i2i and the CAN DO Toolkit
AS BOTH LANDLORDS and tenants are forced to tighten their belts as a result of benefit reform, it is becoming increasingly important that housing providers aim to get the maximum value possible for every pound they spend in Wales. In the wake of a letter sent to RSLs and local authorities by Kath Palmer, deputy director of homes and places, indicating that all landlords should adopt a community benefits approach to procurement by September 2013, now is a great time to revisit i2i’s past work and the on-going work promoting the CAN DO Toolkit.
Welsh Government considers community benefits to be a major factor in helping to tackle poverty and create jobs and training opportunities in the poorest communities. Targeted recruitment and training and community benefits have been the focus of i2i’s approach to procurement for the last five years.
What are community benefits?
A community benefit is anything that comes out of a contracted agreement between two parties that directly or indirectly benefits the wider community. i2i promote targeted recruitment and training (TR&T) as the ‘gold standard’ of community benefits and have helped housing providers across Wales to deliver:
• employment of long-term unemployed, young people and people who are disadvantaged in gaining employment
• traineeships, apprenticeships, NVQs and other qualifications
• work experience placements
• mentoring and education opportunities in local schools
• support for local community, arts and sports initiatives
• advice and support for the local supply chain
The housing sector in Wales has also used non-core contract requirements to procure other benefits such as staff volunteering days, sponsoring local sports teams and contractors making donations to community events. This has strengthened the relationships between landlords, contractors, tenants and residents and also combatted lack of resources and funding in the poorest communities.
In September 2013 i2i co-ordinators Rachel Morton and Gareth Jones hosted a webinar giving an overview of community benefits and procurement. Find it at www.cih.org/webinars.
The CAN DO Toolkit
The CAN DO Toolkit is i2i’s free resource to housing providers who wish to implement community benefits as part of their contracts. It is a step-by-step guide giving
help and advice on targeted recruitment and training, and developing your supply chain through the use of small and medium enterprise.
Last year’s review document, Four Years On… collated information from landlords about their experiences in using the toolkit. As stated in the report, Welsh housing providers have created 3,675 jobs and training opportunities by adopting the principles of the CAN DO Toolkit.
In December, i2i distributed a survey to collect information on the good work in procurement being done across Wales. The data received back from 30 housing organisations will be used to inform the ‘Five Years On…’ report to be produced in the New Year.
The future…
Welsh Government has committed to the community benefits agenda. As more landlords seek to place community benefits at the heart of their procurement processes, i2i will continue to offer consultancy and tailored support to the housing sector in order that Welsh tenants and residents see the greatest benefit from capital spending.
If you would like more information on how i2i can help you, contact Gareth Jones, i2i co-ordinator. Email Gareth.jones@cih.org or visit www.cih.org/i2i.
Capturing the Lessons
i2i/CIH Cymru hosted a ‘Capturing the Lessons’ session in December 2013. This event brought together experts to focus on key strategic and practical issues, and to identify deliverable actions. The information gleaned from the discussion will then form the basis of an ‘Active Response’ document, CIH/i2i’s reports that disseminate good practice throughout the housing sector.
This session focussed on equality and anti-poverty agendas and their significance in the procurement of community benefits and targeted recruitment and training.
If you work in promoting equality in housing and have experience of the difficulties faced by anyone categorised as having a protected characteristic as prescribed in the Equality Act 2010, and you would like to contribute, contact Gareth Jones, i2i co-ordinator by emailing gareth.jones@cih.org.