HEATING SERVICES PROCEDURES SOLID FUEL SERVICING 13 th October, 2016
CUSTOMER CONSULTATION
Introduction The consultation processes with regard to the service and safety check of the solid fuel appliances and installation do not have the same customer involvement as planned projects due to the fact that this is a Heating Equipment Testing and Approval (HETAS) recommendation that the work should be undertaken every 6 months to ensure the efficiency and safety of the system is maintained. Feedback to Customers on the Servicing Programme Customers will be notified of the programme of works authorised and agreed by the Trust through; 1. The Trusts Official Newsletter Your Home in the form of a spread sheet detailing the work by neighbourhood. 2. The Trusts official website. 3. Media outlets as may be agreed from time to time. 4. Letters to the individual tenants. 5. Telephone appointment Feedback to the Trust on the Servicing Programme Customers will be encouraged to comment on the servicing works carried out in their homes via; 1. Their representatives on the Tenants Consultative Committee. 2. Walkabouts specific questions will be put to tenants in neighbourhoods where the work has been completed. 3. Reports by the chair persons of the Neighbourhood Resident Committee based on comment/discussion of customers noted at their meetings. 4. The Trusts official website. 5. Customer Questionnaire completed via telephone by a member of the Heating Services Team. 6. Email the Trusts repair team at repairs@wvht.co.uk 7. The Trusts complaint procedure.
Consultation with Customers The individual customer letters will provide a brief of the work and the attending engineer will if required explain to the customer the work to be undertaken and the probable time for execution and any disturbance that may be found to the customers every day routine.
CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION
Customer Notification The customers will be advised of the service / safety inspection work via the procedures set down within the Customer Consultation Processes. It is the contractors responsibility to inform individual householders of the work by letter, the contents of which will detail the; 1. The names of the client Weaver Vale Housing Trust and the contractor. 2. The work being undertaken and the reasons why the work is being undertaken. 3. The first proposed appointment date that the engineer will visit. 4. A contact telephone number the customer can call to make alternative arrangements if the proposed date / time frame are not convenient. 5. A warning as to the severity of not having the work done.
AUDITING THE WORKS
Auditing Procedures Quality audits will be undertaken during the works by the contractor and on completion of the works by the contractor, Weaver Vale Housing Trust and their appointed Independent Consultant if required. Audits during Service Audits are to be carried out by the contractor to ensure that the engineers are undertaking all of the works as required under the contract and that the works are completed in all aspects to the required standard. The content of the survey will be kept brief, site specific and may be either by individual engineer or in neighbourhood completions. The contractor will ensure the system is fully documented and available for inspection by the Trust s project surveyor on request. The results of all audits undertaken during the service / safety work will be subject to discussion either via email or at any progress meeting between the Trust and contractor. Audit on Completion. The contractor shall in association with the Trust, at regular intervals undertake a sample inspection of the work completed by the engineers. The audit findings should be discussed at any progress meetings held. The Trust may also undertake a number of inspections independently of the contractor and without notification to the contractor. Customer Comment On completion of the work in each dwelling the service engineer will leave a copy of the Customer Information form (copy included) with a prepaid envelop for the customer to make comment on the works. The customer will be requested to complete this form and return to the Trust. On receipt of a completed Customer Information form the comments will be logged and were the comments are of an unsatisfactory nature, the Responsive Repairs and Heating Services Manager will analyse the content and investigate the issues with a view to improve the service delivery to the customers. The Client may visit the tenant to discuss the issues raised on the Customer Information form. The Responsive Repairs and Heating Services Manager / Heating Services Team Leader will discuss comments made by customers with the contractor via email or progress meetings.
The statistics will form part of the Property Services Directorate Key Performance Indicators (KPI s) suite. Name Address Postcode As part of our on going improvements programme and recent work carried out to your property. I would be grateful if you would complete the attached customer survey form and return it in the pre-paid envelope provided. Your comments are valued and will be used to continually improve the service that the trust provides. CUSTOMER INFORMATION SURVEY Scheme / Project: Solid Fuel Heating Programme 2015-16 Contractor: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Job Number: Q1. How would you rate our performance in terms of being advised about the schedule before the project started? Poor Poor Neither Good Good Q2. How would you rate our performance in terms of being kept advised during the project? Poor Poor Neither Good Good Q3. How would you rate our performance in terms of the works being explained to you? Poor Poor Neither Good Good Q4. Did you find the staff helpful or unhelpful? Unhelpful Unhelpful Neither Helpful Helpful
Q5. How would you rate our performance in terms of keeping dirt and mess to a minimum? Poor Poor Neither Good Good Q6. How would you rate our performance in terms of respecting your property whilst working? Poor Poor Neither Good Good Q7. How would you rate our performance in terms of respecting you & your family whilst working at your home? Poor Poor Neither Good Good Q8. Overall how would you rate the service you received on this occasion? Poor Poor Neither Good Good Q9. Overall how Satisfied or Dissatisfied are you with the completed project? Dissatisfied Dissatisfied Neither Satisfied Satisfied Q10. In respect of the service that you received on this occasion from the Trust is there anything else you would like to say?...
COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
Complaints Procedure This procedure will be monitored as a KPI for the Trust and contractors, it is essential that we learn from our mistakes and / or omissions to ensure the service we provide is the best possible for our customers. On receiving a complaint from a customer or representative the Contractor will log the complaint on a Complaint Monitoring document, the following information will be recorded. a) The date the complaint was received. b) The address to which the complaint refers. c) A brief description of the complaint. d) The date the complaint was actioned. The Contractor should contact the customer within one working day and arrange to visit the customer where applicable to determine what / if any work is required, apologise for any inconvenience caused to the customer and agree a suitable date for any rectification work to be undertaken. A Customer Complaints form will be completed and forwarded to the Trust through an appropriate method. All complaints should be discussed at the gas servicing progress meetings and included within the Tenant Liaison Officer (TLO) reports. Should the contractor fail to resolve the issue then the customer should use the Trust s current Complaint Procedures which have been issued to all customers.
VALIDATION OF ADDRESSES
Validation of Addresses Prior to undertaking the pre-contract process and to avoid unproductive time it is important that the work addresses are validated i.e. the dwellings to be serviced are Trust owned properties and are not purchased by the customer. Equally it is necessary to ascertain if any equality and diversity issues or safety issues that need to be brought to the contractor s attention. The Responsive Repairs and Heating Services Manager will interrogate the property file, filter the addresses in the area where the work is to be undertaken and print a list of properties for servicing including any specialist requirements to each. Carry out an additional verification check with the Trust s Housing Management System to ensure the property file contains the most up to date sales information. The information relating to the properties to be serviced can be entered onto the contractors Progress Unit Monitoring Summary document, these properties will receive letters of notification It should be noted that the contractor appointed to undertake the oil servicing works will in accordance with the works order documentation visit all of the properties issued and; 1. Check that the smoke alarm equipment is in working order. The information generated on the aforementioned will be forwarded to the Trust for documenting and used on other projects. Continual Validation The Trust through the Responsive Repairs and Heating Services Team will continue to monitor sold properties throughout the year by updating the contractor of dwellings to be excluded due to the aforementioned. Method to progress this information will be by using the sold property lists provided by Trust s legal section each week. It should be noted that the Trust will from time to time bring additional properties into its housing stock. Notification of such purchases will originate in the Trusts legal department and be forwarded to the contractor by the Responsive Repairs and Heating Services Manager with an instruction to include the dwelling into the service programme. The Responsive Repairs and Heating Services Manger will input the relevant components with a service cycle within the Trust s Housing Management System.
In addition to new properties being brought into the housing stock, where a property transfers from another fuel to solid fuel, the Heating Services Team Leader will notify the Responsive Repairs and Heating Services Manager via an email that a solid fuel appliance has been installed to the property, who in turn will issue the service contractor with an instruction to include the said property into the servicing programme. The Responsive Repairs and Heating Services Manager will update the Trust s Housing Management System, and inform the Trust s Property Investment Team so that Maxim and PIMSS software can be updated to record the new equipment installed in each property under the improvement programme.
