Housing association saying I’m unreasonable I don’t think I am !!!

Not true. Programs of works are planned in the future, it's not personal and in the main works cannot be scheduled to suit every tenant.
Even private householders are NOT given specific detailed timescales anymore.

You might've tried this but just incase: next time, when you leave for the school run tape or blu-tack a note to the door saying 'just on the school run, back by 9:15 - here is my mobile number'

In my experience no workman has ever left after reading the above, they don't mind spending 30 mins in their van drinking a coffee or whatever, it's just that they won't hand around if they don't know when you'll be back. I would bet good money that whoever you speak to in the office hasn't passed details of the school run to the team on the ground!

If i need something doing in my house I tell the service provider when I'm going to be available and they work their appointments around me.
Like this week. We needed a plumber. He said he could do Tuesday, but that doesn't work with our schedules. We explained that and he said he could do this evening, so that's when he's coming.

HA repairs people seem to be notorious for this. I've a friend with disabilities who lives in this type of accommodation. They tell friend they'll be doing the job between 8am - 6pm on X day. Then they ring at 5.30pm to tell friend the can't manage to get to them.
So friend has been sitting at home all day waiting, for nothing.

YANBU, but unfortunately many social housing landlords seem to assume that people living in social housing do fuck all. They assume they don't work, and they have fuck-all to do. And they don't care about peoples school runs. Probably assume the kids can take themselves to school!

If you can't be in when 'essential works' come along, well... that's not their problem. 🙄

My friend is in a H.A. property, and they were doing 'essential remedial work on the outside of the house' (done every 5 years,) last year, and she said 'please let me know when you are ready to come around, so we can agree a date. I work nights and will need to make sure I'm not working.' She didn't want them clunking around with the radio on loud, and 3 or 4 mens voices chatting shit outside her windows when she was asleep.

They didn't let her know. They just turned up one Monday morning at 9.30am when she was fast asleep in bed after a long 12 hour 8-8 night shift. She heard the radio, their voices laughing and shouting, and tools and stuff banging about. Then a big long bang bang bang on the door. They were knocking to ask if they could use to toilet! She shouted out of the window for them to pack up and GO as it's not convenient. They left.

She got a letter saying she was contravening the terms of the tenancy by 'not allowing' the men to do the work. She said 'they can come by all means, but I work nights, and sleep in the day, so I need to know when they're coming, because I won't sleep with them outside working! So I need to make sure I'm off! How would YOU like it if workmen came to do work on YOUR house between 1.00am and 7.30am when you were sleeping, and had work the next morning?!!!'

As I said, they always assume people are always in, they have no job, and they have fuck-all to do. I would put in a complaint @HAunreasonable

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Her child has SEN needing 1:1 support. It often isn't as easy in those instances to arrange a friend to help as it would be for a NT child

(Child may not be able to cope with a different routine / key person, parent may be worried about their ability to keep the child safe, etc).

and neither are you.

I think you'll have to explain to the school and take the kids in late after they arrive if there is no one else who can do school run.
Do you have a class WhatsApp? Can you ask on there if someone can help?

It doesn’t say she left a note on the door with her phone number.

Just book the appointment a d keep the kids off for the day if needed
Tell the school why, yes it will go down as unorthorised absence but its no big deal...I'm sure they don't fi e for one day??

It literally says that in the OP.

No she hasn’t.

I'm a home owner. And you've totally misunderstood what I meant by having control.
When your boiler broke, you could decide who was going to fix it. You could find someone who'd do the work without you being present. You could get recommendations, check reviews. Get someone who specialises on your type of boiler. Which is exactly what I had to do a couple of months ago. And when I had to specify my availability, the plumbers tried to work around that. Because if they didn't, they wouldn't get the work.

But council tenants have no control. I would hate that. I've seen what my brother's had to endure with appalling crappy standards of work from contractors who don't give a fuck because their contract with the council means they don't have to care what the householder thinks, or what's convenient for them.

I don't whinge about HA tenants being 'lucky'. I'm glad that my life opportunities have been such that I've been able to own my own house and make my own choices.

Ah sorry OP I see you said your Mum does childcare. My other comments still stand.

Can you book a morning appointment and drop your child off by eight o'clock to one of their school friends?
If you are home by 8:30 a.m. you would be there for the whole time slot, and more, should they be running an hour or two late.

I know someone else has mentioned this but who looks after your children while you are at work OP? Could that person help you? I know you said your DM works couldn’t she take half a day off? She could wait in your house for the workmen while you do the school run. It sounds like you have quite a difficult life OP. It can be easy to fall into a trap when life is hard where you become unable to grasp there maybe other solutions to a problem. Not just the solution you are fixated on ie: the HA gives you a time slot you want.

She's already explained who that person is and why they can't do that.

Leave a key with a neighbour? Put a note on the door saying back in 10 minutes, with the time you put the note there and your mobile number?
If there's no alternative, keep the children off school or bring them in late, saying you had to wait in to let in workmen for an essential repair. So long as you don't keep bringing the DC in late it should be OK with the school. It is essential to get this work done and avoid whatever the consequences are.

I’m council and it’s usually 8-1 or 1-5 but the contractor always texts half an hour before they arrive and they have often been able to narrow it down to a 2 hour window if pushed.

@saraclara
I wasn't always in control of the work. Often times it was repairs such as a broken heating or leak that needed sorting asap but due to my work, had to wait as I couldn't take time off.
But your response doesn't surprise me. So many people on MN can't understand that home owners don't have everything easier than tenants!

I live in a council property and always ask them to make repairs appointments away from school run times and they always do. I guess it is at the discretion of the council but it does seem unhelpful of them to just say no and not TRY to accommodate that. It’s not like you’re asking for a very specific time just not between 8.30-9 or 2.45-3.15 or something!

I have the same issue - but - not an HA, and I warn anyone coming to do something when I'll be out, and to call me - which they pretty much all do. YANBU to expect the HA to be able to put you first or last on the call list - it's a tiny accommodation

If the school run doesn’t take long just leave a not in the letter box. ‘ nipped out for school run back in 5mins ‘. 9/10 they will usually just wait outside or go to the next job if its near and come back

"If it is so important they need to use their common sense and provide a smaller window for the appointment. A school run is not a frivolous reason for not being at home."

And not turn up during the 45 minutes the OP has explicitly said she won't be there, but rather in one of the other 5 hours of their own stated available appointment time window that she said she will 🙄

I like this!!

If it is so important they need to use their common sense and provide a smaller window for the appointment. A school run is not a frivolous reason for not being at home.