It’s still early days for Peabody’s responsive repairs contract with Osborne but the signs are good. The contract began on 17 May but, as Peter Mercer, Peabody’s Assistant Director of Building Maintenance, points out "Early indications show that week one was a success with around 700 orders being placed for work.
"Our new partners have made a huge effort to assist us in replanning and dealing with our repairs backlog which will bring benefits to our residents over the coming months."
A lot of work has been involved preparing for the advent of this new contract but the end results should bring a lot of benefits.
"All involved with the repairs process thank our residents for their help and patience during this period of change and we are dedicated to building a service that everyone can be proud of," added Mr Mercer.
So, just to clarify here are some immediate improvements residents will notice:
- Flexible appointment times. Residents are offered appointments between 8am and 8pm, Monday to Friday and 8am to 12 noon on Saturday.
- Two-hour time slots. Appointment times are allocated in two-hour slots during weekdays. This means reduced waiting times.
- Appointment confirmation. All appointments are made when the repair is first reported and a text message is sent to the resident to confirm.
Flats on the Pembury estate
Out on the estates, collaboration is also underway between the contractors and Peabody residents.
On Friday 4 June, for example, Osborne and Peabody representatives set up a stall on the Pembury estate in Hackney to advise local youth about career opportunities in the building trade. They also passed on information about obtaining work experience, applying for apprenticeships and finding work with a criminal record.
Osborne contractors, working with Peabody, are planning a DIY workshop later in the year which will be aimed at pensioners and young people. The content will cover issues most requested by residents.
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