Redbridge adopts user-centred online housing repairs service

Residents of the London Borough of Redbridge are benefiting from a new digital repairs service which allows them to report their housing repair needs to the council in a quick and efficient way via self-service.

The new software, now live at the council, has been created by Made Tech, a leading provider of digital, data and technology services to the UK public sector.

The housing repairs software as a service (SaaS) provides Redbridge’s 5,500 council tenants with a convenient way of logging their repairs 24/7, meaning tenants are no longer restricted to traditional call hours or email threads to report issues.  

The user-centred service is easy to use and avoids complex language and unnecessary logins. Tenants simply go online to log their housing issue and provide their contact details. Confirmation is then immediate via text or email, providing huge benefits to both tenants and council staff.  

Tom Harrison, Programme Director at London Borough of Redbridge, said: ‘We’re committed to providing a user-friendly, reliable service to the citizens of Redbridge. We needed an online housing repairs service that would work smarter for our citizens and fit around their everyday lives. With Made Tech’s help, we’ve now got exactly that. We’ve already had positive feedback from our tenants who like the design, and agree the step-by-step process is really easy to use.’ 

Glen Ocskó, Head of Local Government at Made Tech, said: ‘Forward thinking local authorities like Redbridge are helping to reinvent how housing repairs are delivered to citizens, with data at its centre to help make better-informed, proactive decisions. 

‘We’ve built an innovative and affordable new product for Redbridge, based on GOV.UK standards, making it more efficient for people to report their housing repair needs. We previously conducted research with community groups, to make the product accessible and easy to use as possible.’   

In the future, the council will be working with Made Tech to analyse the housing repairs data from the new platform to continue to improve its housing service even further. It will also be extending its plans to provide user centric design for other services within the council.

See also ‘Opinion: Housing repairs – why technology is only part of the answer’ by Glen Ocskó. 

Photograph by Karl Solano