2018

HBM0441 - Building control services create income - 271218

A Member Authority are seeking information on how other building control services create income such that their accounts balance. The Member Authority would particular be interested in like finding out what new commercial activities (outside normal business) other authorities have entered into in the last two or three years that has proven successful in bringing additional income that covers the cost.

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HBM0440 - Utilising barcodes in the in-house stores department – 201218

A Member Authority is seeking information in relation to other councils experiences of utilising barcodes. Specifically they would be interesting in gaining the following details:-

1. Do you operate an in-house stores department supplying materials to operatives?

2. Do you use bar coding software/devices for issuing/returning of goods – if so, which company supplies this package?

3. Does the barcoding system interface with a separate job costing package? If yes, can you name the product.

4. Can you name the make & model of barcoding devices you currently use?

5. Which operating system do the barcoders run on ie Windows / Android / ios?

6. If Windows, which version do you currently use?

7. Do you use barcoding docking stations to transfer data from barcoders to your job costing system or do you utilise wi-fi?

8. Would you be open to a site visit from ELC for purposes of benchmarking?

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HBM0439 - Pay rates for mechanical and electrical roles - 201218

Dear Colleague, A Member Authority is currently carrying out a benchmarking exercise and is seeking information regarding pay rates for mechanical and electrical roles. The Member Authority is specifically interested in gaining information regarding the pay rates for the following roles:- Service including OH&P Hourly Rate 2018/19 (£ per hour) Hourly Rate 2018/19 (£ per hour) Percentage uplift on materials (%) Commercial Gas Engineer Domestic Gas Engineer Plumber Commercial Electrician

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HBM0438 - SLAs for Business Support Services to a Building Maintenance Division – 041218

A Member Authority is currently reviewing the services that the Central Business Support provides and are seeking information from other authorities regarding the SLA for Business Support Services to the Building Maintenance Division. The Member Authority would like to know what arrangements other councils have in place.

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HBM0437 - Stores Warehouse for Parts – 041218

A Member Authority is seeking information regarding stores warehouses for parts. The member authority are specifically interested in the following:-

1. Do you have a stores warehouse for parts?

2. What service areas does this hold parts for?

3. How are parts distributed to engineers and jobs?

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HBM0436 - Health and Safety in Procurement - 261118

A Member Authority is seeking information regard what form of H&S in procurement does other Authorities adopt. They are specifically looking for details in relation to the following:-

• if your authority adopts SSiP principles (Safe Systems in Procurement – recognised by the HSE/Government) do you use a further validation and vetting party to keep/administer on your behalf any Contractors, Sub-contractors, Suppliers PQQ and H&S type documentation?
• Has you council tried adopting SSiP principles (or similar) into Dynamic Purchasing Systems and/or Frameworking?
• Does your authority make use of any other form of PQQ and H&S? e.g. Welsh National Assembly SQUID?

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HBM0435 - Emergency out of hours repair criteria - 221118

A Member Authority are reviewing their emergency out of hours repair criteria and are seeking information from other authorities regarding the criteria that other councils have in place. The Member Authority are specifically interested in the following:

(i) do other authorities provide a 24 hour emergency service for their tenants

(ii) if so what are the categories/ criteria e.g. burst or leaking pipe, loss of power, blocked toilet etc.

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HBM0434 - Multi skilled trade operatives undertaking responsive and void maintenance work - 221118

A Member Authority is currently working on a proposal to implement an additional pay supplement in recognition of additional skills. Operatives receiving a payment would be allocated these works when required. The Member Authority are specifically seeking information regarding the following:-

a) Does you authority have a multi-skilling scheme in place

b) Do operatives receive additional payment for each mulita-skill (e.g. a Joiner may be able to plaster and wall tile)

c) What payment mechanism supports the scheme (i.e. does it conflict with the Green Book)

d) How much additional salary is paid in recognition of each multi skill

e) How are operatives assessed for the additional multi-skills prior to receiving additional payment

f) Has any training been provided to enable operatives to gain additional trade skills

g) Was an allowance made to purchase hand tools for additional skills

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HBM0433 - Measuring the time taken to complete a repair – 081018

A Member authority are currently reviewing the average number of days it takes to complete a repair and are seeking information regarding how other authorities are measuring this, specifically they would like to know:-

1. What method are you using to measure the average number of days taken to complete a repair? 1. What results is your service getting?

2. Does your service use a mobile working / Smart diary system ?

3. If this method is not used, what is the reason for this?

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HBM0432 - Customer Satisfaction surveys via SMS Text Messaging - 081018

A Member Authority is seeking information regarding measuring customer satisfaction via SMS text messaging. The Member Authority would specifically like to know if other authorities are using this method to measure customer satisfaction.

