Familiar faces provide 220 years of service to improving and repairing Leeds homes

Published by Gary Bolton for Connaught Plc in Housing and also in Communities

The team working to deliver improvements, repairs and maintenance to council properties across Leeds can help ensure residents feel as safe as houses as they have accumulated over 200 years experience of working together in the area.

Of the Connaught Partnerships Ltd team working to improve and repair West North West Homes Leeds properties, 20 of the locally recruited staff have accumulated an impressive 220 years of working together in the city.

Wayne Hudson, Connaught senior operations manager, was recruited as an apprentice joiner 10 years ago as part of the voids and responsive repairs contract with Leeds West Homes and has seen many changes throughout this time. “When I started we were very much based in Armley to serve local tenants from just one, small garage and working across such a small area we were regularly in and out of just a few tower blocks and on a small number of streets. As a result we saw the same faces on a regular basis and through keeping the core of the team together over the years this familiarity definitely helped build relationships with customers which in turn has helped us provide a better service.”

Carl James, Connaught site manager, was previously employed as an area surveyor for Leeds West Homes so he has seen both sides of the service delivery. He said: “While at Leeds West Homes I was directly responsible for ensuring that the returned void properties were of a suitable standard to be let to tenants again and this was where the team really came into their own.

“Headed up by Derrick Hirst, who is to retire this week after 33 years service, they took great pride in only letting us evaluate properties that they were completely happy with and after working together for so many years the team knew what was demanded in terms of quality. We jokingly referred to this as ‘The Derrick Standard’ and it has definitely rubbed off on the team over the years. I think that’s the real benefit of working with the same people over a considerable length of time – you get to know exactly what the demands are and how to achieve that in the most efficient manner.”

Project Manager Derrick has lived in Pudsey for the last 18 years and looking back over the years working on improving and repairing council properties in Leeds he has seen a lot of changes. “The customers have definitely become more demanding which I think stems from the high levels of service they have received in the past. It certainly is a great feeling when the work you have done gets a positive response from the customer and we have regularly had customers ringing up to book appointments and ask for members of the team by name to do the work. It lets you know that they were completely happy the last time they needed our assistance.

“It has also really helped to have a much more developed company behind us. When we started out it was a very small operation but now it is much more professional and organised while we also have better facilities such as the PDAs in our new vans. Even things like the new uniforms make a difference when we are going into customers’ homes as when they see us they know they are getting a professional service.”

Graham Hepworth, Connaught partnership manager who has worked on improvements to Leeds properties for 18 years, said: “With over 200 years service accumulated by just 20 members of staff, West North West Homes Leeds tenants benefit from having not only a locally recruited workforce who have knowledge of the area in which they are working but also one which benefits from having worked together and developed an understanding over such a long period of time.

“We are sad to losing a hugely valuable member of the team in Derrick who has given great service over the years but it undoubtedly the standards that he has demanded over the years which has rubbed off on the rest of the team and resulted in the levels of service now enjoyed by customers.”

Upon retirement Derrick is looking forward to spending time on his allotment: “I already grow vegetables and keep chickens and ducks but I am looking to also add some lambs and pigs. I have more than an acre of land and with summer coming I can’t wait to get it looking as I want. After working together for so long we’ve become very close and I will definitely miss them but I cant deny I’m looking forward to spending my time doing exactly as I please!”