A deep-dive into the inspection process and the support HQN provides
20 Stepping out of the shadow of stigma
Stigma is a complex issue with no easy answers, writes Neil Merrick
24 Ash Sarkar interview
The journalist, political commentator, activist and author takes on housing and the Labour government
30 Housing’s Next Generation final preview
Our fab five finalists take centre stage 34 All change on allocations
Neil Merrick investigates how councils are shaking up waiting lists
The latest research and analysis – in plain English
Bringing you the latest housing research from leading academics, in this edition of Evidence we have an extensive look at HQN’s placemaking work with colleagues in Australia, Ireland and the UK.
58 A life in 15 questions: Jeni Harvey
Published four times a year. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.
C1, C2, C3, C4, GO!
Cassette tapes are back and so are inspections. But what C rating will you get from the RSH?
We all know what the inspectors are looking for. They want to see hard evidence of:
• An up-to-date stock condition survey
• A business plan that shows when the works from the survey will be done
• Accurate data on Decent Homes and safety compliance
• Listening to and acting on the views of tenants
• Outcomes being delivered for tenants.
Leading councillors, or the board, must prove that they have put in place a regime for meeting the Consumer Standards and have oversight of this. How robust is your governance? That’s what the RSH wants to know.
The Consumer Standards cover all your dealings with tenants across all of your homes. It’s a broad agenda to say the least. Often you don’t have enough cash to do all that you need to do. So, it’s far from easy to pass this test. But your leaders will want to get the best rating that they can.
HQN is working with 50+ landlords on consumer regulation. We can help you to:
• Pin down exactly where you sit versus the Standards today
• Put together a Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-bound (SMART) improvement plan
• Improve your C rating.
HQN can provide tailored support including:
• Briefings for leading councillors, board members and officers
• Authoritative reviews of all services with indicative C ratings
• Assessing the documents and presentations you give to the RSH
• Help with self-referrals and voluntary undertakings
• Deep dives into specific areas
• Reviews of compliance with the Rent Standard
• Support with improvement work.
When you get that RSH call – call us. Or better still – call us before!
For more information, please contact Anna Pattison at anna.pattison@ hqnetwork.co.uk or call 01904 557150
Editor’s welcome
It’s been unusually hard work for housing journalists these last couple of weeks after the government decided to publish a year’s worth of policy decisions in the space of 10 days. But I suspect it’s a lot harder for all you housing professionals who have to make sense of the announcements and prepare for them accordingly.
Awaab’s Law, Decent Homes, the right to buy, competence and conduct, tenant access to information, electrical safety, service charges, rent convergence, improving energy efficiency – the government has published updates or launched consultations on all of these critical areas of policy within days of each other, which has left many in the sector scrambling around to make sense of it all.
Someone close to MHCLG told me that they were “under obligation” to clear the to-do list before the summer recess and didn’t want to end the first year in government without having made the progress they had promised on key issues. But that same person also suggested it could be more to do with housing minister Matthew Pennycook going on jury service and wanting to clear his in-tray.
That’s probably unfair as much of what’s come out was presented as the government’s ‘new’ 10-year plan for social and affordable housing, which has presumably been triggered by the confirmation of departmental spending budgets in the spending review. Either way, there’s an awful lot to digest, understand and implement in the coming months and years!
In our July edition of HQM, we talk to the journalist, political commentator and activist Ash Sarkar about the state of housing, Labour’s first year in government and Tottenham Hotspur in an exclusive interview ahead of her appearance at this year’s HQN annual conference.
And we’re also delighted to bring you a 10-page ‘HQN guide to inspection’ special feature drawing on the work of HQN’s consultancy team in supporting organisations through the new inspection regime.
Jon Land Editor, HQM
From the Chief Executive...
“It’s not a good sign we’re getting instructions as basic as this from MHCLG”
“We can get there by bus from Killermont Street” –Roddy Frame.
The housing sector is a rule taker, not a rule maker. Why do I say that? Well, we’ve a new Decent Homes Standard (DHS). Was it written by our leading lights? No. It’s been handed down on tablets of stone from the ministry. And we’re scrabbling about at the margins arguing about start dates. Put simply, the longer we drag things out, the less it costs.
The minister wants us to stop letting homes with damp and mould, put a timer on the heating switch and lay a bit of carpet down. What year is it? Back in the mid-1980s we were doing better than this for temporary accommodation in Camden.
Forgive me, but I don’t think it’s a good sign that we’re getting instructions as basic as this from the MHCLG.
Do please read their impact assessment. You’ll get a real insight into what the MHCLG is thinking. It’s clear they’re acting for two reasons. Firstly, they say right at the start that there must be no repeat of Grenfell or the death of Awaab Ishak. So, we’ve really got to step up. On top of that, for Labour, housing is at the heart of everything. It can push the economy, education and health up or down. A key part of the case for the new DHS is that it will save the NHS money. I’d wager that this will be a big part of any future assessments of our effectiveness.
the damage it does to the economy. Surely, better rented homes would make it somewhat easier for people to choose to have children. I couldn’t find this in the impact assessment. Maybe one for the future.
The minster wants the same DHS in the social and private sectors. Good idea. And it comes back to the same point. I was at the chiropractor this morning. Basically, nothing works on me without a metal punch or the insertion of a sharp needle. So, like the rest of the North London boomers, that’s where I go. Anyway, the chiropractor and her partner live in a private flat with mould. It’s the best deal they can get on two professional pay packets. Hence, they’re putting off having children until they are in their forever home. Best of luck with that.
“Surely, better rented homes would make it somewhat easier for people to choose to have children. I couldn’t find this in the impact assessment. Maybe one for the future”
Who’s going to police standards in the private sector? Step forward our councils. Where are they going to find the capacity to do that? Councils are really under the cosh. This leads to some bonkers situations. One borough is excellent at bringing private landlords to heel. The only problem is that they’re amongst the worst at managing their own council homes, according to the RSH. Time to take the log out of their own eyes, I’m afraid.
One thing did surprise me, though. I read loads of scholarly articles decrying our low birth rate and
On the whole, though, the messages from Whitehall are a lot more upbeat than in the past. Thank goodness. Yes, there are grounds for optimism.
But there are real problems that we must solve.
“The minister wants us to stop letting homes with damp and mould, put a timer on the heating switch and lay a bit of carpet down. What year is it? Back in the mid-1980s we were doing better than this for temporary accommodation in Camden”
My old pal Ashley Green was the chief of Gloucester City Homes till he retired. No one did more for that city over the decades than him –he started by sorting out the poll tax. For a long time, he was working on a regeneration of the Podsmead estate. Back in the day he walked me round it, so I know how much it meant to him. Well, the council voted down this £45m scheme. How can we get anything done if this is the attitude? Obviously, I don’t know all the ins and outs. Maybe the opponents had some fair points. But for goodness’ sake, why not get a deal done?
You see this sort of scenario play out in many places. The public finances are deteriorating – we don’t have the luxury of time. There might not be a second bite of the cherry.
Next, the magnificent Barbara Brownlee wrote an article for Inside Housing saying it was tough to recruit to housing. Now, let this sink in. Barbara is the CEO of Soho Housing Association. That’s right. Soho – only the most exciting area of the most exciting city on the planet. And they’re struggling. Crikey! Best thing I ever did was get on that £5 overnight Stagecoach bus from Glasgow to Camden.
I was gloomy. But only until I met all the young candidates for our Housing’s Next Generation contest. Each and every one of them has a great story to tell. You’ll need to come to our annual conference to hear them. They were born ready.
Alistair McIntosh, Chief Executive, HQN
“Handed down on tablets of stone”
Behind the headlines
By Neil Stubbings, Strategic Director of Place at Havering Council, and Hugh Jeffery, Regional Development Director at Wates Residential
In May, planning permission was granted for a pilot scheme to install 18 high-quality modular homes on a site earmarked for future construction in Romford, Havering.
This represents a bold step from Havering Council and Wates Residential as part of our wider efforts to tackle spiralling housing costs and demand.
We all know the UK is facing a severe shortage of housing. While efforts to ramp up housebuilding are welcome and much needed, it will take years to provide sufficient housing through traditional construction methods to meet the increasing need and ultimately prevent people becoming homeless.
In our joint venture, we looked for a way to improve the quality of temporary accommodation while also reducing cost for local councils.
There are currently 61,000 households in London alone living in temporary accommodation. Across the nation, this costs councils £2.1 billion every year – and too often vulnerable people and families end up living in unsuitable temporary accommodation, like hotels and hostels.
Modular homes offer a practical solution. They are high quality, built to the same standards as permanent housing, and incorporate separate bedrooms, family bathrooms, a kitchen and comfortable living spaces. All these elements are needed for family life and provide a foundation for success – allowing children to complete their homework at a table, giving space for adults to prepare proper meals, and much more – helping to restore stability to those facing housing insecurity.
We worked closely with architects, suppliers, planners and manufacturers to bring this solution to life.
As pre-designed standard units, they can be constructed at least twice as quickly as a standard home. The design provides a home which has a service life of up to 60 years –making them a long-term solution for councils. They can be relocated multiple times, offering flexibility for the site and for future use.
It’s this ability to relocate the homes easily that’s enabled this scheme, which will install the homes on a site earmarked for future construction. The Waterloo Road and Queen
“With various options available to finance the homes, there’s an exciting opportunity to save significant sums of money whilst providing the quality of homes that families and those who are homeless deserve”
Street site, where the modular homes will be built, is part of a major regeneration partnership that will deliver up to 5,000 new homes across the London Borough of Havering in a joint venture with Wates Residential. Due to the scale of the project, construction on this specific site isn’t expected to begin for over five years – meaning we’ve taken this opportunity to put the site to good use in the meantime.
Securing planning permission on the site in Romford follows Wates Residential’s successful modular homes schemes with Cardiff Council and the Vale of Glamorgan Council, as well as a demonstration modular home we created in London with our partners at modular manufacturers Rollalong earlier this year.
This demonstrator home was designed, developed, built and installed in just 70 days. It was first installed outside the Building Centre in central London before a speedy overnight move saw it take up new residence in Market Square, Romford. There, it played a vital part in explaining to local residents what the new homes planned for Waterloo Road and Queen Street would be.
The final benefit of these homes is financial. Currently, local authorities are spending millions of pounds daily on temporary accommodation; with much of this money going directly to private landlords, it represents a financial black hole for already-stretched budgets.
Bold action is now needed to break this cycle. Modular
“The design provides a home which has a service life of up to 60 years –making them a long-term solution for councils. They can be relocated multiple times, offering flexibility for the site and for future use”
homes can be part of our solution to it – offering a chance for local authorities to invest in high-quality homes, available quickly, which the council can then own and use for up to 60 years. With various options available to finance the homes, there’s an exciting opportunity to save significant sums of money whilst providing the quality of homes that families and those who are homeless deserve.
With planning permission secured, our next step will be to construct these 18 modular homes in Romford as a pilot scheme for their use in the borough. Wates Residential is also in discussions with 15 more local authorities and housing associations to roll out this solution more widely.
We look forward to working in Havering and beyond to provide this practical, high-quality solution to support some of the hundreds of thousands of households in the UK that urgently require temporary accommodation.
Coming to Romford soon: 18 modular homes
THE
TO
Over the past two years, HQN has been helping social housing providers navigate the new regulatory landscape, including the return of inspection for the first time since the days of the Audit Commission.
Over the next 10 pages, we take a deep dive into HQN’s approach, providing a step-by-step guide to inspection, top tips on what we think the regulator is looking for, and the different ways HQN can support organisations through the process. We also hear from some of the councils and housing associations about their experiences and the help HQN has provided.
To kick things off, Alistair McIntosh shares his thoughts on inspection and provides some top tips for success, drawing on his knowledge of how the regulator operates as well as HQN’s own consultancy work.
“When I looked at our performance reports properly, I realised they couldn’t possibly be right.”
Those are the exact words of a highly respected housing association chief. He phoned me up just after the old-style inspectors had visited. Yep, he got zero stars – a rock bottom score. As with any test you must go into it with total commitment and 100% concentration. That lesson is as true today as it always was and always will be. You might have got C3 or C4 due to historic lapses. It won’t wash the next time.
HQN takes a strong line on inspection. We pushed for it to come in under New Labour to reverse the damage done by Thatcher. And we predicted the chaos that would follow when Grant Shapps abolished the regime. Frankly, you didn’t need to be a genius to see what was coming down the track.
We’ve worked with associations, councils and almos that ran the gamut from C1 to C4. Here are the tips we would pass on.
Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ thang
The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) looks at everything through the prism of governance. Yes, I know councils don’t get G ratings but bear with me. The RSH insists that the governing body – be it a board, cabinet or mayor – is on top of things. What does that mean? The inspectors will check that your leaders:
• Understand precisely how you’re faring on the consumer standards
• Own the improvement plan
• Ask the right questions at the right time.
So, you need to explain how your governance works. Associations have been doing this for years so they should know what to do. But it’s a new world for councils.
Produce a clear diagram that nails down who does what and where the big risks sit. Show how your leaders get assurance. Many councils are setting up advisory boards with residents and experts. That can play well with the RSH. But do lay out the nuts and bolts of how the board supports the council to meet the standards. Don’t just rely on ‘Galacticos’ with stellar CVs. The RSH team will read your papers and attend meetings as the proof of the pudding.
“The more we look, the more we find”
The RSH insists that you must have up-to-date accurate stock condition survey data for all homes and common parts. That explains why landlords procured over £40m of stock surveys last year. If you don’t hold good data here you’re
looking down the barrel of C3 or C4. Put simply, you don’t know if your homes are safe and you have no idea if there’s enough cash to maintain those homes. Problem is that the survey can throw up the need to spend more than you had planned to. Bitter experience tells us that ignorance isn’t bliss.
These surveys are an important way of proving that homes meet the Decent Homes Standard. C1 landlords will have very low rates of nondecency – two recent cases coming in at 0.09% and 2.4%.
Safety fast
The RSH needs to be certain that you’re checking safety risks across the ‘big six’ of gas, fire, electrics, asbestos, legionella and lifts. But they won’t just take your word for it. The RSH expects to see:
• Third party validation from technically qualified professionals
• Intelligence-led sampling of risks. Tell the inspectors what you did with these reports. Have you fixed any defects?
Take off the ‘big six’ blinkers. What are you doing about other risks such as trees, electric bikes, car park gates etc etc?
“Produce a clear diagram that nails down who does what and where the big risks sit. Show how your leaders get assurance”
Works like a Swiss watch
Some landlords tell us they were on the cusp of C1. But the reliability of the repairs service held them back. Do you complete the lion’s share of works on time? That’s what the tenants want, and so too does the RSH.
“Landlords must listen, hear and act”
That’s what a tenant said to me at yet another meeting on consultation. Yes, it sounds obvious. And it is. But as we bounce from policy to policy and fad to fad, we can lose sight of the basics.
So far, the RSH teams have stuck to the task and seek evidence that:
• You’re tailoring services around the actual requirements and vulnerabilities of your residents
“Wes Streeting wants to tie hospital funding to patient ratings. Will we see this in housing? It would certainly bring much of shared ownership to a grinding halt given the ratings we see there”
• Shows the tangible impact of resident consultation
• Explains how you apply the lessons from reports from the ombudsman and experts (and member’s enquiries at councils)
• You undertake root cause analysis (that phrase comes up a lot) of problems with plausible improvement plans.
Now we’ve a second year of satisfaction TSMs, the RSH may take an interest in:
• Your trends in satisfaction
• How satisfaction breaks down amongst different groups of residents
• How you compare to peers
• The actions you take to dig into the reasons for low satisfaction with the follow-up actions.
