Repairs and Maintenance Service - Storyboard

Repairs and Maintenance Service

Storyboard

R o t h e r h a m M e t r o p o l i t a n B o r o u g h C o u n c i l

IntroductionThe Audit Commission’s Inspection of the Repairs and Maintenance Service in May 2002resulted in a rating of poor service (no star), with promising prospects for improvement.

The Council recognised the need for fundamental change to improve the Repairs andMaintenance Service. It brought in a new management team to lead the process of changingthe culture and improving performance of services. A clear framework is in place for managingchange, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

The Inspection commented on the Service and recommended improvements. This storyboarddemonstrates how their recommendations and comments have been taken on board by theService and acted upon to improve the Service.

This is one of a suite of three documents including the Repairs and Maintenance ServiceImprovement Plan and the Repairs and Maintenance Position Statement.

The Storyboard shows the massive change programme undertaken from September 2002 toDecember 2003, resulting in improved performance and improved customer satisfaction. Thishas instilled confidence in staff throughout the Service.

Despite progress made, the report outlines areas requiring further improvement, detailinginnovation and good practice procedures to be implemented to achieve this. The improvementshave been proposed following consultation with our tenants and staff, and benchmarkingexcellent repairs and maintenance providers.

We have employed consultants to challenge potential weaknesses and to recommend changes.The Housing Quality Network carried out a mock inspection of the Service in November 2003and identified areas that require urgent action to ensure a successful re-inspection.

These planned improvements should enable the Repairs and Maintenance Service to achieve atleast two stars when the Audit Commission Inspectors revisit in February 2004. They are thefoundation on which the Housing Service can become a three-star (excellent) service by April 2005.

R e p a i r s & M a i n t e n a n c e S e r v i c e S t o r y b o a r d

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ContentsPage

Introduction 1

1 Produce information for tenants about the repairs service and individual repair requests 3

2 Develop customer feedback on the service and ensure this is used to effectively 5monitor and improve the service

3 Develop tenant involvement with in the service 7

4 Complete repairs within the priority times 9

5 Minimise repair jobs not completed on the first visit 11

6 Examine the bonus system 12

7 Introduce robust systems to quality control the repairs service 12

8 Ensure that the procurement of all aspects of the repairs and maintenance service are subject to a rigorous, comprehensive and transparent process 13

9 Improve performance on voids 13

10 Develop a policy on asbestos and inform customers 14

11 Develop systems to assess the value for money offered through partnership arrangements 15

12 Develop a long-term strategy to address the repair of housing stock 15

13 Improve budgetary control mechanisms 16

14 Audit the performance information and develop a performance management framework 17

15 Address all other weaknesses identified in the report 18

16 Communication 18

17 Delays authorising jobs with inadequate information to tentants 18

18 Repair jobs not completed on the first visit 19

19 High ratio of responsive repairs to planned paid from revenue 19


Rotherham Connect contact centre provides anexcellent ‘one-stop-shop’ approach to customerenquiries.

We have focused on providing a ‘people-centred’service where tenants can speak to staff direct whoare able to help diagnose the problems and agree aresponse that satisfies the tenant’s needs and ourperformance standards.

Major changes have improved access and informationto customers as follows:

■ Use of local language facilities for interpretationand translation services. This has beeninvaluable in providing documents that meet theneeds of minority groups.

■ Staff can access ‘Language Line’ which providesan immediate translation service.

■ Hearing loops have been installed to assistcustomers with hearing difficulties.

■ Introduction of a minicom system.

■ Customers have the facility to report theirrepairs over the Intranet.

■ Appointments are offered in all trades forinternal repairs.

■ A receipt system has been introduced for allrepair requests. Once a repair request isreceived, a receipt is posted to the tenantconfirming the appointment time and giving areference number. If the repair request isclassed as non-urgent and becomes aprogrammed repair, a letter is sent to explainthat the repair will be completed as part of alarger programme of works and when a datewill be confirmed.

The diagnosis of repairs has been vastly improvedthrough the following:

■ Introduction of a diagnostic repairs manual forRotherham Connect and front-line staff withclear illustrations of fixtures/features etc and, aprocess of questioning to correctly identify theproblem.

■ Training and regular updates to all front-linestaff in diagnosing faults.

■ Permanent technical staff sited in RotherhamConnect to provide ongoing mentoring andsupport to customer advisors and to deal withmore difficult repair issues.

Since January 2002, appointments are offered for allinternal repairs, allowing customers to specify timesthat are convenient for repairs to be carried out.Customers choose from three specific periodsduring the working day, Monday to Friday. Ourperformance in this area has significantly increasedto 63.86% of appointments being made and kept.There are plans to increase this and we arecurrently in the early stages of developing eveningand weekend appointment slots to increaseaccessibility to the service further.


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Your future,your plan...

Unitary Development Plan

Rotherham,Where you live, work & play

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Rotherham’s Unitary Development Plan (UDP) is to beupdated to guide development and land use up to 2016.Youcan help protect the environment and shape the placeswhere you live, work, shop and play by commenting onissues which need to be considered in the next Plan. If youwant to know more or to arrange interpretation andtranslation facilities use the contact telephone number.

We asked our customers about the informationthey want and how they want the information tobe provided. To involve a wide cross-section ofcustomers, we used extensive and innovativeconsultation methods.

This involved:

■ Consultation with the Repairs and MaintenancePolicy Panel

■ Reviewed responses from telephone and postalcustomer satisfaction surveys to extractsuggestions made by customers

■ Attendance at Area Housing Panel meetings

■ Tenant involvement in the Management ofChange Group meetings

■ Seeking advice from the Tenant Involvement Unit

■ Discussions with front-line area housing office staff

■ Discussions with Rotherham Connect ContactCentre to establish the most frequently askedquestions and issues raised by customers

■ Introducing face-to-face customer satisfactionconsultation in the "Going Local"neighbourhood management pilot

To learn from others we sought best practice froma number of sources including other Councils,Housing Associations, the Audit Commission, CRE,HouseMark and the Housing Quality Network.

