Repairs policy

This policy outlines how we will deliver repairs and explains what standards are applied to support the delivery of repairs.

Introduction

From a customer perspective, the repairs service is one of the most important services we provide at Magna. It helps define what our customers think of us and has a huge bearing on our reputation. An effective repairs operation helps us to keep our customers safe, comfortable and content with their homes and helps us meet our statutory and regulatory obligations. An efficient service ensures that we provide great value for money on what is one of our highest areas of expenditure.

This policy outlines how we deliver our day-to-day responsive repairs activities to provide a high-quality service for customers, ensuring our homes are safe and well maintained, with close links to other key aspects of our property maintenance activities, particularly servicing, planned and cyclical maintenance programmes.

The policy aims to provide clarity to customers and colleagues alike around what standards are applied when managing our repairs service, to support consistent, right first-time delivery.

Scope of this Policy

This policy applies to homes, communal areas, garages and commercial units owned and managed by Magna Housing and to any homes managed by us on behalf of another organisation. We will apply this policy where we maintain homes on behalf of others unless the management agreement specifies other arrangements.

The policy applies to all tenures. The scope of the repairs service provided and the repairing obligations will be governed by either the prevailing tenancy agreement or lease in place.

This policy and associated standards apply to our in-house service and any external contractors used in delivering response repairs. Any external supplier working on our behalf will be expected to comply with the terms of this policy and any associated standards and procedures. It applies to services delivered either during office hours or out of hours.

We define a responsive repair as any small-scale day-to-day repairs that are reactive in nature, rather than planned work or repairs included in a longer-term investment programme. It covers repairs diagnosed to fix single or multiple defects that can be scheduled and completed by appointment with the customer. As a rule of thumb these repairs will take no longer than five hours to complete. Some will require a follow up visit to complete the job eg a second coat of paint etc. If the repair does not fit this description, it is likely to need more detailed scoping and planning and will be delivered by convenient appointment in consultation with the customer and / or programmed into our planned maintenance programmes.

Policy Statement

At Magna, we are fully committed to providing the best possible repairs service. We know it is one of the services most valued by our customers and we want to ensure that we consistently meet the standards we have set with them. "Offering homes to be proud of" forms part of our Mission.

Providing a great repairs service is enshrined in our values and strategic objectives - always safe, providing great customer service at the right time, first time, maintaining homes of the right quality - are all key components.

As such, we aim to deliver a repairs service that guarantees the safety of our customers and colleagues, that is delivered efficiently and effectively to maximise convenience, consistency, a "right first time" approach to completing repairs and great value for money.

At the same time, we will ensure that our services meet the raft of important legal and regulatory guidance that governs the way we do repairs, including the Regulator for Social Housing's Home Standard.

Given the importance of the service to our customers we will work closely with them to develop and define our own standards and to use their feedback to constantly improve.

Responsibilities

The Director of Customer Operations is the accountable person in relation to all aspects of repairs at Magna and is responsible for the development and review of the repairs policy, ensuring that it meets all regulatory requirements and guidance.

The Head of Customer Experience and Home Services is responsible for operational delivery of repairs activities, works arising from servicing activity, for maintaining accurate repairs related property data and are responsible for reporting on repairs management in line with governance arrangements. They are responsible for ensuring that their colleagues have the skills, knowledge and competency to undertake their work effectively and safely.

Our customers are responsible for keeping their homes and gardens in good condition, in line with their tenancy agreement or lease, for reporting repairs to us as soon as they become aware of the need for any repairs for which we are responsible and for working with us to allow access when repairs are required.

Our approach to delivering an effective repairs service

In delivering an effective and efficient repairs service we will:

Provide a variety of ways for customers to conveniently report repairs and to gain prompt feedback on the service they have received from us. We want to be easy to deal with. Our channel shift to self-service for repairs will increase choice and enable customers to select an appointment that is convenient to them. We encourage and empower all our colleagues to report repairs they have identified and, where possible, to make an appointment with the customer at that first point of contact.

Ensure that the work is always completed safely and to the required standard by a competent person, regardless of whether they are from Magna or an external contractor.

Ensure our teams receive the necessary training, support and development to do their work safely and in accordance with the regulations and codes of practice applicable to the work.

Be open and transparent with customers and colleagues about what repairs we are and are not responsible for. Repairing responsibilities are clearly defined in our tenancy agreements, explained to customers when they move in and through other publications on our website. Colleagues will be briefed to ensure these important arrangements are applied consistently.

Be flexible and sensitive about how we deliver services, understanding that these may need to vary to meet the specific needs of individual customers.

Provide advice to customers and signpost them to resources where they can get their problem fixed when a repair is not our responsibility.

Treat any job as a Priority Repair when there is a serious, immediate risk to customers' health and safety or the security of their home. These are jobs we will always expect to deal with first and, where possible, by appointment.

All other response repairs are made at a time that is agreed with the customer. We make sure that it's a mutually convenient and reasonable appointment. We will always contact the customer to make an appointment where an inspection is required as part of the diagnosis and scoping of the work.

Be clear with customers when problems cannot be dealt with as a day-to-day repair. Some work is more complicated than standard day-to-day repairs and needs more careful scoping and planning to find the right solution. We will always inspect these enquiries, keep in close contact with customers so that we can agree time frames and explain the extent of the work required.

Recharge customers where we have to repair homes which are the result of deliberate or accidental damage, neglect or misuse, whether caused by a member of the household or a visitor.

Always focus on value for money, in terms of cost and quality, in the way we deliver the repairs service, manage our supply chains and procure supplies / services. Our repairs service is an important part of our overall approach to investment in our homes. We will benchmark costs of delivering internally against external suppliers we use.

Fully scrutinise trends on repairs expenditure to inform future planned and cyclical maintenance programmes and to influence our Magna Standard. We will always seek to get the right balance of response to planned expenditure. Ensure that we have robust contract management arrangements and effective controls in place for any services delivered by external suppliers.

Deliver services that complement and support our overall sustainability ambitions.

Governance, Performance Management and Review

This policy will be reviewed by the Director of Customer Operations and will be considered every three years by Asset and Investment Committee.

A range of performance measures and indicators, relating directly to repairs, are reported to managers and directors as appropriate. These will cover the quality and cost of service delivery as well as demand. High level performance indicators are reported to Board on a regular basis in line with their approved scorecard. We report at least annually to customers on how we are performing on our repairs service, including performance against the wider housing association sector.