Repairs
Emergency repairs were carried out in around 5.3 hours, down from 6.0 hours in 2022/23. This is higher than the local authority average of 4.3 hours and higher than the Council’s own target of 4 hours.
Non-emergency repairs went down from 15.8 to 13.2 days, and getting repairs ‘Right First Time’ went up from 71.0% to 76.9%.
60.9% tenants surveyed in 2022 were satisfied with the repairs service, down from 69.1% in the previous survey. This is lower than the current local authority average of 87.2%.
How we are improving
We know repairs are a key priority for tenants and we want every tenant to have the same positive experience of the service. Apart from paying rent, it’s the main reason you get in touch with us. So, we are continuing to work hard to improve the service.
A post-work inspection team has been established to follow up reports from tenants on failed repairs, and to carry out spot checks on the quality of work carried out. This will help to drive quality of repairs and tenant satisfaction, as well as gathering information about contractor performance.
The Council has also completed a new tenant scrutiny framework with 天美传媒 Tenants Federation. This has resulted in a number of new scrutiny groups being formed to focus on areas of importance, including housing repairs.
Significant progress has also been made in implementing our damp and mould improvement plan, with a dedicated team of four Preservation Surveyors and eight Housing Officers focusing on managing communications with tenants. This has improved performance on completion of survey reports, with high demand for surveys continuing throughout the year.
A successful trial of installing sensors into 500 homes to monitor environmental conditions and help identify potential signs of dampness at an early stage has been carried out. As a result, funding has now been allocated to extend the use of these sensors in a further 2000 homes next year.
An in-house team of eight trade operatives has also been established to provide a quick response to tenants requiring internal works. Officers also continue to engage with contractors with the aim of increasing the capacity available and reducing the time taken to complete dampness works.
We are currently reviewing and changing our processes for dealing with empty homes in order to reduce the time taken to return them back into use and improving the standard of those properties.