Affordable Housing Client Guide

Our innovative approach to structural warranties offers a real alternative to others on the market. The Q Policy can cover you for as long as you require and if you subsequently want to change the layout or make further adaptations to your homes, we give you the option to do this and maintain cover for the whole property.

At Q, we understand that affordable housing not only serves the investment requirements of many funds and bodies, but that Registered Social Landlords and Housing Associations must be in a position to provide high quality properties to meet the needs of the many stakeholders involved, from funders to tenants, client representatives and building/maintenance managers.

By being on-site more than any other warranty provider, we offer a highly risk-managed, quality focussed, flexible

insurance approach, designed to meet the needs of all types of projects.

If your homes comes with The Q Policy, it means they are quality properties, underwritten by some of the most expert underwriters in the world.

We strive to improve standards of construction in the UK – one building at a time, by focusing on four key areas:

The Q Policy for Affordable Housing has been specifically designed for Registered Social Landlords and Housing Associations.

Close Partnerships Risk Management Consistency Customer Service

Key Features & Benefi ts

• Minimum of 8 key stage visits per plot - Q commits to having the most regular and best risk management approach in the UK

• A-rated policies off ering potential lifetime cover

• Policy underwritten by certain underwriters at Lloyd’s of London and other A-rated insurers

• Insolvency Cover for Defects Liability Period as standard - mirrors the contractual Defects Liability Period

• Optional Financial Loss Cover - including costs of securing abandoned sites

• Minimum Claim Value - for both properties and common parts, rather than costly excess or deductible

• Statutory Notice Indemnity Cover as standard - sometimes known as contaminated land cover

• Cover automatically included for loss of rent or alternative accommodation

• Structural extensions & modifi cations can be included in cover

• Highly experienced technical team providing support & advice to site teams

• Clerk of Works and Snagging services available

• Structured dispute resolution process available

Structural Defects Warranty – why do I need it?

Structural (or Latent) Defect: A defect which remains undiscovered at the date of completion (of a property) but manifests itself during the period of insurance by way of actual physical damage.

Insurance is an important safety net in any construction process; protecting your investment and giving you the peace of mind you need to plan properly. When you’re building aff ordable new homes, we know that you want them to be of the highest possible quality, but even with the best of intentions, sometimes mistakes can happen, which can cause problems in future.

That’s where Q comes in – providing structural insurance to cover potential defects from the design or construction process which could be expensive to rectify later.

When you take out a structural defects warranty, the design and construction of your new homes have to meet our technical requirements, which ultimately means that the quality of your new homes meets all relevant standards.

With The Q Policy insuring your properties, you can potentially continue cover for as long as you want and can also make further alterations to the property while maintaining full cover.

The Q Policy is accepted by all major mortgage lenders in the UK – for more information please visit our website at:

qassurebuild.co.uk/lender-approval

Benefits:

Improved quality controlWe carry out a minimum of 8 key-stage visits per plot – getting it right first time reduces your costs, reduces the risk of future problems and ultimately provides far greater protection for your investment.

The best on-site service – guaranteed!Our highly experienced surveyors will work with your site teams during their visits, providing technical support and advice, to help ensure that your new homes are built to the highest standards and will last for generations to come.

World-Class UnderwriterAt Q, we work with world-class, A-rated underwriters, including Lloyd’s of London (the world’s specialist insurance market of over 300 years standing), to ensure your new homes are underwritten by secure and quality insurers and giving you (and any funders or lenders) peace of mind: a quality underwriter for quality properties.

Designed to meet your needsQ understands the requirements of Affordable Housing providers and has designed a policy to be of maximum benefit and minimum hassle, streamlining it to suit your needs: loss of rent & alternative accommodation cover included as standard, minimum claim value rather than a costly excess, financial loss cover including security costs for abandoned sites and a Defects Liability Period dictated by your contract with your builder.

Refurbishment & Conversion SpecialistsOur policies have been developed with the challenges of refurbishment & conversion in mind: we assess each project on its individual merits, applying requirements which are proportionate and necessary with the full support of an experienced surveyor.

Modern MethodsIn an increasingly environmentally conscious world, we actively encourage innovation & eco-friendly building methods – we want to help you lead the way with sustainability targets.

The Q Policy – how does it work?

To get a price from Q:

• visit our website www.qassurebuild.co.uk and download the relevant forms

• e-mail us at admin@qassurebuild.co.uk and we can send you the forms

• call us on 0333 577 2800 and we would be delighted to discuss your project with you. Complete our Initial Indication Questionnaire and email it back to us with more information about your project and we can provide you with a non-binding indication of price to enable you to make an initial decision.

When you know you want to proceed with Q, we will then get your company and project fully registered and provide you with a binding quotation, which will be valid for 28 days. Once your project is ready to start, we will also provide you with the name and contact details of your Q Surveyor, who will get in touch with your Site Manager to discuss the project and map out the key-stage visits and timescales involved.

