Response:

Not Applicable

Response:

Not Applicable

1

Name of bidding entity

Orchard & Shipman plc

2

Type of entity (e.g. limited company, partnership)

Public Limited Company

3

Company registration number (if applicable)

4693323

4

Name of parent company (if applicable)

Not Applicable

5

Parent company registration number and/or OSCR registration number (if applicable)

Not Applicable

6

Name of ultimate parent company (if applicable)

Not Applicable

7

Ultimate parent company registration number (if applicable)

Not Applicable

8

Length of time trading if less than 3 years

Not Applicable

9

Is bid in conjunction with another entity (entities)?

Not Applicable

10

If answer to Q9 yes, in what capacity (e.g. consortium)

Not Applicable

11

If answer to Q9 yes, provide answers to Q1 to Q8 for all bidding entities (answer on separate sheet)

Not Applicable

A

Copy of audited accounts covering the last three years of trading, or period available if trading for less than three years. This must include the most recent audited accounts.

Attached at Appendices A, B and C

B

(Or) Profit and loss account, balance sheet, cash flow statements, unaudited for the most recent three years of trading, or period available if trading less than three years, where audited information is not available.

N/A

C

(Or) Where A or B cannot be provided, a statement of the entity's cash flow forecast for the current year and a bank letter outlining current cash and credit facility position.

N/A

D

For all bidding entities, Certificate of Incorporation/Partnership Mandate.

Attached at Appendices D and E

E

For all bidding entities, list of partners/directors.

Attached at Appendix F

Note

1

Name of Bank (from which a financial reference may be sought)

Lloyds TSB Bank plc

2

Address

Lloyds TSB Commercial

Chilterns & Heathrow Office

1^st Floor

56 High Street

Marlow

Bucks

SL7 1AJ

3

Telephone Number

0845 300 0000

4

Suitable contact name

Mark Walker

5

Telephone Number (if different)

01628 890031

Response:

No.

Response:

Not applicable.

Provide details of your Annual Turnover (in £ Sterling) for:

Latest Year

£9.7 million

One year previous

£8 million

Response:

We have been unable to obtain any information about TUPE liabilities. We understand that the majority of services within this tender are new.

(your response should not exceed 2000 words including the implementation plan)

Quality Weighting: 20%

B.2.1

Please outline your experience in delivering the customer outcomes set out in the Service Specification associated with this Lot and how you will manage this service to ensure successful customer outcome achievement and continuous improvement.

You should attach an implementation plan that details:

- your management structure and whether this has yet to be developed (e.g. for partnership arrangements)

- staffing and other resources that you will deploy to provide the service. This should include details of staff experience, qualifications and use of volunteers

- how and when you propose to deliver the service

- the approach you will take to transition arrangements including, but not limited to:

Response: Implementation Plan attached at Appendix M

Introduction

Orchard & Shipman plc is a rapidly expanding private sector property services group which has traded successfully for 20 years, initially as a partnership and since 2003 as a public limited company.

Our company vision is to be: “An organisation that is inspirational to work with, which innovates change and enhances peoples' lives”.

The company is comprised of two operating divisions: Orchard & Shipman (managers of private sector leasing social housing tenancies within private rented stock); and Campsie (a retail estate agency, commercial surveying and facilities management business).

Over the past six years our Orchard & Shipman division has become the largest private sector provider of leased accommodation to the public sector to house homeless households.

Professional Memberships

We maintain the following memberships and accreditations:

ARLA - Association of Residential Letting Agents

CHAS - The Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme

CIH - Chartered Institute of Housing contributing organisation

LLAS - London Landlord Accreditation Scheme

NAEA - The National Association of Estate Agents

RICS - Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors

Service Delivery

Orchard & Shipman are already working very successfully in partnership with City of Edinburgh Council on the Private Sector Leasing contract. The Lot 4 Contract (Secure Private Housing) presents an opportunity to build on this success and provide services to an even large number of clients. We envisage that this contract could create further move-on opportunities for PSL tenants who have given evidence of ability to sustain their tenancy, thus freeing up PSL accommodation for service users with more immediate needs. It also provides the opportunity for Orchard & Shipman and City of Edinburgh Council to work in partnership across a range of private rented sector housing opportunities in the city.

