Defence Infrastructure Organisation
Overview
The provision of good quality homes for Service personnel and their families is an important priority for the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) manages around 49,000 homes in the UK on behalf of the MOD and is also responsible for planning for future requirements and targeted improvement programmes.
DIO operates four Regional Accommodation Maintenance Services (RAMS) contracts which provide statutory and mandatory checks, repair and maintenance services and the preparation of allocated homes for Service families. Amey Community Ltd manage the Northern and Central regions and VIVO cover the South East and South West.
On behalf ofDIO, Pinnacle Group Ltd operate our UK National Service Centre through the National Accommodation Management Services (NAMS) contract. This provides a single point of contact for requests from families living in Service Family Accommodation (SFA) including raising repairs and maintenance issues, the allocations of homes and conducting move-in and move-out appointments. Contact details can be found on the Pinnacle Service Families website. Pinnacle also provide DIO with consolidated management information, which DIO uses to manage the four regional contracts directly.
Service Family Accommodation in Buckinghamshire (MOD/Crown Copyright).
The Customer Service Charter is DIOs commitment to Service personnel and their families to provide decent living standards and excellent customer service. We are committed to improving the condition and standard of the Service Family Accommodation (SFA) estate; sustaining improved levels of maintenance and repair performance; and enhancing customer service.
Latest news for SFA residents
Update 31 October
Included in this issue of Families First:
- performance update on accommodation contracts
- Tackling Damp and Mould Programme in SFA an update
- winter safety guide
- key dates to note
- useful links
Update 10 October
An update on DIOs efforts to tackle damp and mould in SFA
Tackling damp and mould in Service Family Accommodation (SFA) is a top priority for DIO and its industry partners.
Earlier this year, a damp and mould taskforce was set-up to assess the SFA estate in order to fully understand the extent and the causes of damp and mould. As part of this, a First Responder process was established which has seen over 5,000 homes with a reported damp and mould issue visited. The role of the First Responder is to:
- assess the property following the telephone assessment
- clean and treat areas of damp and mould
- collect additional details about the issue
- decide next steps including instructing professional surveys and/or arranging works to fix any issues even if areas have been cleaned and treated
- provide advice on how to prevent or reduce damp and mould
- in severe cases, arrange for the family to be moved to a different home
DIO acknowledges that repeatedly removing surface mould is not a long-term solution for families and so it has worked with its maintenance contractors, Amey and VIVO, to look at the root causes of damp and mould in detail.
A year-long programme of works to address the underlying causes of damp and mould in thousands of homes is now underway. Most homes will receive a package of relatively simple works based on the most common recommendations from damp and mould surveys. These will be tailored to the individual homes need but will typically include work to:
- increase insulation
- replace guttering
- upgrade extractor fans
- reseal windows and doors
These works are backed by 29 million of investment and will tackle the most severely affected homes first. In some cases, these works should be sufficient to resolve the issues, but in others more substantial works will be required.
These more substantial works are backed by a further 94 million of investment this financial year. These works may include:
- replacement doors and windows
- improvements to groundwater drainage and repairs to damp-proof courses
- roof repairs or replacement
- installation of external wall insulation to make homes more energy efficient and prevent damp and mould from occurring
If you have reported a damp and mould issue, you will receive a letter two to three weeks before work begins at your home which will confirm dates, details of how appointments will be booked in, and who to contact if you need further information.
Unfortunately, not all works will happen straight away, and some families will be waiting longer than others. In the interim, if you see damp and mould reoccurring, you can request further first responder visits to ensure it is kept to a minimum by calling the National Service Centre (NSC) on 0800 031 8628.
More information on how to reduce condensation in your home which can help prevent damp and mould can be found here: A guide to preventing condensation, damp & mould. If you need to report damp or mould for the first time, call the National Service Centre on 0800 031 8628 to raise a report and undergo an initial assessment of the issues in your home.
The longer-term plan
Further work will be required beyond the 12-month plan if DIO is to fully address the causes of damp and mould in Service family homes. It is estimated that this will take two or three years and will require significant investment in addition to current funding. DIO is working to secure the additional funding required to build on the 400m additional funding announced in the Defence Command Paper Refresh for SFA over this financial year and next.
DIO is committed to keeping families up-to-date as works progress across the SFA estate. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions document for further information: .
Update 26 September
Included in this issue of Families First:
- New Accommodation Offer Announcement
- Improved compensation system
- Investment across the SFA estate