Member: Coastline Housing
Service Area: Compliance services (Active Fire; Asbestos, Legionella & Mould)
Solution: Active Fire Framework and Asbestos, Legionella & Mould (ALM) Framework
Procurement Lead: Penny Searson, Sustainable Procurement Manager
Coastline Housing is a Cornwall-based registered provider, managing around 5,500 homes, an Extra Care facility and a homelessness facility.
With a large portfolio and an ambitious homes creation programme bringing around 300 (and rising year on year) new homes to local residents each year, Coastline needed reliable, swift and compliant procurement support, especially with the new regulatory requirements of the Procurement Act 2023.
The challenge
Newly appointed to the role of Sustainable Procurement Manager, procurement lead Penny Searson was tasked with taking Coastline’s approach to compliance to the next level, while also working to tight mobilisation timescales.
The priority was speed: contracts needed to be in place for the start of the financial year, and previous consultations had not resulted in nominations, meaning a competitive process was required without delaying delivery.
“We needed to mobilise services while maintaining compliance,” explains Penny. “That meant we needed to be confident that our routes to market and documentation aligned with latest regulations, including changes affecting fire safety.”“As a provider based in Cornwall, we have found it challenging to secure genuine supplier coverage across our entire stock portfolio, so engaging procurement routes with strong local suppliers was especially important. With a busy period approaching the financial year end, we knew we needed to move quickly to get the right suppliers in place for our needs.”
The solution
Coastline Housing chose NHC Procurement because of prior positive experience and confidence in our capability, compliance expertise and supplier marketplace. Using NHC Procurement frameworks offered a straightforward, compliant route to run competitive processes quickly, and enabled Coastline to call off multiple frameworks consecutively to meet urgent needs.
For example, the flexibility of the Asbestos, Legionella & Mould (ALM) Framework helped Coastline select the most appropriate route to market and progress at pace.
For active fire requirements, covering maintenance of fire and refuge alarms, extinguishers, blankets and automatic opening vent (AOV) systems, NHC Procurement supported Coastline to shape the requirement and identify the right lots (including Lots 3.1 and 3.5), including a cross-referencing exercise to ensure the right suppliers were engaged.
The Coastline team also benefited from rapid supplier engagement, including a ranked award route and meetings with shortlisted suppliers, which provided additional assurance on delivery capability.
By working with NHC Procurement, Penny and her team received:
- Prompt, step-by-step guidance to maintain momentum during an especially busy period.
- Access to compliant specifications aligned with evolving regulatory requirements.
- Support to identify the most effective call-off method and secure value for money, including input from wider technical specialists.
- Practical help putting the call-off contract in place, reducing internal workload.
“I needed a route that let us move quickly, but with absolute confidence we were doing things properly,” says Penny.“NHC Procurement were really responsive and kept us on track step by step. Having them set up the call-off contract took a big chunk of admin off my plate at a critical time.”
The outcome
By using NHC Procurement’s trusted frameworks, Coastline Housing put compliant arrangements in place within the required timescales, enabling mobilisation to begin smoothly at the start of the financial year. Early indications are positive, with a strong start to both contracts and reassurance that appointed suppliers can deliver the required services locally.
- Contracts mobilised quickly to meet urgent deadlines.
- Increased confidence in compliance and regulatory alignment, including fire safety requirements.
- Improved assurance on supplier capability and coverage in Cornwall through structured engagement.
- Reduced procurement workload through hands-on support and contract set-up.
The value of partnership
For Coastline, the experience was about more than accessing a compliant route to market. Having a named Account Executive and access to wider procurement specialists when needed meant that queries were answered quickly and decisions were made with confidence.
“The hands-on support that NHC Procurement offers really helps to relieve pressure on internal teams,” concludes Penny.“Having that step-by-step support from our Account Executive, as well as the procurement specialists on the NHC Procurement team, made all the difference in meeting our objectives and getting compliant solutions in place.”
Chris Holding, Contract Manager – Property Compliance, further noted that “NHC Procurement were outstanding with communication and delivering swift results for us.”
Looking ahead
With new compliance services mobilised and strong foundations in place, Coastline Housing has been supported to maintain high standards across its homes and facilities while continuing to build at pace.
By combining compliant frameworks, quality suppliers and responsive, practical support, NHC Procurement helped Coastline deliver at speed, without compromising on assurance.
Interested in achieving similar results? Get in touch to find out how NHC Procurement can support your next compliance or procurement project.
