scrutiny panel gas safety final report 19 june

Internal Affairs for

Adactus500 Scrutiny Panel

Gas Safety: Final Report

19 June 2015

Shehnaz Akhtar

Internal Affairs for Adactus500 Scrutiny Panel

Scrutiny Review: Gas Safety

Final Report

The Project

Business Plan Key Risk: Tenant injury or death due to a gas leak (as a result of non compliance of

landlord gas servicing responsibilities).

Background

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 places a statutory duty on landlords of

residential properties to:

• Ensure that all gas appliances, pipework and flues they own are maintained in a safe

condition.

• Carry out an annual gas safety check on every gas appliance/flue they provide.

• Keep copies of the gas safety record for two years and provide an up to date copy to the

tenant.

What we wanted to know

• How are tenants safeguarded against the risk of injury or death due to a gas related

incident?

• Does the Group comply with gas safety regulations?

• Does the Group have arrangements in place for the monitoring of gas related services?

What we looked at

• Arrangements for carrying out annual gas safety checks

• Effectiveness of the ‘No Access’ procedure

• The process for capping/uncapping gas at void properties

• How reports of a gas leak/repairs are dealt with

• Whether all gas related work is carried out by competent skilled employees.

• How performance of gas engineers is monitored.

• The results of an Adactus500 survey commissioned by the scrutiny panel on gas safety

checks

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What we found

1. Access for Annual Gas Servicing

a. Arranging access

• Gas safety checks are carried out annually on approximately 10,300 of the Group’s

properties; the majority of these are the Group’s own properties and others are where the

Group is acting as the managing agent but is still legally bound to carry out the checks.

• The Group aims to carry out a gas safety check within twelve months of the previous one. In

order to do this, the procedure to gain access to properties to enable a gas safety check to

be carried out within the required twelve month period is started around month eleven. In

In the last financial year, April 2014 to March 2015, 85% of first time access was achieved. In

previous years first time access was in the region of 70% however, new procedures were

introduced in 2014 which now involves contacting each tenant the evening before their

appointment was scheduled and a further phone call by the operative, shortly before he is

due to arrive.

• The service programme is commenced by running off a report from the housing

management database (QL) which identifies the component ‘gas service’ and this produces

a list of all the addresses that are coming up for a service based on the date of the previous

gas safety check.

• For properties where access has been difficult and resulted in legal action, the service

programme is brought forward and attempts for access are started ten months after the last

service date.

• A gas safety check is also carried out at properties where the gas supply has been capped off

for example, at one of the Group’s long term void properties.

• The system then automatically generates a pre-populated letter for each address giving the

tenant a fixed appointment date and time slot seven days from the date of the letter and

the option to re-arrange the appointment if the date is not convenient.

• In addition to the letter and in cases where a tenant’s mobile number is available a text

message is automatically generated by the system informing the tenant of the appointment

time and date.

• Tenants are offered an ‘out of hours’ appointment on Saturday mornings in cases where

their work commitments prevent a gas safety check during normal working hours.

• Once a gas safety check has been completed and the date of the check recorded on the

system, the next service due date is automatically generated.

• The Gas Safety Record (CP12) is completed electronically using a hand held portable device

(PDA) that transmits information into a database that automatically stores the certificate.

• A copy of the gas safety certificate is posted to the tenant within twenty-eight days of the

gas safety check. A review revealed that gas safety certificates are posted out on a daily

basis for checks completed the previous day. The certificate is issued in English however, a

covering letter in alternative languages could be provided if requested.

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b. Procedure for Access

• If access to the property is not gained after sending out the first appointment letter (giving

seven days notice), then the following procedure is followed:

o An Urgent Notice card is left at the property requesting the tenant to contact the

office and make an appointment.

o Letter 2 - is sent which gives a ‘timed appointment’ (giving seven days notice) and

informs the tenant that legal proceedings will be commenced if they fail to allow

access.

o A ‘Final Warning Notice’ is left at the property if there is still no access.

o A Solicitor’s warning letter is sent advising the tenant that unless they make contact

within seven days, legal action will commence.

o Legal Action is commenced if the tenant fails to respond.

o Where tenants refuse to co-operate, then a court injunction is applied through the

courts to order the tenant to allow entry to the property.

• Tenants are presented with five points of communication in order to gain access before an

injunction is applied for.

• A review was carried out on a sample of twenty properties to determine if a current Gas

Safety Record was in place. It revealed that all had a valid Gas Safety Record completed

within the last twelve months. Records showed twelve were completed at the first

appointment, two on the second appointment and one on re-let. With regards to the other

five, the gas certificate date did not match the appointment therefore this could be due to

the tenant rearranging the appointment. The gas Administration Officer explained that

generally all communication is logged by them however, if members of staff other than the

gas service administration team take a telephone call requesting a change of appointment

the details may be logged in another location.

