RENTAL INCREASE FROM 1ST APRIL 2024 AND WHERE IT GOES.

4TH JANUARY 2024

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities website. The Policy Statement sets out the government’s policy on rents from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. 

In September each year the annual Consumer Price Index figure is set (6.7%) which is used to establish the limit on annual rent increases for social housing (cpi + 1%) .  

YEAR 2024-25  INFLATION 6.7%  ADDITIONAL 1.0%  TOTAL 7.7% limit.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rent-standard/limit-on-annual-rent-increases-2024-25-from-april-2024-accessible-version

RENT CHARGES FOR 2024/25

On the 15th of January the Trustees agreed that CPG would increase our Charges by 7%.

The decision this year as previous years was to follow the Goverments guideance on our annual Increase.

ELIGIBLE SERVICE CHARGES FROM 1ST APRIL 2024 / PER WEEK

SELF CONTAINED FLATS / HOUSES /ANNEX £284.27

ROOMS £223.45

14D £233.96

CL £274.81

INELIGIBLE SERVICE CHARGES FROM 1ST APRIL 2024 / PER WEEK

SELF CONTAINED FLATS / HOUSES /ANNEX £0.00

ROOMS £15.00

ANNEX £27.00

MAIN 3 AREAS OF SPEND AND VALUES 2024/5

BREAKDOWN OF BUDGET EXPENCE 2024/5

BREAKDOWN OF SALARY EXPENCE 2024/5

BREAKDOWN OF SERVICE CHARGE 2024/5

STATS OF 2023!!

Colin Marshall (Chair of trustees 2010 - 2012) Jenny Gawthrope Wood (Mayor) W.Geoff Lawn Current Chair of Trustees.

What's the Housing Plus Mean???

We are proud to go above and beyond in what we do  and how we do it. (having, receiving, or being in addition to what is anticipated) 

SEPTEMBER 2022

MEN'S SHED August 2022 - Public Benefit Work

Working in Partnership CPG has secured a grant of £1000 from West Suffolk Council to start a Men's Shed in Haverhill.

Recognition for what the Haverhill team have achieved from REACH.

MILDENHALL - NEW AREA

After consulting with stakeholders, and reviewing the referrals obtained in the current 3 areas it was decided to explore another area for expansion. Within the key criteria of East Anglia and the prefered West Suffolk council the following towns were explored.

Bury St Edmunds - this was quickly discounted due to the saturation of other larger organisations and adequate services - it would be difficult to work our way in.

Newmarket - The unique issues around NM (equestrian) make property higher than surrounding areas, even tho poverty is high as WSC have developed services and own property for the same client group as ourselves it was felt wise to discount as well.

Mildenhall - This was an area identified by WSC - Homeless Manager as an area they would like us to operate in. After exploring area / planning / financial / criminal / health /roads / services / property prices / available stock (as part of due diligence)we have had an offer accepted on a 4 bed (6 after investment) which is due to be operational in June / July 2022.

TRUSTEES

Chair - Colin Marshall has requested to step down as the chair (remain a trustee) in the coming 6 Months - we all thank him for his service.

Geoff Lawn is taking the role of Chair with support of the other trustees.

A key task was to recruit new trustees and we have Mukesh joining the board.

Trustee skills audit, training, code of conduct and resident joint events is still an area that requires ongoing attention.

CENTRAL /

Reorganisation - New Operations Role - Sue increased her responsibility as part of growth restructure. Sue has embraced the new responsibilities alongside her existing duties of property management, Sue will also have administrative support to assist in her role of maintenance in the next 12 months.

New office - as we have the two offices in Haverhill / Ely operational (developed from garages) Cambridge required a workspace as well after the recruitment of a new support worker. As we did not wish to use additional capital expenditure we have used a large room at Cemetery Lodge (leased property from Camb City Council) after some initial resident resistance the office is establishing itself.

OCCUPANCY

The year has ended with occupancy at 96%

VOID NIGHTS 797 below budgeted 1117

8 New residents joined the service.

6 Residents move on in a positive way 4 to own flat / 2 moved in with long term partners.

2 Residents were evicted (1 positive with Camb City Council due to high needs)

1 Unknown

1 Deceased

ROPERTY 58 Beds

We finalised the sale of the freehold on 418a which added £30k to the charities funds and released us from the ongoing duties of managing the site / property. The company that was formed PHMS has now been closed and all liabilities settled.

