The Social Housing Round Table

Matthew Baird

Join Matthew Baird for a free, weekly networking forum discussing anything and everything in Social Housing with a different guest speaker each week.

The idea?

To create a community from the conversations that matter.

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#182
Yesterday · 1 hr
Small but Mighty - The Benefits and Challenges of Being a Smaller RP
Two thirds of social housing in England is owned or managed by just 40 of the largest landlords. So what does it actually mean to be a smaller registered provider in a sector shaped by that kind of concentration — and is being small necessarily a disadvantage? In this episode of the Social Housing Round Table, hosted by Elaine Middleton, Caroline Harraway, Head of Housing at Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, joins the conversation to share her experience of working across local authority, large housing association, and now smaller RP settings — and what she has learned from all three. Caroline is refreshingly honest about the realities of being small. The same regulatory requirements, the same rising expectations from residents, the same legislative pressures — but without the backroom support functions, the large specialist teams, or the financial scale that larger organisations rely on. She shares some of the genuinely unexpected layers of complexity that come with JRHT's history: a post office in the heart of the community, apple and pear trees in every garden planted by Joseph Rowntree himself in 1901, and box hedges that recently fell foul of a moth infestation — all of which carry legacy expectations that cannot simply be swept aside. But the conversation is equally clear about what smaller providers do well. The ability to adapt quickly, the closeness to residents, the real-time feedback that comes from being embedded in a community, and the sense of purpose that comes from genuinely knowing the people you serve. The discussion that followed brought in contributions from across the room — including a powerful intervention from Lizzie, a tenant and retired professional, who challenged the sector's tendency to treat tenants as social work clients rather than as skilled individuals with expertise to offer. Kevin, an executive director at a large housing association and chair of a small one, offered a rare perspective from both sides. And a wider conversation about mergers, technology, consortia, and what the future of smaller RPs looks like rounded out a session that had plenty for landlords of every size to reflect on. Big thank you to Devonshires, our sponsor for the Policy and Governance Stream and of course to Alertacall Ltd for sponsoring The Social Housing Round Table, without them, none of this would be possible.
#181
September 22 · 1 hr 2 min
Invitation for Everyone to Build a Safer World for Women and Girls (Especially Men)
What would change if keeping women and girls safe stopped being treated as their responsibility alone? In this Social Housing Round Table session, Matt Goodwin-Baird was joined by Amy Watson, Founder of Hassl, for a conversation about tackling the root causes of violence against women and girls and why everyone, particularly men, has a role to play. Amy shared the experiences that led her to create Hassl and its approach of inviting people into the conversation rather than relying on blame or shame. The discussion explored the often unseen mental load women carry simply trying to stay safe, from planning journeys and changing routes to thinking carefully about when and how they allow people into their homes. The conversation also turned to masculinity, the growing influence of the online manosphere on boys and young men, the importance of human connection and why education needs to be accessible enough to reach people who might not already be engaged with these issues. For social housing specifically, Amy challenged attendees to think beyond the obvious. Lighting, alleyways and estate design matter, but so do everyday interactions with residents, including how repairs and maintenance visits can feel to a woman who is home alone. Ultimately, the session asked us to rethink where responsibility for women's safety sits. Rather than continually teaching women how to avoid harm, what would it look like to build communities, workplaces and services where everyone takes some responsibility for creating a safer world? Big thank you to Alertacall Ltd for sponsoring The Social Housing Round Table, without them, none of this would be possible.
#180
September 15 · 1 hr
The Truth About Bias and Halluciation in AI
AI is already finding its way into social housing, but how much can we trust what it tells us? In this Social Housing Round Table session, Matt Goodwin-Baird was joined by George McFerran, Director at Wyser, to explore the truth about bias and hallucination in AI and what these risks mean when the technology is used in a tenant-first environment. The discussion looked at how automatic speech recognition and large language models work, why AI can inherit human biases and produce inaccurate information, and the importance of getting the foundations right before using AI at scale. From regional accents and speech recognition to data protection, consent, governance and increasingly demanding regulatory requirements, the conversation explored both the opportunities and the risks. A recurring theme was that AI should enable people rather than replace them, combining technology's ability to process information at scale with the judgement, empathy and experience that only people can provide. A practical and thought-provoking conversation for anyone working with data, technology, customer services, governance or digital transformation in social housing. Big thank you to REACT by CMSG for sponsoring the Data and Technology Stream and to Alertacall Ltd for sponsoring The Social Housing Round Table, without them, none of this would be possible.
