In the months after the Grenfell Tower fire back in 2017, bold proclamations were made about how such a disaster must never be allowed to happen again.

Green and white papers promised to strengthen social housing regulation, improve the quality and safety of buildings and transform the nature of the landlord-resident relationship.

In recent years, we have seen the introduction of the Building Safety Act and the Social Housing (Regulation) Act alongside the professionalism agenda, the introduction of Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs), a new Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law.

But, in reality, what has actually changed for social housing residents? Are the regulator’s new powers making a difference? Has the work of the Housing Ombudsman helped to improve services? Do residents feel safe in their homes?

These are the questions we’ll be asking at this year’s Residents’ Network conference. And if the results from the TSMs are anything to go by, the answers are not promising!

Six months into the new consumer regulation regime along with the new Building Safety watchdog starting its work in earnest, we will reflect on what difference they are making to residents’ lives and explore what residents are hoping for in the coming years.

This year’s conference will be split into two parts, an afternoon event (12:00pm to 3:00pm) where you’ll get to hear direct from the Regulator of Social Housing and the Housing Ombudsman, followed by an evening session (6:00pm to 8:00pm) specifically for residents.

Chair Rob Gershon will be joined by HQN CEO Alistair McIntosh who will share his thoughts on what the TSMs and inspection reports are telling us.

Our virtual conference will cover:

• What difference the new consumer regulation is making to tenants
• What the TSM data is telling us
• Insights from inspections
• Reflections from the Housing Ombudsman on key issues for residents
• Updates from the new government on the quality of homes and resident engagement.

Essential for:

• Residents
• Resident board members
• Housing directors
• Heads of housing management
• Resident engagement managers and teams
• Customer insight managers and teams
• Community engagement managers and teams
• Resident scrutiny groups or panel members
• Housing managers and officers.

12:00pm Welcome and introductions

• Rob Gershon, Social Housing Tenant and Activist

• Jane Eyles, Associate, HQN

12:10pm The changing regulatory landscape and what it means for residents

• Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement, Regulator of Social Housing

12:45pm The year in complaints – key trends, latest spotlight investigations and reflections on the Grenfell report

• Polly Cox, Sector Learning and Development Manager, Housing Ombudsman Service

1:20pm Lunch

2:00pm Quality of homes and resident experience – new government priorities

• Nici Hosfield, Head of Resident Experience and Programme Delivery, Social Housing Quality Programme, MHCLG

In this session Nici Hosfield will update residents on the new government’s plans to improve the quality of homes in the social rented sector and how they plan to take that agenda forward over the coming year.

2:30pm What are the TSMs and inspection reports telling us?

• Alistair McIntosh, CEO, HQN

3:00pm Close of afternoon session

6:00pm Welcome and introductions to evening session

• Rob Gershon, Social Housing Tenant and Activist

• Jane Eyles, Associate, HQN

6:05pm Reaching ‘seldom heard’ audiences in the housing sector

• Liz O’Connor, Housing Director, Horton Housing

• Claire Blacka, Engagement Specialist and Insights Delivery Practitioner, Tentacles Consultancy

6:35pm Your home, your safety

• Andy McGrory, Policy Lead for Resident Engagement, Building Safety Regulator

7:00pm Resident panel discussion on building safety

• Justin Appleyard, Resident, Together Housing

• John Bonnett, Resident, East Midlands Housing

7:30pm Stop Social Housing Stigma – the new campaign

• Nic Bliss, Campaign Director, Stop Social Housing Stigma

• Yaw John Boateng, Vice Chair, Stop Social Housing Stigma Committee

8:00pm Close

Rob Gershon, social housing tenant and activist  

Rob is a social housing tenant and activist. Rob is a full-time carer. Following the Welfare Reform Act of 2012, wherein policy dictated Rob and his wife had a spare room for which they would be financially penalised, Rob began blogging about the reforms – then broader housing issues and policy.

Since then, Rob has been involved in the Social Housing Under Threat (SHOUT) campaign for social housing, has previously worked as the lead associate for HQN’s Residents’ Network, and was active with the group of tenants trying to design a ‘voice for tenants’ alongside the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, before ministerial inactivity and resistance brought an end to the endeavour.

Rob was one of the sixteen commissioners on Shelter’s “Vision For Social Housing” commission, a round look at what needs to change in the provision and regulation of social housing after the Grenfell Tower Fire. This led to further quiet work assisting Grenfell United and Shelter the housing ministry advice to try and drive reform through the social housing regulation bill.

Rob is also part of the advisory group working with Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s project alongside the Nationwide Foundation and the Frameworks Institute to look at ways of redefining how people talk about housing and social housing, in an attempt to inform public debate and drive policy change in an area which has arguably not produced the number of social rented homes the country needs.

Jane Eyles, Associate, HQN

Jane is an HQN Associate and has been a social housing resident, board member and consultant specialising in resident engagement since 1990. This means she is able to bring multiple perspectives into housing.

She has held senior positions such as Head of Housing for Brighton Housing Trust, Head of Engagement for LB Camden, Genesis and Hexagon and Tpas SE Regional Manager as well as 20 years consultancy including the development of resident led scrutiny.

Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement, Regulator of Social Housing

Kate started her career in homelessness in 1992, working firstly with rough sleepers in Birmingham through to managing a large hostel for single homeless in Brighton for five years. She gained a Masters degree in Housing in 2003 and moved to the National Housing Federation where she performed a variety of roles; latterly Assistant Director. Kate moved to AmicusHorizon in 2013 (Optivo from 2017) becoming Executive Director of People and Communications. She was Chief Executive of Gateway Housing for three years before taking up her current role with the Regulator of Social Housing. Kate was an external examiner for Westminster University until 2020 and a founder member of Leadership2025.

