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Where does Southern Housing Group have homes?
We currently own 24,000 homes and house 66,000 people in over 80 local authority areas across southern England.
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Which organisations are part of Southern Housing Group?
Southern Housing Group is made up of:
Southern Housing Group - the parent body of the Group and a Registered Social Landlord providing affordable housing throughout London and the South.
Southern Housing Home Ownership - develops and manages a range of low-cost home ownership and intermediate housing options.
Southern Housing Foundation - a charitable organisation that, in partnership with other agencies, funds a range of community initiatives to help create sustainable neighbourhoods where people want to live.
South Wight Housing Association - a major provider of affordable housing solutions and Southern Housing Group services for those who live on the Isle of Wight.
James Butcher Housing Association - provides the full range of Southern Housing Group services and manages over 4,200 properties across 41 local authorities along the M4 corridor.
Southern Space - a commercial developer of housing for outright sale on the open market, with profits being used by the Group to provide an independent source of funding.
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How does Southern Housing Group operate?
The Group’s head office in London provides centralised services to all the organisations in the Group, including finance, operations, human resources, communications, development, sales and marketing, and procurement.
There are regional offices in Barking, Horsham, Ashford, Hove, Theale, Portsmouth and Newport on the Isle of Wight, as well as a number of offices on estates.
We operate a one-stop Service Centre which answers calls from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday.
We have teams of staff providing services locally at our estates and schemes. We also work in partnership with our repairs contractors, local authorities and other local agencies.
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How can our company become approved contractors?
All our approved suppliers need to go through our tendering process.
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When submitting a tender, must we put our company name on the envelope?
We ask you to do this so that we can identify late bids and make sure bids are included. All bids are treated confidentially and we follow a strict procedure for opening the envelopes. This requirement does not affect the legality of the process or the confidentiality of your bid.
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When submitting a tender, why do we have to print paperwork on both sides of the paper?
Our environmental policy is to limit paperwork, which is why we ask companies to submit bids in a duplex format. If this causes real problems, we can accept single copy bids, but they must be accompanied by a written explanation.
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Can registered members of Constructionline use that system to respond to pre-qualification questionnaires?
If the information held on Constructionline is relevant to your bid document, you can print this off and submit it where applicable. However, we do not review any online information from Constructionline.
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What is the minimum public liability insurance cover required by Southern Housing Group?
We usually request minimum cover of £10 million as standard for internal reasons. However, we may accept public liability insurance at your current level, but subject to increases. You would need to ensure that you could increase cover if necessary.
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What is the minimum employer’s liability insurance cover require by Southern Housing Group?
We ask for your cover to be equal to the number of your employees, but no less than the statutory requirement of £5 million. We don’t specify a higher level of cover because it would be unfair on smaller suppliers who may not need higher levels.
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If we haven’t recent experience of the housing association sector would any tender bid fail immediately?
If you can demonstrate that you have the necessary skills required to provide the services, have a clear understanding of the requirements of the current housing association market in terms of regulations and so on, and can provide examples of projects where skills are transferable to our market, you will be considered.
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Why do you ask me security questions when I phone the Service Centre?
We have to make absolutely sure that callers are who they say they are. We may be talking about sensitive issues and all organisations that hold personal information about other people must keep to meet the regulations set out in the Data Protection act 1988. Under the act, the Group can only keep the information that we need to perform our job properly and we also have to keep it secure and not pass it on to third parties.
If you want the Group to speak to a relative or someone else acting on your behalf then you have to give us that permission in writing. We will then ask that person for security details before making any information available.
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How can I make a complaint?
You can make a complaint in the most convenient way for you. You can talk to our staff, phone the Service Centre, send us an email or write to us.
If you prefer, we have a complaints form available from the Service Centre.
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What are cyclical maintenance, planned maintenance and major repairs?
Cyclical maintenance is our five-year rolling programme of external redecorations and repairs.
Planned maintenance programmes will replace worn-out items like roofs, windows, kitchens and bathrooms.
Major repairs are for significant work to homes or schemes. The work may involve you having to move from your home, either temporarily or permanently (we call this decanting). If we need you to move, we will always consult you and offer financial help towards your move.