• An incentive is offered to tenants to facilitate a gas service to be carried out at first

appointment. Tenants are entered into a monthly prize draw in which they can win a £50

voucher. The process starts by compiling a list with details of properties with a gas safety

check completed at first visit within the relevant month. A tenant is then selected randomly

by the Gas Administration Manager. The £50 retail voucher is posted to the winning tenant

by recorded delivery which includes an acceptance form requesting the tenant to sign and

return confirming receipt. A review revealed that in the last financial year, eight of the

twelve winning tenants had confirmed receipt.

• Management did consider charging tenants for missed gas service appointments however it

was decided not to implement this as it could lead to access issues in the future.

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c. Rearranging appointments

• Tenants are provided with a dedicated twenty-four hour telephone line to facilitate them to

rearrange gas appointments. The line is operated by the gas service administration team

which transfers to an answer machine during closed office hours. Tenants who contact the

main switchboard number are transferred to the gas service administration team.

• Adactus will not cancel a gas service appointment however; there may be situations where

it is necessary to rearrange it for example, if the gas engineer has been delayed at another

property due to a gas leak. In these circumstances the gas service administration team will

telephone the tenant to apologise and advise them of the new appointment date.

• The gas service administration team establish and maintain a schedule of servicing for new

build properties so they can be serviced on the same day. The vehicle tracking system is

utilised to enable better planning and scheduling in order to minimise travel time and

maximise productivity. Appointments are booked for the same day dependent on the

number of properties. They are only rearranged if the original date is not convenient for the

tenant.

d. Adactus500 survey results

• An Adactus500 survey was carried out in January 2015 to establish the most effective way of

scheduling gas appointments and to ensure appointments are accessible and convenient for

tenants. The results produced ten actions. A review revealed most of them had been

completed:

1. Introduce twenty-four hour telephone access for rearranging a gas appointment.

� An answer machine is available for out of office hours calls as well as a

dedicated email address for arranging appointments.

2. Introduce text facility so that tenants can easily let us know their appointment needs

changing – prompting a call back within working hours.

� A text facility has been introduced; text messages are received directly into

the Gas email inbox.

3. Introduce a third appointment slot between 10am and 2pm.

� The 10am – 2pm appointment has always been utilised although is not

publicised on the first appointment letter. This slot is offered if a morning or

afternoon appointment is not convenient to the tenant.

4. Publicise weekend appointments in the letter.

� Although not published in the appointment letter, it was publicised in the

latest (Winter/Spring 2015) inhouse magazine that tenants and will also be

offered a Saturday visit if the first appointment is not convenient.

5. Amend the appointment letter to reflect all of the above. Also choose wording that

is more likely to attract a positive response.

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� The appointment letter was revised in January 2015 however; it does not

contain details of the availability of Saturday morning, or 10 am – 2pm

appointments.

6. Publicise gas servicing and access arrangements in local offices.

� This action is still outstanding.

7. Reiterate to engineers the importance of calling tenants prior to travelling to the

property.

� A text message is sent when an appointment is booked and also on the

morning of the appointment. The gas engineer will also send a text message

and telephone the tenant to say he/she is on the way to the property.

8. Explore the possibility of logging tenants preferred availability for reference when

booking future appointments.

� Consideration was given to this however it was recognised that tenant

preferences can change over time.

9. Change the confirmation text for an appointment to be specific to a gas service.

� The current system will not allow a text to distinguish between a gas service

or repair appointment.

10. Target tenants who regularly fail to provide access - Target these with outbound calls

prior to sending appointment letters.

� The access process for tenants who regularly fail to provide access is started

earlier around month ten. The appointment letter is followed up by a

telephone call and a text message reminder.

e. Injunctions

• Failure to make contact within seven days of the solicitor’s warning letter results in legal

action. An application for an injunction to allow entry to the property is made to the courts.

All relevant documentation such as appointment letters and no access notices are passed to

the solicitor. In the meantime, a second timed appointment letter is sent to the tenant to

continue to gain access. If access is gained after this point, legal action will continue so that

an injunction is awarded which can be used in later years.

• In extreme cases the association can apply for possession of the property in order to carry

out the safety check, or as a last resort, have the tenant committed to prison for contempt

of court if they refuse to vacate or allow entry. This action has not been taken as the

injunction has sufficed to gain entry.

• Once an injunction is obtained, a ‘forced entry letter’ is hand delivered to the tenant with a

copy of the injunction to allow access within three days. It contains details of a timed

appointment to carry out the service. The actual appointment is attended by the Tenancy

Matters Officer, a gas engineer, and a joiner in case a forced entry is necessary and the locks

require changing.