We display repairs related DETR publications in allarea housing offices and have produced thefollowing information focusing on serviceaccessibility :

■ Information leaflets about repairs andmaintenance, Decent Homes Programme,management of asbestos and homeimprovements

■ "Welcome Home!" Handbook - acomprehensive guide giving tenants informationand advice on housing issues including:

- How to report a repair

- How to report an emergencyrepair out of office hours

- Repairs diagnostic diagrams

- Clear identification of repairresponsibilities

- Service standards includingresponse times

- Information about gas appliance servicing

- An explanation of programmed works

- Information relating to ourAsbestos Policy and Procedures

- Information about the Right to Repair

- An explanation of what to dobefore home improvements

- Useful addresses and telephonenumbers of other organisations andservices

- Posters and cards in area housing officesand public buildings to promote theRotherham Connect service

- Open House Newsletter - providingcustomers with essential information aboutthe Service

The Communications and Information Groupawarded the publications the ‘Easy Read’ symbol.The Group includes tenant representatives, whocheck that the information is clear and easy tounderstand, and that plain language is used.

The Council has successfully negotiated a 12-year strategic partnership with BT and hasformed RBT (Connect) Limited as a Joint VentureCompany.The Council are involving customers inthe development of the Service. This Partnership istransforming customer contact through its contactcentre, the development of a series of one-stop-shops and other customer access channels. The


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1 Produce information for tenants about the Repairs Service and individualrepair requests

Customer

Friendly

Services

A guide for customers

Welcome Home!

The operatives were very respectful, keeping me informed

of what work needed doing. I am very happy with the

repairs to my chimney stack and the service I received.

Miss Hilton, Church Lane, Dinnington

The gas fitter who serviced our fire was very thorough, he was

polite and used dust sheets to protect our carpets.We were

very impressed with the standard of service we received.

Mr and Mrs Bows, Saxon Road Kiveton Park

Every Council employee that came to my home treated

me with respect. I think the RMBC workforce are wonderful,

my repairs are always done quickly and efficiently.

Mr Wade, Bradbury Close, Parkgate

Just a few of our satisfied customers

from a recent customer survey.

I had just come out of hospital when the council came to renewmy windows, I was still sick in bed, the

workmen were marvellous, they made me cups of tea and I felt

totally at ease with them in my home. I can not praise them

enough, they made a stressful situation very easy for me.Mrs Stanley, Beeversleigh Flats CliftonI returned from the housing office after reporting my repair

and the workmen were here to meet me.They fixed my

window and left no mess behind.What a wonderful service.

Mr Ashall, Redscope Crescent Kimberworth Park

I woke one Sunday morning to find my bathroom had flooded,

I called the emergency number and within an hour someone

was with me. I could not be more satisfied with the repairs

service, I’m an elderly lady with arthritis and I live alone, this

service was second to none.Mrs Neal,Winterhill Road Richmond Park

Just a few of our satisfied customers

from a recent customer survey.

Dedicated customer forums exist to continuallyreview major areas of work. For example, withinthe Decent Homes Partnership, a permanentCustomer Focus Group exists to reviewcontractor performance and provide feedback oncustomer satisfaction, in addition to tenantmembership of the Decent Homes Board.

We have been proactive by bringing Repairs andMaintenance Service staff to housing areas andorganising events that encourage honest andconstructive feedback. Recent examples haveincluded several roadshow programmes in libraries,community centres, shopping areas and the highlysuccessful Rotherham Show held annually in September.

Complaints and Councillor Surgeries aremonitored monthly and are actively used to identifywhere improvements are needed. Information isalso gathered on what work and a bank ofcompliments is maintained which helps motivate

and recognise staff, as well inform managers ofgood practice.

Our commitment to receiving and acting uponcustomer feedback is linked to our PerformanceManagement Framework. There is a clear regimeof pre-determined survey frequencies, sample sizesand reporting dates.

Customer feedback is a key indicator within ourPerformance Management Framework.

Information is now reported in a disciplined and visiblemanner in the following ways:

■ Each quarter survey information is reported toManagement Team. Key trends and issues foraction are highlighted in advance followinganalysis by the Performance & Quality Unit.Customer feedback is passesd on to all theworkforce during staff briefings and issues arehighlighted for remedial action.

■ Customer feedback is passed on to alloperatives during weekly staff briefings and


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Tenants whohave reported a repair

Gas Servicing

Tenants whohave receivedimprovementsvia the DecentHomesProgramme

Re-letting of voidproperties

All tenants

Telephone

Postal survey

Foreman quality inspection

Operative post-repair tenant questionnaire

Pre-paid postcard

Quality inspection as soon as workscompleted.

Postal survey 6 months after workscompleted to test whether refurbishment isfit for purpose/tenant satisfied.

Quality inspection as soon as workscompleted

Community roadshows and RotherhamShow to present early priorities for Annual Maintenance Plan and receive feedback ongeneral service issues

Monthly (200 tenants contacted viaRotherham Connect)

10% of all completed repairs

Need to check

Currently being piloted

100% of all gas servicing and to beextended to other areas

10% of all completed repairs

100% of all void dwellings

Group Method Frequency

Methods for receiving feedback include:

We have a comprehensive system for collecting,analysing, reporting and acting upon customerfeedback.

The Community Empowerment Strategydemonstrates our commitment to reshape servicesaround the needs of neighbourhoods andcommunities rather than estates. It aims to improvethe current structure of customer involvement andcreate opportunities for our customers toinfluence policy and service delivery.

