PB 1

YOURREPAIRS HANDBOOK

2 3

About your handbook. This handbook tells you everything you need to know about your repairs service – from how to let us know if something needs fixing, to who is responsible forrepairing what.

There’s also lots of useful information on how to stay safe in your home, so please take some time to read through this guide. If you require this handbook in another language please call us on 0300 555 0600

CONTENTSYour repairs service 3

Meeting your needs 4

How to report a repair 5

Repair appointments 6

What happens once you’ve made an appointment? 7

Types of repair 8

Carrying out your repairAfter your repar 10

Repair responsibilities 11

Chargeable repairs 14

Planned repairs and improvements 15

Annual gas safety check 16

Adapting your home Preventing condensation and damp 17

Tips for common emergency repairs 18

Tell us how we’re doing 20

CLICK & EASY

Report a repair at your convenience by signing up to ‘My Onward’, our

online self-service portal.

Register at www.onward.co.uk

2 3

Your repairs service. We aim to deliver a high quality repairs service that is convenient for you and keeps your home safe and in excellent condition. To help us do this, we only use quality contractors to carry out work on our behalf. Here’s a list of the contractors we use in your area:

Lancashire Responsive repairs and gas repairs in Lancashire are carried out by our in-house contractor, Onward Repairs.

Greater Manchester Responsive repairs: Fortem (www.fortem.co.uk) Gas repairs: Warmer Energy Services (www.warmerenergyservices.com)

Merseyside Responsive repairs: Axis (www.axiseurope.com)Gas repairs: PH Jones (www.phjones.co.uk)

There may be times when we use other contractors to carry out certain specialist repairs. We’ll be sure to let you know in advance who this will be.

What to expect from us

When we carry out repairs to your home we’ll always try and keep any disruption to a minimum.

The contractors we use are representing Onward, so we expect them to be courteous, respectful and polite, and to wear visible ID badges at all times.

Contractors should always provide you with a clear explanation about what they are doing, how long they expect it to take, and any disruption this may cause.

We aim to complete all repairs first time. If we can’t do this, we will let you know straight away about any follow-on works that are needed and set up a new appointment date for this as soon as possible.

If there are occasions when things go wrong, we aim to take ownership to put them right and deal with any issues in a prompt, courteous and efficient manner.

3

4 5

Meeting your needs. • If you have any special requirements and would prefer us to contact you in a particular way,

just let us know• Our contractors’ ID badges also have a brail option for blind or partially-sighted customers

(we can also arrange for a code word to be used) • Orders will not to be automatically cancelled where a customer is vulnerable and there

is no access • Joint visits with the repairs contractors and other staff can be organised where required• Direct liaison can take place between the repairs contractor and agreed care providers,

advocates or Onward staff where additional support is needed

4 5

4 5

EMERGENCY? If your repair is an emergency, call us

right away on 0300 555 0600.

For a guide to what we class as an emergency repair,

see page 8

!

5

How to report a repair.

You can report a repair in one of the following ways:

Report a repair 24/7 using ‘My Onward’, our online self-service portal. You need to register before you can use this service. To register, visit www.onward.co.uk

Call our Customer Contact Centre on 0300 555 0600, between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday (10am-6pm on Wednesdays).

When reporting a repair, please provide us with:

• A clear description of what needs repairing and where it is • The best time for us to carry out the work • Arrangements for gaining access to your home • Details of any special circumstances we need to know about • Confirmation of your current phone number and email address

6 7

Repair appointments. We offer a range of appointment times to suit you, including early evening and weekend slots.

When you report a repair you’ll be offered one of the following appointment slots:

• 8am – 1pm, Monday to Saturday• 1pm – 6pm, Monday to Friday• 6pm – 8:30pm, Monday to Friday

6

6 7

For non-emergency repairs, the contractor will confirm your appointment time and date by text or over the phone. You’ll also receive a reminder the day before your appointment.

On the day of the repair the contractor will give you a call when they’re on their way and let you know when they expect to arrive.

Please make sure somebody over the age of 18 is at home while our contractors are carrying out the work. If the contractor needs to change the appointment time they will let you know at least 24 hours in advance and agree a new appointment time with you.

If for any reason you can’t keep an agreed appointment, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can arrange an alternative time. You can do this online using your ‘My Onward’ account or by calling us on 0300 555 0600

If you’re not at home when the contractor arrives they will try to contact you by phone. If they are unable to reach you they will leave a calling card which you can use to contact us and rearrange your appointment.

All pre-arranged appointments should be kept by the contractor. If they are not, please contact us right away and let us know.

What happens once you’ve made an appointment?

