Improving Social HousingMaintenance
DIRECT WORKS FORUM
23 Cunningham Drive
Lutterworth
Leics LE17 4YR
Email:
ThirdSeminar of the year on 12th Sept 2017
to be held at
Ansty Hall Hotel, Main Rd.Ansty Coventry
CV7 9HZ
Claire Paton
Claire is part of the Cirrus Purchasing management team, responsible for the day to day and strategic management of the business as well as core procurement consultancy services. As a lead procurement consultant Claire has worked with over 50 housing and public sector organisations providing a wide range of specialist procurement consultancy services. Among other procurement activities, Claire has successfully designed and delivered over £2.7bn of major EU compliant tenders across a diverse range of categories.
Steve Makowski
Steve in 2005, after many years teaching in the secondary and further education sectors and running his own joinery business, Stephen started training organisation Construction Gateway.Construction Gateway are industry specialists delivering bespoke construction and building maintenance training programmes as well as NVQ’s and apprenticeships within Construction and related trades. Throughout his time as Managing Director Stephen has maintained an active role in the delivery of training within the organisation on a regular basis so that the company’s skills and services remain industry specific and relevant to modern industrial practice. Stephen has extensive experience working with employers and further education institutions and regularly advises these organisations on assessment practices and on-site training.
He is an expert in developing qualifications, interpreting occupational standards and designing apprenticeship programmes that meet employers and learners requirements. Stephen’s particular area of interest is in e-learning and the development of specialist vocational training software. Over the years, he has developed advanced learning platforms for learners and employers and this role has lead him to several opportunities speaking and advising at international skills and training conferences. This has contributed to and enhanced Construction Gateway’s reputation as a highly successful and well respected training provider in this sector.
Tom Knox (Solicitor/Director)
Tom has specialised in housing law since 2002 and has always worked exclusively within the Social Housing Sector, representing over 50 Registered Providers and Local Authorities of various sizes and structures. His experience is vast and he is regularly called upon to speak at industry events and conferences on all matters concerned with housing law. Tom is the firm’s lead in relation to Housing Management, Training and Leasehold Management. The Legal 500 recently described Tom as having ‘in-depth technical knowledge’.
Steve Turner
Steve Turner is a director of Xantive and partner in Geometra Systems. Steve is also the author of The Language of Value For Money which forms the basis of several housing associations’ VFM strategies. Steve has been developing housing sector specific systems in procurement and compliance to which he brings 20 years of sector experience from Councils, ALMOs, Traditional and Stock Transfer Housing organisations of all shapes and sizes.Steve will be taking about how recent events have brought an even sharper focus on how organisations manage (or don’t manage) compliance including how they can reliably and evidentially track recommendations and actions arising from inspections and audits. Compliance is a demanding process and achieving it requires significant organisation well beyond a trusted staff member and excel skills.
Roger Bicknell, Career Consultant
Roger has spent his career in HR and HR consultancy. He gained extensive experience as HR Manager for an international high technology organisation.. He moved into HR consultancy joining the Production Engineering Research Association (PERA) to run their newly formed HR consultancy division. Roger stayed in HR consultancy working with client organisations across a wide variety of business sectors including engineering, advanced technology, banking, financial and other service based areas. He has developed a particular interest in Career Coaching over the last 20 years working with individuals on career planning and development.
Paul Worthington, Managing Director
HMS, Liverpool Mutual Homes Subsidiary Contractor
Paul has worked in Repair and Maintenance for nearly 25 years starting his career as a contractors Quantity Surveyor and moving between various operational and senior management roles with a number of social housing providers in the North West. This experience was invaluable in enabling him to establish HMS from a cold start, leading the company through various economic and cultural challenges since its creation in 2011. His role as Manging Director for HMS includes the strategic co-ordination of the various activities within our business plan whilst developing the company to take growth opportunities within our market.”
Jez Lester
Now an independent housing consultant he was, until June 2017, the Assistant Chief Executive (Asset Management) at Incommunities Housing Group, an LSVT with 22,500 properties based in Bradford, West Yorkshire. In this role he had responsibility for all asset management and estate services functions including the internal DLO, repairs & voids, planned maintenance, statutory compliance, new build, regeneration and commercial property management
Sarah Ellis (Barrister/Director)
Sarah was called to the Bar in 1999 and specialised in social housing and civil litigation. She has represented Registered Providers and Local Authorities in all forums from the County Court to the Court of Appeal. Sarah is the lead advocate and heads the firm’s Anti-Social Behaviour department. She is a skilled and highly experienced barrister and undertakes the majority of trial advocacy within the firm. Sarah regularly speaks at industry events and conferences as well as providing training on anti-social behaviour. The Legal 500 recently noted Sarah’s ‘innovative approach and approachable manner’.
Agenda–12th September 2017
9.30 – 10.00 / Registration/coffee10.00 – 10.05 / Chairs welcome/ Notices/ New Members / Keith Simpson – DWF Chair
10.05 – 10.35 / End of the Disrepair Gravy Train.... getting in, getting it done, getting it right’ / Sarah Ellis & Tom Knox – Knox Ellis Solicitors
10.35 –11.10 / The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Recent Factors affecting Procurement. The introduction of new Government policies, procurement case law setting precedence and the ongoing Brexit negotiations all influence public sector procurement.
This session will explore the effect these factors have on procurement and how we can adapt to get the best from the procurement exercises we conduct / Clair Paton – Director of Consultancy
Cirrus Purchasing Ltd
11.10 – 11.25 / Coffee Break
11.25- 11.55 / Skills Assessments/Skills Matrix and update on DWF Training Web Site / Steve Makowski – Construction Gateway / National Housing Academy
Cambridge CC & Saffron HA
11.55 – 12.25 / ‘Planned on Demand’
"A new approach to renewing major elements with the potential for big savings" / Jez Lester – ex Assistant CEO Incommunities HA
12.25– 13.45 / Lunch & Networking
13.45 – 14.20 / Career Management in a Changing Environment / Roger Bicknell – Career Consultant
14.20– 14.50 / ‘Would a Wholly Owned Subsidiary Work for You’
” / Paul Worthington – MD Housing Maintenance Solutions
14.50 – 15.35 / Compliance post Grenfell Tower – The Challenges !!! / Steve Turner – Geometra Systems
To reserve a place
Please email Rodney Smith at
no later than Monday4th September
Please advise of any special dietary requirements