• A review revealed sixteen injunctions to gain entry were obtained between 1 April 2014 and

31 March 2015 in cases where tenants had failed to allow access. The injunction is generally

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valid for the duration of the tenancy and costs between £600 and £700 that is rechargeable

to the tenant. A check revealed that a gas safety check had been completed in all sixteen

properties following the injunction.

• A review revealed the most common reasons why tenants deny access are rent arrears, anti

social behaviour issues, or the poor condition of the property. Others are where tenants are

away from their properties for long periods without notice, vulnerability of tenants (elderly,

frail or have mental health issues), work commitments outside of the region, language

difficulties, abandonment, hospitalisation, or death.

• Costs for gas safety check injunctions include standard solicitor fees, court costs which vary

between Manchester (£315) and other areas (£284), and transport costs that can vary

depending on the distance covered by solicitors.

• A review revealed that court costs had not been recharged to the sixteen tenants for whom

an injunction was obtained. The Voids & Lettings Manager advised that costs are not

recharged at this present time.

f. Tenants own appliances

• It is not the landlord’s responsibility to have the tenant’s own appliances tested – these are

defined as those appliances which the tenant is entitled to take away upon terminating the

tenancy. It is the responsibility of the tenant to arrange any service and maintenance to be

carried out by a registered Gas Safe engineer. However, the Group does still have a

responsibility to visually inspect the appliance during the course of an annual gas service

inspection at a property. A review of twenty gas safety check certificates revealed fourteen

properties contained tenant owned appliances, for example a cooker or hob, and they had

all been visually inspected.

• Adactus does not recommend use of Calor gas heaters and would not have any control over

the safety of their use. If during an inspection this type of appliance is seen then it will be

noted on the certificate. The relevant line manager will write to the tenant and ask them to

remove the unit from the property. If there were obvious defects such as burn marks or soot

then the tenant would be advised the appliance is unsafe and a warning notice issued.

There has not been any sighting of these types of appliances.

• In the event that a gas engineer discovers an unsafe gas appliance, they have a duty to make

the installation safe and inform the tenant. The practice is to cap off the gas, attach a

warning label to the appliance, and issue the tenant with a warning/advice notice report.

The warning notice prioritises the risk as ‘at risk’ or ‘immediately dangerous’.

• A review revealed 325 warning/advice notice reports had been issued between 1 October

2014 and 11 May 2015:

o 173 were prioritised as ‘immediately dangerous’ (44 were tenants own appliances, 94

relate to Adactus owned, 11 were supplier responsibility (meter), and 24 had not been

categorised as tenant, Adactus, or supplier)

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o 150 were classed as ‘at risk’ (54 were tenants own appliances, 55 were Adactus owned,

19 were supplier responsibility, and 22 had not been categorised as tenant, Adactus or

supplier).

o 2 Adactus appliances were classed as ‘gas near miss’.

• The tenant owned appliances were mainly cookers (115) and gas fire (9). The review revealed

the most common faults that caused tenant appliance to be condemned are:

o Control knobs missing from the cooker/hob

o Burners missing on cooker/hob

o Safety device on cooker/hob not working

o Door broken on cooker

o Gas escaping from cooker

o Faulty controls or burners

o Drop down lid on cooker not isolating burner

o Burner producing carbon monoxide

o Hose on bayonet not secure

o Signs of distress due to lack of maintenance

• A review of Adactus owned condemned appliances (boiler/gas fire) revealed the common

causes were:

o Faulty flue/corrosion (due to age)

o Deterioration of appliance

o Manufacturer fault/recall

o Third party damage

o Natural wear and tear

o Alteration to building (for example a new extractor fan)

g. Spot checks

• A spot check was done shadowing a gas engineer carrying out gas safety checks in six

properties, it revealed the following:

o In two cases access could not be gained therefore a ‘no access’ card was left at the

property.

o In the other four cases the gas engineer introduced himself and explained the

purpose of the visit.

o In one case it was discovered that the gas supply had been capped by the supplier,

the tenant explained it was in order to save money over the summer period. The

tenant was advised although they were not using gas a standing charge is still

payable for having a meter; the tenant was not aware of this.

o In all four cases the tenant owned appliance (a cooker) was visually inspected. One

tenant’s cooker was condemned as unsafe (the oven door did not close and was

being propped up by a chair to keep it closed). It was explained to the tenant that the

appliance was dangerous therefore it was necessary to cap the gas supply. A label

was placed on the appliance stating it was dangerous and the tenant was issued with

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a Warning/Advice Notice Report that they were asked to sign. The tenant was

advised what would happen next.

o Tenants were not asked if they had any other gas appliances.

o In all four cases a gas safety label advising emergency numbers was available on the

gas meter.

o Although tenants were not offered advice on how to use their heating controls

efficiently, for example by reducing the temperature by one degree (energy

efficiency), it is included in the service (appointment) letter.

h. Failure to carry out gas safety checks

• It is a legal requirement to ensure that all gas appliances, pipework and flues owned by the

Group are maintained in a safe condition. Failure to do so can result in serious

consequences such as legal action following injury or death resulting in a hefty fine and/or

imprisonment.

