Estate services - service standards

Cleaning and caretaking

What you can expect from us

To always be treated with fairness and respect. We will:

  • always be polite
  • give the name and job title of the person speaking or writing to you
  • carry a valid identity card and ask you to look at it when we arrive, without waiting to be asked to show it
  • be sure that the information we provide to you is accurate, and tell you if we are not sure about something 

To receive a caretaking and cleaning service where we:

  • provide a full clean to every block each week to maintain its cleanliness 
  • carry out a health and safety check of the communal areas in every block at each weekly visit, as part of this:
    • reporting identified repairs to our repairs contractor and following these up if they are not completed on time 
    • removing any hazards
  • replace faulty non-LED light bulbs within 48 hours of being reported or within 24 hours if there is a danger to the public (where safe to do so)
  • mop lifts and ground floor lobbies daily in every tower block with a lift 
  • clean communal windows of all blocks with less than 6 storeys yearly
  • deep clean concrete stairs in tower blocks yearly 
  • supplement the cleaning of external areas by Greener Ealing, where time allows. For example, by carrying out litter picking near buildings
  • clear reported fly tips within 7 days of the receipt of a report of these
  • schedule services to collect fly tips from known hot spots
  • publicise current cleaning schedules for each estate using electronic notice boards and online 
  • publicise contact details for Estate Services alongside cleaning schedules, using electronic noticeboards, in Housing News and online 
  • set out the cleaning service standards that residents can expect to receive in a Caretaking and Cleaning Handbook
  • train (and make sure our staff are accredited) to provide caretaking and cleaning services in line with British Institute of Cleaning Science guidelines
  • contact residents within 1 working day of the receipt of complaints to estate services
  • work with residents to monitor the performance of our caretaking and cleaning services, including those of our contractor, Greener Ealing, by attending meetings with:
    • residents’ association 
    • colleagues in other departments 
    • our contractors, Greener Ealing
  • work with safer communities and their enforcement teams to maximise resources and pinpoint areas of concern to enable targeted enforcement to be carried out on estates. For example, by using CCTV cameras to identify fly tippers and issue them with fixed penalty notices
  • support partnership working development with our waste and recycling team to make sure waste management best practice delivery on estates. Using this, for example, to:
    • ensure sufficient numbers of bins are provided
    • increase recycling on estates wherever possible

We will know when we are getting it right by:

  • improving the proportion of tenants:
    • with communal areas who report that they are satisfied that we keep communal areas clean and well maintained
    •  who report that they are satisfied that we make a positive contribution to the neighbourhood
  • keeping you updated about our performance, by working to ensure:
    • 90% of blocks are cleaned weekly
    • 100% of communal area health and safety checks in blocks are carried out weekly
    • 100% of communal windows in blocks (with less than 6 storeys) are cleaned yearly
    • 100% of concrete stairs in tower blocks are cleaned yearly
    • 90% of fly-tips are removed within 7 days of being reported (unless specialist contractors are needed)