CHIC CHAT

COVID-19 IMPORTANT INFORMATION

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.

READ THE FULL REPORT

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 23^rd 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.

Procurement Policy Note

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George Boyd

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Supply Chain Updates

The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting everyday operations in more and more industries, with construction and maintenance works in the social housing sector in particular starting to feel the effects.

CHIC has been working hard with all of our supply chain partners to support them in their response to the current operational challenges and try to ease the impact on our members.

Taking into account the requirements of the sector for products offered through CHIC, the supply chain is split into two major categories, Merchants and Manufacturers and Contractors, both of which are facing different obstacles to providing their services.

CLICK HERE TO READ OUR FULL REPORT

Fortunately, most of the suppliers have been preparing for Brexit which ultimately was of great assistance with supplier preparedness for the coronavirus outbreak.

In the meantime, CHIC is focusing on understanding the availability of PPE as part of our response. As such we are looking at the following materials:

Hand gel / sanitiser
Handwash
FFP1, FFP2, FFP3 dust masks
Safety disposable overalls
Disposable gloves

Over the next few weeks, we will be coordinating with the supply chain and manufacturers to understand current stocks and how these might change over the course of the next few weeks.

Currently demand is outstripping supply with NHS and the healthcare sector rightly taking priority.

As the pandemic evolves, so should our response to it.

By using our market position, we hope to be able to co-ordinate a response in terms of the necessary materials for CHIC members as well as advising and liaising with suppliers to better respond to member requirements.

By working together with our members, we can ensure that the current disruption to people’s lives is contained.

"Both CHIC and its supply chain will do everything we can to support our members and the residents who are their customers. We will keep members and suppliers updated as the situation evolves. In the meantime, if we can assist with anything, we are at our members disposal."

Marius Marisca, Supply Chain Manager

Being Mentally Tough

We are operating in unprecedented and uncertain times, requiring us to take difficult decisions and learn new ways of working. At ARK we are supporting our clients, colleagues and friends to adapt to this new world we all find ourselves in. You may now have hundreds of tips on how to work from home, an inbox full of every company known to man, offering their services online, and passwords coming out of your ears for Zoom, SKYPE, Teams, House Party etc. Ensuring you and your team have the Mental Agility to deal effectively in this new world will be critical to achieve success.

We wanted to share with you a couple of tips we are using to develop our mental toughness. Helping us to be adaptable and focused on making the things that matter happen consistently and reliably. This crisis will end. They all do eventually, however mental strength is like muscle strength-no one has an unlimited supply. So, make sure you’re not wasting yours.

Focus in the things you can control

There are so many things in the news that we have no control over causing upset, uncertainty and challenge. We don’t know what’s around the corner, but we are all in the same boat. Spend your time and energy focusing on the things you can control, your thoughts, behaviours, emotions and actions.

Celebrate your successes

Recognising and celebrating success is a very powerful motivator for individuals and teams because it reinforces the meaning behind all that hard work and it shows appreciation for achievements, even the small ones. We are all working hard right now and in a period of uncertainty it’s easy to forget we are all navigating a new world of work. So, remember to celebrate the small things at the end of each day, make time to note the things down you have achieved.

If you want to know more about mental toughness and how it can support you and your team or to learn more about question storming, get in touch. We want to help. Our team will happily share resources, advice and techniques that might help you and your team use that mental muscle strength where you need it most.

Joanne Turley,

ARK Consultancy

jturley@arkconsultancy.co.uk