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Service Update April 2022

The Government recently announced that Covid restrictions in England are now changing to ‘Living with Covid’. Thank you for your continued understanding during the challenging times we have all faced over the past two years.

What does this mean for Weaver Vale Housing Trust and our customers?

We are still experiencing absences due to Covid but are trying to minimise the impact of this on our services in line with the new government guidance and updates to our risk assessments.
Due to the pandemic, we are seeing daily challenges that affect our workforce and customers. When our trades staff isolate, they cannot work. This can mean cancelling over 40 jobs they may have booked in for that week. This is influencing completion times for repairs which are taking longer to complete than normal, this is especially affecting larger works, where our colleagues need to be in properties for a number of days.
When a colleague tells us they are isolating & cannot work, our customer hub staff will call immediately to rearrange the appointment. They will look at the appointment diary for the next available date, but we are booking appointments further in advance than we would like to.
We continue to book emergency repairs via 0300 303 9848, this service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Our customer hub team and out of hours call service are both experiencing high call demand and you may need to wait on hold for a short time, there is a free call back service available should this occur.
We encourage you to book standard repairs via our My Account app. The app is available all week including weekends and uses the same booking system as our phone lines, so appointments over the phone will not be any sooner than those booked via the app. Click here to register for free.
We continue to experience some delays with materials. We are working hard to source alternative high-quality materials, this may affect some appointment timescales.
Our customer hub colleagues are working between their homes and our Head Office. We'd ask you to bear with our colleagues as they may have children at home isolating, but we are answering your calls and here to help.

Due to the easing of the restrictions, we have reviewed our own risk assessments. What does this mean for customers?

All of our services are still operating. Face to face services will still take into account appropriate Health and Safety precautions where necessary.
Our colleagues continue to work in multiple locations including our Head Office.
Our Head Office reception remains open for visitors and customers.

We would ask that customers continue to;

Notify us if anyone in the household has tested positive for Covid where you have an appointment for us to visit your home.
Keep a social distance when our colleagues are in your homes if possible.
Ventilate your home when our colleagues are in your homes if possible.

Our colleagues, who have appointments in customer homes, will continue to;

Wear appropriate PPE for the work being undertaken including the wearing of masks if you as the customer request it.
Wipe down any surfaces before we start work, don’t be offended this is a H&S measure only.
Wipe down surfaces after we finish the work & bag up and take those wipes with us.

Thank you for your ongoing cooperation, we know that Covid and the associated impacts have caused some frustration but our number one priority has always been is colleague and customer safety.

Contacting Us

You can report new routine repairs via our app, click here to download or by calling us on 0300 303 9848. Emergency repairs (including any necessary compliance checks / H&S related work or inspections) call 0300 303 9848.

Our Head Office Our Head Office at Gadbrook Park is open including our in-person reception service, which is open 9am-4pm Monday to Friday. All of our services remain available remotely.

Our support teams continue to work a mixture of home and office working. Please visit the service pages on this site for more information.

Emergency Repairs Information

You can report Emergency repairs 24/7 by calling 0300 303 9848. Our emergency repairs call centre is experiencing high call demand, you may have to wait on hold. If you are unable to wait on hold you can select a call-back or email emergencyrepairs@orbisprotect.com

You can report non-emergency repairs and manage your rent account 24/7 by registering for our FREE My Account App, click here to register.

An Emergency Repar is any repair that is required in order to sustain the immediate health, safety or security of the customer at risk or affects the structure of the property.

Here you will find a guide to what is an emergency repair.

A suspected gas escape or carbon monoxide leak; IMPORTANT Please leave the house and call the National Gas Emergency number immediately on 0800 111 999, please then call us on 0300 303 9848
Loss of entire supply of electricity, and/or water and/or gas in your home
If there is a total loss of power, water or gas, please check with your neighbours to see if other properties are affected before contacting us. If more than one property is affected please check your gas or electricity suppliers website. If just your property is affected call us on 0300 303 9848
Loss of the entire heating provision in your home.
- If you have alternative heating such as an electric, gas or solid fuel fire then this will not be classed as an emergency unless there are vulnerability issues to consider, our Customer 1st Hub colleagues will discuss this during your call
Loss of hot water facilities in your home. Where your health condition requires regular bathing and where there is no electric shower please call us on 0300 303 9848
Serious plumbing leaks where the property structure is in danger of damage (If the leak is containable this is may not be considered to be an emergency)
Serious structural failures in your home. If you feel your home is unsafe, please leave and call us. If you feel there is imminent danger to life call 999.
Your home is not secure / broken glazing to windows. If the external window pane only is cracked this would not be considered an emergency. The emergency repair will be to board up the window only to 1^st floor.
Toilet is blocked and its the only one in the house.
- If you have one toilet and that is blocked please call us on 0300 303 9848
- If you have more than one working toilet this is not an emergency repair. If the blockage is affecting more than one property, please contact United Utilities on https://www.unitedutilities.com/emergencies/
Main drain is blocked. If the blockage is affecting more than one property please contact United Utilities on https://www.unitedutilities.com/emergencies/
Communal door entry system is broken (where access is being restricted/left insecure)
Service lifts (including stair lifts) are not working
Locked out of your home.
- Please be aware that this will be a rechargeable cost to you (approx £120.00). Are you able to gain access through another door or has a neighbour or family member got a key to your property? If your tenancy is in joint names, permission to carry out the repair will be required from both of you. If you require a lock to be changed for any other reason, please contact us.
Mains smoke alarm and/or carbon monoxide (CO) alarm is faulty

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