8 9

We have a number of different timescales for completing repairs depending on how urgent they are. Your repair will always fit within one of the following categories: Emergency target to complete within four hours (two hours for supported housing) Urgent target to complete within five working daysRoutine target to complete within 20 working days

When you report a repair we’ll let you know which category it falls under.

Emergency repairs These are repairs which put the health and safety of you or anyone else at immediate risk, or can affect the structure of your home or nearby properties.

Examples of emergency repairs include:

• Complete loss of power• No cold water supply• No heating or hot water during the winter• Gas leaks or faulty boilers• A flood or leak that cannot be contained • Dangerous structures including wall or ceiling collapse• Insecure doors or ground floor windows (will be made secure

as an emergency)• Broken lifts

We aim to carry out emergency repairs within four hours of the time they are reported to us (two hours for supported housing). Your repair will therefore not be allocated a specific appointment time – we will address it as soon as we can.

To report an emergency repair, contact us right away on 0300 555 0600

You can also report emergency repairs outside of our usual office hours by contacting our ‘out of hours’ team on the same number.

Please note: if you lead us to believe that your repair is an emergency when it isn’t, you could be charged for the call out.

Check our top tips for common emergencies on page 18.

Types of repair. Repair categories and target timescales:

8 9

Urgent repairs These are repairs that require attention quickly but do not put your home, you or anyone else in immediate danger.

Examples of common urgent repairs include:

• Heating repairs between March and November• Partial loss of power• A broken toilet flush or blocked sink• Water leaks that can be easily contained • Minor roof leaks• Broken windows

We aim to carry out urgent repairs within five working days of the day they are reported to us.

Routine repairs All other repairs are classed as routine repairs, which we will undertake within 20 working days.

9

10 11

Carrying out your repair. All repairs operatives will carry Onward-branded ID badges which will be visible and should be shown to you on arrival before entering your home. For blind and partially sighted customers, we can arrange for a code word to be used.

Before starting a job, the repairs contractor will: • Explain what they are going to do• Tell you approximately how long it will take • Outline any disruption there will be

We expect all repairs contractors to showrespect to you and your home, which is why we ask them to: • Refrain from making excessive noise,

smoking, swearing and playing radios or otherwise unnecessarily disturbing or offending you while working in your home

• Where reasonable, remove and put back furniture and floor coverings to your satisfaction

• Use dust sheets • Protect your home from weather damage

and keep it secure during the works• Protect plants, trees or shrubs • Leave your home clean and tidy when the

work is completed

Before leaving your home the repairs contractor will confirm that the repair has been completed. If the work cannot be carried out or completed, they will explain to you the reason why and agree and book a follow-on appointment.

After your repair.We inspect a proportion of repairs, particularly major repairs, after completion to make sure that you (the customer) and we (Onward) are happy with the work.

An Onward repairs specialist or contractor may require access to your home to carry out this inspection. If this is the case, we’ll be in touch to arrange a convenient time for you. We will also ask you to take part in a short survey over the phone. Your feedback is really important to us, and will help us make sure that we’re providing you with the best possible service.

ALWAYS ASK TO SEE ID All Onward and contract staff will

have photo identification with them. Be sure to check this before you

allow them into your home.

10

10 11

As your landlord we’re responsible for maintaining your home. However, there are some things that you will be responsible for.

It’s important you understand what these are so that you can contact us when you need to or complete more simple repairs yourself.

What we’re responsible for As a basic guide, we’re responsible for the repairs to the structure and exterior of your home.

This includes things like:• Roofs, walls, chimneys and chimney stacks (not sweeping)• Doors, window frames and catches, glazing and windowsills • Gutters, external pipes and drains • Painting and decorating • Pathway steps and other means of access

We’re also responsible for some repairs inside your home, such as:• Internal walls, floors, ceilings, doors, door frames and skirting boards• Baths, wash basins, toilets, sinks and kitchen units (but not toilet seats,

tap washers, plugs and chains)• Electrical wiring, sockets and switches, gas pipes, water pipes, fitted

heaters and fires, fireplaces and central heating installations• Communal areas and their electrical supplies

Repair responsibilities.

12 13

What you’re responsible forWe expect you to keep your home in a safe and clean condition, and make sure that gardens are kept neat and tidy. You are also responsible for fixing any damage that has not been caused by fair wear and tear.

Here is a broad guide of the repairs that you are responsible for:

Repair responsibilities.

