Our Performance

Average time to Answer calls into the Contact Centre: 2.04 mins

Our Customer Service Centre continues to make incredible strides, even during the busiest time of the year. This quarter, the average time to answer calls is two minutes four seconds, which is a slight increase from Quarter Two due to more weather‑related repairs but still significantly under the three minute target. The long‑term progress continues to improve. This time last year, residents were waiting an average of 15 minutes, meaning we’ve achieved an impressive 86% reduction in waiting time. This reflects the hard work, resilience and commitment of our team, who continue to deliver a responsive and supportive service, even in peak demand periods.

% of Contact Centre calls answered: 93.63%

Our Customer Service Centre continues to demonstrate strong performance and resilience, with 93.63% of calls answered in Quarter Three exceeding our target of 92.50%. While this is a slight dip from the exceptional 96.67% achieved in Quarter Two, the figure reflects the seasonal rise in call volumes linked to weather‑related repairs, the bigger picture shows remarkable progress. This time last year in the same period, only 62% of calls were answered, meaning we’ve delivered an outstanding 51% improvement. This continued upward trend highlights our commitment to accessibility and responsiveness, ensuring residents can trust that we’re here for them when they need us. It’s yet another step forward in providing reliable, high‑quality service to the residents of North Manchester.

Satisfaction with Contact Centre service: 91%

Resident satisfaction with our Customer Service Centre remains strong at 91% in Quarter 3, matching the excellent result achieved in Quarter 2. Holding this high level of satisfaction throughout a busy seasonal period reflects the consistency and quality of service our teams continue to deliver. Compared to this time last year, when satisfaction stood at 86%, we’ve seen a steady upward trend that demonstrates the value of our ongoing improvements and our commitment to providing a helpful, respectful, and efficient experience. We’re proud of this continued stability and remain focused on listening to residents and enhancing the service in ways that matter most to them.

% of complaints responded to 'in time': 84.53%

We’re pleased to see continued progress in how quickly we respond to complaints, with on‑time responses increasing to 84.53% in Quarter 3, up from 82% in Quarter 2. Although our target is 100% his steady improvement shows that our focus on strengthening accountability and embedding a more proactive approach is making a real difference. The year‑on‑year comparison is even more encouraging: this time last year, on‑time responses stood at just 60%, meaning we are now operating at a far higher and more consistent standard. While we recognise there is still work to do to fully meet the expectations set by the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code, this trajectory is a strong indication that we’re moving in the right direction. With our new Complaints Resolution Officers coming into post and a refreshed model for complaint handling being introduced, we are confident that residents will see even further improvements in the timeliness and quality of our responses.

Number of new Stage 1 Complaints: 238
Number of new Stage 2 Complaints: 88

The number of Stage 1 and Stage 2 complaints in Quarter 3 stands at 244 and 95 respectively, representing a reduction compared to the same period last year. While complaint volumes remain high and continue to reflect wider sector-wide pressures, this downward shift is a positive indication that our focus on service improvement is beginning to have an impact. We remain committed to robust root cause analysis to ensure learning from complaints drives meaningful change, particularly within the Repairs and Maintenance service where a Strategic Improvement Plan is already underway. In addition, our new model for complaint handling will be introduced over the coming months, strengthening our approach and ensuring residents receive clearer, faster, and more consistent resolutions.

Average number of void properties: 178

The average number of empty properties in Quarter 3 stands at 178, a slight increase from 175 in Quarter 2 and broadly in line with the 174 recorded this time last year.  Our target is 100 and we recognise that this is an area where we need to see stronger progress. We are taking a transparent and proactive approach to addressing this challenge, and improving turnaround times is now a priority focus across the service. Work is already underway to develop and deliver a robust improvement plan, with the aim of placing us in a significantly more favourable position by the summer months. Our commitment is to reduce void numbers, enhance efficiency, and ensure residents can access good‑quality, safe homes as quickly as possible.

Average days to re-let empty homes: 89.87

The average number of days to re‑let empty homes has increased this quarter, rising to 89.87 days in Quarter 3 compared to 70 days in Quarter 2. LOur target is 50 days and while performance has dipped this quarter, it is important to highlight that we remain in a much stronger position than this time last year, when the average stood at 106 days. This shows that, although we are not yet where we need to be, the overall long‑term direction is improving. We are taking a transparent and proactive approach to strengthening this area, with reducing re‑let times identified as a key priority within our wider voids improvement work. A comprehensive plan is being developed to accelerate progress, streamline processes and ensure we move into the summer in a far more favourable and sustainable position for our residents.

Number of repairs completed: 12,973

We have experienced a higher volume of repair requests for Quarter 3, this is mainly due to the time of the year eg. Winter months and the new legislation "Awaab's Law".

