2. Home Standard

2.1 Quality of Accommodation

In July 2000 the Government set out the Decent Home Standard for all properties to reach by December 2010.  Since then the Housing Maintenance team have been rolling out maintenance programmes in order to meet the standard.  As a result we are well on our way to meeting the December deadline with 98% of our properties already meeting then standard at the start of 2010.

We will continue to maintain this level of standard and have rolling programmes of maintenance and budget years to meet this commitment.

We are now working towards ‘Decent Home Standard Plus’ and have committed £250,000 to improve communal areas and estates in 2009/2010 and 2010/2011. With a further £500,000 committed to enable ‘Decent Home Standard Plus’ over the next four years. More information about the Decent Home Standard and Decent Home Standard Plus at: www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/decenthome or requested a copy from our Housing Maintenance team by calling 01843 577085.

We keep our tenants and leaseholders informed of maintenance works which are due to be carried out in their blocks and involve them in selecting colour schemes as well as monitoring the contactor.  We use a variety of methods to keep our residents informed and involved including open meetings, newsletters, personal letters before work begins providing timescales and inconveniences they may experience as well as satisfaction surveys following the work to gather feedback.

Improving your homes in 2009/2010 we spent:

• £810,542.94 spent on replacing Kitchen 
• £239,563.48 spent on replacing bathrooms
• £55,378.08 spent on roofing replacements
• £ 279,402.19 spent on communal painting
• £ 290,610.14 spent on replacing windows and doors
• £ 34,720.93 Spent on heating upgrades

2.2 Repairs and Maintenance

“Tenants have played a fundamental part in selecting Mears to provide their responsive repair service.  They have also shaped the contract to incorporate aspirations and improvements identified by tenants.  The introduction of the Repair Group will enable tenants to monitor and scrutinise the repair service.  In turn improving quality, better customer service, value for money and increased tenant satisfaction”

Over the past year we have made improvements to the repairs and maintenance service that we deliver, the new partnership we have with Mears has had tenant input right from the selection of the contractor to the mobilisation of the contract, tenants will continue to have an input in shaping the contract as we move forward. It is true to say that the contract was let with the tenants needs in mind, to help make sure this remains the case we have a tenant representative attending partnering meetings, we have also set up a separate task group that is responsible for the ongoing aspirations of the contract right from concept to implementation.

The new contract has some fundamental changes that have been driven by the end users needs and desires:

• Residents can now report repairs 24 hours a day by phone, email or on-line, this service is also being extended to text.
• All Mears workforce now have Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) hand held devices which allows appointments to be made by operative while on site, the PDA will also manage all appointments and jobs this means less missed appointments.
• PDAs will also help to keep you better informed as a text message is automatically sent to inform you when the operative is on there way.
• Elements have been included to increase ‘first time fix’ these include

1. The repairs manual as this will allow a more accurate description to be given when the repair is reported.
2. Call centre staff have also undertaken training on diagnosing repairs along with how long a repair is likely to take.
3. The use of the PDAs will also assist in the first time fix rate, as it will monitor the van stock, automatically reorder the stock.

All of the above means that the operative should know what work needs to be undertaken and have the correct materials.  We have also introduced new Key Performance Indicator (KPI) to report and measures first time fix levels to enable tenants to monitor this part of the service. 

During the consultation process for the new contact tenants told us they no longer wanted am and pm appointments and wanted to chose from 2 hour time slots throughout the day which has been incorporated in the new contract.

Tenants also raised concerns that although it is free to ring the 0800 repairs number from landlines, it is expensive from mobiles. Mears are currently relocating their offices and have committed to providing tenants with a local number to report their repairs.

The new contract with Mears has been developed to ensure all our tenants’ homes are maintained to a high standard of repair. It will help to deliver financial savings that in turn will help us to continue the improvements that we have made to our service. This can already be seen in major changes that are being implemented to the service.

The changes listed below will be delivered this year and show that we are becoming more focused on the end user needs, all of the below have been tenant or leaseholder lead:

Handyman Service

This service is designed to assist tenants in carrying out small jobs and improvements around their home that would normally be their responsibility. This service is available to disabled, elderly vulnerable and new tenants.

