Hexagon’s Repairs Group met on 30 September, bringing residents and staff together to review repairs performance and discuss how residents can play a greater role in improving the service.
Members heard that repairs satisfaction and the number of jobs completed on time remain below the levels Hexagon wants to achieve. Staff outlined work with Gilmartins to complete older outstanding repairs, prevent a new backlog from developing and strengthen oversight of the contract.
The group also discussed plans to appoint additional contractors for specialist repairs. Members welcomed the opportunity for residents to help develop the tender questions, assess bids and monitor the new arrangements. The group recommended that residents with experience of repairs complaints should be invited to take part, with wider satisfaction feedback also used to inform the process.
An update was provided on the Customer Service Centre, six months after repairs calls were brought back in-house. This has given Hexagon better information about residents’ experiences, including missed appointments, follow-on work and complaints. The proposed call-back service has not yet been introduced because improvements are needed to ensure requests are clearly visible to staff and are not missed.
Members also discussed how to improve residents’ experience of MyHexagon. They supported clearer guidance and practical help for residents, including short videos and face-to-face support, while stressing that the system must be reliable before it is promoted more widely.
Looking ahead, the group considered how it could take a stronger role in scrutinising the repairs service. Members supported longer, more focused discussions, closer links with the Resident Influence Group and clearer tracking of their recommendations. The frequency and format of future meetings will be considered further as part of a review of the group’s terms of reference.
The actions and recommendations arising from the meeting have been shared with the relevant Hexagon teams, and the group will continue to monitor progress.
