Keeping Your Home Safe, Secure and Well Maintained

At Colchester Borough Homes (CBH), we use a blended service delivery model to ensure repairs are completed efficiently, safely and to a high standard.

Our priority is to deliver the right repair, by the right person, at the right time.

Our Direct Labour Team

Most day-to-day repairs are carried out by our in-house Repairs and Maintenance Team. These are our front line skilled CBH operatives who work directly for us and undertake a wide range of responsive repairs including:

• Plumbing repairs
• Carpentry and joinery
• General building repairs
• Minor electrical works
• Fencing and external repairs
• Routine property maintenance
  
  

Using an in-house team allows us to maintain quality, respond quickly and provide a consistent service to residents.

Supporting Contractors

At times, demand for repairs can increase due to seasonal pressures, severe weather, staff absence or periods of exceptionally high workload.

To maintain service standards and reduce waiting times, we work with carefully selected contractors who support our in-house workforce. These contractors help us manage peaks and troughs in demand and ensure residents continue to receive repairs within our target timescales.

Specialist Contractors

Some repairs require specialist skills, equipment, qualifications or accreditation.

Where this is the case, we use specialist contractors to undertake works such as:

• Asbestos surveys and removal
• Damp and mould investigations
• Specialist drainage works
• Metal fabrication and welding
• Specialist roofing works
• Structural investigations
• Complex plastering or finishing works
  
  

Using specialist contractors means that jobs requiring specialist expertise are carried out safely, correctly and to the required industry standards

Building Safety Services

Our Building Safety Team is responsible for ensuring homes remain safe and compliant with all relevant regulations.

In addition to delivering compliance programmes such as gas servicing, electrical safety and other statutory inspections, the team also undertakes repairs where specialist compliance knowledge is required.

Examples include:

• Electrical repairs
• Heating system repairs
• Water hygiene remedial works
• Passenger lift repairs
• Fire safety repairs
• Building safety related repairs
  
  

Asset Management Services

Our Asset Management Team is responsible for delivering planned investment and maintenance programmes that help keep homes safe, secure and in good condition. The team works closely with specialist contractors to deliver a range of improvement and maintenance activities, including:

• Kitchen and bathroom replacements
• Window and door replacement programmes
• Communal area improvements
• Energy efficiency and sustainability upgrades
• Disabled adaptations
• Cyclical maintenance programmes
  
  

By working with contractors, we help ensure that these programmes are delivered safely, efficiently and to the required quality standards, improving homes and neighbourhoods for the long term.

Working Together

Although different teams and contractors may be involved in repairing and maintaining your home, they all work as part of one CBH service, all our service providers will consider and adapt their service to cater for any special arrangements and/or your needs, when visiting and undertaking works.

This means that depending on the nature of the repair, you may see:

• A CBH operative,
• A contractor working on behalf of CBH, or
• A specialist engineer or surveyor.
  
  

Regardless of who attends, CBH remains responsible for managing the service, monitoring quality and ensuring repairs are completed safely and effectively.

Our aim is to provide a responsive, reliable and value-for-money repairs service that keeps your home safe, secure and in good condition.