CHIC CHAT

What's Happening at CHIC

We are pleased to announce that our new legal services framework is now live!

CHIC has once again partnered with our specialist legal services agent Kennedy Cater to deliver our new legal services framework, comprising of a panel of 22 leading housing law firms. This new 4-year framework will replace the existing framework which commenced in 2016. It has been developed to create significant saving for all of our members with more than 200 fixed-fee deals, plus hourly rates at an average 30% discount on firms’ standard charges.

Our route to market has demonstrated significant efficiencies, generating over £1.4m of savings for our members from the expiring framework.

The new framework divides legal services into 3 separate workstream lots, with a range of firms available for each lot:

Each lot has an extensive list of fixed price services, fully reflective of the range of legal services that all registered providers may require. Members can directly select lawyers and/or conduct mini competitions. All of the legal firms were selected through a competitive OJEU tender process and demonstrated a robust service offer and cost competitive pricing.

Social value remains at the core of all our frameworks and contracts. All firms are able to provide a extensive range of value added and social value benefits such as training opportunities, advice to improve employability of tenants and community engagement.

If you would like to find out how to use our framework, please get in touch at enquiries@chicltd.co.uk

In Other News

We are very excited to announce that this year at HOMES UK, CHIC will be hosting a pavilion for our supply chain partners. CHIC is currently procuring partners for our new Fire Prevention Framework. On 25-26 November, we will be sharing why our members should be using our OJEU compliant route to market for fire prevention works, alongside an opportunity to meet the organisations that can be appointed directly or though mini competition. If you would like to find out more on our new framework, please get in touch at enquiries@chicltd.co.uk.

We would like to welcome new members that have joined CHIC over the past few months:

Mark Pinnell Joins CHIC’s Board of Directors

CHIC’s board has strenghthened member representation, appointing Mark Pinnell in June. Mark is the Executive Director of Assets and Development at Solihull Community Housing Group. Mark began his career in Engineering becoming a production engineer in the Automotive industry. Mark joined Solihull Council in April 2001 as an Emergency Building Surveyor and has successfully progressed to his current role. He is also a board member at St Peter’s Housing Association (Saltley).

News From The Sector

The Regulator of Social Housing has released its second response survey results, highlighting operational challenges experienced by registered providers due to the coronavirus outbreak. Responses were provided by private registered providers and local authorities with more than 1000 homes.

The survey sought to identify the number of jobs that were completed across emergency repairs, statutory gas safety checks, statutory fire safety checks, asbestos, electrical, legionella and lift checks and care and support staffing levels. It also asked respondents to highlight any key constraints, risks and mitigating actions since the previous survey.

The report displayed some interesting findings

The results show that compared to when the coronavirus outbreak was at its peak, registered providers are restarting more work where safe working practices can be put in place. There has been an increase in compliance related work and non-emergency repairs have resumed.

Having external contractors available is still an issue for some but is in a much-improved position since April, as most contractors are beginning to resume normal services. The reopening of suppliers means that there is improved access to materials and works can commence with less complication. However, suppliers are still below pre-coronavirus levels of operation and efficiency.

There are inevitable challenges with getting access to some properties to perform internal works but with safe working practices now fully trialed, residents are becoming more amenable to allow operatives access. Interestingly, demand for repairs remains lower than usual, in some cases, tenants are reporting 85% fewer issues for repairs than would normally be expected.

The amount of gas safety checks been issued has seen great improvement with most registered providers completing most, if not all scheduled services.

These results coincide with CHIC’s own feedback. Our account managers and supply chain team have been actively liaising with our members to find out more about the challenges you have been facing and what we can do to help. We remain fully operational despite current circumstances and are continuously providing new opportunities to generate cost savings and efficiencies.

If you would like to discuss your experiences or think CHIC can help your organisation, please get in touch at enquiries@chicltd.co.uk

CHIC Conference 2021

CHIC has decided that this year’s annual conference and exhibition, originally scheduled for June 10th and then Friday 23rd October at Sixways Stadium, should now be postponed to June 2021. Instead, we are running all of the workshops and the main conference session as webinars.

The risks that the coronavirus outbreak may impose over the next few months is still unclear. We want to ensure that our event is to be held at a time when the health and safety of our attendees will not be at risk, so delegates can meet, network and interact as they have been able to over the past 10 years.

We apologise for any disappointment or inconvenience this may cause. We know that many of our exhibitors and delegates were looking forward to the event which we greatly appreciate. For those organisations that have secured an exhibition stand or sponsorship package, your position will be retained for our 2021 conference.

The next ‘actual’ conference will now take place on Wednesday 9th June 2021, again at Sixways Stadium, Worcester. This will include the usual conference and exhibition many of our members enjoy each year. Please save the date to your 2021 diary.

CHIC Webinars

Instead of our 2020 conference, CHIC is replacing the workshop and conference sessions with webinars.

During September and October, CHIC will be hosting a series of webinars to deliver the content we would have otherwise been presenting at our conference. The sessions will be free to attend and focused on the latest developments, innovations, and best practice from the affordable housing sector. We will welcome the same panel of experts for each webinar, which you can join for free from your home or workplace. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and take away key transferable knowledge for your organisation.

CHIC will carry on with regular webinars / seminars once these special conference sessions are completed. So, to help us plan for the future, let us know what subject you would like covered through our webinar topics survey. We want to ensure that we are hosting webinars which will bring the most value to our members, that is why we want to know your thoughts. It will take no longer than 2 minutes to fill out and we will greatly appreciate your feedback.

Let us know which of the conference webinars you want to attend.

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