Item 13 - WDC Housing Repairs Policy
West Dunbartonshire Council · 20 November 2024
Back to Housing & Communities Committee — 20 November 2024 and its agenda
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WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL Report by the Chief Officer, Housing and Employability Housing and Communities Committee: 20 November 2024 ___________________________________________________________________ Subject: West Dunbartonshire Housing Repairs Policy 1. Purpose 1.1 The purpose of this report is to seek approval for the introduction of a new West Dunbartonshire Housing Repairs Policy which has been developed in partnership with Council tenants. 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Housing and Communities Committee: (i) Approve the revised Repairs Policy attached as Appendix 1 to this report; and (ii) Invite the Chief Officer Housing and Employability to take appropriate actions to ensure the policy is implemented immediately. 3. Background 3.1 West Dunbartonshire Council is committed to delivering a high quality, efficient and effective responsive repairs service to all our tenants. 3.2 However, one of the drivers of tenant dissatisfaction identified following the comprehensive Tenant Satisfaction Survey carried out in late 2022 related to the repairs service and as part of our wider service response we committed to conducting a review and developing a revised Repair Policy which would improve the service delivered to tenants. 4. Main Issues 4.1 The key aim of the revised policy is to deliver a high quality, efficient and effective responsive repairs service, that will provide a safe, secure and healthy living environment, in a manner which delivers value for money, high rates of customer satisfaction, maintains properties in a good and safe state of repair and contributes to maximising the quality and long-term life of our housing stock. 4.2 In order to deliver on this aim the policy sets out the following objectives: ITEM 13
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To ensure that our properties are well maintained, with repairs carried out when required, giving tenants reasonable choices about when work is done. To carry out repairs right first time and provide a good value, reliable and customer centred service. To comply with legal responsibilities and implement best practice, ensuring value for money. 4.3 The policy sets out the relevant statutory and regulatory context related to the delivery of our responsive repairs service and provides the following commitments aimed at delivering the objectives outlined above: We will ensure that tenants are provided with clear information on their repair responsibilities. We will provide an emergency repair service 24 hours a day, 365/366 days a year. We will provide an accessible service that has a range of ways that tenants can easily contact to report a repair. We will provide a service which identifies and logs all repair requests efficiently and effectively, minimising the need to carry out pre-inspections. We will carry out repairs by appointment where appropriate and within our published target timescales and complete these with minimum disruption and right first time where possible. We will carry out post inspections of a range of repairs to ensure that they are completed to a high standard. We will give tenants the opportunity to comment on the standard of the service received and will use this feedback to continuously improve our service. We will reclaim costs from those who wilfully, or through neglect, cause damage to their home via the implementation of our Rechargeable Repairs Process. 4.4 Feedback received from tenants during the consultation process has been key to informing the revised Repairs Policy and important elements of the repairs service highlighted by tenants and addressed in the draft policy include: Providing clear information around the type of repairs the Council is responsible for and the repairs that tenants are responsible for. Providing clearer definitions of our different repairs categories so that they are easier to understand. Providing clarity that repair target times begin when a repair is reported.
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Outlining clearly the level of service tenants can expect around repair appointments and improved communication via text and email. 4.5 In addition to this, the following key changes being proposed as part of the revised policy: Reducing the target timescale for carrying out Urgent Repairs from 10 days to 5 days. Extending the target timescale for carrying out Planned Repairs from 40 days to 60 days. 4.6 Aiming to carry out Urgent Repairs more quickly aligns with the key aim of the policy, which is to provide an efficient and effective repairs service that delivers high rates of customer satisfaction. 4.7 This proposal will deliver significant improvements for all tenants and better reflect the trend across the sector by the top performing local authority social landlords. 4.8 Planned Repairs include repairs requiring a scaffold, fencing repairs or repairs that affect more than one property. Whilst these vary in volume and type from year to year, the numbers are low compared to Emergency, Urgent and Routine Repairs. 4.9 Extending the target timescales for these types of repairs reflects the time that the planning element takes, with a 60-day target deemed to be more realistic and will help deliver the improvement being proposed in relation to Urgent Repairs. 4.10 Revised repairs categories and target timescales are outlined in the table below: Repair Category Target Timescale Emergency Repair 24 hours Urgent Repair 5 working days Routine Repair 20 working days Planned Repair 60 working days 4.11 The review of the policy also highlighted the need to agree a definition of complex repairs which we have not had up until now. These are repairs which we recognise will be challenging to be completed within a defined timescale and examples would include: When an inspection has identified the need for structural works to be carried out. Repairs that require an installation such as a bathroom suite or part of a kitchen to be removed for the repair to be carried out and then reinstated.
