More than 10,800 Basildon Council tenants will receive a more efficient and improved service after the Council signed a long-term contract with Morgan Sindall Property Services to maintain and repair the Council’s housing stock and corporate buildings.
The £300 million-plus contract integrates all the Council’s major repair and maintenance services enabling a more efficient, customer-focused service for residents and a single point of contact for the Council. As such, the new contract is expected to deliver significant long-term savings for the authority with estimated savings of around £2 million per annum. The contract starts on 1 July 2016 and will continue for up to 15 years.
Following a competitive tender process, Morgan Sindall, specialist in facilities and building maintenance services, will now be carrying out repairs, maintenance and planned improvement works to the Council’s housing stock as well as undertaking gas servicing, repairs and boiler renewals to 10,000 domestic gas heating systems. Repairs and maintenance works to the Council’s non-residential properties, including the Towngate Theatre, Basildon Centre and local community halls will also be carried out by Morgan Sindall under this contract.
Further improvements include a better reporting process for repairs and a new appointment system that will ensure every tenant is offered the most efficient appointment slot or an appointment that is best suited to them.
The new works management and scheduling system will hold more information than before on all the properties and works being undertaken across the borough, enabling planned works to be carried out more efficiently. A handyperson service is also being introduced where tenants will be able to request help with small DIY projects in their homes for a small fee.
In addition to providing improved services to residents, the Council has placed a high emphasis on enabling employment opportunities for local people whilst ensuring the partnership with Morgan Sindall will continue to support the community by providing sustainable legacy projects.
One such project is the creation of a social enterprise, which will help deliver external redecorations and estate improvement works. The social enterprise will work in conjunction with local college PROCAT and Jobcentre Plus to target long-term unemployed residents and help recruit the right trainees, who will be trained and mentored by Morgan Sindall engineers and staff. The social enterprise will be a not-for-profit organisation and any surplus will be re-invested back into the business or the local community.
The contract will also provide up to 30 apprenticeship opportunities at any one time and work to improve employability by offering CV writing courses and interview training through local workshops.
Chief executive of Basildon Council, Bala Mahendran, said:
“This great partnership with Morgan Sindall highlights our commitment to our residents and allows us to provide a more efficient and streamlined maintenance service.
“We’re pleased that this new contract will provide better servicing and renewals works for tenants across the borough. In addition, the introduction of new services means that people will have a better choice and improved access to what they need to maintain their homes.”
