Our home standard. Your home is where our heart is...
What is the Onward Home Standard? Our tenants have heped us to write our Home Standard so that you know what to expect when we ook after and improve your home. We want you to be happy, safe and secure in the pace you ive. We know the quaity of your property has a huge impact on your quaity of ife. When we take care of your home, our aim is to meet and exceed nationa housing standards. Our Home Standard outines what you can expect when we improve your home and repace key items such as kitchens and bathrooms. Throughout the document you wi see two icons. 2 2 3 year ife cyce The Onward icon shows Our ife-cyce icon shows you you where we are offering how ong you can expect this services to you in addition to area of your home to ast the nationa standard. before a repacement is considered necessary. Understanding your home Surveying your home Energy Efficiency To ensure we meet our Home Standard, we need to understand the condition of your home. Typicay we examine the genera structure inside and outside, the roof, drainpipes, windows, doors, kitchens, bathrooms, heating, eectrics, fooring, fencing and paths. This heps us to know what needs to be repaced and when. We wi aso assess how energy-efficient your home is and advise you about how you can save money by reducing your gas and eectricity bis. We hod a ot of historica information about repairs carried out at your property and this heps us to make sure that components such as bathrooms and kitchens are repaced when they get to the end of their ife cyce. We carry out routine surveys and if you woud ike to know when your home is due to be surveyed, or when a specific improvement wi be undertaken, pease contact us. If you think your home needs a survey because of its age or condition, pease contact us. See back page for contact detais. 3
Meeting the Nationa Housing Standards There are a number of nationa housing standards we must compy with to make sure that your home is in a safe, sound and secure condition. Our Home Standard aims to meet these standards and exceed them where possibe. The foowing provides an overview of the nationa standards. The Decent Homes Standard In 2000 the UK Government set a target to make sure a socia housing met minimum standards by 2010 and that they were maintained in the future. The Government defined a Decent Home as: Meeting the minimum safety standards for housing Being in a reasonabe state of repair Having reasonaby modern faciities and services Sufficient therma comfort We aso meet a number of other Government standards, covering things such as gas and fire safety, your heath and safety, and asbestos. You can find more information about the Decent Homes Standard at www.gov.uk and view the additiona standards at www.egisation.gov.uk Onward s Home Standard We aim to meet five key areas detaied within our Home Standard: Modern Homes Living Independenty Warmth and Efficiency Safety and Security Your Responsibities We have detaied how we intend to meet these key areas in each section. Your Kitchen We appreciate how much you vaue the kitchen as the heart of your home and aim for a our homes to have reasonabe modern faciities and finishes in good working order. Under the Decent Homes Standard, the Government defines a modern kitchen as ess than 30 years od. However, we wi repace your kitchen every 20 years. Wherever possibe, we wi make sure that your new kitchen has: 8 kitchen units (or no ess than your current number) Separate eectrica connection sockets for a appiances A new sink and water-efficient taps 450mm of ceramic tiing above your worktops with a range of coours avaiabe (three rows of tiing above worktops) New fooring and decoration A modern ight fitting A new accessibe device to isoate your water suppy When repacing your kitchen we wi: 20 year ife cyce Empoy kitchen designers to consut you about the design, stye and coour scheme and incorporate your ideas where we can. Offer you a choice of modern coours for kitchen units, wa ties and fooring. Where necessary, hep you to cear out your existing units ready for the new kitchen instaation. Where there is a risk of scading, we wi insta thermostaticay controed taps. Carry out additiona work, such as extra tiing or integrating appiances, at your own cost and subject to agreement with the contractor. Reasonaby adjust the design of your kitchen to accommodate your heath needs, where you ve tod us about them. Onward s Home Standard - Modern Homes 4 5
Your Bathroom When we upgrade your bathroom, we wi provide you with a modern, durabe and functiona repacement. Under the Decent Homes Standard, the Government defines a modern bathroom as ess than 40 years od. However, Onward wi repace your bathroom every 30 years. We wi make sure that your new bathroom has: A water-efficient white ceramic pedesta wash basin, toiet and a pressed stee bath Water efficient taps White tiing instaed in spash areas and above the basin, with a range of cooured border ties New fooring and decoration A ow-energy extractor fan A modern ight fitting Insta an eectric shower over the bath When repacing your bathroom we wi: 30 year ife cyce Offer you a choice of coours for fooring, decoration and border ties, and a matching bath pane and toiet seat. Where there is a risk of scading we wi insta thermostaticay controed taps and showers to prevent scading. Insta aternative or additiona ties, suppied by you, subject to agreement with the contractor. Reasonaby adjust the design of your bathroom to accommodate your heath needs, where you ve tod us about them. Offer a shetered scheme customers a eve-access shower. Externa Decoration We wi ook after the outside of your home by painting it every 5 years. We wi aso paint communa areas that you share with other tenants. We wi maintain the outside of your home by painting: Woodwork that has been painted before, incuding timber windows and doors, and any wooden areas around your roof Previousy painted was, incuding rendering and cadding A new materias we have instaed, incuding woodwork and rendering Fencing and gates When maintaining the outside of your home we wi: 5 year ife cyce Provide a choice of paint coours to you, athough this may be imited if you ive in a isted buiding or conservation area. Inspect roofs and make sure that they are wind and weather proof. Make sure that chimneys are free from vegetation, have no oose or missing pots, and the brickwork is in good condition. We wi cean roofs that have a severe growth of weeds and other vegetation on them. We wi make sure that gutters and rainwater pipes are safe, secure and that water can fow through them easiy. Onward s Home Standard - Modern Homes 6 7
