MPS Supervisors Put Plenty of Northern Soul into Social Housing With Muir
TWO Muir Property Solutions (MPS) supervisors have been talking about what makes them tick when they tackle housing maintenance matters.
Voids Supervisor, Les Oakes, has literally been putting his soul into social housing throughout a career spanning almost 30 years.
And Responsive Contracts Supervisor, Craig Reilly, ensures he can match him at the top of his game, with both men enjoying some friendly rivalry as supporters of football teams on both sides of Manchester.
City fan, Les (pictured far right, with Craig), who loves nothing more than strutting his stuff on the dancefloor at Northern Soul events across the country when he isn’t working, insists every day is different and that he takes pride in making sure houses become homes for families with Muir Group Housing Association.
“I’ve been involved in social housing for 28 years, always doing day-to-day repairs and working on empty properties,” said Les. "I’ve seen it all.
“My pride is getting voids (empty properties) turned around quickly and efficiently so they are repair-free for new residents when they arrive.
“Some empty properties can be made ready in as little as a day, with just a few basic repairs; others can take a few weeks but sometimes we can complete certain jobs after a new resident has moved in
“Organisation and planning is key so it’s important to communicate with my operatives.
“But every day is different so you need to be flexible and responsive,” added Les.
Based in Warrington, MPS cover Muir’s properties across the North West and into North Wales.
Craig looks after the day-to-day repairs side of things having worked in social housing for eight years.
He said: “I really enjoy problem solving and working with the operatives to get solutions.
“I understand the concerns residents have when they raise an issue at their property. The more details they can provide when they report it, the more chance we have of fixing it right first time.
“We deal with anything from relatively minor repairs to roof leaks or flooding.
A darts player and boxer, United supporter Craig also manages his son’s local football team.
“Les and I have a bit of banter when we see each other because we support the different football teams in Manchester,” Craig said.
“It’s friendly rivalry but we share the same goal of providing a good service to residents," he added.