% of repairs completed on time: 81%

From Qtr 2 we have experienced a slight improvement with 81% of repairs completed on time. Our target is 90% and we will continue to monitor performance on a weekly basis.

Average days to complete a repair: 18.95

We have increase a slight increase in the time to complete the repair, from 16 days to 19 days. This is due to the increase of repairs raised in the winter months, our target is 14 days.

Resident satisfaction with repairs: 74.60%

Satisfaction has decreased slightly due to the increase of repair requests for Qtr 3.

Gas Servicing Compliance (%): 99.84%

The overdue gas safety checks have each followed MCC process and are beyond the 3 stages but without gaining access. The inability to enforce access via Section 54 or Section 239 has reduced the ability to retain our target of 100% compliance and yet the team have worked hard to keep these numbers as low as at all possible. A new legal enforcement system is being piloted in partnership with Weighmans Solicitors for 17 overdue properties and the data from this pilot will be reported upon.

Electrical Testing Compliance (%): 99.52%

As with gas safety checks, the inability to enforce access for EICR testing has created a brief plateau in progress. The enforcement process which is being piloted with Gas Safety will be assessed and then potentially utilised to support the continued progression towards  the target of 100%. There is a potential that the 3 stage process may need to be conducted prior to legal escalation due to the distance in time from completing our process, but this will be assessed on a case by case basis.

Fire Risk Assessment Compliance (%): 100%

All residential blocks which require a Fire Risk Assessment have a current, valid assessment in place which means we have reached our target of 100%. The programme continues to be monitored closely and measures are in place to ensure FRA's are addressed on time, every time and all associated actions tracked through to satisfactory, evidenced completion.

Average value of Rent Arrears: £3,018,031.37

Overall arrears have increased over the three quarters with some potential for this to be improved during the rent free week at the commencement of Q4 and whilst the rent team have provided support to residents as UC migration continues from remaining disability benefits to UC this has impacted collection. Collection remains relatively strong and consistently exceeds 100%  however, this  ongoing migration to Universal Credit, particularly affecting more vulnerable residents transitioning from legacy disability benefits has placed additional demands on the team, requiring increased support with claims .Household incomes continue to be impacted by the cost of living. 

Money Advice 'Gains' achieved for Residents this quarter: £214,046

Despite these challenges, targeted support from our Money Advice service and the Community Living Fund has helped mitigate the impact and provide essential assistance to those most affected.With support fund allocations and over £630K in financial gains for residents.

Community Living Fund grants paid: £110,000

Despite the reduction in funding available for this financial year, the Money Advice team has continued to deliver impactful support. Of the £150,000 allocated circa £115,000 has been specifically directed towards helping residents manage cost of living pressures and this has been particularity important as lots of vulnerable residents have moved over to Universal Credit.

Number of Current Tenant Visits completed: 1097 attempts, 434 completed

This funding has been successfully managed and delivered by the team, ensuring that support reaches those most in need during a challenging financial climate.

Number of Estate Walkabouts completed: 132

Walkabouts continue to be an important part of how we engage with our residents. We continue to encourage residents to attend so that they can have input into management of their estates. 

Number of ASB cases resolved: 108

We have embedded a culture of effective and supportive responses to complainants of ASB. Working closely with the complaint we are endeavouring to bring about an early resolution. This is through a combination of tenancy warnings and enforcement, support and mediation. 

Number of Housing Support cases resolved: 16

Officers are working with some complex cases and although always endeavour to find a swift resolution delays in response from statutory agencies can lead to delays in cases.

Average time to Answer calls into the Contact Centre: 1 minute

We’re incredibly proud of the continued success of our Customer Service Centre, where our commitment to delivering excellent service is truly paying off. This quarter, the average time to answer calls has dropped to just 1 minute, down from 1 minute 28 seconds in Quarter 1, which is a remarkable 91% improvement from 11 minutes this time last year. This progress reflects the dedication of our team and the effectiveness of our ongoing improvements. Ultimately, it means residents are getting the help they need faster and more efficiently, reinforcing our promise to provide responsive, respectful, and high-quality service every time.

% of Contact Centre calls answered: 96.67%

Our Customer Service Centre continues to go from strength to strength, with the percentage of calls answered rising to an impressive 96.67% this quarter. That’s not only an improvement from last quarter, but a 44% increase compared to this time last year, when the figure stood at 67.13%. This achievement reflects our continued focus on accessibility and responsiveness, ensuring that residents can rely on us to be there when they need us most. It’s another step forward in our mission to deliver the best possible service to our the residents of North Manchester.

