Home Maintenance Service
The Southern Downs Regional Council Home Maintenance Service is for frail, aged and younger people with disabilities who need help to stay in their own homes, rather than having to move into a nursing home or other accommodation. The Home Maintenance Service is funded under the Commonwealth & State Government Home and Community Care Program (HACC).
Who is eligible?
People who wish to receive assistance through the Home Maintenance Service must be screened for eligibility by the Community Health Nurse or Blue Care or arrangements may be made with Council’s Home Maintenance Coordinator. Those who are eligible are then referred to the Home Maintenance Service.
Even if you are not eligible for the service, we may still be able to provide you with information on other services or tradesmen that may be able to help you.
What services are provided under this scheme?
The Home Maintenance Service provides services that assist to keep your home safe and habitable. The Home Maintenance Service can provide services such as lawn mowing, edge trimming, rubbish removal, yard maintenance, wood-chopping and minor home repairs and maintenance (internal and external). Any jobs or tasks over that needed to ensure your home is safe and habitable (e.g. weeding, planting, etc.) cannot be funded by the Home Maintenance Service.
How do I make a request for service?
To request a service at the subsidised rate, clients of Council’s Home Maintenance Service must telephone the Council office on 07 4661 0300 for Warwick and 07 4681 5535 for Stanthorpe.
If the client calls the workman directly, this is seen as a private arrangement and the client must pay the workman’s full rate.
Clients of the Home Maintenance Service are entitled to one visit by a workman in a three week period, for a maximum of 3 hours, at $10.00 per hour.
We suggest that you mark on your calendar the day your workman completes your lawn, also marking three weeks from that date to telephone Council to request the next service.
If a client requires more than three hours work, any additional time will be charged at the workman’s full rate. (Please contact your local Council office for a list of rates).
Contractors
Our Home Maintenance Services are provided by local contractors who have a service agreement with Council. These workmen are providing services to some of the most vulnerable people in our community who may have high and complex needs, and they have been especially selected for their quality of work and their ability to communicate with elderly people or people with a disability. These workmen are responsible for liaising with the Council’s Home Maintenance Coordinator and clients to ensure quality workmanship and timely completion of jobs. They also may need to assist clients with payment procedures.
When a client contacts Council to request a service, the Home Maintenance Co-ordinator makes arrangements with the appropriate workman to provide the service. All client requests should be completed within seven (7) days. Some delays may be expected during peak times.
Clients contribute an amount of $10 per hour for the workman’s labour and materials. Clients pay their contribution directly to the workman on completion of the work. (The client and workman may make other arrangements for payment if necessary.)
Once a job is completed, the workman forwards an invoice to Council for the balance of the cost.
Standard of Service
All work carried out by Council’s Home Maintenance workmen must be done in a professional and efficient manner. In particular, they must respect the privacy and possessions of all clients. Home and Community Care, who fund Council’s Home Maintenance Service, have specified service standards to help ensure that clients receive quality service that meets their needs. The workmen are familiar with these guidelines.
If a client is of the opinion that the service they have received is not of a professional standard, then they should contact the Council’s Home Maintenance Co-ordinator for their area, Mandy May - Warwick area, on telephone 07 4661 0404, or Kev Pettiford - Stanthorpe Area, on telephone 07 4681 5535.
Your rights as a Client
As a person using Council’s Home Maintenance Service, you have a number of rights. Both Council and your workman recognise your right to:
- Be treated with respect and courtesy.
- Be informed and consulted.
- Be part of decisions made about your care.
- Receive quality services.
- Privacy and confidentiality, and to access all personal information kept about you by the Council’s Home Maintenance Service.
- Have another person of your choice support you and advocate (speak) on your behalf.
- Have your comments valued and to make a confidential complaint if you are not happy with the services you receive.
Your responsibilities as a Client
While you have a number of rights as a client of Council’s Home Maintenance Service, you also have some responsibilities to the people assisting you. You should:
- Treat Council staff and your workman with respect and courtesy – for example, by letting them know as soon as possible if you cannot keep an appointment.
- Provide a safe work environment for your workman and help them to provide you with services safely; e.g. by restraining dogs, informing your workman of potential hazards (such as obstacles in the garden), and removing objects from the lawn before they arrive. It is also recommended that you ensure all vehicles are garaged or located away from the work area so there is no possibility of damage to your vehicles.
- Take responsibility for the results of any decisions, which you make with your workman.
Who should I contact?
Council has two Home Maintenance Coordinators. For the Warwick area, Mandy May should be contacted on 07 4661 0404 between 8.00am and 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday. For the Stanthorpe area, Kev Pettiford should be contacted on 07 4681 5535 between 8.30am and 5.00pm, Monday to Friday.
