National Customer Service Week is a fantastic opportunity to recognise the importance of delivering excellent service, not only to our external customers but also to the colleagues and partners we work alongside every day.

At PHS Solutions, customer experience is at the heart of everything we do. Whether we are supporting residents through housing refurbishments, heating upgrades and replacements, energy efficiency improvements, working closely with clients and stakeholders, or collaborating across teams, we understand that great service is built on trust, communication, and a commitment to doing the right thing.

This week, we have taken the opportunity to reflect on the positive impact our teams make every day and to celebrate the dedication, professionalism, and care demonstrated across the business. National Customer Service Week reminds us that every interaction matters and that, by putting customers first, we can create lasting positive outcomes for the communities we serve.

A huge thank you to all our colleagues who go above and beyond to support our customers and each other. Together, we continue to build a culture in which exceptional customer service is valued, recognised, and celebrated.

We’re delighted to announce that PHS is now an official Supporter of the County Durham Pound, having signed the Supporters’ Charter and joined a growing network of organisations committed to creating positive and lasting impact across the county.

The County Durham Pound brings together organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors to maximise the value of every pound spent locally – helping to create employment and skills opportunities, improve health and wellbeing, strengthen communities and support the VCSE sector.

To mark the start of our involvement, our Social Value Manager, Joanne Oakes, attended the County Durham Pound Annual Conference – Stronger Together: Connected for Impact at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Durham on Thursday 1 October.

The conference provided a fantastic opportunity to hear from organisations working across the county, share ideas and explore how greater collaboration can help us collectively deliver even more meaningful social value.

Discussions focused on three important areas: increasing employment support, improving health and wellbeing, and strengthening the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector.

These priorities closely align with our own approach to social value. Through our work across County Durham, we are committed to creating opportunities for local people, supporting schools and employability initiatives, investing in community organisations, volunteering our time and skills, and strengthening local supply chains.

Becoming a County Durham Pound Supporter gives us another opportunity to collaborate, learn, share good practice and build relationships with organisations that share our ambition to make a genuine difference.

We’re looking forward to playing our part and working alongside fellow Supporters to help create stronger communities, greater opportunities and lasting impact across County Durham.

If you would like to find out more, please contact Joanne at joanne.oakes@0800repair.com

We are proud to announce that PHS Home Solutions, including 0800 Repair and Oakes Energy Services, has achieved White Ribbon Accreditation, demonstrating our commitment to helping prevent violence against women and girls and creating positive cultural change.

White Ribbon is the UK’s leading charity engaging men and boys to prevent gender-based violence by addressing its root causes. Accreditation provides organisations with a structured approach to raising awareness, challenging harmful attitudes and behaviours, and promoting a culture of equality and respect.

Achieving accreditation marks the beginning of a longer-term commitment for PHS. We have established a White Ribbon Steering Group, chaired by our Energy Services Director, Erik Coates, and are developing a three-year action plan that will embed the principles of White Ribbon across our organisation.

Our work will focus on areas including strategic leadership, engaging men and boys, raising awareness and supporting positive cultural change. We will also be encouraging colleagues across the business to become White Ribbon Ambassadors and Champions, helping to ensure the campaign’s messages are understood and shared throughout our workforce.

As an organisation that works in thousands of homes and communities, we recognise that we have an important role to play in promoting respect, equality and safety – both within our own workplace and in the communities we serve.

We will be marking White Ribbon Day on 25 November and using the occasion to further raise awareness among our colleagues and stakeholders.

Achieving accreditation is an important milestone, but it is only the start. We look forward to working with our employees, clients, partners and communities over the next three years to turn our commitment into meaningful and lasting action.

Welcome to October. With Christmas now just around the corner, some of us may already be thinking ahead to the additional pressure and expense that the festive season can bring. On top of this, household energy prices are set to rise in January, hitting millions of households at the coldest time of year and potentially leaving many of us even more out of pocket.

This comes at a time when many people are already struggling to make ends meet. When money is tight, it can be tempting to accept a loan from someone offering quick cash with few questions asked. However, what may seem like a simple solution can quickly become a much bigger problem.

What is a loan shark?
 
A loan shark is an illegal money lender who is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Unlike legitimate lenders, loan sharks operate outside the law and often target people who are struggling financially.
 
They may appear friendly and helpful at first – perhaps a neighbour, someone known through friends or family, or even a familiar face in the community. They often promise quick cash with no credit checks or paperwork, making their offer seem like an easy option when money is tight.
 
Unfortunately, this is where the problems often begin.
 
The dangers of borrowing from a loan shark

Loan sharks frequently charge excessive interest and add unexpected fees, making it almost impossible for borrowers to clear their debt. In many cases, repayments can spiral far beyond the amount originally borrowed.
 