Your roof We wi ensure that your roof is watertight and repaired when necessary. We wi repace your roof when it has reached the end of its ife cyce or it is no onger vaue for money to keep repairing it. When we renew your roof we wi: Repace pitched and fat roofs incuding fashings with materias of a simiar type Repace gutters, facia, soffits and verges with an equivaent, usuay made from PVCu. Different materias may be used on isted buidings or homes within conservation areas. Inspect your roof structure before we start work and if needed treat any infestations or rot in the timbers Make sure your T.V aeria, sateite dish, aarm, and teephone services etc. continue to work whie we undertake roof work and ensure they are re-fixed once work is compete. 60 year ife cyce Living independenty We want you to be abe to ive independenty and recognise that undertaking some sma changes or adapting your home can hep you to ive there happiy for onger. We understand you may need support and if you are experiencing difficuties, our Housing and Webeing Team may be abe to hep you. We wi visit you at home to discuss your needs and then agree how best we can support you. We can provide: Sma adaptations, such as handrais Major adaptations to hep you move around more easiy (pease note this is subject to additiona funding requirements) Undertake housing, heath and webeing assessments to identify any support needs you may have. Hep to connect you with speciaist agencies and services which may be abe to support you. When providing adaptations we wi: Work in partnership with occupationa therapists to make sure your needs are fuy assessed before work begins Empoy speciaist, experienced contractors and make sure you are confident using any equipment we insta Provide other equipment or aids to hep you manage better at home Consider your future needs when carrying out panned improvements and when buiding new homes (such as instaing eve access showers into shetered accommodation) Onward s Home Standard - Living Independenty 8 9
Energy efficiency as standard When we survey your home, we wi ook at how energy efficient it is and make improvements wherever we can, incuding: Repacing boiers Seaing areas where draughts are coming in Insta the most energy efficient windows for your property Loft and cavity insuation A our homes with new tenants since 2008 have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). This provides detais of the energy efficiency of your home. You can check if your property has had an EPC by visiting the government website www.epcregister.com which hods a information on competed EPC s We have produced ots of hepfu information so you can find ways of reducing your energy costs. Visit our website or speak with your Neighborhood Speciaist who can hep further. Your heating & hot water We know how expensive the cost of househod energy has become and we want a our homes to have energy-efficient gas centra heating, where it can be instaed. When required, we wi repace boiers with an A-rated energy efficient condensing boier. We wi repace boiers every 15-20 years and repace your radiators every 30 years. When instaing your new heating system we wi: Insta a modern, energy-efficient boier to hep you save money Inspect radiators and contros to see if they need to be renewed because of age, condition or efficiency Provide you with greater contro over heating your home more efficienty with a range of contros, incuding room thermostats, thermostatic radiator vaves and a boier programmer. When repacing your heating system we wi: 20 year ife cyce Tak to you to see how we can best repace your heating with as itte inconvenience and disturbance to your fooring and finishes as possibe Show you how to efficienty use the system and programs, and give you the manufacturer s operating manua Insta radiator refective panes behind a new radiators to hep you save energy, money and reduce heat oss. Onward s Home Standard - Warmth and Efficiency 10 11
25-35 60 year ife cyce Modern windows and doors not ony improve the appearance of your home but provide better warmth and security. Insta up to 300mm of oft insuation in your roof space, where it is possibe to do so. Usuay, you wi need to remove a your beongings from the oft to enabe us to do the work. If your home is constructed with cavity was, we wi insta cavity wa insuation. The surveyor wi advise you during the inspection Windows & doors We wi consider repacing your windows and doors based on their condition and age (after 25 years for windows and 35 years for doors). This may not be possibe if your home is a isted buiding or within a conservation area. 8 When repacing your windows and doors: When instaing oft insuation we wi: Cear roof spaces to aow us to carry out the work,if you are in need of support. 12 A new doors and windows wi compy with Secured by Design standards and fire reguations. Where possibe, we wi insta fire escape windows to the upstairs of your home. Ensure new windows are internay gazed to provide greater security and improve maintenance. We wi make sure a new window handes are ockabe and, where possibe, positioned so they are easy for you to use. Energy efficient gazing A windows upstairs, and esewhere when necessary, wi have safety restrictors, aowing them to be opened to a maximum of 100mm uness overridden by an adut. We wi insta ow-maintenance front doors and frames with a number, etter box, spy hoe, doube gazed vision pane (where seected), draught proofing, ow eve threshod and door knocker We wi repace patio doors but wi not insta them where they have not aready been in pace. A windows wi be designed to improve the abiity to cean them from the inside. When repacing your doors: You wi have a choice of door styes and coours, athough this may be imited if you ive in a isted buiding or conservation area. Onward s Home Standard - Warmth and Efficiency Loft & Cavity Insuation year ife cyce 13