Experience housing homeless people in Edinburgh

Orchard & Shipman's private sector leasing contract started with City of Edinburgh Council in September 2005. The target was to achieve 250 properties per year for this scheme. During the first year, we achieved 602 properties and there are currently over 1,400 properties in management. Operating this scheme has required effective partnership working between the local authority, private landlords, tenants and ourselves. The properties are located in all 17 electoral wards of the city.

We are already successful in helping people both access and sustain tenancies in the private rented sector. For example the Council's Report dated 18^th September 2008 noted: “PSL is particularly successful in helping people to move onto private rented accommodation. Approximately 40% of people leaving PSL to move to another tenancy are in employment, disputing the concern that accessing the private rented sector is a disincentive to work” [CEC/074/08.09/S/C].

Contractor Commitment

As evidence of the importance we place on securing this contract, Orchard & Shipman will commit to providing landlords with a rent guarantee for the first 6 months of any tenancy on this contract.

Division of Responsibilities

This is a corporate submission from Orchard & Shipman plc with services being delivered by both our Campsie Residential and Orchard & Shipman social housing divisions. In this way, we will utilise the appropriate skills and expertise of each division. Campsie - landlord liaison and tenancy management; Orchard & Shipman - social housing specialists. By introducing Campsie to the Edinburgh market, we will be helping landlords and local communities to differentiate between Orchard & Shipman, PSL and Campsie direct lettings.

We anticipate the following in-house division of responsibilities:

B.2.2

Please outline your experience in delivering this type of service and submit the names of your primary customers in Scotland, the UK, Europe and worldwide together with the approximate value of business these customers provide. You should also supply an overview of the other services you currently provide and specifically identify what proportion of turnover relates to the service being tendered for.

Response:

UK Private Sector Leasing Contract Information as at 1st October 2008

These contracts are all for the management of private rented properties used to house homeless people

LA Contract

Units

Start Date

End Date

Contract Value

LB Hillingdon (renewed)

869

August 2002

July 2013

£20.8 million

Spelthorne

20

December 2003

December 2008

£0.47 million

LB Southwark

63

January 2008

January 2013

£2.9 million

LB Lambeth

300

November 2008

November 2013

£5.5 million

City of Edinburgh

1,419

September 2005

September 2010

£27.7 million

Scottish Borders

43

October 2007

October 2012

£4.3 million

Midlothian

53

October 2007

October 2012

£4.3 million

East Lothian

43

October 2007

October 2012

£4.3 million

TOTAL

2,810

If awarded the Lot 4 contract, this would represent 1.3% of Orchard & Shipman plc's annual turnover.

B.2.3

Please outline the quality assurance standards and systems you will comply with in delivering the service and whether these are already operating within your organisation.

Response:

Orchard & Shipman is in the processing of achieving ISO9001 accreditation. Our Quality Management System is currently being developed and will be fully operational from 1^st February 2009.

Orchard & Shipman have been accredited by The Housing Corporation under their Housing Management Scheme as managers of temporary social housing - we are the only company in England to receive this specific accreditation.

Please see our Quality Assurance Policy at Appendix N.

Quality Weighting: 55%

(Your response to this section should not exceed 1000 words)

Quality Weighting: 10%

B.4.1

Please outline how you will assist in the delivery of some or all of the Homelessness Strategy themes and related customer outcomes.

Response:

Introduction

With our experience of managing City of Edinburgh Council's Private Sector Leasing (PSL) scheme where we procure and manage accommodation for over 1,400 households within the city, Orchard & Shipman are used to working in partnership with the Council to assist in meeting some of the objectives of the Homelessness Strategy. We have contributed to the Council's response to the recent Scottish Government consultation on discharging homeless duty into the private rented sector. Indeed we facilitated a meeting that included Scottish Government civil servants and a Strategy & Policy Manager from the Council. We are also aware of the homelessness trends within the city and can respond accordingly to the Council's requirements.

Strategic Outcomes

City of Edinburgh Council's Homelessness Strategy 2008-2012 sets out 6 high level strategic outcomes which service providers are expected to contribute towards. We set out below how Orchard & Shipman will ensure that the strategic outcomes drive our contract performance to ensure we help the Council meet its aims.

