cllrglanvillealiceburkeandestatecleaners.jpg

Hackney Homes is investing in estate cleaning as part of a review to improve cleaning standards of blocks across the borough.

More than £60,000 has been invested in new up-to-date equipment for the service in the last two years. This includes one hundred new bin barrows which will allow cleaners to carry extra cleaning materials and separate the waste collected on estates into general waste and those to be recycled.

The housing provider has also set up an improvement review which will evaluate cleaning schedules, tools and chemicals used, as well as examine what enhancements can be made to the look and feel of communal areas within particular blocks.

Feedback from staff and residents about estate cleaning will be used to gain a greater understanding of how the service is regarded in order to make improvements and learn from what works well and when things go wrong. Hackney Homes is responding to a recent Tenants’ Scrutiny Review into cleaning and looking at best practice from other boroughs and housing providers.The review will also look at combining planned building works and cleaning, for example exploring whether new painting works can be delivered at the same time as proposed deep cleaning.

Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr Philip Glanville, said: “The work of the Hackney Homes estate cleaning and grounds maintenance teams is a key priority for Hackney Council and Hackney Homes and it is vital to ensure estates are clean, well managed and welcoming for local residents.

“These improvements will make a difference to how our residents feel about where they live. Cleaners do an important job, and actions taken as part of the review will deliver a higher quality service through new investment, equipment, training and ways of working.