Flat 1 GER - We had difficulty letting this property as the layout was very poor. We have invested £15,000 in remodelling the flat to have a completely different layout that will enable us to rent out much easier and with greater resident comfort, due to be let in April 22

31 Primary Court - This property became vacant, and as part of the disposals plan was put up for sale, Sale completed and returned £268000. Property was purchased in 2007 for £160000, in the 14 years owned approx £145600 was achieved in rental income.

217 The Rowans has been licenced as a HMO and an additional bed space created.

Mildenhall Property / Expansion Purchase of 6 bed house to be used as a HMO.

109 Crowland Road - Ongoing discussions with Havebury after a failed attempt at purchase to Lease the property instead - this is now looking positive and moving ahead slowly

1,6,7 The Pightle - A private landlord is wishing to sell dispose of his 3 HMOs which are of a very poor standard - after inspection / due diligence - Common ground could not be found.

IN SHORT 

November 2018

Case Study N

N had suffered a significant bereavement and was staying with friends when N decided that life was not living, drug misuse and an underlying Mental Illness were also making things more difficult to manage.

N spent a month in a psychiatric ward and was discharged to a Pringle Property. After a difficult and rocky few months N started to trust and engage with the CPG team.

I am pleased to say that N has just moved into a Housing Association flat of her own in Cambridge, N is working (part time) and has a supportive partner.

N made the difficult decisions and did the hard work, CPG is pleased to have been able to assist.

January 2018 New Property In Haverhill.

The 6 bed property is the latest addition to the other 4 houses, this brings the total bed spaces to 21. 

"Rowans" will be the intake house allowing assessment and getting to know the CPG staff, once settled residents are suitably moved to one of our other long term properties (or outside CPG if more appropriate).

We have two satellite offices on site.

MILTON ANNEX   Made It!  - Feb 2018

After almost 2 years (one in waiting for planning application to be processed) the Annex was completed.  A single garage was 'grown' into a one bed self contained "bungalow" with services and shared utilities with main property. The whole concept was for a local resident who has physical / learning disabilities and has partial sight. To see his smile when I visited after he moved in was priceless.

September 2017

Appointment of Joint Chief Executives from 1 September 2017. 

I am pleased to tell you that the Board has decided to promote Antony Cullup to Joint Chief Executive, responsible for Operations as from 1 September 2017. From the same date, Rob Powell also becomes Joint Chief Executive remaining responsible for finance and as Company Secretary. They will share responsibility for important matters concerning the whole of the Pringle Group in making recommendations to the Board. 

We wish Antony and Rob well in their new roles. 

On behalf of CPG Board

Colin Marshall Chairman. 

June 2017

Dear Residents,

In light of the horrific fire in London this week, I would like to reassure you that we take fire safety with the utmost importance. Our Annual budget for fire protection is £8500 (over 14 sites) this includes the Risk Assessments, alarm, blankets + extinguisher servicing.

Annually we use David Robertson, in a consultancy basis to complete our Risk Assessments and he gives us a list of works / actions required. David is an ex Fireman with 20+ years service.

CPG feels that using an external company is the best for residents and the organisation. All residents are welcome to have a copy upon request.

April 2017

New Employees

We have some rooms / property that we rent out as a commercial activity. The income we receive is ring fenced to pay for One Housing / Support worker and a modern apprentice. The two new roles are based in Haverhill and will be delivering support and activates alongside general housing duties.

January - March 

3 residents took their own lives within a very short time.

 The loss was terrible for residents and the staff team. The property where all 3 had resided was closed by ourselves.

Investigations and preparations for Inquests were an appropriate focus of the next 12 months.

CPGs ensured the families and Coroner was given full access to staff and information.

CPG grew and established a well trained committed staff team that provided 3 types of support:

• Pringle House - supported accommodation with staff on site 7 days week for 12hrs a day. There was activities, and classes most days to stimulate and motivate residents.

• Home and Community -supported residents who were more able in our properties to engage in the wider community and to assist in there recovery and well being.

• Complex Case Clients — supporting those in the community (not in our properties) who had greater needs and more complex crossover of diagnosis and behaviour eg - eating disorders, criminal offences, drug and alcohol addictions.

CPG grew and established a well trained committed staff team that provided 3 types of support:

• Pringle House - supported accommodation with staff on site 7 days week for 12hrs a day. There was activities, and classes most days to stimulate and motivate residents.

• Home and Community -supported residents who were more able in our properties to engage in the wider community and to assist in there recovery and well being.

• Complex Case Clients — supporting those in the community (not in our properties) who had greater needs and more complex crossover of diagnosis and behaviour eg - eating disorders, criminal offences, drug and alcohol addictions.