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression”
At the start of every inspection, you can present your case to the RSH team. Don’t waste this opportunity. You can talk for 15 minutes –somebody, somewhere at the RSH must be a fan of Andy Warhol.
Our advice is to try and write the inspection report for the RSH in this slot. That proves you are self-aware. Honesty makes life easier for everyone. Areas to cover include:
• How the standards are governed – who does what
• Context – explain demographics and counter myths (eg, facts to disprove any notion you work in an easy leafy area)
• Accuracy of data – sources of assurance such as stock condition survey, professional
“At the start of every inspection, you can present your case to the RSH team. Don’t waste this opportunity. You can talk for 15 minutes – somebody, somewhere at the RSH must be a fan of Andy Warhol”
pollsters and third party technical experts (beware: the RSH know all the tricks to boost satisfaction)
• Areas of strong and weak performance – with a summary of how you’ll improve
• Examples of impact of resident engagement
• Before and after – photographs of estates/ homes that have been improved. (The RSH will not visit estates – so you must paint pictures for them.)
This presentation will be a distillation of material from your self-assessment, mock inspections and improvement plans. Test it out by using it to brief the senior people the RSH will interview. Start early – remember the old adage: I wrote a long report because I didn’t have time to write a short one!
Words of warning
• Make sure all improvement plans are SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. Check the facts behind RAG ratings. These are often weak
• Some of the improvement plans landlords have volunteered to the RSH are, how can we put this, ambitious. It’s hard to see whether these will ever be delivered. New management teams can be guilty of promising the earth –keep it real or you’ll be in meetings with the RSH for eternity
• If you’re not complying with the standards, talk to the RSH – in serious cases a timely selfreferral can be the difference between scoring C4 or a more respectable C3
• Plan for the future – what difference will Awaab’s Law and a revised Decent Homes Standard make?
• Think carefully about how you’ll meet the standards if you’re working on a merger or setting up a new service via local government re-organisation
• Watch for the curveballs.
Wes Streeting wants to tie hospital funding to patient ratings. Will we see this in housing? It would certainly bring much of shared ownership to a grinding halt given the ratings we see there. Plans for mergers and the new unitary councils will assume big savings from AI. Will AI work better than previous tech? Watch this space!
To break down the inspection process and the role HQN plays in supporting organisations, we talked to HQN’s consumer regulation leads, Lydia Dlaboha and Damian Roche.
Can you give us a step-by-step guide to the inspection process, from the first call from the regulator to the publication of the C grading?
Lydia Dlaboha (LD): I’ll try! My understanding is that the organisation gets an email or sometimes a call from the regulator, saying something along the lines of “We’d like to have a meeting with you in the next couple of days about a ‘regulatory matter’”. That’s the terminology they use. It sounds quite urgent, but they don’t actually say it’s about inspection at that point.
During that initial conversation, they make it clear they are coming to inspect you and there’s no escaping. And they then give you a list of the contextual information you need to provide them with within the next seven days. This often puts the organisation into ‘panic mode’.
However, this first information request is the easy part – the tip of the iceberg. A couple of weeks later, organisations are presented with a far more comprehensive list that they have a fortnight to respond to.
Assurance and outcomes, that’s what they are looking for. Evidence of both.
Damian Roche (DR): It’s all about what goes to the governing body, so after that first generic request for information, they receive a scoping document which is cross-referenced against each element of the four standards. You can guarantee that two thirds of the documents requested will be reports to the governing body or senior management. There’s an expectation that basically anything relevant to the consumer standards goes through the governing body.
“It’s
worth saying here, because it was brought up in one of our Residents’ Network meetings, that it’s okay for one or two engaged tenants to attend the feedback meetings. The regulator has confirmed this. I think it’s good that residents get to hear first-hand what the regulator is saying”
“Strengthening
compliance with HQN’s support”
Annette Brandwood Director of Governance and Assurance Cobalt Housing
“We’d already lined up support from HQN as part of our commitment to strengthening compliance with the Regulator of Social Housing’s consumer standards – so when we were notified of our inspection, the timing couldn’t have been better.
“HQN came in as a critical friend, helping us take a step back and reflect. They didn’t just review documents – they spent time understanding our services, visited void properties, listened in to customer calls, and explored how we manage complaints, antisocial behaviour, and our homes and communities. Their ‘reality checks’ brought an extra layer of perspective.
“They helped us test whether our evidence really stood up to scrutiny – not just whether it existed, but whether it told the story it needed to. Their findings more or less echoed what the regulator later picked up, which gave us real assurance that we were asking ourselves the right questions.
“What made the biggest impact was the way they helped us open up conversations internally. It wasn’t about a one-off check – it was about building something more lasting. Their involvement gave us a clearer picture of where we’re doing well and where we can sharpen up, with a focus on embedding a stronger, more confident compliance culture.
“Working with HQN helped us move from ‘what do we need to prove?’ to ‘how do we keep doing this better?’”
LD: In terms of advice, organisations really need to set out quite simply their governance structure, how it works and what gets reported where. This is particularly relevant to councils as we see all sorts of complex set ups and a lack of clarity. But it can be complicated to understand what’s reported where for associations as well –especially those that have gone through mergers or with group structures and subsidiaries.
DR: The important thing in terms of the documents, is to give the regulator what they ask for and, if you haven’t got it, explain why (if you can). There may also be additional documentation you want to provide, which is fine, but explain why you’re providing it. Just don’t bombard them with everything including the kitchen sink.
LD: It’s worth stating that, with inspection, it’s on the four consumer standards plus finance and governance for the associations because the regulator is still looking at these areas and high level stuff, like corporate strategy, risk and stress testing. Alistair [McIntosh] makes that point about governance – yes, it’s the consumer
standards, but it’s actually governance of the consumer standards that they focus on. So, whilst it’s only the consumer standards that apply to councils, councils still need to think about their business and risk plans and where the money is coming from for compliance in the context of the consumer standards.
Fairly early on in the process, the regulator will also give you an idea about when they expect to be on site, when they want to do the field work. This is for observing meetings and the interviews. They will usually observe a board meeting, a meeting of engaged tenants, and something like a housing services committee meeting.
It can be quite a quick turnaround and, depending on your meetings schedule, it might well be the next board meeting they ask to observe, so you may not get much time to prepare.
DR: In terms of the engaged tenants, they will observe a meeting and hold a focus group. As with most of the meetings, they’re looking for challenge from members, asking the right questions, that sort of thing. Even if they don’t observe a meeting where there has been much challenge, it’s worth providing evidence that there’s challenge in other meetings.
LD: It’s worth saying here, that when the regulator observes meetings, that tends to be virtual. They quite often leave their cameras off. On occasions, people have forgotten that they’re there. Whilst you want the meeting to be as ‘normal’ as possible, there are probably some things you really don’t want the regulator to hear. Don’t get complacent or over-confident. Depending on whether you’re a council or association, the interviews are usually with the chair of the board, chief executive, leader, portfolio holder, chairs of relevant sub-
“The residents, especially, can get very nervous. They don’t want to let the organisation down and they will be worried about getting something wrong. They say things like ‘Does it matter that I’ve never spoken to a board member?’”
The inspection process at a glance
Timescales
Day zero
ASAP (within days)
Weeks 2/3
Weeks 3/4
Weeks 5/6
Weeks 7/8/9
Weeks 10/11/12 (approx.)
Post on site work
Approx 10 weeks after on site work
Approx two weeks after feedback
The call/email – asking to speak to the CEO about a “regulatory matter”
Meeting to talk through the process, the timings and set up further meetings
Confirm meetings to observe – depends on your scheduled dates
Request the first batch of information – the context with a week to submit
Submit the first batch of information
Document request list provided – two weeks to submit
Second batch of documents submitted
Liaison – follow up queries, sorting out the meeting schedule
On site work – meetings with key people, usually over two or three consecutive days, including focus group with residents
Follow-up requests
Feedback meeting
Report issued with statements and comms
“You have to prepare well”
Katie Finch Director of Assurance and Business Services Citizen Housing
“The first thing to say is that inspection is a marathon not a sprint. It’ll be over seven months from the first call we received to when our judgement is public.
“One of our key priorities leading up to our inspection was to prepare through a mock process. We commissioned HQN to carry out as much of the process that the regulator would do, which included document requests, interviews and observations of our boards and committees.
“We submitted up to 100 documents as part of the evidence gathering. The key from our point of view was to highlight any potential gaps, which has helped us to articulate ourselves better when the regulator asked questions.
“Confidence was a big thing – for the board and committee members as well as the engaged tenants. They hadn’t been through an inspection before so to understand the process and what was expected of them was quite valuable.
“You do really have to prepare well. Inspections are fundamentally different to IDAs, particularly with the consumer regulations, which touch on every single part of the organisation.
“It’s also quite demanding – inspections are time demanding and require the right level of resource, but you also have to make sure it’s business as usual, as delivering for customers remains the top priority.
“Damian [Roche] was brilliant. We really valued his support, especially his work on the consumer standards and working with our engaged customers.”
committees and the executive team. It’s the top people they want to talk to. And they can either be seen individually or in groups. It can be quite flexible.
So, organisations need to think about who they want to field and how. As Damian always points out, it’s not a test of memory so notes or fact sheets are allowed. That can be especially helpful for key facts, or the history/background of the organisation. Also, mission statements, promises to tenants, mergers, geographical spread and what’s happened since your last inspection (for associations). You need to be across the facts.
While they may only interview or speak to a limited number of people during the inspection process, it’s important to understand that everyone in the organisation has a role to play. The consumer standards touch on every interaction with tenants and homes. Success therefore relies on everyone playing their part and doing their job right.
DR: We often recommend that our clients invite the regulator out on site visits. It’s not an official part of the inspection process so sometimes they’ll agree to go, other times they’ll decline, but it’s worth making the invitation. There are two reasons – hopefully you can demonstrate you’re maintaining your estates well and you’re keeping your tenants safe. But it also underlines the scale of the challenges you’re facing – whether its inner city or rural areas, it brings to life what you’re doing every day and why it’s important. It helps to tell your story.
“A critical friend”
Darren Knight Deputy Chief Executive Warwick District Council
“Progress is the activity of today and the assurance of tomorrow – the key word is assurance; the new regulatory framework for social housing puts the need to demonstrate assurance front and centre.
“Demonstrating effective assurance provides certainty and gives confidence to stakeholders that tenants are being kept safe, and data and insight is driving continuous improvement.
“A key ingredient for achieving certainty is independent advice, check and challenge, which is where HQN are playing a key role in supporting Warwick District Council’s improvement journey through professional advice, being a critical friend and a valuable sounding board.”
LD: Just on telling your story, you’re given 15 minutes to do a presentation to the regulator. And that’s the thing that Alistair is clear about –spend a lot of time on it and get it absolutely spot on. Set the scene, talk about the challenges, what sets you apart and be self-aware. Don’t brag. They will look for the evidence behind everything you say. The aim is to try and write their report for them.
The risk is you put everything in there and, because it’s often written ‘by committee’, nobody wants their bit taken out. So, it’s hard but you really have to focus on what’s important and get one person to check and edit it. Take care – double check things and don’t catch yourself out!
“Our predicted grades are usually spot on. We get it wrong on occasion but that’s very rare and it’s usually where an organisation performs better than we expected them to!”
Once the on-site bit is over, the regulator goes away to consider all the information and evidence they have gathered. They might ask for more documents and ask more questions. They’ll write their report, arrive at their verdict, get it moderated, and arrange for a feedback meeting with you and give you an indicative grading.
It’s worth saying here, because it was brought up in one of our Residents’ Network meetings, that it’s okay for one or two engaged tenants to attend the feedback meetings. The regulator has confirmed this. I think it’s good that residents get to hear first-hand what the regulator is saying. The written reports don’t really give much away.
One other point about the feedback session, is that it’s worth having someone taking notes (who’s not part of the discussion). I think it’s really important as there’s some incredibly valuable information to take from it. It’s basically free consultancy direct from the horse’s mouth! And just to finish off the process, there’s a bit of a lull, maybe a couple of weeks, while the report and press release are finalised before the final grade is published for the world to see.
“When the regulator observes meetings, that tends to be virtual. They quite often leave their cameras off. On occasions, people have forgotten that they’re there. Whilst you want the meeting to be as ‘normal’ as possible, there are probably some things you really don’t want the regulator to hear”
Talk us through the inspection support HQN provides
LD: We can provide a variety of support depending on what’s needed or most useful, from a thorough check/third party assurance of compliance against the standards to a practice run or just a light touch review of a selfassessment or improvement plan. It’s never too late to get in touch. Obviously the longer the time before the real inspection, the longer to put things right.
For our practice runs, we have a structured approach, we go through their documents before they submit them and provide an external eye and make suggestions. We flag the things that the regulator is likely to pick up. We do practice interviews with relevant people, including a focus group with residents.
Residents, especially, can get very nervous. They don’t want to let the organisation down and they might be worried about getting something wrong. They say things like “Does it matter that I’ve never spoken to a board member?” Or “I don’t know who our board members are”. It’s often not important stuff, but they can get really stressed about it, which really isn’t the point of the focus groups.
We’re happy to provide coaching and mentoring where needed or if it’s requested by an individual.
We can facilitate a group or board discussion about specific issues. We can help with their fact sheets. Something that clients seem to find particularly valuable is our support on the type of quality and safety information that should be monitored and reported on. That standard in particular is very ‘data rich’.
We deal with a lot of ad hoc queries and the key is to try and respond as quickly as possible, which is something Damian is excellent at – the whole team to be fair. That is the expectation we have of all our consultants.
The other thing we do is the full end-to-end mock inspection. Basically, we go through the same process as the regulator but we’re far more supportive. The purpose is to put them through
“The whole thing was tailored to what we needed”
Jess Hyland Corporate Head of Governance Lincolnshire Housing Partnership
“We started working with HQN in 2024 after using their consumer standards toolkit to help with our self-assessment. Damian [Roche] initially came in to do a desktop review, followed by a spot reality check where he spoke to colleagues and went out with them on visits.
“On the back of this, HQN made recommendations on how we could improve, which we found really useful. The relationship then continued into preparing for the inspection, advising on the documents we needed to submit to the regulator, providing templates, signposting us to other organisations we could talk to.
“They also helped us to rehearse for the conversations with the regulator, running through the types of questions that might be asked. Damian and Ian [Parker] were so good at playing the role of the regulator and put our executive team and board members through their paces.
“Feedback was provided throughout, letting us know what we were doing well and not so well.
“HQN supported our involved customers through the inspection process. Damian did a presentation to customers to help them understand the process, what to expect and generally helped to improve their confidence.
“All went very much to plan. It was totally different to the indepth assessments (IDAs), which I had been through before. The regulation team was very friendly and approachable – the conversations were looking for assurance that we were doing what we should be doing. The IDAs always felt like we were under test conditions.
“Dare I say it, but it was a semi-pleasant experience!
“We were very happy with HQN’s support. The whole thing was tailored to what we needed and never felt off the peg. Damian and Ian were so helpful and responsive. If we had any queries, we knew we were going to get a response the same day.
“We thought our gradings from the regulator were fair – G1/V2/ C2. We knew when we self-assessed that there were areas that needed improvement. We’ve used all this feedback to create our two-year change programme to achieve C1 – ‘Everyday Better’.”
their paces, so they get to practice every part of the process, but we also do that ‘assurance piece’ because we check and validate their selfassessment.
As part of the triangulation, we do go further. We go out on estates ourselves and see things with our own eyes. We pick up on things like safety and compliance.
We sit with the contact centre and listen to first point of contact call handling. We see what that’s like and how well their systems work. We look at the culture and behaviours in different parts of the organisation.
We go and look at voids, review their voids standards, how they’re performing in terms of tenancy sustainment, property condition and health and safety. We look at ASB case files and, of course, complaints.
