Here's an idea

our best-value review suggested we introduce innovative schemes to support our maintenance service, so we came up with the idea of teaching tenants basic skills such as plumbing, gardening, basic electrical work and DIY.

Some of the courses cover tasks we wouldn’t usually do, such as decorating or gardening, but others cross over with what we are obliged to do.

The idea is that tenants may be able to resolve some problems rather than calling us straight away. For example, they learn how to check the fuse box if the electricity goes off and, if it’s tripped, to flick it back.

We knew B&Q did in-store demonstrations of DIY skills so we asked it how we could turn this into a course.

The retailer provides qualified tradespeople to teach the courses, which last a couple of hours each, once a month. The sessions are held in stores and B&Q funds the scheme.

It’s very practical: for the electrical workshop, there’s a board with plugs and lights. The expert demonstrates a task such as how to change a single plug socket to a double, then everyone has a go and the expert checks their work. The plumbing workshop teaches skills such as how to bleed a radiator without burning yourself.

The courses are advertised in our offices, in local papers and on our website. People can sign up with their housing officer.

We provide free transport by minibus or taxi to the store and we pay childcare costs for tenants while they’re doing the course.

We give out certificates of attendance and a leaflet of points to remember. It’s gone down well with tenants – we’ve had 10-20 people attending each course since they began in May. The uptake is growing because people tell their neighbours about it.

We are talking to B&Q about doing more courses in future and we want to design specific courses for vulnerable tenants such as young mums or people with drug or alcohol problems.