#179
September 1 · 1 hr 1 min
Suicide prevention in social housing
Content warning: this session discusses suicide and suicide prevention. Please take care of yourself when listening. In episode 241 of the Social Housing Round Table, Matt Baird is joined by Andrea Newton, Founder of Confident Conversations and a qualified suicide intervention tutor, for one of the most important conversations the platform has hosted. Matt opens the session with a tribute to Paul Bridge, a friend of the Round Table who ran a suicide prevention session on this platform a couple of years ago, and who has since died by suicide. Today's session is dedicated to him. Andrea brings decades of experience training people from across sectors — from Samaritans volunteers to the Ministry of Justice — to have the sensitive conversations that can save lives. Her central argument is simple but challenging: less than half of the people who die by suicide in the UK would be classed as mentally ill. The majority are people who are simply overwhelmed by life. And housing professionals — going into people's homes, dealing with their finances, their neighbours, their behaviour — are uniquely placed to notice when something has changed. The session covers the three core principles of suicide prevention: spotting the signs, opening the conversation, and signposting to help. It tackles the fear of saying the wrong thing and why compassion and curiosity matter more than a perfect script. It explores Andrea's challenge to the sector to shift from asking people to reach out, to actively reaching in. And it addresses the intersection of suicide and domestic abuse — a connection that is more common than many people realise. Contributions from around the room brought the conversation to life, including a powerful account from a housing professional who had helped a tenant disclose suicidal thoughts during what had initially presented as a rent arrears issue, and supported her through it. As Andrea put it: it is the silence that kills. Andrea runs a free webinar on 15th September on the connection between suicide and domestic abuse. Find out more and access her training at confidentconversations.co.uk. Big thank you to Alertacall Ltd for sponsoring The Social Housing Round Table, without them, none of this would be possible.
#178
August 25 · 58 min
The Future of Housing Professionals: Competence, Capability & Culture
The Competency and Conduct Standard arrives in October 2026. Around 30,000 people will need a Level 4 or Level 5 qualification. Many organisations are still figuring out who is in scope. And if you came back in 12 months, according to this week's guest, not much will have changed. In episode 240 of the Social Housing Round Table, Matt Goodwin-Baird is joined by John Williams, Head of Sales for Housing and Property at Learning Curve Group, for a frank and wide-ranging conversation about what the standard really means for the future of housing professionals — and whether the sector is approaching it in the right way. John brings three and a half years of living and breathing the Competency and Conduct Standard from a training and qualification perspective, and he does not shy away from the more uncomfortable questions. He makes a pointed comparison with health and social care — a sector where the vast majority of staff hold a recognised qualification — and asks why housing, which deals with equally complex and consequential situations, has historically been the opposite. His view is direct: the standard should have started with frontline staff, the people who have the most contact with tenants, rather than senior management. And while he understands why the decision went the other way, he believes that gap will need to be closed. The conversation covers the difference between CIH standalone qualifications and apprenticeships, the skills gap being created by focusing only at senior levels, the question of what happens when qualifications become dated, and the cultural shift that needs to accompany any compliance-driven change. The open discussion that followed was honest and engaged, with contributions from practitioners at every level of the sector. John's prediction for 12 months' time: not much will have changed. His prediction for 24 months: that is where the real shift begins. Big thank you to Alertacall Ltd for sponsoring The Social Housing Round Table, without them, none of this would be possible.
#177
August 18 · 1 hr 1 min
Can Devolution Create Opportunities for Tenants to Influence Housing Strategy?
