Advice for Private Rented Tenants from Under One Roof

We understand things are difficult for everyone at the moment, but there are particular challenges for those living in private rented accommodation with shared stairwells and common areas.

Below we share the UnderOneRoof guidance on how to keep common areas safe and clean.

Keeping your close clean will not only make you feel better about your home where you are spending so much time just now, but it’s also important to protect your health.

If you employ commercial close cleaners, you may find that they are unable to keep to their usual schedules.  You may need to take action yourselves.

Communicate With Your Neighbours

Find a way of warning neighbours that cleaning is in progress so you can avoid having to pass closely on the stairs

Protect Yourself

• Wear protective gloves if available.
• If you can’t get disposables, write your name on the gloves so you don’t end up sharing them with other people
• Beware of splashing disinfectant on yourself.
• If you think you just might need to use eye protection then do.

What To Clean

You’ll want to up your cleaning schedule for the close but pay particular attention to

• handrails,
• door handles
• controlled entry key pads and door bells
• any parts of the close wall that get touched (grubby marks are a tell tale sign).

Cleaning Method

• Clean off the visible dirt and grease thoroughly first of all with soap and water – dirt reduces the effectiveness of disinfectants.
• Allow to dry
• Then disinfect surfaces with any of the following:
• Disinfectant wipes
• Standard household disinfectant – read and follow the instructions carefully
• Diluted bleach solution (bleach can be dangerous if misused so see further guidance)

How Often to Clean

Floors: two or three times a week

Handrails, handles, door entry pads etc: once a day would be a good target for most closes but twice a day would be better if many people pass through your common areas.

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National Employment Online Careers Fair for the Armed Forces Community

National Employment Online Careers Fair went live yesterday and will remain open until  Thursday 7 May 2020.

 

Location: Online-register here

By registering, you will be able to create an online career profile and upload your CV(s) and links to your professional social media. It also allows people to engage with companies, no matter their location or situation. From Cyprus to The Falklands people will be able to engage with companies whenever or wherever they need to.

The Armed Forces Community can access in-house information from these companies, even when there isn’t a person to engage with, in real time. This means, you view their videos and get the same value of information ‘on-demand’.

The virtual event connects the Armed Forces Community with online exhibitors, all in one virtual place.

Access their:

• websites
• social media channels
• videos
• jobs
• courses
• downloadable company information
• appointments
• messaging system
• viewing live and on demand webcasts

Essentially, it brings together employers, training providers, and career advice for the Armed Forces Community.

Worried About Energy Bills? Home Energy Scotland Can Help

If you are concerned about energy bills, or how to stay warm at home, Home Energy Scotland telephone advisors are on hand with the latest information and advice from energy suppliers and the Scottish Government. This includes support for pre-payment meter customers and how they can top-up by post or other means.

Please call 0808 808 2282 for free and impartial advice or request a call back.

Their service is free and impartial and committed to keeping you warm.

 

Grass Cutting and Other Maintenance of Parks, Cemeteries and Open Spaces Across Angus Has Restarted

On Monday 20 April, or grass-cutting of parks and open spaces restarted. It will take some time to get round them all so please bear with us.

The use of single operator vehicles allow our staff to work safely whilst maintaining rules on social distancing in compliance with Government and health guidelines.

Maintaining our parks and open spaces will help to allow people to get exercise locally, on a daily basis.

Please remember, if you are at your local green spaces, follow the national guidance and do not allow children or teenagers to use play areas, skate parks and fitness equipment or gather socially, other than in family groups.  These facilities remain closed until further notice.

Only parks and green spaces close to your home should be used for exercising. Please avoid driving to parks and carry any litter home with you.

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated to ensure we all stay safe during these unprecedented times.

 

For more details see our website.

 

 

Keep Your Distance and Save Lives

As the weather has improved in recent days, we have received an increase in the number of complaints about social distancing not being followed, within our tenancies and in communal areas.

We understand that it can be frustrating not being able to meet friends and family in person, but we must remind our tenants and other householders about the importance of following the national directive:

• Follow the government’s social distancing guidelines
• This includes communal gardens and spaces
• Only have barbeques and gatherings with members of your own household in the garden of your own property.

This will help:

• Protect you, your family and others
• Protect the NHS
• Save lives

Thank you to the vast majority of people who are following this guidance and who understand the need for the restrictions to be in place. For others who choose to ignore the guidance, the Police have powers to fine anybody not following these instructions.

The Police do have the same powers in terms of communal gardens and spaces as they do for public parks to enforce social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus.

See the Police message in the video

We care about keeping everyone in Angus safe and well.

Support for People in Immediate Danger in Angus

If you need to access help or support or you are concerned about someone else in Angus, do not hesitate to seek support.

