Frequently asked questions
Q. When will I get my disturbance payment?
A. Once all work is completed and officially signed off by the site team, the Capital Programmes department will raise the request for the payment. It will automatically be credited to your rent account if you are in arrears. If you are up to date on your rent, the payment will be posted out in cheque format.
Q. How do I request my £50 gift cheque instead of blinds?
A. You can phone Derwentside Homes customer services or speak to your Tenant Liaison Officer.
Q. I don’t have a bank account; can I request that the gift cheque/disturbance payment is raised in another name?
A. Yes, however you will be required to write to the Capital Programmes department to request this. The letter should be signed by you and explain which name the cheque should be made out to.
Stacey Brown/Victoria Murphy
Capital Programmes Department
Derwentside Homes
Greengates House
Amos Drive
Greencroft Industrial Park
Stanley
Co. Durham
DH9 7YE
Q. Who should I contact out of hours if there is a problem whilst my house is being renovated?
A. If you ring Derwentside Homes you will be connected to the out of hours service.
Q. Will I have to leave my home during works?
A. The work can sometimes be very messy and noisy therefore if you are able to be out of the property during working hours it would be more comfortable. Derwentside Homes can assist in helping you find somewhere to go if you don’t have any friends/family.
Q. Can I upgrade the blinds that are offered to me?
A. Derwentside Homes offer blinds up to the value of £50. If the blinds you would like are more than £50, you will be required to pay the difference.
Q. What if my home is not on the current capital programme or I want to make a general enquiry about the programme?
A. Derwentside Homes are ahead of programme in delivering the majority of capital programme targets as promised in the first five years of the ‘Offer Document’. However all of promises made up to 2018 cannot be completed within the next three years. If you are not on the current programme and have not already had the work done then this means you have either had the work carried out or will be included in a future programme between 2013 and 2018. If you contact customer services on 0800 7839295 we will post out to you a customer query form for you to complete and send back to us in the pre paid envelope.
Q. If I am programmed for a new kitchen and bathroom will I get the option of a wet floor shower instead of a bath?
A. If you are having difficulty using a bath you can contact Derwentside Homes customer services on 0800 7839295. They will give you the telephone number of Durham County Council Social Services, who will then arrange to visit you, and ascertain if you are eligible for a wet floor shower. There is no guarantee that you will be referred for one but it will help us to provide a better service to you if we can identify early on as possible if this is required. If you are referred to us by Social Services we will then arrange to carry out the works they recommend.
If you are awaiting a referral when we contact you will be given the choice to either have the works carried out separately or wait until the full extent of the works has been confirmed by the Occupational Therapist and have all of the works carried out together.
Q. How is the capital programme prepared?
A. The capital programme is prepared using various criteria including the age and condition of individual elements such as kitchen units, bathroom fittings, doors and windows, the repair history of these elements, liaising with repairs and maintenance inspectors and feedback from tenants. The Capital Investment Customer Panel was involved in setting the criteria and also agreeing the final programme.
Q. Do Derwentside Homes have a good knowledge of their housing stock and what is still required to be done to bring them all up to the Derwentside Homes Standard?
A. Derwentside Homes have already completed a large programme of improvements to bring our housing stock up to the Derwentside Homes Standard. This work has been carefully logged on to our stock condition database. We have also undertaken stock condition surveys of a large proportion of our properties. We are confident that we have reliable information on the majority of our housing stock. It is our intention to commission surveys for the remaining stock to ensure that any future programmes are based on up to date and accurate information.
Q. Will all of the houses on the street be done as part of the capital programme?
A. The capital programme identifies streets where there is work required to some or all of the properties. In a lot of cases some of the houses in these streets will have been modernised when they were empty or done as part of major repair work.
Prior to starting work the surveyor will establish if work previously undertaken is up to the current Derwentside Homes Standard. If the work meets the current Derwentside Homes Standard then we will then omit these properties from the programme.
Q. What choices will I get?
A. You will be given a range of choices dependant on the type of work you are having done. These will all be explained to you at the choice event day or offered to you by your Tenant Liaison Officer (TLO) during a home visit.
Q. Should I check anything before the contractor leaves my home?
A. Yes. To avoid any inconvenience while the work is being carried out in your property please carry out the following checks at the end of each working day and before the workmen leave your home to ensure that:
- you have hot and cold water;
- the gas and electricity supplies are on;
- cookers, fridges, freezers, and automatic washers are put back and reconnected;
- windows and doors can be shut and locked.
If any of these are not to your satisfaction please tell the workmen and contact the site manager.
Q. I have received a letter from Derwentside Homes stating that the recent improvement works are now complete, but I still have some work not finished. What should I do?
A. You should contact Derwentside Homes on the direct telephone numbers given in the letter. We will then arrange with the contractor to complete any outstanding work.
Q. The work to my home was completed 9 months ago but I have noticed a problem with one of the installed items. What should I do?
A. You can telephone Derwentside Homes on 01207 524257 or 01207 524258 to notify us of any defects. We will also write out to you approximately 12 months after the work is completed asking you to fill in and return a defect inspection form in the pre paid envelope.
