Independent Insurance Reviews

Brief overview...

Our independent services have helped many different organisations to choose a broker or insurer effectively, improve the standard of service and protection which they receive from their selected provider, to manage claims recording problems, identify the issues surrounding professional risks including Directors’ and Officers’ Liability or simply understand their insurable exposures more fully. We have a proven track record of over 20 years providing valuable assistance to organisations when confronted by the complexities of insurance and risk issues, specialising now in the provision of insurance consultancy services to social housing and social care providers.

Public Procurement Regulations

Given the vagaries of the insurance marketplace and the complex nature of a multi-class insurance programme, it is widely acknowledged that the procurement of insurance does not sit well within the Public Contracts Regulations. Nevertheless, the Regulations do apply to housing associations.

We have refined our tender processes since 2013, taking a pragmatic approach to dealing with the peculiarities of the insurance market whilst complying with the intention of the regulations and avoiding the risk of challenge.

Gibbs Laidler has a comprehensive understanding of the PCR 2015 regulations and is familiar with the various e-Procurement portals used by Housing Associations. In addition, we have our own facility for meeting the information publication requirements of PCR 2015, so it is not necessary to use any of the proprietary portals if you do not wish to. On the other hand, we have used MyTenders, Delta, The Chest, AdvantageSW, Sell2Wales, InTend and PCS and will work with your preferred portal to assist in forming an audit trail.

Public Procurement Regulations

Housing Associations generally adopt one of the three main procurement routes; Open, Restricted and Competitive Procedure with Negotiation.

We usually recommend use of the Competitive Procedure with Negotiation, because this process is permitted where the desired services cannot be specified with sufficient provision to enable a strict marking and assessment process to be used. In the case of an insurance review, the purpose is not simply to obtain a price for specified cover and service, but to give respondents a chance to conduct a review of your exposures and requirements and provide a proposition to meet them.

However, we are equally comfortable with the Open or Restricted procedure in cases where that will provide as good a result, and indeed many Associations prefer one of these procedures because they are wary of the potentia for challenge under a procedure which permits negotiation. We are very happy to discuss all the options with you, including the use of a Procurement Framework or Dynamic Purchasing System and consider the benefits of each.