That’s handy...repairs service extended

Oldham’s minor repairs and handyman service has been extended to 2011.
The council has won £120,000 funding from the Government to continue the service from Age Concern Oldham, and look for ways of setting up a wider service.

The handyman service carries out small jobs for owner-occupiers, mainly older people, to enable them to continue to live at home. But the service is also part of a review which could create a Home Improvement Agency, in line with Government advice.

The council has carried out a mapping exercise to identify all minor repair services and compare it with the service suggested by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Gaps have been found for access to Gas Safe (formerly the Corgi register), affordable certified electrical work, and lack of low level adaptations to gardens.

It also has low capacity — it only reaches about 330 people a year.

Tenders will be invited for the new Home Improvement Agency after April, 2011.