Basins & sinks

Blocked sinks or basins

Broken or missing plugs and chains

Baths & showers

Broken or missing plugs and chains

Blocked showers (first attempt)

Doors

Replacement keys (and gaining entry to your home if you have lost your keys)

Adjusting internal doors when you have had new flooring fitted

Electrics (including lighting)

Replacing batteries in a battery-operated smoke detector

Replacing light bulbs

Maintaining appliances such as cookers, fridges and TVs

Decorating

Repairing small cracks in plaster on walls

Small repairs to plaster on ceilings

Garages

Replacement keys (and gaining entry to your garage if you have lost your keys)

12

12 13

Heating and hot water

Insulation jacket to cylinder is damaged/missing

Outside the property

Mowing and tidying your garden

Reparing and replacing fencing (unless there are any safety concerns)

Roofing

TV aerials or satellite dishes (unless it is for a communal area)

Drainage

Blocked gullies (first attempt)

Toilets

Blocked toilets (unless caused by faulty pipework)

Replacing broken toilet seats

Replacing lost keys for bathroom doors

Pest Control

Dealing with infestation (we may be responsible for communal areas - see more below)

Damp & condensation

Treating damp and condensation (We may be responsible if problem persists and has been caused by disrepair)

HERE TO HELP

We aim to provide a fair and consistent service to all

customers, but understand some will be unable to carry out repairs

themselves. Contact us and we will always try to help

where we can.

Pests and infestationsIf you have any issues with pests or infestations in your property then this is generally your responsibility. You may wish to contact your local council in the first instance.

If the pests are within communal areas of a scheme or affecting a number of properties in the area then we will investigate.

13

14 15

As we’ve mentioned already, certain repairs are your responsibility. For some of these repairs - such as replacing keys, for example - we can carry out the work for you as long as you pay in advance. If you are unable to pay in full right away, we will ask for a reasonable payment upfront and set up a plan for you to pay the remaining amount. If you organise any work yourself, one of our repairs specialists will need to come and visit your home at a time agreed with you to inspect the completed work. Please note that if the work is found to be of an unsatisfactory standard or incomplete then we may ask an Onward contractor to carry out the work again, for which you would be charged.

Other chargeable repairs include:

• Repairs that have arisen due to wilful or accidental damage caused by you, your family or visitors during your tenancy or as you move out

• If you abandon your home and it then requires repairs that cannot be identified as fair wear and tear through the duration of your tenancy

If any damage is a result of you being the victim of a criminal act and you supply a Police crime reference number that can be verified then the charge can be waived.

Chargeable repairs.

14

14 15

Planned MaintenanceFrom time to time we also carry out planned maintenance on our properties.

Examples of this include:

• Replacing kitchens • Upgrading bathrooms • External decorating • Replacing roofs • Replacing boilers • Replacing windows and doors

These works will be undertaken in line with the Onward Home Standard and we’ll always give you plenty of notice when we plan to do this.

Planned repairs and improvements.

The Onward Home Standard.

Alterations & improvements.

We’ve developed the Onward Home Standard with the help of our customers.

The Standard outlines what you can expect from us when we improve your home and replace key items such as kitchens and bathrooms.

You can find the Onward Home Standard on our website. To request a printed copy, call 0300 555 0600

You must always get written permission from us before carrying out any alterations or improvement work to your home. This is so we can make sure the work is carried out safely and to a standard that we would expect. For some improvements you may also need to obtain planning or building regulations permission from your local council. If in doubt, contact us and we will be happy to advise.

If you don’t get consent from us before you do the work then this will be seen as a breach of your tenancy conditions and action will be taken under the terms of your tenancy agreement.

16 17

Faulty gas appliances such as boilers and gas fires can kill, so making sure they are in safe working order is extremely important.

By law we must check all Onward-installed gas appliances in your home once a year to make sure they meet gas safety regulations. These checks will also ensure appliances are working efficiently, which will help keep your heating bills down.

We’ll let you know in advance when we plan to come and carry out your annual gas safety check. If you know you won’t be home that day, please call us on 0300 555 0600 to arrange an alternative appointment.

If we can’t gain access to your home to carry out the annual gas service we will take steps to obtain an Injunction or Warrant in order to comply with our legal obligations. The cost of any legal action and administering that action will be passed on to you.

We may also need to carry out other compliance checks such as electrical testing and tests relating to fire safety. If we need access to your home to carry out these checks we’ll always let you know well in advance. Your cooperation is appreciated as we look to keep you and your home safe.

Annual gas safety check.

16

16 17

Sometimes ill health or a change in circumstance means your home is no longer suitable for you.

In situations like this it may be possible to adapt your home to better suit your needs, such as installing a ramp or adding grab rails to your bathroom, for example. We will always try to accommodate these requests, working alongside our local authority partners.

Adaptations may not always be possible, and depend on a variety of factors such as your specific needs and the type of property you live in.