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Repairs that require specialist materials or equipment to be sourced before being carried out. Repairs that require the consent of owners’ prior before works being carried out. 4.12 When a repair is identified as a complex repair, we will take forward works as quickly as possible and keep tenants informed of the planned nature of the works required and likely timescales for completion. 5. People Implications 5.1 There are no direct people implications because of this report. If approved, the delivery of the revised Repairs Policy will be supported by an implementation plan that will include staff guidance and training and a revised performance monitoring framework for the responsive repairs service. 6. Financial and Procurement Implications 6.1 There are no direct financial or procurement implications in relation to this report. The revised Repairs Policy will be delivered from within existing budgets. 7. Risk Analysis 7.1 There is no significant identifiable risk associated with the approval and implementation of the revised Repairs Policy 8 Environmental Sustainability 8.1 The delivery of our housing maintenance programme is part of our current and future approach to strategic housing asset management will continue to prioritise a ‘zero carbon’ approach to decision making and deliverability and this will be done the aims of the Housing Asset Management Strategy and the Council’s Climate Change Strategy. 9. Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) 9.1 Equalities legislation requires that new or significantly changing policies should be subject to an assessment of their impact on the wellbeing of certain groups of people. As such an Equalities Impact Assessment was conducted as part of the development of the revised Repairs Policy. 9.2 This assessment is attached as Appendix 2 to this report and the key finding is that there is nothing the in policy that would lead to negative impacts for people or communities and that the policy will have an overall positive impact as it aims to improve the level of service provided to all tenants. 9.3 The policy should have an overall positive impact on those with disabilities as it specifically recognises that the service provided can be tailored for disabled people.
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10. Consultation 10.1 A key element in the development of the revised Repairs Policy was seeking the views of tenants and a full summary of the consultation process is attached as Appendix 3 to this report. 10.2 The aim of the consultation was to get views of our tenants on how important key aspects of the repairs service are to them and to use this feedback to ensure that tenant priorities were front and centre right at the start of the process and fully taken account of as the policy was being reviewed and updated. 10.3 A survey was published on the Council’s website in June 2024 and was promoted via the Tenant Participation Facebook page, the West Dunbartonshire Tenant and Residents Organisation (WDTRO) and individual Tenant and Residents Associations (TRA’s). A text message or email was also sent to those tenants we have these contact details for with a link to complete the survey. Over one thousand responses were received, and this feedback was central to the elements of the policy outlined at 4.3 being fully addressed in the revised policy. 10.4 There was also close engagement with the WDTRO throughout the consultation period. WDTRO members are supportive of the proposed changes being made in relation to target timescales for repairs and also read the draft policy and provided feedback in relation to the wording being clear, easy to understand and tenant friendly. 10.5 The WDTRO were also asked to provide their views on the definition of complex repairs and feedback was that the definition was sensible and that they would be supportive of this definition being adopted and included in future staff guidance as part of the process of implementing the revised policy. 11. Strategic Assessment 11.1 Having considered the Council's strategic priorities, this report contributes significantly to all five strategic priorities and specifically to improve local housing and environmentally sustainable infrastructure. Peter Barry Chief Officer, Housing & Employability Date: 6 November 2024 ___________________________________________________________________ Person to Contact: John Kerr – Housing Development and Homelessness Manager, Housing Development and Homelessness Team, Housing and Employability, telephone: 07793717981, email: john.kerr@west-dunbarton.gov.uk
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Stefan Kristmanns, Senior Housing Development Officer, Housing Development and Homelessness Team, Housing and Employability, email: stefan.kristamanns@west- dunbarton.gov.uk Appendices: 1. Draft Repairs Policy October 2024 2. Draft Repairs Policy Equalities Impact Assessment 3. Draft Repairs Policy Consultation Summary Background Papers: Wards Affected: All