Shaping the Conversation - Peter Hubbard, Managing Partner at Anthony Collins Solicitors, blogs about our Chairs Network
It is not often that you get both Fiona MacGregor and Jonathan Walters, the CEO and deputy CEO of the Regulator of Social Housing, in the same conversation. But that’s what happened at our recent PlaceShapers Chair’s Network. If I had any doubt about the high esteem with which PlaceShaper members and their Chairs are held then it was truly dispelled by the time we had finished talking with Fiona and Jonathan.
The RSH was not only there to discuss the proposed Consumer Standards but also to give their views on what Chairs and Boards should be focussing on with their executive teams. After interviewing them both in front of over 20 different Chairs and fielding a lively Q&A session, I came away having learnt the following lessons:-
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We all need to know our businesses better – and this applies both to the detailed condition of our homes and the households who are living in them. Only then can we really understand where the investment needs are and how the condition of a home may impact on the people living in it. We can then be reassured we are enabling our residents to thrive.
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The RSH is still a regulator and not an 'inspector’ – whilst the proactive regulation of the new Consumer Standards are being referred to as inspections, and there are specific expectations that need to be met, this regulation will continue to be outcome-based – looking at the what rather than the how. This means there will still be room for place-based housing associations to choose how they meet their residents’ needs. The RSH will look at a range of information to understand what residents think of their landlord, including the new Tenant Satisfaction Measures.
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Matters will likely get worse before they get better – what with the increase in responsive repairs, tenants’ complaints, works for achieving EPC ‘C’, higher inflation and interest rates and the April 2023 rent cap, the last year has been very challenging and has soaked up many PlaceShapers’ spare capacity. None of these issues are going to disappear in 2024 and, with a general election round the corner, there is unlikely to be a political solution either to the housing crisis or how we fund social housing any time soon. Navigating these challenges will obviously weigh heavily on Chairs and Boards and will require even closer working with executive teams to ensure organisations have a detailed understanding of these risks.
But it’s not all one way traffic – sometimes it can feel like housing associations face increased challenges and less resources each year. However, the track record of PlaceShapers’ members, the commitment to what makes communities work and the consistent PlaceShapers’ voice has won the respect of those setting the political agenda. There is far-reaching recognition with policy makers and Parliament that place-based housing associations know what works and need to be listened to when we debate the future shape, funding and regulation of social housing.
I came away from the conversation having seen PlaceShapers exercise real influence in these discussions, built on the credible performance of members and the relationships built with the RSH and wider policy makers. And I saw PlaceShapers Chairs who, at the end of the session, were fundamentally more informed, aligned and engaged with the issues at hand and what they needed to be doing. I see the personal engagement of Chairs in conversations like this as a crucial ingredient to build the future success of all PlaceShaper members.
The PlaceShapers Chairs Network meets quarterly online – contact Charlotte Kay for further details.
