Ian Brown, Client Support Manager for LHC’s north region, shares his views on why framework providers LHC’s partnerships work
The procurement process is often long, complicated, costly and unclear. Ian explains why he joined LHC to develop the North region.
I began my career with LHC over a year ago, positioned in the North to develop the North West and North East regions. Having a physical presence in my region, where I can be on hand to support clients and members with their procurement decisions and the process, is really valuable. You get to know both the companies and the clients very well and can help get projects moving which may otherwise seem overwhelmingly challenging.
LHC is an industry-leading not-for-profit organisation, successfully pursuing its mission over 50 years to improve the quality of public buildings and neighbouring communities. We are framework providers that procure works, products and services for the construction, refurbishment and maintenance of social housing, schools and public buildings.
Since its inception, LHC has established a high-quality reputation within the sector, not only from its independent technical expertise but also from its superior operations to deliver fast and effective solutions to meet local requirements.
We are trusted by our clients and members to address every aspect of their procurement decision-making, including financial, quality, sustainability, local and compliance requirements. Detailed specifications and sourcing of the most capable suppliers can be left to us.
Work with LHC Frameworks to access approved contractors and suppliers in your region
LHC technical experts develop specifications for products and services. Frameworks are established with appointed companies according to company standing, product and service quality, and value for money. The tender process for each framework is undertaken strictly in accordance with the EU Procurement Directive.
We are framework providers that work with public sector bodies throughout the UK. Public sector bodies contract directly with the appointed company and throughout the duration of each contract, LHC works with clients and members to monitor and validate the performance of the appointed company.
Whether you’re a public sector organisation looking for procurement solutions or a supplier with products or services to provide, there are plenty of good reasons for you to work with LHC.
Benefits of LHC
Public sector organisations use our frameworks as there are multiple benefits throughout the length of the project.
When clients use LHCs pre-existing frameworks, they can be certain all legal requirements and specifications related to procurement have been developed by industry experts. Organisations don’t need to allocate resource to navigate the legal minefield of procurement, a particular benefit for smaller organisations.
Having been in the industry for over 50 years, we have strengthened our team of building professionals to make sure our frameworks remain technically excellent. Our framework development programme is supported with further investment in marketing activity to make sure we engage with as many clients and members as possible and attract the best suppliers to tender for our frameworks.
We don’t believe in charging membership fees, which is why it’s completely free to join LHC as a member. To use our frameworks, a levy system is applied whereby the appointed companies pay a levy on invoices raised on projects delivered under the framework. As a not-for-profit organisation, we return all surplus to our client contracting authorities to support social value initiatives in their local communities.
All of our clients and members can access our industry-leading technical team while being supported by our client engagement team throughout their individual framework journey to ensure an excellent experience.
The need to be able to procure quickly and efficiently without compromising on quality is where LHC adds significant value.
The use of framework providers such as LHC is intended to complement procurement departments within larger organisations, where bringing specialists into a project via a framework can speed up procurement by offering additional technical expertise and regulatory assistance. For smaller organisations, frameworks can provide the resource they do not have.
Where urgent works are required, frameworks come into their own, providing immediate access to companies that have already been assessed and can perform the task to the required level.
A local authority was in need of a modular building. Using our networks and having established robust relationships with our appointed companies, a procurement route was presented to the local authority and discussions were soon underway. As a result, a new partnership formed between the client and the supplier for the delivery of a new modular school building.
It’s all about building relationships with our suppliers and partners. Our aim is to give our partners a choice of approved framework suppliers to work with.
We’re passionate about delivering to our customers and treating our appointed contractors on the framework with the utmost respect.
When it comes to reliable procurement, we’re not just an access agreement. Our client engagement team, technical team and dedicated project support team provide support from pre-agreement right through to the end of the project. Project support is there throughout meetings, pre-tender engagement, pre-contract meetings and for the entire duration of the project, technical support is on hand in person or over the phone.
How do these frameworks help social landlords to make a positive impact on local communities?
Our ultimate goal is helping our clients deliver better environments for the communities they serve; a goal we support through our frameworks that address every aspect of quality and our selection of the most appropriate suppliers.
When companies are tendering to be on a framework, it is made clear what is expected of them not only in terms of contract delivery, price and quality but also on social value. Any social landlord using a framework knows how it will allow them to achieve their social outcomes. It is within their gift to identify organisational priorities as well as community priorities. Such priorities may be using local labour, apprentices, redistribution of surplus going in to a community investment fund etc.
LHC operates all over the country, with regional hubs in London and the South East, South West, Central and the North. LHC also operates in Scotland as the Scottish Procurement Alliance (SPA) and in Wales as the Welsh Procurement Alliance (WPA).
Visit us at lhc.gov.uk or follow us on twitter @lhcprocurement
LHC Frameworks
Construction and refurbishment:
New-build Housing (H1) from Autumn 2018
Offsite Construction of New Homes (NH1/NH2)
Schools and Community Buildings (SCB2)
Modular Buildings (MB1)
Energy Efficiency Measures (N7)
Project Management – Consultancy (N7)
General Refurbishment (N7)
Kitchen & Bathroom Replacements (KB3)
Pitched Roofing (PR3)
Flat Roofing (FR2)
Building components:
PVC-U Windows & Doors (U10)
Composite Entrance Doors (C7)
Timber Windows (T4)
Communal Entrance Doors (CED1)
Kitchen Units (K6)
Services:
Asbestos Works & Services (AS1/AS2)
Heating Services (HS1)
Vacant Property Protection (V7)
Water Management (WM1)
Coming soon:
Fire Risk Assessment
Please note: this is a commercial profile
Ian Brown
Client Support Manager
LHC North
Tel: 07879 424 087
www.twitter.com/lhcprocurement
