The programme is explained below, and we invite you to register for all three sessions. Please send details to any of your colleagues who may also be interested.

All webinars will hear from expert speakers and include a Q&A session chaired by Mark Easton.

Asset Management – Now Is the Time for Action

12 Noon – 1pm

Great asset management is now key to the sector’s customer service delivery. The profile of asset managers has risen significantly, with the necessary focus on Building Safety (and people safety) and the Housing White Paper.

This webinar will consider what is expected of the sector and how some social landlords are starting to respond.

REGISTER

Procurement Post-Brexit – What’s Changing?

1.30pm – 2.30pm

Brexit happened, trumped in the press by Covid-19. What effect has this had on supply chains and what can we expect to change in procurement?

We will hear from our members and supply chain partners about what the impact has been on project delivery and also what we can expect from the Government

Green Paper Transforming Public Procurement. CHIC will explain how it is responding and its range of services to tackle the changing procurement landscape.

REGISTER

Zero Carbon – So What Does It Really Mean?

3:00pm – 4:00pm

Social landlords homes need to be at a minimum EPC C by 2030 and net zero carbon by 2050. The sector has responded both quickly and positively to embracing this challenge. But do we really understand what the full implications are and know how we can achieve the 2050 target?

This webinar will consider a range of issues to understand what is being done and planned and explain how we need to become more informed and embrace new technology to reach this goal.

REGISTER

CHIC’s Annual Board Awayday

Our annual Board awayday is coming up this month. CHIC is governed by a Board of Directors whose role is to set the consortium’s strategic direction, ensure that it provides the services that members want and to monitor operational delivery of the agreed strategy. Alongside an independent chair, the majority of our board are representatives from CHIC’s membership, ensuring that what we do reflects our members needs. The Board and the CHIC operational team all meet together each year to review future priorities based on a real depth of sector and market knowledge and experience. This year’s key topics is to shape the focus of CHIC’s Business Plan for the next 5 years. We look forward to updating our members before long about our updated Business Plan priorities. Watch this space for further developments.

CHIC Conference & Exhibition 2021

Planning for our CHIC Conference & Exhibition is fully underway. Taking place on Wednesday 17^th November at Sixways Stadium and following Member feedback, we will be delivering crucial content on relevant social housing related issues such as achieving net zero carbon, building safety, what the future of procurement looks like and how CHIC’s services help Members. Our free event has consistently been rated as a great way to network with sector colleagues, learn about the latest developments in the sector and leave with newfound knowledge that can be implemented within your own organisations.

SECURE YOUR FREE PLACE - CLICK HERE

And a message for CHIC’s supply chain partners! The exhibition that runs alongside the conference is also a great opportunity to engage with CHIC members, find out more about their needs and explain your services.  This puts you right in the middle of the conversation with your own space to show members how your organisation can support their development and asset management plans. There are only a few spaces left, so if you would like to book your stand, please contact ccoulson@chicltd.co.uk as soon as possible!

Coronavirus Update

As we are now seeing the easing of UK lockdown regulations and the gradual return to something approaching normality, the CHIC team is keen to steadily increase face-to-face meetings with our members and supply chain partners, whilst still maintaining appropriate precautions.

We are not anticipating a complete return to a pre coronavirus way of life, however, if you feel that an in-person meeting would be helpful, CHIC will be able to facilitate this as Government restrictions are gradually relaxed. If you want to meet one of the team, please get in touch.

Housing 2021

CHIC is pleased to announce that we will be returning to Manchester for this year’s Chartered Institute of Housing’s conference on 7 – 9 September. As regular attendees, we see this as a great way to meet with our members and supply chain partners to discuss the latest developments at CHIC and further understand your future expectations. If you plan on attending, come and talk to us on stand G42! The majority of the CHIC team will be available over the three days, so if you would like to book a one-to-one meeting, please get in touch.

What's new with BuildSmart?

Momentum has been building for CHIC’s new build solutions, BuildSmart.  CHIC is involved in a number of exciting new developments and projects, supporting members.

Here are examples of the range of opportunities that CHIC is now working on with members.

• Discussions with both Homes England and a number of Registered Providers and consortia in Cumbria, to develop a pilot scheme in the area using MMC and to support a new eco village. 
• In the Midlands, CHIC is submitting planning applications on a number of small sites for new homes using a mixture of MMC, timber frame and traditional construction methods.  This will enable us to compare and contrast the quality, time and total development costs of the different solutions.
• Working on a development  in Dover to provide new homes on a particularly challenging site using full offsite manufacture.
• CHIC’s Dynamic Purchasing System has enabled us to assist a number of our Members to access a wide range of consultants and contractors.  This system gives Members a compliant, cost effective, quick and efficient route to market, ensuring best value is achieved.