It’s to give them assurance and us reassurance that what they’re saying is backed up by what they’re actually doing and what the service really looks and feels like on the ground.
DR: We tailor the interviews for the mock inspections. Some want a proper dress rehearsal where we play the role of the regulator, ask lots of tough questions and people get thrown in the deep end. Others want more of a coaching style,
LD: We do help them with the self-referral in order to get the message right, to make sure that they’ve actually uncovered everything and to make sure they’ve got a plan in place. It’s just helping them through that process really.
Are you able to predict what C grade an organisation is going to get before it’s published?
DR: Yes, generally we have a pretty good record, and our predicted grades are usually spot on. We get it wrong on occasion but that’s very rare and it’s usually where an organisation performs better than we expected them to!
LD: We place a lot of emphasis on safety and quality. We have specialists working on that one area specifically. Wayne [Hughes], Chris [Poulton] and Kevin [Bentley] have been doing compliance, health and safety for years. They know where the skeletons are and they have a really clear focus. We know this is an area that drives the lower grading – C3 and C4.
They really scrutinise the data, look at stock condition, Decent Homes compliance. Are clients defining things properly? They drill into all of that.
““The other thing we do is the full end-to-end mock inspection...As part of the triangulation, we do go further. We go out on estates ourselves and see things with our own eyes. We pick up on things like safety and compliance. We sit with the contact centre and listen to first point of contact call handling. We see what that’s like and how well their systems work. We look at the culture and behaviours in different parts of the organisation”
so it’s more of a conversation. We ask the same questions, but then we’ll provide immediate feedback on the way they answer, as well as the answer itself.
LD: As part of the process, we’ll give them an indication of their C grading and our evidence for this. And we tell them what we think their priorities should be and advise them if there are any red flags. If we think organisations need to self-refer, then we’ll tell them to do so. Generally, they probably already know but sometimes a nudge from us is needed!
DR: I’m not sure anyone’s declined to self-refer when we’ve recommended that they do.
Damian or Suzanne [Hemingway] cover the other three standards and governance. And, if we’re looking at finance and viability we call in Ian [Parker]. Everyone on the team has done the ‘day job’ themselves so know where the skeletons are. Suzanne is particularly good at understanding councils as she’s spent a lot of her time working for them.
One of the big things we do is review improvement plans and the actions they need to take forward. Damian now sits on a number of improvement boards after initially doing a review of the progress that they’ve made.
We also put organisations in touch with each other, if they’re dealing with a similar issue or we’re particularly impressed with what one
organisation is doing and want to share their work. HQN’s networks help with this as well.
Basically, we just act as a ‘critical friend’. They can call and ask us for advice at any stage of the process and we’re there for them.
We’re very friendly and approachable! Even though sometimes we do deliver tough messages.
DR: We build up a lot of knowledge through working with all these different organisations, with different demographics, specialisms and structures all over the country.
LD: And then we’ll draw on all that knowledge to create our toolkits, checklists and briefings that we share with members.
I just want to finish by giving a shout out to Anna [Pattison] and Tasha [Thompson]. They are the glue that holds the consultancy team together. It means there’s always someone in the office for clients to talk to. They provide outstanding support, not only to our own team but the organisations as well.
“Instrumental in strengthening our approach”
Jane Martin Acting Corporate Director of Housing London Borough of Waltham Forest
“In 2023, we commissioned HQN to support our preparations for the new regulatory regime and to guide our self-assessment against the new consumer standards.
“With HQN’s expert input, we developed a comprehensive Social Housing Regulation Action Plan that addressed the key gaps identified through our self-assessment. A summary of this plan was submitted as a key piece of evidence ahead of our inspection in November 2024.
“The external challenge and scrutiny provided by HQN were instrumental in strengthening our approach to comply with the new consumer standards. Their insights ensured we were inspection-ready and helped us amplify the positive outcomes of our transformation work.”
Being inspection-ready
Get everyone on board with consumer regulation – set the tone and the culture
Self-assess against the consumer standards and develop an action plan to address any gaps
Position statements – eg, for each element of each standard
Be vigilant – horizon scan:
Keep track of inspections, findings and key themes
Network with others – including RPs who have been through inspection
Check what’s being said about you in the public domain – website, press, social media, HOS determinations. Could anything trigger the call?
A plan of action – for when you get the call
Appoint your inspection support team – and team leader
Documents/evidence base – in a well-referenced folder
Start it now and regularly review/refresh – don’t wait for the call
Be ready for a final polish
An outline of your context document
Key facts and information – for a shared understanding
Governance structure – on one sheet of paper
15-minute introductory presentation.
STEPPING OUT OF THE SHADOW OF STIGMA
Stigma has been attached to social housing and its tenants for decades. The Grenfell tragedy brought things to a head but only now, eight years on, are we seeing a genuine attempt to address it. But, as Neil Merrick finds out, stigma is a complex issue with no easy answers.
Stigma – it’s virtually impossible to live in social housing without experiencing it, at least some of the time.
Eight years ago, former prime minister Theresa May returned from meeting residents at a burntout Grenfell Tower and promised that something would be done.
But nearly a decade later, while the regulatory landscape may have shifted in favour of tenants, the stigma that surrounds much of social housing is proving extremely hard to remove.
Second-class citizens
Nic Bliss, director of the Stop Social Housing Stigma (SSHS) campaign, recalls helping civil servants arrange roadshows soon after Grenfell so that ministers could demonstrate they were listening to tenants. “They were like chickens caught in the headlight,” he says. “Tenants felt like second-class citizens.”
The problem is too many people in Britain don’t see themselves as having much, if anything, in common with those who live in social housing.
“There’s a wider societal social housing stigma that’s an endemic part of British culture,” adds Bliss.
The SSHS campaign was set up following Grenfell after Bliss and others realised that May’s promises were unlikely to lead to much in the way of serious change.
Just over a month ago, a report by the Housing Ombudsman into complaints about repairs mentioned the word stigma five times. “Residents repeatedly tell us how they can find landlord communication dismissive, derogatory or even stigmatising,” said the ombudsman.
None of which comes as a surprise to Mercy Denedo, an associate professor at Durham University and joint author of a 2021 report into stigma and social housing.
“A lot of tenants feel they’re not listened to by
housing providers,” she says. “Their complaints aren’t addressed adequately and they are made to feel grateful for the services they receive.”
Back to the ‘80s
If you wanted to pinpoint exactly when the stigma increased it was probably the introduction in the 1980s of right to buy. Suddenly, it wasn’t enough to aspire to be a homeowner; tenants could snap up council homes at knockdown prices, leaving fewer homes for other people on limited incomes.
“Stigma against social housing tenants often intersects with stigmas aimed at people who are poor or disabled, as well as ex-offenders and people of colour”
The change is evident to employees in the sector who lived in social housing when they were younger. “The stigma has always been there, but it’s got progressively worse,” says Adele McLaren of Thirteen Housing Group. “I was proud to grow up in council housing. It gave us security and a sense of community and belonging.”
Nic Bliss is unequivocal about the reason stigma has increased. “If you see homeownership as the aspirational tenure, then social housing is bound to be seen as residual,” he says.
With tenants increasingly likely to be vulnerable or classed as having the greatest need, a misleading image emerges of tenants being unemployed, poorly educated, and perhaps disabled or suffering from ill health.
Ironically, most of the people living in Grenfell Tower were in employment, even if some had poorly-paid jobs. “The narrative in favour of homeownership creates stigma,” says Mercy
Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner is a former council tenant, as is Florence Eshalomi, chair of the MHCLG Select Committee
Photo: House of Commons
Photo: MHCLG-flickr
“If you see homeownership as the aspirational tenure, then social housing is bound to be seen as residual”
Nic Bliss, director, Stop Social Housing Stigma
Denedo. “The government needs to change the way it portrays social housing.”
Amanze Ejiogu, a professor at Sheffield Hallam University and co-author of the 2021 report, says the situation is made worse by prejudice. This means stigma against social housing tenants often intersects with stigmas aimed at people who are poor or disabled, as well as ex-offenders and people of colour.
Stigma in numbers
Research published in January by the G15 group of London housing associations shows how being a tenant can affect everything from job prospects to your social life, with 45% of the residents saying they experienced prejudice or discrimination due to living in social housing.
Of these, 43% cited interactions with their landlord as a common area where they feel stigmatised, with 24% experiencing it when dealing with banks, mobile phone companies or the police; 18% felt stigmatised at work, while 14% were concerned about stigma when dating.
Tenants in a variety of jobs, including management positions, may even avoid telling friends or work colleagues that they live in social housing. “People feel they have to hide part of themselves,” says Isobelle Connor, author of the report. “Their sense of identity is being
Five possible ways to reduce stigma
1. Don’t describe homes as assets, stock or units. They are houses and flats and mean a lot to the tenants who live in them.
2. Ensure contractors give an approximate time when they will visit to carry out repairs, or for other reasons. It’s wrong to assume that someone will be at home all day.
3. Refer to tenants or residents as that, not customers. Tenants see themselves as part of the community, not a corporate balance sheet.
4. Pay proper attention when tenant board members and other residents make suggestions. Engagement is pointless without people feeling empowered.
5. Study ways to reduce discrimination against tenants in the wider community, perhaps by flagging up positive stories to the local or even national media.
impacted.”
Connor, who previously worked for L&Q and is now research and policy manager at Peabody, says social housing is a force for good that can be a springboard for many people, but that is not how the wider population always sees it.
“Across the G15 we’re focused on improving customer service, with tenants involved in conversations in a way that they don’t feel stigmatised,” she adds. This is already demonstrated in moves away from the use of paternalistic language. “It’s about talking in a way that’s respectful,” says Connor.
Toward the end of May, the SSHS campaign launched a ‘journey planner’ for social landlords wishing to tackle stigma. Nine housing associations or local authorities were held up as examples of what can be achieved if landlords don’t just listen to tenants, but make them feel part of the solution.
In Croydon, a customer influence and assurance panel was set up last December to act as a ‘critical friend’ to the housing department, reviewing feedback from residents and ensuring that improvements are put into place. The panel is made up of eight tenants and two leaseholders and meets bi-monthly.
One of its first recommendations was an expansion of the council’s neighbourhood voice scheme, allowing tenants to submit photos and other feedback via an app. A residents’ charter, put together by Croydon’s tenant and leaseholder panel, sets out how residents expect to enjoy a relationship with their landlord built on transparency and respect.
In May, the Regulator of Social Housing lifted a breach notice served on the London borough four years ago for poor housing conditions and lack of tenant engagement.
Sue Edgerley, Croydon’s resident involvement manager, says some tenants may not even realise that they are suffering stigma. “They think it’s part and parcel,” she says. “I’d like to make much more progress and talk to tenants that we don’t tend to hear from.”
A stigma group launched last December by Thirteen Housing Group attracted strong interest from tenants keen to see social housing portrayed in a more positive light.
The group includes six tenants, as well as staff, and meets once per month to look at ways that stigma affects Thirteen’s 36,000 households in north-east England and parts of Yorkshire.
Adele McLaren, head of Touchpoints, Thirteen’s contact team for customers, says many tenants have first-hand experience of stigmatisation or have witnessed it.
The stigma group is using Thirteen’s ‘involvement framework’ (covering areas such as consumer standards and repairs) to assess the
extent to which tenants play a role in decisionmaking and scrutiny, and suggest ways to reduce stigmatisation.
A campaign on restoring pride in social housing is planned for later this year, linked to the wider SSHS campaign. McLaren adds: “It’s about how we rebuild relationships and have pride in social housing again.”
Eight years after Grenfell, change is undoubtedly in the air. Tougher regulation is playing a part, with tenants quizzed regularly over landlord services, but that only goes some way towards removing stigma.
Politicians
Some social landlords are training not just staff but contractors to avoid language or behaviour that might be seen as stigmatising. But what about the national picture? Have politicians learned anything since Grenfell?
The SSHS campaign was encouraged to hear Keir Starmer call for wholesale cultural change in social housing during his response last year to the final Grenfell report.
Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner is a former council tenant, as is Florence Eshalomi, chair of the House of Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee.
But is that enough? Sometimes it comes down to simple things, like checking that a tenant is going to be at home before contractors turn up, or referring to where they live as a home, not stock.
“We need to think through every part of the housing service so things are geared to individuals, who we respect and view as equal partners,” says Nic Bliss. “We need to consider how we’d want things done in our home. If it’s not as good as that, then it’s not good enough and increases the likelihood of stigma.
Southampton calls for an end to labelling
Later this year, contractors that carry out work in council homes in Southampton will be issued with a card calling on them to show tenants more respect. The cards will also be carried by council employees, and even handed to the police.
One of the things that tenants complain about most is the attitude shown by council staff and others when they visit their homes or estates.
Andy Frampton, Southampton’s cabinet member for housing, says the local authority is determined to get its house in order but wants anybody who comes into contact with tenants to join the council in “seeing people not labels”.
“Unfortunately, there’s a stigma shown towards a percentage of our population that live in council properties,” says Cllr Frampton, who grew up on a council estate in Southampton.
Stigma isn’t exactly a new problem for the city’s 16,000 council tenants. Four years ago, a study found about two thirds of tenants felt disrespected or simply ignored by staff working for the local authority.
The report, by tenant inspectors working for the council, also flagged up how friends and family of council tenants sometimes decline to visit them due to the perception that council estates were dangerous.
In other cases, the parents of children living in other parts of Southampton refused to let their children socialise with ‘tower block kids’ or ‘council estate kids’.
Tenant inspectors are paid by the council to check on the quality of properties and services, and report problems such as fly-tipping. “It’s about ensuring that we have proper engagement and encouraging people to get involved,” adds Cllr Frampton.
Subsequently, tenant inspectors have begun training staff and other tenants over how comments or behaviour can inadvertently reinforce negative stereotypes, while a series of short videos about stigma made by the council’s tenant engagement team are included in mandatory training for employees.
“A lot of tenants feel they’re not listened to by housing providers. Their complaints are not addressed adequately and they are made to feel grateful for the services they receive”
Mercy Denedo, associate professor, Durham University
Children living in other parts of Southampton refuse to let their children socialise with ‘tower block kids’ or ‘council estate kids’
“MORE GOVERNMENT SPENDING IS NOT THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THE HOUSING
CRISIS”
ASH SARKAR INTERVIEW
Ash Sarkar is a journalist, political commentator, activist and author, described by Naomi Klein as “one of the boldest and most exciting thinkers of her generation”.
Never one to shy away from controversy, her first book, Minority Rule: Adventures in the Culture War, examines the methods used by the ruling elite of hedge fund managers, press barons, corporations (and even private landlords) to keep the majority divided.
Ahead of her keynote session at this year’s HQN annual conference, she sits down with Jon Land to discuss the pressing issues of the day: the state of housing, the changing media view of the white working class, and why the current Labour government is “shit”.
Jon Land: Is it fair to say your book has had a mixed reception? Criticised by loud voices in the media, but loved by people who go into it with an open mind and actually sit down and engage with it?
Ash Sarkar: I don’t know. Maybe you’ve read more negative reviews than I have! My experience of the book coming out was that the responses could be categorised as fair criticisms from people who have really engaged with the ideas. And there’s something really great about writing a book. It’s very different from doing other forms of media. So, when you get those responses where people are saying “You could have taken your argument further here”, it doesn’t feel like an attack. It feels really creative and generative and good.
There were a couple of hatchet jobs – one was from the Murdoch-owned Times, and the other was somebody just insinuating that I might be an insincere grifter. When you’ve worked in the media for as long as I have, and you know how the game operates, if you didn’t get completely torn to shreds by your political opponents, you’d start to wonder if you’d lost it somehow – you’d lost the ‘sauce’.