• The housing regulator, Home & Communities Agency, can reprimand housing associations,

and can exercise their powers to issue an enforcement notice or make a statutory

appointment. They can also consider whether the case raises concerns about the

organisation’s governance.

• Research has shown that the following housing associations have been downgraded, fined,

or had their governance questioned by the regulator:

o Your Housing Group – 32,000 properties across the North West, Yorkshire and

Midlands – failed to carry out gas safety checks on around sixty properties.

o Severn Vale Housing Society, Gloucestershire - had a number gas safety certificates

(CP12s) that had been expired for several years.

o Yorkshire Housing - had a number of CP12s out of date.

o Gallions Housing Association, Thamesmead, London – for exposing tenants to gas

safety risks.

o Guinness Partnership, Nationwide – downgraded for exposing tenants to gas safety

risks.

o First Wessex, Hampshire – for missed gas safety checks.

o Merlin Housing Society, South West – for missed gas safety checks.

2. Void Property Gas Capping

a. Capping gas supply

• When tenants vacate premises, the landlord has a duty to ensure that gas

fittings/appliances are safe before re-letting the property. Tenants may have removed

appliances unsafely, for example leaving open-ended pipes, failing to shut off the

emergency control valve, or left their unsafe appliances in place.

• Once a property becomes vacant and keys are handed in, the Voids & Lettings team raises a

job order in order to have the gas supply capped off within twenty four hours. A review of a

sample of fifteen properties that became void in May 2015 revealed in all cases the gas had

been capped off. It was difficult to confirm that capping took place within twenty four

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hours of the keys handed in as the keys could be returned at Turner House, Baker House or

Chorley Community Housing. In some instances they are placed through the letterbox

without any identification.

• A review revealed that gas was capped on average one day before the tenancy end date.

b. Uncapping gas supply after a re-let

• It is the new tenants’ responsibility to arrange a gas supplier of their choice and inform them

of the date they are taking over the supply. Once this has been organised and Adactus has

been informed, an order is raised for a gas engineer to uncap the gas supply within three

working days. A review of ten properties re-let in May 2015 revealed in most cases (seven)

the gas supply had been uncapped within the three day timescale and three had missed the

target by one day.

c. Long term voids gas check

• When a property is not tenanted it is not subject to ‘landlord duties’ Gas Regulations and

does not legally require an annual safety check however, it does have to be certified safe

before it is tenanted. Adactus does carry out a gas safety check on these types of properties

to ensure they remain safe. In cases where properties are awaiting demolition all utility

services to these properties is completely disconnected in preparation for demolition.

3. Raising Tenant Awareness

• The tenancy sign-up checklist prompts Letting Officers to explain the important of the gas

safety checks and allowing access to complete them. There is a box on the sign-up checklist

which states “annual gas safety check explained” for the Letting Officer to indicate they

have explained this to the tenant.

• New tenants are provided with an information pack. A review revealed a gas and electricity

leaflet provides tenants with general information on meter cards and suppliers however; it

does not inform them of the consequences of not registering their details with the supplier

(inheriting the previous tenant’s debt).

• The information pack contains a ‘Quick Start Guide’ that provides details of contact

numbers, tenancy agreement matters, home (repair obligations) and neighbourhood

matters (anti-social behaviour). A review revealed the importance of gas safety checks was

not prominent, it was displayed in ‘your home’ section that states “You will be charged for

repair work we do that you are responsible for or that you have caused through damage.

We have a legal responsibility to service our gas installations in your property. You must

allow us into your home to do this every year. In some circumstances you may be entitled

to compensation if we fail to undertake repairs or if you make improvements to your home

and then leave.”

• In the winter/spring inhouse magazine 2015, a full page was dedicated to gas safety. It

contains details of the £50 incentive to allow first time access, availability of Saturday

morning appointments, telephone number for the dedicated gas service team, information

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on why the Group has decided to refuse all resident requests to install a log burner,

symptoms and dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, and emergency action to take in the

event of a leak/smell of gas. Previous editions of the inhouse magazine have featured

articles on gas safety such as; introducing the gas compliance team and their role (around

2014), and tenant owned appliances.

• Adactus’ website has a section that explains the importance of annual gas servicing,

responsibilities of landlord and tenant, and gives advice on emergency action to take in

relation to gas leaks.

