Cunningham launches new maintenance and repairs service

Cunninghame Housing Association is embarking on a new enterprise, setting up its own in-house repairs and maintenance service for its Ayrshire tenants, Direct Works. This comes on the back of five years of managing a planned maintenance provision. 

Direct Works offers a positive change in service delivery, with many benefits to tenants, including:

• More streamlined service delivery, with Direct Works able to provide multi-trade support allowing more works to be carried out ‘right first time’ and in a shorter timescale
• Enhanced communication, with the ability to keep tenants better informed about the status and progress of their repair or improvement
• Greater confidence, as tenants will know the majority of repairs and maintenance is carried out by operatives who they can recognise and trust
• An improved appointments system, with tenants able to choose repair appointments to suit them.

The venture has seen the creation of at least 23 new jobs with, new apprenticeships also planned in the coming months. Jobs created include supervisory roles, qualified operatives, labourers and administrative support roles. This will benefit the Ayrshire economy and offer stable employment with good terms and conditions to local people.

The Direct Works Team will be based in Bute Terrace, Ardrossan, with office space alongside a new bespoke store, currently under construction, to allow the entire repairs and maintenance service to be managed from a location central to the association’s Ayrshire stock portfolio.

Frank Sweeney, Group Chief Executive said “This marks a huge milestone for Cunninghame Housing Association. We know how important repairs are to our tenants through our satisfaction surveys. The introduction of Direct Works shows that the association acts on tenants’ priorities and gives us ownership of providing the highest level of customer service to CHA tenants.

“We are delighted that the creation of jobs through this initiative offers a new career pathway into Cunninghame Housing Association for Ayrshire people.

“The new stores accommodation at Bute Terrace will see a vacant site transformed into modern stores accommodation, supporting our operatives to complete repairs ‘right first time’ with the correct tools and materials to hand”.

Cunninghame Housing Association tenants can report repairs by calling 0800 068 1466.  This number will be available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, from 1 April 2022.