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Join us at Homes 2022 on 23-24 November

Written by Fusion21 | Oct 28, 2022 9:35:59 AM

This year, we return to Homes UK on 23-24 November at ExCel London, offering two days of seminar content delivered by a range of highly regarded thought leaders in the sector. 

As Fusion21 members, we're offering you free tickets to attend as our guest.

See our full seminar programme below:

Wednesday 23 November sessions:

Time Session Speakers
9:30-10:15

How will social landlords meet their repairs challenges?

Staff shortages, meeting net zero and mounting repairs backlogs are just three examples of the asset management challenges faced by landlords. With a perfect storm of ageing stock that needs to be upgraded, fire safety issues that need to be fixed and net zero targets that need to be met, social landlords are having to focus – and spend money – on existing stock.

This session will help those on the frontline to navigate these mounting challenges.

Chair: Gary Stanfield, Fusion21

  • Phil Pemberton, Riverside Group
  • Mark Batchelor, The Hyde Group
  • Joanne Hiscock, Moat Homes
10:30-11:15

Procurement's role in building safety

What are the implications of the new Building Safety Bill as law? What is procurement’s role in building safety and achieving best value rather than a ’race to the bottom’? How can the sector adopt and implement procurement practices that will deliver safer buildings? Can collaborative procurement lead to safer, better-quality outcomes?

Chair: Andrew Gray, Fusion21

  • Darya Bahram, King's College London
  • Martin Cawthorn, L&Q
  • Jenny Harris, Sanctuary Group
  • Matthew Lewis, Clarion Housing Group
  • Jane Duncan, RIBA's Expert Advisory Group on Fire Safety
11:30-12:15

Procuring with tenants

Many services that tenants rely on are out-sourced to private contractors. Getting the contract specification for this work right can make a huge difference to tenant satisfaction and the smooth running of the contract. How can tenants be involved meaningfully in the preparation of contracts, selecting contractors and monitoring ongoing performance?

This session will explore how housing and procurement professionals can support tenants to share their valuable insights and experiences to co-design services and contracts that deliver value for money. 

Chair: Mark Chadwick, Fusion21

  • Jenny Osbourne, Tpas
  • Fayann Simpson, L&Q
  • Ian Simpson, Communities First
  • Rev James Olanipekun, Together with Tenants Advisory Panel
12:45-13:30

Managing the impact of price uncertainty in material supply chains

Every social landlord wants a materials agreement that delivers top quality, at the best price, for the life of the contract. Given the current price uncertainty within material supply chains, this session will explore current market conditions and how to manage the impact on delivering quality homes and services.

How can organisations review their contracts for material supply and work with suppliers to achieve operational efficiencies, cost certainty (within contracts) and security of supply?

Are there specific products of concern? What can we collectively do to alleviate the issues? How does the future look?

Chair: Jeff Edginton, Fusion21

  • Simon Hancox, AKW
  • Paul Jones, Vaillant Group
  • Dave Woodward, Wolesley UK
  • Karen Houston, Camerons
14:00-14:45

Towards sustainable procurement

The housing sector is set to spend billions on retrofit and the net zero challenge. This session will explore:

- How can we think more holistically about the wider community benefits that retrofit and net zero projects can bring?
- How can we build long term investment plans so that the decisions we make in the short term will have positive environmental, social and economic impacts in the long term?
- How does procurement influence sustainability?
- How can we formally embed sustainability goals and metrics into every aspect of business, including supplier selection and works with suppliers, and use this framework to help staff make decisions at every level?
- What wider support is available to reduce environmental impacts in business?
- How can we hold ourselves to account around this purpose going forward?

Chair: Duncan Spokes, Fusion21

  • Brendan Sarsfield, Sustainability for Housing
  • Helen Carter, Action Sustainability
  • Matt Hickman, VINCI 
  • James Traynor, ECD Architects
15:00-15:45

Demystifying the Public Procurement Reform Bill and what it means for housing

The Public Procurement Reform Bill will mean fundamental changes to how the housing sector procures its strategic goods and services. The wide-ranging changes include new procurement processes, greater transparency, social outcomes, supply chain engagement, new obligations for housing organisations and more.

In this session, we explore what impact the legislation will have and how the sector and its supply chains can prepare for the changes ahead. How can organisations start to think creatively and collaboratively about how to embrace the new regime?

