Out-of-hours repairs service scrutiny review
Our Tenants' Voice - Improving Services group chose to review the out-of-hours service, looking particularly at:
- How easy is it for a tenant to contact the out-of-hours service
- How tenant expectations of the service are managed
- How satisfied tenants are with the service
To carry out the review, we:
- Received a briefing from Progress Housing Group colleagues telling us how the out-of-hours service is delivered
- Looked at the information available on the website
- Looked at information relating to the service, including call data, training resources, and policies
- Looked at tenant satisfaction information
We found that the following areas were working well:
- It is easy to contact the out-of-hours service
- Calls are answered promptly, with an average wait time of under two minutes
- Tenants are clearly advised that the service is for emergencies only
- Tenants are clearly advised about the recharge policy and when this would be used
- When a repair is ordered, tenants are advised it can be up to 24 hours before the repair is carried out
We also made six recommendations on how the service could be improved to provide a better experience for tenants.
Since completing the review, three recommendations have been implemented, with three being progressed.
The review has seen an improvement in the information provided on the website, including information about what an emergency repair is Emergency repairs | Progress Housing Group (progressgroup.org.uk)
It also led to a change in process to make sure tenants receive a phonecall when someone is on their way to carry out the repair.
Neil, Service Delivery Manager, told us how the service has benefitted from the tenants’ review:
"It’s been really useful to work with our tenants to help us understand what is important to them, so that we can improve in the right areas that have the biggest impact. It has also been helpful to have positive tenant feedback, so that we can make sure we maintain those levels."