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Council housing - repairs and maintenance This page explains in detail the repair and maintenance service provided by the council and also provides important information for tenants who want to make changes to their home.

• How do I report a repair?

• How is my repair dealt with?

• What is classified as an emergency or urgent repair and how do I report an emergency or urgent repair when the Council Offices are closed?

• Are there any repairs the Council will not do?

• Rechargeable repairs

• Repairs and Maintenance Service Standards

• Housing Maintenance and Contractor Code of Conduct

• Feedback

• How are we performing?

• Crown Paint discount

• New repair team uniform and Freephone telephone number

• Central Heating Servicing

• Electrical Consumer Unit

• Galw Gofal Care Line

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How do I report a repair?

There are a number of ways to report a repair to your Council property or communal area (if you live in a block of flats). You may do so by:

• Telephoning the Housing Repairs and Maintenance Call Centre on 08081 68 56 52 (free to landlines) between 8.00am and 5.00pm – Monday – Friday.

• Calling at the Housing Repairs and Maintenance reception at the Llangefni Offices between 8.45am and 5.05pm – Monday to Friday.

• Writing to the Senior Maintenance Officer, Housing Services, Council Offices, Llangefni, Ynys Môn, LL77 7TW.

• E-mailing - housingrepairs@ynysmon.gov.uk

• Via the tenant portal

Scanning the bar code on this factsheet (for Android and iPhones only).

You need to give as much information as possible, including:

• Your name, address and contact telephone number.

• What the problem is in as much detail as possible including the location of the repair and how serious you think it is.

• How access is to be gained, please note Housing Maintenance Officers or our contractors will not be able to enter your home if it is unoccupied or if there are unsupervised children present.

• Inform us if you need help to move furniture in order for a repair to be carried out. We do encourage tenants where possible to move their own furniture but in special circumstances we will endeavour to help. Please note, you will be asked to sign a disclaimer if we move your furniture.

How is my repair dealt with?

Your repair request will be logged and classified according to its priority status. This determines the target response time/ completion date. You will be allocated a call log number which is the same number throughout the task.

A Technical Inspector may need to attend within 10 working days to inspect and authorise any works.

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Example repairs:

CLASSIFICATION EXAMPLE OF REPAIRS RESPONSE TIME TARGET COMPLETION TIME

EMERGENCY (MAKE SAFE)

GAS LEAK

BURST PIPES

BLOCKED DRAINS (HEALTH THREATENING)

FIRE DAMAGE ( BOARD UP)

TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE

FLOODS

STORM DAMAGE STRUCTURAL (LIFE THREATENING)

IMMEDIATE RESPONSE

4 HOURS

URGENT BLOCKED DRAINS (NON HEALTH THREATENING)

STRUCTURAL (NON LIFE THREATENING WHERE POSSIBLE)

CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS OUT OF ORDER.

MINNIMUM 4 HOUR RESPONSE TIME

24 HOURS

1 DAY REPLACEMENT CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEM PARTS

24 – 48 HOURS 48 HOURS

PRIORITY 3 (5 DAYS) &

PRIORITY 4 (10 DAYS

RENEWL OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS

CHIMNEY POT REPLACEMENT

ROOF SLATE / TILES

REPLACEMENT GLASS

MINOR INDEPENDANT LIVING MODIFICATIONS

1 – 5 DAYS

1 – 10 DAYS

1 – 5 DAYS

1 – 10 DAYS

PRIORITY 5 (15 DAYS), PRIORITY 6 (20 DAYS)

&

PRIORITY 7 (25 DAYS)

REPALCEMENT KITCHEN & BATHROOMS

FIREPLACES

INTERNAL DOORS & PLASTERING

MAJOR INDEPENDANT LIVING MODIFICATIONS

1 – 15 DAYS 1 – 20 DAYS

1 – 25 DAYS

1 – 15 DAYS 1 – 20 DAYS

1 – 25 DAYS

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What is classified as an emergency or urgent repair and how do I report an emergency or urgent repair when the Council Offices are closed?

Emergency

Emergency repairs are required where there is an immediate risk of injury or death to a person(s) or major damage to the property.

For example; gas leak, electricity failure, flooding, blocked drains (health threatening), property security, structural damage.

Urgent

An urgent repair is a non-life and property threatening repair classification which will (where possible) be attended to the same day.

For example, blocked drain (non-health threatening), structural (non-health threatening), Central heating systems out-of-order.

Note: You will be charged the call out fee if you report an out-of-hours repair which is not classed as an emergency or urgent repair

How to report an Emergency or Urgent repair?

To report an emergency or urgent repair contact the Out-of Hours Duty Maintenance officer on 08081 68 56 52 (free to landlines) from 5.00pm to 8.00am Monday to Friday and 5.00pm Friday to 8.00am Monday (including statutory holiday periods).

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Are there any repairs the Council will not do?

The Council will not carry out repairs which are your responsibility as the tenants, such as:

• Replacing sink and basin plugs and chains.

• Replacing door lock keys.