Please note that this session experienced some technical difficulties with connectivity. The content and conversation are well worth your time and we appreciate the patience of everyone who joined us on the day. Devolution is reshaping how power is distributed across England. New combined authorities are taking on responsibilities for housing, planning, transport, regeneration, and public services. And TPAS believes this moment represents one of the biggest opportunities for tenants to influence housing strategy since social housing began. In episode 239 of the Social Housing Round Table, guest hosted by Elaine Middleton, Caritas Charles, Head of Policy at TPAS, shares the thinking behind a new paper launching on 3rd September — a proposal for how devolution can be used to embed tenant voices into regional decision-making in a meaningful and lasting way. The proposal centres on a pilot model: starting with one region, focusing on two or three live housing decisions, building a shared regional evidence base, recruiting beyond existing representatives, and connecting tenants directly to the regional decision-makers who hold real power over their lives. Social housing is the natural starting point, Caritas argues, because the infrastructure already exists — consumer standards, Tenant Satisfaction Measure evidence, and established resident networks. But the ambition is broader. A regional housing voice that excludes private renters, shared owners, or people in temporary accommodation cannot credibly claim to represent the communities it speaks for. The open discussion that followed brought in two particularly powerful voices. Alicia Mortlock described the work already underway through Independent East, where a tenant-led panel is setting its own agenda across five housing associations and preparing to present to the Norfolk and Suffolk Housing Partnership — and expressed genuine shock at how much power tenants have when they organise regionally. Daisy, chair of the G15 Residents Group, shared how that group has been actively feeding into the Mayor of London's housing strategy consultations, in some cases as the only resident voice responding to GLA proposals. The paper launches on 3rd September. Caritas's ask is simple: read it, share it, and help build the public enthusiasm that will make this move from proposal to reality. Big thank you to ASB App by CMSG Ltd for sponsoring the Customer and Community stream and of course, to Alertacall Ltd for sponsoring The Social Housing Round Table, without them, none of this would be possible.
#176
August 11 · 59 min
Neurodiversity in the Workplace
Around 15 to 20 percent of people are estimated to be neurodivergent in some way. That means a significant proportion of both the housing workforce and the residents it serves are experiencing the world differently - and in many cases, working within systems and environments that were simply not designed with them in mind. In this episode of the Social Housing Round Table, Matt Baird is joined by Chloe Tilford, Head of Training and Consultancy at the Housing Diversity Network, for a warm and genuinely accessible introduction to neurodiversity in the workplace — what it means, what it looks like in practice, and what housing organisations can do to better support neurodiverse colleagues and residents alike. Chloe walks through the breadth of what sits under the neurodiversity umbrella, the difference between the medical and social models of disability and why it matters, and the important reality that conditions overlap, co-occur, and present very differently from person to person. She also addresses some of the harder truths — the significant underdiagnosis of neurodivergent conditions in women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds, the eight-year waiting lists for ADHD assessments in some areas, and the persistent media narratives that run directly counter to what the scientific research actually says. The conversation moves into practical territory too — what reasonable adjustments actually mean, how organisations can shift from a place of fear and uncertainty to one of genuine curiosity, and why getting communication right for neurodiverse residents is increasingly something the Housing Ombudsman is paying attention to. HDN's neurodiversity training programme, developed in partnership with Professor Amanda Kirby — one of the country's leading experts in the field — is available to housing organisations, and a comprehensive toolkit will be available via the HDN website. Details on how to access both are shared at the end of the session. Big thank you to REACT App by CMSG Ltd for sponsoring the Data and Technology stream and of course, to Alertacall Ltd for sponsoring The Social Housing Round Table, without them, none of this would be possible.
#175
August 4 · 1 hr
A Presidency with Purpose
What does it actually mean to lead a presidency with purpose? And what does a year at the top of your profession teach you about the sector you love? In episode 237 of the Social Housing Round Table, Matt Baird welcomes back Julie Haydon, President of the Chartered Institute of Housing, almost a year on from her first appearance on the platform. When Julie last joined the conversation, she was just beginning her presidential year. This time, she is reflecting on what that year has actually looked and felt like from the inside. Julie's presidency has been built around a single theme: resilience. Not resilience as a buzzword or a motivational slogan, but as a genuine and pressing need within a sector that is asking more of its people than ever before. Frontline housing professionals are navigating financial hardship, domestic abuse, mental ill health, ASB, and increasing regulatory complexity — often carrying the emotional weight of those interactions long after the working day has ended. Julie's argument, rooted in her own personal experience and her work in NLP and organisational leadership, is that resilience is not something individuals should be left to find for themselves. It is something organisations have a responsibility to actively build. The conversation covers what the presidency has demanded of Julie personally, the moments that have stayed with her, and the real-world impact the campaign has had — including a story of a construction industry leader who took the conversation back to his board and introduced a new wellbeing strategy as a direct result. It also explores some of the harder questions the sector keeps circling: whether the stick and carrot balance is right in how organisations approach staff and residents, the pressure that regulatory changes and mergers are putting on people at every level, and what it will take to shift the stigma that still clings to social housing as a profession and a tenure. Julie's closing message is a generous one. Resilience is not something to leave to individuals to find for themselves. Strong organisations create resilient people. Supportive leaders create resilient teams. And resilient teams deliver better outcomes for everyone. Big thank you to Alertacall Ltd for sponsoring The Social Housing Round Table, without them, none of this would be possible.
