Sam Matondo

Utilising downtime during lockdown

The housing sector like many others has been affected by the current Coronavirus Pandemic. This has meant that professionals within the sector have found themselves either working less hours or out of work for the first time in years. We are having regular conversations with tradespeople and housing staff who are understandably worried about the situation and looking for advice on what they can do to prepare themselves for when the sector returns to normal. Here are our top tips on what you can be doing now to prepare yourself for when things return to some degree of normality. Get your DBS application in A DBS check can take 6-8 weeks to come through, so use this time wisely and get your application in if you need to. This will really improve your chances of securing work when the sector returns to normal. Complete online training courses We are advising many of our clients to work on their skills while spending more time at home. Sticking to a routine and keeping your brain active will be vital to staying motivated. Online training courses including Trades Asbestos Awareness, Manual Handling and Working at Heights are all beneficial and will help set you apart from other candidates in the market. Get yourself on LinkedIn LinkedIn is fast becoming a hub for housing professionals so use this time to get connected. Whether you work in skilled trades, supported housing or housing management, LinkedIn is a great place to network, share experiences and work on your personal brand during this time. Sign up for job alerts and speak to recruiters If you rely on contract work, or have found yourself without a job, use this time to sign up for relevant job alerts and speak to recruitment professionals in your market. Although there may not be as many open vacancies, some organisations are hiring, and recruiters will be able to let you know of anything with the clients they work with during this time. We are still finding that there is a need within some organisations, especially those who support vulnerable people. Our continuing conversations with clients also mean we’d be able to give you informed advice about what needs will arise in the coming weeks Ensure you are compliant This is also a great time to ensure your compliance checks are all completed. Making sure you are fully compliant now will mean you can hit the ground running straight away when a role comes in, making you a more attractive candidate – especially if the organisations needs assistance urgently. Get yourself interview ready If you have found yourself out of work, you should use this time to work on your CV and brush up on your interview skills. Recruiters can help here and will happily offer advice and hold mock video interviews to help get you ready. Whatever you do during this time, it is important to stay positive. The sector will return to normal, and when it does there will likely be plenty of work to go around. So, if you are currently out of work, or find yourself at home with nothing to do, use this time wisely and set yourself up to be very busy when we get through the current pandemic. Can we help? If you still have questions, or need a hand, our team would be more than happy to help. Get in touch with our specialist Housing Consultants today.

The importance of repairs and maintenance providers within the housing & property services sector

This year Sellick Partnership are sponsoring the Repairs and Maintenance Provider of the Year category at the 24housing Awards. This is one of the main areas we recruit into so we have a real in-depth knowledge of the sector and the struggle providers in this space regularly come up against. In this article Housing recruitment specialist Katy Whitehead takes a closer look at the repairs and maintenance sector and how providers in this space offer a valuable service to the housing & property services sector as a whole. The 2019 24housing Awards shortlist has been announced and there are eight incredible Repairs & Maintenance companies up for the Repairs and Maintenance Provider of the Year Awards that we are sponsoring this year. The eight lucky businesses are: Dunedin Canmore Property Services Homes for Haringey Metro Rod Orwell Housing Association Plentific STAR Housing Stockport Homes T Gilmartin Ltd Each of these businesses provides an invaluable service to housing & property services organisations across the UK. In this blog I take a look at what these providers do and give my thoughts on why I feel they are a vital resource for housing associations across the UK. What are repairs and maintenance providers? Repairs and Maintenance Providers provide property services contractors to Housing Associations and Local Authorities when needed for specific projects or ad-hoc jobs. They manage the contracts as well as the contractors working on the jobs. Housing associations spend on average up to £3.5 billion a year on repairs and need a reliable and trustworthy partner that can see through the repairs quickly and efficiently. This makes repairs and maintenance providers a key priority for tenants and central to the success of housing associations. What do repairs and maintenance providers offer Housing Associations? By using a repairs and maintenance provider housing associations can be rest assured they will receive a quick, quality and cost effective service each and every time. Generally most providers in this space will be able to make repairs and attend to issues quickly, and will always send qualified and highly experienced contractors. This means that housing associations do not have to worry about finding a contractor that will get the job done, often saving a great deal of time and avoiding any time delays or worrying that the job will not be completed to a high enough standard. There is also a great deal less administration and processes for Housing Associations as this will all be dealt with by the contractor. What is the benefit of using a repairs and maintenance provider? One major benefit of using a repairs and maintenance provider is the flexibility they give to housing associations. Housing associations can choose when and where they need additional staff without signing up to any long-term contracts with candidates with the relevant skills needed at the time. This goes for any number of contractors that may be needed. For an example, an urgent job might arise that needs multiple contractors at short notice. A repairs & maintenance provider will be able to source the talent that is needed and organise logistics to ensure the job is completed in a costly and timely manner. Through using a provider housing associations can also specify the duration and type of contract that they need for the job and can pick from wide range of contractors to suit the contract. Hiring contractors can also be very time consuming, but utilising the services of a repairs and maintenance provider can reduce this time significantly. Not only will the provider complete all the administrative tasks associated with the job, they will also complete all payroll related tasks including PAYE and National Insurance, giving housing associations peace of mind. Providers such as these also give housing associations confidence that the job will be completed to a high standard and within the agreed timescales and budget. The contracts are also guaranteed to be managed by professionals in that field, giving housing associations additional peace of mind. What next?... If you would like more information on what a repairs and maintenance provider could do for you please feel free to get in touch with myself, or one of the 24housing finalists today. Alternatively, you can check out our latest live housing & property services jobs here.