4. Gas repairs/leaks

• A review of the contact centre script showed that the advice provided to a tenant who

contacts the contact centre to report the smell of gas/fumes is for them to immediately

contact National Grid Gas Emergencies on 0800 111 999. The tenant is advised to open

doors and windows to let in air, make sure that all gas appliances are turned off, turn off the

gas at the mains, not to switch on or off the lights, and to avoid using other electrical

switches and appliances. They are also advised not to smoke, light a match or any other

naked flame.

• With regards to vulnerable tenants, contact centre staff will assist in whatever way possible

for example, if the tenant is unable to switch off the gas supply themselves or ask someone

else to do it, then staff will send the nearest operative in the area to ensure the safety of the

tenant.

• If the tenant refuses to contact National Grid then the staff member is required to

telephone National Grid immediately on their behalf and provide them with information

they require.

• If the caller is not the tenant (they may be a neighbour or passer by) then contact centre

staff are required to immediately telephone National Grid and provide them with

information they require and also try to contact the tenant to advise them what has been

done.

• A review revealed there had been five incidents of tenant reported gas leaks/smell of gas

between 1 April 2014 and 31 May 2015 of which only one was an actual leak.

• Thirteen incidents of gas leak/smell were identified by gas engineers while carrying out

repair work at void properties, for example:

o Tenant had removed the cooker but not isolated the gas point.

o Tenant removed gas fire but left the pipe uncapped.

o Cooker was identified as immediately dangerous but the tenant would not allow it to

be capped – National Grid attended and capped the gas.

o Tenant removed cooker and left an open end which was leaking gas – National Grid

attended and capped the gas.

• Adactus is currently in the process of installing carbon monoxide detectors in their

properties and have them tested as part of the annual gas safety check.

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5. Gas Installations

a. Competency of gas engineers

• The group employs seventeen gas engineers to carry out gas repairs and servicing. Gas

engineers are required to follow the Nationally Accredited Certification Scheme (ACS) that is

the industry recognised and accepted route for operatives to gain a certificate of

competence needed to become a member of the Gas Safe Register. The ACS covers all

areas of gas work including domestic appliances, liquid petroleum gas, meter installation

and emergency service provision. Without registration, gas engineers are not permitted to

carry out their role.

• A review was carried out to ensure the gas engineers are qualified and registered with Gas

Safe. It revealed all seventeen gas engineers were registered on the Gas Safe Register with

details of their qualifications and the work they can do for example, pipework, combustion

analysis, gas boiler, water heater, and meters.

• Compliance with the Register is managed by the Gas Compliance Manager. A review

revealed that records are maintained to ensure that gas engineers’ registration with Gas

Safe is updated annually and refresher courses are provided on a timely basis to ensure their

qualification, skills and knowledge of legislation is kept up to date.

• The Gas Compliance Manager’s role is dedicated to checking the quality of work of gas

engineers and contractors that do gas work (servicing, repairs and new installations). An

inhouse gas auditor carries out site inspections to ensure that gas work is compliant,

reasonable and safe, and publishes a report of findings and recommendations each month.

In addition, External consultant NICEIC performs a detailed monthly audit focusing on the

performance of gas engineers. A monthly gas managers meeting is held specifically to

tackle issues raised in these reports.

b. Disclosure and Barring Service Checks

• The Group’s policy is to ensure that any new member of staff joining Asset Management

who may come into contact with children or vulnerable adults should complete a Standard

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) prior to commencing their role and that a re-check

should be carried out on a three yearly cycle to ensure the continued suitability of staff for

their role. The process for DBS checking and the level of checks available changed in 2014;

there was a period when only Enhanced DBS checks were being completed. Therefore, HR is

requesting all current employees who have not completed a DBS within the last three years

to return information so the backlog can be cleared.

• A review was carried out to ensure that a DBS check existed for all seventeen gas engineers;

it revealed that fourteen had a valid DBS in place, one was in the process of being renewed,

one expired in 2013, and one did not have one. Before the interim report was issued, HR

had contacted the two gas engineers with an outstanding DBS check to request them for

information in order to process their application.

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c. New installations/Upgrades

• The Group no longer installs gas fires. Gas fires that are defective at annual gas service or

during a responsive repair are replaced with an electric fire suite.

• The heating replacement programme targets gas fires/back boilers and these are replaced

with a gas condensing combi boiler and electric fire. A review revealed 285 new boiler

upgrades were completed between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015.

