ACTION PLAN | BY WHOM | BY WHEN | BUDGET | PROGRESS | REVISED TIMETABLE | SAVINGS |
 | | | IMPLICATIONS | | | £000 |
TARGET 2: Formal Policies And Procedures For Delivery Of Repairs Service With Particular Emphasis On:
· customer service
· health and safety
· efficiency | | | | | | |
| Identify customer profile and obtain feedback about their priorities for improving the service | Service Review Group | December 2001 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| Investigate feasibility of developing systems for giving priority to repairs requests from elderly, disabled or vulnerable tenants | Repairs Manager | September 2002 | Within existing budgets | Ongoing as part of discussions with Tenants’ Panel and contractors | April 2003 | 0 |
| Develop code of practice for staff and contractors’ in consultation with Tenants’ Panel covering all aspects of repairs service | Head of Housing Maintenance | April 2002 | As above | Dealt with under new MTC. Also followed up with joint values agreed between Tenants’ Panel and contractors – as basis for Tenants’ Charter | Done | 0 |
| Develop and enhance appointments system for visits by staff and by operatives carrying out repairs in consultation with contractors and Tenants’ Panel | Repairs Manager | April 2002 | As above | Improvements implemented with new MTC. Ongoing in terms of improving contractors’ performance | December 2002 | 0 |
| Introduce systems for paying compensation to tenants for any failure to meet the Right to Repair requirements | Repairs Manager | September 2002 | As above | Better information regarding Right to Repair included in Tenants’ Handbook | February 2003 | 0 |
| Develop and adopt recording, monitoring and reporting systems for customer complaints that are compatible with Departmental and corporate procedures | Repairs Manager | April 2002 | As above | Departmental system implemented for high-level complaints. Low-level complaints about repairs recorded on Orchard against jobs but need to be analysed. | May 2003 (analysis of complaints logged on Orchard) | 0 |
| Engage a consultant to ensure the adequacy of Health and Safety arrangements under the repairs Measured Term Contract | Head of Housing Maintenance | March 2002 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
Produce policy and implementation plan for dealing with asbestos and any known other risks that includes a strategy for appropriate:
· action to be taken to determine the nature of the risk
· information to be disseminated to tenants, contractors, staff and any other affected parties
· action to be taken to make safe | Surveying & Maintenance Manager | April 2002 | As above | Policy agreed by Executive in spring 2002. Implementation plan/strategy being developed | Policy done. Implementation plan/strategy – November 2002 | 0 |
| Re-examine and clarify roles and responsibilities of Day-to-Day Repairs staff and Surveying and Maintenance staff with a view to further streamlining and generalisation of functions where possible and appropriate Common action point with Programmed & Cyclical Maintenance | Head of Housing Maintenance/ Surveying & Maintenance Manager | September 2002 | As above | Relocation of S&M to Godalming has improved liaison & co-operation. Structure to be reviewed in 2004/05 when MTC due for renewal | Done in part. Structure to be reviewed by March 2005 | 0 |
| Document policies, procedures and guidelines for all aspects of repairs service and introduce arrangements for regular review | Head of Housing Maintenance | September 2002 | As above | In development | April 2003 | 0 |
| TARGET 3: Improved Information For Customers | | | | | | |
In consultation with the Tenants’ Panel, produce leaflet(s) explaining in plain English:
· the service aims, objectives and standards
· key policy issues
· target response times for different types of repair
· tenants’ rights including the Right to Repair and their responsibilities
· practical advice on how to diagnose and report repairs
· what tenants can expect to happen after they have reported a repair and when | Head of Housing Maintenance | July 2002 | Within existing budgets | · Card sent to all tenants.
· Articles in Waverley Homes about repairs service.
· Section on repairs in Tenants’ Handbook.
· Discussions with Tenants’ Panel about what else is required.
