This department has a number of specialist functions, the two most obvious being:
- Procurement of the new programme (development team)
- Investment in our existing stock (property services team)
The bringing together of these two entities has allowed us to create a department with a distinct property focus. It enables and encourages a 'whole life' view of an asset, from the drawing board through to medium and long-term investment decisions which the Association will make over the life of the asset.
This enables the Assocation to handle increasing consumer awareness, and supports the Association's need to understand more about what our customers want from us.
Linked to these organisational changes, is the wider regulation environment where ever greater efficiences are being required of public investment. This is an opportunity for us to make better use of our assets, to streamline processes, to improve our product, and to eliminate waste.
A Best Value Review of our asset management services has been completed to ensure they are up-to-the-minute, and represent good value for money in the eyes of our customers, and to remain attractive to the Housing Corporation as an investor in Westcountry Housing Association.
From this Best Value Review, the Asset Management User Panel (AMUP) was formed. AMUP is a group of Westcountry staff and residents which helps the Asset Management team focus on service standards within the Property Services team and assists in the design and specification of the development of Westcountry's new homes. AMUP does this by reviewing plans for new houses, considering scheme layouts, specification, colour schemes etc and reviews performance on maintenance matters. AMUP also nominates members of the Association's New Business Development Group (NBDG) and to other Association residents' panels which look at quality and performance across the sector.