Visits

Our grounds contractors will visit the majority of our sites 26 times in a full year, some areas have 24 visits per year. This means they will carry out two visits per month, with approximately 15 days between each visit.

During the visits, we carry out the works below:

Summer works - April to November

• Grass cutting. We ‘cut and mulch’ to reduce green waste costs. This is an eco-friendly method of mowing where the cut grass is shredded into tiny particles which are then blown back deep into the lawn so you can’t see them. We aim to leave a tidy finish.
• Pruning of hedges and shrubs, so access routes and windows are kept clear
• Weed control
• Litter collection from all areas

We mainly work on shrub beds during winter. During the summer, we only carry out containment pruning on shrubs where it’s required. This means flowering shrubs are allowed to reach their full potential.

Winter works – November to March

• Winter pruning. This includes reducing shrubs and hedges, as well as general tidying of all areas.
• Grass edging, which means we cut the edges of the grass back to create straight edges
• Moss control. We use chemical and mechanical clearance methods to stay on top of moss growth over the winter period.
• Litter clearance from shrub borders, hedges, grass and paved areas
• Leaf clearance from shrub borders, hedges, grass and paved areas

Work not included in your standard grounds maintenance service

• Tree works. If you think that we need to carry out work on a tree/group of trees located on land we own, please fill out this form.
• Any installation works, such as installing seating, bins, plants
• Bulky waste collection. We generally recommend contacting your local council as they may have a collection service, but you can also contact the Environment Agency for advice.

All cleaning activities are carried out every two weeks as standard, at a minimum. There may be some variations to this where there is a static cleaner, or if we’ve agreed other arrangements with you for an additional service charge. Fortnightly cleaning generally consists of the following tasks:

• Vacuuming carpeted floors
• Wiping/polishing of internal glass to stairways and handrails
• Wiping/polishing air vents and any wall mounted furniture such as light switches or alarm points
• Wiping/cleaning communal door frames, doors and furniture
• Cleaning marks off the wall where possible. If marks can’t be removed, this is reported to us.
• Sweeping and mopping hard floors
• Cleaning entrance signs
• Cleaning any glass surfaces in entrance doors and windows
• Clearing advertising flyers from communal entrance areas
• Checking for rubbish in bin areas and placing rubbish in the bin
• Monthly washing of bin store areas
• Cleaning all surfaces and touch points in lifts
• Reporting of bulky waste in hallways and on site

If there is an additional cleaning issue not covered by the above, this will be reported, and then addressed as necessary.

Only external communal windows are included in this service. It includes:

• Entrance points, surrounding frames and glazing on windows and doors
• Corridor windows to stairwell and glazed walkways
• Glass and frames of external windows, as well as window ledges, where accessible

These can’t always be accessed, and bad weather such as ice, snow or strong winds may also restrict our contractors’ access.

Window cleaning for Independent Living homes

We clean all windows in Independent Living, Extra Care and Supported Living homes. We can include any conservatories or glass roof areas by arrangement.

We clean the glass and frames of external windows, and window ledges, where accessible.

These can’t always be accessed, and bad weather such as ice, snow or strong winds may also restrict our contractors’ access.

We care about the standard of the estates where our customers live and it’s our aim that every customer is proud of the place they call home. We work together with customers and partners to achieve our estate standards, which we organise into four key pillars: safe, well maintained, clean and tidy, and sustainable.

Please visit this page early next year when we’ll be sharing with you more information about the standards customers can expect to see in our Orbit communities, so that we can be held to account when it comes to achieving these.

Performance Monitoring and Key Performance Indicators

KPI 1 Quality of workmanship

A site Estate Inspection will take place within 3 working days after a visit, across a minimum of 10% of sites each month by the Contract standards Manager and the contractor themselves will self-audit 10%. Each site will be scored and measured as follows:

• Green – The site has met all aspects of the specification
• Amber – The site has met most aspects of the specification, however areas which have resulted in an amber score will be expected to be resolved on the next scheduled visit
• Red  - The site hasn’t met the specification and a rectification visit will be required within 3 working days that resolves the highlighted issues
• Within the contract no more than 20% of the sample can score amber and no more than 5% can score red.

KPI 2 Schedule Adherence

• The contractor is required to visit sites in line with the agreed quarterly schedule. Is a site is missed or cancelled the contractor is to make Orbit aware at the earliest opportunity and reschedule the visit to take place within 3 working days.

KPI 3 Rectification works 

• The contractor is required to complete rectification works within 3 working days of a site being classed as being red.

