For anyone who has either used or managed a handyperson service, the findings of our latest report will come as no surprise. Such services are treasured not just because of the jobs they do around the home, but because of the added value they bring.
Inviting someone with a toolbag into your home is something to which most people are accustomed – unlike other professions, such as social workers or support workers. As they carry out their jobs, maybe with a cup of tea, the handyperson will also get to know a little about the life of, and maybe some of the difficulties faced by, their client.
Some of these issues they may be able to address directly, such as securing a trip hazard or fitting a draught excluder. Others might be a little more complex and require an onward referral to other services. Either way, the client is left safer, reassured, and in touch with others who can help.
I think of them like a bolognese sauce with hidden vegetables – they may look like an odd-job man from the Yellow Pages, but they come with lots of added goodness. But, of course, this goodness does cost, and I’ve previously worked for a local authority that decommissioned a handyperson service primarily because it cost a little more than some of the local traders.
But our survey of local authorities in England found that more than half (54 per cent) do still see the value of handyperson services. Although fewer than they were 10 years ago, they are still a vital support service for thousands of people every year who want to remain living in their own homes – or want to return home safely after a stay in hospital.
The challenge for local commissioners is how to make the best use of sometimes competing fleets of vans and technicians driving around an area fixing or fitting things, and making sure they have a little bit of time to chat and gain the necessary trust to suggest further help.