If you want to talk about how we can help you to use the efficient DPS tendering solution or to access our MMC contracts, please contact Sarah Davey sdavey@chicltd.co.uk

Consultancy framework update

CHIC announced a new Consultancy Framework last month which is currently being procured. The tender return date has now passed and all tenders received are now being reviewed. The new framework will be split into 6 lots; Multi-disciplinary Integrated Consultancy Teams (ICT), Structural Engineers, Façade Consultants, Fire Engineers, Business Audit Services and Asset Management Consultancy. All lots will be accessible by all CHIC members and available for call-off this summer.

Building safety can take many forms and it is important for this to be at the top of the agenda when developing new homes and managing assets.

Earlier this month, it was reported by Inside Housing that more than 40 people were treated by ambulance crews following a fire at a development in East London that has the same type of cladding as Grenfell Tower. This came just a week after a South London housing association block was evacuated following a cladding fire that damaged two properties. In this instance, fortunately, the building’s fire management systems worked as planned and prevented significant damage to the main structure or to residents, a testament to effective precautions being put in place.

With over 37,000 house fires alone reported each year in the UK, it is clear that being compliant is not enough when it comes to ensuring your homes are fit for purpose and maximising safety measures will be to the benefit of all involved.

The Government has so far allocated around £5bn to fix dangerous cladding on buildings above 18 metres in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire. However, The National Housing Federation reports that more can be done, stating that social housing providers should “have full and equal access” to the Government’s Building Safety Fund as currently housing associations can only apply to cover costs that would otherwise be passed on to leaseholders, which means they cannot access funding for remedial work in properties where tenants live.

We are now almost four years on from the Grenfell Tower tragedy and it is clear that as a sector, we need to maintain focus on the important message that it is going to take a collective approach and a key step-change in housebuilding and asset management programmes in order to minimise further risk.

How can CHIC Help

Landlords need to make sure that customers are safe and warm. CHIC has a suite of cost-effective Building Safety procurement solutions to help you feel confident in your asset management and development programmes.

CHIC has procured a range of contracts and frameworks to offer ready-to-use services from trusted specialist providers. CHIC’s building safety services span asbestos management and removal, door entry systems, drainage, and insulation. We cover fire safety and gas safety, water hygiene and electrical testing. We also have a range of DPS solutions where suppliers can onboard at any time.

We are supporting this month’s edition of Inside Housing, which is focused on Building Safety. You can find our contribution HERE

If you would like to find out more, please get in touch at enquries@chicltd.co.uk

This year we have directly sponsored 8 people who were distant from employment into permanent jobs, through local employment organisations, adding to 22 completed for the previous year.

However, we are aware that there is a lot more important investment in apprentices and trainees going on behind the scenes with contractors and suppliers and there are several other Social Value outcomes that we would like to capture for the CHIC Annual Report.

To make the process simple we have created the short survey below. We would greatly appreciate your help in completing this (which may need to be populated with the help of your HR/Training or Social Value colleagues) by Friday 21^st May.  All results will be collated for the Annual Report with areas of special interest being followed up for individual case studies.

TAKE OUR SURVEY

Clarke Willmott - Housing Week 2021

Partners of CHIC’s Legal Services Framework, Clarke Willmott, will be hosting a series of social housing webinars over the next 2 days.

Over the various sessions, their social housing experts (and some guest speakers) will cover a range of topics, all of which are from different legal areas which can support you and your organisation. At each session there will also be a Q&A, providing an opportunity for you to get preliminary guidance on specific issues.

For more information, please visit https://www.clarkewillmott.com/events/cw-housing-week-may-2021

AICO - The Market Leader in Fire & Carbon Monoxide Detection

On Tuesday 15th June at 10am, CHIC’s partners at AICO will be hosting an on-line 60-minute FREE CPD Presentation.  The aim is to promote best practice in resident safety and to enable housing organisations to provide a safe place for customers to live. 

This presentation is intended to increase the awareness of good strategy and provide practical advice that addresses the need for safety regarding fire and carbon monoxide in new build homes. 

For more information, please contact Julie.weaving@aico.co.uk or register you place here