Porter Services
The Porter Service is provided for all staff and all departments within the University of Lincoln across all Campuses
The service is accessed via Planon request and staff are able to select the best fit Porterage job description for their requirements
Staff are encouraged not to email the Porter Supervisor or the Estates Support Desk to request Porterage services, but to raise a request on Planon
Porter Service Responsibilities
The Porterage service aims to:
- Prioritise services that directly support teaching, learning, commercial activities and essential business outputs
- Plan and prioritise delivery to ensure services are provided in the most efficient manner
- Be available between the hours of 08.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays and Concessionary Days)
- Complete requests at the earliest opportunity available, taking into account minimum notice periods dependent on the service required
- Facilitate requests submitted within the minimum notice periods required if job load and resources allow
Staff Responsibilities
- Ensuring that all necessary preparations have taken place prior to the Porter Team arrival, including dismantling furniture and clearing cupboards and shelves. A separate request should be raised to dismantle furniture or remove items from walls as this does not fall within the scope of Porterage services
- Submitting requests via Planon taking into account notice periods and any additional time required to prepare a job of a complicated nature
- Making sure the correct job description has been chosen relevant to requirements
- Ensuring the appropriate endorsement has been sought from the Space Team and/or Facilities Manager for requests that relate to furniture or furniture disposal
- Providing enough detail in the Additional Comments section for the Porter Team to successfully carry out the request
- Raising a PO, if required, prior to a Porterage request being raised. Include the PO number in the Additional Comments section for reference
- Only requesting Porterage services that relate to business purposes – requests of a personal nature will be rejected
- Disconnecting and packing ICT equipment into crates prior to the Porter Team’s arrival – this may mean raising another request for packing crates
- Sourcing the location of furniture and items/equipment required for Porterage requests with advice and guidance from the Space Team
Porterage Service Team Contact Details
The Porter Team is a six person team who provide a range of services that are funded by a central budget for the University of Lincoln.
The team facilitates a wide range of activities ensuring that the University of Lincoln’s teaching, learning, business and commercial activities run smoothly.
Email:Â porterservices@lincoln.ac.uk
Raising a Porterage RequestÂ
Steps to follow for raising a Porter Request:
- Go to the Estates Support Webpage.
- Scroll down until you reach Academic Building Requests
- Click on the Academic Building Requests link and a new window will open up showing the Planon form you will need complete
- Fill in all areas of the form, specifying building and room and choose the correct job from the drop-down list
- Provide detailed and clear information in the Additional Details box, including the date and time you require the task to be carried out and any additional information that will help the team facilitate the request
- Any supporting images or documents should be emailed to porterservices@lincoln.ac.uk quoting the Planon request number in the subject line of the email
For any queries relating to raising a Porterage Request, please contact Estates Support
Services Provided
Porterage services are routinely available between 08.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday with Bank holidays and Concessionary days being excluded from this.
A limited service is available before 08.00 and after 17.00 Monday to Friday and any time on weekends under the following conditions:
- Subject to availability and capacity
- Subject to minimum notice periods
- Subject to additional costs
The Porter Team regularly provide daily services for such tasks that are deemed necessary for the daily running of Campus spaces.
- Maintaining building foyers and keeping entrances presentable
- Collection of Recycling Waste
- Delivery and collection of confidential waste sacks
- Provide packing crates for office moves
- Relocate equipment, consumables, publications, and large volumes of stationery
- Collection and removal of redundant University furniture/items
- Relocation of furniture/equipment/items to and from storage
- Dispose of broken items/equipment/furniture
- Ensure classroom furniture is set out in accordance with room plan
- Space changes
- Open and close dividing walls
- Deliver equipment/furniture and set up for CDM endorsed events: Monday to Friday
- Deliver equipment/furniture and set up for Schools/Departments supporting CDM endorsed events: Monday to Friday
- Deliver equipment/furniture and set up for CDM endorsed events: Outside normal hours and weekends
- Deliver equipment/furniture and set up for Schools/Departments supporting CDM endorsed events: Outside normal hours and weekends
- Relocate equipment/furniture and set up for School / Department Events / Conferences / Functions
- Relocate Staff
Geographical Locations the Porter Team Cover
The Porter Team provide services across the entire University Estate, including the Brayford, Riseholme and Holbeach Campuses.
