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Summer is now in full swing, with temperatures in many parts of the country already soaring above 30 degrees.
In this month's newsletter, we share important reminders and updates including:
- the imminent DMS data submission deadline
- the importance of timely and accurate TrustMark lodgements
- reasonable assurance reports for the 2024/25 financial year, due by September
- an invitation to showcase your project by hosting our teams for a site visit
- and more
DMS data submission reminder
The DMS data submission deadline falls on the 10th working day of the month. Staying on top of this helps us track progress and keep operations running smoothly.
It's also a critical requirement for the department's official statistics which are published on its website periodically.
The next deadline to submit your reports is Monday 14 July.
A reminder to SHDF grant recipients:
Grant recipients who have completed delivery of capital works should continue to submit their monthly reports while delivery, financial and lodgement data is being confirmed.
Lodging completed properties on TrustMark
To stay compliant with scheme requirements and TrustMark reporting, please ensure the following details are included in your monthly DMS report:
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property upgrade details: include the property address, postcode, UPRN and pre and post-installation EPC ratings (easily found in the 'property details' tab)
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installed measure details: capture details like measure type, installation date, cost and TrustMark reference number – these are all in the 'measure details' tab
Working with contractors to lodge properties via TrustMark?
Don't forget these key resources are available to support you:
Reasonable assurance reports for 24/25
As a condition of Wave 2 grant funding, all grant recipients must submit a reasonable assurance report within six months of the end of the financial year.
This requires:
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having your annual accounts audited by an independent, appropriately qualified auditor
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ensuring the auditor’s reasonable assurance report (as outlined in Schedule 1 of your Grant Offer Letter) is submitted to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
For the 2024/25 financial year, reports are due this September and should be sent to shdfwave2.1@beis.gov.uk
Further details can be found in Section 8 of the GFA and Schedule 1 of your Grant Offer Letter.
If you have any questions, please contact your single point of contact (SPOC) in the first instance.
Monthly progress reports
Primary contacts at each grant recipient organisation should now have received the first copy of their monthly progress report from their Salix project support officer.
The report is designed to give you a clear picture of your progress and performance to date, and to highlight any variances between your delivery and baseline target.
Reports will be issued monthly, based on your most recent DMS upload.
If you have any questions, please contact your project support officer.
Closure information coming soon....
A massive congratulations to the grant recipients who have completed capital delivery for works funded through the scheme or are approaching this exciting milestone in the near future.
We're working closely with our colleagues at the department to confirm a checklist for closure activities required before your project can officially complete.
In the meantime, you can prepare for closure by collating project information in a single file/folder for ease of future access and beginning work on your lessons learnt log.
Please also ensure all relevant works have been lodged in TrustMark and reported in full via the DMS.
Our communications team is looking for good news stories, case studies, and opportunities for site visits to help showcase the positive outcomes of projects funded through the scheme.
This is a great opportunity to spotlight your achievements, share the impact of your work on residents and communities, and celebrate your progress.
If you're interested in getting involved or learning more, please contact us at communications.housing@salixfinance.co.uk
Temporary halt to home upgrades in Dartford thanks to matchbox sized bats
A recent news story on our website highlighted Dartford Borough Council’s experience managing an unexpected ecological challenge: the discovery of common pipistrelle bats in the roof space of a home scheduled for energy efficiency upgrades.
The council is sharing its experience as a helpful reminder to others delivering similar works. It’s a valuable example of the importance of staying open-minded, agile, and considerate of ecological factors when planning and carrying out upgrades—whether in homes or other types of buildings. Read the full story on our website.
Showcase your work with a site visit!
A site visit is an exciting opportunity to showcase your project, discuss challenges, opportunities and celebrate successful outcomes for your residents.
By inviting our teams to join you on site, we're able to work with you to create fantastic content such as case studies and news stories that will not only highlight your organisation, but also help others to deliver successful projects in the future.
If you're interested in hosting us, please complete the short form on our website and one of our team will be in touch to arrange next steps.
PV battery eligibility for Wave 3 and Warm Homes
As you may be aware, the department has confirmed that PV batteries – a type of battery storage installed to work alongside solar PV panels – are now an eligible measure under the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant schemes.
As with other eligible measures under the Warm Homes schemes, PV batteries should only be installed where it drives energy bill savings for the household to achieve the objectives of the scheme.
For further information, please see the policy guidance for Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund on the government website.
Unsure if you've missed a communication?
The historic communications webpage on the SHDF Hive details an overview of key communications sent to grant recipients by us (Salix) or the department.
If you're unable to locate or didn't receive a communication listed on the page, please contact your SPOC.
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