Some illegal lenders also use intimidation, threats or harassment to force people to repay them. They may take personal belongings such as bank cards, passports or valuables as security, leaving borrowers feeling trapped and frightened.
 
If you have borrowed from a loan shark, it’s important to remember that you are not the one breaking the law. The criminal is the person lending the money illegally.
 
Could you be dealing with a loan shark?

You may have borrowed from a loan shark if you can answer yes to any of the following:
 
– You were offered cash quickly with little or no paperwork.
– There was no written loan agreement.
– You’re not sure how much you owe or when the loan will end.
– The amount you’re expected to repay keeps increasing.
– Your bank card, passport, phone or other valuables have been taken as security.
– You have been threatened, pressured or made to feel frightened about repayments.
– You feel worried about telling anyone about the loan.

Help is available
 
No one should have to face a loan shark alone. The Government-funded Stop Loan Sharks team investigates and prosecutes illegal money lenders across England while providing free, confidential support to anyone affected.
 
Whether you’ve borrowed money yourself or you’re concerned about a friend, neighbour or family member, support is available without judgement.
 
You can contact Stop Loan Sharks:
 
– 24-hour confidential helpline: 0300 555 2222
– WhatsApp (9am–8pm, Monday to Friday): 07700 102773
– Visit www.stoploansharks.co.uk for advice, live chat and more ways to get in touch.

If you’re worried about money

If you’re struggling with the rising cost of living, please remember there may be safer options available. Speak to an 0800 Repair or PHS colleague as soon as possible as we may be able to help or signpost you to free, independent debt and money advice before your situation becomes more difficult.
 
Reaching out for help could make all the difference. Whatever your circumstances, you don’t have to face financial worries on your own.

Hundreds of homes across Sunderland are benefitting from major improvement works through Gentoo’s multi million pound Gentogether investment programme.

The ‘Gentogether’ partnership is an ambitious £170 million, 10 year programme that will modernise homes across Sunderland, including new bathrooms, kitchens and full electrical rewires.

Within this city wide programme, PHS continues to play a leading role in delivering high quality improvements for customers. As one of Gentoo’s key delivery partners, PHS has played a central role in the programme’s success, consistently delivering high quality improvements and achieving 100% KPI performance across customer satisfaction, health and safety, programme delivery and quality of works.

Now in the second year of the delivery programme, the key highlights PHS has delivered in Year 2, include:

• Kitchen replacements – 39
• Bathroom renewals – 68, including level access showers and shower cubicles
• Full electrical rewires – 40
• Completed property handovers – 89 homes, currently four ahead of programme

Gentoo has recognised PHS as performing really well and as a key partner on the framework, consistently achieving 100% KPI scores over the last six months.

Andrew Whelan, Asset Surveyor at Gentoo Group, said: “PHS have been a key delivery partner within our internal investment programme, successfully completing a wide range of improvement works, including full electrical rewires, kitchen installations, and bathroom renewals. These improvements play a vital role in bringing our customers’ homes up to a high standard and ensuring they remain safe, modern and comfortable for customers.

“A core strength of this partnership is the shared commitment to putting customers first. PHS consistently demonstrate a customer-focused approach, ensuring works are carried out with care, respect, and clear communication. This is reflected in the excellent feedback received from customers, who regularly praise the professionalism of the teams, the quality of workmanship, and the positive experience throughout the process.

“The PHS team are also leading the way with innovation in the delivery of internal investment works. Their proactive approach to improving processes, adopting new methods, and identifying smarter ways of working has helped drive efficiency, enhance quality, and set a benchmark for best practice across the programme.”

Michael Pallister, Operations Director at PHS Home Solutions, trading as 0800 Repair, said: “As a key partner in the Gentogether programme, our team is delivering high quality improvements that make a real difference to customers’ homes. I’m incredibly proud of our performance and how closely it aligns with Gentoo’s vision for the programme. Achieving 100% customer satisfaction is a testament to the dedication and professionalism of our colleagues working in customers’ homes every day.”

A Gentoo customer living at James Armitage Street, who has recently received improvements to her home, said: “10/10. I’m over the moon and can’t wait to get everything sorted due to amount of storage I have. I’m excited to get it all together and start putting stuff away and displaying it in my home. I’m really happy with how modern my home looks.”

As part of its ongoing commitment to the Gentogether programme, PHS recently opened a new operational base in Southwick to support colleagues and partners. The office includes a large warehouse, dedicated workspace for site teams, meeting rooms, office facilities and a welcoming area where Gentoo’s residents can meet with colleagues.

Cooking equipment, life‑changing assistive technology and arts and craft materials were just some of the items donated by PHS Home Solutions during a recent visit to three Cambridge community organisations.

