CELEBRATING 50 YEARS Foster 50th brochure.qxp_Layout 1 24/07/2023 18:22 Page 1
The team at Foster Property Maintenance (FPM) is incredibly proud to have been working alongside the Housing Sector and Local Authorities across East Anglia and beyond for the past 50 years. FPM was established in 1973 as a privately owned family business. Following the sale of FPM to a public company in 2013, FPM has now returned to private ownership and is once again embracing the family culture that established its reputation as a successful and caring contractor. We set out to provide services which exceed expectations and have evidence that we have done so, whether through tangible measurements such as Service Level Agreements and Key Performance Indicators or through positive client feedback. Now, we are looking ahead to the next 50 years and also celebrating our 50th anniversary by partnering with our clients to deliver at least 50 social value projects during our milestone year. If you would like to help us achieve this goal you can find out more about recent initiatives and possible projects on pages 4 and 5. We would be delighted to hear from you with any ideas you may have and also for you to support us in raising funds for our chosen charities, Mind, Cancer Research and Clive Smith Foundation. When looking to the years ahead, a key theme will be continuing to minimise our impact on the environment. We already operate a comprehensive carbon reduction programme but will also embrace other positive opportunities to play our part in protecting our planet. By way of an update, we have also compiled a summary of the ways in which we can deliver value to our customers and, of course, their clients. With long term contracts already in place and a strong forward order book we are poised for a successful future and we’d like you to be a part of that with us. We look forward to working with you in whatever way suits your current business needs. Karl Chappell Director of Operations Looking ahead to our next 50 years Foster 50th brochure.qxp_Layout 1 24/07/2023 18:22 Page 2
Why work with us? • Our commitment to providing value for money will ensure that you maximise the results from your budget. • We have a long history of delivering a great customer experience, enabling you to concentrate on the next stages of your projects knowing that we will take care of your day to day maintenance requirements. • We are committed to continuous improvement and being supplier of choice in our field, giving you peace of mind that your project is in safe hands. • We have provided planned, reactive and cyclical maintenance for 160,000 properties so if you have any problem properties we’ll almost certainly have seen and resolved the issues before. Aids & Adaptations Voids Cyclical and Planned Capital Works (Kitchen, Bathroom, EWI, Fire Safety Works) Roof Repair, Replacement & Maintenance fpm-ltd.co.uk What we do Our services have evolved over many years to ensure that we can provide a comprehensive range of support to our Local Authority and Housing Association clients. Compliance and Damp & Mould Assessment & Treatment Works Electrical Works FRA Works Resurfacing & Hard Landscaping Refurbishment Projects and PAS2030 Works • We have a strong record in achieving and exceeding contract service level agreements and KPIs, minimising the administration of the contract for your team. • Our culture and values ensure we have a flexible, positive approach and a highly professional team all of whom are focused on ensuring that you, our clients, are happy with the service you receive from us. • We have a bespoke management system which enables clients to integrate with our platform, expediting communication. In 2023 we expect to complete 1683 kitchen and bathroom refits, 18500 repairs, 1200 voids, 393 roofs, 1841 rewires and around 3000 other maintenance activities for our clients. Foster 50th brochure.qxp_Layout 1 24/07/2023 18:22 Page 3
For our client Cambridge City Council, we undertook resurfacing works to a sheltered housing complex to provide a safe and low maintenance environment for the residents. The residents at the scheme take pride in their gardens and as such we decided to donate two large planters chosen by the residents and scheme manager along with the compost to fill them both. The residents were overjoyed and couldn’t thank Fosters enough for their hard work, attitude, and genuine care for the residents. We worked alongside Chelmer Housing Partnership to offer a work placement position to a young student who was passionate about a potential career in the property sector and to provide a quality surveyor to act as his mentor. He was delighted with the experience he gained and grateful to Fosters for the opportunity. In a further social value collaboration with Chelmer Housing Partnership, we enrolled two of their local residents as multitrade kitchen fitters on one of the contracts we were undertaking on their behalf. When that project completed, our inhouse team helped the enthusiastic entrepreneurs to take the major step of launching their own business. We continue to support them in a number of ways and all parties are very happy with the way in which the relationship has developed. Our commitment to supporting our local communities through social value initiatives has recently included working with Diss Town Football Club to donate and deliver items to the local foodbank. We assisted our client South Cambridgeshire District Council to relocate a family into their new home by providing practical support with the removals while the removal company staff were furloughed. The family members were incredibly grateful to Foster for going the extra mile to get them into their new property with the minimum of difficulty. We continue to nurture our relationship with Wisbech Schools Partnership by regularly attending their careers events and spotlighting opportunities in our sector. This includes enabling children to benefit from site visits which help to bring the vision explained at their job fairs to life. We also ignited their imaginations by creating a prize challenge around designing a futuristic home. Among the pupils who have engaged with us, there are undoubtedly some with the potential to excel in the industry should they choose to do so. A few of our social value initiatives Foster 50th brochure.qxp_Layout 1 24/07/2023 18:22 Page 4