1. People can get access to early, effective interventions to ensure homelessness is prevented

We will provide people with advice and assistance to help them access private rented tenancies as well as taking action to assist people sustaining any tenancies we manage. This is currently demonstrated by the successful management of the PSL scheme which has a tenancy failure rate of below 2%. Additionally, only a very small number of people leave PSL tenancies and come back to the Council as a repeat homeless case. To achieve this, we provide an intensive housing management service which includes early intervention in cases of rent arrears, suspension of Housing Benefit or any reported neighbour nuisance or anti-social behaviour cases.

With the Lot 4 contract, we will also negotiate with landlords where they are considering serving notice on the tenancy. Mediation with flat sharers will be included to help people sustain tenancies and prevent homelessness. As in the PSL scheme, we will also work closely with support agencies and notify the Council where any additional support needs are identified.

2. People can get help to find alternative housing solutions rather than only accessing the social rented sector

We are aware of the shortage of social rented housing within the city. We understand that it will not always be possible to satisfy some individuals' housing needs in the social rented sector within a reasonable time period. Additionally, we recognise that the greater levels of choice and flexibility of tenure afforded by the private rented sector suits many people.

We will ensure people receive advice on their full range of housing options but we will positively promote the private rented sector as a viable option where this is appropriate.

3. People can get immediate access to appropriate temporary accommodation

This will be possible both through our PSL scheme and in the traditional private rented sector. By offering landlords a rent guarantee for the first 6 months of any tenancy within this contract, we anticipate that a sizeable number of landlords will offer properties for Short Assured Tenancies.

By encouraging existing PSL tenants to move into the private rented sector, this will also have the effect of freeing up PSL properties for interim accommodation needs.

4. People are supported within their communities so they don't lose their current or future tenancies

Our tenancy management services will help ensure that tenants receive the assistance they require to sustain their tenancies. We are able to increase the frequency of visits to tenants where circumstances suggest this will help sustain the tenancy. We will also work closely with tenancy support services to help assist the tenants.

5. People are assisted to access training, education, employment and volunteering opportunities when they first contact a service

Key to delivering this outcome will be engaging with clients and getting an understanding of their needs and aspirations. Our specialist Welfare & Benefits staff will work closely with tenants both at the start and during the lifetime of the tenancies to ensure that they are assisted and signposted as appropriate to education, employment and training opportunities. We will also work closely with agencies that promote volunteering and indeed will explore opportunities for our staff to get involved with some volunteering.

6. People can get access to primary health care services

Part of our current Tenancy Sign-Up procedure is to advise tenants where the nearest doctor's surgery or health centre is. We follow this up at our 7 day settling in visit and subsequent interim visits to ensure our tenant has made the necessary links.

B.4.2

Please outline any additional services, volunteering or funding that you will bring to the service.

Response:

Introduction

We consider that a key element of the bid from Orchard & Shipman is the Rent Guarantee we will give to private landlords who provide tenancies for this scheme. We will consider supporting our staff who wish to take up volunteering options. We also have a Social Responsibility Fund which could provide some funds to worthwhile projects that we decide to be associated with.

Additional Funding

We will provide a Rent Guarantee for landlords for the first six months of any tenancy. For example guaranteeing a £600 per month rent to 300 tenancies would be a potential exposure for us of £1.08 million. We would expect to be successful in collecting the majority of this. Nevertheless this is a significant commitment of funds to support the scheme.

If we are unable to assist people access Rent Deposit Guarantees, we will also give consideration to guaranteeing the tenant's deposit, up to a maximum of one month's rent.

(Your response to this section should not exceed 1000 words)

Quality Weighting: 10%

B.5.1

Please outline which other organisations/agencies you intend to link to or work with in order to deliver the customer outcomes set out in the Service Specification associated with this Lot and how you will develop joint working with these. (This does not refer to sub-contractors but to other organisations working in the city).

You may present relevant examples of past and present partnership working.

Response:

Introduction

To deliver the customer outcomes of this contract Orchard & Shipman will work with a wide range of partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors. We have many of these partnering and joint working arrangements already in place as part of our Private Sector Leasing scheme with City of Edinburgh Council. We will also make new connections to ensure that all the customer outcomes are met.

