South Lanarkshire Council is the fifth largest council area in Scotland, a unitary authority c350,000 people for which they directly manage +46,000 properties. Having been appointed via the Scotland Excel Framework, we are the sole supplier for asbestos removals for the period Dec 2015 – Dec 2025 and service this customer from our East Kilbride office. Through delivering continued exemplary standards and striving to exceed the Council’s requirements we have been granted 2 No. 1-year extensions. The building stock is a diverse mix including domestic properties, sheltered schemes and care homes. Domestic properties include flats, duplex, maisonettes, terraced and semi-detached. Currently, this contract yields c£1,500,000 p.a.
Aims & Objectives
We work on both reactive and planned works across the client’s portfolio, inclusive of asbestos removal and reinstatement works. Overall, there is a wide scope of works involved, this ranges from floor tile removal, AIB cupboard/wall linings, A/C cupboard/wall linings textured coatings to plasterboard, concrete, F10 notification & large-scale complex projects requiring a Construction Phase Health & Safety Plan and CDM (2015) adherence using meticulously planned fully transparent and disseminated Gantt Chart/Master Programmes. These projects largely involve asbestos removals within attics including full decontamination of attics with various asbestos products for example limpet asbestos, AIB board, A/C debris within occupied and un-occupied dwellings. We provide a full spectrum of asbestos removal service including removals, encapsulation and waste removal. Works involve both licenced and unlicensed removals. All works within occupied properties adhere to strict health and safety procedures regarding access, using appropriate and considerate hazard signage, and hoarding/panelling/fencing to restrict access and always comply with CAR 2012 and current legislation.
Implementation
We have created and developed a dedicated project team of suitably qualified and experienced management and operational staff that will remain throughout the contract lifecycle. We only employ 100% directly employed local labour for all asbestos removal works, resourced and managed from our regional office in East Kilbride. We have established defined and agreed communication channels between ourselves and the Council and lifted the contract into a mutually beneficial partnership. Examples include a 2-hour emergency site attendance both in and out of hours for which we adhere to a 365 24/7 availability, complete with dedicated contact numbers, escalation models and email addresses and provide a dedicated Customer Liaison Officer, working with the Council in the planning and programming of various projects. On most one-day jobs the Council will provide contact details for the tenants, we would then deal directly with the tenants in arranging access to suit the needs of the tenants, acting as subject matter experts to both the Council and their clients/tenants. We provide the tenants with appropriate and considerate communication methods including a Frequently Asked Questions sheet, whereby we can tailor to suit the needs of the tenant (i.e. those who are visually/hearing impaired; elderly; vulnerable adults’ braille and language appropriate communications provided). We provide each tenant with a reminder call and/or text 2 hours before arrival and 30 minutes prior to arrival.
The extent of the works at contract conception was a straightforward removal of textured coatings and reinstatement of ceilings, one day notifiable jobs, floor tiles and small environmental cleans. However, this has now moved on to more extensive projects which involves up to 3 teams per week constantly working on this contract. We provide 100% of the asbestos removals service as sole supplier into the Council and now partner with a bespoke Aspect approved and vetted subcontractor, CRD Ltd. This subcontractor has developed with Aspect as the contract grows, whereby we can now service electrical works (full house rewires), reinstatement of ceilings, plastering, joiner works, paint/decoration, gas works, reinsulating works, scaffolding and we ensure all tradesmen hold current asbestos awareness CAT A training. For example, a typical 8-day removal and reinstatement of an attic, removal of cupboard linings (AIB), textured coatings would be as follows:
1) Site visit with the Council / Tenant compile a full scope of works and agree dates for decant and timescales with the tenant
2) Notification of the works to the enforcing authorities. With all asbestos removals are carried out under fully controlled conditions
3) Set up site welfare / DCU, Carry out disconnection of gas / electrical services to enable removal works, set up both attic and cupboard for removal
4) Removal of all textured coated ceiling to allow access to the attic, remove MMMF attic insulation, and full decontamination of the attic space, remove A/C flue to roof section and temporary seal, removal of AIB cupboard linings and full decontamination of the cupboard (air testing by the Council approved analytical company directly employed by the Council)
5) Reinstatement: Gas checks reroute gas lines as required, remove redundant wiring tie/secure existing live wires and check sign of electrical and gas checks, Reinstate MMMF attic insulation, supply scaffolding access to fit new ridge tile where the old flue came through the roof, reinstated ceiling with plasterboard and skim, rebuild the cupboard, new cupboard door & door furniture, renew cupboard linings, paint and decorate as per scope of works.
6) Handover to the Council / tenant.
We provide a master programme, inclusive of subcontracting requirements and communicate this to all stakeholders for full visibility. The programme will be populated with all agreed milestones and trigger points for review and fully disseminated to all key stakeholders from the Council, Analytical provider and any subcontractors and 3rd parties. Workflows are monitored via our internal management database, enabled with automatic and pro-active trigger points/traffic light system alerts to ensure strict KPI management of the demanding and changeable workload.
We have developed a thorough understanding of the Council’s specific requirements, predominantly ensuring a flexible and reactive service. Key personnel from both organisations are paired, ensuring information is communicated to the correct person, right first time.
We interact with the end tenants, whereby our operatives all receive customer service training inclusive of safeguarding and working around children and vulnerable adults, adhering at all times to our internal policy ensuring we fully explain the works to each client in a non-technical manner, in plain English. Tenants are issued with a Frequently Asked Questions sheet prior to works starting., whereby we act as subject matter experts to both the Council and their clients/tenants at the pre/during/post works stages.
Outcomes
We have achieved 100% success towards a 2-hour emergency site attendance and achieved/exceeded contractual KPI’s, including 95% ‘Right First Time’ and 100% Quality Inspection. Quarterly progress meetings enable discussion around operational performance, concerns and improvement ideas. We have encountered zero complaints to date since partnering with SLC. We administer and analyse Customer Service Questionnaires to provide a 360-degree feedback into client and tenant to continually improve our service.
