Housing and Property Services Recruitment

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.

UK’s Top Ten LGBT-friendly Housing & Property Services companies

Are you a Housing & Property Services professional looking for your next career move? When you first begin your job search, it can be tricky to know where to start. Reviewing a company’s LGBT policy can be a good place to begin, and to help you narrow your job search our Housing & Property Services team has compiled a list of the top LGBT-friendly companies in the UK. So, whether you are looking for a hands-on role such as an electrician, plumber or carpenter, or an office-based position such as an administrator, manager or planning officer, you can move forward with confidence. Having an inclusivity and diversity policy is becoming the norm for Housing & Property Services companies, as many job seekers now actively seek out employers that are open, progressive and inclusive. A company that has LGBT-friendly policies in place is particularly important to many candidates. Fortunately, campaign and advocacy charity Stonewall released its annual report at the start of 2019, which details the top 100 most LGBT-inclusive employers in the UK. In this year’s report, four housing companies made it onto the top 100, out of 445 organisations that entered. Ruth Hunt, Chief Executive of Stonewall, said: “Changing things for the better needs us all to work together – across workplaces, across sectors, across communities – and using tools like the Workplace Equality Index helps systematically achieve sustainable change. Collectively, we can, and will, build a world where all LGBT people are accepted without exception.” Each Housing & Property Services company on the list was assessed on 10 key areas of the Workplace Equality Index. These included: LGBT employee network groups, community engagement and how the organisation involved all employees on LGBT inclusion. Read on to discover more about the top four companies and their policies. 1. Home Group #17 on the Top 100 This year’s report saw Home Group jump up 58 places on the top 100 list, up from 75th place in 2018. As part of its efforts, the social enterprise and charity runs the ‘role models’ and ‘Lifeswap’ programmes, which encourages people to share their stories and also to support others in becoming more knowledgeable about the challenges that LGBT people face in the workplace. Susan Fulton, Director of People at Home Group, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have been placed 17th in the Stonewall Top 100 Employers Index. We’ve always recognised the strength that diversity brings to everyone in the Home Group team – we are so proud that our staff’s passion for inclusion, equality and acceptance, whether it’s in health, society or as individuals, is recognised by this fantastic ranking.” Visit the company’s policy page to download its equality, diversity and inclusion policy. 2. Riverside #26 on the Top 100 Another climber, Riverside moved up 10 places to claim the 26th spot on the top 100 list. It manages more than 55,000 properties across the UK, and its equality, diversity and inclusion policy extends to everyone who is employed by or who receives a service from the social housing provider. John Glenton, Executive Director of Care and Support at Riverside, said: “I believe that diversity enriches Riverside. As we demonstrate our commitment to diversity, we consequently attract and retain talented people who can be themselves and are reflective of our diverse customer base.” Discover more about Riverside's commitment to diversity by following this link. 3. Nottingham City Homes #44 on the Top 100 Nottingham City Homes manages approximately 27,000 homes in the city of Nottingham on behalf of the City Council. In addition to its placement on this year’s top 100, the organisation is also a member of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme. Nick Murphy, Chief Executive at Nottingham City Homes, said: “As an organisation we are committed to diversity in our workforce. We want to make sure we are an inclusive employer, so we can attract and retain the very best talent to provide the best services for our tenants. Nottingham is a diverse city and it is important to us we reflect the diverse communities we serve. Read more about Nottingham City Homes’s equality and diversity strategy. 4. Your Homes Newcastle #77 on the Top 100 Coming in at joint 77th with the Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in 2019, Your Homes Newcastle has made it on to the top 100 list for the last 10 years. In 2018, when the housing organisation came 47th, Tina Drury, Managing Director, said: “We’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that all of our services are inclusive of LGBT Plus communities and we’re committed to maintaining that. Our ‘Proud@YHN’ staff network group has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of important issues for the LGBT Plus community and YHN has engaged with more staff and residents than ever this year. If you are interested in a career at Your Homes Newcastle, find out about its diversity and inclusion policies here. Get in touch With our in-depth sector knowledge and more than 16-years’ worth of experience, Sellick Partnership is ready to help you find your next role. Visit our dedicated jobs page to view our current Housing & Property Services opportunities, or contact us today.