoleg gwybodaeth athrwy weithio partneriaeth, gall y tîm ddynodi’r mannaugwaethaf ar gyfer gwahanol fathau o ymddygiadgwrthgymdeithasol, gan felly dargedu gwaith ataliaethneu gefnogi prosiectau. Sefydlwyd prosiect llwyddiannusyn ddiweddar fel canlyniad i hyn, a drefnwyd gan DîmBuddsoddiad Cymunedol MHA, i helpu menywod sy’ndioddef o arwahanrwydd neu gam-drin domestig. Mae’rprosiect yn annog adeiladu hyder drwy ddysgu sgiliaunewydd a chwrdd â phobl newydd.

Drwy broffilio tramgwyddwyr, gall y tîm yn awr weithiogyda thenantiaid i ddynodi rhesymau sy’n cyfrannu atiddynt gyflawni ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol. Felenghraifft o hyn, bu’r tîm yn gweithio’n agos gyda theulutenant. Dynododd y tîm fod diweithdra yn ffactor yn yrymddygiad gwael yr oeddent yn ei arddangos. Roedd ynamlwg eu bod eisiau gweithio ond eu bod angenhyfforddiant hanfodol i sicrhau cyflogaeth. Drwy euhatgyfeirio at Dîm Gwaith a Sgiliau MHA, sicrhawyd yrhyfforddiant perthnasol a chyllid drwy’r Ganolfan BydGwaith. Mae’r tenant bellach mewn cyflogaeth ac nidderbyniwyd unrhyw gwynion pellach o ymddygiadgwrthgymdeithasol.

Anogodd y broses achredu y tîm i graffu ar bob agweddo’r gwasanaeth ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol.Gosodwyd targedau heriol a chasglwyd gwybodaeth drwyadborth gan ddefnyddwyr wasanaeth i helpu i lywiogwelliant parhaus yn y gwasanaeth.

Yn gryno, rydym yn falch iawn o lwyddiant ac ymroddiadein staff wrth hyrwyddo cymunedau diogel a chryf yn SirFynwy.

David Morris

Cyfarwyddydd Tai a Chymunedau, MHA

11

DIWEDDARIAD CREW

Cyfnod prysur yn CREWAdfywio CymruLleoedd Llewyrchus Llawn AddewidMae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gofyn i CREW gefnogiawdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru fel rhan o broses gaisLleoedd Llewyrchus Llawn Addewid, fframwaithLlywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer darparu cyllid adfywio iawdurdodau lleol a’u partneriaid. Ni fydd CREW yncymryd rhan wrth asesu unrhyw un o’r ceisiadau Ail Gama bydd felly’n gallu rhoi cyngor annibynnol a diduedd.

Mae CREW yn rhoi cyngor ar fonitro a gwerthuso, arferadfywio blaengar, materion canol tref, ymgysylltu ârhanddeiliaid, adfywio dan arweiniad tai ac adolygiad‘cyfaill critigol’ o’r cynigion cyn eu hanfon.

Cynhadledd y Glannau

Ar 16/17 Hydref cynhaliwyd Cynhadledd y Glannau yAbertawe a drefnwyd gan Maritime Heritage Wales Cyf,yn gweithio gyda CREW. Roedd y gynhadledd yn cynnwysamrywiaeth o siaradwyr yn canolbwyntio ar themacynyddu lleoliadau ar y glannau a’u gwneud yn ffocws argyfer datblygu busnes, gwyddoniaeth ac economaidd yngNghymru.

Ardaloedd Gwella BusnesYn y mis diwethaf, mae CREW wedi trefnu dwy seminar ynWrecsam ac Abertawe i hyrwyddo datblygu ArdaloeddGwella Busnes yng Nghymru. Bu cynulleidfa o dros 90 obobl yn y ddwy seminar o’r sector preifat, sectorcyhoeddus a’r trydydd sector yng Nghymru. Mae’rcyflwyniadau ar gael ar wefan CREW..

Astudiaethau AchosCafodd dwy astudiaeth achos eu lanlwytho ar wefanCREW yn ddiweddar. Mae Jemma Bere wedi diweddaruastudiaeth achos a gwblhawyd gan CREW yn 2010 arBartneriaeth Gymunedol Glyncoch. Diweddarwyd hyn iadlewyrchu’r newidiadau i’r clystyrau Cymunedau ynGyntaf a phatrwm cyflenwi adfywio cymunedol hyd yma,yn defnyddio methodoleg cynhyrchu ar y cyd.

Mae Hayley MacNamara hefyd wedi cwblhau astudiaethachos ar Brosiect Adfywio Sgwâr Loudon yn Butetown,Caerdydd. Roedd y prosiect yn cynnwys adeiladu canolfaniechyd newydd o’r math diweddaraf, canolfan diwylliant achyfryngau newydd, canolbwynt cymunedol, 11 unedfanwerthu newydd sbon a chreu 61 o gartrefi fforddiadwynewydd.

