Defence Housing - New Report

[ExGrunt]

Published today by the UK National Audit Office and of interest to all pads:

Ministry of Defence - Quality of Housing Services to Service Families Overseas (http://www.nao.org.uk/pn/04-05/0405342.htm)

[opso]

Hmmmm.

Sir John Bourn said today:"Although the MoD manages the difficult job of providing homes for military personnel and their families well...." but the report also says...around two-thirds of occupants are satisfied with the housing service and their accommodation. This is on a par with the satisfaction rates achieved by Inner London boroughs but below the averages achieved by social housing providers and local authorities in England as a whole thereby placing the quality of DHE work at Club Med on a par with a inner-London council estate, before going on to say In the opinion of our consultants, Housing Quality Network Services, if the MoD were a civilian housing provider, its housing services overseas would rate as poor. Implying that it's not considered poor for the military! Surely this is saying that we should expect better if we were council tenents. Now, if that's managing well, I would hate to see Sir John's idea of managing badly!

[L J R]

Looking forward to the stats on the quiz recently conducted by DHE on the quality etc. of DHE on UK residents.

DHE do not understand the 'military' family situation and will never do so - FACT!

Most civil servants in organisations such as DHE think that mil families have a 'luxury' of service housing. They fail to realise that it is a condition of service (ie a clause in the contract). They also fail to realise that hard earned money goes from the Mil family into the SFA, (albeit at a reduced rate) - and DHE should provide a service - BECAUSE WE PAY MONEY FOR OUR SFA.

They (DHE) produce spectacular glossy brochures on meetings and back slapping cocktail parties they had. WOW 67% are satisfied. Probable because they don't know any better! What about the other 33%.....

......and lastly if DHE were a cilillian real estate management agency, they would be out of business within 6 months because of their appalling management and lack of customer care and focus.

DHE is lucky that most mil families couldn't be bothered complaining because the average military family knows that DHE will do nothing about the complaint anyway...



.....off my high horse now.

[A good headin]

Nice one L J R, hit the nail on the head!

DHE probably only got a handful of replies back from the thousands they sent out. Service folk really can't be bothered with DHE or Defence Estates as they are now known.

Bring back the good old days of a Families Officer and the Station Barrack Warden. At least we would not get a bunch of Civvies running what is a military task.

How much money does DE cost I wonder? If you go down to the estates office these days there are now a plethora of individuals running what used to be run by the Familes Officer, such a waste.

[kippermate]

Surely, if Service families are not prepared to make comment, in writing if necessary, to DHE/DE about the lack of service being offered, then DHE/DE can rightly say that their customers feel that they are receiving a good service. It behoves us, as 'customers', to ensure that DHE/DE know where they are going wrong, by writing to inform the appropriate Customer Care Manager of the lack of service offered. Furthermore, there is also the opportunity to express your concerns in the regular Family Consultative Group meetings or report your concerns to your Airwaves Representative (AFF or NFF, as appropraite) who colate that information and have access to the highest level of military, DHE/DE and goverment and do comment on the poor service provided by DHE/DE in some areas (amongst other things).

If we don't complain, who will?

kipper

PS I do all of the above (regularly) and Mrs kipper kicks :mad: for Airwaves!

[C130 Techie]

Whilst DHE/DE must take reponsibility for many of the problems on our MQ estates the residents who show little respect for their environment must also share this responsibility.

After all DHE/DE didn`t dump the abandoned cars and general rubbish that litters some estates these days. Nor did they cause the vandalism to play areas etc.

What they appear unable or unwilling to do is sort out the problems when people do complain. I found that the general excuse was that nothing could be done due to Data Protection/FOI/Human Rights acts. The people who cause these problems are in breach of their terms of occupancy and should be dealt with accordingly.

As for the general condition of the MQs obviously there are good and bad and many of the problems are age related and only money will sort them out. However, the shoddy workmanship and patching up by some of the cowboy contractors that DHE/DE use leaves much to be desired.

[L J R]

kipper mate... Mrs LJR also complains a lot, as do I - AND utilising the appropriate channels.

Agree that some of the places / estates are a mess due to lack of care from the residents. BUT that does not resolve DHE (whatever you want to call them) from providing the service that the glossy praises itself about.

[Bigtop]

Anyone had any better service in Scotlnad sionce the new prime contract?

As far as I'm concerned DHE/DE are a joke. Having complained all the way to the top I still got no joy and that was after a march in that breached basic safety standards - bare electrcal cables (yep they were live) hanging out of the wall.

Having really lost my cool and teddies going everywhere I threatened to stop my rent - can't do that sir I was told!! Would have been nice if that had knee jerked them into action rather than that response ... but sadly no...

By the bollox springs to mind - but so right if they were trying to make it in the commercial sector they'd be another headstone in the company graveyard - hopefully with good ridance and not RIP engraved in the stone.

Rant over ... for now

[Hydraulic Palm Tree]

You can stop your rent - just serve a court order on the SofS; that would do the trick.