New Forest council picks Totalmobile for housing repairs

New Forest District Council has selected Totalmobile to upgrade its housing repairs and asset management services, centred on the rollout of Totalmobile's Field First platform.

The system is intended to change how repairs are scheduled, delivered and tracked across the council's housing stock. It should also give staff and tenants clearer information throughout the repairs process and create a single view of repairs and asset data.

The move is part of a broader digital transformation programme at the local authority. In housing, the aim is to reduce manual administrative work, improve communication with residents and strengthen long-term oversight of properties.

Councils across the UK have faced sustained scrutiny over housing repairs, complaints handling and the condition of social housing. Against that backdrop, local authorities and housing providers have been investing in software to improve record-keeping, job management and visibility over maintenance activity.

At New Forest District Council, the changes will affect both day-to-day repairs and longer-term asset management. The platform is expected to support better organisation of field work while helping keep homes safe, compliant and maintained.

Laura McIndoe, Housing Business and Customer Manager at New Forest District Council, said: "Our aim is simple - we want our tenants to feel confident that repairs will be handled smoothly and without unnecessary delays. Totalmobile's platform gives us a clear picture of what's happening on the ground and will help our teams stay organised, informed and responsive. It's an important part of improving how we support our residents day-to-day."

Totalmobile provides software for managing mobile workforces and field operations. Its Field First product was launched last year and is being adopted by councils and housing providers across the UK.

Sector shift

New Forest District Council's adoption reflects a wider shift in local government and social housing towards connected systems that combine repairs data with asset information. For landlords, the appeal is a more consistent record of what work has been carried out, what remains outstanding and how properties are performing over time.

That is particularly relevant in housing services, where repairs often involve several stages, including reporting, diagnosis, scheduling, attendance and follow-up communication. Separate systems and manual processes can make it harder for staff to track progress and for residents to know what is happening with a job.

By bringing those stages into one platform, the council expects to give teams more joined-up access to information. The system is designed to help staff respond to repair requests with a clearer view of previous work, current status and asset history.

Ricky Moore, Managing Director of Public Sector at Totalmobile, said: "New Forest District Council is embarking on an exciting journey with a resident-focused approach at the centre of its digital transformation. By using a fully connected platform, their teams will now have the information they need at the right time, helping them respond more quickly and keep residents informed at every stage of the process."

The council has framed the work as an operational upgrade rather than a change limited to IT systems. In practice, such projects typically affect housing officers, repairs teams, contractors and residents, with success often judged by whether response times improve and communication becomes more reliable.

For tenants, the immediate impact is expected to be seen in how repair cases are handled and in the information they receive as work progresses. For the council, the longer-term value will depend on whether better data and clearer workflows improve the management of homes across the district.