Reintroducing Accuro – our cleaning and grounds maintenance contractors!

We are very pleased to announce that Accuro has won the contract to be our cleaning and grounds maintenance contractors for the next few years!

The cleaning and grounds maintenance contract covers the communal areas and outside spaces in and around our neighbourhoods. 

The work they do varies in each block, but common tasks include:

• Cutting the grass and shrub reduction 
• Planting hedges and assisting the team in producing 'No Now May' and meadow areas 
• Deep cleans of communal areas
• Window cleaning

In 2019 when the previous contract came to an end, a five-year contract was awarded to Accuro. This came to an end in 2023 and we began the retendering process.

In order to retender in a fair way which met regulatory requirements, we worked closely with residents and our Gateway Membership Team to help choose the right contractors. 

In April 2023 we held a Tenant Question Time event for residents to ask our staff any questions they had about our grounds maintenance and cleaning service. At the same time, we also launched an online survey asking residents what they thought of the service and how it could be improved. 

Here are just some of the outcomes from the survey:

• 63% of customers wanted the grass cutting specification to stay the same
• 66% of customers wanted the weekly cleaning frequency to stay the same
• 41% of customers want to see additional tree planting
• 51% customers wanted wildflower meadow areas.
• 60% of customers requested bin store cleaning to be added

We took all of your personal experiences and feedback on board and created a new specification for the contractor to meet. Each potential contractor filled out the same questions, then with support from a group of residents, we evaluated and scored their answers and went to see them in action. 

Following this new specification, we decided to reappoint Accuro as they again scored highly in quality and cost-effectiveness for both cleaning and grounds maintenance. 

Looking at their scores alongside their costings we knew that with Accuro, the money spent will be going towards services and improvements that really matter to our residents. 

Due to being our contractors for the past five years, Accuro have developed a great passion and knowledge for our neighbourhoods that is hard to match. They have also proved they are collaborative and always willing to help, therefore sharing our values. 

Accuro will be using their Facebook page more regularly to keep residents up to date about what they’ve been up to and what services to expect. 

If you are in a communal block, we will be adding more information to your noticeboards confirming which jobs are Accuro’s responsibility and how often they do it.

Although we are very proud of the estate services that we provide, there is always room for improvement. 

Four times a year, we visit and inspect our neighbourhoods and communal areas to check they are up to standard and to identify any issues. Join one of our estate inspections and let us know what you think about your estate. Check when the next inspection for your neighbourhood is here.

You could also become a resident inspector for your block! Our volunteer resident inspectors rate the tidiness and cleanliness of their estate and block by using a score guide booklet. We will then use this information to ensure that our cleaning and grounds maintenance contractors are meeting residents’ expectations. To become a resident inspector, you can email customerrelationsteam@wcht.org.uk or call 01923 209 266.

As always, you can send us feedback by using your online account, filling out the form on our website, emailing feedback@wcht.org.uk, or calling 0800 218 2247.