I feel very positive about how it’s gone. And in particular, this period of time that I’m in right now, which is between the hardback and the paperback, you have the luxury of integrating people’s points of views and criticisms into the next thing that you’re writing. There’s somebody called Shanice McBean who wrote, I thought, a very good and engaged critique of the book.
JL: Why do you think you’re open to those type of hatchet jobs? Do you think it’s because you openly look at things from a Marxist perspective?
AS: One of the things that I say in the book is that politics is war by other means, and media is such a huge part of that. If you have a successful left-wing journalist and writer who’s connecting with a lot of people, that’s a threat to ruling class interests. The sections of media whose sole job is to represent those interests, will try and take your head off. I’m not the only person it happens
to. I remember when Corbyn was still leader of the Labour Party, there was a comment piece in the Telegraph, which was about him wearing a tie, and it said, “Jeremy Corbyn wearing a tie frightened me because that shows how hungry he is for power”. That’s the level of hatchet job that people on the left get from these sections of the media. So, it was completely expected, and I think the more frightening thing would’ve been to be ignored.
JL: You devote a whole chapter to ‘Planet Landlord’ and private landlords are a bit of a hate figure in the book. Can you expand on that for us a little bit? And what are your thoughts on social housing landlords compared to private landlords?
AS: The first thing is that whether you’re left wing or right wing, Marxist, conservative, liberal, social democrat, everybody thinks that hard work should be rewarded. Socially productive labour should be rewarded. I think lots of us also agree that there are really important jobs in this society which don’t get the reward or remuneration that they ought to: teachers, nurses, carers, cleaners. I think we can also all agree that simply owning stuff isn’t really work. It’s not socially productive. In fact, it has all sorts of socially corrosive impacts. More than two million families have been locked out of homeownership because of buy-to-let landlords. Homeownership means security. It means stability. It means not having to move every 12 months. That’s millions of individuals and families who have been consigned to a more precarious existence because we’ve allowed housing stock to be used as a vehicle for profit.
This model isn’t just in housing. We see it with utilities. I’m an unhappy customer of Thames Water, and the corporate owners of Thames Water, formerly Macquarie, all they did was move in, load the company with debt, extract heaps of money and dividends for shareholders, and then they just fucked off. I don’t think anyone would think that that’s socially productive or useful. It certainly hasn’t resulted in better water quality or better waterways for any of us.
In fact, we’re now dealing with the consequences of our bills being hiked to deal
“Sarah Pochin [Reform MP for Runcorn] was saying, ‘all of the new social housing is going to illegal immigrants’. She just pulled that out of the air. But it pops up nearly every week now, doesn’t it? That tells you something about the power of media, which is you repeat something until people feel it’s true, even if they can’t see it around them”
Image: Jonathan Ring
with this huge debt mountain. That’s the problem with the landlord model of an economy – it’s essentially parasitic, and it’s also uncompetitive because the inequality between the person who owns the thing and the person who needs the thing, that’s a power dynamic which can be endlessly exploited.
For many people in [rented] housing, the need for shelter means that even if technically their landlord is breaking the law, they don’t have the means or the recourse to do anything about it. Novara Media covered a story recently where a landlord who was ordered to pay hundreds of thousands in costs to his tenant is simply liquidating the company that owes them money so he can move on. That power imbalance is really baked in.
In terms of the difference between social housing landlords and private landlords – and I’m thinking here about the big housing associations and stuff like that – whilst they may be in some cases better, in some cases worse, I certainly think it’s a worse model than council housing and council ownership, because the lines of accountability are so much more opaque and complicated.
Was all council housing good? No, of course it wasn’t. But the system that’s replaced it has, I think, deliberately made things worse for tenants because there’s a sense that, “Well, these people shouldn’t really be here anyway”. Social tenants are treated very poorly.
The dynamics are different between private landlords and social landlords, but neither are that great. There’s this irony that sometimes a private landlord will be like, “I’ll send my son, Bonzo, around to fix it with a ladder and a blow torch”. And a social landlord will sometimes take months or even years to do the same job, depending on who you’ve got.
a social landlord, is that these systems rely on all kinds of inequalities, and inequalities are a really important way in which people protect themselves, shield themselves from accountability.
JL: The term housing crisis has been bandied about for decades, but it seems to be worse than ever. The government is currently throwing money around to try and build more homes, but do you think that’s going to solve it? What would you do?
AS: To turn a Margaret Thatcher aphorism on its head, the problem with neoliberalism is that eventually you run out of public assets to put into private hands. That’s the problem that we’ve got at the minute, which is, it’s not that neoliberalism has led to a small state or small state expenditure. It’s just more of it is being syphoned off in the form of corporate profit and shareholder dividends. The model that Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves want to use – which is “Okay, we’re going to flash a bit of ankle, so the likes of BlackRock want to come and invest” – is that we’re fast running out of assets that they’re going to want to buy. That’s the first issue with their entire way of thinking, that this is somehow going to stimulate growth. The second thing, and this is specific to housing, is that we’ve never seen the number of houses that this government want to build per year without a massive council housing project. We’ve just simply never had it. That’s obviously more difficult now when you think about how much room we have as a country. How little urban space there is left – how much urban sprawl has already happened. We’re in a different set of circumstances now in 2025 than we were immediately following 1945.
JL: So, if you were forced to choose, would you live in social housing, as we know it today, or the private rented sector?
AS: You’re talking to somebody who has a great deal of cultural capital. I’ve got university degrees, friends who are lawyers, I work in the media, my ability to navigate these bureaucracies is really good, and not because of reasons that I’ve earned. It’s because I’m middle class. So, in terms of a private landlord, I’d probably be better off.
JL: Because you can pay to live in a better quality property?
AS: Not only can I pay to live in a better quality house, I’ve got the social leverage to navigate a bad landlord. The thing about tenants who come from more deprived backgrounds, regardless of whether it’s dealing with a private landlord or
But the fact that you’ve had this grotesque inflation of land values – I mean, not only is it going to be the government spending money hand over fist, which is effectively our money, it’s lining the pockets of people who are often already very, very rich. Looking at land ownership in England and Wales, some 30% of it is still owned by the aristocracy. You’ve got vast swathes of it which are owned by city bankers and financiers. More government spending isn’t the only solution to the housing crisis. So, yes, council housing, which is a form of government expenditure, but it brings assets onto the government’s balance sheet as well. You’re also going to have to do something about land hoarding.
JL: In a hundred words or less, what are your thoughts on the current Labour government?
AS: Shit.
JL: One word. Impressive.
AS: Doomed, slow. That’s two more. If I were to put it in a real sentence, it would be this: Kier Starmer, Rachel Reeves, Morgan McSweeney – they only know how to do one thing, which is punch left to look credible to a centre-right audience, and they can do that very, very well. But that’s not a programme for government. If you look at where they’re being outflanked, it’s by Reform. Reform have outflanked them on welfare, on the nationalisation of British Steel and the nationalisation of water. That’s because, sure, they’ve got the luxury of not being in government, but also they know where there are votes to be had. Starmer and Reeves created a rod for their own backs with these fiscal rules and they’re now facing a self-imposed crisis of credibility. That’s possibly more than 100 words at this point, but I just think Starmer and Reeves are very, very bad at politics.
JL: I’m interested in exploring the apparent shift in the media/political view of how the white working class is portrayed now, to, say, 15 years ago, and what’s behind this. And is it really just a culture wars thing? Do you see it as one of the key factors that ultimately will see Reform win the next election?
AS: I think it’s a big part of it. What will be interesting to see is to what extent Reform are able to pull off something like Donald Trump did in the last election, which is (in US terms) being able to win over votes not just non-collegeeducated whites, but also non-college-educated Hispanics and Black people as well. In this country, the more relevant ethnic groups are, of course, British Asian and British AfroCaribbean. That’s something to keep an eye on.
In terms of the white working class, I was born in ‘92, so I’m properly a child of the 2000s. That was when I was growing up. That’s all the music I still like. I still think it was the pinnacle of Western civilisation. I remember the contempt with which people who were white and working class were held.
They weren’t called white working class or smushed together. In fact, these people were seen as being too close to ethnic minority communities. If you were a white kid and you were hanging around a shopping centre, wearing a hoodie and you liked rap music, you were considered scum of the Earth. I always remember Vicky Pollard with the pram of 10 babies, and they’re all different races. The narrative that was portraying was, “You know what’s more disgusting than a white woman who’s poor? A white woman who’s poor and has sex with men of colour”. That was the whole joke.
I think this reached a crescendo with the 2011 riots, because how many people in the media were making sense of the fact that it wasn’t just Black and Asian young people that you saw in the streets, although there were a lot. You also saw young white working class kids. They tried to explain it solely through cultural means, basically hoodies and hip hop all over again. Then around that time, shortly afterwards, you started to see a shift.
I think that 2015, 2016 was really important for this because you could no longer do the New Labour playbook
of ‘everyone’s middle class now’, because after the 2008 financial crisis, the social mobility train stopped running. You’re working class forever, sorry. I also think that Corbyn becoming leader of the Labour Party was a factor. He put together an electoral coalition of working class people of many ethnicities. You’ve also got Brexit – hugely significant. You got a sense that for a ruling class that wants to maintain the status quo, and one where nobody thinks that the lot of working class and impoverished people is going to ever improve, we’ve got to change tack. There’s a wonderful quote from a novel called The Leopard, which is: “For things to remain the same, everything must change.”
Instead of saying, “Okay, working class people, you’re all scum”, it went, “Working class people, you see all these ethnic minorities, they’re the ones who’ve screwed you over. They’ve done it through culture, they’ve done it through demographics, their interests are inherently competing with yours”. That’s such a shift from the discourses of the early 2000s, which was saying, “Look at you, you’re all the same, and that’s what’s disgusting about you”.
JL: Just to take it a little bit further in terms of the social housing context. We still talk about stigma being attached to tenants and the supposed link to benefits, the something for nothing culture. But do you think this conversation has also shifted? Is it more about the perception/outright lie that the white working class can’t get access to social housing because it’s given to ethnic minorities and asylum seekers, specifically? Do you think the nature of stigma is changing in terms of social housing?
AS: What’s interesting about studying that period of the 2000s is that the language you use to stigmatise asylum seekers on Monday, you find applied to people who are white and working class on Tuesday. So, ideas find their origin in one place and then they broaden out. I think in terms of the myth of the benefit scrounger, and it is a myth, so many studies have been done that show that the scale of benefits fraud is actually very small. Similarly, the levels of intergenerational worklessness are quite marginal. These myths persist even amongst people who are definitely working class.
I can think about members of my own family who are
“The dynamics are different between private landlords and social landlords, but neither are that great. There’s this irony that sometimes a private landlord will be like, ‘I’ll send my son, Bonzo, around to fix it with a ladder and a blow torch’. And a social landlord will sometimes take months or even years to do the same job, depending on who you’ve got”
still employed in manual heavy industry. One of the things that you often hear them saying is, “Well, I work hard, but here’s this person who I can picture in my head who’s doing nothing and getting something”.
The asylum seeker issue – it’s astonishing how close we are right now to what we were hearing 20 years ago. So, Sarah Pochin, the recently elected Reform MP for Runcorn, was saying, “All of the new social housing is going to illegal immigrants”. She just pulled that out of the air. But it pops up nearly every week now, doesn’t it? That tells you something about the power of media, which is you repeat something until people feel it’s true, even if they can’t see it around them. They’ll find their perceptions are warped until it fits the picture that they get from the newspapers.
An example I give in the book is in the early 2000s, during the local elections in Broxbourne, which is where the BNP got one of their first council seats. You had residents in Broxbourne saying, “I’m sick of seeing asylum seekers strolling into the Post Office picking up their giro”. It turns out there were no asylum seekers in Broxbourne.
JL: A couple of personal questions just to finish, if that’s okay. Where do you see Ash Sarkar in five years’ time?
AS: You know what? I’m terrible at imagining my own future, and I always have been. My partner is somebody who’s got a real five-year plan. He can say, I want to do this by this time, this by this time, this by another time. Whereas I’m so gut-led. I just think, what feels right? What do I enjoy doing? I can’t tell you where I want to be in five years’ time but the thing which feels really important to me currently is continuing to build up the institution of Novara Media. We live in an era where it encourages people to build up big private followings for themselves. It’s an influencer model of contesting politics. The thing which I talk about in the book is that there’s no unit less powerful than the individual. Because I can get hit by a bus, I can get cancelled, I can do something really stupid, which takes me out of the game in its entirety. It’s very difficult to do that with an organisation of 25 people. That’s one of the things that’s really important to me.
JL: Finally, as a Spurs fan, were you sorry that Ange got the boot?
AS: I’m so glad someone’s asking the questions that matter. I was really sad about it. And I know that this
isn’t reasonable. I know that 17th place is unconscionable. And I also know that there’s a way in which he didn’t fulfil his promise. We thought what we were going to get was this super tactical strategy-led manager. Instead, we got someone who was able to improve the vibes of the club, – we felt like we enjoyed the football we were watching (at least for the first six months) and then we got a trophy. So, maybe Thomas Frank can be the guy who’s actually going to be really tactical. But it’s been 17 years since we won a trophy. You owe him to start the next season. You see him one day crying with the trophy in front of thousands of adoring fans, and then they get rid of him the following week. I think we owed him better. I was really looking forward to next season being the one where we got relegated but won the Champions League.
Image copyright: Antonio Zazueta Olmos
‘FAB
FIVE’ FINALISTS GET READY TO TAKE CENTRE STAGE
The five finalists for the 2025 Housing’s Next Generation competition are getting ready to take centre stage at this year’s HQN annual conference.
The ‘fab five’ have already navigated a series of difficult challenges to make it this far, including a semi-final day in London last month where they had to work with other candidates to plan the conversion of a former hotel into a homeless shelter.
Now they are getting ready to compete against each other in front of an audience of 120 housing professionals in a Dragons’ Den-style task where they have to present a three-minute pitch proposing a new product, service, idea or innovation designed to address a key challenge faced by social housing providers. They will then be questioned by our expert panel.
Prior to this year’s HQN annual conference, the finalists also had to film a short video tackling a key issue that
addresses the ongoing challenge of delivering for tenants. The videos – which covered Awaab’s Law, AI, STAIRS, the Competence and Conduct Standard and the Tenant Satisfaction Measures – were shown at our virtual annual conference.
Commenting ahead of the final, Alistair McIntosh, HQN Chief Executive, said: “I have been really impressed with the quality of candidates in this year’s competition and our finalists can feel very proud for making it this far. We get that the final task is quite demanding. Coming up with something genuinely innovative is hard enough but then to have to sell it in front of 100+ housing people adds an extra layer of difficulty. I wish them well.”
The Housing’s Next Generation candidates who took part in this year’s semi-final at the Sovereign Network Group offices in Wembley, from left: Ryan Barclay (Housing Options Scotland), Rowan Jordan (Norwich City Council), Chloe Ramsay (Housing Plus Group), Kayley Corry (ForHousing), Rosie Roylance (ForHousing), Olivia Richards (Hedyn), Alanis Rodrigues (B3Living), Georgia Gallagher (London Borough of Brent).
MEET THE FINALISTS
Alanis Rodrigues
External Affairs Officer, B3Living
Alanis joined the housing sector in 2024 as the external affairs officer at B3Living. She works across departments to proactively source case studies and news stories to shape public perception of the organisation. A social housing resident herself, Alanis is passionate about counteracting the sector’s negative reputation through impactful resident and community stories, and nurturing stakeholder relationships to achieve better outcomes for people.
