Fife construction firms have learned how they can build their businesses by adding community benefits, like training and employment opportunities, to their tenders for contracts to deliver new affordable housing for councils and housing associations.
Kingdom Housing Association organised and hosted a Fife Alliance event to promote the added value associated with the delivery of community benefits as part of housing provision.
The event was attended by over 60 representatives from the housing sector, including many of Kingdom’s contractors, consultants and suppliers. It highlighted the support that can be provided to partners who participate and facilitate employment and training opportunities.
Kingdom Chief Executive Bill Banks, who chaired the event, said:
“At Kingdom our mission is to ‘provide more than a home’, and the delivery of community benefits is a way of achieving this. It is also a primary aim of Fife Council and other local authorities we work with that the creation of employment and training opportunities provide a positive economic impact within the communities where we operate.”
The programme for the event included a range of practical sessions to promote community benefits and various well informed presenters shared their knowledge and experience.
Stuart Fargie, Fife Council Procurement Officer, outlined the expectations of Fife Council through the contracts it awards and the range of support services it provides to assist delivery of community benefits outcomes.
Lynne Dunn and Joanne Aitken from Fife Works provided details on the employer advice and assistance services that can be provided through the Opportunities Fife Partnership and Andrew McDaniel, Kingdom’s Communities Onitiatives Officer outlined the Fife Alliance wider role strategy and how it is delivering community benefits across a range of themes.
Vanessa Gallant, from the Construction Industry Training Board, provided very helpful advice on the community benefits benchmarks used as part of the procurement selection process and highlighted the assistance that can be provided through the employer engagement programme.
Karen Lamb, Employer Advisor with Job Centre Plus, provided information on how it assists the process and the different training and employment initiatives that are available to employers.
Andrew Cowan, Partner with TC Young, provided the legal perspective and informed the audience on the Procurement Reform Act and Sustainable Procurement Duties and Amanda Wright from Graham Construction provided examples of where her company has delivered community benefits as part of the constructions contracts it has awarded.
For copies of all of the presentations from the event please click here.