1. What results are your council getting and how are they calculated.(i.e. Score out of ten; satisfied or not satisfied and score 1 – 5 etc ).

2. Has your authority used this method in the past but has not ceased using ? and what is the reason for this method being stopped?

3. Has your authority never tried it and what is the reason for this?

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HBM0431 - Failure of Cavity Wall Insulation - 011018

Dear Colleague, With the failure of cavity wall insulation occurring on an ad-hoc basis this authority would like to know:

• How do you deal with removal of cavity wall insulation which has become damp and adversely affected the property?
• Is immediate re-insulation being considered? - if not how is it being dealt with?
• What involvement by Building Control is there at any stage of the works, or is it considered a grey area for BC?
• Are you having any issues with disrepair claims citing CWI failure?

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HBM0430 - Stores Models - 100918

A Member Authority are currently reviewing their stores arrangements and are interested in hearing from other authorities what arrangements they have in place. In particular they would like to know the following:-

1. What stores model do you utilise e.g. in-house, external

2. What services does your stores provide materials to e.g. solely building or a multi-service store (fleet, highways, building etc)

3. Who are your stores customer groups and what is there demand on stores (£’s spend, range/number of lines, number of individual visits to stores)

4. If you have changed your approach to stores provision, do you have any case studies you are willing to share, that shows the development process, lessons learnt (positives / negatives) and any statistics / performance indicators pre and post changes

5. What roles and responsibilities do your stores staff undertake e.g. procurement, buying, issuing products, other duties

6. Overall what is the stores spend, what is the value of stock held in stores and the number of stock lines held

7. What is the geographical coverage of the stores

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HBM0429 - Asbestos information and systems - 040718

This authority would like to know:

1. how other authorities store their asbestos information (on what system)?

2. how this information is then made available to operatives? and

3. if asbestos information is able to be viewed on a mobile device?

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HBM0428 - Housing Repairs and Maintenance (HRM) income generation - 220618

A member authority is keen to understand if income generated by the HRM service in other Councils is:-

1. Redistributed back into the HRA fund;

2. Redistributed back to the Council’s central funds

3. Retained by the HRM Service.

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HBM0427 - Work scheduling job descriptions - 220618

This authority would like to ask others if they would be willing to share:

1. Work scheduling job descriptions and profiles

2. Information on the different levels of posts involved in the work scheduling/planning

3. Salary information

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HBM0426 - Fitting CO Alarms - 17.05.18

 A Member Authority is seeking information in relation to fitting CO
Alarms, specifically the Authority would like to know the following:

1. What is your organisation doing regarding fitting CO alarms?
2. Are you fitting them across all stock or just targeting specific properties?
3. When fitting where do you site the alarm?
4. Has fitting CO alarms caused an increase in costs through fumes investigations?
5. Who undertakes fumes investigations?
6. Do you have in house CMDDA1 trained engineers?

 

HBM0425 - Electrical Installation - 10.04.18

A member authority is seeking information in relation to electrical
installation and are particularly interested in gaining details from
colleagues in other authorities on the following:

1. How many EICR (Electrical Installation Condition reports) are complete daily/weekly per operative on domestic properties across flats and houses
2. What’s the salary/pay of electricians who undertake this testing, is there an incentive scheme
3. How do you address the areas to test, and priority of tests
4. What limitations do you agree if any on an EICR before a commencement of a test
5. What percentage of accessories do you test on each circuit.
6. How do you arrange access what are your procedures i.e. appointment letters, text’s, calls, social media
7. What frequency do you test to on domestic properties

 

HBM0424 - Use of B&B Hotels as emergency temporary accommodation - 13.03.18

This Member Authority is seeking information from other local
authorities which use B&B hotels as emergency temporary
accommodation.

The Authority are specifically interested in the following:-

1. Do you operate a procurement framework for B&B emergency temporary accommodation?
2. How have you engaged with B&B providers to get them to sign up to the Framework?
3. If you do not have a procurement framework, what processes do you have in place?

 

HBM0422 - Examples of GDPR complaint privacy notice -20.04.18

This member authority is seeking examples of a GDPR complaint
privacy notice / policy for tenants to be used when we change their
tenancy conditions and also to be included with a starter pack.

 

HBM0421 - Purchasing arrangements for construction related materials - 05.03.18

This Member Authority is seeking information about the purchasing
arrangements that other local authorities have in place for
purchasing construction related materials across General Building
and Servicing departments. The Member Authority are specifically
interested the following:

1. Is an internal stores facility provided, external stores facility or individual framework material suppliers appointed?
2. What impact does the arrangement have on the efficiency of the service when ordering and collecting material for installation?
3. What is the method of used for ordering materials, for example via handheld devices by service engineers, paper based system at a central office or company charge cards etc?