What the judges say: “A strong performer. She has made some thought-provoking insights throughout”
Kayley Corry
Georgia Gallagher
Area Tenancy Manager, Brent Council
Georgia began her career in housing in 2019, starting as a housing officer for a local authority in Kent, where she focused on homelessness. She then upskilled to a tenancy officer role and specialised in supporting young people experiencing homelessness. During this time, she completed a Level 3 CIH qualification in Housing Practice. Recently, Georgia transitioned to a new role as an area tenancy manager for the London Borough of Brent. In this role, she works closely with tenants, manages rent accounts, lettings and tenancies, and leads with empathy in addressing tenant queries. She also supports colleagues and contributes to additional projects within the organisation.
What the judges say: “A real character with a winning personality who obviously cares about her work”
Communications Partner, ForHousing
Kayley joined the housing sector less than three years ago, after 12 years working in education. Her decision to move sector came from a personal place when she faced homelessness – the support she received changed everything. That experience drives her passion to give back and make sure tenants feel heard, valued and supported, putting tenants at the heart of decision-making. Now a tenant herself, Kayley believes in putting tenants first and showing up with compassion. She believes communication is a powerful way to build trust, improve services and tenant satisfaction – positively impacting the lives of social housing tenants.
What the judges say: “A passionate and authentic voice for social housing – something that has been apparent across the competition”
Olivia Richards Social Research and Policy Advisor, Hedyn
Olivia joined the sector in 2023 as a social research and policy advisor with Newport City Homes, which has now merged with Melin to become Hedyn. She’s since gained experience delivering evidence-led research as part of service re-design and implementation throughout the merger. Now working for the second largest RSL in Wales, she’s gaining inspiring insight and informing strategic decision-making by working closely with the executive and leadership team through service integration.
What the judges say: “An outstanding performer. She’s an all-round star”
Ryan Barclay
Housing Options Broker, Housing Options Scotland
In his role at Housing Options Scotland, a Scotlandwide housing options information and advice charity, Ryan provides housing options information and advice to disabled people, older adults and members of the armed forces community across Scotland. Ryan graduated from the University of Stirling with an undergraduate degree in Sociology and Social Policy in 2021, graduating again in 2022 with an Msc in Housing Studies. He’s a board member of Cassiltoun Housing Association in Glasgow and is also on the CIH Futures board, an advisory board to the Chartered Institute of Housing.
What the judges say: “What a trooper. He’s demonstrated a rigorous approach to the tasks and impressed throughout”
Meet the judges:
We’re delighted to announce this year’s esteemed line-up of judges, featuring HQN’s chief executive, last year’s winner and a host of leading lights from the social housing sector. They are:
• Alistair McIntosh, Chief Executive, HQN
• Anne Bentley (2024 winner), Neighbourhood Manager, Worthing Homes
• Kate Ratcliffe (2023 winner), Social Value Analyst, Vivid Homes
• Jahedur Rahman, Director of Housing, London Borough of Haringey
• Simal Govindia, Solicitor, Birketts LLP
• Shauna Hutchinson, People Advisor, Sovereign Network Group
• Gordon Perry, former CEO Accent Group and governing board member at the Chartered Institute of Housing
It’s never too early to get involved in next year’s competition. Nominations officially open early next year but if you have someone in mind now, let us know by contacting charlie.maunder@hqnetwork.co.uk
ALL CHANGE ON ALLOCATIONS
Councils are at the sharp end of the housing crisis as waiting lists grow by the day (along with temporary accommodation costs). But with social housing at a premium, allocation policies are key to ensuring people in most need are at the front of the queue. Neil Merrick investigates the changes different councils are making to ensure a consistent and equitable approach.
Earlier this year, residents in Sheffield were asked to suggest their preferred ways of allocating council homes. The consultation wasn’t only aimed at council tenants or people on the waiting list – anyone living in the city could have their say.
It will be up to a year before changes are made to Sheffield’s allocations policy, with councillors due to come up with more concrete proposals soon.
But, as in many parts of the UK, change is in the air. After years of their allocation schemes gathering dust, many councils are reviewing bands or points systems, as well as residency rules and how many times people can reject a home and remain on the waiting list.
In Sheffield, the current method of prioritising need and allocating homes (based on a 12-yearold policy) is simply not practical given rising demand and the shortage of social housing,
The number of households in priority bands
A to C has doubled since Covid, with about 70 priority rehousing requests submitted each week. More than half of such requests come from people who are homeless, some of whom may live in general needs council homes now used as temporary accommodation.
“Sheffield is facing the same pressure on its council housing and the same extent of homelessness and overspending on temporary accommodation as other local authorities,” says Douglas Johnson, chair of the council’s housing committee.
The last time most local authorities in England made major changes to allocation schemes, roughly a decade ago, it led to a significant reduction in waiting lists, as people with little chance of getting a home were unceremoniously removed.
‘Local connection’
Many councils also increased residency requirements so that people needed to live in an area for longer to show a ‘local connection’.
A decade later, the shortage of social housing has become even more acute, with 1.33 million people on housing registers or waiting lists in England in March 2024, up 3% on the previous year and the highest figure since 2014.
A new allocations scheme was introduced in Salford in April, with residency criteria raised from two years to five, unless someone works locally and holds a permanent contract. The residency rule doesn’t apply to refugees and people needing medical care and support, but a family association no longer helps to get a home faster.
Tracy Kelly, cabinet member for housing, says each application is assessed on its merits, with exceptional circumstances taken into account. “The policy enables the council to deliver a consistent and equitable approach,” she adds.
A new allocations policy is also in operation in Southampton, with four bands replacing the old points system. Local connection criteria were amended so people only need to have lived in the city for three years out of the past five (instead of three continuous years), helping people who leave the area briefly to find temporary accommodation.
Applicants who refuse three suitable offers are placed in band D (the lowest band), along with people deemed to be intentionally homeless or who owe rent to a social landlord.
The consultation prior to this year’s changes wasn’t without controversy, admits Andy Frampton, Southampton City Council’s cabinet
“We need to be confident this is fair for everybody, but some people will always say it isn’t. We’re doing our best with the limited accommodation we have”
Anne Callaghan, cabinet member for housing, Mansfield District Council
member for housing. A majority of residents wanted to keep things as they were, believing any changes might work against those already on the waiting list.
“We had to confess that there’s no silver bullet that will solve the housing crisis,” says Cllr Frampton. “We’re never shy of having the conversation so people understand it’s about making the system fairer and treating people in most need more appropriately.”
Allocations policies in England are based on the 1996 Housing Act, as well as the 2002 Homelessness Act and the 2011 Localism Act [see box]. Slightly different rules apply in Wales, and in Scotland, where housing associations are legally required to comply with local authority requests to house someone who’s homeless.
Care leavers
From this month [July], care leavers under 25 and survivors of domestic abuse can no longer be penalised by councils in England if they don’t have a local connection. Similar rules are already in force for army veterans.
Jasmine Basran, head of policy and campaigns at the homelessness charity Crisis, says housing waiting lists are growing longer because the level of need, including the complexity of some people’s circumstances, is also increasing.
She urged local authorities that consult over
“Sheffield is facing the same pressure on its council housing and the same extent of homelessness and overspending on temporary accommodation as other local authorities”
Douglas Johnson, chair, Sheffield City Council housing committee
changes to allocation schemes not to overlook people currently without anywhere to live. “If you sleep rough, then you’re less likely to engage in these things,” she adds.
A consultation on changes to Southwark’s allocations scheme closed at the start of June. If approved, people leaving care will automatically be placed in the highest band, alongside single homeless adults and rough sleepers.
‘Beserk’
Tim Brown, a HQN consultant, says councils should ideally review their allocations scheme at least every five years. Any review needs to be wholescale and tackle thorny issues (such as long-standing policies that give preference to certain people) or little will be achieved. “Local councillors and residents can go berserk, and
How do housing allocations work?
In theory, it’s up to local authorities in England to decide how homes are allocated to people on the housing waiting list. Besides giving ‘reasonable preference’ to people in need, they have discretion over who’s more likely to be offered a council tenancy, or be nominated by the council to move into a housing association property.
Government guidance suggests that priority should be given to people with a local connection, based on living in the area for at least two years. Councils can opt for a longer residency period if they wish.
Local authorities must also ensure they only allocate homes to ‘eligible persons’ (as defined by the 1996 Housing Act). After that, they should give reasonable preference to people who are:
• Homeless
• Living in overcrowded or insanitary conditions
• Need to move for medical or welfare reasons
• Likely to suffer hardship if they don’t move to the area.
The allocation scheme must be linked to a council’s homelessness strategy, with a free summary of the scheme available to members of the public who request one.
the review ends up as no more than a tidying up exercise,” he warns.
Residents in Mansfield have until the end of July to comment on possible changes. A new minimum income threshold may lead to households being excluded from the register on the basis they have enough money (including savings) to buy a home or rent privately.
At present, 4,728 households are waiting for a home in Mansfield, while the council owns 6,303. Last year, it received 584 bids for just one two-bedroom flat. Anne Callaghan, the district council’s cabinet member for housing, wants the policy to encompass people’s wider circumstances, such as their health, not just what they can afford.
“We need to be confident this is fair for everybody, but some people will always say it isn’t,” she says. “We’re doing our best with the limited accommodation we have.”
Wales stresses allocations in tackling homelessness
A bill launched by the Welsh government is designed to not just improve support for homeless people but potentially change the way social housing is allocated.
The Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Bill proposes giving local authorities greater discretion over who qualifies for social housing.
In theory, this should mean people suffering the greatest disadvantage are more likely to be offered a home. The bill’s introduction in the Senedd in May coincided with some Welsh councils already reviewing their allocation schemes.
From the end of October, Caerphilly is increasing the number of priority bands from three to five and allowing applicants to make two ‘unreasonable’ refusals instead of three. People with £75,000 in savings or assets (up from £50,000) will be able to join the waiting list.
Debt rules are also being revised. At present, the council suspends bids if applicants owe more than £500 until a debt repayment plan is agreed. In future, people owing more than £500 will be able to join the register, though anyone owing more than £2,000 will only be offered hard-to-let properties.
In North Wales, Wrexham has scrapped a policy that gave people over 50 priority access to social housing, regardless of need. The change is designed to increase the number of one-bed properties available for younger people who are homeless.
“We’re trying to make sure that we have a consistent process on how we allocate houses across the county borough,” says David Bithell, Wrexham’s cabinet member for housing.
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Welcome
Our individualised world can seem atomised, with ties to place and community fraying or broken altogether. Celebrities gathering in Venice for a billionaire’s wedding have little connection to notions of ‘home’ and can move around the globe freely.
So it’s heartening to consider another way of living, that brings communities and neighbourhoods together and restores a sense of pride in place. HQN has been working with colleagues in Australia, the UK and Ireland over the last couple of years on a study of what works in placemaking – getting the fundamentals in place to support thriving communities.
Initially, it seemed in some cases that people didn’t want to live where they do and would be glad to leave if they
could. But that was before housing providers got to know the history of the place and the true wishes of residents to have a better quality of life in a place they could call home. The strong connections to neighbours really are important. What can and should housing providers do to support communities in difficulty and win over residents’ trust? How can residents take on a greater role in leadership? These have been key themes of our research project and here we offer some findings.
Elsewhere, congratulations to a University of Manchester researcher whose work with refugees has scooped the prestigious Valerie Karn prize. We have details – and there’s another prize-winning opportunity coming up.
Janis Bright Editor, Evidence
Placemaking study finds trust key to supporting communities
How do you gain the trust of communities that have been let down too many times before? That’s been a central question for the Placemaking project, which HQN researchers have been working on for the last two years.
The project was commissioned by the Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) of New South Wales, Australia, and funded by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ). They wanted to establish practical guidance on supporting neighbourhoods in the state that had been taken on by housing associations in recent years. The housing stock is still owned by the state public authority, and was previously run by it as well. Many of the problems facing the communities and the housing providers will be familiar to UK practitioners. Poverty, isolation, the distance between young and old residents, vandalism and a poor environment are common. Aboriginal communities in particular have suffered long-
term loss and may feel alienated from service providers. So, trust and respect are important concepts in the work of getting communities to engage with providers for mutual benefit. Our project found that very often, residents just want providers to get the basics right: day-to-day repairs done properly, rubbish cleared away, graffiti removed, grass cut. Their frustration understandably grows when they see a provider struggling even with these bread-and-butter issues.
Case study organisations in the UK, Ireland and Australia offered imaginative ideas on how to achieve buy-in from residents in these circumstances. Some held fun days, some brought in community arts projects, many stressed the importance of listening to residents’ stories about the history of the neighbourhood and its people. The aim was to build a sense of pride in place – and once a dialogue started, residents and staff could make a start together on
tackling the problems.
It’s crucial to deliver on what you promise, of course. Providers will need to make an offer to residents – perhaps simply a promise to tackle roaming dogs or those botched repair jobs – but whatever it is, providers had to show they were as good as their word.
As resident engagement developed, residents would open up about other issues. Further down the line they might want young people given something positive to do, or action taken on antisocial behaviour. A key element in delivering on these issues was providing spaces for people to come together in the neighbourhood. Our research found that a community centre or meeting room placed very locally on the estate or complex was vital for people to be able to build their connections with each other. Outdoors, informal ‘bumping into’ spaces could be created, to help people get to know their neighbours and
feel less isolated.
In Australia, understanding and respecting Aboriginal communities’ cultures is essential. The term ‘cultural safety’ is used to mean creating environments where Aboriginal people feel respected, valued and free from discrimination or marginalisation. It ensures that cultural identity, beliefs and practices are acknowledged and protected in the work of placemaking.
As a guide written by Emily Hale for the Placemaking project notes, placemaking for Aboriginal communities involves restoring their deep connections to land and recognising its spiritual and cultural significance. Some housing associations have begun working with Aboriginal elders to support empowerment and leadership in their communities as placemaking develops. That involves building trust by learning about the histories, values and cultural practices of the communities, and taking things at
the pace the community wants.
Some organisations in the UK have been working on placemaking initiatives for many years, developing sophisticated systems along the way. Pioneer Group has been working on the Castle Vale estate in Birmingham since it became a Housing Action Trust back in the 1990s. Today the housing association works in close partnership with residents on a range of initiatives designed to support and stabilise the community. The long-established systems and practical ways of working stood them in good stead when first Covid and then the cost-of-living crisis struck.
Castle Vale’s partnership of residents, housing association and a range of other services such as police and health works to a rolling five-year neighbourhood plan. The plan is not branded as Pioneer Group because it belongs to everyone. It means that each agency is drawn into a strategy that has clear goals and requires each partner to play their role fully – at both operational and strategic level.
Drawing together the toolkit
CHIA NSW asked HQN to draw up a toolkit for housing providers to undertake placemaking. Drawing on our research into the issues and successes our case studies were reporting, we set out six fundamental values that providers work to in their placemaking. Then we established eight objectives to achieve action in fulfilling those values.
Finally, we grouped practical actions that organisations can take toward achieving each of the objectives. Some, like getting the basics of housing management right, can be put into action straight away and will help establish trust. Once residents are starting to engage, they may start to lead on their own ideas for projects and to take on local responsibilities. And finally, longer-term strategic actions, drawn up in partnership with the community, can tackle the deep-seated issues such as poor health and lack of employment that are often found. Actions can be formalised into partnership plans, as at Castle Vale, to
ensure everyone’s pulling in the same direction. We represented this combination of objectives, actions and time as a spiral (see previous page).
By using our toolkit’s self-assessment questions, organisations can work through the different phases of action from the early objectives to the very broad outlook over time. There are lots of examples from around the world, and links to other resources. Practical ‘how to’ guides help organisations to get started with initiatives such as estate inspection, scrutiny panels and dealing better with complaints. The toolkit is designed to support organisations using shared metrics to track their progress toward fulfilling their objectives and values.
