Improving Your Home

We're dedicated to providing excellent services to our customers. To do this we have developed a set of service standards which set out what you can expect from us when we do any improvements or modernisation to your home.

Improvements and Modernisations to Your Home

This explains:

How we provide the improvements and modernisation services
The service you can expect from us
How we will monitor what we are doing
Your responsibilities as a tenant.

The services we provide

We will modernise your home so that it meets the Decent Homes standard. This includes improvements to:

Roofs
Kitchens
Bathrooms
Insulation
Central heating systems
Windows and Doors
Electrical systems

What you can expect from us

We will

Write to all tenants affected when we plan to do any work. We will say what work will take place and when this is planned
Give you an opportunity to have your say about the work carried out in your home
Give you a choice, wherever possible to help with the design such as colour, style, fittings and layout
Provide a 12 month minimum guarantee for all improvement works
Where necessary, provide alternative accommodation when carrying out extensive improvement works
Provide suitable support for vulnerable residents during works schemes where appropriate
Help vulnerable residents to pack items away, remove furniture and clear carpets and floor coverings away from the working area prior to any work taking place. We will also help to put these items back when the work is finished
In extreme circumstances and in agreement with the tenant we may postpone the works to a later date.

Before work begins

We will

Appoint a named liaison officer to support you
Arrange personal visits to the homes of people with special needs
Arrange regular project meetings at a venue which is easily accessible if applicable to the size of the project
Give regular progress reports through our Resident Involvement groups
Continue to consult you on any changes to the scheme
Give you a minimum of 12 weeks notice before an improvement scheme begins
Give you 10 working days notice before work starts if scaffolding is required
Give you the details of the selected contractor before work commences.

Our contractors will

Give you a minimum of 5 working days notice before work starts in your home
Advise you of anything out of the ordinary that will arise from the works.

The trades person carrying out the work will

Only work between 8.00am – 5.00pm Monday to Friday (unless we agree other arrangements with you)
Show you an identification badge before entering your home
Wear a company uniform or suitable working clothes
Not cause offence or harass you
Keep inconvenience to a minimum
Work as quietly as possible
Be polite and courteous
Take account of any special requirements
Tell you what to do if you wish to complain
Not smoke while working in your home
Take precautions to protect furniture, floor coverings and fittings (including using dust sheets as necessary)
Make sure you have at least one safe entrance to your home while work is taking place
Make sure that at the end of the working day you have electricity, gas, hot and cold water or provide a temporary supply if necessary
Make sure that if scaffolding is used around your home, you will still be able receive satellite and terrestrial TV
Make their own arrangements for refreshments and toilet facilities
Not use your equipment for carrying out work or cleaning up afterwards
Clean up after the work and make sure all rubbish is removed from your home at the end of each day
Make sure your home is safe and secure at the end of the day.

Asbestos

Many people have worries about asbestos, but undisturbed asbestos usually poses no problem. However, care should be taken to prevent the release of asbestos fibres as they can cause serious damage to your health.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been used in a range of building materials as it is resistant to heat, fire and corrosive chemicals. Asbestos was used extensively as a building material from the 1950s through to the mid 1980s. When asbestos containing materials (ACMs) become damaged or deteriorate with age they can release fibres into the air. The fibres produced can penetrate the lungs and over time result in conditions such as mesothelioma and asbestosis. Since 1993 the use of asbestos in most products has been banned. There is a very low level of asbestos fibres present in the atmosphere, exposure to which is unlikely to harm people's health.

The greatest risk arises when asbestos is damaged or drilled, sawn, scrubbed or sanded. DIY can result in brief but high levels of exposure. Unfortunately you cannot always tell whether a product contains asbestos simply by looking at it. If you are planning home improvements or maintenance and think you may have asbestos in your home, always ask our permission in the first instance.

To gather information on asbestos in your home, the Council has commissioned a survey of all its housing stock. The survey will result in further information being provided to tenants where their properties contain asbestos and arrangements will be put in place to manage the asbestos. It is not Council policy to remove all asbestos from its properties which is in line with safe working practice and Government guidelines.

How you can help us

You should

Supervise children and pets while the work is taking place
Follow any warning notices the contractor may put up during the work
Allow our employees and contractors to enter your property at reasonable times to inspect or carry out the work without interruptions
Remove possessions and valuables from the work area
Respect the contractors right to work in a smoke free environment.

Customer Care and feedback

We always value your comment. If you have any comments or complaints about an improvement project then please inform your project liaison officer or contact us directly.

You can get full details of our customer service standards and how to give us your feedback from our local office or via our web site.