Flooring contractor John Lord collaborates with RWP

“We have been the flooring contractor for Progress (and now RWP) since December 2019, and in that time, we have installed over 500 flooring projects. We are a family-run business founded in 1901 with family values at the core of our model, from the management team to the site operatives. We believe the partnership is successful because there is good communication between the RWP contracts team, RWP housing officers, individual housing managers, the John Lord management team, and the installation operatives.

“All parties understand that flooring is not an exact science and that occasionally problems can arise. For example, we are not able to uplift floors when we conduct a site survey which means we do not always know what we will find underneath and we can come up against unexpected problems. The RWP contracts team and housing officers know and trust that whatever we encounter, we will complete the job and correct any issues until all parties are completely satisfied.

Joint training with RWP

“Our management team liaise closely with the RWP contracts team and housing officers and both teams have invested in joint training. It’s important that we talk through specifications, problems encountered and so on. The RWP team gives their feedback and joint solutions are put in place to ensure the smoothest running of the contract. We have had multiple meetings at John Lord’s HQ with the housing officers which have provided good opportunities to showcase the issues and the potential solutions using the materials and samples in our factory.

“The main challenges we face are being unable to gain access on agreed dates and finding unexpected conditions once floors have been uplifted. These issues have largely been resolved through the ongoing discussions between teams, and overall, the system works very well.

“In supported living homes, we supply and install an agreed specification of carpet and vinyl floor coverings appropriate for the needs of the tenants and support staff. This could be a carpet to lounge, dining rooms, stairs and landings (occasionally bedrooms under special circumstances). Alternatively, we can use wood-effect sheet vinyl in these areas if it is more appropriate for the users, perhaps they might have mobility requirements or special hygiene requirements. We also provide specialist safety vinyl to bathrooms as required.

“We recently completed a large project with multiple floor coverings as part of a refurbishment at an RWP supported living home in Surrey. This included fitting carpet on the stairs, hall, landing, and vinyl in the kitchen, bedroom, and bathrooms. Due to the large volume of flooring required across a high number of rooms, we assigned five days to complete the fitting. It’s important that we consider tenants’ needs during the fitting and to be guided by them. We consulted them prior to our arrival and ensured that there was minimal disruption to the service users by prioritising certain areas. During the fitting process, we made an initial visit to measure the rooms and run through the colour choices, which was followed by arranging a fitting date that worked for the tenants.”