Oasis - due to changes ahead we had to look for new offices - we soon filled them.

SEPTEMBER BBQ - MUCH SILLINESS AND FUN 

July 2010 Derry Murphy  the current Chief Exec of Cambridge Pringle Group passed away after a short Illness.

Company secretary Rob Powell was appointed as Chief Exec.

This was a difficult time for all with 3 new senior staff in post and a staff team mourning the loss of Derry.

By the early 1990s, the NSF had over 6000 members and ran around 150 regional projects in the housing, employment and daycare fields all over the country. An Advice and Advocacy Service was also provided, answering thousands of queries each year on all aspects of the care and treatment of severe mental illness as well as welfare benefits, carers' problems, accommodation, holidays and other related issues. The NSF campaigned vigorously for the rate of mental hospital closures to be slowed to allow for the proper development of community facilities for mentally ill people and for more trained social workers and community psychiatric nurses as well as small domestic-style units for those unable to cope outside hospital. National conferences were held regularly as part of a national and regional programme of training to raise awareness of mental illness. Courses were run for social workers, psychiatrists, GPs, police, and the probation service.

The NSF National Office was based in Kingston upon Thames. It was supplemented by regional offices and Regional Committees, a Project Committee and a network of over 150 local groups.(CPG was one of those groups) The Groups were run by volunteer Coordinators, mostly relatives caring for an individual suffering from schizophrenia. Local groups met regularly and organised various activities to inform local people, provide support, influence local professionals and liaise with other agencies. The NSF was financed by charitable grants and donations, fund-raising, Local and Health Authority contracts

EA - Her Story

I saw a letter, in The Times, and it was from a Mr Pringle. It was outlining the crises going on in mental health and his experiences […] When I saw this letter, it so resonated with often how we were feeling and how it could be also with other people that I wrote to the PO Box number which they gave us. Mr and Mrs Pringle invited me to go over there one evening, which I did and they were very nice. And we had a discussion about it and we decided that although it was diffcult to get help from the authorities, we would make an effort ourselves to form a group- a pressure group. And at frst we called it the Schizophrenia Action Committee.

Explaining the growth of the support group in its early stages, E.A. continued: By the second meeting we decided that… it would not in fact be done in five minutes so we changed the name to the [National] Schizophrenia Fellowship, but we still had the same aims. So that is what we did- I still have my frst membership card- and from that meeting other things followed and the word got around and we managed to do meetings in either one of the houses. There were quite a few people who had relatives affected like us, and we grew and grew.

The frst exploratory meeting was held on 25 July 1970 at the Wellcome Building on Euston Road. Pringle chaired the meeting, and it was decided that steps should be taken, primarily through advertising, to fnd out how many ‘relatives of schizophrenics and others interested would be prepared to join a Schizophrenia Society, if formed.’Interestingly, whilst the meeting unanimously decided that it wanted its membership to be ‘as far reaching as possible,’ from the very beginning, this was a society for relatives, rather than specifcally for those suffering from schizophrenia themselves. It was stated that the ‘prime objectives of a schizophrenia society would be to bring help and support to relatives of schizophrenics and to improve public provision, and to enhance knowledge.’ Indeed, one of their main original aims, in addition to lobbying the government for change, was to ‘run a counselling service for relatives.’ It was even questioned in the frst meeting whether membership of the society should be solely limited to close relatives and parents of schizophrenics. This suggestion was not taken up; it was decided instead in favour of allowing mental health specialists and others with a specialist interest to partake in membership. Nevertheless, despite the inclusion of specialists, it is clear that relatives were the primary membership and the real reason for the establishment of the society. 

The idea that the Fellowship was able to bring relatives and caregivers together was amongst its key success. Together, it was felt that they were able to look after each other and beat the stigma of schizophrenia. This was amongst the main aim of the society when it was frst established. It was felt that ‘since the feelings of loneliness by those coping with schizophrenia may sometimes be helped by meeting and talking to others who are, or who have been, in the same case, it might be possible to arrange local or area meetings.’ By October 1975, these local meetings were in successful operation. It was noted that these group meetings were spaces ‘in which problems could be discussed, and members provided with advice, support and mutual companionship.’ 

A case of Schizophrenia

* This is the original text of the John Pringle letter that was published in 1970. In the fifty years since it was printed, the language used when discussing mental illness has changed and evolved to be less stigmatising and more inclusive. 

