Your new repairs service 2011 0800 035 0003 www.linbrooks.co.uk
Contents Your new repairs contractor 3 Our service standards 4 Linbrook: meet the team 6 Customer care 8 Landlord responsibilities 10 Tenant responsibilities 11 Right to repair 12 Our performance targets 14 Priority one repairs 16 Priority two repairs 17 Priority three repairs 18 Priority four repairs 19 Estate days 20 After care service 21 Home owners 22 2 Your new repairs service 2011
Your new repairs contractor We are pleased to announce that Linbrook Services Ltd has been awarded the repairs and maintenance contract for all our housing estates. We have listened to our residents concerns and as a consequence we are reverting to a traditional schedule of rates contract which will deliver a more reliable and better value for money service. We believe that the experience and skills of Linbrook Services Ltd gives us a great opportunity to deliver a first-class repairs service to our residents. John Todd Head of Repairs and Maintenance City of London Your new repairs service 2011 3
Our service standards These service standards are our promises to you for the next three years. They will be regularly monitored and reviewed with residents to check we are delivering them. 4 Your new repairs service 2011
We will... aim to carry out all repairs effectively within the agreed completion targets provide a range of ways for residents to report repairs provide clear information to residents on the repairs for which we are responsible offer appointments for all repairs in your home (excluding emergency cases) annually review our service to ensure we are meeting targets and providing the best value for money, and publish the results in our Annual Report aim to carry out repairs within residents homes with the utmost sensitivity and respect. Your new repairs service 2011 5
Linbrook: meet the team We are delighted to be working with the City of London and its residents. We look forward to creating an effective and lasting partnership delivering a first class service. Martin Wright Operations Director Linbrook Main image: From left to right, back row: Paresh Divecha (Helpdesk Administrator), Gavin Jackson (Area Manager), Martin Wright (Regional Director), Mike Sirett (Surveyor). From left to right, bottom row: Caroline Perry (Helpdesk Administrator), Sheena Canham (Admin Manager). Top right image: Steve Spooner (Contract Supervisor). Bottom right image: Linda Davis (Customer Relations Manager). 6 Your new repairs service 2011
Martin Wright (Director) Overall responsibility for overseeing the contract Gavin Jackson (Area Manager) Responsible for the day-to-day running of the contract Colin Welch (Health and Safety Manager) Steve Spooner (Contract Supervisor) Responsible for the day-to-day operatives working on the contract and the quality control of the work carried out Mike Sirett (Quantity Surveyor) Monitors the finances and budgets on the contract Linda Davis (Customer Relations Manager) Liaises on a regular basis with clients and Residents Associations and she deals personally with any issues where a resident is unhappy with the quality of work Graham Swainson (Electrical Supervisor) Responsible for overseeing all electrical works Bernard Jones (Working Foreman for South Area) Sheena Canham (Administration Manager) Oversees the entire administration team Caroline Perry (Helpdesk Administrator) Takes calls from residents and deals with their queries Paresh Divecha (Helpdesk Administrator) Takes calls from residents and deals with their queries Your new repairs service 2011 7
Customer care Linbrook Services Ltd has over 45 years of experience providing responsive repairs and maintenance services to local authorities and housing associations. Linbrook will ensure that all of the City s housing estates receive an efficient and flexible service. This includes having offices south and north of the river. Linbrook directly employs highly skilled and qualified operatives enabling us to deliver a wide range of services to the highest quality. At Linbrook, we are never complacent about our levels of quality, customer service and efficiency. We work closely with our clients and their residents to identify innovative ways to continually raise the bar. At Linbrook, we put customers at the centre of service delivery, ensuring they receive high quality work and, wherever possible, at a time that suits them. 8 Your new repairs service 2011
Linbrook directly employs highly skilled and qualified operatives enabling us to deliver a wide range of services to the highest quality.
