Housing Improvement And Repair Services (H.I.R.S)

Welcome to this Division
 
Meet the people who repair and maintain Leicester's council housing stock.

The Housing Improvements & Repairs Services is the largest of the Adult & Housing Department’s Branches, employing around 730 staff. It is currently headed by Dave Pate (Service Director for the Technical Services Branch) and Dave is supported by both Peter Stephens, Head of Technical Services and Ian Craig, the Head of Housing Maintenance. Ian has the strategic responsibility for Housing Maintenance.

The branch is responsible for a wide range of services.  Some operating from local depots and some from our main site at the Ian Marlow Centre, Blackbird Road. The bulk of these services are provided by the Technical Services Branch and is for City Council tenants.

Service Director – Housing Improvement & Repairs Service : Dave Pate.
Dave has the strategic responsibility to oversee the whole of this Branch.  He is supported by Peter Stephens and Ian Craig who in turn are supported by six Managers who specialise in the areas of Service provisoin given below.  

Head of Technical Services: Peter Stephens
Peter deputises for Dave Pate (Service Director – Housing Improvement & Repairs Service) and has the overall responsabilty for ensuring that  the day to day running of  Housing Repair Services is met. He has overall responsibility for:

• The Ian Marlow Centre
• Customer Satisfaction & Customer Care
• Capital Investment Programme
• Procurement
• Systems Development & Support
• Transport (Fleet) Management
• Admin Support
• Building Works
• Heating & Electrical Services
• Technical Trainees
• The City CCTV provision
• Repair Standards
• Estimating & Surveying
• Quality Control.

Head of Housing Maintenance:  Ian Craig
Ian has the strategic responsibility for Housing Maintenance. He has the responsibility for ensuring that the repairs service meets its objectives and challenges and is supported by 2 Contract Managers. His role is to oversee:

• Day to Day Repairs
• Voids Initiatives
• Gas Servicing & Repairs
• The Housing Repairs Reporting Call Centre
• Kitchen & Bathrooms Installation Programme
• Asbestos Removal
• General Works (Contracts)
• Window Replacement Programme
• Door Replacement & Door Upgrades
• Training Initiatives and Workforce development.

Contracts Manager One: Paul Lowe

• Planning, Administering, Supervising and handling around 104,000 day-to-day repairs a year for more than 23,000 City Council properties. Working from 2 depots (West & East).
• Managing the Housing Repairs Call Centre
• Void Properties Initiatives
• Providing gas servicing and a repairs service for all city council housing stock.
• Oversees the running of the City Councils Gas Servicing training facility and the Regional Assessment  facility at the Ian Marlow Centre
• Vacant Property security
• Gas Appliances plus Systems Maintenance and Gas Installations.
• Oversees both the Emergency Repairs Service for 23,000 Council Tenants and the out of hour’s emergency repairs to some 3,000 Public Sector properties.

Contracts Manager Two: Rob Pallatt

• Installing adaptations in disabled tenants’ homes.
• Running our apprentice scheme for 50 applicants to train over five years in a range of building trades.
• Overseeing the Kitchen & Bathroom replacement programmes, Asbestos/Waste Removal and the Window/Door Replacement Programme.
• Overseeing the running of the city council’s gas servicing training facility and regional assessment centre.
• One-off minor works such as property security.
• Overseeing the running of our General Building Works section, managing repairs to Leicesters Public Buildings and General Public Service areas. Overseeing the management of our Joiners Shop, Metal-working Shop & Sign Writing Shop.
• Running the department’s PVCu window and door factory, producing and installing 30,000 windows a year.
• Installing Kitchen & Bathroom replacement packages at a rate of 800 per year
• Overall responcibility for the Stores Section.

Standards Surveying & Contract Liaison Manager: John Hallett

• Running targeted rent schemes, such as security alarm systems.
• Dealing directly with customers on matters such as points of legality.
• Carrying out Customer satisfaction surveys.  
• Handling complaints and ombudsman cases and other ongoin legal matters.
• Maintaining a team of Surveyors & Technicians for Buildings Management.
• Overseeing Quality Control.
• Organising the installation of adaptations in disabled tenants’ homes.
• One-off minor works such as woodworm treatment and damp-proofing.
• Carrying out vacant property inspections.
• Planning and managing home adaptations for disabled tenants.
• Investigating damp problems. Investigating Insurance claims.
• Carrying out other inspections and audits.
• Managing the Asbestos Inspection Team.

Building Works: Simon Nicholls (Acting Manager)
Planning, Designing, Administering and Supervising Contracts for long term Maintenance Programmes, for improving and modernising the council's Housing stock.
1) Re roofing
2) Chimney Replacements
3) Structural Repairs (Underpinning/Strapping etc.)
4) Balcony Replacements
5) House Refurbishment (After a fire etc.)
6) Works to make properties more secure in situations when tenants are the victims of Harassment. (Referred to us by Management Branch)

As above, not long term and not dwellings, Adults and Housing Properties.
1) Repairs and improvements to shop roofs/walkways.
2) Conversion of empty shop units to offices.
3) Alterations to Neighbourhood Housing Offices etc.
4) General refurbishment schemes to any Adult and Housing premises.
 
Administration and Financial Monitoring only of long term Maintenance contracts for improving and modernising the Council's housing stock.
1) Fitting of UPVC doors and windows (inc shed doors etc.)
2) Replacement of timber soffits and facia's with UPVC.
3) Bathroom Refurbishment.
4) Kitchen Refurbishment.
 
General.
1) Provide Technical advice to other section/teams within the Department.
2) Inspect dangerous structures at the request of Building Control.
3) Advice on matters of design/layout, prepare sketch schemes.
4) Prepare property condition reports.

Energy, Mechanical and Electrical Services: Brian Knifton

• Planning, Designing, Administering and Supervising contracts for long-term maintenance programmes for improving and modernising the Council’s housing stock.  Such as: Re-wiring, Domestic Heating and door entry schemes.
• Running five district heating schemes, providing hot water and central heating to 3,500 homes across the city.
• Running EnergySense, providing advice, information, support and an agency service for owner-occupiers and tenants wanting to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
• Working with other agencies, such as the Health Authority, to make homes warmer and drier, reduce fuel bills and pollution and make homes healthier places to live in.
• Running CCTV systems for the council’s tower blocks, sheltered housing schemes and estates and overseeing the CCTV Centre at The Ian Marlow Centre.

Procurement  and Technical Support Manager: Amrik Singh

• Undertakes a number of functions associated with the development and support for the service. These include:
• Development and maintenance of IT systems for the service
• Responsible for the main computer system (IBS) used by the improvement and Repairs service
• Operating incentive bonus schemes for the craft operatives
• Provision of a procurement service for goods, works and services
• Fleet management for some 370 vehicles used by the Improvement and Repairs service
• Administrative support for the service
• Provision of management information for the service, other project and business and system support associated with the development of the service.