The Covid 19 pandemic has impacted on the housing sector just like every other industry. The majority of housing staff are currently working remotely and on the whole, home visits are limited to emergency repairs and supporting the most vulnerable clients
At the moment planned maintenance and routine estate management is on hold but will not remain that way indefinitely. In the coming months, under the new normal and with social distancing, it will return. The lockdown period though is a perfect time opportunity for staff to familiarise themselves with the knowledge required to deliver those essential frontline services.
It is essential that the housing sector adapts and finds ways of continuing to deliver routine services despite the challenges imposed by social distancing. Properties will still develop wear and tear during the Covid 19 outbreak. If landlords do not have plans to carry out routine maintenance when restrictions on movement are relaxed, then they face a raft of disrepair claims in years to come.
As our Managing Director Sarah Bentley explains in this video, at Upkeep Training we have been busy developing practical online solutions to help you deliver those services.
During May we will be running online sessions for two of our most popular courses -Basic Building Construction and Plumbing Wastes and Drains.
As the situation becomes clearer in coming weeks, we will also move more of our popular courses online if, as expected, non essential travel remains discouraged. These include Condensation, Damp & Decay and Inspecting a Property.
The enforced Covid 19 lockdown has demonstrated that far more can be achieved with remote working than may previously have been thought possible. While repairs obviously have to be carried out on site, the diagnosis of them can still be done remotely, providing the person doing so has the right training. Upkeep’s online training courses provide staff with the skills to diagnose defects and allocate the right operatives and equipment. This in return ensures minimal interaction and travel, helping achieve the government’s aim of reducing the spread of the virus.
As well as the one off training sessions, we will continue to deliver courses that lead to professional qualifications, including the Housing Health & Safety Rating System. This is a risk based assessment evaluation tool that social landlords are expected to adhere to when carrying out inspections in their properties. The ABBE Certificate in HHRS is a professional qualification awarded by the Awarding Body of the Built Environment demonstrating that the holder is competent in carrying out assessment of housing stock.
In addition to our usual training, courses and qualifications, we will be delivering bitesize sessions on developments in the housing sector. To receive further information on what we are providing, follow progress on our online courses page.
Stay safe and we look forward to seeing you soon.