KPI 4 Complaints

• There are to be no more than 3 (2% of estates at award) complaints upheld per month. Upheld means where the complaint is investigated and the contactor is proven to be accountable for a service delivery failure.

Within our estates we have a number of communal trees (trees that are not within the boundary of individual homes) that are our responsibility to maintain and we have a specialist tree team which manages our tree maintenance programme.

We are in the process of surveying all our communal trees and aim to have them all mapped by March 2026. As and when a tree is mapped we assess whether any works are needed and within what timeframe, prioritising works based on risks and need. When this process is complete, we will have a three-year maintenance plan for all our communal trees.

We will then continue to survey the communal trees on a three-year cycle.

If you are aware of a tree on your estate that looks dangerous and potentially poses a risk to the community, you can let us know by filling in our tree form. You can also upload photographs to the form so we can see the condition of the tree.

Tree form

Grounds Maintenance

How can I see what areas Orbit are responsible for maintaining on my estate?

If you have a communal noticeboard we’ll be displaying our estate maps on these by April 2025. Alternatively, please email EstateServices@orbit.org.uk to request a copy.

How do know when to expect gardeners, cleaners and window cleaners?

We are in the process of updating the posters on your communal noticeboard to let you know how often you can expect these visits to take place. If there is a specific day that gardeners, cleaners and window cleaners will attend, this information will also be included on the poster.

Grounds Maintenance visits generally take place fortnightly with a four week gap over the Christmas period. Cleaning is generally completed fortnightly unless you live in one our Independent Living schemes and have an increased frequency. Communal Window Cleaning is completed bi-monthly.

What happens when areas of grounds are missed, such as tucked away areas or alleyways?

We may not tend to these areas on every visit, but we check them regularly to ensure there isn’t a buildup of weed growth, leaf debris, litter or overgrown vegetation.

Who removes leaf debris from hedge cutting or grass left on footpaths after mowing?

Grass on footpaths will be removed or may be blown back onto grass areas. 

Sometimes small amounts of leaf debris will be blown back into shrub beds and hedgerows to act as a natural mulch, but in the main any excess debris will be removed.

We’ll always ensure pathways and walkways are cleared from leaf fall during our partner’s visit as a priority.

Who removes fallen leaves and leaf debris that naturally occurs in the autumn?

We aim to remove all fallen leaves on each visit during the autumn period. If there are too many leaves to take away, the leaves will be blown into piles to be removed on a future visit. Priority will be given to areas where there are footpaths, car park areas and access routes. 

What happens if my estate is missed? When can I expect a service?

If your visit is missed it will be attended to within three working days of the original scheduled visits. This is set out in our partners’ service standards and contract terms.

Cleaning

What water is used for the cleaning of floors and how often is it changed?

Fresh clean water is used daily for each cleaning task. The water should be changed after a maximum of three floors, depending on size. Regular checks are carried out to ensure these instructions are followed.

Is the cleaning of mirrors and windows included in the cleaning specification, and how often are they cleaned?

The cleaning of internal communal windows is included in the cleaning specifications. They should be cleaned six times per year, although it’s expected that internal lift mirrors are cleaned each visit and windows are checked weekly and cleaned as required.

What happens if rubbish is left in the communal corridors instead of the bins?

We encourage all customers to place household waste in their household or communal bins. If you’ve got large items to dispose of, you should be able to arrange for the local authority to collect these.

When rubbish is left in communal areas, the cleaners will remove this. However, if we find large items, we’ll place a notice on the item advising customers that it must be removed, unless it’s an urgent health and safety hazard. We then arrange for our partners to remove and dispose of the items. The cost of removal is then recharged to customers via the service charge if we’re unable to identify who disposed of these items.

You can find out more about our ‘keep it clear’ policy here.

Tree Maintenance

There’s a tree on my estate that looks damaged or dangerous. How can I make Orbit aware?

If you are aware of a tree on your estate that looks dangerous and potentially poses a risk to the community, you can let us know by filling in our tree form. You can also upload photographs to the form so we can see the condition of the tree. 

What happens if the tree I am concerned about is not on Orbit Land?

You can report this directly to your local authority. If we have concerns about the safety of a tree on non-Orbit land, we will make contact with the landowner and request that it is dealt with appropriately.

Who is responsible for the tree in my garden?

Under the terms of your tenancy, any trees within individual gardens are your responsibility to maintain.

How does Orbit know if a tree has a Tree Preservation Order (TPO)?

Before completing any tree works, we check with the Local Authority to see if the tree has a TPO. Longer term, we are looking to include this information on our own tree mapping database. If a tree does have a TPO, we are required to get permission from the Local Authority before undertaking any works as the tree is protected.