• Internal painting and decorating.

The Council is not responsible for repairing any of your fixtures and fittings, alterations you have carried out, decorations or items damaged or lost as a result of repair, eg, a water leak. Under the terms of your tenancy agreement, you are required to insure the contents of your home against all risks.

For further details, please refer to your tenancy agreement.

Rechargeable repairs

Should repair work be required to your home/communal amenities as a result of neglect, accidental or wilful damage by you, anyone living with you or visiting you, you will be charge for the cost of the work and an administration fee. This is referred to as a ‘rechargeable repairs’.

Emergency and urgent repairs which are rechargeable can be very expensive.

Repairs and Maintenance Service Standards

We are committed to providing our tenants with a customer friendly repairs and maintenance service. The Service Standards below tell you what standard of service you can expect to receive if you contact us to report a repair:

• We will offer a range of ways to report a repair (see page 1).

• Telephone calls made to the repairs call centre will be recorded and used for monitoring and training purposes.

• Officers dealing with your repair will adhere to the departments Customer Care Charter. o To request a copy of the Customer Care Charter please contact the repairs call centre (see page 6).

• We will offer an appointment to carry out a repair. .

• Repairs will be carried out by the Council’s Housing Maintenance Unit and or approved

contractors who will adhere to a code of conduct (see page 5).

• We aim to complete repairs at the first visit if this is not possible we will keep you informed about progress of a repair including when we are waiting for parts.

• We aim to inspect a 10% sample of repairs during each quarter (3 months) to ensure that the work has been carried out to the standard we expect.

• We will ask 10% of tenants who have received a repair during each quarter to complete a Customer Satisfaction survey in relation to quality of workmanship and customer service.

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• We will let you know about our performance of the repairs service through regular reports which will be published on the Council’s website www.anglesey.gov.uk

We expect you to:

• Tell us your name and address.

• Give us as much information as possible about your repair.

• Make arrangements so that we can access your home to carry out the repair.

• When possible contact us a day before an appointment if you wish to cancel it.

• Keep all pets and children away from the work area and hazardous equipment.

• Inform us if no-one arrives to carry out your

repair.

We do not expect you to:

• Abuse our workers in any way.

• Fail to allow access to a planned appointment.

Housing Maintenance and Contractor Code of Conduct

• Where possible the Housing Maintenance operatives and contractors will aim to contact you beforehand to arrange a convenient time to carry out the maintenance repair.

When Housing Maintenance operatives or contractors arrive they will:

• Be considerate to tenants and residents when parking their vehicles. • Be dressed in Anglesey Council uniform including a hi-visibility jacket. • Introduce themselves and show you identifications badges. • Confirm the job they have come to do.

Whilst in your home Housing Maintenance operatives or contractors will:

• Treat you with respect and always behave appropriately • Protect your possessions and belongings and minimise disruption as much as they can whilst

working in your home. • Clear all surplus materials on completion of the job. • Keep you informed about the work to be carried out including follow-up visits.

Housing Maintenance operatives or contractors will NOT

• Smoke • Use bad language • Play radios or music without your permission • Use your toilet or wash hand basin without your permission.

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• Use your electric without permission. • If you are not at home the Housing Maintenance operative or contractor will leave a card to say they

have been including contact details for you to re-arrange the appointment

Feedback

Whether it is a comment, compliment or complaint we value your feedback as a tenant as it helps to improve our services. The easiest way is to complete the ‘Comments, Compliments and Complaints Form’. This can be obtained by:

• Writing to the Senior Maintenance Officer, Housing Services, County Offices, Llangefni, Ynys Môn, LL77 7TW.

• Calling at the Repairs and Maintenance reception at the County Offices – Monday to Thursday between 8.45am and 5.05pm or Friday between 8.45am and 5.00pm.

• Telephoning Repairs and Maintenance on 08081 68 56 52 ( free to landlines only).

• E-mailing housingrepairs@ynysmon.gov.uk

Things do go wrong and we can make mistakes. It is important that you tell us so that we can put things right and improve our services.

You should, in the first instance, discuss you concerns with the person you have been dealing with and tell them what the problem is or ask to speak to their Line Manager/ Supervisor. This may require making an appointment. If you are still unhappy with the response you receive, you may write to the Head of Housing Services.

If the matter remains unresolved and there is no alternative appeal procedure, you may:

• Make a formal complaint by writing to the Customer Care Officer. You should include your full name and address, telephone number / contact point and a detailed description of the complaint.

• Write to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, Pencoed, Bridgend, CF31 5JL.

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How are we performing?

We continually strive to understand and improve our performance. We have an effective performance management framework in place to report, monitor and review performance. Our repairs targets are subject to regular review and demonstrate continuous improvement. In today’s economic climate, delivering value for money has never been more important. Information on cost performance will also be reported to both customer and staff.

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Crown Paint discount

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New repair team uniform and Freephone telephone number

This summer (2013) the new repairs and maintenance free phone number went live. The number which is free from landlines is a 24 hour number which replaces the old office numbers and call out mobile number.

