The Regulator of Social Housing has today published a regulatory judgement, upgrading Tuntum’s governance rating to the highest standard, G1. While our governance rating has always been compliant, we needed to improve some aspects of our governance arrangements and are pleased that the regulator has received sufficient assurance to make this decision. Statement from the CEO, Charmaine Simei: “We are really encouraged that our hard work and renewed focus has resulted in a strengthened governance framework which has been reflected in our re-grading.  As an incoming CEO the responsive engagement process with the Regulator over the last few months has been an invaluable experience.  At Tuntum we look forward to launching

The Board of Tuntum has recently approved three new/revised policies, details as follows. All three policies impact all customers and so they are available to read on our website and in hard copy (by request). The latest version of the Housing Ombudsman’s (HOs) Complaint Handling Code, which came into force on the 1st April 2024 has directly influenced two of the policies. Unacceptable Customer Behaviour Policy The Unacceptable Customer Behaviour Policy has been introduced to comply with the Complaint Handling Code, which states: 5.14 Landlords must have policies and procedures in place for managing unacceptable behaviour from residents and/or their representatives. Landlords must be able to evidence reasons for putting

The Electoral Commission have reported that, around 44 million people are estimated to be eligible to vote at this year’s May elections in England and Wales. Yet as many as seven million people are either incorrectly registered or missing from the register entirely. This is more than the combined adult population of Scotland and Wales, and would be equivalent in number to more than 100 UK Parliament constituencies. Their research shows that young people, students and those who have recently moved are least likely groups to be registered. Registering just isn’t on the top of peoples’ to do list when they’ve just moved house or started their student life. The

Social Housing Issue? Know your rights, know how to complain. Everyone deserves a home that is safe, secure, and well maintained. If you live in social housing, your landlord is responsible to fixing issues, including damp and mould, leaks, broken locks or changes you need to your home if you’re disabled. They can also help with anti-social behaviour, like noisy neighbours. Know the steps to get an issue fixed. Step 1. Report it to your landlord. Then, if it is not fixed… Step 2. Complain through your landlord’s complaint process, and if you’re not happy with the final response from your landlord… Step 3. Escalate your complaint to the Housing

Charmaine Simei, the new CEO of Tuntum, would like to get to know Tuntum’s customers. In an article in the Autumn/Winter issue of Engage, our tenant newsletter, she said, “My priority is getting to know the Associations; hearing the customer’s voice is essential to that picture.” In line with that, we would like to invite customers to join some ‘Meet Charmaine’ sessions in January to discuss topics like what Tuntum does well. What could we do better and how can we hear the customer’s voice in every decision? We will have limited numbers available at each session to ensure that we can have valuable conversations, but we will book more

The Autumn/Winter issue features information on our Christmas working hours, the annual repport to tenants, our new CEO, Black History Month, a vacancy on the board for tenants, how to make a complaint, what to do about damp and mould and much more. You can read the Autumn/Winter edition of our tenant’s newsletter by clicking here.

Staff at Tuntum came together for a Lunch & Learn Session (pictured below) to celebrate Black History Month. In the UK, Black History Month happens every October. It gives everyone the opportunity to share, celebrate and understand the impact of black heritage and culture. Tuntum was set up over 35 years ago by community activists from the Windrush generation to provide quality housing and jobs for people primarily from the black Caribbean community in Nottingham. From these humble beginnings, the Association has significantly grown and diversified, maintaining its identity as a BME-led housing association. Delores Vasell, our Head of Community Initiatives, gave a presentation and created an exhibition on two

Today, we celebrated the 100th birthday of one of our tenants, Patrick, with a party. Patrick has lived at Lyn Gilzean Court in St Ann’s for 26 years since he had to leave his home on the island of Montserrat behind due to the eruption of Volcano Soufriere in 1995, which buried the capital in 12 feet of ash and killed 23 people. As a colony of Britain, Montserratians are entitled to British citizenship. The British government announced that it would evacuate Montserratians to Britain. The CEO of Tuntum at the time, Richard Renwick, contacted Nottingham City Council to ask if any evacuees were coming to Nottingham and was told

Nottingham City Council is encouraging all eligible Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic citizens to register to vote. Electoral Commission research has found that nationally a lower percentage of people from  Black Asian or other Ethnic Minority backgrounds are registered to vote, than the percentage of  White people who are registered. Nottingham is a diverse city and proud of its cultural diversity. Its councillors reflect its communities with 56% of elected councillors being from Black, Asian or other Ethnic Minority backgrounds. Engaging with the political process and participating in positive debate, can inform decision makers and help bring about change. By registering and using your vote at future elections, you can

