Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Home Office housing provider to make urgent repairs to asylum seeker flats | Immigration and asylum | The Guardian

Home Office housing provider to make urgent repairs to asylum seeker flats | Immigration and asylum | The Guardian

Private contractor Clearsprings takes action after the Guardian exposed poor conditions in west London

A Home Office accommodation provider is making urgent improvements to flats for asylum seekers in the prime minister’s constituency after the Guardian exposed poor conditions there.

Eighteen flats in Uxbridge, west London, housing dozens of asylum seekers, were found to be rife with damp, mould, water leaks and pest infestations. The Home Office admitted that the conditions “clearly fall short of the high standards we expect from our contractors”. Hillingdon council said conditions in the properties were under investigation.

The Guardian has also received complaints about asylum accommodation in a central London hotel used by the Home Office to house asylum seeker families. Problems reported there includs severe bed bug infestations, water leaking through the ceiling, electricity faults, and a fire in a ground-floor annexe last month that caused the evacuation of the hotel.

Both of these sites are managed by a private firm, Clearsprings, on behalf of the Home Office. As more complaints are made about conditions in some of the asylum seeker accommodation run by Clearsprings, it has emerged that the company’s three directors were paid increased dividends last year of £7m between them.

The previous year the dividend was £1m, according to accounts filed at Companies House. The accounts show that the company’s operating profit increased from £796,304 in January 2020 to £4.4m in January 2021. Along with its Home Office work – the 10-year accommodation contract runs until 2029 – the company also has a five-year contract with Kent county council until 2023. Clearsprings declined to comment on the dividend payout.

Hillingdon council carried out urgent inspections of the Uxbridge flats on 22 December. The asylum seekers told the Guardian that a flurry of activity followed the article, with contractors sent round to deep clean and redecorate some of the accommodation.

Some of the asylum seekers received an undated note from Clearsprings after the article, which stated: “We will be vacating everyone … urgently. Once we find suitable accommodation. This might possibly happen next week. I advise you pack your belongings.” Some have now been offered alternative housing in east London and Yorkshire.

Stuart McDonald, the MP for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East, condemned Clearsprings. He said: “Outsourced asylum accommodation has been a total disaster from the outset. Clearsprings’ accounts suggest that the ‘new’ contracts awarded in 2019 have simply proved to be a goldmine for the owners of Clearsprings and others – despite the fact that the asylum seekers they accommodate have continued to endure totally unacceptable conditions. The scandal of outsourced accommodation must be stopped.”

Hannah Marwood, of the charity Care4Calais, which is providing support to asylum seekers in the Uxbridge flats and the central London hotel, said: “These are not isolated incidents. Supporting thousands of asylum seekers across the country, we see the conditions some are forced to live in and the huge toll living in these conditions takes on people who have suffered painful and traumatic past experiences. The government should treat every life with respect and dignity, not allow its contractors to cut corners, seemingly for profit.”

A Clearsprings spokesperson said about the Uxbridge flats: “We can confirm that work to the property is ongoing and it is hoped this will be concluded as soon as possible.”

Commenting on the problems at the central London hotel, the spokesperson said: “Clearsprings Ready Homes works closely with its delivery partners to ensure that safe, habitable and correctly equipped accommodation is provided. Whenever issues are raised, or defects are identified, Ready Homes will undertake a full investigation and ensure that those issues are addressed.”

A Hillingdon council spokesperson said: “This is a live case being investigated by our private sector housing enforcement team, so we can’t disclose further information at this stage.”

A Home Office spokesperson said in response to complaints about conditions in the central London hotel: “We are dealing with unprecedented pressures on the asylum system, but despite this, we continue to ensure the accommodation provided is safe, comfortable and secure.”

Home Office sources acknowledged there had been bed bug infestations and electrical problems at the hotel, which the sources said had now been resolved.

Source: undefined

Friday, February 14, 2020

Appliance Repair Needs, Shops and Guarantees

Appliance Repairs: What Home Buyers and Homeowners Need to Know


Repairing your own devices can be an affordable service to malfunctions. But for your security, make certain you take the required precautions! When they break down can be a great way to save cash-- however only if you do it ideal, repairing your own appliances! Among the most significant worry about DIY home appliance repair work is safety, so before you dive headfirst into that washer repair work or refrigerator malfunction, make sure that you're taking all essential safety measures to protect yourself, your home appliance, and your home qualified samsung appliances repair specialist.

A device repair work service does what seems standard to lots of people-repair electrical devices. Every so often, however, it is an exceptional concept to take a look at the common and look at what a repair service exists to do. To this end, the words "device," "repair work," and "service" will all serve valued functions in specifying a device repair work service.





Prior to defining a device repair work service, a private should first know how to define the word "appliance." A home appliance is a gadget utilized to perform a particular job. Most of the times, devices are used for house tasks, such as cooking, slicing, cutting, blending, cleaning, drying, heating, cooling, and so on. Devices exist in many places, such as business offices, worker desks, and in the conference rooms of organisations and corporations. With that being stated, home appliances are not simply in existence in the house; they likewise exist in the work environment.


Next, before specifying a device repair work service, a private should understand the meaning of the word "repair work." To repair something implies to "re-pair" it-to set it together once again. The word suggests that when something is broken, it is broken in a "set" or in half. To repair the device indicates to bring something divided together and make it a whole product when again. Home appliances may not be broken in half or down the middle, however they are certainly out of operation till they can be fixed and brought back to their former conditions.


All home appliances use electricity, even gas appliances, so make sure that you disconnect the source of power BEFORE you start dealing with the device. For jobs like gas dryer repair work, likewise make sure the gas line is totally shut off to prevent potentially lethal gas leaks. Unless you're a skilled device repair service technician, you most likely can't just look at a faulty dishwasher or malfunctioning fridge and understand exactly what the issue is. So why attempt to go it alone? There are myriad resources, from your home appliance's owner's handbook to online forums, tutorials, and fixing guides, so utilize these materials to help direct you through both the diagnostic and repair phases.


Similar to any (and all) house improvement and repair work jobs, you'll need suitable safety gear for your appliance repair task. Safety glasses are a must, as are work gloves to protect your hands from sharp metal edges. You'll likewise desire an electrical multimeter tool. This helpful gadget permits you to securely validate that no power is streaming through a specific connection, a crucial step to avoid electrical shocks and electrocution when dealing with any kind of electric appliance or circuitry. Keep in mind, if you begin an appliance repair and wind up getting stuck, it's likely that you'll really wind up paying more than if you had actually called the home appliance service technician from the outset. This is because the repair technician will probably have a more difficult time with diagnostics as soon as you have actually played with the device, and in cases where the maker is partially dismantled, the pro might even have to put it back together again to fix the home appliance. As an outcome, it's important to only attempt a home appliance repair work, little or big, if you're totally positive you can solve the issue not just securely, however likewise completely.


When your refrigerator, dishwasher, or other appliance starts acting up, do-it-yourself home appliance repair work can be an economical service. Nevertheless, in order to optimize your cost savings-- and your success-- make sure you're smart about both security and your own skill level. If you approach the dishwashing machine repair work, oven repair, or other job right, you'll be able to get that dependable old appliance back to running smoothly once again.
External Links :
Washer And Dryer Repair
Frigidaire Repair
Appliance Repair Near Me
Frigidaire Repair
Washer Dryer Repair
Refrigerator Repair
Washer And Dryer Repair
Lg Appliance Repair