Esh Construction

Group Structure–Capacity to Deliver

Esh Property Services (EPS) is part of Esh Construction, an award-winning company, covering the North East, the North West, Yorkshire and Humberside and Scottish Borders.

Esh Construction Ltd is one of the largest “home grown” Contractors in Northern England with a turnover of £250 million in 2015. The Company delivers quality building and civil engineering projects to a wide range of clients in both the public and private sectors. We directly employ over 850 people.

EPS specialises in delivering a range of services to our partners building viable, strong, sustainable communities through the provision of new and improved housing.

From our offices in Durham, Cramlington, Newton Aycliffe, Leeds, Carlisle, Livingston and Earlston, we work in partnership with a wide range of housing providers, including Housing Associations, Registered Providers, Local Authorities, Arm’s Length Organisations and Large Scale Voluntary Transfers.

Our partnerships with the public sector, providing housing led regeneration, have fundamentally changed ailing communities by kick-starting economic and social revival and creating job and training opportunities for local people.

We are proud of our strong regional presence and reputation; which we have worked hard to earn and which is reflected by the number of clients with whom we work. We value and respect these relationships, providing every client with a practical solution. Early consultation and strong communication throughout project delivery are values central to our methods of operating and are key to stakeholder satisfaction.

As part of our submission, we have included a copy of the Group Structure.

Specialist Housing Division – Experience as Principal Contractor

EPS have over 15 years experience of delivering social housing refurbishment works. As a specialist social housing contractor we have:

  • Delivery team trained and experienced in delivering planned works to tenanted properties
  • Dedicated Reponsive Repairs & Voids delivery team with multi skilled operatives with the mobile technology for direct appointment making
  • Full time tenant liaison service based on site
  • Detailed tenant profiling to deliver a tailored approach including assistance with packing and language barriers etc
  • Vulnerable People/Safeguarding Strategy in place with tailored services for specific needs
  • Daily visits to the tenant’s property during the works
  • Daily diary sheets for tenants to record any concerns to be discussed with the Customer Care Manager (CCM)
  • Tenant Satisfaction Questionnaires on completion of all works linked with our clients bespoke systems
  • Dedicated in house after care team with all properties offered for handover 100% defect free
  • Keeping our customers informed is of key importance before and during our activities. Below is a range of communication methods.
  • Open Days and Home visits : to explain the works and services
  • Appointment notification we confirm appointments via letter, email and/or SMS text messaging
  • Showroom giving customers the opportunity to view choices at their leisure
  • Information Packs with answers to Frequently Asked Questions
  • Daily Diary Sheets completed daily by the site team explaining works to be completed the following day
  • Bespoke programme issued to every household with any changes communicated via the CCM

We currently operate on several frameworks similar to this framework and regularly receive excellent client and tenant feedback via our KPI statistics, currently achieving a 98% average score.

Approach to Delivery

Delivery of the Framework Programme is achieved through our ‘One Team, One Objective’ culture to ensure a stable and continuous programme, with zero late changes and consistent delivery. Colin Ford, our Construction Director utilises our Partnering Approach to Delivery when Resource Planning.

For a framework of this nature we would appoint a Key Account Manager which would be our Construction Director Colin Ford to oversee the delivery across the whole of the area. He would be supported by our Senior Contracts Manager, Chris Parker.

Delivery would be primarily resourced via our directly employed workforce of 859 skilled operatives but supplemented by any specialist trades from our already identified supply chain such as asbestos removal companies.

We have very comprehensive tried and tested methodologies for delivering planned maintenance works, refurbishment and void works across wide geographical areas commenced with a mobilisation strategy.

Additional resources will be provided from our central support services, including Health, Safety and Environment, Quantity Surveying and Human Resources functions as we work to achieve the targets and outputs set out within the tender documentation.

We would expect to work closely with the Contract Surveyors, sharing a weekly briefing with tenants during the works, involving them in meetings, providing monthly feedback reports, all of which ensures that the Employer is always aware of where operatives are working, what impact works will have and what measures have been put in place to mitigate disruption to tenants.

Governance is achieved through close monitoring of a number of policies from the Pre-Commencement Process, including Programme Control, Budgetary Management, Monthly Feedback Reports, Equality and Diversity and Customer Care. Safety and Accessibility are maintained and monitored throughout with any concerns resolved via our clear escalation process.

We have office across the north of England – Durham, Cramlington, Leeds, Kendal and Carlisle– which enables us to deliver across the North East for this framework.

Local Sustainability

Our approach for this Framework will ensure we consider economic sustainability, as an organisation and through our approach to training and our supply chain. We welcome requirement for supporting the economy through supply chain, and training and recruitment opportunities, as we regard ourselves as a leader in this field.

We are committed to supporting local contractors in the areas in which we carry out works. As an established regional contractor it is in our interest to stimulate the local economy and supply chain and encourage growth throughout.

EPS is committed to sourcing 90 per cent of its supply chain from within 30 miles of the location of programme delivery, we would seek to source our supply chain, where possible, from a smaller geographical radius and would look to the area of works in the first instance to be our very local supply chain for sub-contractors, candidates for training, apprenticeship and recruitment opportunities, and construction materials.

ADDED VALUE

Esh aims to add social value into any of the communities where we work and this is delivered via our Added Value Team.

Our added value team involved in the process from the beginning ensuring consistency and achievement of deliverables, this also allows us to project all activities ensuring that we have the capabilities to deliver from contract award. Our Community based programmes include:

SECONDARY SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT via BUILDING MY SKILLS (BMS)

BMS is a yearlong employability skills programme which provides students with a rounded introduction to the world of work through engagement as part of the curriculum.

All students receive 5 x 1 hour long guidance session over the course of the year each delivered by a different guest business who provide an insight to their education/career path, their sector, employability skills they value and provide support the students with the completion of a checkpoint – a piece of their employability portfolio.

Students who complete the employability portfolio are offered a mock interview. This, in turn, has led to promising students being offered work experience, apprenticeships and jobs.

This academic year Esh Construction provide BMS to 74 schools, colleges and universities across its operational areas working with over 9,000 students,100 business partners to generate over 60,000 learners hours for our education partners.

ESH COMMUNITIES

Due to public spending and government funding cuts, many organisations suffer. Esh Communities begin to bridge this funding gap to help sustain charities which are making a positive difference to their communities.

Every year Esh offers grant opportunities to local community projects across our operational areas; spanning 50 local authorities. Esh Charitable trust is our in-house charity, funded annually by Esh offering grants of up to £1000.

Applications are sought for projects that align with one of our core values:

  • Improve quality of life and/or employability prospects of residents in the local area
  • Promote equality by engaging minority, hard to reach, disadvantaged or vulnerable groups
  • Encourage healthy living, positive lifestyle changes and sustainable and environmental communities

Projects which demonstrate the best ability to have the most positive social impact upon their neighbourhood are shortlisted to receive funding.

Since 2014 Esh Communities has granted support to a total of 143 organisations, equating to over £140,000.

www.eshconstruction.co.uk