Social Housing

Social housing has been at the heart of the government’s sustainable communities agenda over recent years, whether playing the role of social landlord or perhaps managing the transfer of stock from local authorities. It has attracted a great deal of interest both inside and outside the housing community.

The sector is experiencing significant change, as mergers and acquisitions create large, complex and more commercially focused organisations that no longer see themselves as being part of the public sector. Social landlords are now the physical developer and housing provider, as well as the creator of communities which underpin economic as well as physical regeneration.

It is no longer enough for housing professionals simply to understand allocations and rent collection. Leadership and commercial acumen are the skills that our clients are more likely to need.

Specialist social housing interim management is a useful tool to bring this cross-sector expertise and commercial insight to organisations trying to manage all the challenges of a changing environment. Sometimes all that is needed is an extra pair of hands. On other occasions it is a new way of thinking and wider experience that proves to be invaluable. Communications professionals charged with getting across the message of what the new organisation is about; HR experts practised in the resolution of internal disputes; an executive who is able to review, write and implement new policy, these are all areas that have proved to be fruitful partnerships for interim managers and social housing organisations.

Other good examples are the new financial skills needed for development or the sound political judgment critical when working with local government to bring a new organisation into existence, whether through stock transfer or ALMO.

Here are some examples of recent assignments:

• Director of Care & Support - Metropolitan Housing Partnership    
• Director of Organisational Change - The Housing Corporation        
• PR, Communications and Marketing Consultant - Circle Anglia
• Technical Assessor - The Peabody Trust
• Corporate Services Director - The Peabody Trust