· Production of leaflet (if required) | · May 2002
· June 2002
· February 2003· September 2003
· April 2004 | 0 |
| Give the leaflet(s) to all existing and new tenants | Head of Housing Maintenance | September 2002 | As above | Despatch (if produced) | April 2004 | 0 |
When a tenant reports a repair provide them with verbal and written information about:
· whether the repair is covered by the Right to Repair
· what type of repair has been ordered
· when the repair will be completed by
· whether the tenant requires the contractor to make an appointment and if so, any information supplied as to the tenant’s likely availability. | Repairs Manager | May 2002 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| Consult the Tenants’ Panel on the performance information to be provided about the repairs service | Head of Housing Maintenance | July 2002 and ongoing | As above | Ongoing | April 2003 | 0 |
| Include regular articles in Tenants’ Extra on those aspects of repairs performance identified as priorities by Tenants’ Panel | Head of Housing Maintenance | Ongoing | As above | Ongoing | Ongoing | 0 |
| TARGET 4: Value For Money Maximised | | | | | | |
| Develop procedures to ensure that recharges are made for repairs that are the responsibility of tenants (former or current) Common action point with Voids Management | Repairs Manager | September 2002 | Within existing budgets | Ongoing | December 2002 | Not yet quantifiable |
| Develop procedures to ensure that repairs carried out by the Council to leased homes used as temporary accommodation for the homeless are recharged to the owners as necessary Common action point with Voids Management | Repairs Manager | September 2002 | As above | Done | Done | As above |
| Develop a strategy to increase the balance of expenditure on repairs and maintenance in favour of planned maintenance Common action point with Programmed & Cyclical Maintenance | Head of Housing Maintenance | December 2002 | As above | Done | Done | As above |
| Introduce systems for identifying trends in the type of works being carried out to inform the development of planned maintenance programmes | Repairs Manager | December 2002 | Within existing budgets | Done | Done | 0 |
TARGET 5: Maximising Use Of IT And Working Towards E-Government Targets Common target with Programmed & Cyclical Maintenance and Voids Management – see Improvement Plan relevant to All Housing Services
| | | | | | |
Address and resolve inefficiencies associated with current use of Orchard (integrated housing management system):
· Implement uniform processes for recording and processing repairs orders
· Identify and resolve problems/anomalies reported by users of the Orchard repairs module
· Authorise access to the repairs module of Orchard to other Housing Department staff on a read-only basis | Head of Housing Maintenance | January 2002 | Within existing budgets | Done | Done | 0 |
| Investigate with Measured Term Contractors ways of creating linked IT systems with a view to operating a shared diary system so that appointments can be made direct with the customer by Waverley staff when a repair is requested | Head of Housing Maintenance | August 2002 | Within existing budgets | Investigated but not currently possible. Will be reconsidered towards end of MTC in 2004/05 | March 2005 | 0 |
| Investigate ways of enabling customers to request repairs on-line and/or direct to contractor | Head of Housing Maintenance | December 2002 | As above | Repairs can now be requested on line. | Done in part | 0 |
| TARGET 6: Improved Performance Management Systems For Monitoring Quality, Value For Money And Efficiency Of Service | | | | | | |
| Rectify weaknesses in data collection, analysis and reporting methods currently used for BVPIs as identified during BV review | Head of Housing Maintenance | April 2002 | Within existing budgets | Done | December 2002 (for appointments) | 0 |
| In consultation with the Tenants’ Panel introduce mechanisms and/or enhance existing systems to obtain regular detailed customer feedback on the service including comprehensive satisfaction monitoring, analysis and reporting for day-to-day and emergency out-of-hours repairs, “mystery shopping” exercises etc. | Repairs Manager | May 2002 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| Introduce accurate systems for monitoring, analysing and reporting whether appointments have been offered, made and kept | Repairs Manager | April 2002 | As above | See above | See above | 0 |
| Introduce accurate systems for monitoring, analysing and reporting whether all target timescales within the day-to-day and emergency out-of-hours repairs process have been met e.g. to carry out pre- and post- inspections, receipt and processing of invoices etc | Repairs Manager | April 2002 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| Introduce improved systems for regular monitoring, analysis and reporting of expenditure on day-to-day and emergency repairs compared to budget and previous years’ expenditure | Head of Housing Maintenance | April 2002 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| Introduce systems for monitoring, analysis and reporting of the frequency, value of and reason for variation orders | Repairs Manager | April 2002 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| Develop systems to analyse information provided through post-inspections and complaints to identify issues and trends relating the quality of the service | Repairs Manager | April 2002 | Within existing budgets | Done in part. Complaints logged on Orchard to be analysed. | May 2003 | 0 |
TARGET 7: Contract Arrangements For Repairs That Ensure Quality Of Service And Value For Money
| | | | | | |
| Review contract arrangements with the advice of a specialist consultant | Head of Housing Maintenance | June 2001 | Within existing budgets | Done | Done | 0 |
| Re-write specification following consultations with contractors | Head of Housing Maintenance | June 2001 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| Re-tender Measured Term Contract to selected contractors committed and resourced to achieve WBC’s objectives | Head of Housing Maintenance | July 2001 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| Involve Tenants’ Panel in selection of proposed tenderers and contractors to be awarded the contract(s) | Head of Housing Maintenance | October 2001 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| Obtain Members’ approval to appointment of contractors | Head of Housing Maintenance | November 2001 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| Arrange procedures for lead-in to new contracts | Repairs Manager | January 2002 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| Commence new MTCs | Head of Housing Maintenance | February 2002 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| Introduce arrangements for regular review meetings with new contractors | Repairs Manager | February 2002 | As above | Done | Done | 0 |
| Work with contractors to develop IT links and other streamlined ways of working with a view to a step-change approach towards a ‘partnering’ arrangement (in accordance with Egan/”Rethinking Construction” principles) | Head of Housing Maintenance | February 2003 | As above | Will be investigated towards end of MTC in 2004/05 and implemented if appropriate (i.e. contracts have run smoothly) implemented | March 2005 | 0 |
| Carry out appraisal of scope for introducing full partnering contract(s) including direct handling of all repairs orders, either with the current or with new contractors | Head of Housing Maintenance | February 2004 | As above | See above | See above | 0 |
| Renew MTCs with current or new contractors on partnering basis | Head of Housing Maintenance | February 2005 | As above | See above | See above | 0 |