Polly Cox, Sector Learning and Development Manager, Housing Ombudsman Service

Polly Cox manages the Sector Learning & Development team at the Housing Ombudsman Service. She joined the Service in March 2023 having worked within the social housing sector for over 20 years. Polly’s experience includes leading on and delivering operational housing management, regulation, policy development, project management, training, resident influence, and complaints management.

Polly is part of the Quality, Engagement and Development department and is responsible for developing and managing the Housing Ombudsman Service Centre for Learning, where landlords will have easy access to a wide variety of learning resources to enhance their complaints management and drive a positive complaint handling culture.

Alistair McIntosh, CEO, HQN

Alistair McIntosh is one of the social housing sector’s most respected and best known personalities.

As founder and Chief Executive of HQN, he is regarded as one of the foremost advisers on governance and regulation, specialising in VfM and stress testing. His hands-on approach sees Alistair leading on all HQN’s in-depth assessment mock exercises and support work, designing and running the popular Iron Grip sessions and chairing/speaking at conferences and events.

Career highlights include setting up and running the National Federation of ALMOs, leading the popular consultation on the regulatory standards for housing, and developing an approach to VfM that won praise from the housing minister.

A regular contributor to the housing press, Alistair’s columns are known for their humorous, pointed and painfully accurate assessment of the state of social housing.

Nici Hosfield, Head of Resident Experience and Programme Delivery, Social Housing Quality Programme, MHCLG

Nici is currently leading on implementation of the Social Housing Quality Programme within the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. She is a policy professional with a background in social research and has worked in a number of government departments, leading policy and delivery projects relating to commercial broadcasting, the sustainability of public interest journalism, equality and discrimination law, policing and open data. She has worked closely with regulatory bodies including the Regulator of Social Housing, Ofcom, the Competition and Markets Authority and the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Liz O’Connor, Housing Director, Horton Housing

Liz O’Connor is the Housing Director for Horton Housing a dedicated supported housing provider in Yorkshire.  With over 30 years’ experience in regeneration and housing, Liz leads Property Services overseeing, repairs and maintenance, development and asset management as well as tenant involvement and anti-social behaviour.

Through her career, Liz has gained a wealth of experience, expertise and understanding of the housing sector. She is committed to improving living standards and delivering excellent customer service, having witnessed first-hand the transformative impact of providing safe, stable homes.

Passionate about housing, Liz is dedicated to creating safe havens and empowering individuals to improve their lives.  Her professional values and aspirations alight with ensuring everyone has access to affordable decent homes.

Andy McGrory, Policy Lead for Resident Engagement, Building Safety Regulator

Andy McGrory joined HSE as an Inspector in 2000 and gained experience of regulating in a broad range of industries.  He has held a variety of operational, corporate and policy roles in HSE including a significant time spent regulating the construction industry, and further significant periods managing the transition from CORGI to Gas Safe Register, the review of HSE approval of training for first-aid at work, and in HSE’s product safety unit leading a varied technical policy portfolio including design change in ladders through radical change to European standards.

Andy is currently leading on resident related policy for the Building Safety Regulator and has spent the last three years working on all resident-focussed aspects of the new Building Safety regime.  Notably, he was responsible for setting up the statutorily required residents’ panel.

Nic Bliss, Campaign Director, Stop Social Housing Stigma

Nic Bliss is the Campaign Director for the Stop Social Housing Stigma Campaign.  Through the campaign, Nic has developed a Tackling Stigma Journey Planner to enable tenants and landlords to tackle social housing stigma.  Having previously been a social housing tenant in a housing co-operative in Birmingham for over 35 years, Nic retired as the Policy Officer for the Confederation of Co-operative Housing in 2022.  In that context, Nic worked with numerous tenants and landlords on various tenant engagement programmes, engaging through a National Tenant Organisation partnership in research programmes with the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government and others.  In particular, Nic assisted the MHCLG in carrying out the post Grenfell Ministerial Roadshows where tenants particularly identified tackling social housing stigma as one of their main priorities.

Yaw John Boateng, Vice Chair, Stop Social Housing Stigma Committee

Yaw Boateng has been a tenant of the London Borough of Croydon for just approaching 14 years and an ‘involved resident’ for over a decade.    In addition to serving as Chair of LB Croydon Tenants and Leaseholders Panel and Board Member of Croydon’s Housing Improvement Board, Yaw also serves as the Deputy Chair of the Stop Social Housing Stigma (SSHS) Campaign.  He is very much being part of the change SSHS desires – to change the narrative and negative perceptions of residents in social housing and to co-design a better service for all and benefitting from sharing good practice.

Claire Blacka, Engagement Specialist and Insights Discovery Practitioner, Tentacles Consultancy

Claire has worked in supported and social housing for over 20 years. In January 2024 she set up Tentacles Consultancy with the aim of supporting organisations share power with tenants and residents through vibrant involvement and engagement programmes. Since June 2024, Claire has been working with Yorkshire-based specialist housing provider, Horton Housing Association to revitalise involvement and engagement. During this time, Claire has worked in partnership with people using services to start designing a new, innovative and accessible strategy.

If you are unable to attend an event or public training course, please let us know in writing (email is fine) at least 48 hours before. Please email [email protected]

Otherwise, a cancellation fee of £60 plus VAT will be chargeable.

If you are using a package place to attend and do not inform us within the agreed time frame, then a place will be taken to cover your non-attendance.

Cancellations must be made in writing, and will be acknowledged by HQN Limited.