During normal working hours the calls are answered by the Repairs & Maintenance Call Centre and out of hours by our Emergency Call Out Duty Officer. In line with our Code of Conduct all Repairs & Maintenance staff have been provided with a new uniform. The uniform helps identify our team and ensures a professional approach to our work.

ID cards and high visibility jackets are also worn but if you are unsure of their identity please contact us on 08081 68 56 52 (24 hrs) who will confirm their identity. Please note we have private contractors working with the Maintenance team on a daily basis, but the Code of Conduct applies to them as well.

Head of Housing Services Shan Williams said;

“Introducing the new uniform and free phone number is one of the steps taken recently to get the basics right, when offering a good repairs and maintenance service. We often hear about ‘rogue builders’ turning up at the home of vulnerable or older people claiming they work for the Council. This is a clear commitment from ourselves through the new uniform, to tackle rogue contractors and also endorses the new way of working introduced over the last 12 months and our intentions for future years”.

Planned Maintenance 2013/14

After successfully completing the Welsh Housing Quality Standard improvement works. Housing Services will be concentrating on external planned maintenance.

The schedule will include works at Glan Cefni Flats Llangefni and Maes y Coed, Menai Bridge comprising new windows, flat roof and refurbishment of the communal areas.

Maes Cybi, Llys Watling Flats Holyhead, Field St, Chapel St & Bryn Tawel Brynsiencyn will also have new roofs, windows and external rendering.

Phase 8 of the communal doors programme has commenced in November. Completion will be by May 2014.

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Central Heating Servicing

Annual heating servicing (gas, oil and solid fuel) is essential for your safety.

Anglesey County Council as your landlord is legally responsible to ensure the heating appliance(s) in your home are serviced and in good working order.

Tenants are responsible for servicing and maintaining their own appliances. i.e cookers, gas fires and log burners.

Service certificates must be provided to Housing Services on a yearly basis.

Your appointment

We will send out a notification letter approximately 2 weeks before the due service date.

If the due service date is not convenient please contact the Appointment coordinator on 01248 423954 (during normal working hours) so a mutually agreeable time can be arranged to carry out the service. Please ensure you give as much notice as possible prior to the appointment.

Access to your home

Please ensure access is available to our engineers to carry out the service otherwise you will be in breach of your tenancy agreement. Further no access calls will be rechargeable to you as the tenant and legal action will be taken to gain entry.

Further details can be obtained by contacting the repairs & maintenance call centre (during normal working hours) on 08081 68 56 52.

Annual heating servicing (gas, oil and solid fuel) is essential for your safety.

Certification

Once the service is completed you will be given a copy of the certificate and any repairs identified will be repaired in line with our current timescales.

Electrical Consumer Unit

Never tamper with the electrics in your home. Turn off the electricity before investigating a problem. Use the main ON / OFF switch on the electric consumer unit to do this. Electric Consumer Unit

This is the control centre for electricity in your home. Modern electric circuits are fitted with a circuit breaker fuse system : if a fault develops a switch is tripped in the electric consumer unit and the circuit is broken.

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No power in your home The most common cause is a tripped switch or blown fuse. If you have a coin or credit meter, ensure it has enough credit. If neighbours are also effected, contact your electricity supplier, using their website or the number on the bill. If your home is the only one effected, and you have checked the electric consumer unit, you are sure the bills are paid or the meter has credit, contact your electric supplier. If they are unable to help, contact us.

When a Switch is Tripped

Open the cover on the Electric consumer unit to expose the trip switches. The electric consumer unit is usually next to the electricity meter. Check which switches have tripped to the OFF position and put them back to the ON position.

If Tripping Occurs Again

It is probably being caused by a faulty appliance. You need to identify which circuit is affected and which appliance on that circuit is causing a problem. Go around the house noting which set of lights or sockets are not working. Unplug all appliances on that problem circuit and switch off the immersion heater. Switch the tripped switch to the ON position and plug in the appliances one by one until the trip goes again. Leave that appliance unplugged. If one of our appliances is at fault, report the repair; otherwise get it fixed by a qualified electrician or service engineer.

Avoid Tripped Switches

Watch our for the following: • A faulty light bulb • An overloaded socket • Too many appliances being used at the same time • A faulty or misused appliance • An over filled kettle • An unclean toaster • A worn out or cracked cooker ring

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• A faulty immersion heater • A faulty connection on leads to appliances, eg Hi-fi, TV etc • A blown light bulb

Galw Gofal Care Line

Housing Services in partnership with Tunstall Healthcare are currently renewing the care line equipment in sheltered homes and age 60+ allocated bungalows.

To ensure your safety Galw Gofal monitor the system and report any faults to Tunstall.

You are asked to test the system every quarter to ensure that each individual piece of equipment is working correctly (You may need assistance in testing the smoke alarm).

If you have any concerns please contact the Repairs and Maintenance Team on 08081 68 56 52 (24 hrs.), Out of office emergency calls are answered by our Duty Officer.