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London council launches major housing repairs improvement plan
Hammersmith and Fulham Council has launched a housing repairs improvement plan in a bid to tackle a backlog and improve its complaints management.
According to a report that went before the council’s housing and homelessness policy and accountability committee on Tuesday, the plan was “initiated to address identified shortfalls in our repair services and complaints management”.
The report said that at the heart of the improvement plan is the establishment of a Housing Hub, which streamlines repairs, complaint-handling and broader housing issues under one umbrella.
The plan also introduced a feature known as ‘Home MOT’, which aims to provide a suite of additional home services, ensuring the resident’s home remains fully functional and fit for purpose.
The offer specifically caters to those who have previously raised a legitimate complaint and, according to the report, is “dedicated to cultivating a culture of prompt and effective problem resolution, ensuring residents feel valued and their concerns are attended to swiftly”.
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According to the report: “Understanding the past difficulties of our housing repairs service provides a critical foundation in developing our comprehensive improvement plan.
“A key area of concern has been the repairs backlog. Several external factors have contributed to this, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns and the unexpected departure of key contractors, which have fuelled an excessive number of repair requests.”
The plan includes six interventions designed to make immediate and long-term service improvements, including significant investment and resourcing.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council has committed to investing £600m over the next 10 to years into repairing and enhancing homes.
It is planning to strengthen its leadership team with new senior housing specialists, including roles specifically added to the repairs team, and to bring on board additional contractors and surveyors.
The council has revised its contractor management approach, “ensuring accountability” from its contractors for below par workmanship.
There are weekly head of service meetings, monthly director meetings, and regular direct communication with the managing directors of both contractors involved in delivering the service.
According to the report, the council is also improving its housing service culture, processes and systems to “deliver prompt and effective repair services, underpinned by exceptional customer service”.
On quality assurance and safety compliance, it has introduced an automated post-inspection form that simplifies its procedures and provides comprehensive audit reports.
To support corporate oversight of its repairs and complaint-handling, the council has established a corporate housing taskforce, alongside regular reporting to its strategic leadership team cabinet member.
In addition to the Housing Hub to improve its approach to complaints management, the council has created a dedicated resolution team to deal with all cases that reach the Housing Ombudsman.
The council has also developed a standardised approach to complaint-handling and aims to implement a proactive complaint-handling culture within its team.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s report said: “We believe that continuous training and skill development are key to building such a culture.
“We have launched a comprehensive training programme, designed to upskill our team members and prepare them to handle complaints effectively.”
The plan also introduces a “resident-centric” approach to complaint-handling.
“Our approach will ensure that resident vulnerabilities are identified proactively and services tailored appropriately.
“We are upgrading our record-keeping systems, ensuring every complaint is accurately logged, tracked and analysed.
“These improved records help with individual complaint tracking and help identify recurrent or systemic issues, to prevent similar future complaints,” the report added.
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