A Tenant Steering Group (Council Housing FuturesGroup), made up of representatives from TARAs,lead the single most important housingmanagement issue to be addressed by the Council– choosing the most appropriate stock option tomeet the Decent Homes Standard.

In support of our commitment to receive and actupon customer feedback at the highest level, theExecutive Director and Head of HousingServices have a regular programme ofattendance at the Tenants’ Forum.

The Tenant Involvement Unit (TIU) plays avital role in receiving customer feedback.TIU encourage tenant feedback by itssupport of TARAs, liaison with the AreaHousing Panels, Open Days, Managementof Change Group meetings, presentationsand via the feedback sheets included inthe widely distributed Open House Newsletter.

As ‘Customer Champion’, the TIU leads the tenantconsultation process and ensures all tenants havethe opportunity to input into future plans andservice delivery.


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2 Develop customer feedback on the Service and ensure this is used to effectivelymonitor and improve the Service

issues are highlighted for remedial action.Reflecting the importance of customerfeedback,The Executive Director and Head ofHousing discuss customer service issues duringthe programme of weekly site visits/team meetings.

■ Customer satisfaction results are reported tothe Policy Panels and Cabinet, along with anymanagement actions already agreed.

■ Poor responses to satisfaction surveys arefollowed up immediately and discussed with theindividual to establish the reasons behind theirdissatisfaction and use the information toensure that the problem is not repeated.

■ A programme of area-based roadshows are heldto consult on future maintenance plans, servicedevelopments, priorities etc. To encouragemaximum interaction with tenants, theseroadshows are held in public locations.

■ Performance information has been shared with

tenants at meetings of TARAs,Area HousingPanels, Policy Panels and the Tenant SteeringGroup (Council Housing Futures Group) andincluded in the Open House newsletter.

■ Monthly performance updates are also ondisplay at all of our service outlets

■ Customer involvement in target setting andmonitoring the quality of services has led to areview of standards and the introduction oflocal performance indicators. These localperformance indicators are included in a suiteof information reported quarterly to ElectedMembers on a Borough-wide basis through theEnvironment Scrutiny Committee.

Customers are actively involved in monitoring ourperformance. The development of a ‘CustomerInspection Service’ in January 2003 identifiesservice improvements via our customers routinelycarrying out exercises, which test how well we areperforming. These include telephone mystery

shopping of staff and customers, estate walkabouts,visits to repaired void properties, monitoringagainst People and Service 1st Standards and staffspot checks. Participation over the year hasincreased and over 100 customers carried outthese checks. The results are immediately feddirectly to management for remedial action.

A Learning from Customers Forum comprising across-section of staff and tenant representation,evaluates customer feedback, identifies problemsand initiates improvements.This Forum meetsquarterly.

Early priorities already identified and acted uponinclude:

■ Removal of rubbish/debris following a repair

■ Receipt system following a repair request

■ Clear schedule of jobs which are theresponsibility of Housing Services and thetenant’s responsibility

■ Introduction of Foremen quality inspections

Overall satisfaction ratings for the responsiverepairs service has risen from 72% to 90%. but inthe ‘Going Local’ neighbourhood management pilotscheme this has risen to an astonishing 98%.

Void quality inspections have been standardisedacross the Service using an agreed standard andcontrol system. Our own ‘House Proud’ qualitymark, which is accredited to all properties availablefor letting, ensures that the property meets anagreed cleanliness standard ready for the customerto move in.

Re-let satisfaction surveys on void dwellings willform part of the House Proud initiative.

Satisfaction surveys will expand to focus on theappointments service and when customers firstmake contact.

We have transformed our approach to gainingcustomer feedback and used this to inform serviceimprovements. Recognising the valuablecontribution tenants make to every aspect of ourService (policy, strategy, standards, processes,communications, reporting etc), we haveimplemented a comprehensive programme oftenant involvement.

Our Community Empowerment Strategy definesthe approach and improvements being made. TheTenant Involvement Unit leads, and providesexpertise in tenant involvement across the Service.

Tenants’ involvement in shaping the Service, settingpriorities and improving performance can besummarised as follows:

■ The introduction of robust Tenant Compactsprovide a frame work for dialogue andinvolvement with tenant groups, regularmeetings with senior Housing Services staff, aprogramme of activities to measure customersatisfaction, involvement in servicedevelopments, and priority setting for localrepairs/property improvements.

■ Policy Panels that have a key input into thestrategy and priorities of the Service

■ Area Housing Panels with nominated HousingServices staff providing support

■ Programme of roadshows in all housing areas topresent future plans and receive feedback.

■ Provision of budgets to Area Housing Panels

■ Tenant involvement in the Housing Servicedisplay stand at the Rotherham Show whichshowcased our future plans and provided agood opportunity to discuss satisfaction withthe service

■ Tenant representation in the ServiceImprovement Project Team responsible forleading the overall transformation of theService. Following the Best Value Review ofHousing Services, a holistic approach to serviceimprovement has been introduced across theentire Service with tenant involvement in theProject Board

■ Tenant involvement in the Learning FromCustomers Forum which reviews customerfeedback and acts quickly to implementsolutions

■ A programme of walkabouts involving a rangeof local stakeholders has been introduced toensure consistency across the Service

■ A series of community-based roadshowscommenced in September 2003 to seek inputon maintenance priorities which will form thebasis of the Annual Maintenance Plan for2004/05.

■ Within the Decent Homes Programme, a robustseries of sub-groups exist with tenantparticipation including Customer Focus Group,Value Engineering Group – both of which havebeen instrumental in improving servicestandards, quality of property improvements and the level of choice available.

■ Focus Groups are now used to seekstakeholders’ views.

