Voices is our new customer newsletter.

If we have an email address for you, we’ll send you a copy of the newsletter by email. On our website, you can use the translation tool to read it in another language. If you would like to share or update your email address, or request a printed copy of the newsletter, please email CustomerNewsletter@syha.co.uk

 

Welcome to our new customer newsletter, which I’m delighted is being launched at a very busy time for South Yorkshire Housing Association.

At the end of 2025, we announced we are joining Places for People (PfP), the UK’s leading social enterprise, owning and managing over 245,000 homes. We’re working with PfP to bring our organisations together and fulfil our ambitions to increase investment in our current homes, build new social homes, and expand our LiveWell (care and support) services. In our next edition we’ll be sharing more about the partnership, the benefits for you and our consultation schedule. In the meantime, please send any questions to CustomerNewsletter@syha.co.uk.

We’re excited about the future and the benefits the partnership will have for our customers – and, as you’ll see, there’s still plenty of activity and improvements going on across SYHA! We’ve got lots to tell you about, and thanks for the great stories you’ve shared too.

I’d also like to say a big thank you to our Board, Customer Committee, colleagues, and particularly the Scrutiny Panel for all their hard work during this busy period. I hope you enjoy reading more about our Scrutiny Panel in this newsletter. In the next edition, we will tell you more about the work of our Customer Committee. I’d also like to recognise our new Customer Newsletter Editorial Group which has supported us to create this first edition. They’ve helped us make sure we’re including news about SYHA that matters to you. If you have any feedback about the newsletter, please get in touch or complete the survey – we’re listening and would love to hear your thoughts!

Best regards,

Larry Gold
CEO, SYHA

We’ve heard you… How we’ve changed the way we work with anti-social behaviour

We want you to feel safe in your home, which is why we’re committed to preventing, resolving, and supporting you through anti-social behaviour. To make sure we’re doing the best job possible, we asked for your feedback on how we’ve responded when you’ve reported anti-social behaviour. Our Customer Scrutiny Panel also chose it as a key area to review. Thanks to your input and our Scrutiny Panel’s findings, we’ve made several improvements to the way we work.

What anti-social behaviour is – and isn’t…

Phil Parkes, our Head of Landlord Services, points to the improvements we’ve made to the anti-social behaviour section on our website. This now includes:

  • A video explaining what is and is not considered anti-social behaviour

  • A guide to help you understand the process and what to expect if you report it

  • Real case studies showing the processes and timescales for investigating a report

“Our approach is to balance effective action with support. We are committed to prevention, flexibility, and working with both internal and external partners to tackle issues. We strive to do this in a way that is fair, proportionate, and focused on resolving the problem,” says Phil.

A cup of tea with…

For our first instalment of A Cup of Tea With… we’ve sat down with one of our The Meadows’ customers, Cyril Olsen. Known for his humour, honesty, and dedication as resident entertainment manager, Cyril’s story is a brilliant account of what makes our independent living home for older people such a special place to live.

How to… report a repair

If there’s something in your home that’s not quite right, we’re here to help. When you report a repair, we sort it by urgency. Find out more about how we deal with issues and how to report something to us.

Thank you to everyone who kept to their repairs appointments — we’re currently at an impressive 85% success rate, which is fantastic. Please make sure you’re at home for any appointments you’ve booked, or to let us know if you need to rearrange.

Your opportunity to… get involved

Would you like to help guide decisions, get an in depth understanding of our services, or simply have your say from time to time? We have several flexible opportunities for you to get involved in shaping our services, homes, and communities.  You don’t need any experience, you’ll learn new skills and you’ll be rewarded along the way.

One example is our Customer Scrutiny Panel, which reviews and improves different areas of our organisation. Our Customer Experience Lead, Jo Szurko, caught up with one of its members, Mo, to find out about his role.

Tell us what you do as a member of the Customer Scrutiny Panel

We look into various topics ranging from anti-social behaviour, to the customer journey throughout the energy efficiency improvement programme. We meet regularly online to explore and improve different areas of SYHA from a customers’ point of view.

What do you enjoy most about being part of the Customer Scrutiny Panel?

