FAQ's

All Morrison staff and sub contractors, including contractors, complete a ‘Passport to Work’ induction which covers environment, health and safety, quality of work and customer care. Operatives also have an annual performance development review and take trade refresher courses where required. Morrison have 38 operatives, two of those are apprentices. As part of our contract, we will stipulate the need for local labour and training opportunities, however under EU legislation there are limits to what roles can be advertised. But we do encourage all our contractors to source local labour where possible.

About 14% of work is subcontracted, these are usually specialist jobs including asphalt, asbestos and electrical work. We completed about 18,000 repairs in the past year. Of those Morrison inspects 10% of repair jobs (this is an industry standard), carry out telephone surveys and on-the-job feedback satisfaction ratings. Corrective action is taken where work is not up to standard; however, we’re pleased we receive compliments for workmanship in some cases.

Plumbing, electrical and carpentry are our busiest areas. We are implementing an IT system which will record data about our properties in a smarter way and help us to predict where future investment is required. For example, if we know that there are problems with pipes in a high rise block, we can see trends and plan long term investments for that area.

We work in a diverse community and are mindful of customers’ needs. Morrison employ a dedicated Resident Liaison Manager and female operatives; we use translation services for those who do not speak English as their first language; and use British Sign Language and Braille calling cards for those hard of hearing or sight. We carry out surgeries on estates for hard to reach groups to ensure they can access our services; operate a password system for visiting people’s homes as a safety measure; and we supply staff with shoe covers where some faiths require these to access their home.

Our most recent figures show that 94.88% of repairs appointments were kept in March 2011, with 39 appointments missed. Of those, about 60% were because the tenant was not home. In April 2011, 95.4% were kept, with 27 missed appointments. Together with Morrison we are committed to delivering an excellent service, and we will compensate tenants if we miss appointments.

For the safety of tenants and repair workers, Morrison requires that the tenant be present when they visit to carry out work. Operatives carry mobile phones, have vehicle tracking devices and access to a Management Incident line to ensure their safety. Where jobs may take some days to complete, we may be able to make a more flexible arrangement to accommodate the tenant.

We have set up an Asset Management Engagement Panel made up of tenants and leaseholders. This group met in May 2011 and will continue to be consulted on future projects to help us make decisions including selecting contractors and materials. We are looking for residents to join all our engagement opportunities, read more about this contact us here.

Great customer experiences are at the heart of any business and at KCTMO, a resident led organisation, this is the ethos on which we were built. We have a resident majority on our Board which is responsible for the strategic direction of the organisation, and monitors how we perform against our targets. We also have 13 ways for all residents to have a say in our services – these include panels, focus groups and Residents’ Associations – or simply becoming a member and voting in our annual Board elections.

We live and work in a diverse borough and we want to see that diversity reflected in the customers who are involved with us. We are crosschecking the information we hold about our residents to make sure we have an accurate picture of who our customers are. This helps us to target particular groups and give opportunities for them to engage with us. This might be through programmes for single mothers, minority ethnic groups or young people.

It is part of our plans this year to look at the gaps in resident groups who are engaging with us. We understand that there have been some difficulties in the past and we are taking steps to change this. This summer we launched a series of 16 road show events designed to give residents a chance to talk to us about issues in their communities. We usually ask residents to come to us, but now we are saying we’ll come to you. We’ve held road shows at Worlds End Estate and Henry Dickens Court so far, and through these we’ve seen higher attendance than similar events held previously. We are learning to change our approach to suit residents’ needs because that’s how we’ll achieve success and a better understanding of the needs of all our customers.

The road shows are part of a wider campaign called Get on board. We’ve worked hard to create something that will encourage all residents to be part of their housing service and show them that their voice can make a difference. The road shows are a way for us to get out into communities and meet our residents. We’re telling them about changes to our service that will affect them and pointing them to consultation opportunities to ensure they have a say. We’re also encouraging all residents to become KCTMO members and vote in our annual Board elections – or even stand for election themselves!

Residents have been involved in a range of focus groups, surveys and panels this year. They’ve designed five Local Offers they want us to achieve; asked for a review of our caretaking service which is about to begin; contributed to our Customer Services review including the possibility of extending our opening hours; redesigned the Link magazine; and made arrangements for our Residents’ Conference and involvement opportunities. We’re also beginning work on securing contracts to deliver our grounds maintenance service, and we are working with residents to choose providers for this.

We know that there is a great need to engage with younger residents in our borough, and we are working on an approach to link with other local organisations do this. We are really excited about developing opportunities for younger people, but we know that if we don’t do it right they will become disillusioned very quickly. We want to take the time to do it right and are working with Kensington Housing Trust’s Pathways to Progress team which provides mentoring, careers advice and generally positive and proactive life training. We feel that linking with other specialist organisations is our best way forward, as well as working with local groups to ensure they access funding available to them for youth projects.

Any secure tenant or homeowner who has had their property for more than two years, and is a KCTMO Member, can stand for election to our Board. All Board members usually serve for a three-year term of office. Elections are held annually and there is a nomination and voting process which includes Meet the Candidate events. KCTMO Members are eligible to vote in the elections and we encourage all Members to take an interest as the Board represents your voice at a strategic level. If you would like more information about our Board, click here.