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Do you have housing for older people?
We provide sheltered accommodation for residents over the age of 60, who are living independently but need the added security of a scheme manager or community alarm system for emergencies. We also have a small number flats available at schemes suitable for the over-50s. For more details, call the Service Centre.
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What should I do if I have a problem with my gas, electricity or water supply?
If you can smell gas, report it immediately to National Grid on 0800 111 999.
If you are having problems with the meter or mains supply for gas, electricity or water, phone the company you pay your bill to. Look on your last bill for the number.
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What are my rights under the Data Protection Act 1998?
Under the Data Protection Act 1998, you are entitled to see the personal information we keep about you on file or on our computer system. For more details, contact the Service Centre.
We keep your details confidential and we will not pass them on to another organisation without your permission unless it is to do with your tenancy or the law says we must.
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The council refuse collectors are failing to collect rubbish properly. Who should I contact?
This service is provided by the council, so you should begin by calling them direct. If the problems continue, you should bring it to the attention of your caretaker or patch manager, who may be able to take the matter up with the council on the Group’s behalf.
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I would like an additional service or facility introduced to my scheme. Is this possible?
If your neighbours agree with you, we might be able to improve your local services, but it might involve a rise in your service charges. We would have to consult everyone at your scheme, including any leaseholders.
Again, if your neighbours like the idea, we might be able to fund a one-off improvement, for example, installing a bike shed, using our environmental improvements budget.
For more details, call the Service Centre and ask to be put through to your patch manager.
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How can I report anti-social behaviour?
To report anti-social behaviour, you should phone, email or write to the tenancy team at the Service Centre, giving as much detail as you can.
If the anti-social behaviour involves a criminal act or violence, you should call the police.
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What will Southern Housing Group do about anti-social behaviour?
Wherever possible, we will support you and your community to resolve the problem for yourselves. We can also put you in touch with experienced mediators, who can help you find a solution.
For more serious cases, or where someone is breaking their tenancy conditions, we will take firm but appropriate action, working with local partners, including the local authority and the police. If our attempts to persuade perpetrators to stop causing a nuisance fail, we will take legal action, including going to court for an eviction order.
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What can I do if I experience racial harassment?
If you are being victimised or you have suffered any attack or intimidation contact us immediately - phone the Service Centre or speak to one of our estate staff. They will be helpful, supportive and respectful of your wishes.
If you are the victim of racial harassment, we will try to visit you within 24-hours for a detailed account of the incident, as well as sorting out any damage to property.
We will not hesitate to take action against anyone involved in carrying out the harassment and we will notify the police and help them with investigations.
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What can I do about domestic violence?
If domestic violence is a problem affecting you or another of our residents, you are welcome to contact us. We will do all we can to offer support and get you the specialised help you need. We will always keep the details confidential. To report domestic violence in confidence, call the Service Centre.
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Does Southern Housing Group provide homes for sale?
Yes. The Group develops homes for low-cost home ownership that are marketed by Southern Housing Home Ownership. The Group’s commercial developer Southern Space also provides homes for outright sale.
For more details, email sales@shho.org.uk, phone 020 7553 6439 or log on to www.shho.org.uk
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How long will I have to wait for a transfer?
Unfortunately, we can’t give you a simple answer. It depends where you would like to live, how many homes we own in those areas and what type of home you require. To find out more about your transfer application, call the Service Centre tenancy team.
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Why have I been placed in Band C?
Our banding system is designed to prioritise people with the most urgent need to move.
We can reassess your application if your circumstances change. Please keep us informed of any change in your personal details.
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My home is too big for me, can you help me move?
We give priority to people living in family-sized homes who are willing to move somewhere smaller. We will award you a higher band for giving up bedrooms and if you are a resident of Southern Housing Group Limited, we will also pay you £500 for giving up one bedroom and £1,000 for two or more bedrooms, as well as paying towards your moving expenses. Call the Service Centre for more details.
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Can I swap my home with another resident?
