But it’s never been more important to shine a light on asset management – for the sake of our customers who are living through such uncertain times.

Our teams are working with increasing challenges that affect the delivery of our improvement programmes. Despite these pressures, they are churning out new kitchens and bathrooms, roofing schemes and window and door replacement programmes, alongside cyclical maintenance like painting.

We know that access has always been a challenge, but this seems to be a growing problem, including more complex cases that require us to decant homes. More worryingly, hoarding has become a serious obstacle and certainly more prevalent throughout the pandemic. Often multi-team and external agencies need to work together simply to gain access to these homes.

Horizons are constantly shifting, with uncertainty at every turn. The risks connected with supply of stock and labour alongside rising inflation are just a few examples. But caring for and improving our homes is proving to be the very thing that we’ve got to get right – on so many levels.

To add to this, we must maintain our asset base. The sector has to deal with legacy issues with its stock and needs to keep up with an increasing focus on energy efficiency and EPC scores as well as the added requirement to adhere to building safety principles.

How can we be more coordinated to address these issues all at the same time, for example insulating and simultaneously replacing roofs?

Good data and customer engagement are the key; listen to your customers, including your leaseholders and be organised with your programmes. But it’s not just about what the computer says, it’s about quality not quantity.

Another priority is innovation and systems; we all need to aim towards one version of the truth, to get away from the failings of spreadsheets and to get on track to produce good digital records of all our stock. I believe that BIM (Building Information Management) is the future!

But we need our systems to be slick to make this achievable. Groups like BIM4Housing work hard to collaboratively mainstream the mechanics. The other technology we need to be investing in is the internet of things; to more accurately predict data from mechanical and electrical components. Having the information will allow us to respond and address issues more speedily.

Ultimately, it’s about establishing and understanding the systems and data so we are able to respond and communicate faster and more accurately. In doing so, we will be able to provide clarity for our customers in these uncertain times and into the future.

Emma Richman, Director of Operations, Peaks & Plains Housing Trust will be chairing on on the session ‘Estate regeneration: asset management role and responsibilities’ on day two of Asset Management and Maintenance Conference on 12-13 October 2022 with Sasha Deepwell, Chief Executive, Irwell Valley and Jackie Rigby, Head of Affordable Housing Strategy and Supporting Homes England Place Co-ordination, Homes England.