"The word “schizophrenia” is flung about today with flip facility, bobbing up in films, television scripts, literary criticism, even political articles, mostly as some sort of modish synonym for indecisiveness. But no one who has seen the acute medical condition would ever want to use it except in its correct context.

Schizophrenia is a fragmentation or disintegration of the ego, that central “I” or “me” which we all take for granted, unaware of the delicate balance of the elements inside us. According to the severity of the attack, the effects may range from mild disassociation of personality to a total withdrawal from human contact. Virtually nothing is established about its aetiology or its genetic, environmental or other predisposing factors, so no means exist for either prevention or permanent cure. It may strike at any age or in any walk of life, but there is a distressingly high incidence among young adults, including those of beyond average intelligence. The symptoms may shade into those of many other conditions so diagnosis can be difficult.

My son succumbed to an alleged “depression of adolescence”. In his second year at Oxbridge, where he had gone with a major open scholarship. He began cutting lectures and tutorials, shutting himself off in his rooms, and avoiding his friends. It did not occur to the college authorities that this behaviour could be due to anything other than idleness. They neither sent him to a doctor nor told us, the parents, but first took away his scholarship – then as that had no effect, sent him down – with 24 hours’ notice to us. They admitted – afterwards – that suicide notes had been found.

A family suddenly faced with this situation has, in my experience, two problems, and it is hard to say which is worst. The first is how best to cope with this strange, new member of the household whose moods alternate impossibly between sullen lying on his bed in the dark to wild fits of aggression, with social manners regressed to an almost animal level. The second problem is how to penetrate the obfuscating fog of hospital vagueness and evasiveness to obtain intelligible guidance on the first set of problems.

It is understandable that psychiatrists are chary of affixing a dreaded label too quickly, and in fact it was more than two years, after a round of several hospitals and a disastrous second attempt at Oxbridge, before a positive diagnosis of schizophrenia was made in my son’s case. But looking back, were those long months in which we could get no practical sense out of anybody, really necessary?

On almost any specific point on which advice was desperately needed – should he be persuaded to get up, dress, keep himself clean, encouraged to work or study, or just be left alone, which course is best for him? – we grew used to receiving from the doctors’ weary platitudes about showing “patience” or, from the hospital “welfare” side, surprised counter-questions – “Didn’t you ask the doctor that?” Failures in co-ordination and communication, seem to hang about the administrative management of schizophrenia almost like a grim parody of the condition itself.

A personal experience of this kind is inevitably subjectively coloured, but it has persuaded me to look into other cases with which I have no emotional link, and into the general question, and my conclusions are disturbing, particularly about the community provision for the victims of the condition.

Some schizophrenics* make a partial recovery. Some stay in hospital for keeps. But thousands more in Britain (the statistics are unreliable) level off like my son at a low level of adaptation, physically fit and normal-looking to a casual outsider, but without application or anything that can be called will-power, and finding most inter-personal relations almost impossibly difficult. Drugs exist which palliate the grosser behavioural disturbances. They make life more tolerable for the sufferer and those around him, but it is hard to hit on a dosage which will not produce a somnolence as inhibiting to normal living as the excess emotion the drugs are designed to suppress or mask. Cases vary, but the very success of the drugs may only make it harder for the outside world to understand that behind the resulting apparent and outward normality the mental fragmentation is still there

The community problem chronic schizophrenics present is that while not ill enough to be made the subject of a compulsory order, they are incapable of looking after themselves without special guidelines and supervision, notably of either finding a job or, still more, of keeping one. Our son spasmodically looks for the job or occupation which, with one part of his mind, he wants. If he gets it he either does not turn up or he leaves it the same day. He has less sense of money than a child of 10. And each failure, with each successive employer, each inability to obtain references, answer letters, keep appointments, repay debts, makes the chance of anything better progressively more remote. 

Schizophrenics tend to leave behind them a trail of people who righteously or despairingly, feel they have “done as much as we can” and it should be somebody else’s turn. I have quite a collection of sympathetic letters “hoping your son’s condition will soon improve” while regretfully saying “no” to some specific request. 

Such reactions are all too intelligible, bearing in mind the maddening vagaries of schizophrenics and the difficulty of fitting them into any normal pattern of living. They excite none of the sympathy which surrounds other classes of the disabled. Even close relatives, let alone official bodies or employers, find it not easy always to choke back the feeling that there is something morally culpable about people apparently fit and rational who fling up work without excuse, and whose hands, as the years go by, increasingly close over any small gift of money with what looks like complacency but is in reality only a sad acceptance of their inadequacy.

