NAHP INDEPENDENT CERTIFIER
OUR EXPERTISE EXPERIENCE SINCE THE BEGINNING Since the introduction of the Grants for Developer Funding NAHP (National Affordable Housing Programme) in 2006, calfordseaden have been involved in providing consultancy advice to several large house builders, developers and registered social landlords relating to their applications for partner status through to management of successful Bids.
OUR TEAM Our Independent Certifiers are located in all of our offices, allowing a swift service near to individual schemes. Our previous involvement and experience of acting in this role on nationally awarded programmes has proved that the geography of our offices ensures our ability to deliver an efficient timely cost effective service.
WHAT IS AN INDEPENDENT CERTIFIER UNDER DEVELOPERS GRANT? What it is Independent Certifier for Developers Grant is someone appointed by both the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and a Preferred Partner (Developing Agent). The role is as an auditor to certify that the preferred partner has met the conditions of grant.
What it is not It is not the same as the identical title under Private Finance Initiatives appointments, nor is the role the same as that of Project Monitor for a Funder, such as a Bank.
The role of Independent Certifier is predominantly one of checking standards have been met by the collection of verifications from other parties. Therefore a large amount of documentation needs to be forwarded to the Independent Certifier and then cross-checked for compliance with Bid details. We seek information in four tranches: At appointment; Start on site; During the construction phase; Prior to practical completion. Obviously the more information received at or before the requested stage permits any non-compliance to be rectified at an earlier time, or waivers sought. For ease of internal storage of your audit files and to reduce Developing Agents costs we recommend that information is collated into categories and sent as scanned electronic copies saved onto CD. If this is not possible, calfordseaden will of course accept hard copies of data. Although the major workload and responsibility of the Independent Certifier is office based, progress on site and the critical path is useful information. This is achieved through close liaison with the Employers Agent’s and by requesting inclusion on the distribution list of site meeting minutes. Our Independent Certifiers produce monthly reports that show the current status of documentation signed off and those that are still awaited.
As the role is essentially designed to report on audit trail compliance, site visits are less frequent than the monthly reports. We generally propose the following: 1. Start on site for familiarisation of the scheme 2. Certification Inspection - Pre handover to Managing Agent.
Fees calfordseaden have a standard fee policy across the Practice that we believe enables a high quality service. Two basic fee options are available with or without the services of an Employer’s Agent. We also offer portfolio discounts to suit an individual Client’s needs.
Appointing calfordseaden Certification The units should be habitable and in accordance with the Bid criteria, i.e. having all standards and enhancements met. It is not, however, a requirement that the Client has accepted the dwellings as having met their own contractual or quality requirements. Units can be signed off individually or on a block certificate. It is preferable that units are certified and signed off en bloc to match grant phases. Grant conditions require that the Independent Certifier’s Certificate is included in the final grant draw down. Final grant draw down is also required prior to handing over any unit to the Managing Agent. Once a snag list is issued with a Certificate there are only five working days for the Developing Agent to rectify the identified items. It is preferable therefore that no outstanding remedial work is recorded.
We are able to accommodate this service for all variants of Grant Agreement, but we do sometime require a small number of changes to be inserted into the appointment Contract signed by yourselves and the Homes and Communities Agency. These changes where necessary have to date always been agreed as being reasonable, bringing appointments into line with industry standards. For further information contact: Angela Lemon MRICS Orpington office T 01689 888222
E alemon@calfordseaden.co.uk Terry Bartholomew Dip Surv MRICS MAPM London office T 020 7940 3200
Snagging items recorded under this Certificate are items of non-compliance of grant terms and not Employers Agent contractual standards/requirements. To that end we would envisage that all paperwork is received by calfordseaden four weeks before the date requested for a site visit to inspect an agreed number of units.
E tbartholomew@calfordseaden.co.uk Ross Sheridan BSc (Hons) MRICS ICIOB Birmingham office T 0121 454 1688
E rsheridan@calfordseaden.co.uk Neil Callum Dip Surv MRICS Winchester office T 01962 718300
E ncallum@calfordseaden.co.uk
HEAD OFFICE St John’s House, 1a Knoll Rise Orpington Kent BR6 0JX T 01689 888222 F 01689 888299 E orpington@calfordseaden.co.uk King's Head House King's Head Yard Borough High Street London SE1 1NA T 020 7940 3200 F 020 7940 3299 E london@calfordseaden.co.uk Stewart Court 214a Hagley Road, Edgbaston Birmingham B16 9PH T 0121 454 1688 F 0121 454 1700 E birmingham@calfordseaden.co.uk Calford House Wessex Business Park Wessex Way Colden Common Winchester S021 1WP T 01962 718300 F 01962 718350 E winchester@calfordseaden.co.uk
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