Client  Riverside Housing and English Churches Houses

Dates  2008 Ongoing

Period  Ongoing

Value  £700,000 annual, £500,000 to date

Contract  Schedule of Rates with end user client

Scope of works

Kinetics Group has been appointed to install, maintain and service gas heating systems for Riverside Housing and English Churches Housing. The partnering contract includes the service, maintenance and repair of domestic gas heating systems in thousands of properties across the south of England, serving residents in an area from Cambridge to Southampton, and from Margate to Bristol and Cheltenham.

The contract was won through Fusion21 and runs for five years with the option for the contract to be further extended.

In addition to delivering the contract in up to 7,000 properties, Kinetics has brought its flexible approach, web-based technology and postcode-based operatives, programming and efficiency ethos and partnering principle to overcome the associated with contracts which cover a wide geographical area.

Through our directly employed team of multi-skilled specialists and engineers, support technicians and apprentices, we provide a flexible 24/7 response service 365 days a year to residents. We operate a flexible working pattern to meet the needs of the tenant, who have access to a call centre which raises jobs to the delivery team.
 

Key performance indicators

                                                                                                Dec 07        June 08    
1. Customer Satisfaction with Product                              90%        100%
2. Customer Satisfaction with Service                               90%        100%
3. Contractor Satisfaction with Landlord                           98%        100%
4. Resident Satisfaction with Product                                95%         98%
5. Resident Satisfaction with Landlord service                95%         98%
6. Resident Satisfaction with Contractor Service             95%         98%
7. Snagging at handover                                                      90%         95%
8. Defects Period defects                                                   Not yet available
9. Questionnaires returned                                                 90%        100%
10. Waste recycled                                                                 82%        89%
11. AIR                                                                                         0                0            (no accidents)
 

Innovations

Kinetics Group is working across the south of England, carrying out the service, maintenance and repair gas heating systems on behalf of Riverside Housing and English Churches Housing. The contract comprises domestic works, for those properties which have individual heating systems installed, and commercial works, for those properties which have a boiler house or plant room serving multiple-occupancy properties, such as high-rise and low-rise blocks and hostels.

The project is being delivered in a range of homes across the wide geographical area of the programme, from Cambridge to Southampton, and from Margate to Bristol and Cheltenham.

Although in its early stages has already generated some positive feedback on how operatives are working with tenants and the client to deliver the contract. We have demonstrated our ability to deliver the same high-quality experience to residents – regardless of where they live – across the programme by introducing programme-wide principles and practices.

The works can vary according to the property, and can include the removal and replacement of outdated systems, pipe work installation, monthly and annual gas safety and systems checks, servicing, and reactive maintenance and repairs.

We offer a 24/7 response service 365 days a year, with engineers available for call-outs and emergencies day and night, working to a range of identified targets and timescales depending on the nature of the call-out and according to priority.

The project is delivered via a very flexible working pattern to ensure we are able to meet the needs of the tenant. We work to a target of a same-day response, regardless of the location of the tenant.

Kinetics Group introduced PDAs to enable our team of engineers, fitters and Resident Liaison Officers (RLOs) can access real-time information from central systems, which they can also update from site. This contract is delivered by a team of postcode-based engineers, technicians and fitters who use our web-based technology to ensure the programme is delivered effectively and efficiently. We achieve success by also liaising closely with residents. We have also created a dedicated office-based team which handles all calls and enquiries from the tenant, the client and the team of engineers. The team also centrally-coordinates the ordering of supplies and parts as required.
We have built our reputation for delivering a high quality service, and where contract requires it, we go that extra mile to ensure that residents affected by the works we have to carry out are not unavoidably inconvenienced. We have integrated a parts-collection system into the programme which means parts can be sourced and collected without the engineer having to leave the property.

By engaging and becoming integrated with the community, creating local training and employment programmes, Kinetics Group has been able to improve our understanding of the needs of the community and to work more effectively to the benefit of the residents, and to the satisfaction of the client. This project is delivered by our multi-skilled and experienced engineers and technicians, and apprentices, ensuring we are able to complete any job of work within a project, maximising the efficiency of the programme, minimising downtime and eliminating delays in meeting our targets while increasing skills and employment opportunities within the community.

The project is micro-managed to ensure that we are as flexible as our client’s residents require, and we allocate appointments by arrangement to suit the resident, which means issues of non-access are minimised. Appointments are confirmed by the operative ahead of attendance to reduce incidences of non-access, and where possible, we will proactively bring appointments forward complete jobs sooner.

We work to a strict regime of Key Performance Indicators, and operate a self-auditing programme, which includes our vehicles, uniforms and PPE, height and lifting equipment, and all of these processes are audited by our own QHSE Manager. We are committed to best practice and continual improvement.

We constantly monitor the standard of work, and include risk—based audits within our monitoring processes, as well as in-progress and retrospective audits, and welcome client’s demands and expectations about best practice and auditing.

One of the main challenges which we have overcome is one which is symptomatic of these contracts – that a problem with a boiler affects can mean a family or vulnerable person is without heating or water. To avoid this happening, we always ensure that electric heaters and water supplies are made available to residents affected, or who are likely to be affected for a prolonged period. We are proud of our partnership arrangements with the Plumb Centre, with whom we share space and benefit from being able to source parts regardless of where the job is located within the programme area