I joined TCH Repairs in March, and while it’s been a steep learning curve it’s been a great couple of months.  

I may be new to TCH Repairs but I’m certainly not new to the industry. After 22 years working as a roofer I moved across to management positions within the building and repairs industry. For the past ten years I’ve been running repair teams for a number of large organisations in London and Kent. 

Areas for improvement 

Since joining TCH Repairs I’ve been really impressed by what I’ve seen, but I also know we need to improve the service for our residents.  

Collectively the team carry out more than 2,000 repairs a month, which is a huge number of jobs. While the majority of these are completed successfully on time, that’s not always the case.  

We know that we need to improve the way we communicate with residents. We also want to decrease the time it takes us to complete repairs, while at the same time increasing the number of jobs fixed at the first visit.  

A strategic approach  

We’ll soon be publishing our new Repairs Strategic Plan, which will outline how we’re going to do just that, and more.  

Residents have been directly involved in helping us to develop the plan, and you will also be involved in its delivery through our new Responsive Repairs Service Improvement Group and The Repairs 1% Club. We’re still looking for residents to join The Repairs 1% Club, find out more here.   

Both of these offer residents the opportunity to directly share their experience of the service, suggest improvements and hold us to account on how we’re doing.  

Practical solutions 

I’ll be sharing news on what we’re up to in future newsletters, so I’ll finish here with one example of a change we’re making to improve first-time fix rates.  

We know how frustrating it can be when a plumber, for example, can’t complete a job because they don’t have the right part. To fix this we’ve reviewed the spare parts that operatives, across all trades, typically have on their vans. We’ve also analysed the types of repairs they’re called out to, and checked how the parts they carry match what’s actually needed.  

We now have a detailed list for each trade and have improved the way they can re-stock their vans with these frequently needed parts. We’ve also improved the way they can order more specialist items when needed.  

A committed approach  

As said, there’s a lot to be positive about in our repairs service, but we know there are definite areas for improvement. We know what is needed and we are committed to improving the service for you, and all of our residents.  

We’ll bring you more news about the new Strategic Repairs Plan soon, and I’ll be sharing regular updates with you to show how things are going.  

Russell 

• To find out more about repairs, including how to book a repair, visit: https://tch.org.uk/your-home/#repairs-and-maintenance  

• And go here to find out more, and join, The Repairs 1% Club