Agenda item

Report of the Corporate Director of Adults, Housing and Health. To be presented by the Cabinet Member for Housing & Planning (Deputy Leader)

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST RELATING TO THIS ITEM:

None

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.    Approved the commencement of a procurement for long?term subcontract arrangements across eight contracts delivering specialist trade lots, for an overall contract value of £2,407,500 per year, with an average of £300,937.50 per lot and a maximum aggregated potential value of £16,852,500 over a maximum contract term of seven years. This was subject to satisfactory supplier performance and the availability of budget in each of the two one?year extensions, in accordance with CSO?2.01(b).

2.    Delegated authority to the Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning and Deputy Leader, in consultation with the Director of Housing, to approve the award of contracts following a competitive and compliant procurement process and Section?20 consultation process.

Reasons for decision:

The Council needed to ensure that Haringey Repairs Service (HRS) was equipped with the specialist trade capacity, commercial stability and contractual flexibility required to maintain safe, compliant, and well?managed homes across the borough. The existing subcontracting arrangements were fragmented, time?limited, and no longer capable of meeting operational demand or supporting statutory duties.

The proposed 5+1+1 call?off contracts, including suitable break clauses and a performance?management process, provided a structured long?term solution enabling HRS to meet statutory obligations—including drainage systems and Energy Performance Certification—as well as wider repairs such as roofing, scaffolding, and damp and mould treatments.

Consolidating these arrangements into a coordinated procurement significantly reduced transactional overheads, improved value for money through economies of scale, and supported more effective contract and performance management. The option to include up to two one?year extensions also allowed future re?procurement to be planned more smoothly, avoiding pressure on staff and resources caused by multiple co?terminous contract expirations.

The procurement further enabled the Council to manage risk more effectively. Multiple?contractor lots for roofing and scaffolding improved operational resilience and business continuity during peak demand or contractor under?performance. This strengthened supply?chain reliability, ensured adherence to statutory and regulatory requirements, and provided the flexibility needed to respond to fluctuating volumes of work.

Overall, the recommended actions represented the most effective means of ensuring that HRS could deliver safe, timely, and compliant services while improving commercial oversight, risk management, and outcomes for residents.

Alternative options considered:

Do nothing

Rejected. Maintaining the fragmented and time?limited subcontracting arrangements would have exposed the Council to significant risks, including service failure, increased ad?hoc purchasing, and non?compliance with statutory obligations. The existing arrangements were not capable of meeting current or future demand and did not provide a sustainable or legally robust basis for service delivery.

In?house delivery only

Rejected. Full in?house delivery was assessed but discounted due to insufficient internal capacity, specialist skills, and the required accreditations. Delivering all specialist trades internally would have required long lead times, substantial recruitment, specialist training, and investment in equipment and plant.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, and Deputy Leader of the Council introduced the report.

It was explained that the Council sought to promote fair access to housing across the borough, including homes that were safe, warm, comfortable and affordable.The council undertook repair, retrofit and refurbishment works across its housing stock. The Estate Renovation Plan committed over £570m to council home improvements over a ten?year period, with the aim of improving comfort and housing quality.

The delivery of a repairs service that was reliable, timely and responsive formed a core element of the council’s commitments to residents. The proposed recommendations for responsive repairs were intended to provide long?term stability and support service improvement.

The introduction of clear and robust subcontracting arrangements ensured that specialist support was available when required. This enabled the council to meet both day?to?day operational demand and statutory responsibilities across the housing stock, while providing capacity and flexibility to improve outcomes for residents.

The adoption of this procurement model supported effective use of public funds. It established a structured framework to support value for money, strengthen commercial accountability and improve performance management over the life of the contracts. This approach supported the ongoing management of issues such as damp and mould, energy performance and building safety, contributing to the maintenance of safe and well?managed homes.

Following questions from Councillors Cawley-Harrison, the following information was shared:

• It was explained that procurement of one-off repairs was time consuming, and that the implementation of the proposal was a good means of ensuring speedier responses. It was noted that the Council had reorganised teams to have the correct skillsets to focus on specific tasks, which led to better organisation. It was additionally stressed that the service was looking to continually upskill officers to have improved contract management training, as well as ensuring that contract management performance reviews were consistent.
  
  
• It was noted that the Council was looking to implement digital methods, including improvement to housing management systems, to help streamline the service.
  
  
• It was explained that the service had improvement housing and job management systems through digital development to improve information flow. It was explained that the Council would have better information as a result of these improvements, which would improve long-term job management.
  
  
• It was stressed that operatives and contractors were instructed and trained to report any additional works, including signs of damp and mould, to act to initiate remedial works as soon as possible.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.    Approved the commencement of a procurement for long?term subcontract arrangements across eight contracts delivering specialist trade lots, for an overall contract value of £2,407,500 per year, with an average of £300,937.50 per lot and a maximum aggregated potential value of £16,852,500 over a maximum contract term of seven years. This was subject to satisfactory supplier performance and the availability of budget in each of the two one?year extensions, in accordance with CSO?2.01(b).

2.    Delegated authority to the Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning and Deputy Leader, in consultation with the Director of Housing, to approve the award of contracts following a competitive and compliant procurement process and Section?20 consultation process.

Reasons for decision:

The Council needed to ensure that Haringey Repairs Service (HRS) was equipped with the specialist trade capacity, commercial stability and contractual flexibility required to maintain safe, compliant, and well?managed homes across the borough. The existing subcontracting arrangements were fragmented, time?limited, and no longer capable of meeting operational demand or supporting statutory duties.

The proposed 5+1+1 call?off contracts, including suitable break clauses and a performance?management process, provided a structured long?term solution enabling HRS to meet statutory obligations—including drainage systems and Energy Performance Certification—as well as wider repairs such as roofing, scaffolding, and damp and mould treatments.

Consolidating these arrangements into a coordinated procurement significantly reduced transactional overheads, improved value for money through economies of scale, and supported more effective contract and performance management. The option to include up to two one?year extensions also allowed future re?procurement to be planned more smoothly, avoiding pressure on staff and resources caused by multiple co?terminous contract expirations.

The procurement further enabled the Council to manage risk more effectively. Multiple?contractor lots for roofing and scaffolding improved operational resilience and business continuity during peak demand or contractor under?performance. This strengthened supply?chain reliability, ensured adherence to statutory and regulatory requirements, and provided the flexibility needed to respond to fluctuating volumes of work.

Overall, the recommended actions represented the most effective means of ensuring that HRS could deliver safe, timely, and compliant services while improving commercial oversight, risk management, and outcomes for residents.

Alternative options considered:

Do nothing

Rejected. Maintaining the fragmented and time?limited subcontracting arrangements would have exposed the Council to significant risks, including service failure, increased ad?hoc purchasing, and non?compliance with statutory obligations. The existing arrangements were not capable of meeting current or future demand and did not provide a sustainable or legally robust basis for service delivery.

In?house delivery only

Rejected. Full in?house delivery was assessed but discounted due to insufficient internal capacity, specialist skills, and the required accreditations. Delivering all specialist trades internally would have required long lead times, substantial recruitment, specialist training, and investment in equipment and plant.