■ Effective use of quarterly Tenants’ Foruminvolving staff and tenants.

The Customer Inspection Service providesinformation for the Programme Area to focus onimproving the quality of service delivery. Theseexercises allow standards to be measured againstRMBC’s own defined service level expectations andalso, where appropriate, benchmarking againstcomparable organisations.

The Service is co-ordinated by the Performance andQuality Unit. At least four exercises take place eachmonth including the following:

■ Telephone mystery shopping of staff.

■ Telephone customer satisfaction surveys.

■ Estate Walkabouts.

■ Letter monitoring.

■ Name badge spot checks.


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3 Develop tenant involvement in the service


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We have made extremely good progress since theinspection. The system for recording repairs hasbeen reviewed to ensure it is robust and providesaccurate information. The introduction of a ‘RapidJob Entry’ system in September 2002 ensures thatthe customer’s repair request is recorded andprocessed at the time of receipt. The customer isimmediately given a job number for their futurereference. The introduction of a dedicated repairsteam within Rotherham Connect has improvedhow we handle repairs and provided a one-stopshop approach to repairs handling.

Performance continues to improve against targets.

■ HES 72: Urgent Repairs Completed within Time Limits

Target 2003/04: 96% Actual: December 03: 92.23%

_

■ HES 73:Average Time Taken toComplete Non-Urgent Repairs

Target 2003/04: 15 daysActual December 03: 15.7 days


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4 Complete repairs within the priority times.

100%

95

90

85

80

75

70

65

60

55

50

Target 2002/03Actual 2003/2004 December Actual 2003

35

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25

20

15

10

5

0Target 2002/03Actual 2002/2003 Actual December

2003


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■ Empty property checks.

Results of the exercises are reported monthly.These reports are sent to the customers that takepart in the exercises and reported to ProgrammeArea Management Team (PAMT). PAMT considerthe results and take action to remedy poor resultswith relevant managers.

Programme Area staff can access reports on the

Intranet. Quarterly reports are produced,summarising the quarter’s results and explainingwhat future exercises are planned. This report issent to all Tenant Representatives and placed onthe Intranet for all staff to access.

This open and honest approach has beenfundamental in producing a customer-focussedculture change within the Service.

The Inspection identified that there was a lack ofperformance management throughout theProgramme Area.This was addressed by developinga framework that would quickly turn this around.

Following discussions with the Interim ManagementTeam in July and August 2002, a framework wasdesigned to raise the profile of analysing, monitoringand reporting on the programme area performanceindicators, this included:

■ Appointing PI managers and deputies to increaseaccountability and ownership.

■ Establishing a uniform Quarterly PerformanceMonitoring Report for the whole Programme Area.

■ Developing reporting mechanisms to Members,management, staff and customers.

The Performance & Quality Unit assessed all 40KPIs to test their accuracy against definition. Thisresulted from comments by the District Auditorfollowing the audit of the Best Value PerformancePlan. This identified a number of areas that neededto be strengthened to satisfy external scrutiny. Theassessment procedure was held up as ‘goodpractice’ and adopted by the rest of the Council inOctober 2003. As a result of the assessment, PImanagers developed action plans to deliver theiryear-end targets.

Our new approach to performance monitoring,contained within the Rotherham PerformanceManagement Framework, is based on a high level of‘visibility’.

KPIs, including the above indicators, are reviewed asfollows:

■ Weekly management team meetings

■ Monthly Programme Area ManagementTeam meetings

■ Weekly Service Improvement Project reviews(separate from operational management andtasked with delivering a step-change inperformance)

■ Monthly Cabinet Report

■ Quarterly reporting to Scrutiny Panel

■ Monthly Performance Clinic focusing on MissionPossible KPIs

■ Monthly reporting to our customers

As the reporting procedures developed it becameclear that the Programme Area needed to keep acloser and regular eye on all of its KPIs. ByDecember 2002, the Programme Area wasmonitoring and reporting on all KPIs on a monthlybasis. Reporting included comparison against otherCouncils, past performance comparison, identifyingKPIs which are not on target and performanceleague tables of KPIs and KPI managers. Thisinformation highlighted the poor performing areasand resulted in the development of the‘Performance Clinic’.

The Programme Area Management Team createdthe ‘Performance Clinic’ so they could challenge theperformance of individual KPIs with the PImanagers, identifying the reasons why KPI are noton target, what action is needed to turn it aroundand monitoring the action plan. Again, this was heldup as ‘good practice’ and shared with the rest ofthe Council. This was in place from January 2003,and was a key driver for increasing the number ofKPIs on target from 36% in December to achieving50% by the year-end (March).

During February and March 2003, managers, staffand customers told us which KPIs they would likeus to report against for 2003/04. 16 new indicatorswere developed, replacing many old,non-comparable KPIs, to form our new KPI suitefor 2003/04. Our new suite compliments the new‘Programme Area Performance Plan’ and theService Business Plans which identify how we willtackle the Programme Area’s Seven Key Prioritiesfor 2003–2006.

Staff and management were consulted about all


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targets set for 2003/04, aiming to achieve topquartile performance and continuous improvement.

In the first quarter of 2003/04, further developmentshave improved the monitoring and reporting ofperformance information. These include:

■ Traffic lighting system to identify good, fair andpoor performance

■ Revised and improved action plans focusing onkey improvements needed to achieve year-endtargets

■ Monthly control targets that more accurately show which areas are on target or failing

■ Strengthen ‘Performance Clinic’, to producerevised action plans that turn performancearound.

This early activity has resulted in 80% of KPIs beingon-target to achieve the year-end target and showsthe level of improvement since December 2002.

Other performance management frameworksystems have been put in place. These include:

■ Service Business Plan Monitoring and Reporting.

