In construction terms, partnering simply means; the forming a long term relationship with one or more companies for the supply of goods or a particular type of service.

Partnering dates back to the early to mid 1990’s. In the early 1990’s a report from Sir Michael Latham “Building the Team” and the Egan report, “Rethinking construction” identified inefficiencies within the construction industry due to the nature of the existing contracts being used to form agreements between parties.

It was said and found that those agreements contributed towards an adversarial construction environment. It was the Egan report, “Rethinking Construction” that in particular that challenged established thinking and set forward the basis for the new working environment.

Under a partnering agreement, all parties work towards agreed goals which it is hoped will benefit everyone concerned.

But partnering only works where there is an atmosphere of trust and openness. Where trust and openness does not exist, where there is suspicion and doubt, partnering flounders, good will is lost, and we return to the old days of adversarial contract arrangements which would frequently see clients making claims against contractors and visa versa in arbitration or a court of law.

Partnering can be described as a way of thinking. It is trusting the other persons to do what is right according to your needs as a client, while you express due concern for their needs as a contractor.

Ascham Homes is in partnership with the following companies to deliver Decent Homes: