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FAQ’s

Alexander Faulkner

What areas do you cover?

We have offices in Hampshire, the West Country , Surrey and Kent/ Sussex boarders, and manage properties with remote staff across South and Central England. For more details on this please see our Map.

How many years have you been in the property business?

As a new company we started in 2015 but as a team we have worked together in the industry for the last 25 years.

How many blocks do you manage and how many units therein?

We manage just over 200 schemes, consisting nearly of 7000 units.

How do you select your Contractors?

Alexander Faulkner Partnership has an approved Contractor system, which requires completion by all contractors of a questionnaire about their business provision of relevant health & safety documentation, and relevant qualifications, to ensure that only the most suitable contractors are used at our managed properties.

Do you have any financial interest in any contactor or service organisation.

No, it is against company policy to have any financial interest with any contractor or service organisation.

How often does our Property manager inspect the blocks?

The frequency of visits is determined by the size and complexity of the scheme and is set out in our management agreement.

How do you hold service charge monies?

These are held strictly in accordance with the Landlord & Tenant Act, S42 Trust Client Accounts. Our Client Accounts are held at Natwest Bank, and we separate Client Accounts for service charge  and reserve fund.

Who keeps the Interest on the service Charge monies

All bank accounts are Interest bearing, with the interest going towards the service charge fund, and as such, the income is shown in your year end accounts.

Are service charge arrears pursued?

Yes they are. Our Credit Control Team follow a set of procedures which ultimately leads to legal action and is in accordance with the terms of the lease or TP1 documentation.

Do you carry professional Indemnity insurance?

Yes we do, we have a £5million policy in place.

How do you deal with Complaints?

A copy of our complaint procedure is available for download on our website,

What is a 'Risk Assessment'?

A Risk Assessment is a systematic identification of all safety related hazards within the premises and is designed to analyse how those hazards may adversely affect the building and its occupants. It will identify the level of risk that those hazards may present and also identify suitable control measures for any significant findings. As part of the assessment, an action plan will be formulated with reasonable timescales assigned for the implementation of any necessary remedial action. The Risk Assessment can examine a specific hazard, such as Fire, or can encompass a number of more general areas, as with the ‘General Health and Safety Risk Assessment’.

Why do i need a Risk Assessment for my Building?

The ‘Legally Responsible Person’ (In the case of residential blocks this is normally the Landlord, or the Managing Agent), must arrange for a competent person to carry out ‘Suitable and Sufficient’ risk assessments for all those areas that they have control of.

For Fire Safety – The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires that all buildings (other than single domestic dwellings) must have an assessment carried out and all significant findings must be recorded.  This includes the ‘common areas’ of residential blocks.

For General Health and Safety – The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 specify measures necessary to comply with more general health and safety requirements.

Who should carry out the assessment?

Only somebody with an appropriate level of knowledge and experience regarding the legislation, relevant safety standards to be applied and the principles of risk assessment should undertake the assessment(s). This person must be able to make appropriate judgements regarding risk and recommend suitable measures to eliminate, or manage these risks. This person is known as the ‘Competent Person’ and in most cases this will be a Safety Professional. In some premises (normally larger commercial organisations) this expertise may be available ‘in-house’.

 

It is the responsibility of the ‘Responsible Person’, to ensure that they appoint a ‘Competent Person’ to help them to fulfil their legal obligations.

What will the assessment cover?

The fire risk assessment will identify threats to the life safety of the building and its occupants from fire. In practical terms this would include assessment of the following areas:

  1. Ignition Sources
  2. Combustibles
  3. Premises Layout and Construction
  4. People at Risk
  5. Fire Detection and Alarm Systems
  6. Fire Fighting Provision
  7. Escape Facilities
  8. Fire Safety Signage
  9. Emergency Lighting
  10. Fire Emergency Plan
  11. Training/Information
  12. Testing and Maintenance of Fire Safety Systems

For more general health and safety assessments, the survey should (as a minimum) cover the following;

  1. General Maintenance and Upkeep
  2. Ventilation
  3. Lighting
  4. Accumulation of Waste Materials
  5. Condition of Floors
  6. External Walkways
  7. Falls From Height and Falling Objects
  8. Stairs and Handrails
  9. Doors and Gates
  10. Fixed Glazing
  11. Separation of Vehicles and Pedestrians
  12. Smoking
  13. Health and Safety Signage
  14. Electrical Equipment
  15. Noise
  16. Hazardous Substances
  17. Control of Contractors
  18. Water Supplies
  19. Asbestos

What happens once the assessment is complete?

Once the assessment is complete, any ‘Significant Findings’ must be recorded in writing and any/all persons who may be affected by the assessment will be informed accordingly. In addition, an action plan will be formulated with regard to the implementation of any necessary remedial action. The action plan will specify exactly what is to be achieved, by whom and in what timescales. The action plan is required to be continually kept up to date to provide a full audit trail facility for management and Enforcing Authorities.

When will the Assessment be reviewed?

The assessment will be reviewed ‘Whenever it is considered to be no longer valid’. In practical terms this means following any significant change to the occupancy, or layout of the building, following any safety related incident, or near miss, or at periodic intervals as stated within the assessment (generally considered to be 12 monthly, for normal risk buildings). To assume that no changes have occurred and therefore a review is not necessary is not considered sufficient to comply with the legislation and a formal review process should be undertaken.  The review process should be used as confirmation of those actions that have been implemented since the last assessment date and to properly assess any additional hazards that may have been introduced.

what will happen if I don't carry out an assessment ?

The main risk with not carrying out safety assessments is that you will be unaware of any hazards that could affect the safety of the occupants or cause damage to the building. This could result in serious injury, death and/or significant financial loss. In addition, as already highlighted, it is a legal requirement to carry out risk assessments and to manage the findings.  Failure to do so could lead to enforcement action being taken against the ‘Responsible Person(s)’ with fines and/or custodial sentences being handed out for more serious breaches.  Additionally Insurance Companies may not provide cover for those buildings where risks have not been properly evaluated and controlled.


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