London council sees 200% increase in demand for repairs in five months

In November the following year, a coroner ruled that two-year-old Awaab Ishak died as a direct result of prolonged exposure to mould in a Rochdale Boroughwide Housing flat after the landlord failed to address the disrepair. 

The ruling prompted increased focus on damp and mould among social landlords, with many creating specialist teams to deal with the issue.

The Regulator of Social Housing also asked all social landlords with more than 1,000 homes to provide evidence of how they deal with damp and mould.

Mr Hodgson told the commission: “[Since] November last year, we’ve probably seen a 200% increase in demand on the repairs service. Not only through residents contacting us, but members contacting us as well about case work. 

“It’s been quite challenging.”

He explained issues with repairs in Southwark could be exacerbated by the age and type of stock the council owned: 85% of homes are in blocks of flats, making diagnosing and addressing problems more difficult. 

He said single-trade operatives made up 85% of its workforce, meaning a repair often could not be fixed without sending in multiple workers. 

As a result, the council is recruiting multi-trade operatives.

The council is rolling out ‘estate action days’ across the borough, which involve a repairs team setting up a drop-in service on site. 

Residents can report repairs, chase up existing repairs, book a repairs appointment and raise any communal repairs that need to be done. 

Teams will be able to carry out small repairs on the day, while the council’s new damp and mould team will also be available to do any assessments and treatments, and to answer questions. 

Staff are handing out hydrometers to residents. These measure moisture levels and temperature, and alert people when a home is at risk of mould forming.

Mr Hodgson said the council was also considering doing estate action days specifically to target damp and mould. 

The council is planning to introduce dedicated repairs officers onto estates in a bid to increase “accountability” and to be more “proactive” and “preventative”.

Mr Hodgson told the commission that the scope of the improvement plan had been broadened to include leaseholders and other communal repairs.

The Housing Quality Network (HQN) is doing an independent review of the council’s repairs service. The report is expected soon and will feed into the repairs improvement plan. 

Mr Hodgson also said Southwark had acquired a new IT database for the repairs service, because the former system was “outdated” and “not fit for purpose”. 

A new resident-led board is being introduced to oversee the improvement plan. 

Darren Merrill, cabinet member for council homes and homelessness, told Inside Housing: “We are committed to improving each and every one of our council homes across the borough. 

“All our residents have a right to a safe, secure and comfortable home, which is why we are pulling out all the stops to make our repairs service more accountable to the people it serves. 

“Key to this will be our dedicated workforce working together with residents to design the service and create a Southwark homes standard we can all be proud of.

“We are bringing our repairs service into the modern age; from timed repairs and the most up-to-date IT systems, to recruiting highly skilled multi-trades people and increasing the ways residents can have their say. 

“We are making sure we know our buildings inside out, so that new, dedicated teams are equipped with the knowledge they need to get the job fixed the first time, and well.

“All these improvements will help us be the best landlord we can be.”