Honeycomb Group and Unitas Maintenance Solutions partnership brings local investment boost to city.

Last month, we announced Unitas Maintenance Solutions Ltd (UMS) as our home repairs provider.

After consulting with customers, the Group made the decision to move from a national to local provider earlier this year. Keen to invest in the local community and deliver a more responsive service, the new partnership hopes to reconnect customers with a local workforce whilst creating an efficient, responsive and effective service.

UMS is part of the Unitas Stoke-on-Trent Group which is one of the largest construction-based companies in Stoke-on-Trent. The Group delivers repairs and maintenance services to thousands of homes and buildings across the city. Just like Honeycomb Group, they’re proud to be local and employ over 450 people and apprentices from Stoke-on-Trent schools and colleges.

The Group includes a dedicated workforce of skilled tradespeople including gas and electrical engineers, joiners, plumbers, plasterers, painters and bricklayers. They use a dynamic real-time appointment scheduling system which will give customers greater flexibility and a more responsive service.

So far, the partnership has proved a success with Honeycomb Group customers rating the service 9.2/10 in the first week. Interim Housing Director Steve Wilson said the partnership has continued to receive positive praise, he said: “It has been fantastic hearing from happy customers like Bob who enjoyed the rapid response from UMS. He said he was ‘really pleased with the service and that the contractor was a nice chap who was happy to help’.”

Head of Repairs & Maintenance Martin Heath said: “UMS are proud to be working in partnership with Honeycomb Group to deliver essential repairs and maintenance activity to their housing stock. UMS pride ourselves on our ability to deliver excellent customer service and we hope all our new customers enjoy their experience of having works completed on their homes.”

“Since mobilising our new contract with Honeycomb Group on Monday 7^th August UMS has received some fantastic customer feedback which we hope to build upon over the course of our partnership with Honeycomb Group”  

It’s also great news for Stoke. By supporting a local company, our spending stays within the city and will further support local communities. Between 2022-2023, the Unitas Stoke-on-Trent Group pledged over £1,000,000 across Stoke-on-Trent.

Honeycomb Group Chief Executive Julie Guildford Smith said, “with a shared passion for our city and neighbourhoods, we were delighted to announce Unitas Maintenance Solutions as our new repairs’ provider.

“As a local and proud housing Group, finding a contractor with the same passion for people, services and communities was essential. Working alongside our customer panel, we also realised the importance of local knowledge and a great reputation in the area which UMS fulfilled.

“The service has received excellent feedback from customers, staff and stakeholders and we hope to expand the positive impact. We are proud to be investing in a fellow Stoke-on-Trent organisation and furthering our support and investment across the city.”

Customers have already received communication of the new provider but can find all updates and information here: staffshousing.org.uk/UMS