By Lee Ferendenus, Director of Repairs and Maintenance
We’ve been listening to tenants about their experiences of our repairs and maintenance services and using that feedback to better understand where improvements are needed.
We know there are many things that work well, but we also recognise that tenants don’t always experience our service in the way we’d want them to. Every day, our teams work hard to help tenants live in safe, well-maintained homes. By listening and learning from feedback, we’re building on what’s working well and focusing on the areas where we can do better.
Through tenant feedback, insight and ongoing engagement, we’ve learned that, at times:
- Repairs can take longer than expected to complete
- Work can feel incomplete, even when a job has been marked as finished
- Multiple visits or appointments can be needed to resolve an issue
- Communication and updates throughout the process are not always clear
- Damp and mould concerns can be worrying, particularly when issues reoccur or take time to resolve
These are not the experiences we want tenants to have.
We've made a number of improvements based directly on what tenants have told us, helping us continue to listen, learn and improve the services we provide:
1
Responding more quickly to higher-risk damp and mould cases
We’ve introduced new ways of prioritising damp and mould cases, helping ensure homes where there is a greater risk receive a quicker response.
2
A more local approach to repairs
We’ve introduced a more local approach to repairs, with dedicated teams supporting specific areas. This helps improve communication, coordination and ownership throughout the repairs process, helping provide a more consistent experience for tenants.
3
Keeping track of repairs from start to finish
We’ve changed how we manage repairs that require follow-on work. Rather than closing a repair and raising a new job when additional work is needed, we now keep repairs open until all related work has been completed. This helps us maintain visibility of the full repair journey and provide a better experience for tenants.
4
Checking repairs remain effective
We’ve introduced a follow-up survey 12 weeks after damp and mould repairs are completed. This helps us understand whether repairs remain successful over time and gives tenants another opportunity to tell us if issues return.
5
Using insight to identify issues earlier
We’re using feedback and repair information to help identify concerns earlier, understand trends and focus improvement activity where it can make the biggest difference.
6
Reducing delays and improving repair outcomes
We’ve introduced a number of changes designed to reduce delays and improve how repairs are delivered, including improvements to how some repairs are completed and a more coordinated approach to complex drainage issues.
Many of these improvements rely on colleagues from ForHousing, Liberty and WPS working closely together. By sharing insight, learning from feedback and working as one team, we’re helping create a more joined-up experience for tenants.
7
A structured approach to improvement
These improvements form part of our Damp and Mould and Day-to-Day Repairs Continuous Improvement Plans, developed alongside our Data & Analytics Team.
The plans use tenant feedback, customer insight and service performance information to help us better understand tenants’ experiences and identify where improvements can be made. We then continue to review progress, monitor performance and use feedback to shape future improvements.
This approach reflects how we’re strengthening services more broadly by listening, learning and acting on what tenants tell us.
Whether a tenant is reporting a repair or concerns about damp and mould, they want to feel confident that they will be listened to, kept informed and supported throughout the process.
Tenants are at the heart of the decisions we make, and their feedback plays an important role in helping us understand where we need to improve. By listening to their experiences and acting on what they tell us, we’re working to make services more responsive, improve communication and ensure people feel confident that concerns about their home are being taken seriously.
This work is about doing everything we can to make sure our tenants live in safe, well-maintained homes and receive the high-quality service they deserve. By listening, learning and acting on feedback, we’re working to continuously improve experiences, build trust and make a positive difference to the lives of the people who live in our homes.
We’re already seeing positive changes, but we know there is more to do.
This is not a one-off piece of work. We’ll continue listening to feedback, working with tenants and partners and using insight to help shape how we improve our repairs and maintenance services.
Through our ForHousing, Liberty and WPS partnership, we’re continuing to strengthen collaboration, improve communication and focus on delivering better outcomes for tenants.
