Quadron Services

Job title - Contract Manager

Client - Thames Valley Housing Association (TVHA)

What does your job entail?

As a Contract Manager I am responsible for the performance of our grounds maintenance contract with TVHA. This entails complying with internal policy and procedures as well as maintaining Quadrons reputation as a quality service provider. I manage a team of 16 grounds maintenance operatives. My role demands that I closely liaise with my client counterparts in order to develop the partnering relationship.

Describe some of your other responsibilities?

I regularly meet client officers on site to discuss any operational issues. I also meet and pass on instructions to all my staff on their daily and weekly duties. I then undertake inspections of their work and instigate any corrective action procedures if there are any service failures. I also attend monthly contract performance review meetings with the client which focus on key performance indicators and cost analysis. I am the first point of contact whenever we receive complaints from any residents.

Why Quadron?

I came to England from Poland in 2004 with five other friends who all now work for Quadron as well and we began working for a ground maintenance contractor on the TVHA grounds maintenance contract. As part of the procurement process TVHA undertook in 2005, Quadron was chosen as the preferred contractor and I and the rest of the grounds maintenance operational team TUPE transferred to Quadron.

How would you describe the TUPE process?

At the time I was quite concerned about the process and was not entirely sure whether I would keep my job as at the time I didnt speak English fluently or understand the TUPE process.

What happened?

Before the transfer from our old contractor to Quadron, Quadron organised an informal meeting with all the transferring staff and assured them of their futures with the company and their expectations for the future of the contract and the employees. Then a week or so later each member of staff had a one-to-one meeting with the Contract Manager, Russ Kirk who was closely liasing with Clive Ivil the Managing Director and the HR Manager, Julie Smith. The meetings provided an opportunity to ask any questions about the future, our future, training, anything at all.

How did you and your colleagues feel after the TUPE process was concluded?

We were pleased that Quadron had assured us about the process and that we would keep our jobs. We were also pleased that training programmes and development programmes had already been discussed and that they would be introduced within the first few months of the new contract. We felt optimistic that if we performed well that we would be given an opportunity to progress with Quadron.

How have you developed in your time with Quadron?

When I first started working for Quadron in 2005 I was a grounds maintenance operative. By the summer of 2006 I was promoted to a working supervisor responsible for a mobile team of 8 and received an employee of the month award. Then in January 2008 I was promoted to Contract Manager. I have also completed an NVQ Level 2 in Amenity Horticulture and an NVQ Level 3 in Management at West Thames College in Hounslow. Quadron have allowed me some flexi-time to complete my assignments and to undertake revision.

What are your aspirations for the future?

I begin my NVQ Level 3 in Amenity Horticulture in 2009 which will take two years to complete and I hope to gain more experience of the role as I have only been a Contract Manager for a few months so I won't set unrealistic targets. However my short term goals are to continue to develop our relationship with the client and to also take on extra responsibilities for example assisting the tendering team in pricing up contract specifications.