Unveiled just before the general election was announced, the Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRs) are designed to give all social housing tenants the opportunity to find out key information from their landlord about the management of their homes.

Currently out for consultation, the proposals are essentially the housing associations’ version of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and will only affect private registered providers. Stock holding local authorities and ALMOs will continue to be subject to FOI requests as public authorities.

Housing associations have had a few years to prepare for STAIRs. The government’s intention to introduce greater transparency to the sector was set out in the Social Housing Green Paper back in 2018.

It’s essential that organisations understand what the proposals entail, the type of information they will be expected to provide, and the potential resources required to fulfil their obligations.

This practical workshop will provide delegates with all the essential information about the STAIRs proposals, from what they cover to how they fit into the wider regulatory framework.

It will offer practical advice on the best ways to provide tenants with easy access to accurate information and underline the importance of good minute-taking and record-keeping.

There’ll be an opportunity to hear from organisations who are already subject to FOI requests and how they manage the process.

The workshop will cover:

• What the STAIRs proposals entail and what the likely impact is going to be
• How you should prepare and who will be responsible
• How organisations handle FOI requests and what you can learn from the process
• A view from the other side – what tenants and journalists expect to receive when making requests.

Essential for:

• Housing Associations only
• Data Governance Managers and teams
• Communications Managers and Officers
• Board members
• Governance Managers
• Information Management teams
• Operation Managers.

10.30am Welcome and introductions

• Chloe Fletcher, Director, HQN

10.40am STAIRs – the consultation

• Roger Jarman, Associate, HQN

11.10am FOI experience

• Louise Ivens, Data Governance & Protection Officer, Sutton Housing Partnership

11.45am Break

11.55am The journalist’s perspective

• Keith Cooper, Freelance Journalist

12.25pm The Scottish Perspective

• TBC

12.55 pm Closing remarks

1.00pm Close

Chloe Fletcher, Director, HQN

Chloe has worked in the social housing sector for over 25 years since her first role in housing management with JSS Pinnacle as a trainee housing officer. She completed a Masters in Housing with Professional Qualification at the London School of Economics in 1998 and then moved into housing policy, working on behalf of the London boroughs, initially for London Housing Unit and then London Councils. She joined the National Federation of ALMOs (NFA) in 2007 working with members, government officials and wider housing stakeholders to develop NFA policy and support the ALMO movement.  She has recently left her role as Policy Director at the NFA and joined HQN as Director, working across the business and bringing her knowledge and experience to the wider sector.

Roger Jarman, Associate, HQN

Roger Jarman is a long standing HQN associate. He provides consultancy services; leads training programmes; and writes on housing regulation and other matters. He is the author of HQN’s Social Housing White Paper toolkit and delivers a range of training sessions on the White Paper proposals. He is also a Non Executive Director of two housing organisations. From 1991 until 1999 he was Head of Housing Management at the Housing Corporation and then from 1999 until 2011 he was Head of Housing at the Audit Commission overseeing the 1400 housing inspections undertaken by the Commission during that period. He was a member of the team that produced the Cave Review of social housing regulation in 2007.

Louise Ivens, Data Governance & Protection Officer, Sutton Housing Partnership

Keith Cooper, Freelance Journalist

Keith Cooper is a freelance investigative journalist, researcher, and writer specialising in housing, homelessness, and mental health care. His work has been covered by national media and cited in newspaper editorials, Parliament, official reports, medical journals, and academic textbooks. He has worked as an editor and reporter on the Health Service Journal, Inside Housing, and Local Government Chronicle magazines. He has spent the last year investigating and writing about the increasing use of temporary accommodation, including the escalating use of out-of-area placements and the hidden impact of poor quality housing on child development and the safety of babies. His work points out good practice as it exposes shortfalls in provision. Before training as a journalist, Keith worked as a diagnostic radiographer for the NHS.

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.