Maintaining our homes
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We are dedicated to providing homes that are comfortable, safe and well-maintained. In 2023/24 we continued to improve our vital repairs service and deliver upgrades to make homes modern and energy-efficient – helping our customers save money on their heating bills.
20,296 repairs completed in 2023/24
82% of repairs were resolved
on the first visit
Gas compliance is at 100%
for 2023/24
Improving the energy efficiency of your home
This year, one of our main priorities was continuing our programme of works – part-funded by the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) – which help to ensure our customers' homes are warm, comfortable, and more energy-efficient.
The second wave of works, which include external wall insulation (EWI), cavity wall insulation (CWI), internal wall insulation (IWI), and replacement windows, started in April 2023 and are expected to take two years. In 2023/24 we completed works on 153 homes.
In addition to this our contractor, The Warmfront Team, identified 50 homes that had failed cavity wall insulation. They removed the old insulation and redid the works at no cost to us as this was secured through ECO4 government funding.
Following customer feedback, we made a number of improvements to the balconies at our flats in Foxhill. We removed the old balcony as it was no longer fit-for-purpose and replaced it with a brand new, hard-wearing surface and structure. We also added a better drainage system, fully fire-rated cladding and insulation.
Dealing with damp and mould cases
Following the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in 2020, who died as a result of direct exposure to mould in his home in Rochdale, and the subsequent introduction of Awaab’s Law, we ran a large engagement drive asking for residents to report all damp and mould concerns, no matter how minor they may seem. Because of this, we had an increase in damp and mould cases – 587 in 2023/24.
To ensure we are answering all queries correctly and that no cases get missed, we created a dedicated email inbox for damp and mould enquiries, and we have specialist members of our in-house repairs team that perform mould washes and treatments in customers’ homes.
We also produced an instructional video showing residents how to use the mould wash kits that we distribute, which you can find here.
62 new boilers and/or radiators
44 homes fitted with aids or adaptations to assist customers with limited mobility
18 new kitchens installed
13 new bathrooms installed
More funding for aids and adaptations
We have partnered with the Hertfordshire Home Improvement Agency, through Watford Borough Council, to secure 50% more funding for aids and adaptations, such as level-access showers, stair lifts and disability ramps. Although we are currently working through a backlog of work, this partnership puts us in a better position to provide an improved service in the next financial year.
As part of our aids and adaptations work, our contractor NJL adapted eight properties free of charge as part of their own social value project. This included installing wet rooms, internal decoration, flooring, and external works, as well as providing white goods.
Bringing our homes up to standard
In February 2024, we acquired 28 properties from Hemel Hempstead-based housing association, West Herts Homes, and now all residents in those homes can become Watford Community Housing members. We also have a five-year replacement plan in place to ensure all the new properties remain up to our own high standard.
Improving homes on the Meriden
We replaced all the communal fire doors at our 17-storey tower blocks, Abbey View and Munden View, and we will be replacing the front entrance doors to each flat as part of fire safety works within the coming year. We also started engaging with residents about building safety and sent them a leaflet with information about the importance of fire safety.
We also started to put together plans for a large programme of improvement works at Abbey View and Munden View. This will include windows, roofing, insulation, lighting and ventilation works.
We tendered for a ground source heat pump system that will service the high-rises, as well as nearby low-rise and sister blocks – this new heating system will replace the communal gas boilers, making homes warmer and cheaper to run, and saving residents money on their energy bills. We will train members of our in-house gas team on how to manage the heat pumps which in the long term will reduce the cost of using contractors.
Innovative repairs
In areas such as roofing and guttering, we are still working through a backlog of work built up during the Covid-19 pandemic, so we started looking at new and innovative ways of improving and speeding up repairs. We have been working with contractors to use drones as a way of analysing what work is needed, for example, whether scaffolding needs to be erected, inspecting flues, and investigating roof repairs.
Our ‘no access’ rate for repairs appointments has reduced to around 18% due to our team ringing ahead of appointments and offering appointments on a Saturday. |
GMT says... “The repairs service is extremely important to all residents and we’re pleased to see improvements being made, although there is still more to do. Damp and mould has been a big issue for social housing tenants across the country and we have worked closely with Watford Community Housing to make sure they are continuing to deal with it effectively. The external wall insulation project has helped make homes easier to heat and keep heating costs down, which is more important now than ever, and we’re glad to see it continue for even more customers.” |
Improving our communication
In 2023/24 we worked hard to improve our communication with residents. We regularly update the repairs page on our website to reflect current trade wait times, which helps us to be more transparent about how long your repair might take. We also introduced a calling card for contractors, which allows customers to rebook missed appointments with ease, and we have begun working on building a communication portal so residents can receive messages and updates from our contractors directly, just as they do with our in-house Repairs team. We have also made improvements to our communications around repairs carried out by our in-house team, giving residents more frequent updates and information.
New fleet of vehicles
Our in-house Repairs team have all been issued with new vans to travel to and from appointments. The new vans feature fleet tracking and monitoring technology which will improve our productivity, as it should help us avoid breakdowns, meaning fewer cancelled appointments.
Increasing our workforce
Despite it being a very challenging market for trades jobs, we have increased our workforce to deliver a more efficient service for our customers. This means that more work can be done by our in-house team and we save money by spending less on contractors or agency staff, allowing us to spend more on residents’ homes.