We have listened to your feedback and we know that at times our repairs service isn’t as good as it should be.
That’s why we’ve developed a repairs improvement plan to help us deliver a faster and better quality repairs service. The appointment of our new repairs contractor is an important step towards making these improvements.
We’re making a number of changes, including to how we diagnose and categorise your repair when you first contact us. We’re introducing new timescales for completing your repairs and we’ll be improving how we communicate with you.
And, by putting a greater emphasis on delivering maintenance works, we’re aiming to reduce the number of repairs you’ll need to request from us over time.
But please be patient with us while we make it all happen.
Our new repairs contractor
With our current repairs contract coming to an end in 2023, we went to tender to appoint a new partner to deliver our Pyramid Plus repairs service.
We’re pleased to announce that we’ve selected Mears UK to deliver repairs across all areas of operation, from 1 October 2023. Mears is the largest provider of repairs and maintenance and regeneration services across the UK.
We’ve chosen to partner with Mears because they focus on getting the best possible outcomes by taking a thorough approach to repairs and because of our shared values as putting customers at the heart of everything we do.
Michael Reece, A2Dominions Chief Property Officer, said: “We’re committed to delivering good quality repairs for our customers, however, we know our service hasn’t always as good as it should be.
“We’ve listened to your feedback and we know we can do better.
“That’s why we’re making changes to the way we deliver our repairs service. We’re working towards improving the quality and speed of your repairs, and communicating more clearly with you along the way.
“To begin with our partnership with Mears will focus on getting the basics right. This means taking the time to properly categorise your repair and carry it out thoroughly to get things right first time.
“Some repairs may take a little longer while we carry out proper assessments, but in time you will see the benefits of our new approach in your home.”
Lucas Critchley, Mears Chief Operating Officer, said: “Mears Group is delighted that A2Dominion has chosen us as their trusted partner for responsive housing repairs and planned works. The joint venture arrangement means that we’ll be able to work closely together to not only deliver cost-effective service excellence, but also improved outcomes for A2Dominion’s customers.”
Why we need to improve
You’ve told us you have 3 main concerns about our repairs process:
- The quality of our repairs isn’t good enough
- We don’t communicate well about our repairs process and what you can expect
- Our inspections and repairs take too long to complete.
We ‘ve taken your feedback seriously, and our partnership with Mears is focused on addressing these key areas.
It won’t happen overnight
Investigating where and how we need to improve and establishing a partnership with a new contractor can take a little time. We’ve already made positive changes to our internal processes and those we share with Mears and we know we’re heading in the right direction. But this will all take time, and we need to ask you to be patient with us initially.
But it will happen
In time, you will see a range of improvements to our repairs service, including:
- Better, more thorough repairs, that ‘get it right’ the first time
- Improved communications, to keep you up-to-date every step of the way
- A more efficient repairs process, with shorter waiting times.
Timescales
Previously urgent repairs were completed within 24 hours. We had no time limit set for the completion of standard repairs.
However, the changes we’re introducing will mean:
- Emergency repairs will be completed within 4 hours
- Urgent repairs will be completed within 24 hours
- Routine repairs will be completed within 20 working days.
- ‘Planned and packaged’ repairs – those which are either more complex, or of a much lower priority - will be undertaken within 90 calendar days.
What does this mean for you?
We’ll update you with more detail about our new approach to repairs as we progress. For now, there are 3 main things you need to be aware of:
- When you request a repair, you may be asked to provide more detail than you have previously. This is so that we can diagnose the issue effectively, prioritise better and allocate your request more accurately to the right professional.
- Your repair requests may take longer initially, but it will be worth it in the long run. We know that our repairs have not been up to scratch and that you have already been patient with us. Please give us a little more time to get this right.
- We will improve the way we communicate with you about repairs, but this will also take time. We have big plans to improve our communications, including the use of better technology to provide you with regular updates. But we need to get the basics right first.
What will happen next?
We expect you will see significant improvements in our repairs within the next 6 to 12 months. We know this is longer than any of us would like, but we want to be honest with you about what you can expect. In our next update, we’ll provide you with more detail about our new repairs policy and what that means for you.
You can find out more about our repairs process, including how to request a repair, on our website.