The Placemaking project is here: https:// communityhousing.org.au/placemaking-improvingservices-engagement-and-satisfaction-in-estatecommunities/ and the toolkit will be available online soon.
Case Study: Hume Community Housing’s consistent approach
Hume Community Housing provides over 4,000 properties to approximately 9,000 customers in New South Wales, offering a mix of long-term, affordable and transitional housing. In 2019, Hume undertook NSW’s largest social housing transfer, integrating 2,200 homes from Maitland and Port Stephens into Hume’s management portfolio. Hume recognises the importance of the land’s traditional custodians, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Area background
The homes, mainly built from the early 1980s to the 1990s, house a diverse population, including some over 55s. Many
residents are original occupants or have inherited their homes through succession from a parent, contributing to a stable yet aged community demographic. The diverse demographics in the area include single parents, elderly men living alone, and a notable presence of homelessness and transient populations. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people represent 11% of the regional customers.
Challenges
Since the stock transfer the region has faced bushfires, Covid-19 and floods, all significantly affecting Hume’s community development and engagement plans. The costof-living crisis has further strained the community, increasing
the workload for Hume’s tenancy sustainment and community cohesion officers. Mistrust and confusion about Hume’s role compared to government housing, especially in rural areas, have posed engagement challenges. Issues with property maintenance and condition have historically eroded resident trust, which Hume is actively addressing.
Sensitive topics like rent collection and property conditions are focal points for building trust. Engagement activities and events do have a positive impact on the community and the relationship with Hume and residents, but structured involvement in governance is challenging. Addressing antisocial behaviour (ASB), crime and youth challenges, especially in rural areas where a single household can disrupt the community, is a priority. Hume has seen improvements through targeted interventions.
Hoarding, particularly among solitary elderly men, and internal property conditions, pose unique challenges, often requiring substantial resources to address.
A Hume Housing community day
The transient population, influenced by local correctional facilities, and high levels of domestic violence and mental health issues, further complicate the community landscape. Changes in primary care, leading to funding cuts for some mental health services, have left many residents unsupported.
Approaches
Hume attributes its success primarily to two elements: consistent presence in communities and robust partnerships with local agencies, residents and the wider community. Hume understands that community development requires a collaborative approach, not only with customers and community but also with local service and support partners.
Youth engagement: Hume’s Maitland team have partnered with a local provider to engage youth through sports and crafts in local parks. This approach offered a positive, proactive means to interact with families, transcending mere responses to ASB complaints. Although the initiative’s sustainability hinged on external funding, its impact was tangible, with residents noting a perceptible difference in community atmosphere.
Enforcement: beyond traditional enforcement, Hume adopted a multi-agency approach, ensuring referrals and proactive support for residents. This balanced strategy aimed at prevention and intervention, reducing the need
for tribunals and fostering a supportive environment for community issues and tenancy sustainment.
Seniors hubs: activities for residents over 65, facilitated in partnership with Catholic Care in local community spaces, have been instrumental in engaging the older population. These hubs, providing cost-free participation, aim to transition into more customer-led platforms, reflecting Hume’s commitment to inclusive community spaces. Hume acknowledges that isolation and loneliness is most prevalent for older customers and has a significant impact on health. Senior hub programmes have resulted in reducing these challenges.
RIKI – Rent It. Keep It: in partnership with Carries Place, this program supports tenancy sustainment, offering guidance on housing applications, tenancy initiation and sustainable living. Its high engagement rates underscore its effectiveness in educating residents about tenancy management. Ensuring communities can gain skills necessary to sustain their tenancy and participate in their community is critical in community development and placemaking.
Resident voice: the evolution from Tenants Voice engagement sessions to Hume’s customer newsletter, Humelife Magazine, marks an initiative to foster a twoway dialogue with residents, ensuring their voices shape community engagement strategies.
Safety awareness: recognising the unique risks for properties adjacent to bushlands, Hume has conducted
well-received fire safety sessions, prioritising resident safety and preparedness. These forums assisted over 55s in difficult property care, such as gutter cleans and rubbish removal, to ensure plans to stay safe could be achieved.
Reconciliation action plans: these plans underline Hume’s commitment to resident empowerment, decisionmaking, and fostering inclusive communities where everyone’s voice is heard and valued.
Tenancy sustainment coordinators and community cohesion officers: Hume has prioritised not just having tenancy staff in communities but ensuring their presence is consistent, positive and stable. Overcoming challenges in staff stability has been a focal point for fostering trust and effectiveness in community engagement. The addition of tenancy sustainment officers provides an internal referral to support coordination for tenancies at risk or customers experiencing challenging times and requiring support.
Community cohesion is underpinned by an asset-building and placemaking approach, with customers’ participation valued at every stage, from implementation to delivery.
Training and development: staff undergo rigorous and
frequent training in crucial areas, such as mental health first aid, hoarding, property conditions and fire safety, equipping them with the necessary skills to address complex community issues effectively.
New structural approach: Hume is trialling a new structure that reduces its staff to tenant ratio and provides more consistent and meaningful service delivery. This holistic approach aims to improve property and community management by providing customers with a single point of contact and creating more manageable portfolios and improving both customer and staff experience.
Best practice and collaboration: Hume actively participates in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with multiple housing associations and others in the NSW area. This collaboration focuses on sharing best practice, learning from each other, and delivering more cohesive and effective results.
View Hume Community Housing’s video presented at the second international placemaking exchange in April 2025 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zuPHeHAB78
Research on refugees’ experiences wins Valerie Karn prize
The Housing Studies Association announces this year’s results.
Valerie was a housing researcher of compassion and conviction. She believed in the power of research to challenge and change policy by exposing the injustices of life in urban society. She was also a passionate advocate of community engagement and action. Valerie’s interests were wide-ranging and her achievements many. One her most notable contributions was her joint authorship of Race, Class and State Housing (1987). Written with Jeff Henderson,
Community development requires a collaborative approach
this seminal work exposed the processes of institutional racism in public housing.
The prize is financed through donations made in Valerie Karn’s memory from her daughter and other family and friends. The prize winner is awarded a gift voucher and receives support towards the professional production and dissemination of the winning paper. The prize is awarded each year at the Housing Studies Association Annual Conference.
The winner of the Valerie Karn prize for 2025 is: Manon Burbidge – Unpayable bills, black mould and broken cookers: Exploring refugees’ lived realities of energy poverty through a Photovoice project in Greater Manchester. Manon is a PhD researcher at the University of Manchester, where she’s investigating the drivers and experiences of energy poverty amongst refugee communities living in the UK and its links to wider inequalities. She has a background in Physical Geography (Durham University, UK) and Human Ecology (Lund University, Sweden). She also worked as a research associate on EU-funded projects around energy poverty, renewable energy access and energy communities prior to starting her PhD. Her research interests are broad, spanning energy, housing, justice, gender, migration and climate change.
The study
Refugees living in England are more likely on average to be
A new research prize from the HSA
In celebration of the legacy of Ben Pattison (who sadly passed away in 2020, leaving us heavy-hearted and the housing research community with a great loss), we’re delighted to announce that the Ben Pattison Prize is open for submissions!
In collaboration with the Housing Studies Charitable Trust, this annual award recognises outstanding undergraduate and postgraduate research that reflects Ben Pattison’s enduring commitment to tackling housing inequality.
If you’re a student or an early career researcher – or know of one – working on research exploring housing challenges such as the private rented sector, regeneration, housing and welfare, or health inequalities, this is your moment to shine.
The call for submissions is open until 28 July.
Full details are on the HSA website: https://www.housingstudies-association.org/pages/the-ben-pattison-prize
Let’s work together to support and celebrate new voices in housing research.
vulnerable to energy poverty, yet literature on their lived experiences and how they navigate the UK energy system remains rare. As a contribution towards filling this research gap, the paper presented the results of a participatory photography project, undertaken with seven refugees in Greater Manchester, to explore the energy-related issues that they faced in their everyday lives.
Through a combination of words and photographs, the results show how ordinary, everyday household objects represent the prioritisations and trade-offs that the participants are forced to employ to manage their energy use in the face of low incomes and high energy costs. The findings highlight the need to centre the seemingly mundane, everyday “things” that so often go unnoticed, which can reveal detailed insights into how a lack of energy is experienced and entangled with stories of seeking asylum, debt, fear, identity and homemaking.
In addition, highly commended entrants for 2025 are:
• Garett Grainger (Manchester Metropolitan University), What Barriers Do Administrators Face Whilst Upgrading their Data Assemblage?
• Neftalem Emanuel (Oxford University), From Neglect to Distress: How Disinvestment in Local Authority Housing Affects Resident Wellbeing.
You can learn more about the Valerie Karn prize on the HSA website: https://www.housing-studies-association.org/ pages/the-valerie-karn-prize
Evidence editor: Dr Janis Bright
www.hqnetwork.co.uk
email: evidence@hqnetwork.co.uk
Housing in Practice
Tackling stigma by listening to tenants
In the latest in our Housing in Practice series, we explore how two local authorities working in partnership have found ways to reduce the stigma experienced by many tenants. Neil Merrick reports.
Tenant board members, staff and councillors come together for a tackling stigma workshop with the Stop Social Housing Stigma campaign group
The tenant’s story
Just over a year ago, Paula Warren noticed a change of tone in an email that she received from her social landlord. Instead of addressing her in a patronising way, the council seemed genuinely concerned about any problems she faced and informed her how she could make a complaint.
Warren has been a council tenant in Mid Suffolk for more than 20 years. For the past 14 years, housing in the area has been run as a shared service by Babergh and Mid Suffolk councils, which between them have about 7,000 tenants.
Previously, says Warren, tenants were often made to feel like second-class citizens. “If you spoke to anyone at the council they used terms like stock or property rather than talking about your home,” she recalls.
By last September, Warren had accepted an invitation to join the tenant board, which advises councillors on operational matters. For the past three years, she has also worked in the councils’ customer services team, meaning she hears first hand from residents who are dissatisfied with local authority services.
In terms of housing, she says, tenants are feeling less stigmatised while at the same time contributing to discussions and decisions. “There has been a reset and things feel completely different,” she adds.
What’s driving change?
Stigma has existed among tenants for years, coming to the fore most noticeably following the tragedy at Grenfell in 2017.
Subsequently, the government pledged to give tenants more say over how services are delivered by councils and housing associations, with a new system of tenant satisfaction measures and consumer inspections created under the Social Housing Regulation Act
In Babergh and Mid Suffolk, stigma partly stemmed from poor-quality service. In late 2022, the councils referred themselves to the Regulator of Social Housing for failing to meet the home standard (since superseded by the safety and quality standard).
“We were in a dire situation with our repairs service,” says David White, who joined in 2022 as head of housing, transformation and regulation.
According to White, the way repairs were dealt with epitomised wider problems in the relationship between the councils and tenants, which led to many tenants feeling not just frustrated, but stigmatised.
White recalls once hearing a council officer referring to some new flats as being “too good for our tenants”. As a former council tenant himself, he didn’t hide his feelings when they spoke in private afterwards. “We needed to not just tackle issues around repairs but the culture of the organisation,” says White.
How was the stigma most obvious to tenants?
Tenants used to feel stigma most when repairs were carried out. Instead of giving them an allotted time, contractors would simply turn up, and expect someone to be at home.
Worse, says Paula Warren, contractors tended not to show residents any respect. “They’d come in and leave the door open, regardless of whether it was cold or you had children inside,” she adds.
This approach was a symptom of wider issues and needed to change, agrees David White. “We were just going out and knocking on doors,” he says. “Tenants felt we didn’t respect them and that we didn’t believe they were worthy of quality service.”
What changes have been made?
For the past three years, Babergh and Mid Suffolk has run a tenant board, giving tenants the opportunity to discuss issues with councillors and officers, and influence decisions. There are currently six members of the board, which meets once per month and is in effect a scrutiny panel for the two local authorities. The cabinet members for housing from each council attend all meetings and discover how tenants feel about services and proposed changes in policy.
The board suggests three scrutiny projects per year, while a complaints task force, including tenant board
“Tenants felt we didn’t respect them and that we didn’t believe they were worthy of quality service”
David White, head of housing transformation and regulation, Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils
The tackling stigma workshop gets underway
members, meets quarterly to monitor complaints data. In addition, tenant sounding boards are used on an ad-hoc basis while ‘neighbourhood experts’ flag up issues in their communities.
A tackling stigma action plan was drawn up towards the end of last year and is being used to review how day-to-day services are delivered.
Richard Winch, Mid Suffolk’s cabinet member for housing and property, says he and his Babergh counterpart adopt “listening mode” when they attend meetings of the tenant board.
During the past year, planned increases in service charges were scaled back after board members objected. “The general feeling was that we were trying to move too fast,” says Cllr Winch, who is also deputy leader of Mid Suffolk.
Together, councillors and tenants feel part of the same team with the similar long-term ambitions. “Sometimes we hear things that maybe we’re uncomfortable with, but it’s better to know about things sooner, rather than wait until something goes really wrong,” says Cllr Winch.
Contractors are also vetted to ensure they treat tenants with respect when they carry out work. “There’s been a massive shift in the attitude of contractors,” says Ruth Hendry, cabinet member for housing in Babergh. “They’ve had it drummed into them that they must be respectful if they want council business.”
For too long, says Cllr Hendry, a housing association tenant, decisions were made by landlords on behalf of people living in social housing. “They concentrated on the wrong things. Listening to tenants makes a real difference,” she adds.
Have Babergh and Mid Suffolk got closer to tackling stigma?
David White grew up in council house with his parents and, having left home and been homeless for a short period, was allocated a council flat in Essex. “It was quite unusual, but I
“There’s been a massive shift in the attitude of contractors. They’ve had it drummed into them that they must be respectful if they want council business”
Ruth Hendry, cabinet member for housing and chair, Babergh District Council
thought it was the best thing in the world,” he says.
Years later, he believes the stigma that surrounds much of the sector stems from the shortage of homes for social rent. This means they tend to be allocated to people in desperate need, and are therefore associated with vulnerability or disadvantage.
“If there was plenty of social housing to go around, more people would be able to access it and it wouldn’t be seen as something for vulnerable people, which leads to stigma,” he says.
While Babergh and Mid Suffolk cannot hope to solve the housing crisis overnight, their new approach appears to be delivering results, with tenant satisfaction scores looking up.
Last year, 74% of tenants said their landlord treats them fairly and with respect, up from 69% the previous year. Not that any landlord should expect things to change overnight, “It takes a good 18 months for satisfaction to improve,” says White.
White and other officers would like to see more tenants join the tenant board, and a system of rewards or incentives may be introduced to recognise the work and time involved.
Paula Warren, meanwhile, says it’s as if a “big button has been pressed”, with the tenant board enjoying real influence over housing policy. “I feel there’s been a redistribution of power between the councils and tenants,” she says.
“If there was plenty of social housing to go around...it wouldn’t be seen as something for vulnerable people”
Putting cost first lets tenants down
Tony Simms, Director, QLP
We’re constantly being asked to do more with less as demands on our services grow.
Each new request or initiative stretches our limited resources further. Too often, decisions in social housing are made based solely on cost. But using cost as the only measure of ‘value for money’ affects not just our buildings and systems, it impacts tenants and staff as well.
There are many examples where short-term cost savings have led to long-term failures. Repairs and maintenance cutbacks, underinvestment in staff, service reductions and austerity measures have created damaging headlines and, in some cases, devastating outcomes. What began as ‘cost cutting’ has ended in regulatory failure, reputational damage, low staff morale, and, at worst, injury or loss of life.
We must redefine ‘value’ and recognise that different stakeholders measure it in different ways.
For a tenant, the value of a service may be measured by the speed of repairs, the responsiveness of customer services or the compassion of the agent.
