Purpose of the Service and Work of Teams

The Strategic grouping of Assets & Facilities has corporate responsibility for delivering both strategic and operational asset management. 

These functions are performed by the four services within the grouping; Development & Investment, Facilities Management, Estates and Property Maintenance. Assets & Facilities lead on the delivery of asset management; general fund and housing capital investment, primarily the delivery of the suite of major asset projects and new build housing developments; operational and non-operational estate management; energy management; a repairs, maintenance and minor capital works contracting service delivered across the housing and non-housing estates. All activities contribute to improving the condition and suitability of the estate whilst ensuring the delivery of operational and financial efficiencies. The aim of the strategic grouping is to provide efficient, effective and sustainable services which deliver best value and continuous improvement.

The Assets & Facilities Strategic Grouping comprises the services noted below. These services have the following core responsibilities:

Facilities Management

The Facilities Management service is responsible for the delivery of a cohesive building support service to all buildings owned or operated by the Council. Facilities Management provide a wide range of services which includes but is not limited to catering, cleaning, porterage and janitorial, security, minor repairs and maintenance and the provision of the school crossing patrol service. The Facilities Management service provides support to both the school and corporate estate including supporting the delivery of the Council’s accommodation strategy.

Property Maintenance

The Property Maintenance team undertakes repairs and maintenance across the Council’s property estate, which includes circa 3,800 housing properties in addition to all operational and non-operational assets. Operationally this involves reactive repairs, void management, gas servicing, fixed electrical testing, and PAT testing. The service also undertakes a range of capital works on behalf of both Housing and other Council service areas.

Development & Investment

The Development & Investment service seeks to ensure effective stewardship and development of the Council’s assets in order that they contribute to the Council and its partners’ overarching vision and intended outcomes, maximising their effectiveness and supporting sustainable economic growth and placemaking. The services provided are:

  • Corporate Asset Management
  • Capital Programme Development and Monitoring
  • Delivery of Major Assets Projects
  • Housing Investment.

The service has an important role in enabling other services across the Council to deliver their strategic priorities by ensuring the availability of a fit for purpose asset portfolio. It seeks to facilitate this by engaging services from across the Council in asset planning, management and monitoring and thereafter feeding into/from the Strategic Leadership Team and partners as necessary.

The Housing Investment team manage all aspects of investment across the Housing portfolio, including but not limited to new house building programmes, investment in elemental upgrades in existing stock, energy efficiency measures, stock condition surveys, electrical rewires, leading on the delivery of works in multi-tenure properties and the development and delivery of the Council’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan.

Estates

Estates manage all aspects of the non-operational estate including the leasing and day to day management of the Council’s investment property portfolio; acquisitions and disposals; non-domestic rates appeals, applications for wayleaves and/or servitudes and provision of cartographic services.

In addition, the service provides a range of technical support services, including PPP contract management, as well as supporting climate change and carbon reduction initiatives.

Estates Maintenance ensure the condition of the operational estate is maintained in addition to ensuring the Council complies with its statutory duties in respect of gas and electrical installations, water quality and ventilation.

The Quality Assurance team ensures the standard of cleaning across the operational estate is monitored and action is taken to ensure standards are maintained and enhanced. The Building Performance Team monitors environmental conditions within our operational estate to ensure the Council’s property portfolio provides a comfortable and healthy environment for all users.

Our Priorities for 2024/27

  • Improve the condition, suitability and accessibility of the Council’s operational estate to support ongoing service delivery and improve customer satisfaction
  • Investment in new and existing housing stock to enhance condition and energy efficiency
  • Finalise long term asset investment strategy to meet net zero climate targets
  • Meet all statutory obligations in respect of our operational, non-operational and housing estates
  • Further reduce turnaround times for non-emergency repairs and void housing properties
  • Improve environmental conditions across the housing and non-housing estates
  • Increase uptake of school meals including increased use of locally sourced produce
  • Undertake a review of the Council’s non-operational estate.

