Sheffield council housing repairs soaring by 100 a week

A report to Sheffield City Council’s housing policy committee on the repairs service for the second quarter of this year said that high demand for repairs has seen an increase by an average of 100 jobs per week compared tothe first three months of the year. Average demand now stands at 2,700 new jobs per week compared to 2,000 in previous years.

The report said: “Service pressures in relation to working at heights and damp and mould repairs have continued and will only increase further as we enter the winter months.”

Director of operational services Tom Smith told the committee meeting yesterday (December 15) that contractors are being put in place to try to ensure that repairs that require working at height can continue over the winter months.

The number of repairs overdue in the quarter was 6,991, up from 5,901 the previous quarter. Satisfaction with repairs stood at 64 per cent and the number of repairs completed right first time was 86 per cent, just below a target of 88 per cent.

Coun Barbara Masters said that the main concerns of tenants she spoke to included the first point of contact with the service, meaning they had difficulty reporting what the problem was, and the quality of repairs that were signed off but weren’t satisfactory.

She also said that there was an issue with staff feeling unable to do extra simple repairs that would not take long, even if they had the skills and equipment to hand.

Mr Smith said that the service is doing “a huge amount of work” on a new customer strategy, including ensuring that it is easier to log repairs online.

He said this would help to ease the problems with phone lines.

He said that the quality assurance team follows up on all repairs and routinely investigates a proportion to assess standards.

On the quick repairs issue, he said: “We are really clear with frontline teams that if it’s a job they can do they should do it.”

Coun Nabeela Mowlam said: “Are we completing enough repair jobs when demand is something like 2,700 a week but we’re at 45 per cent of completing jobs on time this quarter?”

She asked if there was anything extra the service needs from the council to help change the situation.

Mr Smith said they are trying to increase the resources in the service but there is a cost to that.

He said that a new repairs policy is being brought in: “We are doing more in Sheffield than potentially other social housing providers are doing, both inside and outside of Sheffield, and there are some minor repairs where we’re sending out skilled tradespeople to do them.

“It would be a better response if tenants were empowered to do some of these things themselves frankly, going forward.”

Coun Alan Woodcock referred to the notorious practice tenants complain of, where a card goes through the door to say that the repairs service has called but the tenant is not in, when in fact they are.

Mr Smith said that staff are instructed to call the householder if they have a number before they put a card through. Staff must take a picture of the front door to show they have visited.

Repairs staff are monitored on the rate of failed visits and action is taken if necessary, said Mr Smith.