Residents felt suicidal due to treatment from Torus

A Warrington Guardian investigation has revealed that some of Torus' residents feel desperate and as though they have nowhere else to turn.

Torus' website says: "Providing great homes and breathing new life into places.

"Maintaining properties and being a responsible landlord.

"Improving people’s lives and strengthening communities.

"Creating a better future by working in partnerships.

"All of these things matter a great deal to us here at Torus."

Torus has a Staying Home team, with the online description reading: "The Staying Home team offer advice and assistance to help you remain at home safely.

"They can help arrange property adaptations if you need them, help you save money on fuel bills and check you're claiming any benefits you're entitled to."

One resident, Fred Eckersley, said that despite the poor quality of repairs that are undertaken by Torus, his issue is with the standard of care provided - or lack, thereof.

He said: "We are not being looked after – we're checked on once every six months.

"Someone ticks a couple of boxes and then they're gone.

"Six months later, it's the same again."

Throughout his life, Fred says he had rented council accommodation for over 35 years before moving into a Torus property, but says that he has 'never had it this bad.'

Fred said that there are fire hazards in his home - which includes a gate at the back of his house being replaced with a fence, meaning he has no fire exit to the rear of his property.

If he was to exit the building in the event of a fire, he would only be able to stand up against his fence, feet away from the building.

Mr Eckersley says he used to have a gate at the rear of his home (Image: Newsquest)

Marie Worral and her parnter, Mike, have also experienced problems with Torus.

They told the Warrington Guardian: "When we first moved in 19 months ago our front door didn't fit properly - we got in touch with Torus and they just told us to keep mopping round the door.

"Our windows are warped, too; we've set a date for them to come out and check them, but we know that Torus won't turn up."

The couple added: "We’re phoning them all the time and it’s just confusing and frustrating; we complain to one person about something, and the next person says they have no record of the complaint.

"Our old house was managed by Torus, on St Peter’s Way in Howley, and we had eight years of it there.

"We stick to our part of the agreement and pay our rent on time and look after the properties, but they don’t stick to their part."

One of Mark and Marie's neighbours is Mavis Gannon, who is 80 years old.

Mavis said: "When it was Golden Gates [Housing Trust] it was brilliant - but nobody would say that since it was Torus.

"I've been asking for roof repairs for six years, and I haven't gotten anywhere.

"A roofer has said that it's bad.

"I have to brush at the front and back of my house every day because of moss from the roof; I’ve even slipped and fallen and ended up in Warrington Hospital."

Mavis added: "Nobody wants to know."

In Padgate a Torus property was highlighted for the abundance of damp and mould (Image: Supplied)

Paul Jennings cares for his partner, Pauline, on Queens Avenue, too.

He told the Warrington Guardian: "We feel forgotten, and it's like there's no point of contact.

"When they do repairs we get sent slow tradesmen; the plumber came to sort a hole in the shower floor, he took a few photos and then said ‘It’s not our job.’

"Another tradesman came out who didn’t have the right parts, took a few photos and then left - they fix one problem, and cause two more."

Paul added: "We’re paying our rent, paying their wages, and they do nothing.

"We’d like to pick up the phone and know someone cares.

"We know that when they come they don’t want to be here and they are glad when they’ve gone."

He concluded: "We need someone coming round every month just for 10 minutes for a brew, so we can tell them what needs doing; not every six months telling us that we can’t have things.

"We just want to be heard and for someone to say they will do their best and get it sorted."

Further along Queens Avenue live Dave and Wendy Freeman.

They have had such poor experiences with Torus that they are reluctant to even let members of staff enter their home anymore.

During a visit from the Warrington Guardian, Dave and Wendy were asked about the service and care provided by Torus.

Wendy responded: "What service, and what care?"

Dave added: "They could see that I needed help, and they drove me nearly to suicide.

"I couldn’t cope, I sat on my sofa and cried a number of times.

"I’ve been mentally tormented, and I don’t feel worth anything or cared for."

Wendy went further, saying: "I don’t want them in the house any more, they don’t care about us – our wetroom was given permission in 2020 and it took so long for them to install it."

Dave explained that he and Wendy have had their kitchen fitted, uninstalled, and re-fitted a number of times by Torus - he said that workmen even knocked a hole through the kitchen wall and into the hall at one stage.

Wendy said: "We have not had one phone call asking if we are alright.

"The first thing they ask when we call them is 'Are you in arrears with your rent?'"

Cllr Valerie Allen was engaged by the residents in their bid for change (Image: Warrington Borough Council)

For a period of time the residents have engaged with local councillor Valerie Allen, who told the Warrington Guardian: "After hearing from residents of appalling waiting times for repairs from Torus, I became involved in trying to get these resolved quickly, as I was very concerned that elderly and disabled residents in particular were suffering from the effect of waiting so long."

"I welcomed an invitation from Torus to hear from councillors about how they could identify areas where they could do better, where standards had fallen short and ways to address tenants' needs more promptly.  

"At this meeting, several councillors spoke of examples of long waiting times for repairs, some of which were of poor quality and had to be rectified two or three times.

"I also welcome Torus’s engagement with councillors and have been assured they are addressing matters as quickly as they can and will report back to councillors in six months’ time with their progress.  

"I feel happier that Torus have recognised their failings, some of which can be attributed to Covid-19 and are putting into place systems to address these and seem to be getting on with repairs quickly.

The councillor added: "I still have concerns around the frequency of home visits, particularly for the most vulnerable and elderly in our villages and am asking for more regular engagement from the ‘stay at home team.'

"I have also asked that sub-contractors, who are assigned to these projects, are held accountable and that the repairs are signed off by an inspector from Torus as satisfactory before they are reimbursed for the repairs."

Margaret Goddard, from Torus, has apologised following the investigation (Image: Torus Group)

Margaret Goddard, Torus Group asset director, said: “We sincerely apologise for any distress or frustration experienced by the residents regarding these issues.

“While we cannot fully address each issue in this statement, we can confirm that where customers have made repairs and works requests, these have been actioned. 

"We have also been actively engaged in discussions and working with the affected customers even before the matter was brought to the attention of The Warrington Guardian in May. 

“A pre-arranged meeting in June was attended by our Neighbourhood Manager, Repairs Manager, and Councillor Val Allen, where we listened to the tenant representative and sought ways to address their grievances and mend any strained relationships.

"Subsequent follow-up visits have been made to continue working closely with the group and ensure their concerns are being addressed adequately."

The asset director added: “We have provided the Warrington Guardian with comprehensive details of the actions taken in response to all the raised issues.

"Many of the concerns have been resolved through our standard procedures and do not require further action. For ongoing matters, we are personally visiting residents in their homes to address their concerns and determine any additional repairs needed.

“Additionally, to offer more support, all residents have access to a dedicated Staying Home Officer, who regularly visits and contacts them to ensure their well-being.

"Their Staying Officer and Manager are visiting the residents this week to discuss the service and talk about what additional support can be offered.  

"We also encourage customers to reach out to us directly, including our 24/7 emergency repair reporting, to report any issues or request repairs.

“Please rest assured that we have always treated this group of customers with the utmost respect and will continue working closely with them to address any ongoing concerns to the best of our ability and to their satisfaction.”