If you are a secure or assured tenant, you have the right to swap your home with the secure or assured tenant of any social landlord, providing you get written permission from both landlords first. For more details see your residents’ handbook or call the Service Centre.
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What if I’m not satisfied with a repair?
Call the Service Centre and we will do our best to get things put right. If we fail to do that to your satisfaction, you can also make a complaint.
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How will I know when my gas check and service are due?
When it’s time for your home to be checked, you will be sent an appointment by Robert Heath Heating or, if you live on the Isle of Wight, by Mountjoy. Please call them to change it if you know you won’t be home.
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What’s the Decent Homes standard?
Decent Homes is a standard set by the Government to make sure that all social housing is in good condition. Our homes must be fit for purpose, be in a good state of repair, have reasonably modern facilities and be comfortably warm.
For the Southern Housing Group properties, we replacing all failing items, going beyond minimum standards. We call this repairs programme Decent Homes Plus.
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Can my home be adapted for a disability?
If a disabled member of your family needs special facilities at your home, call the Service Centre. We will usually first ask you to call your local social services department to arrange for an assessment by an occupational therapist. Based on what they tell us, we may be able to arrange for your existing home to be altered. Alternatively, we may be able to transfer your household to a more suitable home.
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How can I get digital TV signals at my home?
We are carrying out a programme of planned aerial replacements for residents living at properties with shared TV aerials – that is, for most people living in blocks of flats. When your block comes up in the programme, you will be contacted by our specialist contractor, who will need access to your home.
If you live in a street property, you will need to ask our permission to get a satellite dish installed, so that you can subscribe to your own provider, or you will need to consider alternative systems that use your existing aerial.
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Can I put up a satellite dish or TV aerial?
We don’t allow residents living in blocks to have individual satellite dishes. Instead, we provide communal aerials and we are currently working to upgrade these in time for the changeover to digital TV signals.
If you live in a street property, you will need to ask our permission before you get a satellite dish or aerial installed.
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Am I allowed to have a dog or cat?
To keep any pet, other than fish in small aquariums, hamsters and gerbils or small, caged birds, you must get our written permission first. We will ask you to sign an agreement about how you will keep your pet.
We don’t normally allow residents to keep dogs or cats in flats because these types of property are unsuitable for pets that need space and exercise. However, we do make an exception at some but not all of our sheltered schemes.
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Can I give my tenancy to someone else?
- During your lifetime, you are not allowed to pass your tenancy on to someone else, unless you are an assured or secure tenant.
Call the Service Centre tenancy team for more details.
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The tenancy holder has died, what should I do?
You need to write to us to tell us that the tenancy holder has died.
If a secure or assured tenant dies, it is possible in certain circumstances for the tenancy to be passed onto another member the household. This process is called succession. The rules about succession are quite complex, so if this applies to you, you will need to get advice about your situation. Refer to your tenancy agreement and residents’ handbook or call the Service Centre for more details.
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Can I take in a lodger?
If you are a secure or assured tenant, you have the right to allow family members to live with you as your guests. You can also allow someone to live with you informally as a lodger. A lodger can’t exclude you from their room and if you want them to leave, they have to go.
If you give someone the sole right to use certain rooms and give them a tenancy agreement, this is known as sub-letting. If you want to sub-let part of your home, you need our written consent, but we will only say no if we have a good reason.
You do not have the right to sublet your entire home.
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Am I entitled to compensation?
We will consider paying compensation if our service has been poor, or if we have been unable to provide your usual facilities. We will not usually pay compensation if we are carrying out major works to your home.
For more details, see your residents’ handbook or call the Service Centre.
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Are my belongings insured?
As your landlord, we are responsible for insuring the property. We do not insure your furniture, any fixtures you’ve had fitted, your decorations or personal possessions. It is your responsibility to take out contents insurance.
We have arranged a household contents scheme for our residents at favourable rates. To find out more, call the Service Centre.
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I’m moving out. How do I end my tenancy?
Whether you are moving to another of our properties or elsewhere, we ask you to give us four weeks’ notice and pay your rent up to the day you move and return the keys.