■ Customer Inspection Service – customers of theCouncil testing and monitoring the services we provide.

■ Benchmarking

Action is being taken to ensure that when repairrequests are received, we check that they are ourresponsibility and award the correct urgencyclassification.

The ‘Right to Repair’ Act classifications have beenreasserted to ensure the correct deployment ofoperatives and to avoid the unnecessarydeployment of operatives to urgent jobs (ie, lessthat 7 days) which could be batched and programmed.

We are committed to providing a ‘right first time'service ensuring repairs are made quickly, correctlyand with the minimum of disruption to ourcustomers.

We have implemented several changes:

■ Front line staff have received training inrecording repair requests and questioningtechniques needed to obtain the informationrequired.

■ A dedicated Repairs Team has been createdwithin Rotherham Connect to concentratefront-line expertise on repair issues andprogressively improve the diagnosis of repairsand subsequent response.

■ Rotherham Connect have the samecomprehensive training and have HousingTechnical Officers permanently alongside toprovide support and regular training updates.They ensure that experts are on hand tocorrectly interpret a repair request, assign thecorrect priority and task the right resources.

■ A new Repairs Diagnostic Manual has beencreated with visual images of house constructionof typical repairs, with easy to follow questionsto help correctly identify the problems.

■ If technical information is needed,an inspection is arranged toassess the repair to ensure thecorrect response.

■ Information obtained from therepair request will identify likelymaterial requirements. This canbe checked against stock or, ifnecessary the parts can be ordered to arrivebefore the repair appointment date to avoid anyunnecessary delay

■ Data on historic usage of spare parts anddiscussions with operatives have been used tocreate imprest van stocks, reducing the numberof repeat visits due to out of stock items.

■ Multi-skilling is a key feature ofour one-stop-shop service. Atarget of 10% of operatives withmulti-skills was agreed for theneighbourhood managementpilot.At September 2003, 23%of operatives are multi-skilled.This success is being extendedto the wider Service and being targeted attrades in greatest need eg, plastering .

5 Minimise repair jobs not completed on the first visit

We monitor the effectiveness of measures througha local performance indicator, currently 78.5% ofrepairs are completed on the first visit.

Hand-held technology will be trialled in 2004, whilemobile phones are provided to all operatives toassist rapid communications.

New technology will allow operatives to beallocated work in a more service centred way thanat present.

The current paper based Repairs DiagnosticManual is being reviewed to replicate itelectronically, adding it the Rotherham Connectsystems with a built in questioning function toguide the call handler and resulting in accurate

repair diagnosis.

The tenant handbook entitled‘Welcome Home!' waspublished in December 2003following benchmarking withother housing organisationsand consultation with ourmajor stakeholders. Thedocument covers all housing issuesand contains diagrams to assistcustomers to accurately diagnosetheir repair needs and help us to get it 'right first time’.

The Performance and Quality Unit has leadresponsibility for the co-ordination, collection,analysis and reporting of quality data.

A programme of quality inspections has beenintroduced. A sample of 10% of repairs areinspected by Foremen each month. The primarypurpose of the inspection is to assess the quality ofthe repair and ensure the customer is satisfied.

These inspections support the postal andtelephone customer satisfaction surveys, allowing

us increased knowledge on how the service isbeing delivered, while avoiding duplication andsurvey overload. Problems encountered duringthese inspections are rectifiedimmediately.

Within the Decent HomesProgramme, 100% of allimprovements are inspected to assessthe quality of work and level ofcustomer satisfaction.This is followedup by a postal survey six months aftercompletion to ensure continuedsatisfaction with the work undertaken.

100% of void dwellings, are inspected toensure the work meets the requiredquality standard. Standard checklistsensure the quality inspection follows consistent standards.

The requirement to introduce a payment schemethat improves productivity and customer servicehas been prioritised.The current bonus scheme isto be replaced by a salary system, bringingoperatives into line with other staff.

A team involving trade union, Human Resources,Service management and SIP project teammembers has developed this with a new incentivescheme based on multi skilling.

The trade unions and management have a sharedambition to improve the service provided and haveapproached the issue of bonus as partners.

To assist in the development of a new scheme, wehave examined schemes operated by other LocalAuthorities (eg, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Sunderland,Knowsley MBC) and received advice from thenational office of our trade union on best practice.

7 Introduce robust systems to quality control the repairs service

6 Examine the bonus system


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8 Ensure that the procurement of all aspects of the repairs and maintenance service aresubject to a rigorous, comprehensive and transparent process


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The Council has recently revised its corporateProcurement Strategy. This details a value-drivenapproach to reducing the ‘total cost’ of materialsand services procured, ensuring improved qualityand a transparent process.

Our Procurement Strategy is led by a corporateBest Practice Procurement Team to ensure thatthe following. are effectively and consistentlyimplemented:

■ Use of purchasing consortia to drive improved value

■ E-procurement, e-tendering, e-auctions,e-payment

■ Clear procurement considerations and‘buying’ criteria

■ Effective management of the supplier base

■ Partnering as a means of ensuing best value inprocurement

■ A range of measurable targets covering:

- sustained savings

- quality of service

- on-time delivery performance

- environmental performance

- local buy objectives

- supplier rationalisation

- procurement efficiency

- contract management

- training and development of staff involved in the procurement process

Within our partnership with RBT, priority is givento radically improving our entire approach toprocurement. Significant work has already beenundertaken to create a procurement infrastructureto support change in the above areas.

Suppliers and contractors are appointed following acompetitive tendering process, using expertise fromthe central procurement service. Supplyopportunities are widely advertised and,when required, suppliers are invited to bid.