Communications

We have increased the methods in which we communicate with Tenants and Leaseholders, bringing us in line with modern methods of communication. This includes using text messaging and keeping all communal notices boards current and up to date. We are also currently exploring new methods of communication such as Facebook and Twitter.

Responding to residents' needs

Mears operatives work to a strict Code of Conduct to ensure they provide an excellent and consistent level of service. They have attended customer care and equality and diversity training, this will include disability awareness and mental health.

Mears have also developed a range of customer care aids, such as a Type Talk guide, a Decent Homes DVD in sign language and subtitled along with easy to read picture guides. Operatives also have Braille identification cards so blind or partially sighted residents can check their identification and all front line staff and operatives can use Language Line for translation services.

Service standards  

The new Repairs Handbook will also list all of the service standards set out as part of the new contract. The Empty Homes Standard which has been developed by the Tenant Void Group means council properties are re-let to the highest standard to date which includes all woodwork and doors being glossed.

Working with Mears we have also targeted more planned maintenance, which will reduce the need for emergency and day to day repairs, this in turn will lead to efficiency and cost savings and ultimately a better service for tenants and leaseholders. The partnership will aim to carry out over 60% of works on a planned basis.

Energy Efficiency

Our tenants have told us that the energy efficiency of their homes is important to them, this can be seen by their selection of the InStep course, ‘Energy awareness for tenants’.

We have already taken steps to make our stock more energy efficient and cost effective for tenants to run.  All of our non-traditional housing stock including all high-rise blocks has been over-clad, apart from on low-level block.

All our traditional built properties, except those homes where access were refused, have received cavity wall and loft insulation.

We have also budgeted £250,000 over the next 5 years to embark on a fresh loft insulation program to bring all properties up to current standards.

All of our housing stock will benefit from double glazed UPVC windows by the end of this financial year. Excluding listed properties and those in conservation areas.

We have also budgeted over £1.5 Million over the next 5 years to continue upgrading heating systems in our tenants homes to the most energy efficient Grade A rated boilers.

Adaptations

The council has budgeted over £400,000 this year alone for aids and adaptation, this money will help to ensure that older residents and those with disabilities can stay in their own homes.

We are also in the process of writing an aids and adaptation policy, this will help to ensure we spend our budgets fairly and efficiently along with making the best use of the asset we already have with adaptations.

We also have a budget of over £30,000 each year, which helps deliver a decoration and gardening service for older residents, and those with disabilities.

Health & Safety

The council has an effective computer software system  and contractor agreements in place that helps in monitoring all health and safety requirements for gas, water, electricity and asbestos.

We currently hold fire risk assessments and the Housing Health and Safety Rating System for all of our properties, we are also training our staff in both of these areas so this can be undertaken and kept up to date in house.

Fire safety works

The Maintenance team hold fire safety and fire risk assessments for all of our blocks. We have a programme to improve fire safety across all of our stock, which includes our high-rise blocks having wireless fire alarms installed.

We have allocated budgets of £250,000 over the next 5 year to enable fire safety improvement works.  This will include the upgrading of communal fire doors and alarms.

All of our tenant’s homes now have smoke alarms fitted, with the majority of these being hardwired alarms.  With a target of all homes having hard wired fire alarms installed by the end of 2011/12.

We have also worked with the fire service, to ensure that the works we carry out meet their standards of approval.

Our Repairs service performance for 2009/10

• Total emergency repair 2427
• Emergency repairs completed on time 2418
• Total number of urgent repairs 328
• Urgent repairs completed on time 295
• Total number of routine repairs 7350
• Routine repairs completed on time 6992
• Average days taken to complete repairs 15.3 days
• Of tenants satisfied with repairs service 90% target 83%
• Gas safety - 99.5% of properties had a valid gas safety certificate

What you have told us

We regularly ask you how satisfied you are with various parts of the service and encourage tenant and leaseholder to be further involved in the service. This is what you have told us about the repair and maintenance service:

Status Survey 2009

• 82% satisfied with the quality of their home
• 78% satisfied with the condition of their property
• 77% are satisfied with the repairs and maintenance service.
• 79% rated repairs and maintenance most important

Maintenance /improvement surveys

• 95% tenants are satisfied with the maintenance / improvement

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