We have identified the following options for adding social value and involving others in our Foster 50 celebrations in the coming months. • £50 voucher for all 50th works – 50th kitchen, 50th rewire per contract, to go to the residents. Clients can register their interest in entering a draw to win £5,000 of social value by submitting suggestions/desires/ideas that they would like to see fulfilled. • 50 weeks of employee recognition – a £50 voucher every week to a nominated employee. • Staff volunteer days – for activities such as litter picking, estate cleanups, gardening in shared green spaces. • Skills and CV workshops for residents. • Repairs/installation of children’s play areas. • Fuel poverty guidance and workshops. • Raffle prize donations to local community events. • Attending school careers events. • Charity Golf Days – our first charity golf day raised over £8,000 for The Clive Smith Foundation, and we look forward to hosting more events. • Sports Teams Sponsorships – we have just sponsored the Cambridge City U13 girls’ team kit. • Donations to food banks – working with 50 foodbanks across our delivery region. Food donated by staff split between nominated foodbanks in their region. • Furniture Recycling Schemes – usable white goods or furniture from void clearances are tested/inspected and offered back to the community. • Community RePaint scheme – donating our unused paint to the Community RePaint scheme for them to offer to the public and local community organisations. • Material donations to colleges for training and student workplace experience. • Winter warm spaces – hiring a venue and providing refreshments and the opportunity for people to social and keep warm within their community. • 50 mile bike ride or equivalent – completed by staff to raise money for charity. fpm-ltd.co.uk Future initiatives If you would like to talk to us about working with you on an initiative of this type in 2023 or 2024 please contact Karl Chappell on karl.chappell@fpmltd.co.uk Foster 50th brochure.qxp_Layout 1 24/07/2023 18:22 Page 5
Our People We take pride in the fact that many members of the Fosters’ team have grown with us, developing new skills and being rewarded for them. At the same time, we look to recruit new talent – finding people who share our ethos of team work, collaboration and always looking for ways to enhance the services we can provide to our clients. Fosters now employs over 200 people throughout East Anglia and the South East. They all subscribe to our core values of integrity, leadership, caring and teamwork, both internally and in all their interactions with clients. Some of the team have been here for over 16 years. Developing our team There is a strong focus on continuous learning and development at all levels within the Fosters team. Examples of this include: • Several people now in senior positions with us have progressed with the company, having initially joined as apprentices. • Over the past year we have supported team members to undertake qualifications as diverse as a Level 2 apprenticeship in Property Maintenance, an Advanced Diploma in Quantity Surveying through to Level 3 and Level 4 Diplomas in Accounting. • Team members benefit from regular soft skills training to support their roles. Foster 50th brochure.qxp_Layout 1 24/07/2023 18:22 Page 6
Our accreditations “ ” CHS Group appointed Foster Property Maintenance for our Responsive Repairs and Planned Works contracts from April 2015. We than added to Voids contract in 2016. The contracts have worked well over this period, based on strong working relationships at all levels and especially with Foster’s Contract Managers. The fact that Foster look after all of these contracts for us gives overall resource flexibility, and provides efficiencies in the delivery of each workstream. This has resulted in Foster regularly meeting/exceeding agreed KPIs and delivering high levels of customer satisfaction. Mark Whitehead, Contracts Manager – CHS Group “ ” The residents at Mansel Court are delighted with the recent painting that has been done in the scheme. It has made the scheme look very smart and freshened the place up. Residents could not give greater praise not only to the work but to the professionalism and kind consideration shown by the painters. Larissa Jorna, Independent Living Facilitator Cambridge City Council “ ” The main work streams that Foster carry out for us on the Planned Maintenance contract are; Structural repairs/roofing/cyclical decs/garage refurbs/hard surfacing/paving/fire doors/ standard doors/windows/ energy works/fire safety works/MMA resin flooring. Martin Donnelly, Principal Surveyor External Planned Works Place Group Cambridge City Council “ ” Flagship Services is responsible for very complex operation that delivers a wide range of services to our customers across the East of England. A vital and integral part of our operation is the support provided by our approved partners. Foster Property Maintenance Ltd is one such partner with whom we enjoy an open and honest relationship, Foster continue to provide the necessary and valuable support to our void and planned works services and I have no doubt our partnership will continue successfully over the coming years. Warren Gannaway, Managing Director Flagship Services Our testimonials What other people say about us is of course more powerful than anything we say about ourselves, whether it be in the form of accreditations achieved, or currently being worked towards, or feedback offered by those who work with us. fpm-ltd.co.uk Foster 50th brochure.qxp_Layout 1 24/07/2023 18:23 Page 7
We are flexible in our approach and offer a variety of solutions providing: Operational Solutions • We are a principal contractor • Work as a back up to the client’s DLO • Provide a wide range of services from multi disciplines in varied locations • One point of contact where required • Work within a framework or term contract • Work under a procurement framework such as: South East Consortium CHIC Eastern Procurement Fusion 21 • Quick to react to clients' needs, we operate on a 'no red tape' approach to ensure we can deliver to requirements efficiently & effectively How can we help We are entirely flexible in the way we work, always looking to operate on particular projects in whichever way is best suited to a client at that particular time. There are various ways in which you might choose for us to help you. • Through existing contract arrangements • Via a Direct Contract Award • As a result of emergency procurement procedures • Through an approved procurement framework our framework partners are You can ask us to partner you in a number of ways, including: • As additional support to your current supply chain • Through top up services to your current DLO • As a sub contractor to your DLO. What to do next? Get in touch for a preliminary chat with our Director of Operations, Karl Chappell, about how we might work together. We look forward to hearing from you. Unit 3, Foster Business Park 79 Boleness Road Wisbech PE13 2XQ 01945 586999 Info@fpmltd.co.uk karl.chappell@fpmltd.co.uk We also have regional offices in Cottenham, Grantham, Ipswich, Norwich and Ongar. Commercial Options Schedule of Rates (NHF/NSR/Bespoke) • Planned works • Responsive repairs and voids • Quoted works Price Per Property (PPP) • Responsive Repairs Price per void (PPV) • Void Works Consolidated Rates • Planned, investment works Open Book (OB) • All works • Cost plus (where use of specialist contractor is required). Operational & Commercial Flexibility Foster 50th brochure.qxp_Layout 1 24/07/2023 18:23 Page 8