City of Edinburgh Council

We already work closely with a range of Council services including Homelessness Services, local Neighbourhood Offices, Neighbourhood Managers and the Community Safety Team. We enjoy excellent working relationships and protocols with Revenues and Benefits. Where requested, we are happy to provide Elected Members with briefings and attendance at meetings in local communities. We work with the Council's Letwise Team with a member of our staff serving on the Inside Letting Editorial Board. We also have regular contact with the Council's Private Sector Services including Landlord Registration.

Private Landlords

We have an extensive database of landlords and investors who are current clients of our organisation e.g. through the PSL schemes we operate. This database also includes landlords who have shown interest in our services. Our customer lists would be utilised to encourage landlords to provide properties for this contract. We also work closely with estate agents and letting agents in the city who refer landlords to us who are interested in guaranteed rental schemes. We have already carried out a soft market testing exercise which has indicated some support for the services tendered for under this contract.

Dunfermline Building Society

We enjoy an excellent relationship with Dunfermline Building Society and will work with them to develop a savings product for tenants to save for deposits.

Capital Credit Union

We will also set up referral arrangements with Capital Credit Union so that tenants can both save and borrow for rent deposits.

Changeworks

We currently work closely with Changeworks and ensure that, where appropriate, tenants and landlords have access to free and impartial advice concerning improving the energy efficiency of their homes.

HomePoint

We will work with HomePoint to achieve accreditation to national housing advice standards.

Shelter Scotland

Building on an already established relationship with Shelter Scotland, we will work with their Advice Centres to raise awareness and understanding of the services we would be providing under this contract.

Mediation Services

In addition to having in-house qualified mediators, we will work with a range of specialist agencies where this may be appropriate.

B.5.2

Please set out the ways in which you will be open and responsive to changes in strategic direction during the life of the contract.

You may present relevant examples of past and present responsiveness to strategic change.

Response:

Introduction

We currently operate Private Sector Leasing (PSL) contracts for 8 local authorities - four in Scotland and four in London. These are contracts which provide for procuring private rented properties from landlords to be used as temporary accommodation for homeless people. With 6 years experience of operating these contracts, we have demonstrated flexibility in responding to the local authorities' changing needs and requirements.

Case Study - London Borough of Hillingdon

As an example of our responsiveness to strategic change - we list below an extract from a Press Release from London Borough of Hillingdon when our 5 year PSL contract was renewed in July 2007 for a further 3 years:

The groundbreaking Private Sector Leasing contract between Hillingdon Council and Orchard & Shipman plc to provide housing for the homeless has been extended for a further three years.

This innovative benchmark for private sector involvement in finding and managing high standard accommodation for homeless households started five years ago. From the start, it dramatically reduced the use of bed and breakfast accommodation to house families with children and it enabled the Hillingdon Council to pioneer new ways to comply with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's requirement to provide more settled accommodation for families with children.

Now, there are over 800 properties, supplied by individual private landlords, managed through the scheme. By using the private sector in this way, Hillingdon Council is able to spread accommodation throughout the borough. This allows individuals and families to be housed close to their own communities, which in turn helps preserve family ties and provides stability around schooling and medical care. Results from a customer survey this spring show 87% of investor landlords and 82% of tenants rate Orchard & Shipman services as excellent or good.

This Hillingdon Private Sector Leasing model has been so successful that it has been replicated by many other local authorities, including for City of Edinburgh Council, the largest scheme in the UK which is also managed by Orchard & Shipman.

Commenting on the contract extension, Cllr Philip Corthorne, Hillingdon Council's Cabinet Member for Social Services, Health and Housing said, "We're very pleased to continue working with Orchard & Shipman to provide more settled accommodation for homeless households. The Private Sector Leasing scheme has been very successful - it allowed us to pioneer new ways to meet the government's targets about providing non-bed and breakfast accommodation to homeless families ahead of the pack and has been used as the template for other similar schemes.

"The very good working relationship with Orchard & Shipman has allowed us to identify new ways of working to provide quality homes for those that need them."

(Your response to this section should not exceed 1000 words)

Quality Weighting: 5%

B.6.1

Please outline how you will ensure that people from specific equalities and hard to reach client groups will access your service and achieve the customer outcomes set out in the Service Specification associated with this Lot.