Routine day to day tasks on the Riseholme and Holbeach Campuses are undertaken by Premises Operatives
Any requests for the Holbeach or Riseholme Campus that fall outside the scope of the onsite Premises Operatives, the Porter Supervisor will allocate resources to assist
Staff located at the Holbeach and Riseholme Campus are encouraged to give plenty of notice for any requests that may require the additional assistance of the Porter team as it will impact lead times
The Porter Team also undertake a number of duties and requests as and when they are logged on Planon. The nature of these jobs can be extremely varied, with some jobs requiring longer notice periods in order to complete to allow for additional resources to be utilised.
Furthermore, some jobs may require authorisation from different departments/POs raising prior to being undertaken, increased timescales for receiving authorisation will need to be taken into consideration when raising Planon requests.
Limitations of the Porter Service
The Porter team are unable to provide services that are not funded centrally or through school or departmental budgets and certain services are unavailable for contractual and/or logistical reasons.
Services the team are unable to undertake include, but are not limited to:
- Relocation of Contractor equipment or waste
- Relocation of personal property to private locations
- Relocation of equipment under contract or lease
- Relocation of items requiring specialist equipment to moveÂ
If staff know their request is outside of the usual range of services, within reason the team may be able to accommodate these types of requests, however, they will be assessed on a case by case basis. The Porter Supervisor will need to be contacted directly to make an assessment of the logistics of the request prior to a job being raised on Planon.
Staff should provide the following information when contacting the Porter Supervisor for logistical assessment:
- The size of the item/s when packaged for transit
- The weight of the item/s when packaged for transit
- Is there anything hazardous in the item/equipment that may harm the team?
- Ensure the request is for University business
- Will a member of the department be there to supervise the move at both ends if required?
- Will the department take liability for any damage that may be caused in transit, within reason?Â
- Include any additional information that would assist the Porter Supervisor in assessing the request
If you are unsure on any aspect of the above process for special requests, please contact the Porter Supervisor
Porter Job Description Options
Preparation of Rooms for Meeting
To request a space to be set up in preparation for an upcoming meeting
This request will require approval by the Space Team prior to being undertaken
Reset Room to Original Layout Following Meeting
To request the space to be returned to the original stateÂ
Raised automatically following rasing a Preparation of Rooms for Meeting request
The job notes can be amended by the requestor if additional details need to be provided
Additional Waste/Skip Collections
To request the removal and disposal of out of the ordinary items and waste that will not fit into a normal office bin or cannot be removed during routine daily cleaning
To request the disposal of large quantities of items that will not fit into normal office waste bins
Please contact the Facilities Manager if you require extremely large/specialist items disposingÂ
Relocation of Items
To request the relocation of items from one location to another
To request additional items to be added/removed from a space
Not to be used for furniture requests or for disposal requests
Deliver/Collect Crates
To request the delivery or collection of packing crates for office equipment or ICT equipment
The type of crate required, either normal or ICT, should be specified when raising the request
Office Move
To request whole office/team location moves that can be undertaken by the porter Team
The request may need Space Team approval via a Space Change Request prior to undertaking the request
Requests may need to be reviewed by the Porter Supervisor to assess suitability for the Porter Team to undertake
Office Move requests deemed out of scope for the Porter Team will need to be undertaken by an external removal company to be organised by the requestor. Please be aware that this will likely incur additional cost and could lead to delays in moving.Â
Remove Graffiti
To request the removal of graffiti around campus
Other/Misc
To request the services of the Porter Team for any job that does not fall within any of the other categories
Requests raised incorrectly using the Other/Misc description will be rejected and the correct job description will be suggested
Staff will be required to raise another Planon job for their request using the correct job description
Relocation of Furniture
To request the relocation/addition/removal of furniture into and out of spaces
Requires Space Team approval and direction prior to moves
The requestor is required to source the furniture for any requests that require the addition of furniture
Not to be used for relocation of anything other than furniture
Confidential Waste Disposal
To request the disposal of:
- Confidential Waste bags
- Shredding bags
To request additional confidential waste bags
Dispose of Electrical Items
To request the disposal of broken or unrepairable electrical items
Refuse/Recycling Disposal
To request the disposal of:
- Battery bins
- Large office bins
- Large quantities of cardboard boxes and/or recyclable packaging material
- Multiple bags of normal office waste
- Disposal of publications
Preparation of Rooms for Event
To request a space to be set up in preparation for an upcoming event
Requires Space Team approval prior to moves
Reset Room to Original Layout Following Event
To request a space be returned to original state following event
Raised automatically following rasing a Preparation of Rooms for Event request
The job notes can be amended by the requestor if additional details need to be provided
Disposal of Furniture
To request furniture that is broken to be disposed of
FAQs
Why has my request been rejected?
