Irvine’s Repairs and Maintenance Policy is to provide customers with homes that are in good condition, affordable, energy efficient, secure and comfortable. The primary aim of the policy is to maximise the lettable life of the property within the constraints of the available financial resources.

The policy reflects Irvine’s Corporate Plan 2020/23 which is ‘to provide a reliable and high quality repairs service’ to maintain quality and sustainable homes. Irvine aims to provide its customers with homes that are in good condition, affordable, energy efficient, secure, and comfortable and that offer value for money.

It is acknowledged that maintenance of their homes is one of the most important services a customer receives. Also that having assets that are in good condition and well maintained is important to the financial strength of the business. Irvine will, therefore, aim to provide a cost-effective repairs and maintenance service to our tenants homes, factored properties, garages and communal areas that responds to the needs of, and offers choices to, tenants and has the objective of completing repairs and improvements ‘right first time’.

Irvine will aim to adopt a prudent, planned approach to maintenance which demonstrates an appropriate balance of planned and responsive repairs and value for money. In doing so, Irvine will extend the useful life and use of its sustainable assets and provide a customer focused efficient maintenance service. Irvine will NOT be liable for the repair of any items, if the repair is necessary because of an act of damage, neglect, misuse or any accidental damage by the tenant, his/her family or visitors to their home.

Reinstatement work made necessary by unsatisfactory or unauthorised tenant improvements or alterations will also be assessed as rechargeable. (Refer to separate Recharge Policy) Irvine will meet all applicable statutory requirements that provide for the health and safety of occupants in their homes.

This policy establishes processes and standards for both the responsive repair and planned investment in the Association’s property assets to ensure our housing stock is maintained to the highest standards achievable. In carrying out our repairs and maintenance responsibilities the Association will meet legal and contractual obligations both as a landlord and as a Factor through a comprehensive approach to asset management.

This policy covers the following aspects of repairs and maintenance services that include the following:

• Responsive Repair
• Gas Safety and Electrical testing
• Planned and cyclical maintenance and investment
• Change of use
• Disposal and Demolition
• Estate Management
• Aids and Adaptations
• Health and Safety
• New Build

There is an extensive legislative and contractual framework within which repair and maintenance activities operate and the Association strives to meet these standards at all times. In delivering our obligations we will adhere to:

• The Scottish Housing Regulator Performance Standards.
• The Scottish Housing Quality Standards
• The Scottish Social Housing Charter
• Housing (Scotland) Act 1987
• Housing (Scotland) Act 2001
• Housing (Scotland) Act 2006
• Housing (Scotland) Act 2010
• Housing (Scotland) Act 2014
• Disability Discrimination Act 2005
• The Equality Act 2010
• The Environmental Health Protection Act 1990
• Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2004
• Tenements Scotland Act 2004
• Procurement Regulations
• Right to Repair

Maintaining property also requires the Association to adhere to the following:

• Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations (Regulation 4, 2002)
• Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
• Control of Legionella Regulations
• Current Building Standards
• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
• Gas Safety regulations 1994
• Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007
• Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
• The Town and Country Planning Act (Scotland) 1997
• Current Fire Safety legislation

To meet our repairs and maintenance objectives the Association will:

• Place customer requirements at the forefront of the service and regularly consult and involve customers in decision making processes.
• Offer an appointment service for routine repairs.
• Undertake responsive repairs in accordance with published priorities.
• Set clear performance targets that are regularly monitored.
• Publish repairs timescales.
• Carry out quality maintenance checks to monitor the standard of workmanship.
• Provide customers with a range of opportunities to feedback their views on the service.
• Implement compliant procurement processes to appoint contractors which prioritises best value and quality.
• Recharge customers for repairs which they or visitors to their property have caused (refer to Recharge Policy).
• Ensure that properties are maintained to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard, (SHQS).
• Meet the standards of design and quality that applied when the home was built, and were required as a condition of publically funded grant assistance.
• Ensure a programme is in place for all properties to meet the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing from March 2020 (EESSH).