As regards their ultimate disposal, if one must use the callous term, they present a problem which, it seems to me, the community and the authorities just are not facing. The priority matter is clearly rehabilitation wherever this is possible; a dual task of resocializing to enable them at least to scrape by in company with normal people, and simultaneously fitting them to do some simple job, possibly very much part-time but at least permitting them to live independently, if only at a modest subsistence level. Central or local authority provision for retraining geared to the needs of schizophrenics (or for that matter, former mental patients in general) is virtually non-existent. 

The Industrial Rehabilitation Units set up by the Ministry of Labour are primarily intended for physically injured or handicapped manual workers. They are too few and scattered in view of travelling difficulties but, that apart, they concentrate on industrial retraining whereas many schizophrenics are only fit for routine clerical or similar work and are often so manually clumsy that to let them anywhere near lathes or power tools is inviting trouble. Worse still, the Industrial Rehabilitation Units naturally expect punctuality and the keeping of regular hours, both of them major hurdles to the average schizophrenic who after an initial failure seldom goes back.

To meet the resocializing part of the rehabilitation process are recent Act laid on local authorities the obligation to establish hostels to act as “halfway houses” for mental patients between their discharge from hospital and the hoped-for resumption by them of normal living. The aim, the provision of an interim sheltered environment, was admirable, but only a handful of local authorities have in fact done anything. And of those who have, some have interpreted their task in a grudging, obscurantist spirit.

The so-called halfway house set up by a wealthy county close to London is run on strict disciplinarian lines. New arrivals have it rubbed into them that their first duty is to get a job and get out. Use of the premises is forbidden during the day, almost as though intended to make the inmates feel rejected and walk the streets aimlessly, a favourite schizophrenic way of passing the time.

Pressure on schizophrenics to obtain occupation may be right for their own sakes and to prevent deterioration, but hectoring is counter-productive and the ambience which brings out their best is more that of an oversized family than an institution. For this reason the most successful halfway houses are those set up by such admirable voluntary bodies as the Richmond Fellowship whose staff must by now have as much experience of schizophrenic rehabilitation as anyone in the country. But there are tragically few of them.

When all is said and done a hard core will remain, possibly running well into five figures for the United Kingdom, who will never be capable of fending completely for themselves. No social provision exists for them, so their future is bleak. As parents die off and other relatives find it impossible to cope, the inevitable trend is for them to drift downwards to the welfare state’s bottomest sump. 

A recent “Panorama” item gave a grim but accurate account of what is already happening to many: discharged from hospital to nobody and nowhere, feebly attempting casual work, neglecting their medication, failing even to collect their “public assistance”; the will-less slide to the doss house or sleeping rough with the meths drinkers and drug addicts, involvement with police and prison or, if lucky, back to hospital and starting the process over again.

Mental hospitals or institutions for mental defectives* are totally inappropriate for giving shelter to the chronic schizophrenics, but where else can they go? What is wanted are small residential settlements where their basic needs, including protection from impossible stress, can be provided in a mutually supportive environment. Such homes would be cheaper than a corresponding occupancy of places in mental hospitals with their high medical and other overheads and where any attempt at normal living, to which they pathetically cling, is impossible.

Many of the necessary jobs could be done by the residents themselves; schizophrenics will often work well enough in their own fashion, if someone they like will tactfully “organize” them and is tolerant of their vagaries. There would also be scope for sympathetic local employers, not expecting too much, to give them a try. Such small communities would fill a gap in our social provision, avoid the friction and waste inherent in the present administrative neglect, and offer thousands in the hard core their best chance of happiness.

But the whole administrative set-up for dealing with this category of the disabled needs pulling together. The mentally crippled* can almost be relied on to hurl themselves through any safety net devised to catch the ordinary disabled but this should be foreseen at the planning stage. 

Unaided, they cannot be expected to cope with the bewildering maze of authorities which impinge upon their lives: out-patient departments, almoners, departments of employment, replying to letters, giving precise answers to incomprehensible questions – and none appearing to be in touch with the others. The ideal would be for some one authority to be given a co-ordinating role and designated as that to which schizophrenics can turn in all matters affecting them. 

If this involves registering them that too should be considered. The scandalous fragmentation of responsibility between local authorities and the hospital service – the one wanting schizophrenics off the rates even at the cost of their occupying expensive N.H.S. beds, the other responsible solely for the medical aspects and unconcerned with any comprehensive after-care – should be ended. A unified national policy is needed."

- John Pringle

The article is reprinted by courtesy of the Editor.