Improvement Actions

list of Assets and Facilities Improvement Actions
Improvement Action Description Rationale Due Date

Increase the percentage of Council buildings which are suitable, in a satisfactory condition and to increase accessibility

 

Continued investment in the Council’s non-housing estate 

To ensure the asset base remains suitable to meet current service delivery requirements, is in a satisfactory condition and delivers on improved accessibility for all stakeholders

31/03/25

Introduction of an integrated planned preventative maintenance and capital investment plan

Assess asset condition performance data to create an integrated planned preventative maintenance and capital investment plan to ensure appropriate, efficient and effective application of revenue and capital investment budgets

To ensure delivery of good estate management and financial efficiency

31/03/25

Full review of all SLA’s relating to services delivered in respect of Council assets

Identification of all SLAs currently in operation / Assessment of scope of works contained in SLAs / Monitoring of performance relating to SLAs to ensure service provision is being delivered to agreed standards

SLAs require to be updated to ensure scope of service is still as required and to ensure that services requested are being delivered

31/03/25

Increase the percentage of Council houses which are energy efficient

Continued development and delivery of the energy efficiency measures, e.g. introduction of new external render systems to reduce heat loss / improve heat efficiency of homes

To improve the energy efficiency of Council Housing in East Dunbartonshire, reducing carbon impact and tenant energy costs

31/03/25

Increase the percentage of Council houses that meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS)

Continued delivery of elemental improvements in the Council Housing stock, including kitchens, bathrooms, central heating systems, windows and doors

To improve the quality of Council Housing in East Dunbartonshire, contributing towards positive health and wellbeing outcomes for tenants and ensuring the future resilience / longevity of the Council Housing stock

31/03/25

Develop and report on a zero direct emissions target and progressive interim carbon reduction targets for the Council’s built assets, through the Climate Action Plan

Progress towards meeting the Scottish Government’s targets for all public sector buildings to meet net zero public sector building standards by 2038 / Ensure that the Corporate Asset Management Plan supports the action required to conform to decarbonisation targets

To conform to the Scottish Government requirement, set out in the Heat in Buildings Strategy and Public Sector Leadership Guidance, for all Scottish public sector buildings to be progressively decarbonised over the next 15 years, with complete decarbonisation completed by 2038 at the latest

31/03/25

Non-Emergency Repairs

Assessment of the process for completing routine, non-emergency repairs across the housing estate to identify opportunities to further reduce the timescales for the completion of these works, including the use of external frameworks

To reduce the time taken to complete routine, non-emergency repairs to close the performance gap with the Scottish average

31/12/24

Voids

Continued improvement in void turnaround times through internal resource planning and use of external frameworks

To reduce void turnaround times enabling quicker re-letting of housing properties

31/12/24

Improve environmental conditions across the housing and non-housing estates

Installation of real time monitors to capture environmental data

To support early intervention to improve environmental conditions with specific focus on reducing damp and mould

31/03/25

School meals

Increase uptake of school meals including use of more locally sourced produce

Increased stakeholder satisfaction, increased income levels (secondary schools) and reduction in carbon footprint through increased use of locally sourced, sustainable produce / To support target of achieving Soil Association Food for Life Silver award 

31/03/25

2023/24 Performance Indicators

Green is on Target, red is off target, amber is slightly off target
Performance Indicator Title Status Value Target

SSHC Indicator 8 - Average length of time taken to complete emergency repairs (No of Hrs)

green

3.4

4

SSHC Indicator 14 - % of Repairs Appointments Kept

green

99.9%

98.5%

SSHC Indicator 11 - % of properties that require a gas safety record which had a gas safety check and record completed by the anniversary date

green

100%

100%

% Voids returned within timescales

green

87.1%

85%

% of Secondary school pupils taking up school meals

green

44%

30%

% of Primary school pupils taking up school meals

red

68.38%

80%

Number of tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted from Council operations

green

13,053

20,000

% of locally sourced produce available on school lunch menu

green

49%

40%

Average length of time taken to complete non-emergency repairs - Non Housing (No of Days)

green

14

15

% of operational properties that require a gas safety record which had a gas safety check and record completed by the anniversary date – Non Housing

green

100%

100%

SSHC Indicator 9 - Average length of time taken to complete non-emergency repairs (No of Days)

red

13

12

Number of new affordable houses completed in the year

green

27

9

Percentage of fire Risk Assessments completed to schedule

green

100%

100%

% of planned Health Surveillance undertaken

amber

99.6%

100%