Partnership and dedicated materials store enables increased repair and maintenance efficiencies and cost savings for the housing association. Managed Services, part of Travis Perkins plc, which provides maintenance materials and supply chain planning for public sector organisations, plans on improving cost and efficiency for Wolverhampton Homes after signing a new five year partnership with the housing organisation. Under the five-year plus agreement, worth an estimated £3.5 million per annum, Managed Services are fully responsible for Wolverhampton Homes’ repair and maintenance supply chain and will create cost savings and improve efficiency for the housing organisation, which manages 23,000 homes on behalf of the City of Wolverhampton Council. Managed Services is able to reduce costs and increase efficiency by providing the right range of products at a better value, whilst also providing easy access to materials – freeing up Wolverhampton Homes’ repair and maintenance employees and contractors to work more efficiently on the 70,000 responsive repairs carried out each year. A dedicated Managed Services store has been opened on Colliery Road near the city centre, replacing the previous store in Planetary Road, offering safer access, more parking and better security. The new site is also much more spacious, allowing non-perishable materials such as bricks, blocks and paving to be stored in the yard, which makes loading onto vans safer and easier as well as providing more space internally to store Core and Hire Items in sufficient quantities. Managed Services are committed to making a difference in the local community and have already undertaken a number of projects, including supplying £4,000 worth of materials for a sensory garden in Swanmore Close, Bradmore. A disused site was developed into a sensory garden for the community and now features a figure of eight pathway, summerhouse, large flowerbeds and a vegetable patch. The garden focuses on providing elements to stimulate senses and will offer calm, therapeutic surroundings where visitors can just sit and enjoy their surroundings, or take a more active part by tending the vegetable patch. A number of local people have been given employment opportunities and work experience by Managed Services, including Assistant Branch Managed Jeremy Wise who worked in the warehouse before taking on a Travis Perkins plc Advanced Management Apprenticeship. Upon completing his apprenticeship, he secured the Assistant Branch Manager position at the Wolverhampton Homes store. He says: “I have held this position for 2 years and have gained so much valuable experience, knowledge, but most of all confidence.” Shaun Aldis, Director of Property Services at Wolverhampton Homes, commented on the partnership: “This partnership is the start of a much improved way of delivering parts for our repairs teams. It will be more cost effective as well as more efficient and that’s vital for our services to tenants. An added bonus is that some of the staff have been employed through our LEAP training scheme, which means it’s our tenants who have these jobs.” Stuart Hough, Managing Director of Managed Services said: “We are very proud of this partnership with Wolverhampton Homes and we are now hard at work, striving to support the housing organisation in achieving higher first time fix rates and increasing customer service and tenant satisfaction. We are also committed to investing in the local community and have funded a number of projects in Wolverhampton and taken on new members of staff from the local area. Our new employees are now set to benefit from all the training and opportunities that Managed Services and Travis Perkins plc offer. ”