11 minute read
12. Quality
Quality
Quality Statement
Advertisement
The Buildings and Estates Department is a customer-driven organisation that strives to provide excellence in the services it delivers. We believe that the campus community is entitled to a high standard of quality from us. The department’s quality ethos is
Health and Safety
Health and Safety 2021
2021 began with a continuation of the “new normal” with the challenges posed by COVID-19 still very much part and parcel of the daily lives of all B&E staff and Service Providers. Thankfully B&E (with the help and support of the aforementioned) navigated its way through 2021 without any significant H&S incidents either COVID related or other. Notwithstanding this, due to the large variety of high-risk work either undertaken or managed by B&E such as work at height, tree felling, work with high voltage electricity and work in deep excavations, health and safety remained very much to the forefront of our daily working lives. B&E have a dedicated Safety Steering Committee that meet on a weekly basis and are tasked with establishing and maintaining a robust Safety Management System that fits the needs of the department. Thanks to everyone on the Safety Committee and anyone associated with B&E for their ongoing commitment towards a safe and healthy working environment.
Below are some of the headline H&S statistics for the year that was 2021.
2
Lost Time Accidents (LTA) arising as a result of work activities (+3 days lost)
13
Workdays lost as a result of accident/incident or near miss
116
No of different Service Providers (contractors) used by B&E to undertake works on campus.
229
No of B&E Service Provider Inductions completed
Maintenance
♦ Promptly acknowledge receipt of your request ♦ Respond to your urgent requests immediately ♦ Advise you immediately when your request has been completed and within five working days when your request has not been completed
Cleaning
♦ Clean buildings as per Service Level Agreement with cleaning company ♦ Collect recycling paper from offices weekly ♦ Provide janitorial service during normal working hours for toilets and emergency clean-up of spillages ♦ Carry out deep clean of new buildings & vacant offices ♦ Clean building glazing once a year ♦ Provide feminine hygiene service in female toilets
Security
♦ Provide a safe and secure environment on campus ♦ Monitor vehicle parking to ensure compliance with
UL parking policy ♦ Be responsible for traffic management ♦ Be responsible for security of campus building stock ♦ Respond to incidents/accidents and contact emergency services when required
Maintenance
♦ Send an email to Buildingsmaintenance@ul.ie, including location room number ♦ Read emails from BENotices ♦ Give at least 24 hours notice for collection/delivery requests
Cleaning
♦ Report any floor spillages that could result in an accident ♦ Segregate paper and general waste ♦ Dispose of general waste in corridor waste bins ♦ Report toilets that require servicing (including blockages) to Buildingsmaintenance@ul.ie
Security
♦ Park in official car park spaces ♦ Follow instructions issued by security officers ♦ Report any suspicious behaviour by individuals or vehicle occupants ♦ Inform campus security of any proposed events taking place on campus
Space Management & Office Moves
♦ Promptly acknowledge receipt of your request ♦ Respond to the changing requirements of UL’s teaching and research priorities ♦ Allocate space in the best interests of UL according to space allocation protocol ♦ Provide you with a suitable single/shared office or workstation ♦ Endeavour to provide everyone with sufficient space to enable them to carry out their function ♦ Discuss with you your space requirements or any issue about your office move
Landscaping & Grounds
♦ Manage the maintenance and development of the campus landscape to provide an attractive and pleasing environment for the campus and wider community in support of UL’s mission ♦ Manage and maintain the field sports facilities ♦ Keep the campus clean
Space Management & Office Moves
♦ Outline your space requirements to your faculty manager or head of department ♦ Make your request as clear as possible ♦ Ensure your department’s existing space is fully utilised before seeking additional space ♦ Adhere to UL’s space allocation protocol and understand that space is a valuable and finite resource ♦ Relinquish any unused or under-utilised space
Landscaping & Grounds
♦ Enjoy and respect the parkland facilities and riverside setting ♦ Report any safety or hazard issues to
Buildingsmaintenance@ul.ie
Minor Works
The same as maintenance, above, with the addition of the following: ♦ If your request is on hold because we’re awaiting information from you, we’ll send you a reminder after 10 working days ♦ If you don’t receive a quotation within five working days, we’ll advise you of the status of the request
Minor Works
♦ Complete a Minor Works form ♦ Provide a detailed description of the works
Porter Service
