Facilities Services

Case study

ChallengeThe mission is to provide customer services across the borough, encompassing everything from paying bills to managing council procurement.

The Transform Sandwell team is tasked with sourcing millions of pounds' worth of contracts, relating to legal services, utilities, minor works, major construction projects, office furniture, school provisions, catering, fleet services and numerous other goods and services that keep Sandwell running smoothly.

To help it meet all of its responsibilities, it needed a facilities management (FM) partner to help it manage all the operational complexities that come with a 70,000 sq ft office complex.

Providence Place, West BromwichProvidence Place, West Bromwich, is the result of an £18m investment by Transform Sandwell, a partnership between Sandwell Council and BT.

SolutionBTFS won the contract to deliver a total FM solution for Providence Place and its residents.

Services include:

• Mechanical and Electrical — Planned preventative maintenance and reactive services, asset management including during the Defects Liability Period, Statutory Compliance.

• Health and safety — planning of fire management and life safety systems and testing to include portable fire extinguishers, drills, fire doors emergency access and egress, fire risk assessment, building inspections, building environmental issues, water risk assessment and L8 water testing environmental spillage planning, first aid and supply of kit, Snow and Ice Plans.

• Building reactive maintenance day to day maintenance of building fabric to include plumbing, repairs, furniture repairs, small building modifications, etc.

• Cleaning — day to day cleaning services, planning of and adherence to cleaning schedule that is personalised to type of building and occupancy “business”, window cleaning, feminine hygiene.

• Waste and environmental — energy management — assessing building environment and working with mechanical and electrical services to manage the environment, working to BT’s environmental policy, assessing waste requirements, management of waste streams, contractor management, promotion of green policies such as recycling, more specialist services such as disposal of lighting tubes, feminine hygiene, etc.

• Security — close working relationship with security provider to ensure any/all requirements are met. Day to day liaison with site guard and regular communication with security management.

• Catering — as per Security.

• Furniture, fixtures, furnishings and equipment — furniture repairs and maintenance, small porter service.

• Facility manager — Area facility manager — Disability and discrimination act issues, fire wardens, contractor management, overall responsibility for the site to include all services technical and otherwise, site communications with occupants, single point of contact for all contractors and/or providers on site/management of jobs raised via BT Helpdesk, supporting company initiatives, responsible for HR for cleaning staff. Risk assessments, etc.

• Car park management — support company policy on parking allocation and promoting green policies such as car share scheme and cycle to work to comply with local planning consents.

• Grounds maintenance — fortnightly visits to include litter pick, weed control to planted beds and hard surfaces around site, maintenance of shrubs, trees, etc.

• Statutory compliance — Water risk assessment and water testing, fire risk assessment, portable fire extinguishers life safety systems, lifts, waste, refrigerant gases, PAT testing, UPS, lighting protection, ladder testing and roof access.

Providence Place, West Bromwich, is the result of an £18m investment by Transform Sandwell, a partnership between Sandwell Council and BT.

Facilities Services

BT Facilities Services Limited

Registered office: 81 Newgate Street, London EC1A 7AJ Registered No: 04054291