‘Mobilise’ warm homes: how to prepare for successful retrofit

Funded by DESNZ, the ‘Retrofit information, support and expertise’ (RISE) service exists to offer comprehensive retrofit support and training for housing providers and their supply chains.

RISE’s extensive work with housing providers at the Warm Homes pre-application phase has highlighted the need for continuous engagement – supporting providers to bridge the gap from application phase into successful delivery.

This ‘mobilisation’ period is crucial to the success of a retrofit project. These sector insights have enabled the team to build out an enhanced RISE service to meet the needs of the sector. The RISE Mobilising for Success service aims to ensure that all the Warm Homes grant recipients have access to personalised support during mobilisation for delivery of their retrofit projects.

Why mobilisation support is so important

Pre-delivery mobilisation is critical to the future success of any retrofit project. Getting the foundations right and avoiding common pitfalls helps to ensure that delivery goes as smoothly as possible.

The Mobilising for Success support focuses on areas that can make or break future delivery.

The many insights we have gleaned from housing associations, local authorities and the supply chain at RISE events have highlighted the need for more detailed support in areas such as procurement, contract management, resident engagement, planning and data governance.

Although there are mandatory stages that DESNZ requires all grant recipients to pass before they can begin delivery, mobilisation is so much more than just a box-ticking exercise to access grant funds.

The project mobilisation phase often requires housing associations and local authorities to expand beyond internal bid teams into wider mobilisation capability, which will in turn grow a supply chain that will go on to deliver the retrofit project.

Often the teams’ skills and experience have been focused on the delivery of responsive repairs or planned maintenance, such as installation of new kitchens and bathrooms.

The step change required in project management and resident engagement, for the delivery of large-scale, complex retrofit interventions, presents an opportunity to develop new skills.

To ensure the successful installation of the right retrofit measures in each home, the sector must develop close, trusted relationships with contractors and deepen its understanding of retrofit methodologies.

The Mobilising for Success process can help providers identify any such gaps in knowledge or skills and address them with learning, development and tailored support before implementation.  

Lessons learned from former projects show that early and meaningful resident engagement is essential.

Taking the time to offer detailed communications and project insight can reduce the likelihood of disruption and refusals. The RISE CPD-accredited ‘Resident Centred Retrofit’ course offers a comprehensive overview of effective engagement practices to best support retrofit goals.

Helping to transform the delivery of retrofit

Above all, the mobilisation phase of any retrofit project is about laying the groundwork for streamlined and effective delivery.

Taking the time and accessing support to consider a project from every angle, and getting into the detail of critical areas such as improved data management or resident communications, can smooth out the delivery of the process and anticipate future challenges.

RISE’s Mobilisation for Success support enables exactly this, meaning that the full benefits of retrofit can be realised, and people’s homes and lives can be changed for better.

Alison Skillen, associate director, Turner & Townsend