♦ Promptly acknowledge receipt of your request ♦ Set up and support special events ♦ Take responsibility for housekeeping in communal areas and teaching spaces ♦ Provide security in campus buildings and car parks (in conjunction with Campus Security) ♦ Provide frontline support for AV equipment in a number of outlying buildings, lecturing spaces and seminar rooms ♦ Participate in UL emergency response procedures, including fire alarms, major incidences and medical emergency calls ♦ Provide information about events and seminars to visitors ♦ Deliver goods inwards material, sort and deliver
SDS postal items and sort and deliver general postal packages
Insurance
♦ Promptly acknowledge receipt of your request ♦ Provide evidence of UL insurance cover ♦ Advise on existing UL policies ♦ Liaise with UL insurance brokers on your behalf ♦ Update Asset Register with new plant/equipment ♦ Lodge settlement cheques to your dept. cost code ♦ Seek additional cover on your behalf (additional charge may apply) ♦ Submit claims on your behalf ♦ Assist with incident investigations
Porter Service
♦ Email requests to Buildingsmaintenance@ul.ie ♦ Give adequate notice of events that you host ♦ Report suspicious activity to Buildings and
Estates or directly to Campus Security ♦ Give advance notice of the need to relocate material within buildings ♦ Leave teaching spaces in the correct setup for the next class (leave them as you would like to find them) ♦ Include your room number on orders that are being delivered to UL
Insurance
♦ Send an email to cliona.donnellan@ul.ie ♦ Make your request as clear as possible ♦ Advise of incidents/accidents immediately ♦ Submit claim forms promptly ♦ Pay additional bespoke premiums promptly ♦ Provide requested additional details promptly ♦ Advise Buildings and Estates of new plant/ equipment in your department ♦ Complete questionnaire/claim forms comprehensively and provide supporting docs ♦ Provide dept. cost code for settlement ♦ Advise insurance administrator of planned sabbaticals at least one month in advance of travel ♦ Ensure your contractors/visiting groups have current public and employers’ liability insurances to levels of €6.5m and €13m respectively
Key Business Processes
Figure 1 below sets out B&E’s key service processes (on the right) that are used to provide and maintain outstanding physical facilities. The associated Quality Management System processes are shown on the left. The supporting procedures, which underpin these processes, are reviewed, discussed and challenged in accordance with the schedule set out in the departments Quality Calendar.
QMS PROCEDURES
Documentation Management Department Objectives and Measures
Departmental / Management Communication
Employee Satisfaction Training and Continuing Professional Development Continual Improvement and Customer Satisfaction
Customer Feedback and Customer Focus Group Self-Assessment
Process Structure and Interaction Quality Policy Quarterly Business Review
Quality Manual
Measurement and Continual Improvement
Customer Interaction and Feedback
Customer Satisfaction KEY SERVICE PROCEDURES
Management of Capital Projects Maintenance and Minor Works
Space Management Cleaning Management Waste Management Portering Operations Goods Inwards and Distribution
Furniture Provision
Insurance
Security Key Control Parking Grounds Maintenance
Energy and Water Signage
Shaping a Sustainable Future
Benchmarking
B&E (and hence UL) are members of the following associations/organisations/ groups: ✓ Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE) (B&E was its first member outside of the UK) ✓ Association of University Chief Security Officers (AUCSO) ✓ Irish Universities Association Directors of Estates ✓ Irish Universities Association Sustainability Working Group ✓ University Sector Energy Environment Economy Group (E9) ✓ Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges Office Bearers Group ✓ Insurance Intervarsity Management Group ✓ Chartered Institute of Engineers ✓ Golf Course Superintendents Association of Ireland ✓ Project Management Institute ✓ Mid-West Project Management Networking Group ✓ EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Large Water Users Community of
Practice ✓ OGP (Office of Government Procurement) Category Councils ✓ Corporate Enabling of Clinical Research
Quality Team
Although B&E has had a quality leader in place, the department does not have a dedicated quality team as such. All core members of staff are considered members of the quality team, and quality features as a permanent agenda item at multiple departmental meetings (e.g. Quality Business Review, Coordination). Whilst a representative subgroup of B&E’s quality team was tasked with compiling the 2020 Self Assessment Review (SAR), all members of staff were involved in the selfassessment exercise to some extent. In addition, the wider quality team members were encouraged to provide feedback on a draft version of the SAR prior to the delivery of the final report to the Quality Support Unit (QSU) for circulation to the external quality review group.
