Agenda item

7.1

The Committee received a report of the Interim Director of Council Housing which provided Members with details of the new contract for Repairs and Maintenance Services to tenants’ homes, which had been agreed between the Council and Kier Services and which would start on 1^st April 2014, and run for 3 years (with the option to extend by up to 2 more years).  The report was presented by Janet Sharpe, Interim Director of Council Housing, who referred to the procurement process, the consultation involved and the aims of the contract.

7.2

Members made various comments and asked a number of questions, to which responses were provided as follows:-

·                It was important to ensure value for money but not compromise on quality.  A target of 5% efficiency savings had been set but this would not be achieved at the expense of the quality of the service.

·                There would only be marginal savings with the 5 years plus 2 years option, so 3 years plus 2 years had been agreed as the duration of the contract.

·                There were 6/700 Council officers working within the contract and the day to day workers would transfer to Kier under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE).  All the submitting contractors were large national organisations who had previously worked in Sheffield, but Kier had management in place which would create stability for the workforce.

·                Issues such as multiple visits for repairs, the empowering of operatives and dealing with more difficult repairs were intended to be addressed in the contract.  This would be achieved by creating a multi-tasking workforce with the appropriate skills and tools, improved analysis, and the monitoring of salary and bonus arrangements using key performance indicators.  It was intended to move to a salary system only over the next 3 years to support a cultural change from a system where the bonus scheme reflected the number of visits to a property.  The aim was to have a more modernised workforce to the benefit of customers.

·                The intention was to ensure that planned work was done whilst achieving the best value for money.  The number of visits to complete a repair was proving to be a barrier, so the approval process was being looked at to see how far operatives could make their own decisions.  Technology was being used to achieve this, but it was appreciated that this change would take time, as systems which had been in place for ten years would have to be changed.  Operatives would need to be confident as to their decisions and their managers would need to know that budgets were not being exceeded.

·                The workforce should be trained to identify situations where asbestos was an issue, so that the Council’s database of such locations could be updated.  Under the new contract, Kier would procure responsive skills to deal with asbestos in a more flexible manner.

·                In relation to adaptations, it was felt that a more holistic approach was required with regard to both public and private works.

7.3

RESOLVED: That the Committee:-

(a)       thanks Janet Sharpe for her contribution to the meeting; and

(b)       notes the contents of the report and the responses to questions.