This interactive course explores the causes and consequences of stigma in social housing, drawing on residents’ lived experiences to understand its impact. Through reflection, discussion and practical scenarios, delegates will consider how their own behaviours and organisational practices can reinforce negative perceptions and, importantly, what they can do to challenge them.

What will delegates learn?

Delegates will develop a greater awareness of how stigma and stereotypes affect social housing residents and how unconscious bias, language and everyday behaviours can contribute to negative experiences.

The session will help delegates recognise and challenge stigmatising attitudes and practices, understand the importance of professional conduct and identify practical ways to promote fairness, respect and inclusion. Delegates will also explore how they can become positive advocates for residents and contribute to a culture that builds trust, dignity and confidence in social housing services.

This course will cover

• Understanding stigma and stereotypes – exploring the differences between stigma, prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination, and why these distinctions matter
• Stigma in social housing – examining the origins and persistence of negative perceptions, including the influence of wider society, government and the media
• Residents’ lived experiences – understanding how stigma affects dignity, confidence, wellbeing, trust and the relationship between residents and landlords
• Language, attitudes and everyday behaviours – recognising how assumptions, communication and interactions can unintentionally reinforce stigma
• Unconscious bias – exploring how personal beliefs and assumptions can influence professional judgement, decisions and the treatment of residents
• Institutional stigma and organisational culture – identifying how policies, processes and service delivery can perpetuate negative stereotypes and unequal treatment
• Professionalism and the Competence and Conduct Standard – understanding the expectations around fairness, respect and professional behaviours
• Challenging stigma constructively – developing the confidence and practical approaches needed to challenge inappropriate language, behaviours and practices
• Becoming a positive advocate – recognising the role housing professionals can play in challenging misconceptions and promoting a more positive image of social housing
• Creating a culture of respect and inclusion – identifying practical steps to promote dignity, fairness, transparency and positive relationships with residents.

Who should attend?

This course is relevant to everyone working in social housing, regardless of their role or level of seniority, whose decisions, behaviours or communications influence residents’ experiences.

It will be particularly valuable for frontline housing staff, neighbourhood officers, resident engagement teams, customer service staff, repairs and property services teams, contractors, managers and leaders who want to challenge stigma, promote professional behaviours and contribute to a more respectful and inclusive housing sector.

Debbie Larner has worked in the social housing sector for over 30 years within both local authorities and housing associations before moving on to join the professional body – the CIH – where she was Head of Practice with a key focus on translating government policy into practice. In that role she developed expertise in a number of areas including housing and asset management, resident engagement, equality diversity and inclusion, health and safety (specifically building safety post Grenfell). She has also co-led research into the future of social housing, stigma and stereotyping in housing and the role of the housing professional. Debbie is recognised as a leader in developing and embedding professional standards with sector bodies and individual organisations and developed the CIH professional standards for housing and, as part of this work has a strong interest in how organisations can develop strong values-led cultures, create inclusive behaviours and act as ambassadors for the profession. Debbie is an experienced public speaker, chair, and trainer.