Satisfaction with Contact Centre service: 91%

Resident satisfaction with our Customer Service Centre has increased from 89% in Quarter 1 to 91% in Quarter 2. This improvement highlights the positive impact of ongoing service enhancements and our continued focus on delivering a helpful, respectful, and efficient experience to our residents. We remain committed to listening to residents and making meaningful changes based on their feedback.

% of complaints responded to 'in time': 82%

We’re pleased to report a significant improvement in how quickly we respond to complaints, with on-time responses rising from 57% to 82% this quarter. While we acknowledge that this is still below the standards set by the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code, it’s a clear step in the right direction. This progress reflects the hard work of our teams and our commitment to strengthening accountability and resident trust. We expect to see further improvements once our dedicated Complaints Resolution Officers are in post, helping us move closer to full compliance and ensuring residents receive timely, fair, and effective resolutions.

Number of new Stage 1 Complaints: 202
Number of new Stage 2 Complaints: 84

The number of Stage 1and Stage 2 complaints remains similar to this time last year within the same quarter. This is still signifantly high however aligns with trends across the sector. Much work is going into root cause analysis to ensure that learning from complaints remains the absolute focus alongside a Strategic Improvement Plan for the Repairs and Maintenance service.

Average number of void properties: 175

We recognise that the number of void properties has increased to 175, up from 150, and while this is not where we want to be, we’re taking decisive action to turn things around. We're actively addressing these challenges through the implementation of a full strategic Repairs Improvement Plan. This plan is designed to enhance efficiency, reduce delays, and ultimately ensure that homes are ready for new residents more quickly. We’re confident that with these improvements underway, we’ll begin to see a reduction in voids and a better experience for our residents

Average days to re-let empty homes: 70

We’re pleased to report that the average number of days to re-let an empty home has reduced from 83.7 days in Q1 to 70 days in Q2. While we recognise there is still work to do to reach our target, this progress reflects a more focused approach and the positive impact of our dedicated New Tenancy Team, who have significantly improved the speed at which new residents are signed up and supported into their homes. We remain committed to further reducing re-let times and have a robust Repairs Improvement Plan in place ensuring repairs to empty homes are carried out effectively and meeting void standards so that they are ready for new residents as quickly and safely as possible.

Number of repairs completed: 13,487

The number of repairs completed this quarter is a marginal increase of 0.02% from the previous quarter. This is in line with our expectations for the quarter.

% of repairs completed on time: 74%

There has been another minor dip in performance this quarter (reduction from 76.4% to 74.0%). We continue to monitor this performance with our repairs contractor.

Average days to complete a repair: 16.2

The positive reduction is pleasing and continues to show an overall reduction in days to complete work which was reported previously as 27.4 days in Q1 2024/25.

Resident satisfaction with repairs: 77.28%

Resident satisfaction continues to be similar to previous quarters. We continue to review this with our contractor.

Gas Servicing Compliance: 99.96%

Performance continues to remain strong, at specific points during the period 100% compliance was achieved. This in part has been achieved by the utilisation of our Compliance Liaison Officer working closely with residents and stakeholders. This approach ensures our customers can remain safe in their homes. The Health and Safety of all customers is paramount.

Electrical Testing Compliance: 99.86%

Performance with Electrical Testing continues to improve as it did through 2024-25, with further improvements in Q2 of this year owing to utilisation of our robust access procedures and proactive approach.  We ended the quarter with just 0.14% of our domestic properties not having a vaild EICR. 

Fire Risk Assessment Compliance: 99.79%

Fire Risk Assessments remain of paramount impotantances to Manchester City Council. We currently have 1 property overdue out of 479 properties that required an FRA.  Increasing resources are a key factor in access for inspection works resulting in the vast majority of FRA inspections being undertaken within timescales. 

Average value of Rent Arrears: £2,885,343

The rent team have made tremendous inroads into supporting residents and overall collection remains strong, consistently exceeding 100%. However, the ongoing migration to Universal Credit, particularly affecting more vulnerable residents transitioning from legacy disability benefits has placed additional demands on the team, requiring increased support with claims .

Household incomes continue to be strained by the rising cost of living. Despite these challenges, targeted support from our Money Advice service and the Community Living Fund has helped mitigate the impact and provide essential assistance to those most affected.

Money Advice 'Gains' achieved for Residents this quarter: 227,470

The Money Advice team continues to provide vital support and guidance to residents. Despite a reduction in available funding from the support fund they have continued with their approach of maximising income for residents and have effectively targeted resources towards those most in need, particularly individuals struggling with the ongoing cost of living pressures.

To date, the team has secured financial gains of over £361466, helping to alleviate hardship and improve financial resilience for vulnerable households.

Community Living Fund grants paid: 27K

Although there has been a reduction in funding available for this financial year, the Money Advice team has continued to deliver impactful support. Of the £150,000 allocated circa £92K has been specifically directed towards helping residents manage cost of living pressures.

This funding has been successfully managed and delivered by the team, ensuring that support reaches those most in need during a challenging financial climate.

Number of Current Tenant Visits completed: 1,114 attempted & 81 no access (1,033 completed)

Over the summer months our Housing Officers have worked really hard on getting these home visits booked in and completed.  After filling most of our vacancies regrettfully we have lost a coupe of our officers to other roles within Housing Services.  We are undertaking further recruitment to fill these roles again.  We hope to maintain this momentum as we continue to work towards a fully staff Housing Officer team

Number of Estate Walkabouts completed: 155 this also includes 6 surgeries 

Over the summer months our Housing Officers have worked hard and spent considerable time on our estates, working with partners, elected members and residents to deal with environmental challeges.  We continue to post in advance dates/times of our public walkabouts and as part of our service improvement plan we will undertake a review to see how we can better engage our residents.  We are continuing to review how we provide timely feedback to residents on walkabout activities.  

Number of ASB cases resolved: 95

Our commitment to finding early resolution to ASB cases remains. The team work with complainants to gather evidence and raise issues with perpetrators to find ways to resolve the issues quickly and appropriately.

Number of Housing Support cases resolved: 24

We continue to work with our most vulnerable residents, working in partnership with statutory services and the voluntary sector to provide support. Cases do not follow a set pattern as each person's needs is different. The Housing Safeguarding Manager continues to review the cases and escalates where necessary to partners. We have strong partnership links in place, with regular catch ups in place with both Adult Services and the Community Mental Health Team.

Average time to Answer calls into the Contact Centre - 15 mins

To improve our communication with residents, we are in the process of piloting a new approach to call handling. Launched towards the end of January, this forms part of our transformation plan involving us directing and triaging calls much more effectively. 

The aim of this is to ensure we are doing all we can to deliver the best service to our residents. Since the start of the pilot, we have seen significant improvements with an average time to answer calls currently at 3 minutes 57 seconds.

Percentage of Contact Centre calls answered - 62%

Similar to the recent improvements made to answering calls more quickly, the % of calls answered has also significantly improved since the launch of our pilot. 

Our average, the % of calls answered has increased and based on present data, is currently at 86%. This means we are speaking with and able to support a much greater number of residents on a daily basis.

Satisfaction with Contact Centre service (%) - 86%

We are pleased to see the improvement in resident satisfaction and will continue to put measures in place to continue on this trajectory as part of our transformation plan.

Number of new Stage 1 Complaints - 244
Number of new Stage 2 Complaints - 95

We have seen a significant increase in the number of complaints received with the most significant proportion being repairs related. This is a sector wide issue and we are working to address these challenges. Some examples of this include our recently introduced Repairs Service Standard and Repairs Recovery Plan.  

Percentage of complaints responded to 'in time' - 60%

Performance has slightly declined in relation to the % of complaints responded to on time, some of which is attributed to the volume of complaints received. 

The team is working to ensure that compliance is adhered to and aligned with the Housing Ombudsman' Complaint Handling Code. In order to achieve this, we are reviewing our dedicated Complaint Handling model to ensure we are maximising resources and delivering the best services to our residents.

Average number of void properties - 174
Average days to re-let empty homes - 106

Performance continues to improve in relation to the average number of void properties. This is reducing week on week with a current overall figure of 143 empty homes. 

An extensive piece of work is being undertaken focussing on collaborative working to ensure effective empty property management ensuring best outcomes for residents whilst maximising use of housing stock and rental income.

Number of repairs completed - 14,404    

In response to legacy service challenges a WIP recovery plan was launched in Q2.  As a direct result the number of repairs completed has increased from a monthly average of 3,975 in Q2 to 4,801 in Q3.  This representants a positive net completion rate of 492 repairs in Q3 and a reduction in WIP.

% of repairs completed on time - 72%

In response to the recently introduced service improvements as outlined in earlier updates. Performance has evidence improvement with the percentage of repairs completed in time improving from 64% in October to 82.7% in December.

Average days to complete a repair - 22.57

Following the recently introduced service improvements and repairs service standard. Performance has evidence improvement with the average time to complete a repair improving from 24 days in October to 16.1 days in December.

Resident satisfaction with repairs - 61.51%

Following the recently introduced service improvements, repairs service standard and WIP recovery plan. Performance has evidence improvement with transactional resident satisfaction having improving from 72.0% in October to 80.2% in December.

Gas Servicing Compliance (%) - 99.67%

Performance continues to remain strong, with less than 0.33% of stock overdue a gas safety check. New methods of gaining access have been established including the recent introduction of s.54 notices, to ensure the Health and Safety of all Resident's is paramount. We expect to see further improvements to this performance in Q4 as a result. 

Electrical Testing Compliance (%) - 96.62%

Performance in this area remains positive and there has been a significant increase as a result of bringing in additional resources.  This as resulted on performance improving to 96.74% as of December.

Fire Risk Assessment Compliance (%) - 100%

In response to Q2 challenges additional resources were deployed in securing access for inspection works. This has resulted in all FRA inspections being undertaken within compliant timescales. 

Average value of Rent Arrears (£) - £2,918,942

The total value of arrears has increased from Q2 to Q3 as ongoing  Univeral Credit migration and cost of living impacts. We should see some stabilisation of this impact as the UC migration completes over the coming months.  

Income Caseworkers continue to support our residents to equip them to deal with any challenges the move to UC presents and pay their rent.

Money Advice 'Gains' achieved for Residents this quarter - £78,307

The Money Advice team support residents to access financial benefits and support which they may not realise they're entitled to. For Q3 this totalled more than £78K in gains. This financial support continues to help residents to sustain their tenancies and live well.

Community Living Fund grants paid - £48,855

Our Community Living Fund is designed to offer people support when they most need it. Our Money Advisors have awarded more than £48K in support. 

Number of Estate Walkabouts completed - 96

We transitioned into our new operating model in late summer and have faced a number of staffing challenges that we are working hard to overcome.  

One of the key drivers for this new operating model was to increase the presence of Housing Officer on our estates.  As we continue to embed our new model and recruit new officers, customers will see an increased presence of our officers working within our communities

Average time to Answer calls into the Contact Centre - 11 mins

Call answer times remain our top priority, as we understand it is important that residents can get through to us quickly, in the event of an emergency. 

We continue to recruit and train passionate individuals, who are working hard to answer all call on the first attempt. As well as contacting us by telephone, we are open to visitors between 9am-4pm Mon-Weds and every Friday at Whitemoss Road Housing Office. We have a reception service between 9am-4pm at Cheetham Hill housing office on Thursday's and we have a range of online options to contact us directly.

 Percentage of Contact Centre calls answered - 67.13%

Performance in this area continues to improve, as response times reduce. 
We would like to thank our Resident's for being patient with us during busy periods. Wherever possible we will offer you a callback option so that you can carry on with your day, whilst waiting for us to return your call.

Satisfaction with Contact Centre service - 79%

Resident satisfaction levels have dipped this quarter, even though response times and calls answered have improved. We will review any feedback received on these surveys, to understand the causes for dissatisfaction. This learning will feed into our transformation plan.

Number of new Stage 1 Complaints - 212
Number of new Stage 2 Complaints - 82

There is an increasing trend within Complaints, which is not unusual as this is in-line with what is happening across the Housing Sector. We are reassured that our complaint handling service is accessible and used by Resident's in the event they are unhappy. We will continue to use the data and insight from our complaints to improve our services to Resident's. 

Percentage of complaints responded to 'in time' - 64%

Performance in this area is improving, however there is a still a lot of work to do to get to the Housing Ombudsman's target of 100%.
A dedicated complaints and feedback team has been created and additional resources have been assigned to Complaints. This has helped to increase performance YTD and we will continue to monitor this and ensure the figure improves over time.

Average number of void properties - 194
Average days to re-let empty homes - 102

A new model for managing voids has been launched over the summer, meaning the peak we have seen in Q2 is already stablising and reducing.
Service delivery has been completely re-designed and this should start to improve performance going forward. 

Number of repairs completed - 11,924

Around 1000 repairs are completed every week by our Contractor EQUANS. Of these, around 35% are raised as emergency repairs currently. 
We are working hard to reduce this figure, which will help to create more appointment space in the Operative Diaries. This will give the Contact Centre more appointments to choose from, so your repair can be booked in and completed in a timely manner going forward. "

% of repairs completed on time - 65.07%

The high volume of emergency repairs we receive has an adverse impact on other areas of repairs performance. By working to reduce emergencies, we hope to create more capacity for work to be done 'in-time'.

Average days to complete a repair - 25.6

This figure is in line with our new Service Standards for routine repairs, which Resident's have been a part of shaping.

Resident satisfaction with repairs - 73.75%

We analyse the information our Resident's tell us on these surveys and use this to guide our future improvement plans. There has been a slight improvement in satisfaction overall, between Q1 and Q2. 

Gas Servicing Compliance (%) - 99.60%

Performance continues to remain strong, with less than 0.5% of stock overdue a gas safety check. New methods of gaining access have been established, to ensure the Health and Safety of all Resident's is paramount. We expect to see further improvements to this performance in Q3 and Q4 as a result. 