Asset Management

• Monitoring progress of capital investment programmes and compliance with SHQS and EESSH.
• Monitoring of customer satisfaction survey responses in relation to planned investment works including adaptations.
• Budget monitoring of capital projects to minimise over or under spends.

Responsive Repairs

Contractor performance will be monitored on a monthly basis and the key performance indicators reported to Board monthly. A full Regional Report covering all operational performance related to Asset Management and Responsive Repairs will be produced on a quarterly basis. This report will include the following:

• Customer satisfaction
• Complaints
• Repairs completed within published timescales.
• Gas and electrical safety compliance.
• First Time Fix repairs.

Repairs and maintenance performance information will also be published through the Annual Return on the Charter landlord report.

Where housing stock has been assessed as no longer fit for purpose based on investment requirements and lack of demand an options appraisal process will be implemented to determine if the property could be re-modelled or upgraded to meet the needs of a different client group such as supported or adapted accommodation.

Where an options appraisal has been carried out for a property that is no longer fit for purpose, and it is uneconomical to repair or re-model, demolition of the property or disposal on the open market will be considered.

This void management policy will be applied to all vacant properties and new and outgoing tenants irrespective of: race, gender, sexuality, age, culture, income, disability or belief. To ensure accessibility, services will, therefore, be tailored to meet customers’ individual needs and information will be available in a wide variety of formats. Contractors are required to demonstrate their commitment to promoting equality and diversity by ensuring they have equality and diversity policies in place and are able to deliver services in ways that are appropriate to their requirements.

Planned and cyclical investment and maintenance programmes will be developed based on the following factors:

• Stock condition survey results and component life cycles for every property.
• Achieving efficiencies through ‘packaging’ of works on a geographical basis.
• Using an estimated 5 yearly cycle for external painting.
• Ensuring all gas serviced appliances are serviced on an annual basis.
• Servicing mechanical and engineering products (i.e stairlifts, lifts): fire alarms, emergency lighting systems, together with the control of Legionella will be undertake on a frequency consistent with statutory requirements or industry standards.
• Asbestos inspections.
• Fire Risk Assessments.

Responsive repairs will be undertaken in accordance with the priorities published to our tenants and will be subject to performance monitoring on a monthly basis. The timescales for responsive repairs are as follows:

• P0 – Health & Safety: Fire, gas leak; boiler fumes leak; water mains leak within property (or flat above); no power; burst radiator (not a minor leak); insecure property; blocked or broken WC (if only one in property); community alarm failure; smoke alarm failure; health & safety related matters. Target Response Time: 4 hrs.
• P1 – Emergency Repair: Water leak; part power failure; leaking radiator (not a major leak); no hot water; faulty drainage; common stair lighting failure; major rain penetration through roof; safety related matters. Target Response Time: 12 hrs
• P2 – (Urgent Priority): 5 working days (7 calendar) – General Works
• P15 – (Urgent Priority): 3 working days (5 calendar) – Gas

Appointable Repairs: All other non-Health & Safety and Emergency Repairs will normally be completed within 28 working days.

Responsive maintenance is carried out on an ad hoc daily basis to make safe or repair items which have failed unexpectedly

Right to repair covers a number of defined repairs identified under legislation, which if not completed within the target timescales allows the tenant to seek an alternative contractor and compensation may be payable for non-completion of the works. Our Right to Repair leaflet provides further information on applicable repairs and is available on our website.

The Association’s services are available to everyone who needs them, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, age, culture, income, disability or belief. To ensure accessibility, services will, therefore, be tailored to meet customers’ individual needs and information will be available in a wide variety of formats. Tenants who are particularly vulnerable due to age, disability or some other factor are identified and given a priority if their health or life is at risk from a failure of heating, power, water, or security. Contractors are required to demonstrate their commitment to promoting equality and diversity by ensuring they have equality and diversity policies in place and are able to deliver repairs to all residents in ways that are appropriate to their requirements.