Grounds Maintenance
Delivering value, quality and innovation Tuesday, 17th May 2011, York Racecourse
The housing sector and local authorities have a key role to play in improving local environments and satisfaction surveys often indicate that this is an area of high importance to residents. Housing providers and local authorities are working hard to deliver value for money in grounds maintenance contracts, whilst also improving the quality of services. They are also using innovative techniques to involve communities in participative engagement to improve these services. By attending this conference you will: Understand how to procure and secure value for money in grounds maintenance contracts. Hear about the benefits of taking a neighbourhood approach and the benefits of working locally in partnership. Learn from those who have recently reprocured services and have lessons to share. Learn from those who have collaborated in the procurement of services. Listen to those who have benchmarked services and contracts. Hear first-hand how tenants and community groups have shaped, won and delivered grounds maintenance contracts. Understand the law relating to service charges and the pitfalls. Learn from good practice examples - what works.
Who should attend? Anyone working to procure, deliver or manage grounds maintenance contracts, and those who have an interest in managing services at a neighbourhood level, who want to hear the latest thinking.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Delegates will be able to record 4 Continuing Professional Development hours for attending this conference.
Programme 10.00
Registration and refreshments
10.30
Chair’s introduction and welcome Jez Lester, Assistant Chief Executive (Asset Management), Incommunities Group
10.35
Grounds maintenance - best practice in procurement and contract management Andrew Carlin, Commercial Director, Northern Housing Consortium (NHC) Focussing on the procurement of grounds maintenance contracts, this session will cover hints and tips from lessons learned, including: How to build a procurement contract. Contract specification and content. Employment and enterprise. Evaluation of contract work. Neighbourhood approaches to contracts.
11.00
Performance management and excellence in grounds maintenance Mo Baines, Principal Advisor, Association of Public Service Excellence (APSE) In providing an overview of the work of APSE and their performance networks relating to ground maintenance, this session will cover: The importance of sustainability of public space on housing estates Benchmarking Good practice in the sector
11.25
Question and answer session
11.40
Professional practice sessions 1. Tendering with customers April Higson, Director of Housing, Stockport Homes (ALMO) In providing experience from recent review of ground maintenance services, this session will cover: Lessons learned. Working with customers. Working with partners. Re tendering. Good performance management systems.
2. Tenant involvement in contract management
Richard Forster, Service Director for Neighbourhoods, Wakefield and District Housing Ltd Gary Lumb, Community Safety Manager, Wakefield and District Housing Ltd Using their experience from the re-procurement of their grounds maintenance contract, the session will cover: Tenant involvement in contract design and award. 1st few months transition blues. The path to success.
3. Shared services in Sheffield Amanda Garrard, Executive Director of Operations, Pennine 2000 HA Dean Butterworth, Assistant Director of Housing Management, Sheffield Homes In providing their experience of joint estate services working across Sheffield with Acis and Great Places Groups, this session will cover: Lessons from partnership working. Joint procurement . Changes to contract delivery. The support of tenant inspectors in this process.
4. Residents – doing it for themselves Mervyn Thomason, TMO Manager, City West Homes Ltd Christine Williams, Westminster Resident City West Homes have a Local Agreement with tenants to manage some services without the need to set up a Tenant Management Organisation. In providing some information on their Tenant Services Authority (TSA) sponsored Local Agreements, this session will cover: The path that led them to review grounds maintenance arrangements on all estates. Offering options to tenants to procure the contracts or to do the work themselves. How residents recycle all efficiency savings back into their communities.
12.45
Lunch
13.50
Professional practice sessions (morning workshops repeated)
14.55
Refreshments
15.15
Charging for services – the law, the issues and how to manage them Neil Townsend, Divisional Director, Riverside Group Jane Plant, Solicitor, Weightmans LLP and member of the Law Society Housing Committee Neil will discuss: The issues he has faced in charging for services across mixed tenure estates. How the Riverside Group have successfully worked across Halton with other landlords to overcome those problems. The recent quality review of service charge activities completed within the group. Jane will discuss: The law which surrounds the management of service charges. The pitfall for landlords. How to ensure you demonstrate an ability to manage service charges within the law.
16.05
Chair’s closing remarks
16.15
Close of conference
Grounds maintenance Delivering best value, quality and innovation Tuesday, 17th May 2011, York Racecourse Delegate fees
Early booking discount: book before 22nd April 2011
Northern Housing Consortium Member
£199
£179
Non Member
£249
£229 All delegate fees are shown excluding VAT.
How to book Online To book your delegate place at this event and to view our full terms & conditions and cancellation policy, please click below.
Book Online
Telephone To make a provisional booking please telephone our events team;
0191 566 1000 Please note any telephone reservations are made on a provisional basis and must be confirmed in writing within 2 working days.
Contact us For further information or if you have a query please contact a member of the events team: Telephone: 0191 566 1000 Email: events@northern-consortium.org.uk
Download a copy of the programme here