Chair: Peter Francis, Fusion21

  • Rebecca Rees, Trowers & Hamlins
  • John Wallace, Clarion Housing Group
  • Kirsty Bower, Octavia

Thursday 24 November sessions:

Time Session Speakers
9:30-10:15

Procuring in an uncertain world: how to manage the impact of escalating costs

With global events creating a “perfect storm” of materials and labour shortages and supply chain disruption, this
panel will explore the impact of escalating costs on new housing and repairs and maintenance.

How can the sector monitor the risks and take strategic action to manage them so that they can provide safe and good quality homes and services now and in the future?

Chair: Peter Francis, Fusion21

  • Claire Bailey-Jones, Novus
  • Kevin Williamson, Sovereign HA
  • Atul Dattani, CEF
10:30-11:15

How do we fund decarbonisation?

This session will explore how to secure long-term financing of decarbonisation works to improve thermal performance and reduce carbon demand. What alternative funding methods are available beyond LAD and SHDF? With the cost of living crisis likely to affect revenue, can housing providers use capital reserves, borrow through finance linked to ESG or cut back elsewhere?

Chair: Paul Towers, Fusion21
  • Arun Poobalasingam, The Housing Finance Corporation
  • Jane Harrison, Soho Housing
  • Abid Hanif, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing
  • Noel Brosnan, Paradigm Housing Group
11:30-12:15

Procurement with purpose: how social value can deliver on the green skills agenda

Investment in green home upgrades, energy efficiency and installing renewable heating technology has the potential to create 325,000 jobs across the UK by 2035.

This session will explore how the sector can maximise the huge social value opportunities that this presents for local communities and economies.

It will examine the findings and recommendations from HACT's recently released Just Green Transition report that was part funded by the Fusion21 Foundation. How can the sector "think big" in response to this?

Chair: Sarah Maguire, Fusion21

  • Amy Holbrook, PH Jones
  • Lynsey Sweeney, Communities That Work
  • Robert Sugden, HACT
  • Shelley Hathway-Batt, Clarion Housing Group
12:30-13:15

Addressing the cost of living challenge through innovation and collaboration

This session will explore the impact of the rising cost of living on tenants and how the housing sector can collaborate with partners in the community to help those worst affected.

How can we best target community investment strategies and resources to address key areas, including health and wellbeing, fuel poverty and the quality of housing conditions?

How can collaborative and cross-departmental approaches maximise the impact of interventions? What examples can we learn from?

Chair: Jo Hannan, Fusion21

  • Anna Taylor, The Food Foundation
  • Alistair Smyth, The Guinness Partnership
  • Matthew Buckham, Sovereign HA
14:00-14:45

The golden thread of building information: delivering on safety AND sustainability 

One of the key recommendations of the Hackitt report was a "Golden Thread" of building information, enabling better and safer decisions in the design, construction and operation of buildings. The challenge to make safer buildings is very similar to the challenge to make buildings sustainable. You can’t just design a safe building or a sustainable energy efficient building but you have to consider the whole life cycle of the building including operation. Much focus has been on building information in the design and construction phases but building and construction activities only account for 36% of global final energy. Building information and the Golden Thread enables designers to communicate their intentions, contractors to communicate what they build and building operators to understand how to manage and operate a building not just safely but also sustainably.

This session will explore how the Golden Thread can play a key part in the wider digital transformation of the built environment, helping to lower carbon emissions as well as improve building safety.

Chair: Chris McQuillan, Fusion21

  • Jack Ostrofsky, Southern Housing Group
  • Aman Sharma, BRAC
  • Hanna Clarke, Construction Products Association
  • Varun Soni, Calfordseadon
15:00-15:45

Case study: retrofitting for both safety and sustainability

In this session, the panel will discuss a transformational refurbishment of eight tower blocks for Luton Borough Council. The works successfully encompassed both energy efficiency measures and building/fire safety measures.

Attend to hear the lessons learned and areas of innovation and best practice from inception and procurement to delivery on site.

Chair: Paula White, Fusion21

  • Michael Brown, Michael Dyson Associates
  • James Jennings, EQUANS
  • Gary Stanfield, Fusion21

 We also have a dedicated exhibition and coffee area, where you can network with a range of our suppliers and meet our team of procurement and social value specialists.

Suppliers confirmed to date include...

We look forward to seeing you there and discovering what we can achieve together to make a real impact.