Landlord responsibilities As your landlord the City of London is responsible for: Communal areas To effectively maintain communal areas. Please report communal repairs by telephoning 0800 035 0003 or contacting your estate office. Inside your home (our fittings) This only includes the plumbing system, including pipe work, tanks, stopcocks, taps, baths, sinks, basins, cisterns and toilet fittings inside doors and their frames, skirting boards and kitchen cupboards central heating systems, immersion heaters and Ascot b heaters, Electrical wiring, plug sockets, light fittings and switches and entry phones. 10 Your new repairs service 2011
Tenant responsibilities Tenant responsibilities Tenants are responsible for their own fittings or improvements that have been made within their home. The City of London is not responsible for repairing or maintaining any fitting or improvement that you have made to your home. The City of London is also not responsible for repairing or replacing any item that has been damaged on purpose or neglected. If we carry out works which we are not obliged to do, the cost of such work will be recharged to the tenant and is called a rechargeable repair. For example, we may carry out repairs to damage caused by you, your family and/or visitors not taking care when in your home, on a rechargeable basis. You will be advised, where possible, of the approximate cost of the work and then you will receive an invoice once this work is carried out. Access to your home It is essential that you always allow staff to enter your property on scheduled appointments (including gas safety checks) and in emergency situations. Your new repairs service 2011 11
Right to Repair The Right to Repair legislation applies to some repairs for tenants. We must tell you the date by which the repair will be completed. If we fail to meet these time limits, you will be entitled to ask us to get another contractor to do the work. In some circumstances you may be entitled to compensation. If the repair is not completed by the second contractor within the prescribed time you may be entitled to 10 compensation payment plus 2 for each day the repair is outstanding. The most compensation you can get for one job is 50. If you have any queries about the arrangements explained above, please speak to your Estate Officer. Please note: Only repairs that cost up to 250 are included in the scheme. Working days include Monday to Friday (but exclude weekends and bank holidays). 12 Your new repairs service 2011
The qualifying repairs included in the Right to Repair scheme Repair Prescribed Period (in working days) Total loss of electric power 1 Partial loss of electric power 3 Unsafe power or lighting socket, or electrical fitting 1 Total loss of water supply 1 Partial loss of water supply 3 Total or partial loss of gas supply 1 Blocked flue to open fire or boiler 1 Total or partial loss of space or water heating between 31 October and 1 May Total or partial loss of space or water heating between 30 April and 1 November 1 3 Blocked or leaking foul drains, soil stack or toilet pans 1 Leaks or flooding from water or heating pipes, tanks, cisterns 1 Toilet not flushing 1 Blocked sink, bath or basin 3 Taps which cannot be turned 3 Insecure external window, door or lock 1 Loose or detached banister or hand rail 3 Rotten timber flooring or stair treads 3 Door entry phone not working 7 Mechanical extractor fan in internal kitchen or bathroom not working 7 Leaking roof 7 Your new repairs service 2011 13
Our performance targets To ensure that the City of London consistently meets its service standards and provides the best repairs service to its residents, we have a set of targets that we will work towards (see next page). These targets will be monitored jointly by staff and residents regularly. We will publish how we meet the targets in our Annual Report. It is very important that we only carry out the repairs listed over the next few pages. These are the repairs we are currently obliged to do. This ensures we keep to the budget we have for the repairs service, which is very important. These targets will help to make sure that our new repairs service is delivered to high standards across all estates. These targets were agreed by staff and residents, who will monitor them over the next year. If you would be interested in helping to monitor how well we deliver the repairs service, please contact the Resident Involvement Team on 020 7332 3224/3916 or email resident.involvement@cityoflondon.gov.uk No prior experience is needed, only your experience as a tenant and your interest in helping to improve things. 14 Your new repairs service 2011
Repairs performance targets for 2011 Description Target to meet Number of appointments made and kept Minimum 92% Immediate and emergency repairs (complete within two and 24 hours) 93% Urgent repairs (complete within three working days) 93% Repairs completed within five working days 95% Repairs completed within 20 working days 95% Post-inspections of repairs to be carried out 10% (of all repairs) Customer satisfaction levels 78% Re-let times for empty homes Linbrook staff to give all tenants an after-care card to after all completed repairs 10 days 100% Your new repairs service 2011 15
