Care and repair

What is Care & Repair?
Tandridge Care & Repair helps older or disabled people with house repairs, improvements or adaptations. Residents must either own or privately rent their home and have the responsibility to pay for repairs.

We help to ensure that works are undertaken by reputable tradesmen at a reasonable cost. Our service includes technical advice, the co-ordination of major works and a handyman scheme for small jobs. We also check your entitlement to financial assistance (e.g. grants and welfare benefits).

From small repairs to major improvements and adaptations, the Agency is here to help you. For example, we can assist with:

• Repairs to doors, windows, roofs and gutters
• Renewing electrical wiring or plumbing
• Damp proofing and general improvements
• Disabled adaptations
• Central heating
• Energy conservation
• Safety and security within the home
• Advice on entitlement to welfare benefits
• Referring clients to other agencies or services that could improve quality of life and help sustain independent living.

Handyperson Scheme
Our Handyperson undertakes essential repairs and maintenance that are too small for general contractors to price but are too difficult for older and disabled clients to tackle on their own.

Typical jobs will take less than two hours and include the installation of grab rails, smoke detectors, minor carpentry and plumbing works, shelving and securing loose carpets. There is a charge for this service, please contact us for details. Please be aware that we cannot offer a same day service, although priority will be given to urgent cases where health and safety is an issue.

If the job is too large for the handyman to undertake he will refer it back to the Agency where staff will assist in finding another solution.

Help with larger jobs
Even if you are not entitled to any grants, the Agency can give technical advice and manage larger jobs on your behalf. In these cases, you will have to pay for the work, along with a fee to the Agency based upon the total cost of the works, usually 10% or 12% of the cost of works .

Officers to have discretion to waive or reduce fees in cases of hardship.

In return we will:

• assist in identifying a solution after visiting your home and liaising with other professionals as appropriate
• prepare a proposed schedule of repairs for you to consider
• seek competitive estimates, although you may wish to use a contractor of your choice
• monitor the progress of works - a technical officer will visit to view completed jobs before the final payment is made to the contractor
• help you deal with any disruption that may be caused or unexpected snags that may arise during the course of the works .

You will be responsible for employing the contractor concerned - the Agency will merely be acting in an advisory capacity on your behalf. The contract for the works will be between you and the firm concerned. However, we will be willing to assist should any disputes arise.

We will tell you if you have to make payments before we commit you to any charges and our advice is always free.