For advice and support on adapting your home to make it safer and more convenient for you or a family member, contact us on 0300 555 0600

Adapting your home to meet your needs.

Preventing condensation and damp.

16 17

Condensation is caused by moisture in the air that cannot dry out because of a lack of ventilation. If condensation is left to build up it can cause damp and mould.

You are responsible for preventing condensation and the risk of mould in your home. There are a number of things you can do to control and produce less moisture, such as:

• Keeping your home well ventilated - use fans in kitchens and bathrooms and open windows, even in winter

• Closing kitchen and bathroom doors to stop steam spreading into other rooms

• Wiping down surfaces where moisture settles to prevent mould • Drying clothes outdoors if possible or in a well ventilated room• Cover pans when cooking• Don’t block air vents• Avoid using paraffin or bottled gas heaters

18 19

Major water leak

It is useful to know where your stop tap or water cut-off switch is just in case of an emergency. Share this information with other members of your household.

If there is a leak: • Find your main stop tap or water cut-off

switch • Shut off the water supply • If you are unable to find the stop tap or turn

off the supply call us right away on 0300 555 0600

• If the leak is inside your home or within the garden boundary then call us

• For leaks outside of your garden boundary or coming from other homes, contact your water supplier

No heating/hot water Before getting in touch with us, check the following:• There is enough money in the meter • The room thermostat is turned up (try at least

21ºC) and check radiator thermostat valves • The boiler is set to heating and hot water if

you want both • The pilot light is on

If there’s still no hot water or heating call us on 0300 555 0600 If possible, stay by the boiler as we may need to ask you some questions. Check the needle on the pressure gauge is between the 1 and 2 bar (usually designated in green) and let us know if it isn’t.

Tips for common emergency repairs.

SMELL GAS?

Call the National Grid immediately 0800 111 999

Open all doors and windows and shut off the gas supply at the

control valve.

Don’t use naked flames or electrical switches.

!

18 19

No electricity

If your lights or power go off it’s usually because a switch has tripped on your electrical consumer unit (fuse box).

A switch trips due to: • Too many appliances in use (overloaded)• A faulty or misused appliance, such as an over-filled kettle

or faulty iron• Water has leaked into a circuit or spilt onto a plug• A light bulb has blown• A faulty immersion heater

You can find out what caused the problem and sort it out quite easily. If you feel able to carry out some simple checks then just open the cover on the consumer unit, check which switches have tripped to the ‘OFF’ position and follow the steps below. This could help you to quickly resolve or identify the problem. If you can’t do this then call us on 0300 555 0600

Step 1: Attempt to reset the Residual Current Device (RCD) i.e. switch back ‘ON’• RCD resets OK (go to step 7)• RCD won’t reset (go to step 2)

Step 2: Switch ‘OFF’ and unplug all appliances. Attempt to reset the RCD i.e. switch back ‘ON’ • RCD resets OK (go to step 6)• RCD won’t reset (go to step 3)

Step 3: Turn ‘OFF’ protected circuit breakers. Attempt to reset RCD i.e. switch back ‘ON’• RCD resets OK (go to step 5)• RCD won’t reset (go to step 4)

Step 4: Contact us for advice and service

Step 5: Turn protected circuit breakers back ‘ON’ one at a time. If only one circuit breaker appears to affect the RCD: • Leave the circuit breaker ‘OFF’, then• Reset RCD i.e. switch back ‘ON’ to restore power to other circuits• Contact us for advice

Step 6: Plug appliances back in one at a time. Faulty appliances may re-trip the RCD • Leave faulty appliances unplugged for repair or discard• Reset RCD and monitor. Report any further problems to us

Step 7: Monitor RCD and contact us if problems persist

20 PB

Tell us how we’re doing.

We’re always looking to improve our repairs service with the help of satisfaction surveys, resident feedback, inspections and learning from complaints.

If you have any feedback about your experience of our repairs service, or suggestions for improvement, we’d love to hear from you. Email us at repairs@onward.co.uk or call us on 0300 555 0600

If you would like to give us regular feedback or work with us to improve our services, why not join our Customer Engagement community? Email us at customerengagement@onward.co.uk

Making a complaint We don’t always get things right first time. If you do have any problems with a repair, report it to us straight away and we’ll do our best to rectify the problem quickly.

If you believe our service really hasn’t been up to standard and you wish to make a formal complaint, you can contact us in one of the following ways: Online via the ‘My Onward’ portal Over the phone 0300 555 0600 Email customerservices@onward.co.uk In writing Onward Homes, 2 Christie Way, Renaissance Court, Manchester M21 7QY

We will respond to your complaint in line with our Complaints Policy.

www.onward.co.uk