Electrical Testing Compliance (%) - 99.87%

Performance in this area remains positive and there has been a significant increase as a result of bringing in additional resources. 

Fire Risk Assessment Compliance (%) - 99.95%

Performance has dipped slightly in this area, but it is expected this will be resolved by Q3.

Average value of Rent Arrears - £2,758,752

"The total value of arrears has increased in Q2, putting further pressure on the Housing Revenue Budget, which relies on rental income.
Our Income Caseworkers are working closely with all residents in arrears to offer the support needed to enable them to repay their arrears."

Money Advice 'Gains' achieved for Residents this quarter - £71,208

The Money Advice team support a range of Resident's to access financial benefits and allowances which they may not realise they're entitled to. For Q2 this totalled more than £71,000 in gains. This is helping some of our cities most vulnerable people to sustain their tenancies and live well.

Community Living Fund grants paid - £72,300

Our Community Living Fund is designed to offer people support when they most need it. Our Money Advisors have awarded more than £73,000 in support. 

Repairs completed on time - 65%

Our resident-chaired Your Voice Group for ‘Home’ has been reviewing current repairs performance and co-creating a new service standard for us to work to. This will focus on providing a realistic and achievable model, which meets the needs of residents better. This is due to be published in Quarter 2 and this will set out clear information for Residents on what timescales they can expect their repairs to be completed in.

Days to relet empty homes – 99

The number of re-let days has increased in Q1, due to a range of operational factors affecting performance. A new model for managing Voids and Allocations is being developed currently, with an emphasis on reducing the re-let time and quality of our homes.

Contact Centre calls answered - 64%

During Q1 performance has improved again and the service is working hard to get this figure up further. New staff have filled vacant positions, and a robust induction process has been designed to get them ready to handle calls effectively.  

Although wait times and abandon rates continue to be a challenge we are working hard to overcome, the volume of compliments received in Q1 was great. Many customers took the time to compliment the advisor who helped them and overall satisfaction with the Contact Centre operators help was 83% for the year 2023/24.

We want to assure our Residents that we are working very hard to tackle the issues with call wait times and we have implemented a range of process changes this summer, which appear to be making steady improvements to performance.

Complaints responded to in 10 days - 53%

This figure has worsened in Q1 and is well below the average performance figure from the previous year. A variety of factors have contributed to this drop in performance, many of which are being addressed as a priority. 

Staff absence and vacancies created a backlog of complaints which went out of time in March and April 2024, and the aftereffects of this have continued into June & July. A new Complaints Handling team has been created within the Repairs & Maintenance Team, as more than 90% of our Complaints relate to this area. This new team includes a dedicated administrator, a Complaints Surveyor and a dedicated Repairs Services Manager – who now oversee all Stage 1, Stage 2 and Housing Ombudsman complaints. The team are managed by a newly appointed Head of Repairs and Maintenance, who is prioritising ‘learning from complaints’ and ‘improving complaint handling timescales’ within their key objectives.

Income Collection - 109%

This is a positive trend and demonstrates that Residents are being supported to pay their rent on time and in advance before tenancies start. This is a pro-active and preventative model, which is proven to reduce Rent Arrears and combined with robust ‘Money Advice’ services, the team are helping our Residents to sustain their tenancies.    

Residents satisfied with repairs - 71%

Resident satisfaction with repairs has decreased in Quarter 1 and is currently below target. A range of operational issues have been identified and reported to Equans, and these have become the focus of a Strategic Service Delivery review, from which a detailed action plan will be developed. This work is being monitored at a Senior Executive level in MCC, to ensure these issues are rectified and improved long-term for Residents. 

Alongside this there are active Resident Voice groups doing lots of work to review the Repairs Service and many of these group members have been undertaking ‘Scrutiny Training’ in August 2024 to empower them to run a full scrutiny review in future. This is likely to focus on key areas of the Repairs and Maintenance service, as this is the biggest cause for Resident complaints and contacts. The findings from these reviews will always be published in an accessible format and publicised, so that our Residents can hold us to account and see what we are doing to listen to and address their concerns.

Gas Servicing - 99%

Performance continues to remain strong, whilst management continually looks to evolve the service to keep residents safe in their homes 

Electrical Testing - 96%

Following a recent service review additional resources were deployed to increase the rate of electrical safety testing. As a result, service delivery has improved. 

Fire Risk Assessment - 100%

 The current approach to fire safety performs well. Despite this, we will continually look for opportunities to deliver a safer, more efficient service. 

Repairs completed on time - 65%

Performance has dipped in Q3, which is due to the impact of winter pressures and the ability to complete certain jobs during poor weather conditions.  