Where appropriate, tenants and Members are involvedin the full spectrum of procurement including:

■ Identification of needs

■ Specification design

■ Development of tender documentation

■ Development of award criteria

■ Appraisal of suppliers and visits

■ Post-tender reviews

■ Ongoing monitoring of performance

Benchmarking is used to assist in determining thevalue for money of competitive bids.

Performance on void properties has progressivelyimproved through focused management action.The September 2002 target of a 30-day turnaroundtime was not achieved. But since then, significantimprovement has been achieved.

Void Turnaround Time

Actual March 03: 49 days Target April 2004: 29 daysActual December 03: 22.72 Days

9 Improve performance on voids

50

40

30

20

10

0Actual

March 03Target

April 04Actual

December 2003

Our Asbestos Policy is based upon existing expertiseand experience from:

■ Our membership of the Asbestos SpecialInterest Group (within the NorthernConsortium of Housing Authorities) whichresulted in the creation of an authoritativereport,Asbestos Procedures for SocialLandlords, May 2001.

■ Review of best practice in other LocalAuthorities (eg, Kirklees, Leeds, Sunderland etc)

Tenants have been involved in the development ofthe Policy from its inception to approval by thePolicy Panel and Cabinet on 1st September 2003.

Tenants are informed of asbestos issues by thedistribution of a leaflet to all tenants - Management ofAsbestos – A Tenant’s Guide. This includes:

■ simple illustrations showing where asbestos ismost commonly found

■ advice on how to safeguard yourself againstpotential asbestos risks (ie, what NOT to do)

■ advice on how to obtain furtherinformation and advice

■ Information on asbestos issuesincluded in the Tenant Handbook‘Welcome Home!’

10 Develop a policy on asbestos and inform tenants

Top quartile performance for metropolitanauthorities during 2001/02 was an average of 60days with the top performer being Walsall at 20 days.

We continue to improve and have set a new targetof average time to taken to repair void propertiesof 15 days for 2005/06.

To provide a truly effective void service is wasessential to adopt an integrated approach. A VoidManagement Team ensures decisive and effectiveaction is taken daily. Everyone who has a roleworks together to an agreed process focused onre-letting the property as soon as possible.

Key activities include:

■ Local Letting Strategies which allow maximumflexibility to house tenants based on locallydetermined criteria.

■ Waiting lists are reviewed continuously toidentify potential tenants.

■ New ‘property shop’ displays are provided inHousing Offices to market available properties.

■ Advertisements in local papers.

■ Marketing to local stakeholders eg, hospitals,surgeries, Social Services etc.

When a property is to be vacated, the Voidprocedure commences immediately withinspections, assessment of work required, review ofwaiting lists etc. This proactive action minimisesthe potential for empty properties. In July 2003,70% of void properties were pre-allocated.

Focused on continuous improvement, more demandingtargets have been set for future years:

Target:April 2005 - 20 daysTarget:April 2006 - 15 days

Welcome Home!


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Briefings on asbestos awareness have been given toall Technical Officers, Housing Officers andOperatives. There are regular updates as part ofour Health & Safety procedures.

A dedicated ‘Asbestos Help-Line is being set up inRotherham Connect to provide a high level of

advice to tenants on this subject, and staff are beingtrained.

Asbestos management is also a feature of our ITdatabase strategy.

11 Develop systems to assess the value for money offered through partnershiparrangements

We are committed to the Egan - RethinkingConstruction principles of partnering and havesuccessfully implemented its recommendations inour use of external contractors.

Partnering is integral to our long-term plans, based on:

■ Joint planning

■ Clear and understood objectives

■ Full involvement of tenants in the procurement,measurement and monitoring of partners

■ SMART performance indicators

■ Performance reporting which is highly visibleand makes comparisons (other providers, bestpractice benchmarking etc)

■ A focus on continuous improvement

Our new approach to partnering is illustrated inour Decent Homes Programme. Two maincontractors (Bramall and Wates) have been chosenand are working successfully through a formalmanagement structure focusing on value for moneyand include:

■ Programme Board - managing the overalldirection of the Programme with Tenant andMember representation

■ Customer Focus Group - reviewingcustomer feedback, input into the priorities ofthe Decent Homes Programme and ensuringthe services provided meet customers’ needs.

■ Value Engineering Group - reviewingmaterials, processes, costs etc and ways inwhich reduced costs/greater value can beachieved. Significant savings have already beendelivered in kitchens, bathrooms etc

More specifically, we ensure value for money via:

■ Provision of timely budget management reportspresented to management team, Members andtenant representatives

■ Competitive tendering for repairs contracts

■ Clear and measurable performance measures

■ Comparison of each partner’s performanceagainst identical types of work.

■ Customer feedback via visits and formal surveys

■ Quality inspections to measure standard of work

■ Benchmarking of service costs against similarorganisations and type of work

12 Develop a long-term strategy to address the repair of the housing stock

Following the Beha Williams Norman OptionAppraisal Report in June 2002 it became clear thatnone of the options (Stock Transfer, PFI,ALMO orRetention) at that time could fully address thecapital and revenue needs. It recommended that,whilst no option should be disregarded that thisstage, a detailed consultation exercise should becarried out with tenants, Members and staff tofurther inform the options study and take intoaccount changes in Government policy.

A Steering Group (Council Housing FuturesGroup) of tenants and leaseholders was establishedfrom the Strategy Policy Panel, with representativesincluded from each of the Area Housing Panel. ThisGroup, working with staff in the Housing Strategyand Tenant Involvement Units, appointed anIndependent Tenant Adviser (PS consultants) tocarry out a two phased consultation programme inDecember 2002 and May 2003. This includednewsletters, roadshows, questionnaires, focusgroups, freephone and conference.

In June 2003 the Group reported to Council theirrecommendation to pursue ALMO as the preferredoption for addressing the repair of the housingstock and future management of the stock.

