In-house repairs team growing in strength!

Published by Adriana Neves for B3 Living in Housing and also in Communities, Local Government

B3Living’s in-house repairs service, Send and Mend (SAM), have completed their first renovation of kitchens and bathrooms. The new service was set up in June this year and has been so successful in delivering the day to day repairs that they’ve started to branch out into planned maintenance.

Bill Finch, B3Living SAM Head of Operations said: “We decided to bring the repairs service in-house because we knew we could offer residents a better service, more cheaply. All the operatives that transferred to us from the contractors have settled in well, and residents are happy seeing familiar faces around the estate.

Although the new service has only been up and running for four months, satisfaction levels have stayed at an all-time high, with over 90% satisfaction with the works carried out. This high quality of service is reflected in the fact that we recently gained NICEIC accreditation (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting), which will open the door for us to grow in the future.”

Throughout the planned renovation, residents work with SAM operatives to agree the work schedule, colour and finish of their kitchens and bathrooms. Regular renovations are carried out on all B3Living properties to ensure that Decent Homes Standards are met.

SAM has improved productivity and quality of service to residents, and is expected to save £400,000 a year compared to the cost of using external contractors. All money saved will be invested into improved and additional services for residents.