• A review of ten gas boiler installations completed in March 2015 revealed in five cases the

tenants had reported a repair. Most of the reported issues related to no heating/water, and

one for a noisy boiler.

d. Customer satisfaction

•••• Following a gas safety check the tenant will receive an automated telephone call in order for

them to complete a customer satisfaction survey. If they do not respond to the call a text

message is sent giving them the opportunity to respond. A review of a recent satisfaction

survey carried out between 2 February and 12 June 2015 revealed that 287 tenants were

contacted of which 108 responded. Of those, 107 (99%) were satisfied with the gas service

and only one dissatisfied.

e. Identity Badge/braille

•••• Photo identity cards are produced inhouse using an ID card printing machine; however it is

incapable of printing braille. Research has shown that other housing associations use a

system whereby a code word is used to enable those with impaired vision to identify the

identity of the caller.

6. Additional information

• A prepayment meter permits the tenant to pay for energy before they use it. The tenant

should ensure they purchase credit for their meter using their own programmed payment

card to ensure that the money is credited to their account. If a card is used from a previous

supplier the money paid may not be credited to the correct account, or may result in the

wrong rate being applied and payment being made to the wrong supplier. A new card will

ensure any debt left on the meter by the previous tenant is not charged to the new tenant.

• The Gas Supplier is responsible for the gas meter. If, during any gas work, a gas engineer

suspects that a meter has been tampered with then the correct course of action would be to

report this to the gas supplier in order for them to take necessary action. Where an unsafe

situation is encountered in relation to the gas meter, this is reported to the Emergency

Service Provider (ESP) (usually National Grid). The installation will be made safe by the

Group’s gas engineer and reinstated by the ESP when safe to do so. A review showed only

two reports of tampered meters had been made between 1 April 2014 and 11 May 2015.

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What we liked:

•••• 85% of first time access was achieved to carry out a gas safety check.

•••• Gas engineers are qualified and Gas Safe registered.

•••• Tenants are offered out of hours appointments on Saturday mornings in cases where work

commitments prevent a gas safety check during normal working hours.

•••• Tenants are offered a choice of a third appointment slot between 10 am to 2pm.

•••• Tenants are presented with five points of communication before commencing legal action

to gain access.

•••• The next service date is automatically generated following a gas safety check.

•••• Tenants are offered an incentive to encourage first time access to facilitate a gas safety

check.

•••• The gas service programme is brought forward and attempts for access started in month ten

of the last service date for properties where access has been difficult in the past.

•••• A vehicle tracking system is utilised to enable better planning and scheduling of

appointments.

•••• Visual inspection of tenant owned appliances is carried out thus identifying unsafe

appliances that are a risk to the tenant.

•••• Injunctions are for the lifetime of the tenancy.

•••• Tenants are sent a text message/call to advise them the gas engineer is on the way.

•••• Gas engineers explained to the tenant the purpose of their visit at a gas safety check

appointment.

•••• Advice given to tenant regarding standing charges to meters.

•••• Contact centre script for providing advice to callers reporting a smell of gas.

•••• Monitoring arrangements for ensuring gas engineers registration with Gas Safe Register,

qualifications, training, and knowledge of legislation is kept up to date

•••• Disclosure Barring Service checks are carried out on gas engineers to ensure vulnerable

adults and children they may come into contact with are safeguarded.

•••• Publications relating to gas in the inhouse magazine and Adactus website.

•••• Proposal to implement carbon monoxide detectors and include them in the annual gas

service.

•••• Customer satisfaction is 99% (of tenants that responded to a gas service survey).

What concerned us?

• Court costs for attaining injunctions are not recharged to tenants.

• No central register for logging returned keys.

• Delay in uncapping gas for a few new tenants.

• Outstanding DBS checks for two gas engineers.

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Recommendations

1. Reword the appointment letter so tenants be advised they are responsible for the servicing

of any gas appliance (gas fire/cooker/hob etc.) they own.

2. Publicise availability of the 10am - 2pm time slot in the appointment letter.

3. Consider introducing an online booking system to allow tenants to rearrange their gas

service appointment.

4. Ensure court costs incurred in obtaining an injunction to allow access are recharged to the

tenant and payment is collected.

5. Introduce a centralised system to facilitate staff at all area offices to log returned keys in one

register.

6. Ensure gas is uncapped within timescales.

7. Amend the gas and electricity leaflet to inform new tenants of the importance of registering

their details with the supplier and consequences of not doing so (inheriting a debt).

8. Update the ‘Quick Start Guide’ to prominently display the gas service and access procedure.

9. Introduce a system that is unique to a visually impaired tenant to enable them to identify

the identity of gas engineers/staff.

10. Publicise the importance of labelling keys with a name/address when returning them to

Adactus.

