Our new Responsive Repairs Service Improvement Group (RRSIG) held its first meeting last week, with four of its eight resident members coming into our Tunbridge Wells office to see first-hand how repairs are reported, logged and managed.  

The group acts as a critical friend by working with us to review performance, help identify themes for areas of continuous improvement, champion a ‘Resident First’ repairs culture and oversee delivery of the Repairs Strategic Plan action plan.  

Each member has different reasons for getting involved with the RRSIG, with a mixture of personal and professional experiences that will help to improve the service for all residents, as these introductions show:  

Pat, from Tunbridge Wells:

When I worked at Tesco I was responsible for repairs in stores, and I’ve also worked on the railway where I looked after 150-year-old buildings.  

I’ve got a lot of experience of dealing with contractors and subcontractors. I genuinely hope to end up with a better repairs service for TCH, with systems in place and the proper checks and balances in place to deliver a better service across the board.  

Dawn, from Eythorne, near Dover:

I’ve had repair problems since 2024 and I want to try to stop other residents having to go through what I’ve gone through. That’s the main goal for me. I’m a stickler for information and have taken everything down. Without that information I wouldn’t have been able to solve the problems that I’ve faced. It shouldn’t be down to the resident to have to do this and keep asking for updates. It should be down to the department involved to keep residents fully informed.  

Gayle, from Tunbridge Wells: 

I follow a life policy of curiosity, and I think it’s very good to bring people together to solve problems. My home is a long-term investment for me and I want to reflect that in my engagement.  

Esther, from Ashford:

I’ve not had a great experience on my estate, and it’s never been clear where I need to go to for information or which department I need to speak to. That all adds time and stress to getting things done. I think it’s really good that this group exists. It makes great sense to get residents’ opinions in this way so that everyone’s experience of repairs can be improved.  

During their visit the four met with Russell Head, TCH Repairs General Manager:

“I’m really excited about the insights that our RRSIG can bring to TCH, and it was great to meet them in the office and walk them through our processes,” he said.  

“They are all clearly committed to helping us to deliver an improved repairs service, and I came away from this first meeting with lots of ideas on positive changes that we could make.” 

We’ll bring you more news on the RRSIG’s work in coming editions. And if you’d like to get involved in helping to shape our repairs service, why not join The Repairs 1% Club? Find out more