Peabody Takes a Fresh Approach to Getting Repairs Right
Peabody is investing in a new team of repairs inspectors, including ten apprentices, to improve the quality of repairs and make sure residents are no longer left chasing work that should already have been completed.
For residents across the social housing sector, few things are more frustrating than reporting a repair, waiting for a contractor to attend, and then discovering that the problem has not actually been fixed. What should have been a straightforward repair can become weeks or months of repeated visits, telephone calls and complaints.
Now, one of Britain's oldest housing associations is taking a different approach, and it is doing so by investing in both its residents and a new generation of housing professionals.
Peabody has established a dedicated team of 20 repairs inspectors, including ten apprentices, who will visit properties after repairs have been completed to check the standard of work, speak with residents and identify anything that still needs attention.
Ten experienced inspectors are already visiting homes, while the apprentices continue their training before conducting inspections independently.
The ambition is to inspect approximately 25,000 repairs every year, representing around 10% of Peabody's estimated 250,000 annual responsive repairs.
It is an initiative that deserves recognition, particularly because the problems it seeks to address are neither hypothetical nor unfamiliar to Peabody's residents.
Learning from the past
Peabody's own performance figures illustrate the challenge.
During 2024–25, the housing association reported that 57.5% of responsive repairs were completed on the first visit. Although an improvement from 51.4% the previous year, the result remained below its 70% annual target.
Previous Housing Ombudsman decisions have also highlighted the consequences when repairs are not properly managed, completed or checked.
In April 2024, the Ombudsman found maladministration following a complaint about a newly installed bathroom sink that repeatedly leaked. The underlying problem involved inadequate support for the installation, and the resident experienced months of disruption before it was resolved.
More recently, the Ombudsman's May 2026 report on severe maladministration highlighted a Peabody window repair case in which work had repeatedly been recorded as complete when it had not been carried out. The resident had been left chasing repairs while raising concerns about safety and ventilation.
These were serious failings, but they also demonstrate why effective inspections and better oversight of contractors are important.
In April 2026, the Regulator of Social Housing awarded Peabody a C2 consumer grade, identifying weaknesses in its repairs service while also recognising substantial changes and early signs of improvement.
The new inspection programme offers another opportunity to build on that progress.
Importantly, the inspectors will be able to identify unsatisfactory work and ensure corrective action is taken, rather than leaving residents to make another complaint or begin the process again.
Peabody says early feedback has been encouraging, with residents welcoming the opportunity to discuss repairs directly with someone who can examine the work.
The longer-term test will be whether the programme reduces repeat visits, improves repair quality and helps restore residents' confidence.
Investing in the next generation
There is another reason why this initiative deserves attention.
Alongside improving repairs, Peabody is creating opportunities for people who might never previously have considered a career in social housing.
Its ten new apprentice inspectors range in age from 18 to their late 40s, bringing experience from hospitality, retail, construction and sales.
Rather than restricting recruitment to candidates with existing technical qualifications, Peabody has placed considerable importance on communication, listening and the ability to build positive relationships with residents.
Technical knowledge will be developed through training, mentoring and working alongside experienced inspectors, surveyors and contractors.
The apprentices will complete a 15-month Level 3 Customer Service apprenticeship alongside role-specific technical training, with opportunities to progress into repairs, surveying and other housing careers.
Eighteen-year-old Jaida-Lou, the youngest member of the group, joined Peabody after leaving college.
For her, the apprenticeship offers the chance to continue learning while establishing a career. Speaking about the opportunity, she said she was excited to discover where it might take her.
Her enthusiasm reflects something the housing sector should be encouraging: bringing new people, fresh perspectives and different professional experiences into an industry responsible for people's homes and wellbeing.
And these opportunities should not be limited to young school leavers. The inclusion of apprentices in their 30s and 40s demonstrates that housing can offer a meaningful second career to people with transferable skills and valuable life experience.
More than an apprenticeship programme
The new inspectors form part of a much wider investment in learning and development.
Peabody announced in October that 222 colleagues were undertaking apprenticeships, equivalent to 5.24% of its workforce.
That takes the organisation beyond the 5% ambition associated with its membership of The 5% Club, which promotes opportunities for people to earn while developing professional skills.
Amy Keeble, Peabody's Director of Repairs, has explained that the team was created in response to residents identifying a gap in how completed repairs were checked.
She has also acknowledged the skills shortage facing housing and repairs services, describing the importance of developing talent from within the organisation.
That combination of resident feedback and workforce development is particularly encouraging.
Housing associations need technically capable professionals, but good housing services depend on much more than technical knowledge. Listening, communicating effectively, understanding residents' circumstances and taking responsibility when something goes wrong are equally important.
A repairs inspector who can identify defective workmanship is valuable. An inspector who can also understand the impact on the resident living with that defect is potentially even more valuable.
Recognising improvement where it happens
Housing Sector regularly reports on service failures, regulatory judgements and Housing Ombudsman decisions because accountability matters. But accountability also means recognising organisations that acknowledge problems and take practical steps to address them.
Peabody has a documented history of repairs shortcomings, and the new inspection team will not resolve every problem overnight. Nor should the recruitment of apprentices be mistaken for proof that residents are already receiving a better service.
Nevertheless, establishing independent checks on completed repairs and investing in people who can deliver those checks are constructive decisions.
The programme's success should ultimately be measured by fewer repeat repairs, fewer unresolved complaints and residents having greater confidence that work has genuinely been completed.
For the apprentices, success will also mean developing the skills, confidence and experience to build long-term careers in housing.
At a time when the sector faces considerable challenges, Peabody's approach offers an encouraging example of how improving services and developing people can work together.
Getting repairs right matters. Giving a new generation of housing professionals the opportunity to help make that happen deserves recognition too.
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