Shehnaz Akhtar


Appendix

Staff Interviews

The following interviews were carried out with staff:

Name Role Date

interviewed

Topics covered

Ivan Meredith Gas Compliance Manager 8/4/15,

11/6/15

Gas Servicing procedure

Compliance

Gas Safe Registration

Qualifications/Training

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Information videos

Tenant owned appliances

Lorraine Newton Gas Administration Manager 24/4/15,

8/5/15,

11/6/15

Access procedure

‘No Access’ procedure

Injunctions

Prize Draw

Lloyd Stephenson Performance Manager 11/5/15 Gas Leaks

Warning Notices

Meters

Recharges

Dean Wall Voids & Lettings Manager 11/5/15,

11/6/15

Gas Capping/Uncapping of

Void properties

Injunctions

Court Costs/Recharges

Lynsey Hooper Contact Centre Manager –

Repairs

11/5/15 Contact Centre Scripts for

gas leaks/smell of gas

Pat Carr Gas Administration Officer 18/5/15 Injunctions

Database

Matt George Operations Director Asset

Management

11/6/15 Recharge for missed

appointments

Saturday appointments

Heather Taylor Research & Performance

Officer

15/6/15 Gas service satisfaction

survey

Elijah Nyimbili Tenancy Matters Officer 17/6/15 Court costs

Injunction

Shehnaz Akhtar


1. CP12 Spot check

What we wanted to check

We wanted to determine if valid Gas Safety Certificate existed for each of the addresses in the

sample, and to check that tenant owned appliances were detailed within the gas component on QL

database.

What we looked at

We obtained a report detailing the addresses of all the Group’s properties with a gas supply. A

sample of twenty properties was randomly selected for testing. Copies of the gas safety record

(CP12) were requested from the gas service administration team. A check was made on QL

database to determine if the gas component on QL contained details of tenants own appliances.

What this means

Gas safety checks are being completed within twelve months of the last service date and the CP12s

are held in the database for each property. QL database is updated with details of tenants own

appliances where applicable.

2. Gas Service Procedure Spot check


We wanted to determine if the gas safety checks were completed at first visit and if each stage of

the process was logged on QL database.

What we looked at

We accessed the gas component within QL in order to view the appointment date and to establish

if each stage of the process was logged for properties that did not have a gas service at first visit. It

revealed twelve properties had a gas service completed at first visit, two were left with urgent

notices, and one had the gas capped. With regard to the other five the certificate date did not

match the appointment date and notes were not available on the system to show that the tenant

had rearranged the appointment:

Address Service Date Appointment

Date

First

Appointment

System Notes

Abbeywood Avenue 27/11/14 18/11/14 No No notes

Dovestone Walk 13/08/14 23/07/14 No No notes

Friendship Avenue 21/10/14 15/10/14 No No notes

Oulton Close 09/01/15 08/01/14 No No notes

Thyme Close 13/06/14 20/05/14 No No notes

Shehnaz Akhtar


What this means

All effort is made to ensure that a gas service is carried out within the twelve month of the last one.

Each stage of the process is logged however, where members of staff other than the gas service

administration team take a telephone call requesting a change of appointment the details are not

logged in the gas component on QL. If however, the rearranged appointment is not kept then a ‘no

access’ card is left at the property and details logged on QL database.

3. Injunctions Spot check


We wanted to check if a gas service had been completed following legal proceedings (injunction)

where tenants had failed to allow access.

What we looked at

We accessed the file containing court orders; it revealed sixteen injunctions were attained between

1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015. A check was made on QL database to ensure that a gas service

had been completed for each address following the injunction.

What this means

All reasonable steps are taken to ensure that a gas service is completed within the twelve month

timescale; tenants are provided with adequate advance written notice of the impending gas safety

check on their property. Where difficulty is experienced in gaining access, after being presented

with five points of communication, then legal action is taken to ensure that the gas check is carried

out as soon as possible. The injunction usually lasts for the lifetime of the tenancy to avoid the

same situation arising again at the next service date.

4. Condemned Appliances Spot check


We wanted to know the number of tenant owned appliances condemned as unsafe during a gas

service completed between 1 October 2014 and 11 May 2015.

What we looked at

We requested a copy of the ‘Warning Notice’ spreadsheet maintained by the Gas Performance

Manager. We filtered this to show properties with tenant owned appliances. A further filter was

applied to determine the cause for the appliances to be condemned; it revealed it was mainly

cookers that had safety issues for example, missing controls.

Shehnaz Akhtar


What this means

Adactus takes the matter of gas safety seriously. Although the Group is not legally required to carry

out gas safety checks on tenant owned appliances, a visual check is carried out. This has resulted in

identifying 124 unsafe appliances between 1 October 2014 and 11 May 2015; it highlights the

importance of this check.