ACCESSING THE WORKS
Accessing The Works This Procedure applies to all persons who carry out works to Weaver Vale Housing Trust properties. The contractor will ensure that all persons working on the contract have a form of identification card with a company logo, the employees name and works number (if applicable) and a photograph of the employee. Prior to undertaking any solid fuel servicing works within a WVHT property the surveyor and / or contractor will ensure that; 1. The special needs/equality and diversity issues list (see Customer Care Procedure) has been reviewed and individual needs are accommodated by appropriate amendment of the following general procedure. 2. The tenant has been informed by letter that the servicing work is due to take place and has had the opportunity to change/ make alternative arrangements if a specific date and time has been made to carry out the service. 3. That the contractor has the appropriate documentation and equipment to complete the works. Relevant information regards the aforementioned will be forwarded to the contractor on commencing the contract and amendments thereto issued as necessary. The contractors engineer will visit the property; 1. Before entering the property the engineer will provide proof of identity 2. Should the customer be reluctant to let the engineer into the property he / she should provide the customer with a WVHT telephone number for confirmation. 3. On gaining access the engineer will explain in as much detail as possible what the work will entail, the possible disruption and the benefits thereafter. 4. The contractor must make provision for customers with disabilities and ensure any discomfort or disturbance is kept to a minimum. Special arrangements may be necessary for such customers. 5. If refused access, the engineer must follow the No Access Procedures
NO ACCESS PROCEDURES When visiting a property to undertake any function of the works if access can not be gained then the following procedure will apply; 1. First visit leave a no access card enter a date on which you intend to recall along with your name and telephone number for the tenant to contact if the arrangements are not convenient. 2. Second visit (on the date entered onto the first no access card) leave a second no access card and enter your name and administration telephone number for the tenant to arrange another time frame / date. 3. If customer does not contact the contractor within 5 working days, a second letter is sent out to the customer from the contractor with a new appointment date and time to carry out the works, along with a telephone number should the customer wish to ring and re-arrange. 4. Should the contractor fail again on access, the contractor will notify the Responsive Repairs and Heating Services Manager via telephone and email and follow this up by forwarding copies of all of the no access documentation (contractors no access card copies and the follow up letters) to the client for them to start their three no access letter procedure. The repairs tick function will be disabled preventing any further repairs to be raised against the property. This will highlight to other Trust staff that access is required ASAP and this can be arranged prior to any general repairs being completed. 5. Upon receipt of the contractors no access documentation, the Trust s Servicing and Programmed Works Administrator will commence the 3 visit access letter process, and produce a legal pack should access not be permitted. 6. At the time of updating these procedures, the Trust considers failing to allow access to complete a solid fuel service as a breach of the tenancy agreement, which may result in court proceedings. It should be noted that the contractor must make every effort to gain access to complete the works and where access is denied all the no access documentation is provided to the client.
ORDERING THE WORKS
Ordering The Works The works will be ordered in accordance with the Procurement procedures, Standing Orders and Financial Regulations the following rules and procedures will apply to the value of the contracts specified, the value of the work will exclude value added tax. The contractor will receive an initial property list at the pre contract stage. Any additions / omissions will be emailed to the contractor by the Responsive Repairs and Heating Services Manager or the administrative personal nominated to support the contract.
MANAGING THE WORKS
The Project To carry out the twice annual solid fuel servicing, chimney safety and smoke alarm functional check in properties which are owned and managed by Weaver Vale Housing Trust, including any properties that come into ownership during the contract period, and the issuing of Service / Safety Certificates as detailed in the contract documents. The contractor will not undertake any remedial work arising out of the service / safety check, without prior approval of the Responsive Repairs and Heating Services Manager or heating Services Team Leader. The undertaking of safety checks to void properties will only be undertaken where instructed by Weaver Vale Housing Trust. Requirements The contractor s attention is drawn to the Weaver Vale Housing Trusts Solid Fuel Servicing Procedure, equally the contractor is to comply with the employers policies and procedures for; 1. Consultation with customers 2. Notification of the works 3. Auditing of the works 4. Complaints procedures 5. Accessing the works. The Works The contractor will carry out the full service / safety check to ensure the safe operation at all times in respect of the Employer s solid fuel heating appliances and systems throughout the contract period. The contractor will identify the full service and maintenance requirements for the respective heating installations, appliances and any other information which will enable the contractor to identify the full service and repair requirements necessary to meet his obligations under the contract and to enable the employer to fulfil the obligation to the tenants and occupiers of its premises in respect of the Official Guide to approved solid fuel products, services and regulations as produced by HETAS. The Contractor shall complete the works and provide to the Trust on a monthly basis an e-mail copy of all annual servicing records including any approved Safety Certificates, the report / spread sheet will include information on all failed accesses and maintenance works identified as required at the time of the inspection along with a quotation to complete the works.
The contractor will provide the Trust with a hard copy of the Safety Certificates at the end of each calendar month, these certificates will be summarised along with the repairs required on a front sheet affixed to the certificates provided for the said weeks work. Works identified as required at the time of the service / safety check will be prioritise by the contractor, the Responsive Repairs and Heating Services staff will raise the repair orders to the approved contractor by priority as follows; Priority 1 - Work that is urgent do not use notice issued, the engineer will telephone the Trust with the work requirement and then confirm through report documentation (24hr response) Priority 3 - Work that is of a routine nature notified through report documentation (28days response) Priority H - Work that can be planned and completed on a programmed basis notified through report documentation. (365days response) In addition the contractor will record and provide details of; 1. The installation type 2. Manufacturer 3. The repairs that have been identified as required at the time of inspection 4. A priority rating for the identified repairs. Matters Arising from the Works On receipt of the Service/Safety Certificate a member of the Responsive Repairs and Heating Services Team will confirm that the number of certificates provided and the addresses to which they apply are as the summary sheet. Validate that the information provided daily on the electronic report / spread sheet is consistent with the hard copy documents provided. Any discrepancies will be investigated by the Responsive Repairs and Heating Services Manager and the appropriate actions taken subject to the findings. The date of the service / safety check stated on the Landlords Safety Record (LSR) will be input against the relevant component within the Trust s Housing Management System and the certificate filed in the appropriate LSR file. A works order will be issued to the appointed contractor in accordance with the Procurement Procedures, the work will be prioritised for completion in accordance with the contractor s service engineers report.