For a repairs manager, the value may be measured by how efficient the system repairs and scheduling system works.
In the case (for example) of a system that allows the tenant to report a repair easily, accurately at any time of day, and for the repairs manager to ensure it gets fixed first time, it’s essential work order adjustments can be made quickly and easily and the correct budget codes are used.
The challenge then becomes: how do we respond to these (and other factors) and make a balanced decision?
The key is to redefine ‘value’ and recognise that different stakeholders measure it in different ways.
Take a new housing management system as an example. Here’s how a value-driven approach might look:
Tenant involvement
Traditionally, tenants are consulted after services are designed. If we’re serious about improvement, their voices must be heard from the start. Co-design – beyond surveys or focus groups – ensures systems meet real needs. Tenants should shape decisions, not just react to them.
Procurement
Awarding contracts based mainly on lowest cost encourages unrealistic bids. Suppliers may underprice to win work, leading to systems that are late, subpar and costly to fix. It’s a false economy. Procurement teams must shift to assessing long-term value: which supplier can deliver lasting, effective
tools for housing officers, repairs teams and contact centres? Without this, we risk projects that fail to deliver true value.
Implementation
Even with the right supplier and tenant input, many projects falter during delivery. Timelines are often unrealistic and internal teams lack the experience or bandwidth to manage complex rollouts. Assigning existing staff to projects without backfill or training leads to burnout and costly errors. Successful implementation requires:
• Engaging system users early – not just as testers, but as codesigners
• Filling key roles with experienced project managers, analysts, trainers and change leads
• Supporting business staff by providing time, training and tools to manage delivery effectively.
Training
Training must go beyond generic system demos. It needs to be:
• Role-specific, tailored to how different users will interact with the system
• Hands-on, using real scenarios and examples
• Ongoing, with refreshers, champions and post-go-live support.
We must also build internal capability around project delivery. Too often, housing professionals are tasked with managing IT projects without proper training. They need to understand:
• How to gather user input and write meaningful user stories
• How to manage change, scope and risk
• What good testing looks like.
Without these skills, even great systems can fail. Goodwill and spreadsheets aren’t enough. Project leads need structured development to meet the scale and speed of change in our sector.
If we’re honest, we already know where cost-first thinking takes us. We’ve seen the inquiry reports, missed KPIs, tenant complaints and burnt-out staff. Every corner cut, every rushed rollout, every ‘cheapest-bid-wins’ decision has a cost – it just shows up later.
‘Buy cheap, buy twice’ is especially true for IT projects. We need a new model of leadership – one that values quality from the outset:
• Quality in tenant engagement
• Quality in procurement
• Quality in implementation
• Quality in training and support.
We must measure value not only by cost, but by long-term impact – on our teams, our systems and, most importantly, our residents.
Ombudsman Corner
By Richard Blakeway, the Housing Ombudsman
Recently, while sipping my breakfast coffee listening to Radio 4, I was surprised to hear our service mentioned on Thought for the Day.
Rev Lucy Winkett had picked up on the rise in complaints about antisocial behaviour (ASB). Within three minutes, she said so much that would feel so relevant to many housing professionals working in ASB. She talked about the “relevant responsibilities” of different parties, but also asked “deeper questions”, including how “many of the people making the noise, shouting abuse or attacking their neighbours are vulnerable, distressed or angry, sometimes addicted or unwell”.
This moved to an “ethical dialogue” about how people can become “stuck in patterns of behaviour that damage themselves and others”, raising questions about the role of community. Whether you have faith or none, this will feel relatable for many working in this challenging field.
I’ve met so many people who are proud to have grown up in social housing. It boasts strong, diverse communities and our country is enriched by it. Last year’s Shelter campaign, Made in Social Housing, expressed this brilliantly.
But, like in all tenures, ASB can happen. Because social tenants are able to move less easily, the importance of good neighbourhood management is even greater. This ensures the benefits of building strong roots in communities through longer tenancies doesn’t tip into feeling trapped when there’s ASB.
It’d be wrong to airbrush the experiences of residents in our casework. In our ‘learning from severe maladministration’ report, the impact of persistent ASB can be devastating. Frequently, children are being affected. They are reported as scared to leave their home or go to school. Landlords are shown not acting on evidence. One resident experiencing nightly noise made 115 recordings but was met by limited and late responses by their landlord. Damage to property has been
left unrepaired. A resident whose windows were smashed waited 14 months for repairs, meanwhile they were boarded up. Another landlord took 22 months to repair doors that could reduce noise. In a few cases, we’ve seen residents ending their tenancies after poor ASB handling – losing a home which was meant to be safe and secure.
So, why do we see these things happening? One clear theme is how essential tools for effective ASB handling, including risk assessments or action plans, can either be missing or mishandled. But it also shows how approaches to handling ASB are changing too, and social landlords can be at the vanguard. This includes considering how to handle hate incidents. This isn’t always about race. ASB directed towards disabled residents reoccurs in our investigations. These incidents require separate recording, policies and procedures, but this good practice may not be universal across the sector.
Another aspect is how landlords can improve coordination between repairs and ASB handling. This could be preventative as well as reactive. Of course, we know the sector’s challenges handling some repairs. This
“This
includes considering how to handle hate incidents. This isn’t always about race. ASB directed towards disabled residents reoccurs in our investigations. These incidents require separate recording, policies and procedures, but this good practice may not be universal across the sector”
was explored in our recent Spotlight report, Repairing Trust. These cases reinforce the need to modernise repairs and maintenance. It also underscores the importance of effective internal communication between teams holding different responsibilities.
Evolving the role of complaint handlers where there are service complaints involving ASB matters too. Similar to our role, a complaint handler’s job isn’t to investigate the ASB itself but examine its handling. This can be a crucial second line of defence for the landlord. We know there have been significant improvements in complaint handling and it can make a real difference. But sometimes this falls short.
This can be because the complaints team are too passive. This can mean missed opportunities go unrecovered, such as conducting a risk assessment. Or opportunities for organisational learning are lost, because patterns are missed. The complaints process can also be the moment to bring together other issues raised by the resident, such as property condition, into a single, coherent response form the landlord. But each element can be poorly handled.
Clear, empathetic communication at this stage is crucial. It could restore the resident’s confidence the landlord is listening. It can show the process hasn’t lost sight of the person. Yet in some of these cases, the communication at different stages was poor. This went beyond balancing relationships with residents. Occasionally, taking a harmbased approach was lost. Sitting behind poor communication can be inaction. It’s for landlords to reflect on whether these are driven by cultural issues or inadequate knowledge and information management.
Overall, as Rev Winkett alluded to, these cases also show how complex community life and the role of a social landlord has become. Our learning report and events like ASB week provide an opportunity for landlords to reflect on the fundamentals of ASB:
• What’s their role, how to manage expectations and where to work with others
• The rise in vulnerabilities and mental health needs
• The challenging circumstances of some of the residents who appear responsible for the ASB
• The importance of better information sharing by local authorities with landlords when allocating properties
• The skills required within the landlord to handle these increasingly complex cases and effective networks with other agencies.
• The importance of addressing ASB caused by non-residents to reduce the impact on residents
• The need to respond to changing public policy, including new measures in the Crime and Policing Bill.
This highlights the uniqueness of the social landlord’s role. I’ve met with some inspirational practitioners working on ASB and we also find fewer service failings in ASB cases than other areas. Just pause to reflect on that. Given the challenges and individual nature of each case, this is a considerable achievement.
What now for a National Tenant Voice?
Aileen Edmunds, Chief Executive, Longleigh Foundation
The case for a National Tenant Voice is no longer up for debate. Thanks to the publication of the ‘Tenants at the Table’ report, we now have clear evidence, gathered directly from tenants themselves. The demand is there, the need is urgent, and the path forward is within reach.
Tenants commissioned the report with funding from Longleigh Foundation and G15+, made possible by Fusion21, and delivered by The Health Creation Alliance. It captures what over 100 tenants across England had to say, in their words, on their terms, about what national advocacy should look like. And the findings are clear: tenants want real influence, not a consultation tick-box exercise.
The report isn’t the only sign things need to change. The Housing Ombudsman’s recent ‘Repairing Trust’ report highlights a 474% rise in complaints from social housing residents. The message is: people feel unheard, dismissed and excluded from systems meant to support them.
In a recent article, Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway backed the idea of a national tenant body, observing the gap in representation at national level. Combine that with the ‘Tenants at the Table’ report findings, and the direction of travel is obvious.
So, what do tenants actually want?
Not another talking shop. Not top down. And definitely not tokenistic.
The strongest message from the report is about credibility. Tenants said they need a structure that’s genuinely reflective of who they are, across geography, race, age and tenure, to name but a few. It must bring in new voices, not just the usual suspects. That means 50/50 representation: people with and without prior advocacy experience, all paid for their time and respected for what they bring.
They also want a network that isn’t just heard, but listened to at the level where decisions are made. A structure that speaks directly to government, parliament, the regulator and the ombudsman. That builds campaigns, brings evidence and sends real tenants into the rooms where it counts. Importantly, it must report back to tenants about what’s changed.
Joseph De-Ville, chair of the tenant steering group, puts it plainly: “Tenants have been asking for meaningful influence for years. This report puts their words front and centre. It doesn’t just echo what’s come before, it builds on it with clear, practical steps. We now need housing bodies,
policymakers and funders to back tenants in taking this forward, on their terms.”
What’s the preferred model?
First, we need to bring together a larger group of tenants to shape what it should look like. So far in the report, tenants have advocated for a flexible, national network or alliance that’s led by tenants, and owned by tenants. Not a government-funded body that’s at risk of being shut down by future administrations.
I love the idea of connecting and building on what’s already happening at local and regional levels to create a connected, independent structure that can scale from grass-roots upwards. Tenants across the country can affiliate, contribute and help shape priorities. It’s a practical way to build trust and capacity while keeping the work rooted in reality.
The report also outlines four key groups needed to get things going:
• An operational group, paid to do the groundwork
• A shadow board, building towards full governance
• A ‘midwife’ group, to guide development and stay impartial
• A spokespeople panel, ready now to represent tenants nationally.
What’s Longleigh’s role in the next phase?
There’s need for an organisation to help tenants secure funding, for their time, meeting spaces and more. We’re honoured to serve as the proposed accountable body that doesn’t lead the tenants voice but backs it.
We’ll help create the space and structure for tenants to lead, and we’re ready to do the groundwork needed to make a National Tenant Voice a reality.
With a new(ish) government, fresh regulation and rising public pressure, the window for real change is open. This isn’t the launch of another initiative that fizzles out. It’s the start of something lasting, with the right safeguards, strategy and support to evolve over time.
How can you support?
Since publishing the report, we’ve already seen interest from across the housing sector. So, if you’re a housing professional wondering what your role is, start here: read the full report, share it with your networks, ask where your organisation fits into this. And when tenants step forward, please back them.
This is a chance to reset how policy is shaped in social housing. Not just for tenants, but with them, led by them.
Let’s stop asking if we need a National Tenant Voice. We do. Let’s build it.
How can we guarantee that green belt development prioritises housing quality and doesn’t compromise on nature?
Pooja Agrawal, Chief Executive Officer, Public Practice
Sadiq Khan recently announced that City Hall intends to help end London’s growing housing crisis by actively exploring releasing green belt land for development. Khan shared that much of this land isn’t scenic, and only 13% is accessible to the public. As London’s green belt has been protected from development since 1947, this announcement marks a significant change in policy. Given the enormous pressure on housing, how do we ensure that green belt development doesn’t compromise on quality and nature?
The Greater London Authority is undertaking a strategic review of the green belt to ensure development is taken forward “in the right way”, but officers on the ground have been assessing and guiding green belt development in their boroughs for some time.
Sophie El Nimr is an urban design officer at the London Borough of Havering, where over 50% of land is designated as green belt. She participated in Public Practice’s Associate Programme, having previously worked as an architect in the private sector. She now provides highquality pre-application advice services on development proposals in Havering.
Sophie has contributed to advising on design approaches that respect contextual design: “Delivering housing on isolated parcels of ‘green belt’ land that are poorly served by public or active transport opportunities or local services is not good plan-making for the provision of the homes we need for communities to thrive in. The strategic spatial issues and design challenges associated with ‘green belt’ land development relate to the proximity to existing or potential infrastructure, other settlements and the impact on landscape character, ecology and materials.”
Sophie’s experience demonstrates that building on green belt requires layers of decision-making at a strategic level to help demonstrate the council’s intentions, and then steering applications on a case-by-case scenario, holding applicants to account. Sophie’s urban design and housing skills have enabled her to make decisions based on professional judgement. However, given the lack of capacity and skills inhouse in local authorities and the ever-growing pressure on housing delivery, there’s a risk that outcomes will be compromised in the name of quantity.
“When determining this type of development, there’s a balance between ensuring a varied and contextual approach to growth and strengthening the well-used links into the green belt”
In assessing green belt proposals, determining the principle of development and the impact of landscape character is critical, prior to getting involved in detailed comments on the design approach. The recently published Havering Character Study (2024) identifies the need to ensure the borough’s rural edges and forgotten villages are celebrated, particularly as the green belt is well valued by residents. When determining this type of development, there’s a balance between ensuring a varied and contextual approach to growth and strengthening the well-used links into the green belt.
For the last four years, Public Practice has produced a Recruitment and Skills Report that seeks to better understand the skills gaps and capacity challenges local government faces. In our 2024 report, we highlighted that the top skills placemaking teams needed but lacked were ecology and biodiversity, landscape architecture, infrastructure and utilities, and environment sustainability. The report also revealed that 2024’s local authority recruitment plans didn’t address the identified skill shortages. The recruitment plans were instead likely to reinforce existing capacity gaps, and so we expect many teams to remain under-resourced in these areas – areas which we believe are critical to green belt development.
While the government has provided funding for councils across the country to undertake green belt review and is supporting Public Practice to recruit its target of 300 new planning officers, we hope to work more closely with London boroughs to attract and retain the specialist skill sets in the public sector, which we believe are critical to ensuring green belt development is done in the best way possible.
The Digital Skills Passport
Sean Kearns, Chief Executive, CSCS Group
Dame Judith Hackitt’s review into the Grenfell tragedy and the resulting Building Safety Act are clear.
For workers to be deemed ‘competent’ on a job, they must be able to demonstrate a full, verifiable picture of their skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours – and responsibility for ensuring this lies squarely with their employer.
For contractors and housebuilders, the Building Safety Act makes clear that they must be able to prove the competence of their workforce.
And for housebuilders, large or small, the new regulation means that for them to be confident of the quality and safety of their homes, they should also be ensuring that their contractors and suppliers are regularly verifying that their employees hold the correct skills and qualifications for their role.
I know this can feel like an insurmountable task, but as an industry we’re in this together.
When the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) was launched in 1995, it was built on a simple yet vital principle: everyone on a construction site should be trained, qualified and able to prove it.
Now 30 years on, that mission remains unchanged, but how we deliver this is evolving.
CSCS cards have become the UK industry standard for verifying training and qualifications, with millions of cardholders helping to improve safety across the sector.
Now we’re taking the next step with our new CSCS Digital Skills Passport, a modern, efficient way to manage, track and improve workforce competence.
The Digital Skills Passport comprises two core tools.
My CSCS is a free app for individual employees to store
their digital CSCS cards, including verified qualifications and health safety credentials, alongside additional training and learning documents in one secure platform.
At the same time, CSCS Smart Check provides employers, housebuilders and contractors with one easy-to-use tool to verify that cards are genuine and up to date and that workers have the correct skills, training and qualifications for the role they’re employed to do.
