An update on grounds maintenance
As you may know from our update in the last edition of Talk, or through your own experiences, the grounds maintenance service provided by Just Ask Estate Services (JAES) in some areas hasn’t been completed on schedule and or to the standard we expect. We’re sorry if you’ve been affected by this.
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Last year, we put an emergency improvement plan in place and recently sent a survey to 8,000 customers to help understand current issues and views. The survey results confirmed that while some customers are satisfied with the service, others are not - the main feedback being around concerns that the works are not taking place regularly and a poor standard of work.
We’ve continued to work closely with JAES to resolve these issues and can update you on where we’re at.
What changes have been put in place?
- A continuous improvement plan remains in place and is monitored on a daily basis to ensure any issues are identified and dealt with quickly. JAES sends a daily report to confirm what works have been completed and any works that have not been completed as planned, which are then prioritised
- The quality of work on site is being regularly checked by bpha colleagues, plus a team of Resident Inspectors in Bedford, Cambridge, Peterborough and Oxford. The Resident Inspectors have been with us since December, focussing on grounds maintenance and communal cleaning programmes
- We’re working with a second contractor to ensure that the overall schedule of work is met – they are on a 12-month contract, so providing long-term support to improve the service
- JAES has a new management structure in place and has employed more experienced operatives
- JAES has invested in new equipment to complete works more efficiently.
Is it working?
The number of complaints has reduced significantly since the plan was put in place, reflecting the improved scheduling, improved standard of work and changes made to delivering the contract.
We understand the frustration that some of you have experienced and hope this update gives you reassurance that improvements are well underway. However, we’re not complacent and the improvement plan will stay in place until we are satisfied that the service is on track. An important measurement is your feedback. We’ll be carrying out another large-scale survey in September to understand if you’ve seen an improvement and identify any areas where there are still issues. If you have feedback before then, or are unable to complete the next survey for any reason, we are keen to hear your views so please email: customervoice@bpha.org.uk with your experience, good or not so positive.