Wellingborough Homes joins Housing Associations Legal Alliance

Northamptonshire-based Wellingborough Homes has become the 10th member of the Housing Associations Legal Alliance (HALA).

Established in 2010, HALA jointly procures external legal services and value added benefits (including training). The alliance also shares legal knowledge and best practice.

HALA’s members include Viridian, Phoenix, Hexagon, Octavia Housing and Advance.

Dave Lockerman, Head of Housing and Customer Service at Wellingborough Homes, said: “Reducing costs and driving efficiency for the benefit of our residents is one of our key strategic objectives. Joining HALA will, I believe, help us to achieve this goal on a longer-term basis.

“Yet what also attracted us to membership of this national group was the quality of the value added benefits. These not only include an extensive and often bespoke training programme for our employees but also the innovative social benefits that it opens up to our residents such as mock interviews for job seekers, and work placements.”

The alliance and its Solicitors Panel are managed by consultancy Kennedy Cater.

Helen Edwards, Director of Public Sector at Kennedy Cater, said: “We are delighted to welcome Wellingborough Homes to HALA which continues to go from strength to strength.

“The Alliance is now a force to be reckoned with, offering substantial discounts on the costs of legal services, with over 200 fixed fees currently negotiated. At a time when the social housing sector is being particularly squeezed we look forward to welcoming more new members to this proven framework.”

In December 2014 HALA named 11 law firms across three lots on its Solicitors Panel.