Co-op Homes (CHS)

April 2024:  The FPHC/CHS Working Group are meeting with CHS every two weeks on Teams to keep on target.  We are currently organising online banking and finalising the accounts ready for a start up date in June.  We have provided all the relevant policy documents to date and also the current maintenance and cyclical testing data.

27th February 2024: The FPHC/CHS Working group finalised and sent off the CHS, Schedule 2 this week, which comprises the services we have chosen as essential for the running of the co-op. The next document to be sent off is the Mobilisation document where we provide CHS with the relevant policy and accounts documents to complete the due diligence process.  Then we will finally receive the Management Agreement.  Once this is agreed and signed we will be receiving comprehsnsive details as to how the services will work in detail.

6th February 2024: At the Special General Meeting on 6th February a report was presented outlining the latest negotiations and work being done by the FPHC/CHS Working Group: 
The FPHC/CHS Working Group is comprised of seven members:  Roger Kidd, Gandha Key and Martin Hudson who are responsible for policy documents and correspondence; Jonny Evans, Julian Richman and Pam Broadhurst who are responsible for banking, accounts and Quickbooks; and Michael O'Sullivan who advises on social housing management and negotiations.

FPHC is negotiating with Co-op Homes South:  a housing management service for social housing providers.  Since our last report we have had a three meetings to discuss the final version of the Schedule of Services which outlines all the services that Co-op Homes offer. It will also form the basis of the final formal document: the Management Agreement. We have been discussing and deciding what services we wish to include and what services we could keep as ad hoc items and in so doing dispense with the requirement of having to pay for them on a yearly basis which is expensive; these would be charged on an ad hoc basis as one-offs and thereby save money.

Some services will be fixed; these are the services that we feel are essential for the running of FPHC and will be included in the basic package of service

 

Essential Services :

 

1.  Rent Collection and Rent reports

2.  Financial Management including:

  • Managing all bank transactions including processing of invoices

  • Production of quarterly management accounts

  • Help with welfare benefits

  • Production of end of year and statutory accounts

  • Providing information for auditors

  • Management of audit process with auditors appointed by the MC

3.  Repairs and Maintenance, including Cyclical Maintenance: These would include a percentage for administration, plus the carrying out of:

  • Fire risk Assessments
  • Maintenance of asbestos register
  • Legionella testing
  • Fire alarm and CO alarm testing
  • Gas safety checks (CHS would only charge an admin fee we will use our own contractor)

Some services are additional and would be costed on an ad hoc basis.

In this regard the following services can be requested at any time, including :

  • Anti-social behaviour and complaints investigations
  • Handling voids
  • Insurance renewals and claims
  • Policy and governance
  • MC training
  • Attendance at MC meetings
  • Ensuring we maintain standards according the Regulator of Social Housing

January to April 2023

Co-op Homes changed their senior management at the end of 2022/beginning of 2023 and there was a delay while re-organisation of management and also updating their services took place. When this process was completed in April, we were contacted with a view to applying for their services.

 

The working group had a zoom meeting in July with John Baldwin, the new CEO and Wayne Lee (Accounts) of CHS to discuss services and costings. We were supplied with a list of services that we could apply for and a meeting was held in the FPHC office by the working group and a number of MC members and tenants to discuss which services we wanted and also to look at the costs. The process of sorting out costs and services took a few weeks and further MC meetings. We eventually came up with a list of relevant services that we require; there are some services that CHS offer which we can access also but which we will pay for on a case by case basis.

 

Where are we at present (January 2024)?

  1. FPHC is required to open an electronic banking services so that CHS can pay our contractors and other bills. This is in the process of being set up.

  2. We have completed the Due Diligence Procedure this past week, which requires FPHC to furnish CHS with copies of our management accounts, financial statements, complaints policy, FPHC contractors list that we wish to retain, and the last AGM Minutes

  3. CHS are now in the process of inspecting our due diligence documents to see if we are able to proceed.

  4. The next and final stage will be receipt of and signing of the Management Contract, which will need to be looked through by FPHC and possibly by our lawyers.

Obviously as we progress onwards more information will become available.