But this is more than a digital upgrade – it’s a compliance solution. To meet the legal obligations of the Building Safety Act, duty holders must ensure each employee is demonstrably competent. If a subcontractor cuts corners, the liability falls on you.
The Digital Skills Passport mitigates that risk by ensuring that every one of your workers has the right qualifications and training – the key elements of skills and knowledge.
The benefits are wide-reaching. Workers gain ownership of their professional records and can carry their validated competencies across jobs. Employers gain confidence that the right people are in the right roles. And, most importantly, contractors and housebuilders gain assurance that legal obligations are being met.
The introduction of the Digital Skills Passport marks a turning point in how we recognise and manage competence across our industry. It fosters consistency, enhances professionalism and supports a safer, more transparent sector.
But innovation only works if it’s embraced. If we want to meet the requirements of the Building Safety Act and build a culture of safety, efficiency and accountability, this new technology must be adopted by all.
Let’s lead by example, raise the standard and make competence the foundation of everything we build.
“I know this can feel like an insurmountable task, but as an industry we are in this together”
A life in 15 questions
Shauna Hutchinson
HR
Advisor, Sovereign Network Group
1. What do you do for fun?
Music feeds my soul. I’m a sucker for a live R&B show. One of my favourite things is attending j’ouvert [joo-vay] events to get covered in paint and powder while dancing to soca music with my friends. Freedom, joy and often some rum LOL.
2. You have the power to change one thing about the social housing sector: what would it be?
Funding, funding, funding! I worry that there’s a feeling of commercialism over community because the need for homes and government funding don’t marry up. The number of housing associations in existence has declined over the years because of needing to withstand so much financial pressure and minimal support from government. Social housing is often attacked instead of recognising the gaps that have been plugged by HAs when support services are reduced in local communities. Government need to stop pointing their fingers at the sector and do more to address it. SHOW ME THE MONEYYYY.
3. What advice would you give to someone starting out in housing?
Don’t stick to one field in housing – try different jobs, learn from all of them, put your knowledge to good use in projects where you’re aware of the journey of the idea to help it land in the best way. Also HOMES not units, properties or blocks. We’re real people in social housing, not just numbers.
4. Who’s your favourite author, and why?
Oh gosh, I’m terrible with committing to finishing fiction. I’ve been on page 89 of the first Harry Potter book for 18 months LOL. I prefer a ‘one and done’ alternative self help book, though. Ice Cream for Breakfast by Laura Jane Williams and Jenifer Lewis’ Mother of
Black Hollywood were interesting for me to think about ‘trying’ and mental health.
5. Strangest thing you’ve ever experienced?
When I moved into my flat in 2023, there were a few days where I felt like there was someone on my chest while I slept. I couldn’t see her face but saw her gothic dress. This happened a few times where I was paralysed and couldn’t get her off me. One day, instead of fighting to wake up like I’d done before, I let the scene play out. I could see an East Asian family standing at the end of my bed in blueish white light. The woman in the family said a name and put her hand out. I struggled to say I’m not blah blah (to this day, I can’t remember the name she called me). I fought to say it a few times and then the weight on my chest left – no woman in a black dress anymore and I could talk. I remember shouting it in real life, waking myself up and they all disappeared. The lady in the black dress was now in white and had a warm presence. I’ve not seen them or had that feeling since.
6. What are your three favourite albums?
Top of my head: Christina Aguilera Stripped, Masego Studying Abroad, Michael Jackson Dangerous. They never miss.
7. Favourite food?
Anything prawny. Love a thai!
8. Sat snugly at home or travelling around the world?
I want the world without the travel time and discomfort. Teleport me to stunning views and tasty food around the world or make me rich enough to have a sofa on my plane.
9. A world without music or a world without literature?
I’m cheating – music is poetry to me, so farewell, literature.
10. If you had to work in housing in another country, which would it be, and why?
No idea – somewhere with colourful houses, good food, weather and views like St Lucia or Grenada.
11. Pessimistic, optimistic or unsure about the future?
Unsure because of fear but optimistic because the universe has my back either way.
12. You can resurrect anyone from history and talk to them for an hour: who, and why?
My grandad aka GPops. I’d force him to write down his recipes and ask him questions about our heritage.
13. Favourite film?
The Blind Side, then I found out it was problematic!
14. If you didn’t work in housing, what would you do?
People always say I should be on TV LOL, like a freckly Alison Hammond.
15. What makes for a good life?
Joy and gratitude. A child-like approach to the things that make you smile and give you hope. Finding your tribe who help you through tough times and who equally want each other to win.
A week in the life of...
Name: Anne Bentley
Company: Worthing Homes
Job title: Neighbourhood Manager
Employee since: 2020
Location, location, location: Sunny Worthing! Previous employment: I previously worked in private lettings before discovering the world of social housing and realising that this was the sector for me
My role as a neighbourhood manager at Worthing Homes is one I’m incredibly passionate about. My role is about people – listening to them, problem-solving with them and working together to support safe, happy and thriving communities. It’s a cliché but no two days are the same in my role – it’s fast-paced, high-energy and, above all, deeply rewarding. Here’s a snapshot in to what a regular week can look like.
Monday
Monday started with a meeting with our marketing and communications business partner, Jamie. Jamie met with us to hear our plans for Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Awareness Week. Following this meeting, we wrote a series of blogs and infographics about ASB to be featured on our website and social media.
I then spoke with one of our community development co-ordinators, Alison, who runs our Community House. Community House is a bustling, warm and inviting space for our residents, a space for cooking classes, pottery, counselling, food banks and so much more. Alison patiently heard our plans for ASB awareness week and kindly offered us the use of the space for an ASB drop-in, giving residents a safe, friendly space to report ASB to us in confidence.
Tuesday
Tuesday was spent working closely with our neighbourhood housing officers on a couple of injunction applications due to ASB. This involved collating evidence, working with residents to try and obtain statements and speaking with our solicitors to identify whether we had enough evidence to progress with injunctions on a without notice basis.
In the afternoon, I met with our finance team to discuss improvements that could enhance the way in which our finance and income recovery teams can work together. We developed a list of improvements which should hopefully make both teams lives easier, and identified some processes that could be streamlined with the support of our housing management system.
Wednesday
Wednesday started at our Wider Leadership Team meeting, attended by all leaders within our organisation, from the executive team to team leaders. In this meeting, we discussed our corporate plan and our ‘27 steps to brilliance’ and explored what these will look like in practice.
We also had a presentation from the Institute of Customer Service who talked to us about the current landscape of customer service and the positive and negative influence that AI can have on delivering good customer service. They also introduced their Service With Respect campaign, which highlights the hostility that those in customer-facing roles experience and the impact this can have on recruitment, retention and, most importantly, staff wellbeing.
“We also had a presentation from the Institute of Customer Service who talked to us about the current landscape of customer service and the positive and negative influence that AI can have on delivering good customer service”
Thursday
Thursday was an exciting day spent interviewing for the newest member of our recently expanded Tenancy Support and Wellbeing Team. The team provide support to our residents to enable them to manage and sustain their tenancies. They work closely with the rest of the Neighbourhood Team to identify any breaches that may be putting someone’s tenancy at risk and collaborate with the residents to understand their support needs and agree on achievable goals.
The team also work very closely with external agencies and are constantly building new relationships to enable us to signpost to the best support available for our residents.
After interviewing, I spent time reviewing some affordability assessments and speaking with applicants who had recently been nominated to our properties to understand their support needs and any financial difficulties. Moving into a new home can be daunting and comes with a whole series of challenges. Having these conversations early helps us to set up the right level of support at the beginning of the tenancy and take a proactive approach to ensure tenancy success.
Friday
On Friday, I spent an hour catching up on admin and responding to emails that had come in throughout the week. I then spent the rest of the morning reviewing and re-writing our tenancy management policy to ensure that this was reflective of our current processes and ways of working. It was also important to review this to ensure that it aligns with our corporate strategy.
In the afternoon, I met one of the neighbourhood housing officers at one of our estates to join a residents meeting about an ongoing ASB case that had been impacting on numerous neighbours. This meeting gave us a chance to hear residents’ concerns and get a true sense of how things had been and how the incidents had impacted on neighbours. It also gave us the opportunity to explain our processes and the importance of working with partner agencies, including the police and the local authority. We listened to residents’ suggestions on what they thought could help tackle the ASB and took away a list of actions to consider and implement.
This is just a small snapshot into a typical week in my role – in reality, the work often extends far beyond what’s captured here. This is an incredibly rewarding role that requires flexibility, empathy and strong partnerships – all with the aim of helping residents and their communities to thrive.
In the frame
Happy hearts Plus Dane
The housing association supported a campaign by one of its residents to set up a community defibrillator.
Making a splash Clarion Housing Group Clarion has announced that it’s exceeded its fundraising target for the first year of its three-year corporate partnership with the NSPCC through a wide range of events and activities, including participation in a dragon boat race on the Thames.
Colourful careers Ongo
The social landlord recently hosted a successful employability day event at their office in Scunthorpe, welcoming over 100 attendees eager to explore new career opportunities and gain valuable support on their journey into employment.
Best foot forward Thirteen The housing provider’s Union Village development will bring 145 two, three and fourbedroom homes to a site in a Middlesbrough.
Putting down roots Incommunities
The housing provider has announced a new series of ‘Days of Action’ to help clean up local areas across Bradford, building on the success of last year’s clean-ups.
Making the cut Housing 21
The specialist provider of retirement living and extra care housing for older people has invested over £700,000 to improve two extra care schemes in Norfolk.
If you’d like to be featured In the Frame, please email your pictures to max. salsbury@hqnetwork.co.uk
A life in 15 questions
Jeni Harvey
Director of Communications and Marketing, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing
1. What do you do for fun?
When I’m not at work, I’m usually found running – hills, roads, trails, I love it all. Running is my happy place; where I feel most relaxed and free, and where I do most of my thinking.
2. You have the power to change one thing about the social housing sector: what would it be?
Resource! In my experience, there are so many committed, knowledgeable and talented people in social housing who want to drive forward real improvements – but the sticking point is always resource, whether that’s a lack of money, a lack of people with the capacity to deliver or, in most cases, both. It would be fantastic to see the differences we could make if we had the money and the time to do it.
3. What advice would you give to someone starting out in housing?
Don’t be daunted by the housingspeak. I’ve worked in a range of sectors, from local government through to universities and policing, and all of them have their own language that seems baffling at first (when I see SPF on suncream, for example, I always instinctively think of shared prosperity fund!). Ask what the acronyms mean, understand them, and then use that understanding to make sure you’re always being clear and concise with non-expert audiences.
4. Who’s your favourite author, and why?
It has to be Emily Bronte. Wuthering Heights is my absolute favourite novel and reminds me of the (wily, windy) moors of West Yorkshire near where I grew up. I have several copies and couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve read it, but a beautifully illustrated version my daughter bought me for Christmas is one of my most treasured possessions.
5. What is the strangest thing you’ve ever experienced?
It’s a long story involving running on the Pennine moors while very tired, at sunrise. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.
6. What are your three favourite albums?
Nick Cave – The Boatman’s Call Pulp – Different Class Tori Amos – Little Earthquakes
7. Proudest achievement?
I suspect I’m supposed to talk about awards and marathons and things here, but I wasn’t sure what to say so I asked my children. The 12-year-old said “your proudest achievement? Definitely me.” And the nine-yearold said “getting Eras tour tickets.” So, either of those are probably more accurate.
8. A world without music or a world without literature – and why?
Either world sounds pretty miserable! But – if pushed – I’d forgo literature before I gave up music. We can tell stories through music, but we can’t play music through the written word.
9. Favourite place in the world?
Latrigg, in the Lake District. I love to hike and run in the Lakes and Latrigg was the first fell for both of my children, who were both taken up there at a few weeks old. For a small hill it has incredible views, and the light up there at sunset is just magical.
10. Favourite food?
A Greek salad, on the beach (in Greece, naturally).
11. Most embarrassing moment?
As a junior reporter, I got a call from a highly amused senior Royal Navy officer who told me that the piece I’d written should have been about “ordnance”, not “ornaments.” I learned a lot about fact-checking that day.
12. You can resurrect anyone from history and talk to them for an hour: who, and why?
I’m sure this doesn’t count as “from history”, but my sister. I’d give anything for one last conversation.
13. Favourite film?
Probably Drive. I love Drive
14. If you didn’t work in housing, what would you do?
The realistic answer: local or regional government.
The dream answer: yoga teacher
15. What makes for a good life?
Getting outdoors with the family. I’m never happier than when up a mountain with the people I love (even if at least two of them are moaning about me making them trek).
By Hannah Fearn, freelance journalist specialising in social affairs
The last word
‘Building new homes at hyper-speed comes with risk’
“Government wants to rely heavily on social landlords to meet its housing target, but it might have made a serious (if well-meaning) miscalculation”
In 2008, just before the realities of the financial crisis unfolded and politics moved in a very different direction, the government signed off a bold television advertising campaign.
Directed by This is England auteur Shane Meadows, it focused on a father struggling with an enormous energy bill. In the short film he urges his family to switch off lights and appliances, cutting both carbon emissions and the household’s bills.
The ad, which cost £6m to make, was part of the then government’s ‘Act on CO2’ campaign and was designed to promote a £1bn household energy-efficiency scheme to help people look after themselves and the earth better. It seemed to work: the Energy Savings Trust said calls to its helpline quadrupled in the week after its launch. More than 15 years on, it also looks incredibly foresighted.
The campaign came back to mind recently when thinking about the success of Awaab’s Law, and its costs for social landlords and their tenants.
The last government launched a campaign to remind social tenants to report their landlords if they were bad at dealing with damp and disrepair – and so they did. Then legislation followed and soon it will be in force. It comes with a lot of short-term expenses, but also a sense of long-term clarity as housing providers ask themselves: what are we for, and who are we really here to serve?
Like the father in that advert, social landlords – particularly those who are also developing at speed – have a dual responsibility to cut carbon and to cut costs, all while building more homes than ever before, in the most perilous economic times.
By its huge investment in new development and its agreement to a 10-year rent settlement, the government has shown it wants to rely heavily on social landlords to meet its housing target, but it might have made a serious (if well-meaning) miscalculation. Of course landlords want to see as many families securely housed as possible, but they have already – rightly – said they won’t do that at the expense of their own tenants. They shouldn’t do it at the expense of their own future stability, either.
Building new homes at hyper-speed comes with risk. If you want to maximise output, you’ll build to current building standards and regulations. But if you do that, you’re also likely to be building yourself a problem for 10 years down the line. You’re creating homes that fail to meet near future expectations around energy efficiency and sustainability and potentially cost your tenants more to live in. The wise developing landlord today would be spending its money building fewer homes at higher cost, but with extremely good credentials on efficiency.
There’s a snag, though. At the moment, the social housing sector is still much maligned in the public imagination. Would a risk-averse or future-focused housing association be seen as failing morally for not building as many homes at whatever cost today? Could the sector, while protecting itself for the difficult years ahead, be considered too uncompromising with the government in the face of a housing crisis that every single voter is now feeling in some way?
There’s obviously no single ‘correct’ response to these tensions. What you can do is show a public awareness of these difficulties and explain why you make the choices that you do as social landlords. The temptation now is to hunker down on delivery, but if you don’t also share what you’re doing then nobody will ever know what you achieved in the toughest circumstances.
HQN’s summer school is back!
Our summer school is ideal for anyone wanting to improve their housing technical skills or boost their prospects.
Whether you’re a housing officer, board member or policy lead, our summer school is packed with expert-led sessions to sharpen your skills and boost compliance.
All sessions are live and online, come with a continuous professional development certificate, and are designed with real-world challenges in mind.
For more information and to see what’s on offer, please visit www.hqnetwork.co.uk/hqnevents/ seasonal-training-and-events
