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Transforming Homes Review

Transforming Homes Review

Looking back over the last 12 months

External improvements Our Customer satisfaction level with our pre paint and painting cyclical works was 97.88% with a target of 95%. We completed 1048 pre paint repairs and cyclical works with a target of 1118. The remaining 70 we did not complete were delayed due to inclement weather whilst working through the External Wall programme on the Greenbank estate.

We spent £1.3 Million on Pre-Paint and cyclical works in 2013-14.

Looking back over the last 12 monthsThe property Investment team completed the following improvement works to the Trust’s properties.• Refurbished 158 Bathrooms & Refitted 53 Kitchens• Installed partial external wall insulation to 120 properties at Wharton Gardens, Bradbury Road and Pollard Avenue• Fitted whole house external wall insulation to 65 Houses at Danefield Park • Installed Solar Photovoltaic panels to 56 properties & carried out Electrical upgrades to 108 properties• Fitted new boilers to 304 properties & Installed gas and electric fires in 265 homes• Re-roofed 82 properties• Rebuilt walls and fitted railings and gates to 113 properties on the Greenbank Estate• Provided new railings and gates to 271 properties on the Crook Lane estate

AdaptationsDuring the course of the 2013-14 year we have adapted many customer’s properties to help them maintain their standard of living and independence. This work has included:• 78 level access showers• 19 showers over baths• 26 ramps/improvements to access

• 21 stair lifts• 5 clos-o-mats• 5 kitchens• 203 minor adaptations (grab rails etc.)

Managing Empty homes We have completed repairs to 440 empty properties and exceeded our target of 85% customer satisfaction with a score of 86%.

Repairs and Heating ServicesLooking back over the last 12 months• Customer satisfaction with repairs service – 97.1% (our target 95%)• Routine repairs completed in target time – 98.9% (our target 96.5%)• 17,959 repairs completed. 17,766 were completed within 28 day target• Emergency repairs completed in target time – 99.8% (target 100%)• 3590 repairs completed. 3582 repairs completed within 24 hours • Average time to complete a routine repair – 7.7 days (target was to be less than 10 days)€• Actual spend on responsive repairs for 2013- 2014 was £2 Million

“65 properties had external insulation fitted which has significantly reduced heating costs for our customers...”

Remember if you’d like us to

post this strategy review to

you FREEPOST call us on

01606 813 351 or email

alexandra.myhill@wvht.co.uk.

Or pop into one of our offices

and pick up a copy.

Improvements to our NeighbourhoodsOur customer satisfaction level with improvements was 95.6% with a target of 95%. We undertook the following specific pieces of work in each area:

Crook Lane - We provided new metal railings and gates to front boundary walls of our homes on the Crook Lane Estate following requests from residents and the Residents Group, CLAW. This work contributed to residents feeling of security and is hoped will reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour as well as improving the appearance of the Estate.

Wharton Gardens - We fitted external insulation to 104 houses and some out houses that previously had timber clad sections. This work improved the thermal performance of the houses and will help customers to reduce the costs of heating their homes.

Greenbank - We replaced existing block work on 84 front boundary walls with new, quality brick walls with decorative metal rails and gates greatly improving the appearance of the area.

Greenbank/Dene - 56 Solar PV panels were installed to the remaining suitable properties on the Greenbank Estate and works started on the Dene Estate properties. This work provides Customers with some free electricity during daylight hours which can help reduce their overall electricity bills.

Danefield Park - 65 properties had external insulation fitted which has significantly reduced heating costs for our customers, in some cases by up to £20 per week.

Pollard Avenue - We carried out partial external wall insulation to the 13 timber framed bungalows at Pollard Avenue and Townfield Lane in Frodsham.

Greville - Roofing works were undertaken to 26 properties on the Estate to complete the programme we had commenced in the previous year.

Grange - Kitchens were replaced to 40 kitchens to flats on the estate and a further 39 replacements throughout the Weaver Vale area.

Various - We completed the refurbishment of 158 bathrooms in customer’s homes and nine blocks of flats had new door entry systems fitted.

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Transforming Homes Review

“Following customer reports about damp and condensation in their homes we developed a new damp/condensation inspection report...”

“We are running a project that will hopefully reduce the turnaround time for getting empty properties let...”

Remember if you’d like us to

post this strategy review to

you FREEPOST call us on

01606 813 351 or email

alexandra.myhill@wvht.co.uk.

Or pop into one of our offices

and pick up a copy.

Property Service ComplaintsWe received 91 complaints from dissatisfied customers. All complaints were investigated and responded at Stage 1 of our process to within 20 working days. Nine complaints were escalated to Stage 2 where they were reviewed by the Director of Property Services and 1 complaint went on to our Complaints Review Panel at Stage 3.

How you’ve been involvedThe Empty Homes Customer Involvement Group (CIG) meet regularly to gather customer views on a range of services associated with the termination of a tenancy, re-letting process and the allocation of Trust properties. In 2013-14 they reviewed the following areas:• Flooring policy.• Home Allocation policy. • Group participation in the Customer Journey and new web- site projects. • Reviewed learnt lessons from the new customer visits.• Influenced the relevant content and targets which were incorporated into The Trust’s annual report .

The Repairs Customer Involvement Group (CIG) reviewed the gas safety policy;Following customer reports about damp and condensation in their homes we developed a new damp/condensation inspection report that clearly states what action the Trust will take following the inspection and the action the customer should take to resolve high humidity levels in the home. If damp is suspected we will usually arrange for a further inspection by a damp specialist contractor. As always, we will give continue to distribute our ‘Controlling Condensation in your Home’ leaflet and provide additional advice through ‘Your Home’ articles and our website.

Customers advised us that they were experiencing difficulties in finding replacement bulbs for the new IP rated light fixtures in bathrooms and then fitting the bulbs. The Trust will now supply and fit the replacement bulbs in bathroom areas. The supply and replacement of other bulbs at the property will remain the responsibility of the customer.

A new External Works Team was established following customers asking why they must wait a long time to have external works completed. We will now create a new policy surrounding the completion of External Works that will give us and our customers clear guidelines and timeframes for completion of this type of work.

New Build ProgrammeWe built a total of 21 new homes over four sites;• Booth Grove (formally known as Appleton Street), Winington, 4, 3 bedroom semi detached houses and 2 number 4 bed semi’s on a former garage site.• Kingsway, Winsford, a single block of 4, 1 bedroom flats on a vacant plot.• Hadnum Place (Greville), Winsford, a single block of 4, 1 bedroom flats on a former garage site• Woodland View (Farm Road) Weaverham, a total of 4, 3 bedroom semi-detached houses and 2, 4 bedroom semi’s

Plans for 2014-15We are running a project that will hopefully reduce the turnaround time for getting empty properties let.

We will be reviewing the amount of external works carried out to properties and measure the customer satisfaction with that work.

Text Message alerts are being implemented for appointments for any responsive repairs completed by the Trust’s own trades staff to remind customers that we will be visiting the property.

Our plans for improvement 2014-2015• Our budget for responsive repairs in 2014-15 is £2 Million• Our budget for Pre Paint & Cyclical works in 2014-15 is £1.3 Million