Priority one repairs (emergency completed within 24 hours) This is only for emergency situations, where people are in danger or property could be seriously damaged. For some extreme situations requiring immediate action, we will aim to get to you within two hours. Immediate situations only include a serious pipe leak causing severe damage a blockage where raw sewage is overflowing into a home dangerous structures which could collapse an uncontrolled water burst (if cutting off the supply does not control the leak) a front door that needs to be made safe after a break-in. For other emergency situations, we will aim to get to you within 24 hours electrical faults where there is a danger of fire or injury broken glass in a front door or ground-floor window blocked toilet pans no electricity supply no mains water supply no lights in shared areas dangerous or exposed wires a toilet which cannot be used (if there is only one toilet in the property) no lights in a flat (but you are responsible for replacing fuses) no hot water a heating system that has broken down in winter, or if there is an elderly or disabled person or baby in the house a severe leak through the roof an uncontrolled gas leak (if cutting off the supply does not control the leak). 16 Your new repairs service 2011
Priority two repairs (urgent completed within three working days) This is for urgent repairs that do not fall into priority one and includes putting glass in a door or window that has been boarded up repairing a toilet that is not flushing (if there is only one toilet in the property) unblocking a kitchen sink, bath or hand basin replacing the rubber cone on the toilet pan repairing the overflow from the toilet cistern replacing a missing manhole or gully cover if it is causing a hazard checking the electrics after a water leak repairing garage doors and locks repairing shed doors repairing a faulty cooker panel, if cooking by electric repairing a heating system repairing a faulty door entry system or monitor repairing a shared serial system. Your new repairs service 2011 17
Priority three repairs (completed within five working days) This priority only includes replacing washers repairing electrical sockets in a hall or bedroom (if there is no immediate danger) replacing glass in shared areas (if there is no immediate danger) replacing toilet seat (for elderly or disabled tenants) repairing banister rails (if there is no immediate danger). 18 Your new repairs service 2011
Priority four repairs (completed within 20 working days) This is for non-urgent repairs that are not likely to become dangerous or cause serious damage. This priority only includes replacing kitchen cupboards replacing baths, wash basin, kitchen sinks, toilet plans and cisterns replacing toilet seats adjusting windows and inside doors plastering replacing the cylinder jacket on a hot-water tank replacing wall and floor tiles (if there is no immediate danger) replacing bath panels replacing plugs and chains on kitchen sinks, baths and wash basins decorating the inside of a property after repairs repairs to inside doors, locks and handles repairing cupboard doors and catches repairing door numbers, letter boxes and bells repairing fences and gates (if there is no immediate danger) repairing tiled surrounds on fireplaces repairing or replacing skirting boards repairing or replacing window catches repairing or replacing tidyline clothes airers preventing draughts around doors clearing blocked gutters. Your new repairs service 2011 19
Estate days Linbrook will aim to carry out scheduled priority three and four repairs on estate days. These days for your estate will be advertised in estate offices on a monthly basis. You will still receive an appointment time in advance. 20 Your new repairs service 2011
After care service Linbrook Services Ltd is strongly committed to delivering a high quality repairs service at your home. Should you not be satisfied with the repair carried out, please contact the Customer Liaison Officer, Julie Newell, on FREEPHONE 0800 088 4889 for further help and advice. Operatives will leave an after care card with this telephone number after each repair completed in tenants homes. Your new repairs service 2011 21
Home owners As a leaseholder or freeholder living on one of the City of London s housing estates, you are responsible for all repairs within your own property. If you have a defect in your property that may be affecting other residents/ properties (such as a leak on any water pipes) you must arrange for your own contractor to attend as soon as you are aware of the problem. If you are a tenant of a home owner, your own landlord is responsible for repairs within your home, not the City of London. However, the City of London is responsible for the maintenance of communal areas. You can therefore report communal repairs on your estate by telephoning the repairs free phone number 0800 035 0003. In addition, the City of London owns the freehold of all of its accommodation (except freehold properties) therefore it has the legal responsibility to maintain and repair outside items such as roofs, windows, lifts etc. Leaseholders must contribute financially to the cost of these improvement works. We have a dedicated Leaseholder Team that ensures all leaseholders are informed and consulted on works where they will be required to make a financial contribution (of over 250). You can contact the Leasehold Team on 020 7332 1647/3208 or email home.ownership@cityoflondon.gov.uk 22 Your new repairs service 2011
Estate office phone numbers Estate Phone number Avondale Square 020 7237 3753 Harman Close 020 7237 1696 Dron House 020 7791 0515 Golden Lane 020 7253 2556 Holloway 020 7607 3207 Isleden House 020 7226 2892 Lammas Green and Otto Close 020 8693 0632 Mais House 020 8693 3582 Middlesex Street 020 7247 4839 Southwark 020 7620 3702 William Blake 020 7261 9919 Windsor House 020 7253 5119 York Way 020 7607 3119 Your new repairs service 2011 23