You should also make any repairs that are your responsibility – we will charge you for any work you should have done and make sure your home is in good decorative order and clean and tidy.
We may ask to bring people round to see the property
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Can I buy the rented home I’m living in?
Because Southern Housing Group is a registered charity, most of our tenants don’t have the right to buy the home they rent from us. But there are some exceptions.
To find out whether you have the right to buy or acquire your home at a discount, call the Service Centre and ask for a copy of our booklet, ‘Buying your Group home: How to use your right to buy or acquire’ or download it from [link]
We are also running a two-year Social Homebuy pilot scheme, which will allow some of our residents who live in the London Borough of Southwark and Worthing in West Sussex to buy or part-buy/part-rent their homes at a discount. Call the Service Centre for a copy of our booklet, Social Homebuy: How to buy or part-buy your existing home, or download it from Publications and policies.
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Can I join a waiting list with Southern Housing Group?
We hold waiting lists only in very limited areas and for some of our sheltered schemes for older residents. Please contact the Group’s Service Centre for details. To be offered one of our homes to rent, you would normally need to be put forward by your local authority, so you need to put your name on their housing register.
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Do you have housing for older people?
We provide sheltered accommodation for residents over the age of 60, who are living independently but need the added security of a scheme manager or community alarm system for emergencies. We also have a small number flats available at schemes suitable for the over-50s.
To be offered one of our sheltered homes, you would normally need to be put forward by your local authority, so you need to put your name on their housing register. However, we do also keep waiting lists at some of our schemes.
For more details, call the Service Centre.
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Do you provide homes for key workers?
We provide shared ownership homes under the New Build Homebuy scheme, as well as a small number of intermediate rent schemes (normally charging 20 to 30 per cent less than local market rents), that are specifically designed to benefit key workers. These are typically aimed at teachers, nurses, police officers, prison and probation service staff. In some areas, staff employed by local councils, such as social workers, educational psychologists, planners and occupational therapists, may also be included.
For more details, call the Service Centre.
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Does Southern Housing Group provide homes for sale?
Yes. The Group develops homes for low-cost home ownership that are marketed by Southern Housing Home Ownership. The Group’s commercial developer Southern Space also provides homes for outright sale.
For more details, email sales@shho.org.uk, phone 020 7553 6439 or log on to www.shho.org.uk
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How can I give you my views on your services?
We value your feedback and use a wide range of ways to inform, consult and involve as many of our residents as possible. We produce local estate newsletters, involve residents in estate inspections, carry out surveys and face-to-face interviews. We also run focus groups invite residents to inspect our services and have resident members on our committees and Boards.
To find out more about our resident involvement programme, call the Service Centre and ask for a copy of our Active Residents’ Guide, or download it from Publications and policies
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I’d like to take part in the next inspection at my estate. When is it?
To find out more about inspections at your scheme, see your estate newsletter or noticeboard, or the scheme inspection list we send out with Open Door if you are a resident of South Wight HA. You can also call the Service Centre and ask to be put in touch with the patch manager for your scheme.
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I would be interested in joining one of the Group’s boards or committees. How can I apply?
You can register your interest by writing to the Company Secretary, Southern Housing Group, Fleet House, 59 - 61 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1M 5LA.
When a vacancy becomes available, we will contact you to give you more details about our selection process.
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We want to set up a residents’ association. What do we have to do?
Call the Service Centre and ask to be put in contact with someone from Southern Housing Foundation’s resident involvement team (if you are a Southern Housing Group Limited resident) or your community development officer (if you are a South Wight or James Butcher HA resident). They can offer you support to get things started.
If you set up your association in the right way, we will recognise it formally and provide you with a set-up grant and a small annual budget towards your costs, as well other support and access to useful resources.
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How do I apply for a grant for a community project?
If you are a Southern Housing Group Limited resident, call the Service Centre and ask for a form for a Southern Housing Foundation small grant. You can apply for up to £5,000 for projects that help to improve community life, for example, by funding clubs or paying for fun days or day trips.
If you are a resident of South Wight or James Butcher housing assocaitions, please contact the Service Centre and ask to be put in touch with your community development officer.
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