We will also liaise with the builder who you have appointed to manage the works: they will need to register with Q and sign up to our Terms of Business Agreement, which is an important aspect of providing insurance for your properties.

Technical Manual: With full access to our Technical Manual as well as direct technical advice available from your Q Surveyor, we aim to make sure your professional teams have enough information to design in compliance with Q’s Technical Requirements.

Design Review: As part of our early risk management process, we will carry out a full review of your design proposals as well as conducting a review of the general site environment and any constraints which could affect the design and construction.

Health & Safety: Q can offer Principal Designer and CDM Advisor Services, guidance on how to comply with the CDM Regulations and general construction safety guidance to ensure your homes are designed & built to the highest of safety standards.

Party Wall Surveying: We can offer a comprehensive Party Wall Surveying service throughout England & Wales, delivered in full compliance with the Party Wall Act 1996, giving impartial & independent advice at all stages.

Arrange Site Insurances: Whether your project is a conversion, renovation, extension or a new build you will invariably need comprehensive protection during the construction period for both the existing building and the rest of the site. Q can arrange this for you and your contractors.

1. Get a price and arrange cover

2. Design process

Inclusive Optional

Site Visits: We will visit each plot a minimum of 8 times during the construction phase – if you find it useful, we can also arrange additional visits to suit you, to help you with your quality control.

Support & Advice: During our site visits, we will inspect the works which have been carried out to date, to ensure that they are in accordance with good building standards, but we also pride ourselves on being more than an inspector. At the end of the day, we want your properties to be of as high a standard as you do, so we will highlight any areas which are potentially problematic and work with your contractors to get it right – we won’t just leave you with a headache to solve on your own.

Health & Safety: We can carry out regular health & safety inspections or periodic audits to ensure you fulfil your statutory liabilities and maintain the highest standards of safety on all your sites. We can also provide health & safety support and advice as necessary.

Clerk of Works & Quality Control: Q can provide a more regular quality monitoring service to supplement our key stage insurance visits to be an extra pair of eyes for you on site.

Financial Loss Cover: Q can offer Affordable Housing providers with the opportunity to purchase Financial Loss Cover which provides insurance cover if you make an advance payment under contract to your main contractor, in the event that they are unable to complete your new homes due to fraud, insolvency, bankruptcy or liquidation and additionally, to cover some of the costs associated with securing your site to prevent against unauthorised entry, theft and vandalism until work resumes.

3. During the construction phase

Inclusive Optional

4. Following completion of your new home

• Insolvency Cover during the Defects Liability Period: Included as a standard part of your policy, this means that the underwriter would meet the cost of carrying out the necessary works to your new homes if, during the Defects Liability Period, the main contractor fails to rectify defects in your new homes because they no longer exist due to fraud, insolvency, bankruptcy, or liquidation.

• Structural Insurance Period: The Q Policy provides insurance cover for rectification of damage (caused by defects) to your new homes, for a minimum period of eight years after the Defects Liability Period, giving you the opportunity to extend cover annually after that. The policy also provides cover if the Environmental Agency serves a Statutory Notice on you as a result of contamination within the new home boundary.

• Support during the Defects Liability Period: the main contractor is responsible for repairing any defects during the Defects Liability Period, but we can also help you to monitor any issues which you notify to them to make sure any remedial works are done properly. We can also facilitate a formal Mediation Process to help resolve disputes between

you and the main contractor, ensuring a fair and transparent process for all parties.

• Snagging Service: Q can also offer a full snagging service to you for reasonable rates, to ensure that when your properties are handed over, they have been fully inspected for finishes and cleanliness as well as defects, ensuring that when your clients and tenants move into their new homes, they are in the condition you would expect!

With The Q Policy, when your affordable new homes are completed, you can expect the following from us:

Technical Support Services

In working with you on your projects, part of our getting it “right first time” approach also involves offering a package of support services to suit the different needs of our partners. Our background in construction means that our team has a wealth of experience in the development process, ensuring our advice and consultancy can be geared exactly to your needs. Q can offer you any of the following services:

Q Assure Build Ltd, Coverholder at Lloyd’s, is the Policy Administrator for The Q Policy range of Structural Defects Insurances and is an Appointed Representative of Marshall Wooldridge Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority - Reg. No. 136079. Registered in England at 11 Milbanke Court, Milbanke Way, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 1RP. No: 727 7528.

Coverholder at

Find out more at: qassurebuild.co.uk/q-services

Clerk of Works & Quality Control

Health& Safety

Party WallSurveying

PrincipalDesigner

CDM Support& Training

The Q Policy from Q Assure Build Ltd11 Milbanke Court, Milbanke Way, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 1RP

T: 0333 577 2800 E: admin@qassurebuild.co.ukwww.qassurebuild.co.uk