Work is underway with our repairs contractor, Equans, to recruit additional specialist support. This will help us to respond to the increased gas and central heating failure calls during the winter period and reduce waiting times for residents.   

Days to relet empty homes - 76

The number of re-let days has slightly increased in Q3. This is due to the service dealing with higher than usual numbers of void properties as we launched the Silk Street development. 

The Senior Leadership Team review void performance weekly and continue to identify barriers to re-letting homes, taking pro-active action wherever possible. 

Contact Centre calls answered - 59%

Q3 includes winter and holiday periods which tend to impact call handling rates due to increased call volumes and a surge in demand before the Christmas closedown.  

While we tried to ensure we had enough advisors to meet this demand, sickness and holiday absences presented the team with some challenges during the quarter.  

Complaints responded to in 10 days - 85%

There was a small dip, from Q2. This was partly due to the holiday season and a reduction in normal staffing levels. However, overall performance remained above target.  

Income Collection - 100%

Performance this quarter was very strong, considering the financial pressures residents can face during the Christmas period. The income and money advice team tailored their service to residents they knew to be most in need of support to help them pay their rent. This included maximising the Community Living Fund.  

Residents satisfied with repairs - 78%

Performance dipped by 8% in Q3, which is concerning. This has been flagged up with Equans at the quarterly performance meeting and arrangements have been made to review the resident feedback that has been provided by these customers.  

Key trends, issues and concerns will be addressed and learning from this feedback will take place.  

Gas Servicing - 98%

Performance continues to remain strong, whilst management continually looks to evolve the service to keep residents safe in their homes 

Electrical Testing - 94%

Following a recent service review more resources were deployed to increase the rate of electrical safety testing. As a result, service delivery has improved. 

Fire Risk Assessment - 100%

The current approach to fire safety performs well. Despite this, we continue to look for opportunities to deliver a safer, more efficient service. 

Repairs completed on time 78%

The volume of new repairs and reports of damp and mould continues to increase which creates operational challenges for the service.  In response, management is reviewing the service model and the level of resources needed to deliver an effective service.  

Time to relet empty homes 75 days

Average relet time continues to improve. We are, however, a substantial way from the target of 27 days.

With a more stable surveying function in place, properties can move through the system more quickly. There is a continued focus on meeting the void standard so homes can be let when passed to the lettings team.

The team have focussed on letting the new build apartments at Silk Street. As many of these have been let to current tenants this has increased the amount of voids. The aim is to work through these quickly and relet as soon as possible.

Calls answered by the contact centre 69%

The team continue to work hard to improve call answer rates and reduce waiting times. They have recently recruited a cohort of new advisors and are recruiting again to keep up with resident demand.

Residents have alternative ways of accessing support and the team provides a range of services online, via social media and through webchat. Residents can also drop in to see the team in person in our public offices.

Complaints responded to within 10 days 91%

Although performance is below target, there has been a 12% increase in since Q1. This has been helped by introducing a dedicated feedback officer, and a live dashboard.

This gives the leadership team a continual overview of cases open and overdue. The data is updated daily, to ensure that complaints are answered in time. In addition, all managers across the department have received comprehensive complaints training. 

Income collection 98%

Many residents continue to struggle with cost-of-living increases, which negatively impacts on household budgets.

Our Money Advice Team have been busy supporting tenants and helping them with budgeting, debt and benefits advice. Colleagues in the rent team have been supporting tenants through early intervention in arrears cases, to ensure arrears do not build up.

The team use text messaging to encourage tenants to seek support at the earliest stage, if they are struggling to pay their rent and other bills.   

Resident Satisfaction with Repairs 86%

In response to a range of recently introduced service changes such as the Repairs Hub and Resident Learning, customer satisfaction has continued to improve to its highest level since joining Manchester City Council.

Gas Servicing 99%

Performance continues to remain strong, whilst management continually looks to evolve the service to keep residents safe in their homes.

Electrical testing 90%

Following a recent service review additional resources were deployed to increase the rate of electrical safety testing. This has resulted in a continuing trend of improvement in service delivery.

Fire Risk Assessments 100%

The current approach to fire safety continues to perform well. Despite this management continues to review and look for opportunities to deliver a safer, more efficient service.

Repairs completed on time

A range of factors have affected our performance including an increase in reports of damp and mould.

Our management team are carrying out a full review of our repairs service standards and processes so that we can improve the service.

Days to re-let empty homes

This stands at 78 days and is a significant improvement on the last quarter.

There is a continued monitoring of performance across all teams at weekly meetings and Housing Services will now start carry out surveys of more complex voids

We will now start work on digital let pack to continue to improve information and tenant satisfaction.