Being part of a highly versatile talented team with unique abilities is fun. I also like our team work.

What’s the most rewarding part?

Making a change to our SYHA homes and communities and helping people who have genuine needs is a bonus as well as striving to bring SYHA principles and values to life and supporting success in communities.

What’s a standout project or decision you’ve been part of influencing?

Anti-social behaviour was challenging but I learnt key principles and it’s great to see the new section on the website which shows our recommendations in action.

What’s your message to our readers?

It’s very important to me that SYHA customers know that there are opportunities to get involved, and free help and support services. It will bring happiness to themselves and their communities.

Hardship Fund – coming soon

Our partnership with Places for People means we will be introducing a new fund to provide financial support to help you to stay safe and well in your home. We’re very happy to be able to offer this fund, which is for exceptional one-off expenses or day-to-day living support that can’t be met by other sources. We’ll be sharing information about how to apply on our website, social media and in future newsletters.

 

Meet our… Income Management Team

There’s a lot more to the work of our Income Management Team than just collecting rent. A key part of their work – and one of the most rewarding – is supporting customers to become more financially stable. The fantastic support they provide is so greatly appreciated that the team were recently shortlisted for the Northern Housing Awards Team of the Year!

We caught up with one of our Income Management Housing Officers, Sarah Rowbotham, to find out more about her day-to-day role.

“For the rents team most days are similar as we follow a structured policy for rent arrears. Every case may be different, but the policy makes sure everyone is treated fairly.

Most conversations relate to setting up payment plans and looking at the customer’s income and expenditure. A significant part of our role also includes liaising with local authorities and the Department for Work and Pensions. Supporting customers through difficult money issues and helping them move into a more stable financial position is incredibly rewarding.”

Top tip… Grow a lemon tree from a pip

Who would have thought growing your lemons could be so simple? It really is, and Denise, who has lived in her SYHA home for over 50 years, explains how.

All you need is a lemon – it truly is easy peasy lemon squeezy!

If you have a gardening tip, delicious recipe or a handy household hint to share we’d love to hear from you and share your submissions in future newsletters. Email us: CustomerNewsletter@syha.co.uk

Tell us more…

We’re committed to making sure our services work well for everyone and to improving them based on your feedback. That’s why we’d really appreciate you taking part in our Tell Us More survey. As well as being your chance to check the details we have for you, you can share other information that you feel is important for us to know.

Kevin Noone from our Customer Experience Team explains why your feedback is so important: “By collecting your information, we can learn more about you and if our services are meeting your needs and identify whether you might need extra help or adjustments to how we support you.”

How Pathways to Work has benefitted me

Pathways to Work is a service for people aged 16 and over who live in Barnsley who have a mental or physical health condition, or disability, and would like support to start, stay and thrive in work.

One of our customers is Deren from Barnsley. She was out of work due to a health condition and was struggling to find a role that was right for her… until she met our Employment Specialist, Julia.

“Living with epilepsy means waiting to be a full year seizure‑free before I can reapply for my driving licence, and that made finding work feel overwhelming,” explains Deren, who now works within grounds maintenance.

“When I met Julia, everything changed. I’d been really down, struggling to get a job and worried about money. She helped me believe in work again.”

Julia says working with Deren was a delight: “I’ve genuinely loved every step of the journey. We spent time identifying her strengths and building a CV she could feel confident in. It was never about placing her in just any job — it had to be the right job for her. Deren plays football, and finding a role that fit around her training was important. She’d often say ‘no, I’ll make it work,’ but I reminded her that we needed to think about her and what she enjoys doing.”

Rent and services charges

Recently, you will have received a letter about changes to your rent and services charges. If you are worried about paying your rent, service charges, or other costs, please remember we’re here to help with:

  • Benefits advice and how to maximise your income

  • Signposting for budgeting support

  • Money and debt guidance

You can get in touch for help and advice by calling us on: 0114 2900 200 or 0800 1380 380

Questions, suggestions or feedback?

We hope you’ve enjoyed the first edition of your newsletter. If you’d like to be added to our mailing list, or have any ideas or suggestions, please email CustomerNewsletter@syha.co.uk. We appreciate all feedback!

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