PFI was disregarded as tenants wanted to see awhole stock solution and PFI can only be used forup to 2,500 units. Stock Transfer was disregardedas tenants are strongly opposed to this option alsothe negative value of the stock (minus £200m)made this option unfeasible, despite it being able tomeet both the capital and revenue funding gaps.

On 6th August 2003 Council endorsed the tenants’recommendation to pursue the ALMO option bysubmitting a bid to Round 4 of the ALMOProgramme in December 2003

Stock Condition and Housing Needs informationwas updated in November 2003 to inform theDecent Homes Programme, the SustainabilityModel , the ALMO bid and work with the SouthYorkshire Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder.

A 7-year Capital and Revenue MaintenanceProgramme is being developed.

The Sustainability Model will assess the viability ofestates of communities and their investment needs.The Model was drawn up using Council housingdata only and, whilst this has been able to producea traffic light system of sustainability, the ability toanalyse results on data sets is limited. Workingwith the Neighbourhood Statistics Unit and theSouth Yorkshire Housing Market RenewalPathfinder it has been agreed to develop this modelfurther by using community boundaries (which aremulti-tenure) based on output areas. This allowsdata to be collected and analysed for all tenuresand will feed into both the Pathfinder Strategy,Housing Strategy and allow cross-region sub-regionworking.

We have agreed to disinvest in non-traditionalhousing stock. Each area of housing will beassessed individually and a local strategy for eacharea will be adopted, working with the residents inthe communities. Strategies may includedemolition etc.

13 Improve budgetary control mechanisms

Following inspection the Finance Team conducted afull review of the financial management regime.

Whilst good practice existed, the Team identifiedareas where budgetary control could be improvedfurther. A new financial management approach wasintroduced. The principles behind this newapproach are:

■ Visibility of performance (communication ofperformance to management, peers, customers,Members)

■ Accountability (ownership)

■ Timeliness (regular reporting and ability torectify problems quickly)

■ Future planning(regular forecasting of out turns)

■ Integrated (financial budgets/reports closelylinked to strategic and operational plans)

■ Dynamic (financial budget and reports reflectknown or anticipated changes in our businessenvironment such as new demands, changes tosupplier costs, savings made etc)

Three-year rolling budgets are prepared as part ofthe long-term strategic planning of the Service.Within this, a detailed 12-month budget is preparedwith the assumptions behind the budget calculationclearly stated. This 12-month budget is phased on a monthly basis with anticipatedrevenue/expenditure.

All budget holders have received training on budgetpreparation and monitoring.

To maximise budgetary control, monthly financereports are presented within 10 working days ofthe month end. These new reports include analysisof planned, actual, variance and forecastedrevenue/expenditure. Key exceptions to the plan


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14 Audit the performance information available and develop with tenants a performancemanagement framework

and highlighted together with a managementsummary of any issues of note that have affected the plan.

The Management Team reviews the finance reportin detail on a monthly basis.

To ensure accountability, each budget holderreceives a finance report detailing the same

planned, actual, variance and forecastedrevenue/expenditure but specific to the budgetholder’s area of responsibility.

Individual budget holders operate commitmentaccounting to ensure expenditure remains withinbudget. If a variance is expected, this is reportedearly so that management action can be taken.

We introduced a range of performancemanagement disciplines and tools, but thenrecognised that our initial eagerness to implementnew systems may have resulted in excessivereporting and duplication.

To ensure we have an integrated and effectiveapproach to performance management based onthe principle ‘what matters, gets measured’, wehave developed a new Performance ManagementFramework (PMF).

The PMF has been created following consultationwith management team, tenants, Policy Panel andMembers.

To aid analysis, performance information is availableto each neighbourhood office allowinginterrogation of adverse variances.

To ensure a holistic approach, the PMF is used inthe entire Housing Service including the Repairsand Maintenance Service.

The PMF includes the following key performanceinformation:

Statutory measures (BV performance indicators)

■ Financial performance

■ Local performance measures

■ Progress against business plan objectives

■ Customer satisfaction

■ Complaints and commendations

■ Benchmarking comparisons

The PMF is highly visual using graphicalrepresentation, tabled comparisons, league tables,performance narratives, analysis against controltargets

Measures have been put in place overthe last 12 months that have resultedin District Audit validating all auditedindicators in August 2003.

The measures were :

■ Two Internal Performance &Quality Audits of all our KPIs inOctober 2002 and February 2003.

■ An Internal Performance Development Audit ofmedium and high risk PIs plus KPIs with errorsin the BVPP 2002/03 between January and June2003.

■ An Internal Audit assessment of medium andhigh risk PIs which was carried out in May and June 2003.

These audits followed procedures, endorsed andvalidated by our Corporate Performance Unit andDistrict Audit.

During February and March 2003, managers, staffand customers were consulted on which KPIs theywould like us to report against for 2003/04. 16new indicators were developed, replacing many old,non-comparable KPIs to form our new KPI suitefor 2003/04.

Our customers identified a number of key areasthat require performance indicators to show themthat we are focusing on the areas that areimportant to them.

KPIs were developed and incorporated into our newsuite in the following areas:

■ Repairs carried out in one visit

■ Dealing with anti-social behaviour

■ Dog fouling prosecutions

■ Littering prosecutions

Our new suite compliments the ‘Programme AreaPerformance Plan’ and the Service Business Plansfor Housing and Environmental Services, whichidentifies how we will tackle the Programme Area’sSeven Key Priorities for 2003 – 2006.

We consulted with tenant representatives, staff andmanagement when setting targets for 2003/04,

Our customers are informed, monitor and discuss ourperformance using a number of methods:

■ Tenant Policy Panels

■ Attendance at our Scrutiny Panels

■ Posters in all housing reception areas

■ Bi-annual statistics in our ‘Open House’newsletter

Other weaknesses have been identified andincluded within our Service Improvement Plan (SIP),led by a dedicated Transformation Team andinvolving tenants.

