Project Details

As part of our Full Asset Management Contract with Swan covering 11,500 homes, we are also responsible for Swan’s three schemes (Old Church in Romford, Bloomfield Hospital, Colchester Hospital), developed in partnership with the NHS.

These schemes provide affordable, rented housing to nearly NHS key workers and those working in the emergency services and public sector and are near local hospitals. Axis has the responsibility for the Repairs and Maintenance as well as Planned Works of these three 3 NHS sites plus Out of Hours, essential servicing, and emergencies.

The importance of this was demonstrated sharply during the Covid-19 pandemic, when having a safe, comfortable home near their place of work proved even more essential for our NHS key workers.

Properties and Residents

Oldchurch, Romford – near Queen’s Hospital and King George’s Hospital.

Accommodation comprises 369 units of four bed shared or ensuite, three bed ensuite studios and one- or two-bedroom flats. Residents are primarily NHS key workers working for the Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust.

Broomfield, Chelmsford – onsite at Broomfield Hospital.

Accommodation comprises 353 units of two- and three-bedroom family houses, as well as shared accommodation. Residents are primarily NHS key workers at Broomfield Hospital.

Colchester – onsite at Colchester Hospital.

Accommodation comprises 215 key worker units of one-bedroom flats, two- and three-bedroom family houses as well as shared accommodation. Residents are primarily NHS key workers working for Colchester General Hospital.

We employ a dedicated workstream, resources and reporting and are developing closer relations with on site and managerial staff to better accommodate the needs and demands of this stock – Axis Divisional Manager, Chris Houlihan

Care of Residents

All sites have a two dedicated key worker living managers and a head of specialist accommodation lead who provide support to key workers, such as allowing access for Axis operatives and sub-contractors, and ensuring we are achieving a high customer satisfaction and contractual KPIs within the schemes.

Our NHS Champion works specifically to ensure all works are programmed around resident’s schedules and needs. Axis provided a dedicated NHS mailbox to allow residents to report all non-urgent repairs. To respect shift working patterns we ensure that works are minimally disruptive (including noise) for residents.

Axis’ Service Manager attends weekly meetings with the NHS Managers at the three sites. These meetings review our performance, delivery, and communication methods as well as outstanding repairs so we can work together to continually improve our service.

Our Resident Liaison Officers are highly experienced and have been working across Swan’s sheltered and NHS accommodation for several years. Some have worked on our Swan contract since its beginning. They keep residents informed and up to date through daily visits when work is taking place, weekly meetings, coffee mornings in the communal areas, providing information on communal noticeboards, site posters and through letters / mail drops, emails, phone calls, text messages and newsletters.

“This flat was just perfect for me. It was reasonably priced and excellently furnished. Great facilities and very, very secure. I will miss living here. I have made lots of fond memories in this flat. I am grateful for the efficiency at which Swan housing responded to my requests, whether it was for repairs or extra amenities.”

“An excellent job… tidy … arrived when he said he would, very professional… the job was completed a lot quicker than I expected. Many thanks.”

Swan Housing Association joined Sanctuary as a subsidiary in February 2024. With Swan as a subsidiary, Sanctuary now manages around 120,000 units of accommodation across England and Scotland.

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