Issue - items at meetings - Annual Review of Repairs Partnership 2012/13

28.1         The Sub-Committee considered a report of the Executive Director – Environment, Development & Housing on the Annual Review of Repairs Partnership 2012/13. The report was presented by Mr Huelin, Partnering Business Manager(Housing).

28.2         Councillor Farrow thanked Mr Huelin for the report, and asked if an interim report could be provided to look at the performance of the repairs desk and with resident’s satisfaction with the service. The Chair agreed.

28.3         Mr Crowhurst referred to paragraph 3.2, regarding properties meeting the government’s Decent Homes Standard, and asked whether that was achievable when elderly people in sheltered housing were still sharing communal bathrooms. The Chair said there were some properties with shared facilities, but that was acceptable within the Decent Homes Standard.

28.4         Mr Melson thanked officers for the report and asked whether Mears would need to employ more people to implement the action plan, and if so what the cost implications would be. Mr Cryer (Mears Ltd) said there shouldn’t be an increase in staff costs, and gave an example of changes to the helpdesk. A review had shown that the great majority of calls were received on Mondays and Tuesdays. The company currently had six members of staff dedicated to answering the phone, and those staff members hours were changed to ensure they were working during the busiest times. An additional member of staff would be employed to assist with taking calls, but the changes in working hours would lead to a reduction in overtime payments, and the financial savings would pay for a new member of staff and so there would be no cost implications.   

28.5         Councillor Peltzer Dunn noted that previously Councillors had questioned the method used to assess customer satisfaction and asked if that had been looked at. Mr Cryer said that it had, and Mears would soon be providing customers with a survey card which they could complete and returned by Freepost, so there would be no cost implications for the customer.  Completed surveys would be entered into a prize draw, which they hoped would encourage people to return the survey.

28.6         Councillor Peltzer Dunn referred to paragraph 3.10 and was concerned that the target for ‘percentage of repairs completed right first time’ was 97% and suggested that the target should be 100%. Officers said that there would always be cases where it wasn’t possible to fully complete a job in one go. For example, a leaking roof might not be able to be fully repaired at one visit but a temporary repair may be made whilst waiting for material to be available to fully complete the job. Officers said they would ensure that a better explanation would be provided in the next report.  

28.7         Mr Penrose asked if there was any way that Mears could take control of sub contractors. Mr Cryer said that a percentage of sub contractors work was inspected, and the team which carried out the inspection had recently been strengthened with the employment of a surveyor.

28.8         The Chair thanked officers for the report, and suggested that the recommendations be amended to reflect the interim report agreed in 28.2.

28.9         RESOLVED –

(1)   That the Sub Committee note the report

(2)   That an interim report be provided to look at the performance of the repairs desk and with resident satisfaction.