Your request may have been rejected for a number of reasons, the most common reason is that the incorrect job description was chosen when you raised the job
If this is the case, the Porter Supervisor will have provided information for the correct job description in the job notes section of the request. Please re-raise your request using the suggested job description and the request will be actioned
Other possibilities of a rejected job include but are not limited to:
- Request falls outside the remit of the Porter Services
- The Porter Team do not have the equipment or vehicle size required to carry out the request safely
If you require clarification as to why your job was rejected, please contact Estates SupportÂ
What is the maximum size and weight of an item the Porter Team can move?
The equipment the Porter team has available will limit the type of items they are able to move and transport. For example, the size and types of vans used by the team and the lifting equipment available
Items that cannot fit within the confines of the largest van will not be able to be moved by the team, along with items that cannot be lifted safely due to their weight
If you are unsure if your item can be moved or lifted by the Porter team, please contact the Porter Supervisor for an assessment
What does each job description for Porter Requests mean on Planon?
The titles and their uses for each of the job descriptions available can be found in the toggles under the Porter Job Description Options section above.
What job description should I use for my Porter Request?
Depending on what it is you are requesting, the descriptions will vary slightly. As a general rule, it is good practice to follow:
FURNITURE MOVING
- Preparation of Rooms for Meetings
- Preparation of Rooms for Event
- Relocation of Furniture
- Deliver/Collect Crates
- Office Move
FURNITURE DISPOSAL
- Refuse/Recycling Disposal
To be used for when furniture is broken and beyond repair
UNWANTED FURNITURE
- Relocation of Furniture
To be used when useable furniture is not required in a space
MOVING ITEMS/EQUIPMENT
- Relocation of Items
ITEMS/EQUIPMENT DISPOSAL
- Refuse/Recycling Disposal
- Dispose of Electrical Items
To be used for when items/equipment is broken and beyond repair
UNWANTED ITEMS/EQUIPMENT
- Relocation of Items
To be used when useable items/equipment are not required in a space
REFUSE
- Confidential Waste Disposal (can also be used to request additional confidential waste bags)
- Refuse/Recycling Disposal
- Additional Waste/Skip Collections
ANY REQUEST THAT DOES NOT FALL INTO ANY OTHER CATEGORY
- Other/Misc
I have additional/supporting documents that will help the Porter team with my request, how do I give this to them?
After raising your inital Planon Request, please email all additional and supporting documents to the Porter Supervisor, making sure you include the Planon number in the subject line of the email
How can I help to make sure that my request is carried out smoothly?
- Give enough notice to the team between requesting services and due date for delivery
- If applicable, provide additional and supporting documents that will help assist the team by emailing them through to the Porter Supervisor
- Book out additional rooms, if needed, to provide temporary storage space for unwanted furniture if making requests to move furniture for Events and/or Meetings
- Provide due dates and timescales when making requests to assist in planning the job
- Give as much information and detail as possible, including key contacts and their contact numbers, in the Additional Details section
- Arrange for the Porter Supervisor to assess the suitability of your request if looking to request out of the ordinary jobs or office moves
- If you are in any doubt or have any questions, please contact the Porter SupervisorÂ
How many Porters are in the team?
The Porter Team is a six person team who provide services across the entire University Estate, including the Brayford, Riseholme and Holbeach Campuses.
The Porter Team predominantely works on the Brayford Campus, with routine day to day tasks on the Riseholme and Holbeach Campuses being undertaken by Premises Operatives based at those locations
For any requests that fall outside the scope of the onsite Premises Operatives at Holbeach or Riseholme, the Porter Supervisor will allocate resources from the Brayford Campus to assist where required
How do I check on the status of my job?
Please navigate to the Estates Support website and scroll down to My Current RequestsÂ
Here you’ll be able to see all Planon requests you have raised
If you have any queries regarding your requests please contact the Estates Support DeskÂ