#174
July 28 · 1 hr 1 min
Do Landlords Truly Trust Tenants to Shape Services?
Do landlords truly trust tenants to shape the services they receive? Or is what passes for tenant engagement too often closer to going through the motions? In episode 236 of the Social Housing Round Table, Matt Baird is joined by Alicia Mortlock, trusted advisor for the Customer and Community stream and one of four tenant leads for the National Tenant Alliance, for a session that drew one of the biggest and most engaged audiences of the year. Alicia opened with something that set the tone for everything that followed: a personal history rooted in social housing, stretching back to her father's time as a council plumber and the blue-collar communities that council housing was built for and built by. From that foundation, she traced the arc of how trust between landlords and tenants was lost — through decades of underinvestment, over-promising, retreat from communities, and language that infantilised the very people it was supposed to serve. The discussion that followed was wide-ranging and genuinely candid. It covered what trust actually means before organisations can claim to be building it, the difference between engaging with tenants and talking to them, the very real tension between tenants who want to shape services and tenants who simply want to be left alone, whether tenant board members represent a genuine step toward influence or a more comfortable arrangement for landlords, and whether the growing focus on Tenant Satisfaction Measures is creating a metric-driven culture that mistakes a good score for a good service. Contributions came from housing professionals, tenants, and those who occupy both worlds — including a remarkably honest account from a landlord and private property owner about unconscious bias in her own letting decisions. It was the kind of session where the most valuable moments came not from a prepared presentation, but from the room. Alicia's closing message was straightforward. Let's take the conversation beyond the hour. Let's break down the artificial barriers. And let's make this about action, not just talk. Big thank you to Alertacall Ltd and ASB App by CMSG for sponsoring The Social Housing Round Table, without them, none of this would be possible.
#173
July 21 · 57 min
Awaabs Law - Preparing for Phase Two
Phase 2 of Awaab's Law is coming. And according to Louise Murphy, Partner and Head of Social Housing and Regeneration at MSB Solicitors, the sector is not quite as ready as it should be. In this episode of the Social Housing Round Table hosted by Elaine Middleton, Louise walks through exactly what Phase 2 means in practice — what new hazard categories are being introduced, what organisations need to have in place, and where the sector is most likely to come unstuck. Phase 1 brought damp and mould firmly into focus. Phase 2 expands the scope significantly, bringing in hazards related to falls, excess heat and cold, pests, domestic hygiene, and communal areas. Louise is direct about what that means operationally: triage systems need revisiting, contractor contracts need reviewing, training plans need updating, and cross-departmental working is no longer optional. As she puts it, organisations cannot afford to operate as assets versus neighbourhoods, or repairs versus governance. Everyone needs to be pulling in the same direction. The conversation also covers some of the harder questions the sector is wrestling with — what happens when a hazard stems from a tenant's own adaptations, where liability sits when a third party is involved, how to approach falls risks given that the same window can represent very different levels of danger depending on who lives in the property, and the growing risk of claims farmers exploiting the new legislation. Louise's advice on that last point is simple: know your definitions, apply common sense, and make sure the decisions you are making are clearly grounded in the guidance. Her closing message is one worth writing down. Read the guidance. Make your list. Implement it. Phase 2 is an opportunity to improve homes for customers — and the sector should approach it that way. Big thank you to MSB Solicitors for sponsoring this session and to Alertacall Ltd for sponsoring The Social Housing Round Table, without them, none of this would be possible.