5. Gas Service Spot Check


− We wanted to know if the access procedure was followed

− If gas engineers were polite and courteous

− If gas engineers explained the purpose of their visit

− If the process for unsafe appliances was followed

− If smoke alarms were checked

What we looked at

We spot checked a gas engineer carrying out a gas service at six properties. An Urgent Notice card

was left at two properties where it was not possible to gain access; the other four were as follows:

Checks Property 1 Property 2 Property 3 Property 4

Introduction Yes Yes Yes Yes

Explained purpose of visit Yes Yes Yes Yes

Asked if other gas appliances at

property

No No No No

Tenant owned appliances

checked

Yes Yes Yes Yes

Appliance type Cooker N/A (gas

capped)

Cooker Cooker

Appliance condemned No No No No

Explanation for condemning N/A N/A N/A N/A

Warning/Advice Report

provided to tenant

N/A N/A N/A N/A

Shehnaz Akhtar


Advised what would happen

next

N/A N/A N/A N/A

Label on meter advising

emergency numbers

Yes Yes Yes Yes

Advise given on heating settings No No No No

Smoke alarms checked Yes Yes Yes

(batteries

replaced)

Yes

What this means

Overall the gas engineer was found to be courteous, informative and very knowledgeable about

their service area. Tenants felt confident enough to leave the operative alone to carry out the

service. Smoke alarms were checked and in one case the batteries were replaced where they had

been removed by the tenant.

6. Staff Competency Spot Check


We wanted to ensure that gas engineers are qualified and registered with Gas Safe in order to fulfil

their role.

What we looked at

We requested a copy of the qualification tracking spreadsheet maintained by the Gas Compliance

Manager that contains details of the gas engineers’ names, their Gas Safe registration number,

qualifications and training. We accessed the Gas Safe Register and checked all seventeen gas

servicing engineers’ registration.

What this means

Gas engineers’ qualifications, training, and registration with Gas Safe is monitored and updated

annually with refresher courses provided on a timely basis to ensure their qualifications, skills and

knowledge of legislation is kept up to date.

7. Uncapping Gas supply after re-let Spot Check


We wanted to ensure that the gas supply was uncapped within the three day timescale after a

property was re-let.

Shehnaz Akhtar


What we looked at

We requested details of properties re-let in May 2015. A random sample of ten properties was

selected and QL was accessed. A check was made on the system in order to establish the date the

gas was uncapped.

What this means

In most cases gas is uncapped within the three working day timescale. Four tenants experienced a

delay in having their gas supply uncapped:

Address Tenancy start date Gas uncap date Within 3 working days?

Broadfield Road 4/5/15 1/5/15 Yes

Welwyn Walk 4/5/15 5/5/15 Yes

Riverside Crescent 5/5/15 6/5/15 Yes

Doctors Lane 16/5/15 21/5/15 No

Padstow Street 18/5/15 18/5/15 Yes

Nottingham Place 18/5/15 22/5/15 No

Curzon Street 22/5/15 26/5/15 Yes

Sefton Street 25/5/15 1/6/15 No

Finch Lane 28/5/15 4/6/15 No

Cox way 1/6/15 4/6/15 Yes

8. Follow-on repair Spot Check


We wanted to check if a new gas installation resulted in follow-on repairs.

What we looked at

We requested Asset Management to provide details of gas component replacements completed

between 1 January and 31 May 2015. We selected a random sample of ten properties and checked

QL repair order system to determine if repairs orders were raised after the new gas installation.

What this means

Fifty per cent of the sample of new installations required a follow up repair for loss of

heating/water causing inconvenience to the tenant:

Shehnaz Akhtar


Address Installation

date

Repair order

number

Repair details System Notes

Archer Place 10/3/15 n/a

Playfair Street 31/3/15 n/a

Foxdenton 13/3/15 1122731 No heating/hot water n/a

Hunters Road 13/3/15 1123971 Noisy boiler Balanced vents

Crondall Street 17/3/15 1133033 No heating n/a

Wray Gardens 19/3/15 1130994 No heating/hot water n/a

Upper Chorlton Rd. 20/3/15 1121688 No heating/hot water

and boiler leak

n/a

Ken Mews 23/3/15 1127112 No heating/hot water Order cancelled

by tenant

Cope Close 26/3/15 n/a

Foxdenton (2nd

) 31/3/15 n/a

Shehnaz Akhtar


Acknowledgements

Gas Scrutiny Panel Members

(Without their effort, the completion of this scrutiny project would not have been possible)

Barry Anderton

Julie Bennett

Jim Haynes

Michael McDonagh

Audrey McQuade

Dorothy Shepherd

Elizabeth Phelps

Colleagues

Adrian Felton

Ryan Hague

Laura Reynolds

Suzannah Robinson

Steve Watts

scrutiny panel gas safety final report 19 june

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