Case Study

Question 1

Did you carry out a pre-inspection risk assessment?

Answer 1

I did, I checked the internal database for information on the tenants to see if there was advice to attend in pairs or further information to be aware of when vistign that area, I also spoke with the contractors to check the fencing was still in place

Question 2

If so, talk me through your pre-inspection risk assessment.

Answer 2

I checked the organisations records for information on the residents and if there were any warnings regarding the nearby area. I also ensured the fencing was in place and that colleagues were aware of where I was going and how long I was expected to be

Question 3

Talk me through your on-site risk assessment.

Answer 3

I arrived, spoke to the residents, then inspected the area, up to close to the standing water, looked at and checked the fencing then spoke with the neighbours, checked for on site risks such as waste and trip hazards and then inspected

Question 4

How did you comply with RICS Surveying Safely?

Answer 4

I ensured that colleagues knew where I was going, that the tenants were not known to be a risk and that hazards were identified and managed

Question 5

Why was the tenant unhappy with LBS’s response/solution to fence off the garden?

Answer 5

They wanted something more permanent as they felt that the flooding had happened before and would just keep on coming back, so they wanted us, as the landlord to rectify it with a long term solution.

Question 6

What is the extent of the flooding problem in the locality?

Answer 6

There is a beck, lower down the hill, approximately 400m away which has in the past overflowed slightly, however, other than this the researched showed the area was not in a known flood risk area

Question 7

How frequently/for what duration did the flooding problem occur?

Answer 7

It was once every few years where it encroached on the garden to a larger extent but my visits after it had been pumped out showed it would hold water and puddles would form, which would then get worse in prolonged periods of rain

Question 8

What is the flood risk in the area?

Answer 8

There is a beck, lower down the hill, approximately 400m away which has in the past overflowed slightly, however, other than this the researched showed the area was not in a known flood risk area

Question 9

What is the source of the flooding (ground water/surface water runoff/river)?

Answer 9

It is surface water, running down from nearby gardens and collecting in the natural bowl of the subject garden

Question 10

What is meant by ‘a tenant-like manner’?

Answer 10

That they are expected to maintain the property by undertaking smaller simple tasks such as replacing lightbulbs, refixing door handles etc

Question 11

How did your further monitoring influence the project?

Answer 11

My inspections had shown that standing water would return, it was then an assesment of how bad it was likely to get

Question 12

Talk me through the Geotechnical Team report.

Answer 12

So it showed the makeup of the ground on a map, with further information included in the email and a note to say that there were recent nearby boreholes to show the exact make up in that area

Question 13

Why did you advise against the removal of vegetation?

Answer 13

Because ultimately I didn’t think it would achieve much, it may aid some solar evaporation but as the problem could be expected to be worse in autumn and winter this benefit would be negligable. But slightly larger vegetation would have a higher water demand in the area and may help soak up some of the water

Question 14

Why did you recommend that intervention was needed?

Answer 14

Because the issue was likely to return, tenants were unlikely to be happy about it so it could be expected that there would be a higher turnover of tenancies and the large pool of water left a risk of injury or accident that we could be held liable for

Question 15

Why did you propose to intervene in view of the precedent already created against intervention?

Answer 15

Because other cases where the work had been turned down appeared to be where the tenant had attempted to do their own work. This was significantly worse and it left the council at risk in case of injury or accident, plus the potential for a high turnover of tenants

Question 16

Tell me about the Occupiers Liability Act.

Answer 16

Occupiers Liability places a duty of care on occupiers of a dwelling to keep visitors reasonably safe, it was updated in 1984 to deal with dangers they are aware of, even if the visitors are uninvited. This legislation imposes a liability for poorly constructed and converted buildings, along with any injuries that may result. This is a landlord’s liability; however, failure by a contractor for instance to carry out their duties in a workmanlike manner, or use proper materials, could place a duty on the contractor as well.

Question 17

Which Occupiers Liability Act are you referring to in your case study?

Answer 17

The Occupiers Liability Act 1984

Question 18

Why was there concern that the fabric of the building could be affected?

Answer 18

Because if the subsoil was continually saturated or went from being saturated to dry all the time then it could undermine the subsoil, either causing heave or subsidence due to the shirnking of the clay subsoil

Question 19

Who would be responsible for the electrical supply /bills if the pump was provided?

Answer 19

This would be both residents in the block

Question 20

Was a service charge payable for communal services? If so, could this cover the maintenance costs/electricity bills for the pump?

Answer 20

At the time no, because there were no communal spaces or services in the block, but adding the pump would have created this and made the tenants liable for to the running and maintenance costs

Question 21

Tell me about BS8301.

Answer 21

It has been incorporated into Part H of the building regulations but it stipulates that a soakaway must be located more than 5 metres from the property

Question 22

Explain how a soakaway works.

Answer 22

It is a system to collect and store surface water below ground level so it can percolate naturally into the subsoils

Question 23

Explain why a soakaway would not be effective.

Answer 23

Because the information passed back by the Geotechnical team showed the ground was made up of low porous rock and clay, therefore it would not drain effectively naturally

Question 24

What is a shallow cell system?

Answer 24

They are plastic cells, used as a method of storing the water, keeping it away from the suface but giving it time to percolate into the subsoil

Question 25

Talk me through the costings for Option 2 connection to drainage pipes.

Answer 25

I built up a schedule using the agreed rates, this including digging the drainage channels, installing the pipes, connecting to the existing drainage, refilling and making good to the site, including adding some grass seed. The total costs were £3,600

Question 26

Talk me through your SWOT analysis.

Answer 26

So it was basic, but strengths included it being a permanent solution with minimal ongoing maintenance, it satisfied the tenants and left the garden space usable, the weakness was that it could silt up and it was adding the amount of water into the surface systems. The opportunities included learning from this case and applying that to others, the opportunity to fully resolve it without further upset to tenants and ward councillors and to do so at a relatively low cost. The threats were that we would again be adding to the water run off which can contribute to localised flooding, that it could silt up and happen again and that word may spread and it leads to an influx of tenants wanting other work completing

Question 27

Talk me through your approach to the Academy Trust.

Answer 27

I called the office, explained the situation and asked who I would need to speak to which was the facilities manager. They weren’t available so I sent an email. They called and I explained the situation and they gave permission, but asked that the work is undertaken during school holidays so at this point an provision start date was agreed and future correspondence was via email

Question 28

How did you liaise with residents?

Answer 28

It was a mix of phone calls and discussions during site visits

Question 29

How have you improved your inspection practices?

Answer 29

The initial inspections are more in depth, taking in a broader view of the surrounding area, while also making sure I had the tools to inspect properly

Question 30

Talk me through the case tracker you introduced.

Answer 30

So it listed larger and higher profile jobs, with a description of the work, involved parties and a progress record with notes from latest contact

Question 31

What would you do differently next time?

Answer 31

Inspect the area properly, taking the time to check each inspection chamber and measuring the depth of each to see if the drainage option would’ve worked

Question 32

How did you act ethically?

Answer 32

I made sure the case was progressing, to resolve the situation for the residents, ensuring that they got good customer service. I also explored the other options to ensure good value for money

Question 33

What were your key achievements?

Answer 33

Resolving the situation but also improving the situation for the team, giving them a much better opportunity to feed back on working practices and what they need to do the job properly.

Question 34

When was the school built?

Answer 34

It officially opened in 2006, at the time of my involvement it would have been too long since construction for contract action