Your heath & safety We may inspect your home to make sure it meets heath and safety requirements. This may incude checks for asbestos, fire safety or other issues that affect your webeing. We wi notify you in advance of any inspection. Pease aert us immediatey to any issues that you beieve coud be damaging to your heath. Inspections & servicing We wi inspect and maintain the foowing equipment to meet ega requirements, if we have fitted them to your home: Gas Fire aarms/emergency ights Lightning conductors Door entry systems Soar panes and other renewabe technoogies Passenger ifts and ifting equipment, such as hoists Eectrics Water systems that need to be checked for egionea Communa TV systems Other speciaist equipment instaed by Onward Not a our homes contain this equipment and the ist is not exhaustive. Pease contact us if you are unsure about the maintenance/repair of equipment in your home. Gas safety We wi: Carry out a gas safety check on a your gas appiances every year to make sure they are safe. This is our ega obigation Notify you when your gas service is due. You must contact us as soon as you receive this Provide you with your gas safety certificate once the checks have been carried out Service any carbon monoxide detector, if you aready have one fitted We wi insta a carbon monoxide detector at your next eectrica inspection which wi take pace over the next five years. A our gas engineers are Gas Safe-certified and we aso hod the Gas Safe Certificate. Smoke detectors If you ive in a fat, we wi test your smoke detectors and service the communa fire aarm where one is fitted by us. It is important you give us access to your home for these vita checks Where there is not one present in your home, we wi insta one as part of the next eectrica safety check over the next five years Onward s Home Standard - Safety and Security 14 15
Eectrica Safety A eectrica instaations deteriorate with age and use. They shoud therefore be inspected and tested at reguar intervas to check whether they are in a satisfactory condition for continued use. Such safety checks are commony referred to as periodic inspection and testing. We wi inspect the eectrics in your home every five years to make sure they compy with current reguations (shetered schemes wi be checked every 12 months) As part of our inspection, we wi test the circuits, check a eectrica sockets, and provide you a certificate which detais future eectrica work that we may need to carry out. We wi insta a smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector at the time of the visit where there are none present. Deaing with Asbestos Based on the age and characteristics of your home, we may carry out a survey to find out whether there is asbestos present. Athough it is now iega to use asbestos products, it was used extensivey in buiding and construction during the 1970s. Much of the asbestos is sti in pace, but as ong as it is in good condition and is not going to be disturbed, there is no risk to you or your famiy. However, if it is disturbed or damaged, it can become a danger to heath. We have a robust asbestos poicy and procedures which compy with the Heath and Safety Executive (HSE) and asbestos reguations. Before we make any major improvements to your home we wi assess the risk of asbestos being present and may aso need to undertake a survey before work starts. If a survey is needed, we wi et you know in advance and give you feedback once it is compete. After the survey we wi decide what we need to do to manage the risk in your home. This may incude: Just monitoring the situation as there is no risk to you Making some minor ateration to your home to reduce the risk Removing the asbestos competey We wi contact you before we take any action. We maintain an asbestos register for a our homes which we reguary update and use to minimise risk. If you have any concerns regarding asbestos in your home, pease contact us. A our contractors wi have received asbestos awareness training and, where required, we wi ony use icensed asbestos remova contractors in accordance with Heath & Safety egisation. Onward s Home Standard - Safety and Security 16 17
Preventing Legionea Legioneosis is the coective term for diseases caused by the egionea bacteria, incuding the most serious: Legionnaires Disease. We take the risk of egionea very seriousy and have a number of measures in pace to make sure the homes we manage are free from the bacteria. We have identified homes that have water systems that pace them at greater risk of egionea than others. This is usuay where water is stored but we service and monitor them to ensure that the bacteria does not become a probem. We compy with Heath and Safety Executive (HSE) guideines by identifying risks, assessing what needs to be done, and making improvements based on our assessments. Reducing the risk of fire We take fire safety very seriousy as it can cause death, injury and damage to your home and possessions. We are committed to reducing the risk of fire in your home by: Undertaking reguar Fire Risk Assessments to a of our bocks of fats. Carrying out reguar communa area inspections to remove any items that coud be a fire hazard or bock an escape route. Ensuring a suitabe fire detection and aarm system is fitted in the communa area of your bock (for those iving in fats) and inside your home. Making sure escape routes are free from trip hazards, are adequatey it, are signposted and ead everyone to a pace of safety. Carrying out checks to gas, eectrica and fire safety systems within your home. Fences & was We wi repace a existing fences, gates and was where there is a need with the aim of improving the ayout where possibe and using modern materias where we can.. Onward s Home Standard - Safety and Security 18 19