Response:

Orchard & Shipman plc aim to ensure that people from specific equalities and hard to reach client groups can access the service by taking proactive measures to ensure that the service would be accessible to all people, regardless of sex, race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion or belief. We recognise that while everyone is different, they have the right to be treated with an equal level of respect and have equal access to our services and facilities.

Orchard & Shipman's policy on equalities and access is to avoid discrimination of any sort. The company will never refuse to provide a service, provide a lower standard of service or offer a service on different terms than we would normally do, based on race, ethnicity, disability or any other varying factor.

We have a proven track record of working with homeless households of varying backgrounds, nationalities, cultures and races across our existing Private Sector Leasing contracts in Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian, Scottish Borders and the London Boroughs of Hillingdon, Spelthorne and Southwark. Our diverse customer base has enjoyed access to our services due to the adjustments we offer in our service to suit the needs of different nationalities, races and cultures. We can provide interpretation services at all visits, including property viewings, to ensure customers have a clear understanding on our service provision and how it is delivered, even if their understanding of the English language would otherwise present a communication barrier. We also offer the translation of all Orchard & Shipman documentation into different languages, again ensuring that discrimination is avoided by providing documentation in the customer's favoured language.

In addition, Orchard & shipman also have a proven track record of working with customers with a disability, and ensuring that our services are provided, wherever possible, in compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA). Our office premises are all located in DDA compliant premises, accessible via wheelchair, though it is company practice to offer to visit customers with mobility disabilities in their own homes.

This ensures our service provision is accessible to them, by bringing the service to them. Similarly to our language and translation services, we can also arrange for any documentation to be provided in large type, Braille or by audiotape, to ensure those with visual or hearing impairments can still access the service to the same level as any other customer.

In addition, Orchard & Shipman also constantly review our service delivery to ensure we are reaching all our customers on an equitable basis. We welcome feedback and ideas on how we can promote our services to the wide variety of communities we work with.

By continuing to provide our services in this manner, Orchard & Shipman would ensure the delivery of the contract and that customers from all backgrounds could obtain private rented accommodation as quickly as possible, find suitable people to share a property with, save for a deposit and maintain a successful tenancy.

Referee Organisation

Midlothian Council

Contact Name

John Burgoyne

Title

Housing Manager

Address

Midlothian Council

Buccleuch House

Buccleuch Street

Dalkeith

EH22 1AE

Service Provided

Managing agent for procuring and managing properties on a Private Sector Leasing scheme

Period of Contract

October 2007 - October 2012

Approximate Value

£4.3 million

Referee Organisation

London Borough of Hillingdon

Contact Name

Zaheer Iqbal

Title

Development Officer

Address

London Borough of Hillingdon

2N/07 Civic Centre

Uxbridge

UB8 1QE

Service Provided

Managing agent for procuring and managing properties on a Private Sector Leasing scheme

Period of Contract

August 2002 - August 2010

Approximate Value

£15 million

SIGNED

JOHN TAYLOR

ON BEHALF OF

Orchard & Shipman plc

ADDRESS

Anderson House

Breadalbane Street

Edinburgh

EH6 5JR

WITNESS

BENJAMIN DYER

(Name in block capitals)

WITNESS

(Signature)

DATED THIS

16th day of October 2008

SIGNED

JOHN TAYLOR

ON BEHALF OF

Orchard & Shipman plc

ADDRESS

Anderson House

Breadalbane Street

Edinburgh

EH6 5JR

WITNESS

BENJAMIN DYER

(Name in block capitals)

WITNESS

(Signature)

DATED THIS

16th day of October 2008

SIGNED

JOHN TAYLOR

ON BEHALF OF

Orchard & Shipman plc

ADDRESS

Anderson House

Breadalbane Street

Edinburgh

EH6 5JR

WITNESS

BENJAMIN DYER

(Name in block capitals)

WITNESS

(Signature)

DATED THIS

16th day of October 2008

SIGNED

JOHN TAYLOR

ON BEHALF OF

Orchard & Shipman plc

ADDRESS

Anderson House

Breadalbane Street

Edinburgh

EH6 5JR

WITNESS

BENJAMIN DYER

(Name in block capitals)

WITNESS

(Signature)

DATED THIS

16th day of October 2008

Schedule 2 Tenderer's Submission Requirements

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