 

HBM0420 - De-Pooled service charges for tenants living in blocks and sheltered schemes - 13.02.18

A member authority is seeking information in relation to De-Pooled
service charges for tenants living in blocks and sheltered schemes.
The authority would be particularly interested in receiving
information regarding the methodology other authorities have
adopted for apportioning charges?

 

HBM0419 - Fitting CO alarms – 02.02.18

A Member Authority are seeking information in relation what other
authorities are doing regarding fitting CO alarms. In particular the
Authority would like to know the following:

1. Are you fitting them across all stock or just targeting specific properties?
2. When fitting where do you site the alarm?
3. Has fitting CO alarms caused an increase in costs through fumes investigations?
4. Who undertakes fumes investigations?
5. Do you have in house CMDDA1 trained engineers?

 

HBM0418 - Undertaking Property maintenance commercially - 02.02.18

A Member Authority is seeking information in relation to undertaking
Property maintenance commercially. In particular the Member
Authority would like to know:
Does your authority undertake property maintenance commercially ?
2.W hat business models do you use e.g. low cost vs added value ?

 

HBM0417 - Calculating sums to be provided by developers for improving existing off site open space - 31.01.18

A Member Authority is seeking information in relation to how the
sums are calculated for developers of new developments to improve
existing off site open space (in lieu of on-site provision).

Calculate the area of open space provision, which would be
required under UDP policy GEN 6 (i.e. 40m2 per dwelling) ,adjusted
where appropriate to take account of dwelling types and size where
known as per the explanatory text to the policy. The Member
authority are specifically interest in the following:

1a) Please list all amenity areas that are included in the calculation
1b) What percentage of the 40m2 is used per amenity (for example
50% grass, 10% shrubbery, £ for Play area, etc.)
1c) Could you please share your current rate per m2 £ for amenity
areas
2a) Do you include provision for playground equipment
2b) what is your calculation for playground equipment
2c) could you please share your current rate per m2 £ for
playground equipment
3a) Do you include provision for sports facilities and pitches, bowling
greens etc.
3b) what is your calculation for sports facilities
3c) could you please share your current rate per m2 £ for sports
facilities
4) Do you have a combined cost or do you issue them separately?

 

HBM0415 - Management of mixed tenure blocks -19.01.18

A Member Authority is seeking information on how as a landlord of
mixed tenure blocks, Authorities manage the following:

1. As a MINORITY owner in a mixed tenure block, how do you manage repairs and maintenance to the block
2. As a MAJORITY owner in a mixed tenure block, how do you manage repairs and maintenance to the block
3. As a MINORITY owner in a mixed tenure block, how do you manage capital programmes works to the block
4. As a MAJORITY owner in a mixed tenure block, how do you manage capital programmes works to the block

 

HBM0414 - Options for the use of tablets/handheld devices to assist officers in completing site inspections -15.01.18

A Member Authority is currently looking at options for the use of
tablets/handheld devices to assist officers in completing site
inspections.

They have recently had a presentation on the Optivo/Photobook
device/package by HouseMark and are seeking information from
other Authorities in relation to the following:

1. What other options are available?
2. What are the pros and cons have you experienced of using the system?

 

HBM0413 - CCTV Provision - 15.01.18

A Member Authority is currently reviewing its CCTV provision and is
looking at a variety of options. The Member Authority would like to
know if any Authorities have opted to outsource their provision.

 

HBM0405 - Acceptable levels of service failure in Building Maintenance - 29.01.18

A member authority would like to understand what levels of service
failure are considered acceptable within the following areas:

• Faults that do not get fixed after first visit (recurring faults)
• Jobs that take longer than the timescale agreed with the customer
• Jobs not completed due to not having the right part available on first appointment, requiring a second appointment.

If you could please indicate to what extent you tolerate these service
failures and what trigger points you have for intervention, we would
be very grateful. Further information about how you have sought/
seek to deliver improvements in these areas would also be very
gratefully received.

 

HBM0402 - Contracting small building works for domestic adaptation for care purposes - 06.02.18

A Member Authority are renewing their arrangements for
contracting small building works of domestic adaptations for care
purposes such as wet rooms and accessibility.
The Authority is seeking information on how others are procuring
similar works, particularly in order to deliver a quality, efficient and
reliable service in a sensitive environment e.g. quality/price
evaluation criteria etc.

On a more general level they would also be interested in any views
on:

1. Value for money issues where a framework has a number of contractors at differing tendered prices.
2. Any methods that may have been considered or used to have a single set of rates across several suppliers.