#172
July 14 · 57 min
Data, Tech and Human Touch: Rewriting the Playbook for Modern Tenancy Support
Most housing organisations know when a tenant falls into arrears. Far fewer have a clear picture of what was already happening in that tenant's life before the arrears appeared — the unresolved repair, the health condition, the household income that had quietly shifted. And it is in that gap, between what the data shows and what is actually happening, that tenancy sustainment most often fails. In this episode of the Social Housing Round Table, part of the Policy and Governance stream, Matt Baird is joined by Josh Mallender of Netcall for a practical and wide-ranging conversation about what modern tenancy support actually looks like, and what it would take to move the sector from a reactive, siloed model to something more holistic, preventative, and joined up. Josh draws on over a decade of experience working in and around social housing to explore why arrears are visible and easy to measure but rarely tell the whole story. A tenant who falls behind on rent might also be experiencing fuel poverty, an unresolved repair, or a health change that has affected their ability to work. A tenant who is quietly struggling but still paying their rent may not appear in any report at all. As Josh puts it, the silent sufferers remain invisible in standard workflows. The conversation covers what a full tenant picture actually looks like when income, repairs, complaints, and housing management data are genuinely connected rather than siloed. It explores the technology choices that have left many organisations stuck with a patchwork of point solutions that do not talk to each other, the whack-a-mole problem of buying a new system for every new problem. And it asks the question that ran through the whole session: is technology the answer, or do organisations need to sort out their processes and their culture first? The open discussion that followed was equally valuable, with contributions from housing professionals at different stages of this journey, and an honest acknowledgement that the gap between what the sector knows it should be doing and what it is actually doing in practice remains wider than anyone is comfortable admitting. Big thank you to Alertacall Ltd for sponsoring The Social Housing Round Table, without them, none of this would be possible.
#171
July 7 · 1 hr 2 min
Truly Assessing Competence & Behaviours in Modern Talent Acquisition
How do we know whether we're recruiting the right people? In this episode of the Social Housing Round Table, host Matt Baird is joined by Dee Roberts-Molloy, Assistant Director for Strategic HR at Birmingham City Council, for an honest discussion about modern talent acquisition and why traditional recruitment approaches often fall short. Together they explore what competence really looks like, why behaviours matter just as much as technical knowledge, how organisations can make better hiring decisions, and what leaders should be considering in an increasingly competitive recruitment market. The conversation also touches on organisational culture, candidate experience, values-based recruitment and the importance of creating recruitment processes that identify potential as well as capability. Whether you work in HR, leadership or operational management, this episode offers practical insights to help you attract, assess and retain the people who will make the biggest difference to your organisation and the communities you serve. A huge thank you to Alertacall Ltd for sponsoring the Social Housing Round Table. Without their continued support, none of this would be possible.
#170
June 30 · 1 hr 1 min
Just How Easy Is It to Actually Report ASB in 2026?
In this Social Housing Roundtable session, Matt Baird is joined by Janine Green, Partner at G&B ASB Associates, and Ben Hunt, Managing Director at CMSG, to explore a key question facing landlords, communities and residents: how easy is it really to report antisocial behaviour in 2026? The discussion looks beyond simply having reporting channels in place and explores what happens after a report is made. From accessibility and digital inclusion to effective triage, communication and ensuring residents are not passed from organisation to organisation, the conversation examines the barriers that can prevent people from getting the support they need. Janine and Ben also explore how landlords can improve the reporting journey, the importance of understanding the root cause of issues, the value of community engagement and why technology must work alongside good processes and human connection. A thoughtful conversation bringing together resident experiences, operational challenges and practical ideas for improving how ASB is reported and managed across social housing.
#169
June 23 · 1 hr
Transforming The Lives of Residents Through Two-Way Contact
In this episode of The Social Housing Round Table, Matt Baird is joined by Sheree Brooks, Operations Manager for Older People Services at Gateway Housing, for a conversation exploring "Transforming The Lives of Residents Through Two-Way Contact". Sheree shares her personal journey into housing and her passion for supporting older residents to remain independent, connected and engaged within their communities. The conversation explores the impact of small actions, from a simple conversation or welfare check to creating opportunities for people to connect and thrive. The discussion highlights the importance of looking beyond the home itself and understanding the people, relationships and experiences that help communities flourish. Big thank you to Alertacall Ltd and REACT for sponsoring The Social Housing Round Table, without them, none of this would be possible.
