Greenwich Council has reported a significant reduction in outstanding repairs, with the number dropping from 11,800 in March 2023 to 3,095 currently. This improvement is attributed to a comprehensive transformation programme aimed at modernising and enhancing the responsive repairs service.
The Housing and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Panel received an update on the service, highlighting key achievements. The 'comprehensive transformation programme' involved several actions to improve the responsive repairs service and reduce outstanding repairs. These included the development and consolidation of data dashboards for critical areas such as damp, mould, condensation, performance, gas, electrics, and voids to drive decisions, track compliance, improve performance, and identify efficiency opportunities. [1]
Improvements in human resources, including the presence of a dedicated HR Business Partner on-site to support supervisors and managers, have led to better team management, addressing long-term sickness and performance issues, and fostering a culture change. [1]
Further enhancements have been made to the follow-on repair process, with a greater emphasis on booking second visits while operatives are still on-site, aiming to free up planning team time for better operative and material allocation. Collaboration with Pest Control has been strengthened, and dedicated plumbers are now addressing leaks from above, contributing to a decrease in active leaks. The council is also reviewing its repairs policy, including rechargeable repairs, to offer residents and leaseholders more options. [1]
Enhancements to access equipment and materials for quicker repairs, including towers, gutter clearing equipment, and improved PPE, have also been implemented. Managers now have access to improved real-time reporting capabilities for better resource allocation and to predict and prevent dissatisfaction. A new van stock process with Wolseley has been introduced to centralise van stock, provide real-time information on available materials, reduce depot visits, and track material usage. [1]
Residents making disrepair claims are now signposted to the complaints team for quicker resolution, and residents are receiving responses sooner, with managers taking ownership of stage two complaints. The service is also exploring new communication routes such as text and WhatsApp, and considering evening and weekend appointments to improve accessibility. Work is also underway to incorporate the definition of 'vulnerable' residents into policies and processes. [1]
Performance figures indicate that the average time taken for an in-house repair is just under 11 working days. While damp and mould remains a focus, the specific targets for remediation are: mould washes to be attended to within 5 days, and damp surveys to be completed within 10 days. Currently, mould washes are being attended to within an average of 7.7 days, slightly exceeding the target. This is attributed to increased demand, particularly between January and February, influenced by weather conditions and ongoing stock condition surveys. Damp surveys are being completed within 9 days, meeting the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) target of 10 days. Since October, 1,014 damp surveys have been raised, with 93% of these inspected within the target timeframe. [2]
Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) for Q3 2025-26 show a slight increase in satisfaction with home maintenance, communal areas, and the repairs service. The current tenant satisfaction rate for the repairs service is 72.40% for Quarter 3 (October to December 2025), a slight increase from the previous quarter. Transactional survey results for Quarter 3 indicate an overall satisfaction score of 87%, which is comparable to the past three years (2022/23: 89.25%, 2023/24: 85.45%, 2024/25: 87.40%). [3]
Transactional surveys, which gather feedback after specific repairs, indicate high satisfaction with the quality of work, politeness of operatives, and tidiness of homes, although areas for improvement remain in follow-on repairs and completing works on the first visit. Data from these surveys is being used to identify areas for improvement. [1]
Future focus areas for the repairs service include damp and mould, incorporating further hazard categories into daily repairs work, and managing referrals from stock condition surveys. The occupied repairs team will concentrate on improving the follow-on process and ensuring repairs appointments are made efficiently. A Members Repairs Transformation Board
continues to monitor the progress of the Repairs Transformation Programme. [1]
[1] Repairs update.pdf [2] Supplementary 01st-Apr-2026 18.30 Housing and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Panel.pdf [3] Public reports pack 01st-Apr-2026 18.30 Housing and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Panel.pdf