The Responsive Repairs and Heating Services team will undertake annual reconciliation audits of the house files and the computerised database to ensure that the information held by the Trust is accurate and complete. (Please note, annual reconciliation audits are sufficient for the low number of properties within the solid fuel servicing programme. The frequency of the audits will be reviewed if there is an increase in properties on the programme).
CONTRACT MEETINGS
MEETINGS Contract Progress Meetings will be held on an annual basis or when a specific area of concern requires a formal meeting to document the discussion, throughout the contract period in agreement with the Responsive Repairs and Heating Services Manager, notwithstanding that the content may vary, meetings will follow the format as listed hereafter.
PRE-CONTRACT MEETING 1.0 Contacts Employer Contract Administrator Principal Contractor CDM Co-ordinator 2.0 Contractual Matters Form of Contract Contract Documents Contract Sum Date of Possession Date of Completion Scope of the Works Ordering the Works 3.0 Site Recording Defects Waste Materials Site access and limitations Working Hours Health and Safety Equality and Diversity Sub-contractors 4.0 Meetings Progress Meetings Agenda Attendance Contractors Reports 5.0 Communications Contract Administrator Instructions Specification Changes 6.0 Information Programme of Work Weekly Progress Sheets 7.0 Financial Matters Cash Flow Chart Valuations and Certification
8.0 Work Quality Sample of Work Sample of Materials Inspections during the Work 9.0 Any Other Business 10.0 Date of Progress Meeting
SOLID FUEL SERVICING PROGRESS MEETING PROGRESS MEETING NUMBER x VENUE GADBROOK POINT. DATE xx/xx/xxxx TIME xx.xx am/pm AGENDA:- 1.0 Approval of Previous Minutes 2.0 Matters Arising 3.0 Contractors Report 3.1 Progress of the Works 3.2 Issues needing Instruction / Decision 3.3 Specifications 3.4 Audits 3.5 KPI s Customer Satisfaction / Out of date s 4.0 Financial Issues 4.1 Site Instructions Required 4.2 Variation Confirmations 4.3 Valuations 4.4 Forecast Final Account 5.0 Customer Issues 5.1 Liaison Officer Report 5.2 Equality and Diversity Issues 5.3 Consultation Issues 5.4 Complaints / Concerns 6.0 Accessing the Works 6.1 No access issues 6.2 Tenant refusals 7.0 Health and Safety 7.1 Contractors on Site 7.2 Specific Risks and Assessments 7.3 Accident and / or Near Misses 8.0 Any Other Business Date of Next Meeting - TBC
VARIATIONS TO THE WORKS
Variations The term variation means the alteration or modification of the design, quality, or quantity of the works and shall include additions, omissions or substitution work. Contract variations must be kept to a minimum. All variations to the works will be priced in accordance with the Schedule of Rates for Pricing Variations listed in the tender documents. If work requirement is of such as not to be included then the contractor must obtain permission from the Responsive Repairs and Heating Services Manager / Team Leader before carrying out the works. For items not covered in the priced variation schedule, the Responsive Repairs and Heating Services Manager / Team Leader will verbally agree the work and confirm via email. Payment for variation works properly completed at the time of a certification for Payment will be included in the said certified sum. Compliance with Trust Regulations Variations to the provisions of the contract shall be authorised (in advance where possible) in writing in line with the hierarchy of authorisation set out in the Authorities Schedule. This shall include authorisation by an appropriate Director, or by his/her deputy or other officer nominated in writing. Any variation which causes the contract contingency to be expended shall be reported to the Board or designated Committee as soon as possible and where practicable work or expenditure shall be delayed until authorised by the Board or appropriate Committee.
VALUING THE WORKS
Payment Processes Measured Items Interim and Final Certification for payment to the Contractor will be based on 1. Priced specification using the Schedule of Rates. 2. Priced schedule of works Payment for quantified works will be subject to a re-measure to ensure the contractors claim accurately reflects the total value of the works properly completed. The Responsive Repairs and Heating Services Manager will determine the bonus or penalty payment due to the contractor for certification if required, based on the KPI completion requirement and inform the Contractor of the monies due in the said period. The contractor will submitted all invoices for the works at the time of producing the completed LSR and any no access documentation.