The Inspection Report was presented to Cabinet,Corporate Management Team and Policy Panel. Inaddition, the Report has been discussed widely withstaff, trade unions and key partners.

Our response to the recommendation identified inthe report was the early development of the SIP

and the targeting of resources to assist in thedesign and implementation of improvements. TheSIP process has focussed on achieving a step-changein our Service and become integrated within thewider Housing Service and a long-termcommitment to continuous improvement.

Detailed below are additional comments inresponse to other weaknesses contained within the Report.

15 Address all other weaknesses identified in the report

16 Communication

A Communications Change Group, a representativegroup of staff from across the Programme Area, hasbeen formed to identify and implementimprovements in communication. This has beenhighly successful and a range of improvements havebeen introduced.

We have used a variety of channels to mprovecommunications (and ensure that consistantmessages are communicated) so that the messageis more likely to be received and understood. Wehave tried to focus on personal communications,wherever possible, and regular briefing by managersallows communication to be tailored to theaudience, enabling two-way feedback to beprovided to senior management.

Examples of regular communications include:

■ Programme of weekly depot/area housing officebriefings by the Head of Service and ExecutiveDirector

■ Weekly team briefings by managers using a pre-determined team brief

■ Fortnightly meetings with trade unionrepresentatives

■ Full staff briefings by the Chief Executive andExecutive Director for Housing &Environmental Services

■ Articles in the staff newsletter, Foundations

■ Staff notice boards

■ Staff briefing letters

■ Communication of Service performance

■ Distribution and updates on the SIP

■ Articles on the Council Intranet

■ Regular programme of manager away days

Our performance is reliant on how we work withpartners, inside and outside the Council. We haveregular briefings to share our future plans and theSIP with them.


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18 Repair jobs not completed on first visit

17 Delays in authorising jobs with inadequate information to tenants

Tenants and staff both recognsise the finate natureof repairs budgets. Consequently we have tocommunicate honestly and regularly with them toensure their understanding of the issue andinvolvement and ownership of the solutions.

Tenants will accept that repairs may not happenimmediately, providing they have some certainty onwhen the work will be carried out or when adecision will be made.

A ‘Transformation Team’ has analyed the problemand an action plan to remedy the situation hasbeen presented and approved. Delays in authorisingjobs was caused by a variety of issues and notsimply a budgetary issue. The Transformation Teamreviewed the wider situation and providedrecommendations to remedy this.

Key actions being implemented include:

■ Clarification and communication of the repairresponsibilities of Housing Services and the tenant

■ Analysis of job requests to remove anyduplicated jobs

■ Analysis of outstanding inspections resulting in the bulk being transferred into programmed works

■ Improved training for Rotherham Connectadvisors to improve diagnosis and reduce theneed for inspections

■ Secondment of a Foreman to Technical Servicesto tackle backlog in inspections

■ Issue of repair receipt, with reference number,to tenants when they request a repair in personat an area housing office

■ Issue of appointment confirmation cards for inspections

■ To increase the proportion of non-urgentrepairs which are programmed, when requestsare received, a receipt will be sent to the tenantexplaining that the job is to be programmed,what will happen next, the expected time whenthe repair will be made, and what to do iffurther information is required

■ The repairs system operated by RotherhamConnect will include this information should atenant require an update

Tenant involvement is sought in developing thesolutions and they will be updated on successfulimplementation.

‘Right First Time’ is an important measure ofcustomer service and a key indicator for theeffective use of our resources.

We have implemented the following:

■ Introduction of a dedicated ‘Repairs Team’ inRotherham Connect

■ Comprehensive training of Rotherham Connectadvisors and front-line housing office staff in thediagnosis of repairs

■ Permanent technical staff in RotherhamConnect to assist in the diagnosis of repairs

■ Regular training updates to staff

■ Introduction of a repairs diagnosis instructionmanual with simple illustrations and questionsto ask to correctly identify the problem

■ Programme of multi-skilling operatives – initialfocus on Going Local pilot area with a target of10% of operatives multi-skilled and an actual of23% (August 2003). Plastering skills have beenprioritised as a skill that will have the greatestbeneficial impact on right first time rates.

Right First time rates are reported monthly as partof the monthly management reports. Analysis isundertaken of jobs that are not completed on thefirst visit and lessons learnt are reviewed at depot,housing office and Rotherham Connect meetings.

The need to reduce the proportion of responsiveto planned repairs has been given top priority. Atarget of 40% responsive repairs has been agreed.Since March 2003 the proportion of responsiverepairs has reduced to 55% of anticipatedexpenditure (45% planned) supported by a robustplan for achievement. We have set ourmaintenance budget at 60% planned maintenanceand 40% responsive. Whilst we have not achievedthis outturn yet, we have significantly improvedperformance from a planned maintenance value of30% in 2002/03 to a present outturn of 46.94% andstill improving.

This compares well with neighbouring authorities:

Rotherham: 45% Barnsley: 30%

Kirklees: 36% Doncaster: 40%

The Annual Maintenance Plan has been developedon the basis of a 40/60 ratio. Through stockcondition surveys, feedback from property visitsand grouping of non-urgent repair requests intoprogrammed repairs, we are making excellentprogress in redressing this historic imbalance.

To accelerate this change, we have formed a‘Change Team’ to review the current rate ofimprovement and develop a new action plan todrive this forward. This has included the creationof a new local authority benchmarking group onresponsive/programme works to share best practice.

19 High ratio of responsive repairs to planned paid from revenue

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0Rotherham Barnsley Kirklees Doncaster


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Repairs and Maintenance Service - Storyboard

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