#168
June 16 · 1 hr 1 min
Are We As Efficient As We Can Be? And Is Technology The Answer?
Efficiency and productivity often get used as interchangeable terms in housing. According to Rob Fletcher, Director of Digital, Data and Technology at Codi Group, Wales' largest housing association, they are not the same thing at all — and understanding the difference matters more than ever, given the financial pressure the sector is currently under. In this episode of the Social Housing Round Table, part of the Data and Technology stream, Dave Loudon, trusted advisor to the Round Table, guest hosts a conversation with Rob exploring whether housing organisations are operating as efficiently as they could be, and whether technology is genuinely the answer many hope it is. Rob unpacks why operating margins across the sector have fallen sharply in recent years, what genuine process standardisation looks like in practice, and where the real efficiency gains are hiding — not in flashy pilots, but in fixing the repetitive, high-volume processes that quietly drag on services like repairs, voids, and compliance every single day. The conversation also tackles one of the sector's most persistent problems: data collected for its own sake, rather than to actually help residents. From IoT sensors that generate oceans of unused data, to a passionate contribution from a participant on the lack of any shared data standard between the country's 317 councils and 1,600 social housing providers, this session does not shy away from naming where the sector is falling short. Technology, Rob argues, is never going to be a silver bullet. But used well, on top of strong data foundations and well-designed processes, it can be a genuine accelerator. Big thank you to Alertacall Ltd and REACT App by CMSG for sponsoring The Social Housing Round Table, without them, none of this would be possible.
#167
June 9 · 59 min
Overcoming Challenges for Exiting Shared Ownership
Shared ownership was designed as a stepping stone to full homeownership. For many people, it has worked exactly as intended. But for a growing number of shared owners, what was sold as a flexible tenure has become something closer to a trap — with no clear or viable way out. In episode 229 of the Social Housing Round Table, part of the Policy and Governance stream, Matt Baird is joined by Sue Phillips and Jamie Ratcliff of Shared Ownership Resources to explore the barriers facing shared owners who are trying to exit the scheme, and why the sector — and government — still does not have a clear picture of what is going wrong. The timing of the session is significant. On the very morning of the recording, the Housing Communities and Local Government Committee published its long-awaited report on affordable housing, concluding that shared ownership is not a long-term affordable option for many of the buyers to whom it is marketed. The National Audit Office has previously found that data on shared ownership has been incomplete, and that even MHCLG does not fully understand customer journeys and experience. Shared Ownership Resources, which recently registered as a charity and was awarded an MHCLG Social Housing Innovation Fund grant, is working to change that. Their first insights report — on exit routes and buyback — aims to bring together lived experience, sector expertise, and legal expertise to address what Sue describes as a fairly intractable set of problems. The session covers the gap between how easy it is to enter shared ownership and how difficult it can be to leave, the financial and structural barriers to staircasing and resale, the striking lack of standardisation in buyback policies across housing providers, and what better guidance and practice could look like. If shared ownership sits within your world, this is a conversation worth hearing. Big thank you to Alertacall Ltd for sponsoring The Social Housing Round Table, without them, none of this would be possible.
#166
June 2 · 1 hr 3 min
A Personal Experience of The Power of Community
What happens when housing becomes more than just a roof over your head? In this week's Social Housing Round Table, host Elaine Middleton is joined by Charlie Chan, Director of United Communities, for a deeply personal conversation about the power of community and the lasting impact it can have on people's lives. Drawing on their own experiences of homelessness and moving into social housing, Charlie reflects on the friendships, support networks and sense of belonging that shaped their journey. The discussion explores how strong communities can challenge stigma, create opportunity, and help people thrive long after they've found a home. The conversation prompted attendees to share their own experiences of housing, homelessness and community, creating a powerful discussion about relationships, trust, listening and the importance of seeing people beyond labels. If you're passionate about customer experience, resident engagement, community investment or the future of social housing, this is a conversation not to miss. Big thank you to Case Management Solutions Group Ltd and Alertacall Ltd for sponsoring The Social Housing Round Table, without them, none of this would be possible.