Concerns about an adult at risk:

ACCESSLine: 03452 777 778                                                             

This service is available Monday to Friday, 8.45am to 5pm

Concerns about a child at risk:

ACCESSLine: 03452 777 778           

 This service is available Monday to Friday, 8.45am to 5pm                             #KeepingKidsSafeC19

Support for children:

Childline offers free, confidential advice and support whatever your worry, whenever you need help: 0800 1111

NSPCC Helpline – If you’re worried about a child, even if you’re unsure, contact our professional counsellors for help, advice and support: 0808 800 5000

 

Support for women:

Angus Women’s Aid (AWA): 01241 439437

Tayside Domestic Abuse Service:0771 447 4112

Women’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (WRASAC), Dundee and Angus: 01382 201291

Victim Support Angus: 01241 877563

Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline: 0800 027 1234

Scottish Women’s Aid: 0800 027 1234

National Rape Crisis: 0808 801 0302

Rape Crisis Scotland Textline: 07537 410027

 

Support for men:

Respect, Men’s Advice Line (Scotland): 0808 801 0327

Survivors UK: 0203 598 3898

 

Victim support:

Angus: 01241 878507

National Helpline: 0800 160 1985

 

Out of hours:

Contact outwith daytime hours can be directed to                                                                   Social Work Out of Hours Service: 01382 307964                                                           (evenings between 4.45pm and 9am, weekends)

 

Additional information:

Housing: 03452 777 778

Voluntary Action Angus: 01307 466113

 

Substance use:

Please see Angus Alcohol and Drug Partnership website for the wide variety of resources available.

 

For more details see the Immediate Danger Flyer

Benefits advice, online calculator and Welfare Rights advice during COVID-19

Please visit the Welfare Rights service new webpage for all the latest benefit changes which have been introduced in response to the coronavirus situation.

The page also has a link to the online Benefits Calculator (above) which is free to use, available 24/7 and no personal information is stored.  You can find out about new entitlements or check if your current entitlements are correct.  The calculator can also let you know how benefit entitlements change if your income and savings change.

If you need to contact our Welfare Rights team for benefit or debt related advice then please use our website.

 

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – NHS guidance in other languages and formats

To make the latest guidance about COVID-19 accessible for everyone, NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government have now added translated information on coronavirus to the NHS inform website.

The guidance is available in :

– other languages: Arabic, Mandarin, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Romanian and Urdu

– formats : BSL and Easy Read

Advice for Council Tenants Wishing to Give Up Their Tenancy – Update

If you wish to give up your tenancy you can do so in writing (no termination form will be required). You must give 28 days’ notice.

Your letter can be short but must contain:

• your name and the names of any other joint tenant
• the address of the property
• your forwarding address
• the date you are leaving – but note you must give 28 days’ notice
• your reason for leaving
• the signatures of all tenants

Please deliver your letter and your keys to your local Housing office

The addresses are as follows:
Arbroath/Carnoustie/Monifieth – keys for termination of tenancy should be delivered to the mailbox at Dewar House, 12 Hill Terrace, Arbroath DD11 1AJ. In the event that you are unable to do this, alternative arrangements can be made by contacting houarbroathcht@angus.gov.uk
Forfar/Kirriemuir – Montrose Road Centre, Montrose Road, Forfar DD8 2HT
Brechin/Montrose – Townhouse, High Street, Montrose DD10 8QW

 

Gas Safety Checks Continue During Coronavirus Outbreak

Since 17 March 2020 we have been following UK and Scottish Government guidance to avoid any unnecessary contact with others. We have also been encouraging residents to stay home and stay safe.

There are exceptions to this guidance and the Health and Safety Executive, has decided that the balance of risk is such, that it remains a legal duty of all landlords to conduct annual safety checks in relation to gas safety. This is because tenants rightly must be protected from the dangers associated with faulty gas services. Therefore we, as a responsible landlord, will be continuing our annual gas services checks.

Naturally, this is causing anxiety for many of our residents, some of whom are ‘shielding’ because of age or pre-existing conditions and we are now experiencing some difficulties in getting access into some homes to carry out annual boiler checks.

We would like our tenants to understand we want to keep our tenants, contractors and our staff as safe as possible from both COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and also from faulty boilers. We are very aware for the need to observe social distancing as far as is possible.

Therefore, when you receive your letter regarding an appointment to allow this essential gas servicing to take place, please contact the relevant Gas Contractor to let them know immediately if:

• You or someone in your household is experiencing Covid-19 symptoms

• You or someone in your household is self-isolating/shielding
  

WRB contact number: 01382 204030 and covers Arbroath, Brechin, Carnoustie, Monifieth & Montrose.

Saltire call centre contact number: 01698 743647 and covers Forfar, Kirriemuir and landward areas.

In these circumstances, we can postpone the boiler check and we will make an appointment for the work to be carried out immediately after your period of self-isolation/shielding ends. If for some reason we are unable to carry out these works, we must record the fact that it is related to the COVID-19 outbreak.

If you do not fall into the two categories above, we would ask you to allow this vital work to be completed. Please be assured that our staff and contractors are following government guidance in relation to hygiene and safety. Only people with no symptoms of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) will be sent out and, when entering homes, they will clean/sanitise hands before and after each job and wipe down all surfaces with anti-bacterial wipes. They will also guide you and your family to assist everyone to maintain a safe distance of two metres.

We do also have protective clothing and equipment to carry out checks and repairs in households where a COVID-19 (Coronavirus) is suspected or confirmed if necessary where an emergency repair is necessary and we would again ask that you mention this when contacting the service.

We are all facing a very challenging situation and by working together we can keep everyone; tenants, staff and contractors safe from both this virus and faulty gas services.