Government representatives have been providing the UK public with daily updates on how we social distance ourselves to help prevent the spread of the disease as well as the financial support put into place for businesses and individuals.
RSH Statements on Coronavirus
The Regulator of Social Housing recognises the significant operational pressures for social housing providers and are making changes to their regulatory approach. They are setting out expectations for providers about getting in contact with them if they are struggling to meet the challenges presented by Coronavirus where there is a resulting threat to tenant safety or the provider’s financial viability. They are recommending that RPs’ should manage risks to staff safely and promptly report material issues that relate to non-compliance.
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Procurement Policy Note 02/20
PPN 02/20 sets out information and guidance for public bodies (i.e. those required to comply with public procurement regulations) on the payment of contractors and suppliers. The principle purpose is for contracting authorities to ensure that suppliers continue to be paid during the period of disruption caused by COVID-19 so that they are in a position to resume normal contract delivery once the coronavirus outbreak is over.
All contracting clients, which includes all of CHIC’s members, are required to:
- Urgently review their contract portfolio and inform suppliers, who they believe are at risk, that they will continue to be paid as normal (even if service delivery is disrupted or temporarily suspended) until at least the end of June.
- Put in place the most appropriate payment measures to support supplier cash flow; this might include a range of approaches such as forward ordering, payment in advance/prepayment, interim payments and payment on order (not receipt).
- If the contract involves payment by results then payment should be on the basis of previous invoices, for example the average monthly payment over the previous three months.
- To qualify, suppliers should agree to act on an open book basis and make cost data available to the contracting authority during this period. They should continue to pay employees and flow down funding to their subcontractors.
- Ensure invoices submitted by suppliers are paid immediately on receipt (reconciliation can take place in slower time) in order to maintain cash flow in the supply chain and protect jobs.
We have published our advisory note which can be found HERE. The Cabinet Office have also published a set of FAQ’s and a specific document addressing Modern Interim Payment Terms.
There have already been communications from legal firms advising further on what actions to take following this new regulation such as "taking advice before terminating or making changes to contracts and before cutting any corners on the way to new ones”.
As a CHIC member you benefit from preferential rates when seeking legal advice. Please ensure you advise the legal firm that you are seeking any advice through the CHIC Legal Framework in order to take advantage of this.
CHANGES AT CHIC
As the government recommends stricter measures in delaying the spread of the COVID-19 virus, we wanted to reassure you that the wellbeing of our members and employees is of upmost importance. The majority of our staff will be working remotely until further notice and are still contactable on their usual email and mobile. Our offices are now closed and we have postponed all non-essential events until we are confident that the health risks are significantly reduced.
Our annual CHIC Conference & Exhibition will now be taking place on Friday 23rd October 2020. The latter half of the year now seems to be a busy period for housing events, therefore we have made the decision to reschedule our day to provide our members with the opportunity to attend other conferences in September with CHIC’s now taking place in late October. If you would like to book your place, please CLICK HERE
OTHER
If you are looking to keep up to date with the latest guidance on, the advice page published by Inside Housing is updated every day and provides the latest vital information for landlords on how to respond to the outbreak.
The challenges faced from the construction sector are recognised. In a letter from the Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, it is said that the Construction Leadership Council have worked to develop Site Operating Procedures (SOP), to help ensure that it is safe to operate in the workplace.