#165
May 26 · 1 hr
Connecting Communities Through Sport
What if the best way to build trust with your tenants was not a repairs satisfaction survey or a contact centre call - but a seat at a football match? In episode 227 of the Social Housing Round Table, part of the Customer and Community stream, Matt Baird is joined by Kevin Hornsby, Executive Director of Customer and Communities at Ongo, to explore one of the more refreshingly different conversations the Round Table has hosted this year. Ongo, a housing association managing around 12,000 properties primarily across North Lincolnshire, invests over £1.1 million every year into community-based outcomes. A couple of years ago, a LinkedIn connection sparked a conversation with Scunthorpe United that has since grown into a network of sport partnerships - with Scunthorpe United, Grimsby Town, Lincoln City, and Doncaster Rovers - giving tenants free access to football and rugby matches through a ballot system. Over 2,300 tickets have been given away so far. But this conversation goes well beyond the logistics of sports sponsorship. Kevin talks honestly about the unexpected ways these partnerships have started to shift something harder to measure - trust. For tenants who have repeatedly been let down, who have learned not to believe things will actually happen, turning up with a ticket and making sure they have a good day out is, as Matt puts it, a stepping stone. A small one, perhaps. But for some people, a significant one. The session also covers how to get started, how to measure impact beyond ticket numbers, the importance of being willing to walk away from partnerships that do not feel right, and why a conversation at a football ground lands very differently to one on someone's doorstep. Big thank you to ASB App and Alertacall Ltd for sponsoring The Social Housing Round Table, without them, none of this would be possible.
#164
May 19 · 1 hr
The Housing Loop: Why Families are Forced Back into Temporary Accommodation
There is a content warning for this session. The conversation includes discussion of domestic abuse, homelessness and the experiences of families in temporary accommodation. There are 1.4 million fewer social homes in England today than there were in the 1980s. Over 170,000 children are currently living in temporary accommodation. And keeping a single family in that temporary accommodation costs, on average, more than £30,000 a year — while the human cost goes far beyond any figure. In this episode of the Social Housing Round Table, part of the Customer and Community stream, Matt Baird is joined by Alexandra Pop-Hristic of Bridge Housing Solutions and Naomi Rae Wharton of Populo Living for an honest and at times deeply moving conversation about the housing loop — the cycle that pulls families, and particularly domestic abuse survivors, back into temporary accommodation again and again. Alexandra introduces Bridge Connect, a matching platform designed to speed up reciprocal moves and get people into suitable permanent homes faster, prioritising those fleeing domestic abuse. Naomi shares her research into the violence risks facing young people in temporary accommodation, the data gaps that make the problem harder to address, and her five-point framework for change. The wider discussion draws in voices from across the room — housing professionals, tenants, and those with lived experience — and raises questions that go well beyond the immediate crisis: about labelling, about profit, about political will, and about who is really responsible for fixing something this broken. It is a session that stays with you. Big thank you to ASB App and Alertacall Ltd for sponsoring The Social Housing Round Table, without them, none of this would be possible.
#163
May 12 · 58 min
Beyond Qualifications - What’s Really Driving the Competency and Conduct Standard
The Competency and Conduct Standard arrives in October 2026, and the sector is paying attention. But there is a question worth asking: is the attention landing in the right place? Much of the conversation around the standard has focused on qualifications — who needs one, by when, and how to get it done. What has received less focus is the broader set of obligations the standard places on registered providers: the requirement to ensure that relevant staff have the right skills, knowledge, behaviours, and conduct to deliver genuinely good services. That is a different challenge, and arguably a more complex one. In the first episode of the Social Housing Round Table's Policy and Governance stream, Matt Baird is joined by Amy Stirton, Director and Founder of The Social Housing Academy and specialist social housing solicitor, to explore what the Competency and Conduct Standard is actually asking of the sector — and why getting qualified is only part of the answer. The conversation covers where the standard came from and what drove it, including the evidence heard at the Grenfell Inquiry around staff training and the disregarding of residents' concerns. It covers the very real pressures facing frontline practitioners, who are navigating an increasingly complex legislative landscape alongside the day-to-day demands of housing management. And it introduces HousingPro, a 10-module e-learning programme developed by the Social Housing Academy in partnership with Me Learning, designed to help organisations upskill large workforces at pace in readiness for October. This was one of the most attended sessions of the year. It is not hard to see why. Big thank you to Alertacall Ltd for sponsoring The Social Housing Round Table, without them, none of this would be possible.

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