Quality Improvement Plan
The B&E department maintain a Quality Improvement Plan(QIP). Contained within the QIP are action items arising from multiple sources, including customer focus groups, staff and student surveys, QBR meetings and self-assessments. The action items span a wide range of issues, including environmental improvements, facilities improvements, outdoor events, maintenance and minor works and improvements to the QMS itself. Specific action items are overseen by the relevant forum, such as Operations meeting, M&E Team meeting, Minor Works meeting. The overall implementation of the QIP is monitored at the QBR, and the efficacy of specific quality improvement action items is measured using existing feedback channels.
2020 External Review
The Universites Act (1997) obliged universities in Ireland to formally establish quality assurance procedures aimed at improving the quality of education and related services. Furthermore, the Act stipulated the necessity for an evaluation of the quality assurance procedures implemented to take place at regular intervals (but not less than once in every ten years). In support of the requirements of the Act, UL published a standard framework for support departments on the implementation of a Quality Management System (QMS). B&E were early adopters of a QMS and for this reason its most recent external quality review was the third of its kind. The earlier external quality reviews primarily focussed on ensuring a QMS was adopted and an examination of its fitness for purpose. The most recent Quality Review whilst still featuring an examination of the QMS in place focussed more so on strategic alignment, organisational structure, management and governance. In preparation for B&E’s third external quality review B&E appointed a new quality team leader, established a core quality team, undertook focus groups (amongst both staff and students), introduced new and more effective mechanisms for collecting and actioning feedback, reviewed its Quality Manual and associated procedures in their entirety compiling the resulting actions into its Quality Improvement Plan and completed a self-assessment report i.e. the primary document used by the Quality Review Group (QRG) as the basis for their review. The QRG said the following of B&E’s self-assessment report:
The QRG found the B&E self-assessment report (SAR) to be a very comprehensive and professional document, showing evidence of commitment to the UL quality process over a long period and a keen awareness of the need to monitor and account for the division’s performance.
B&E were commended for amongst other things:
The delivery of the B&E strategic plan, Building a Sustainable Future, 2017-2021, and the subsequent annual reports demonstrating progress against this plan.
The division’s commitment to and delivery of the environmental sustainability agenda and Green Campus and its active collaboration with the UL Environmental Society.
The clear recognition by B&E of risks posed by specific resource gaps for the division’s capability and capacity to support the University’s strategic plan.
B&E received ten Level 1 recommendations and thirteen Level 2 recommendations twenty-two of which B&E have accepted in full or in part with only one being rejected. The QRG’s recommendations can be largely broken into three thematic areas namely the strategy for developing and managing the estate, additional human resources, and, communication. B&E’s External Quality Review took place over three days from 2nd – 5th March 2020 just after the worst of the flooding and before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland. The Buildings & Estates QRG report was approved by the Quality Committee on 28/05/2020 for publication. As part of its ongoing quality drive B&E made a presentation in May 2021 to the Executive Sub-Committee Quality Committee (ECQC), chaired by the Provost Deputy President, on progress made towards implementing the findings of the external Quality Review Group in March 2020. B&E reported that both its Level 1 and Level 2 recommendations were 70% complete despite the significant additional workload and upheaval caused by the pandemic. The presentation was very well received by the committee with the most popular comment being:
