Estate Services Service Standard

We are committed to ensuring our estates and communities are well-maintained, clean, and safe environments where residents feel proud to live. Our focus is on delivering high-quality estate services that promote safety, sustainability, and community well-being. By working together with residents and partners, we aim to create homes and shared spaces that are welcoming, accessible, and cared for, reflecting the importance of safe and well-maintained living conditions for everyone.   

Our Commitments

  • Provide a responsive cleaning service* to all communal areas throughout the city.

  • Carry out daily inspections of completed works, in line with the Photobook held on our website.  

  • Complete a daily health and safety check of all tower blocks to ensure they are safe, clean, and free from hazards.  

  • Complete monthly Team Leader inspections at 60 sites across the city, to ensure they meet or exceed Level B standards in line with the Photobook** held on our website. See the link at the bottom of this page for more information and examples.  

 

Cleaning and Caretaking  

  • Provide details of when your block was last cleaned and what was completed when requested by a resident.  

  • Inform you of the next scheduled cleaning visit when requested by a resident.  

  • Respond to responsive service requests within 24 hours.  

  • Respond to health and safety service requests within 2 hours during the day and within 4 hours out of hours.  

  • Attend Estate Walkabouts twice a year alongside your Tenancy & Support Services Officer.  

    • To check upcoming dates for Estate Walkabouts where you live, or to read the report and outcomes from your most recent Estate Walkabout, please click here: Estate Inspections | South Essex Homes

  • Report any repairs within communal areas at each visit to your block.  

  • Apply weed treatment to paths and parking areas once a year.  

 

Bulk Waste and Graffiti  

  • Remove fly-tipped rubbish within 5 working days of the first report.  

  • Remove offensive graffiti within 24 hours.  

  • Remove other graffiti within 3 working days.  

 

Abandoned Vehicles  

  • If requested, we will contact Essex Police to complete a PCN check. To do this, we will require a picture of the vehicle, including the number plate.  

  • We will write to the registered owner of the vehicle, giving them 14 days to remove it.  

  • If the vehicle remains abandoned on housing land, the case will be escalated and taken to court. Following this, we will arrange for the removal of the vehicle via our contractor.  

 

Logging a Service Request  

To request as service from the Estates Services Team, please see guidance below:  

  • All service requests should be raised through Customer Services. Please include as much detail as possible and attach photos where you can.  

    • Call us on 0800 833 160  

  • We aim to respond to all service requests within 3 working days .  

 

Making a Complaint  

If you are unhappy with the service you have received and wish to make a complaint, please see guidance below:  

  • To raise a complaint, contact our Complaints Team and provide as much detail as possible, including photos where you can.  

  • Call us on 0800 833 160  

 

 

* Responsive service means addressing issues or requests as they come up, rather than through planned or scheduled work. Examples include removing graffiti of an offensive nature, or responding to reports or concerns that pose a health and safety risk in a prompt manner to ensure residents safety.  

** Photobook is the benchmarking tool we use to document the work carried out on site by our Caretakers. It is also used by our Managers and Team Leaders to carry out inspections when checking the standard of work carried out by Caretakers. To view the Photobook guide please visit: https://southessexhomes.co.uk/download.cfm?doc=docm93jijm4n722.pdf&ver=415