The Regulator of Social Housing has launched a consultation on the draft Consumer Standards. The outcome of the consultation will shape what is required of registered social housing providers for years to come, so it is important that they reflect the needs of tenants. The new proposed Consumer Standards are: The Safety and Quality Standard Requires landlords to provide safe and good quality homes and landlord services to tenants. The Transparency, Influence, and Accountability Standard Requires landlords to be open with tenants and treat them with fairness and respect so that tenants can access services, raise complaints when necessary, influence decision making and hold their landlord to account. The Neighbourhood

Charmaine Simei will be the new chief executive of Tuntum Housing Association, succeeding Richard Renwick MBE who is due to retire in the autumn after almost three decades in the post. Ms Simei is currently director of customer experience and communities at Longhurst Group and brings more than 25 years of experience in social housing and related fields including 12 years in senior leadership roles. Voted Professional of the Year at the Women in Housing Awards 2021, she is a board member for Communities that Work, the national voice of housing providers who support residents and communities into employment. She is also a former chair of the Centre of Excellence

The Summer issue features information on the launch of our latest housing scheme, our policy on pets, the Tenant Perception Survey results and much more. You can read the Summer edition of our tenant’s newsletter by clicking here.

Tuntum are again providing the Kids’ Zone at Nottingham Carnival on the 20th August 2023. At last years’ event, parents welcomed the tent of free activities, including glitter tattoos, a costume selfie area, carnival scratch art masks, carnival colouring and sweets.  Tuntum is proud to have supported Nottingham Carnival since 1999. The colourful parade starts at 2pm and is free to watch at any point along the route.  The Carnival site is open from 12-8pm. Entry for over 12s is £6 but under 12s are free. You can download the full programme for Nottingham Carnival by clicking here. Discounted advance tickets are available from Gigantic.

The 22nd June 2023 is National Windrush Day and this year marks 75 years since the MV Empire Windrush arrived in the UK, marking a seminal moment in our shared history. Celebrations will take place at projects and events throughout the country to promote community cohesion and understanding of the Windrush story. The Windrush generation – those original pioneers who came from across the Caribbean – helped to rebuild the nation following the Second World War, and they and their descendants continue to contribute to all aspects of British life. Tuntum’s founders were from the Windrush generation. Without them, Tuntum, as it is today, wouldn’t exist, providing 1600 homes and

The Spring issue features information on how to report damp and mould in your home, health & safety updates, becoming a member of our Resident Scrutiny Panel, accessing the Independent Complaints Panel and much more. You can read the Spring edition of our tenant’s newsletter by clicking here.

There are so many scams around these days, it’s worth knowing what to look out for and what can make you more vulnerable to scams that might target you. Spotting a scam A common way a scam starts is when you receive an email or text message you probably weren’t expecting. Often, the message will appear to be from some official organisation such as HMRC, DVLA or the TV Licensing authority. If an unexpected email or text arrives, make some simple checks of your own: Check the email for bad spelling and grammar If the message starts with a general greeting instead of your name, for example, ‘Dear HMRC user’, it’s more likely to be

The Headwize team enjoyed getting stuck into fundraising activities for Red Nose Day in March. Comic Relief funds the Headwize project which helps young people aged 5-24 with mental health support and educates them and their families onthe issue. Children and young people are struggling now more than ever with their mental health due to identity issues (race and gender), peer pressures, societal pressures, family issues, and so much more. The staff throughout the Headwize project have worked so tenaciously over the last three years, providing intense one-to-one emotional support and peer guidance to allow our young clients to feel more secure in themselves, and feel like they have someone

This week is Place2Be’s Children’s Mental Health week. This year’s theme is Let’s Connect. Let’s Connect is about making meaningful connections for all, during Children’s Mental Health Week – and beyond. People thrive in communities, and this connection is vital for our wellbeing. When we have healthy connections – to family, friends and others – this can support our mental health and our sense of wellbeing. And when our need for rewarding social connections is not met, we can sometimes feel isolated and lonely – which can have a negative impact on our mental health. For Children’s Mental Health Week 2023, we’re encouraging people to connect with others in healthy, rewarding and

As your landlord, we have a legal obligation to inspect and service your boiler annually. We will also check smoke alarms are working properly and if you don’t already have one and need one, we will install a Carbon Monoxide (CO) detector whilst we are there. Unsafe gas appliances and flues can produce CO. This is a very poisonous gas that can cause long-term health problems and even death. Warning signs that you may have a Carbon Monoxide leak can include: Yellow or orange flames on your appliance, rather than a crisp blue. Your pilot light is frequently blowing out. Dark or yellowish staining on/around appliances. Stale smelling air or