CHIC Conference is back
We are delighted to announce that the CHIC Conference & Exhibition is back, taking place on Wednesday 21st May 2025 in Telford. Registrations to this one day event are now open and you can hear from a wide range of housing and construction industry experts discussing the current asset management and development issues facing social housing landlords. This years theme HOUSING MATTERS NOW recognises that social housing is finally taking a centre stage under the new Labour Government and we will discuss how to make the most of this political momentum.
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HOMES UK 27-28 November 2024, ExCel, London
We are looking forward to welcoming our members, partners and other exhibitors to the CHIC Community at this year’s HOMES UK event. We have some great supply chain partners showcasing their services and products this year, all available through CHIC’s DPS and Framework solutions.
Be sure to come and meet with us all in our free café. Our exhibiting partners are:
We hosted our Newbuild Roundtable
CHIC hosted its first newbuild core group meeting following the launch of the new framework earlier this year. The purpose of the core group is for members and supply chain partners to come together and discuss how the framework should operate. This core group discussion was based around defining the right KPIs, at both framework and contract levels.
We are currently consolidating the conclusions reached in the roundtable discussions and will be preparing specific KPIs for the Framework at the next roundtable core group which will be held at CHIC’s conference on 21st May 2025.
Thank you to all who attended for giving your views and experiences.For more information on our Newbuild framework, please visit https://www.chicltd.co.uk/services/frameworks/newbuild/We will also review the findings from the discussions and share a report in the next issue of CHIC CHAT.
New starter to the Member Services team
This month we said farewell to Sarah Degg, Head of Members Services for the West region who has started a new role in a different sector. In her place, we are delighted to welcome Amy Bickerton to the team. Amy is an accomplished Account Management professional with considerable experience. Amy is tasked with overseeing member relationships, ensuring satisfaction and engagement by facilitating access to resources, negotiating supplier contracts and optimising procurement processes.To contact Amy please send an email to abickerton@chicltd.co.uk
ProcureX Wales
CHIC exhibited at ProcureX Wales this month and met up with several current and prospective members. We had some great conversations and look forward to working with new members and onboarding several new suppliers to our DPS.
Steve Shares Insights on Procurement and Decarbonisation Strategies in Recent Warm Homes Webinar
CHIC’s Director of Member Services, Steve Sharman, had the pleasure of representing CHIC in the recent Warm Homes Webinar hosted by LivGreen. During the session he participated in a comprehensive Q&A session, addressing key questions related to the procurement and decarbonisation of housing projects. Here’s a summary of the questions directed towards CHIC and Steve's responses:
1. Are CHIC’s Frameworks Suitable for Small, Specialist Providers?
Steve confirmed that CHIC frameworks are well suited for the procurement needs of both large and small providers, including those with under 1,000 homes or shared housing and hostels. He emphasised that CHIC's membership includes a diverse range of organisations, from those managing as few as 50 homes to large scale providers with over 100,000 homes. The frameworks are designed to accommodate all types of housing need, making them an accessible option for specialised care providers as well as for mainstream general needs housing.
2. What were Lessons Learned from Wave 1 and 2 of the Decarbonisation Programme?Steve highlighted several important lessons from earlier waves of the decarbonisation programme:• Cost Estimation: Initial cost estimates were often inaccurate. A more comprehensive understanding of design and specification was necessary before submitting funding bids.• Funding for Assessments: Adequate funding support was needed for the initial assessment stages.• Tendering Issues: The limited Schedule of Rates initially provided for tenders proved inadequate, prompting CHIC to offer an open book approach and/or the NHF Schedule of Rates in its framework.• Engaging Contractors Early: Delays in engaging with contractors until after funding approvals had been confirmed to resulted in lost project time. Instead, early engagement with potential contractors, even before funding decisions, allowed for faster project commencement post-approval.
3. What are CHIC’s Healthy Homes Framework and Decarbonisation Goals?
The Healthy Homes Framework was outlined as a vital tool for social landlords. It supports them in accessing consultants and contractors to perform property assessments, design interventions and to implement measures aimed at achieving decarbonisation targets. The framework encompasses various building improvements, including fabric enhancements and mechanical and electrical solutions.
4. What Support can CHIC Provide for Landlords Navigating Procurement Complexities?Steve explained how CHIC offers comprehensive support throughout the procurement process. CHIC’s dedicated in-house procurement team assists members with compliant procurement, whether through Direct Awards or competitive tendering. The team also helps with contract mobilisation and provides ongoing high level contract management, such as mediation services during project delivery. Notably, these added services come at no extra cost to CHIC members.
5. What Consultancy Support Can Be Accessed Through the Healthy Homes Framework?
The Healthy Homes Framework includes access to a range of consultancy services. It connects members with specialist firms for design, strategy development, energy efficiency assessments, design and safety planning, covering the full spectrum of needs for enhancing housing quality and achieving sustainability targets.
Steve's participation helped delegates to understand CHIC’s routes to market, demonstrating our commitment to supporting social housing providers in their efforts to deliver sustainable, energy efficient homes. For more detailed information about CHIC’s services, visit our website.
