Novus Mobilises Second Anchor Contract In North West

Leading national maintenance contractor Novus Property Solutions has mobilised a significant contract with Anchor in the North West of England, closely following commencing work for another contract with Anchor in the South West.

Last year, Novus was awarded two lots on the Anchor Outsourced Responsive Repairs and Asset Investment Works programme, which features a series of deals worth a total of around £1.7 billion over 15 years, as England’s largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care for people in later life pioneers the digitisation of its operations.

The contractor’s work with Anchor in the North West covers a wide geographical spread including Merseyside, Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Cumbria. As part of the initial five-year contract, which has the potential to be expanded for a further five plus five years, Novus’ expert team will be carrying out a series of responsive repairs and voids as well as planned improvements across Anchor’s portfolio in the region.

Collaboration between Novus and Anchor has played a vital role in the successful mobilisation of the programme, which was meticulously planned and featured regular progress meetings. As part of the mobilisation process, Novus’ team made around 20 scheme visits across the North West to identify potential social value projects for the duration of the contract.

Furthermore, the contractor’s successful regional recruitment drive and week-long induction for around 50 local roles ensured staff were in place and engaged ready for the contract to go live.

Steve Gayter, Executive Director at Novus Property Solutions, said:

“We’re proud to have recently begun our work with Anchor in the North West, marking the next stage of our partnership with the organisation. The successful mobilisation of both projects with Anchor – located hundreds of miles apart – demonstrates our team’s dedication and skill, and further cements our position as a maintenance contractor of choice across Great Britain."

“We look forward to further building our relationship with Anchor’s team in the North West, as well as making a real difference to communities across the North West through local employment and social value projects.”

Anchor’s Chief Executive, Sarah Jones, said:

"We are pleased to be working with Novus in the North West and South West. Completing repairs and planned property works on time, to a good standard, at a price that represents value for money, is central to our residents’ experience of their homes and it is vital that we get this right. We will work in partnership with our new contractors and our technology provider to achieve this outcome for residents, and make the process more efficient for colleagues.”

About Anchor

Anchor began more than 60 years ago and today is England’s largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care for people in later life. It provides housing to rent and to buy and residential care homes, including specialist dementia care. In total, Anchor serves more than 65,000 residents in almost 55,000 homes across almost 1,700 locations. Its residential care services employ the majority of the 10,000 strong workforce, providing services to residents at more than 120 care homes. Anchor operates in more than 85% of local councils in England. Anchor is an accredited real Living Wage employer – a mark of recognition awarded by the Living Wage Foundation.