The donations were delivered to organisations that were identified through the Match my Project, with Cambridge City Council. As a key partner on Cambridge City Council’s framework to deliver repairs, maintenance and decarbonisation services, the organisation is proud to support local community projects and initiatives as part of its wider social value commitments.

Jason Oakes, Partnerships Director and Joanne Oakes, Social Value Manager visited each project earlier this month to hand over the donations. The three beneficiary organisations are:

Supporting The Arbury Social Community Café

The team’s first stop was The Arbury Social Community Café, a welcoming community space providing food and support to local residents. PHS delivered two 44L cooking pots, stainless steel frying pans, a serrated pastry knife and a royal catering hand blender — equipment that will help the café continue preparing meals and bringing people together.

Life‑changing technology for CamSight

The second visit was to CamSight, a charity supporting people living with sight loss across Cambridgeshire. Through Match My Project, PHS Home Solutions funded a new Meta Glasses loan kit, consisting of a pair of Meta Glasses and an iPhone 15 Pro, worth £718.

Using voice commands, Meta Glasses can read text, identify objects, describe surroundings and answer questions in real time — technology that one CamSight service user described simply as “life changing.”

CamSight already operates a successful loan scheme through its home visit service, allowing people to try the technology in their own homes before deciding whether it is right for them. With demand for the existing kits continuing to grow, the new donation will help reduce waiting times and give more people the chance to experience the benefits first‑hand.

Ella Bearpark, Corporate, Community and Events Fundraiser at CamSight, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to PHS Home Solutions for making this new loan kit possible. Demand for our Meta Glasses scheme continues to grow, and this support will help more people with sight loss experience the benefits of this technology first hand.”

Creative resources for Cambridge Acorn Project

The final visit was to the Cambridge Acorn Project in Histon, where PHS delivered a selection of art and craft supplies to support the organisation’s therapeutic services. The charity provides holistic support to children, young people and families, and the materials will be used as part of its creative therapeutic work.

Joanne Oakes, Social Value Manager at PHS, said: “The day showcased how Match My Project enables PHS to connect directly with community organisations and respond to practical, meaningful requests for support. Rather than taking a one‑size‑fits‑all approach, each donation met a very different need – from equipment that brings people together over food, to therapeutic resources for families, and innovative technology that promotes independence for people living with sight loss.

“PHS Home Solutions extends a huge thank you to The Arbury Social Community Café, CamSight and the Cambridge Acorn Project for welcoming the team and for the vital work they continue to deliver in their communities.”

PHS Home Solutions Ltd, through our customer-facing brand 0800 Repair, is pleased to announce the recent award of our Safe Isolation Procedure Provider (SIP) certification, further strengthening our capability to deliver safe, compliant and fully coordinated property improvement programmes.

The certification enables our trained and authorised teams to safely isolate and reinstate electrical supplies to properties where required, providing greater control over works and helping reduce reliance on third parties when delivering complex programmes.

This is particularly important as the housing sector moves increasingly towards whole-property improvement and decarbonisation programmes, where multiple measures may need to be coordinated within the same home.

Our SIP capability will support the delivery of renewable and energy-efficiency measures including solar PV, battery storage and heat pumps, alongside wider capital works such as kitchen and bathroom replacements, electrical upgrades and planned property improvements.

For our clients, bringing this capability within our overall delivery model can help to:

This latest certification complements the wider capabilities of PHS Home Solutions, 0800 Repair and Oakes Energy Services, allowing us to provide clients with an increasingly comprehensive solution covering surveying, design, resident liaison, installation, electrical and renewable technologies, capital works and project management.

Jason Oakes, Partnership Director at PHS Home Solutions, commented: “Achieving our SIP certification is another important step forward for the business and strengthens our ability to provide clients with a genuinely joined-up delivery solution.

As programmes become more complex, particularly across social housing, clients increasingly need contractors that can manage multiple workstreams rather than delivering individual measures in isolation.

Whether we’re installing solar PV, battery storage and heat pumps or delivering wider capital improvements such as kitchens, bathrooms and electrical works, having the capability to manage safe electrical isolation as part of our own delivery process gives us greater control over the programme.

Ultimately, it’s about making delivery simpler for our clients, reducing delays and disruption for residents, and continuing to build our capability as a one-stop delivery partner for whole-property improvement and decarbonisation programmes.”

As investment in social housing, decarbonisation and the improvement of existing homes continues to grow, we believe the ability to coordinate both energy improvements and traditional capital works will become increasingly important.

The addition of SIP certification represents another important step in expanding this capability and supporting clients with increasingly complex, multi-measure programmes through one coordinated team and one trusted delivery partner.