Calls answered by Contact Centre

This stands at 71% which is below our target of 80% but it is an improvement on the last quarter.

We have new advisors in training and we have seen a clear improvement week on week as they become more experienced.

We will continue to work on the efficiency of the whole team with increased coaching sessions, advisor development and productivity incentives.

Complaints responded to within 10 days

This stands at 30% and is a reduction in performance.

An improvement plan has been developed and a new management and repairs complaints structure has been launched.

A new Resident Feedback Officer is now also in place to help support our new approach.

Income collection

This stands at 98%

But is not an accurate reflection of collection rates due to issues with our IT not recording all payments.

The challenges continue with more tenants struggling to pay as cost of living increases impact household budgets.

Training is underway to allow the team to contact tenants more quickly should they fall behind as well as run targeted campaigns.

Resident satisfaction with repairs

This stands at 84% which shows a continuing trend of improvement.

Surveys are carried out the day after the repair and details of dissatisfaction are shared with EQUANS to resolve. All reports of dissatisfaction are reviewed, and the information is used to develop future service changes.

Significant changes have been implemented in within the service, we have established a ‘Repairs Hub’ and ‘Resident Learning Team’ to focus on resident feedback and learning.

Repairs completed on time

This stands at 92% which is below our target of 98% but an increase on the previous quarter.

Performance continues to improve and we are focusing on weekly operational group meetings and service reviews.

Resident satisfaction with repairs

This is at 77% which is below the target of 95% but an increase on the last quarter.

Dissatisfaction is now being analysed to identify trends and target areas for service improvement.

Complaints responded to within 10 days

This stands at 43% and is down from the last quarter.

This significant decline in performance is directly related to a significant increase in demand, which was further impacted by absences in key roles, which has since been rectified.

Time to relet empty homes

This stands at 114 days and our target is 27 days. However this is up from the last quarter.

179 homes were let in the quarter compared to 165 in Q2 and 125 in Q1.

Calls answered by contact centre

This stands at 71% which is below our target of 80%, but an improvement on the last quarter.

Performance was directly affected by the increase in call demand at this time due to bad weather and an increase in the number of reports of damp and mould from November 2022 onwards.

Income collection

Rent collection stands at 99% which is up on the last quarter.

Rent collection performance has improved despite challenges during Q3 in relation to residents being unable to pay online and over the phone in the run up to Christmas due to a Civica Pay issue.

Repairs completed on time

This stands at 88% which is down from the target of 98%.

The Customer Service intervention group joined by managers from EQUANS is meeting monthly and is focussing on improving customer contact and communication and increasing getting it right first time.

Resident satisfaction with repairs

This stands at 69% which is below the target of 95%. This is expected to improve next quarter.

Time to relet empty homes

This stands at 123 days, which is down from our target of 27 days.

Weekly reconciliation meetings remain in place with a focus on ensuring that planning can be made to let homes quickly.

Calls answered by contact centre

This stands at 80% which is on target.

Ongoing improvement projects for the CSC include  right 1st time measures to unpick how effectively we are resolving contacts at 1st point of call alongside work on the new 'Hub' that supporting colleagues obtain instant access to data more efficiently.

Complaints responded to within 10 days

This stands at 66% which is down from our target of 80%, this was primarily due to ICT system issues which have now been resolved.

Income collection

This stands at 98% which is down from our target of 100%.

The team are carrying some vacancies which invariably impacts the ability to work through all the cases that need to be addressed and to support residents.

Money Advice referrals have increased significantly from 292 in Q1 to 383 in Q2 and the cost of living is having an impact with many residents really struggling even before major fuel price increases from October 2022 onwards are factored in. These referrals do not include cases where residents contact Money Advisers directly for advice.

Repairs completed on time

Unavailable due to due system issues. Data will be available for Q2 2022/23.

Resident Satisfaction with Repairs

Unavailable due to due system issues. Data will be available for Q2 2022/23.

Time to relet empty homes

This stands at 126 days which is considerably outside our target of 27 days. An action plan is in place to improve performance in this key area

Calls answered by call centre

This stands at 76% which is slightly below our target of 80%.

55,725 calls came to the CSC for this quarter and 43,227 were successfully answered. Call volumes had seen an increase in activity from May up to June because of integration issues with IT both internally and with our contractor Equans. 

Complaints responded to within 10 days

This stands at 83% and is above the target, there is no change since the last quarter.

Following a review of complaints there has been a rollout of new processes and training which has contributed to the improved performance.

Income Collection

This stands at 99% and is on target, no change since the last quarter.

We have moved to the new DWP payment system which makes it easier to see week on week where collection stands.

It is worth noting more requests for financial support with rent arrears because of the cost-of-living crisis are being received.