ABC+ Warranty Managing Director, Adele Reid, plays a crucial role in pioneering and delivering structural warranties that underpin and facilitate growth across the whole UK housing market while heading up the company for the past 12 years.
Just last year, Adele wrote the company’s insurance policy for Social Housing developments, a pioneering Social Housing warranty policy that has now been approved and is today underwritten by top insurers.
What this means: Adele has been instrumental in helping developers and housebuilders to continue construction work of much needed Social Housing developments, ultimately encouraging the housing market to flourish in the face of current economic uncertainties.
This pioneering policy, spearheaded by Adele and launched in response to market demands for comprehensive financial protection for Social Housing schemes, has made it easier for housing associations to build greater levels of social homes to meet the skyrocketing demands across the UK.
Most structural warranty providers utilise building control inspectors to also carry out structural warranty inspections at the same time as their building control function. This has long since been a conflict of interest in the opinion of ABC+ Warranty, and as a result, the industry has seen a high volume of warranty claims for defects which also increases warranty premiums for the rest of the industry.
The property and construction sector holds a disproportionate gender-split that according to latest figures by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), women in this workforce accounts to only 15 per cent of the whole workforce, yet accounts for 38 per cent of those educated to higher standard of degree level and/or above.
Despite the property and construction sector being predominantly a male-dominated industry, Adele has used her position to unlock industry solutions for the construction and Social Housing sectors to make progress through ABC+ Warranties that has positioned the essential role of structural warranty providers to be at the forefront of house building agendas, ultimately delivering industry-wide confidence.
As a result of Adele’s commitment to call for regulation for warranty inspections, the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has granted a significant change to the functions of a Building Control Inspector from April 2024.
Adele consulted with UK Government MPs; however, the new changes provide restrictions to building control inspectors so that they must now carry out a building control function only – and not carry out warranty inspections.
Adele’s staggering success comes as the gender-split in the industry is growing increasingly disproportionate, with female representation in the whole sector standing at just 15 per cent – a figure that has not changed in some 20 years (ONS).
With the world set to mark International Women’s Day, Adele said that there have been notable gains in equality that should be celebrated, however, there is far more work to be done in this space.
She said: “Celebrating International Women’s Day is important to me, especially within the property and construction industry. It’s a time to reflect and understand how far we have come in terms of equality and take stock of the rising number of female board members industry wide.
“However, I think as much as we celebrate how far we have come it is also important to highlight what work still needs to be done as there are still many women and young girls out there who are still fighting their individual fight to be equal in the workplace.”
Speaking about challenges in the property and construction sector, Adele highlighted the disproportion between men and women in the sector.
“The industry I work in is very male dominated and your knowledge and ability as a woman can be questioned. There are a lot of assumptions within the sector, as to whether you have the same level of knowledge as a man in the same position.” She said,
“The fact I am a woman, I have had to prove myself more than a man would have to in the industry – that’s for certain! However, by proving myself I have overcome obstacles and barriers, I have earned respect from male and female colleagues alike,” she continued.
Speaking about the property and construction sector, Adele highlighted how women who hold roles in the sector should be made more visible to students, to inspire specifically young girls and so the industry is seen as a viable career path for them to aspire to.
For those looking towards a career in the industry, Adele urges the UK’s young females to apply their drive and passion to rise to the challenges, overcome obstacles and succeed.
She said: “If you believe in yourself and believe you can do it – then do it and don’t let anyone – male or female – stand in your way.”
ABC+ Warranty pioneers, develops, and delivers property warranties for new build housing, social housing, property conversions and commercial property use.
