Responsive Repairs Policy

1. Scope

1.1 This policy sets out Derby Homes commitment to deliver an efficient and effective responsive repairs service that meets the needs of our customers and enables us to fulfil our statutory, regulatory, and contractual obligations. Carrying out repairs is one of the most important services we deliver to our customers. We want our homes to be maintained in an affordable manner and ensure all our homes provide our customers with a safe, warm, and dry home, where everything is in working order. 

2. Aim of the Policy

2.1 This policy covers repairs services to customers who rent their home under a tenancy agreement and those who own them as leaseholder.  

2.2 The policy covers responsive repairs within customers’ homes (including their gardens and garages, subject to terms of the tenancy or lease agreement), in communal areas, and to communal assets for example, shared gardens, shared spaces including lifts and corridors. 

2.3 Derby Homes defines a ‘Responsive Repair’ as unplanned work that is reported by our customers about their homes, or which arise from damage or wear and tear to communal areas. It rectifies and makes good a component, installation, or part of a Derby Homes property for which we are responsible, when it is faulty or needs repairing.  

2.4 This policy should be read in conjunction with the Right to Repairs policy, the Rechargeable Repairs policy, the Damp and Mould policy, the Tenancy Agreement, and the Derby Homes Website. 

2.5 This policy does not include Planned or Cyclical Maintenance, which includes any Aids and Adaptation installation works. 

3. Responsibilities and duties

3.1 Reporting a repair   

There are lots of ways customers can report a repair: 

• Online via ‘my Account’ on Derby Homes Website 
• By email to [email protected] 
• Phone 01332 888777 during working hours Monday to Friday, 8am-5pm 
• Outside these hours emergency repairs can still be reported to the Carelink service on 01332 888777 
• Telling us in person when we visit a home or neighbourhood. 

3.2 Repairs commitment 

We will:  

• Confirm an appointment with the customer, for a time that is convenient to them and meets their individual needs. 
• Aim to complete the repair in one visit or explain why we haven’t and what will happen next. 
• Prioritise urgency based on both the customers’ needs and the risk to the property and agree this with the customer. 
• If it's an emergency, we will visit to make safe within 2 hours and complete the repair within 24 hours where possible. 
• Where possible, text customers to let them know when we are on our way.  
• Let customers know once we have completed the repair and allow them to confirm that it is completed to a good standard. 
• Communicate clearly with customers from reporting to completion. 

3.3 Repairs Policy 

We monitor our repairs service performance in three areas: 

• Emergency repairs  
• Urgent repairs and  
• Routine repairs 

Emergency repairs include: 

• Total loss of water or electricity. 
• Unsafe electrical fittings  
• Blocked main sewer drain that is backing up into the property. 
• Unusable toilet facilities, if there is only one facility in the property or the available toilet is inaccessible. 
• Insecure doors and windows to the home 
• Total loss of gas supply (gas leaks will be dealt with through the gas emergency line and the gas emergency process will be used) 
• Heating and hot water faults or breakdowns will be repaired within 24 hours or 3 days based on seasons in line the Right to Repair Policy 

The above are examples and not a list of every case.  

Sometimes other repairs and additional appointments may be needed to complete the job. If this is the case, we will arrange this with the customer as soon as possible, at a time to suit them. 

In exceptional circumstances, such as during bad weather, we may need to lengthen the time for emergency repairs. We will tell customers if this is the case. 

4. Routine repairs

 4.1 The majority of other repairs are classed as routine and will be attended within 5, 25 or 60 working days. 

Routine repairs include: 

• General joinery repairs internally and externally 
• Minor plumbing repairs e.g. dripping taps, leaks to sinks or baths and faulty pipework. 
• Repairs to kitchen fittings e.g. cupboard doors, drawers, worktops, and handles. 
• Repairs to leaking gutters and down pipes. 
• Easing of external doors and windows, replacement handles and faulty mechanisms. 
• Partial loss of electrical power where the fault is inside the home. 
• Partial loss of water supply where the fault is inside the home or boundary. 
• Blocked sink, bath, toilet, or basin that a customer has been unable to unblock themselves. 
• Damage to stair treads, handrails, or banisters. 
• Insecure doors and windows in communal areas
• Communal TV aerials

4.2 These are examples and not a list of every case. We will consider the impact of this approach on individual customers’ needs and adjust our approach when necessary.  

4.3 In a small number of cases following the initial routine or emergency repair appointment we may identify that more extensive remedial work is needed to resolve a property related issue. This may include replacing rather than repairing some components or carrying out significant remedial works potentially including structural works. We would then arrange an appointment with the customer to do an inspection, agree the full scope of works and update the customer on the estimated timescales and next steps.  

4.4 Depending on the issue we may need to carry the work out at the earliest opportunity or where possible, include the repair/replacement at a later date, with other scheduled planned investment works. We will tell the customer the timescales involved. 

4.5 In exceptional circumstances we may need to arrange to move customers to an alternative accommodation to minimise disruption and for their safety.  

5. Appointments  

5.1 Emergency repairs can be reported 24 hours a day, 365 days a year directly by telephone. If an emergency repair is reported outside of our normal working hours or during bank holidays this will be registered by our third party out of hours provider who will assign the works to the relevant contractor or inhouse operatives. 

5.2 Where the emergency is related to a major incident, we have a clear escalation process and business continuity plan which will be mobilised in this event. 

5.3 In an emergency, where there is a Health and Safety issue or there’s likely to be considerable damage to the property we may gain access in line with our Access Policies. 

5.4 If the repair is not an emergency, we will arrange an appointment, at a time that suits the customer and meets their individual needs. We offer full day, morning, or afternoon time slots and can take the school run into account. 

5.5 We will confirm the customers appointment time by text message, with a further confirmation sent the day before we are due to attend. We will send a final confirmation text message to let them know we are on our way. 

5.6 If the customer is not at home when we attend, we will try to make contact. We will try other numbers on our records and will only contact a third party if we have permission to speak to someone other than the customer named on the tenancy. If we are still unable to reach the customer, we will leave a card asking them to contact us or the contractor. If we do not hear from them, we will cancel the repair, but continue with the works when we are contacted.  

5.7 Missed appointments cost Derby Homes a significant amount of money and can have a negative impact on service delivery. 

6. Performance measures and customer voice

6.1 Our service will be measured against the timeframes above. We report performance to our Operational Committee and our Board.  

We measure: 

• Overall customer satisfaction with the service 
• Jobs completed within the customer priorities listed above. 
• Jobs completed, right first time. 

7. Learning from complaints and feedback

7.1 Customers are at the heart of our services. We analyse complaints received, their outcome and proposed changes as part of our reporting and planning process. We share feedback with our service managers to ensure we learn from cases. Our Customer Feedback team produce regular reports shared with Managers, Senior Management, our Executive team, Board and involved customers. 

7.2 Reports highlight themes and trends which allow Senior Management to review and identify any systemic issues, serious risks, or areas for organisational improvement. Annual reporting to Board includes the Housing Ombudsman’s annual Landlord performance report. We tell our customers how they have influenced change to policy and improvements to services by publishing findings from complaints on our website, in customer communications and annually in our Annual Report. 

8. Value for money

8.1 As a major expense for the organisation, we manage our commitment to providing value for money in a range of ways including: 

• Comparing cost and performance information 
• Reviewing how we run our services and systems. 
• Looking at past repairs to identify things that happen repeatedly, which informs our future planned works. 
• Carefully considering our contracts with outside companies.

9. Tenant Responsibilities

9.1 Certain repairs are the responsibility of the customer. Further information is detailed on our website and within the Tenancy Agreement. Some examples are listed below: 

• Reporting any concerns of damp, mould, and condensation promptly 
• Following information and guidance provided on minimising condensation in their home. 
• Ensuring no damage occurs to their home as laid out in the Tenancy Agreement 
• Internal Decoration: To keep the interior of the premises in good and clean condition and to decorate all internal parts of the premises as often as is necessary to keep in good decorative order. 

10. Customers alterations

10.1 If a customer wants to make changes or improvements to the property they must apply for a permit. We will only say no if we have good reason to do so. If we refuse permission, we will inform our customers in writing. If we grant permission, we may ask that the work is done in a certain way, or to a standard, or apply other reasonable conditions. All works must be carried out to our satisfaction. 

11. Responsibility of this policy 

11.1 The Director of Repairs is responsible for this policy. Our in-house repairs service will be supported by a number of partners who will help us deliver this policy. These include repairs, specialist repairs, damp proof works, major structural issues, and drainage work, and also to provide support in times of increased demand.  

12. Equality and diversity  

12.1 We are committed to making sure our services are open and clear to everyone. We will support customers to use our services in a way that is tailored to them.