The service, which closely targets those less able to manage their own domestic repairs, has been trialled in six sheltered housing developments in the city and has resulted in shorter waiting times for residents needing the help of a handyman to undertake non-landlord repairs, and increased efficiencies through reduced administration costs.

The new system is now being rolled out after research showed the biggest demands on Castle Rock Edinvar’s Home Repairs Team was coming from sheltered housing managers and their customers.

Chris Thomson, head of property, said: “We discovered that there was room for improvement in communication between our repairs team and our older amenity customers who had particular needs from our service. Our response was to introduce routine visits to these properties and Dougie Davis has become the face of the new service, building relationships with the managers and scheduling the maintenance visits.

“It means that residents can simply register their request for minor repairs to be carried out when Dougie is on site during his routine visit with the sheltered housing manager, which has reduced pressure on our call centre, reduced waiting times for tenants and improved the rate of first time fixes.”

A joiner to trade, Dougie has now buddied up with an electrician and a plumber to add to his own skills, and his ‘can-do’ attitude and ability to engage with older customers has earned him recognition in the form of a nomination for a staff Star Award for going the extra mile.