Darn BarnMae’r awdur gwadd, Sarah Wyburn, yn ystyried rôl bwysigpractisau cyfreithiol bach yn economi’r stryd fawr yn NarnBarn diweddaraf CREW. Mae ei darn barn, ‘PractisauCyfreithiol y Stryd Fawr: Rôl Allweddol mewn Trefi Bach’ar gael ar wefan CREW. Os hoffech gyfrannu Darn Barn yny dyfodol, cysylltwch â [email protected] osgwelwch yn dda.

www.regenwales.org

Dr Mark Lang twtwM rr@DrMarkLang

CREW Adfywio Cymru

M rr@CrewRegenWales

Cynadleddau:

Cyrsiau Hyfforddiant:


IONAWR 2014

22 Cynhadledd Adnoddau

Dynol

Gwesty Mercure Holland

CAERDYDD

DIGWYDDIADAU

I gael mwy o wybodaeth am ein cyrsiau hyfforddiant, cysylltwchâ [email protected] os gwelwch yn dda.

CHWEFROR 2014

06 Rheoli ôl-ddyledion rhent: Sgyrsiau am y ‘drethystafelloedd gwely’ a Chredyd Cynhwysol CAERDYDD

19 Rheoli Cwynion CAERDYDD

20 Cyflwyniad i ddatblygiad tai CAERDYDD

CHWEFROR 2014

4/5 Cynhadledd Prif

Weithredwyr

Gwesty Rossett Hall

WRECSAM

GORFFENNAF 2014

10/11 Cynhadledd Adnoddau

Gwesty Metropole

LLANDRINDOD

IONAWR 2014

14 Cyflwyniad i Gymdeithasau Tai CAERDYDD

15 Deddf Llwgrwobrwyo a Diogelu Data CAERDYDD

21 Gostwng y risgiau i staff sy’n gweithio ar ben euhunain GOGLEDD CYMRU

23 Adennill dyledion tai CAERDYDD

24 Cyfryngau Cymdeithasol: Facebook, Twitter a BlogioCAERDYDD

28 Sgiliau cadeirio CAERDYDD

I gael mwy o wybodaeth am ein cynadleddau, cysylltwch â[email protected] os gwelwch yn dda.

Dilynwch ni ar @CHCymru a @CHCEvents

CHWEFROR 2014

20/21 Cynhadledd

Llywodraethiant

Gwesty Metropole

LLANDRINDOD

Adolygiad BlynyddolBu’n flwyddyn brysur i CHC. Darllenwch am ein CAMAU i roi’n aelodau yn gyntaf yn 2013:

Gwobrau Cysylltiadau

Cyhoeddus a ChyfathrebuCynhaliwyd Gwobrau Cysylltiadau Cyhoeddus aChyfathrebu CHC yn gynharach y mis hwn yn ystod yGynhadledd Cyfathrebu yn Llandudno. Unwaith eto,roedd prosiectau gwych wedi’u cyflwyno gyda dros gant oenwebiadau. Gallwch ddarllen popeth am yr enillwyr a’uprosiectau yn y ddalen amgaeedig.

Gwobr Ymgyrch y Flwyddyn Enillodd ymgyrch ‘Mae Budd-daliadau yn Newid’ wobr‘Ymgyrch y Flwyddyn’ yng Ngwobrau Tai Cymru CIHCymru fis diwethaf. Bu gweithio partneriaeth ynallweddol i lwyddiant yr ymgyrch gyda dros 70 osefydliadau’n cefnogi, felly diolch i’r holl sefydliadau acunigolion a gefnogodd yr ymgyrch. Rydym yn edrychymlaen at weithio ar gam nesaf yr ymgyrch... mwy ofanylion i ddilyn yn y flwyddyn newydd!

PinterestMae Grŵp CHC wedi ymuno â Pinterest yn ddiweddar ihyrwyddo gweithgareddau aelodau ar sianel cyfryngaucymdeithasol arall eto.. Mae Pinterest yn saflerhwydweithio cymdeithasol gweledol sy’n eich galluogi igreu gwahanol ‘fyrddau’ ar gyfer gwahanol gategorïau.Gellir ‘pinio’ delweddau ar y byrddau hyn sydd wedyn yncysylltu’n syth yn ôl i’r safle y maent yn tarddu ohonynt.Mae gan gyfrif Pinterest CHC y potensial i ddangos gwaithgwych cymdeithasau tai ym mhob rhan o Gymru, acmae’r datblygiad yn un cyffrous. Cysylltwch â [email protected] i gael mwy o wybodaeth.

www.pinterest.com/chcgroup

EBRILL 2014

08 Cyflwyniad i Gymdeithasau Tai CAERDYDD

MAWRTH 2014

06 Creu tenantiaethau llwyddiannus drwy reoli unedaugwag CAERDYDD

21 Cyflwyniad taliadau gwasanaeth CAERDYDD

26 Diweddariad ar newidiadau TUPE a chyfraithcyflogaeth CAERDYDD

31 Atgyweiriadau i staff heb fod yn staff technegolCAERDYDD

for a healthier welsh economy - community housing cymru · will be rolled out in early 2014. to...

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