Caretaking Scheme

Which properties have a caretaking service?

There is a caretaking service in flats and maisonettes which are in blocks with common facilities and areas.

We recognise that residents who live in flats have different needs from those who live in houses.

Also you live in very close communities where neighbours can easily disturb each other. There are usually shared facilities and areas, such as door-entry systems, stairways, corridors, gardens and bin stores.

What does the caretaker do?

Our caretakers aim to:

• make sure common areas are kept clean and tidy
• keep landscaped areas, including lawns, maintained to a high standard
• do some minor repairs and report more complicated repairs to our maintenance section
• make sure tenants keep to the terms of their tenancy agreement.

Why have service standards?

After consulting residents, we have set some service standards so that you are clear about the level of service you can expect from us. We involve residents in monitoring these standards, and will let you know how we are doing from time to time.

What standards of service can I expect?

• We will sweep and mop the floor of internal communal areas every week.
• We will dust all internal surfaces in the common areas every week.
• We will remove any health hazards as soon as we can, usually within 24 hours.
• We will check the communal areas weekly for repairs, organise those repairs and ensure they are done within the published timescales.
• We will cut any lawns around the flats at least once every two weeks during the growing season (April–September), weather allowing.
• We will carry out weed-killing on the paths and other communal areas around your block twice a year.
• We will prune shrubs and bushes around your block once a year.
• We will arrange for offensive graffiti to be removed within 24 hours of it being reported.
• Other graffiti will be removed within 1 week of it being reported.
• We will pick litter from shared yards every week.
• We will replace any broken light bulbs in shared areas at the earliest opportunity. This should be within 1 working day of being reported.
• We will visit all new tenants in flats during the first week of their tenancy to explain the facilities and services provided.

How do you make sure that the standards are kept?

We will send a questionnaire to a random sample of residents, asking for your views on the standards of service you are receiving. We also inspect the flats regularly and ask residents to help us with these inspections. To find out more about becoming a resident inspector, please contact us.

How is the service paid for?

All residents living in the block have to pay towards the cost of this service. Tenants are charged weekly with their rent, and leaseholders get an annual service charge bill.

How do I contact the caretaker?

If you wish to speak to your caretaker, you can talk to them while they are working in your block.

Alternatively ask the local office to arrange a meeting, or call the Estates and Tenancy Services Hotline on 01670 542448.

What are the residents’ responsibilities?

When you live in a block of flats where there are common areas it is important that everyone plays their part in keeping the area clean and shows respect towards the other people living in the block. Your behaviour and the behaviour of your visitors can have a big effect on others, so make sure that you always act considerately.

To help ensure a clean, safe and secure environment for you and your neighbours, you must keep to these rules:

• Dispose of your rubbish properly.
• Put your wheelie bin out for collection on the correct day and put it back afterwards.
• Don’t put bulky items of household furniture, for example beds or fridges, out for collection until you have arranged for them to be taken away.
• Treat our employees with courtesy at all times.
• Ensure that door-entry systems are used properly and make sure the main door is closed after you.
• Report any anti-social behaviour.
• Respect your building and help us keep it a safe and pleasant place to live.

How do I make complaints and suggestions?

If you are unhappy with any service we provide to your block, please report it to a caretaker, who may be able to sort out the problem there and then.

We are committed to providing a high-quality service to all our customers, so if you are unhappy with our service please tell us, so we can put it right. You can find out more about our complaint procedure on our complaints page.

We also welcome your suggestions on how we can improve the service.

Information Leaflet

We have produce a guide to our caretaking service leaflet which you may find useful.

Further Information

You can obtain further information from the following

Blyth Valley Housing, Dinsdale House, 75 Marine Terrace, Blyth NE24 2LN.

Telephone: 01670 542000

RNID Typetalk service prefix number 18001

EMail: Caretaking Service