duration

Location
Virtual

HQN’s experts will guide you through the stages of developing and implementing your improvement plan. They’ll highlight the key areas to focus on with lots of practical advice and examples.

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    You aren’t expected to achieve 100% compliance with the consumer standards. But you do need to have identified the gaps and have a robust plan in place to deal with them. And you need to demonstrate that you’re making progress.

    Regardless of where you are on your improvement journey, this practical workshop will help. Your improvement plan is one of the most important documents. But it’s not an easy thing to get right. That’s why HQN has pulled together the latest best practice to share with delegates.

    Drafting your plan and putting it into action is hard work. There are lots of things to consider. You need to:

      • Make the most of your (limited) resources by prioritising the right things and focusing on the activities that will really make a difference
      • Get everyone on board and involved, including your residents. Their views and priorities really matter
      • Show that the changes you make are having an impact on, eg, TSMs, performance, satisfaction, costs.

    And there’s the Regulator of Social Housing to consider. If your plan stems from an inspection or a self-referral it’ll come under regular scrutiny from the regulator. You’ll need to demonstrate you understand the root causes behind the failures, that you’re addressing the issues and your plan is delivering results.

    The regulator’s approach is founded on co-regulation. It’ll expect your governing body to have oversight of the plan and be receiving assurance that you’re on track.

    At this practical workshop, our sector experts will:

      • Provide a step-by-step framework for developing a robust, realistic plan that delivers results and gains regulatory approval
      • Outline the RSH’s expectations for improvement plans
      • Share strategies for effective implementation across your organisation
      • Explore key areas to focus on:
        • Safety and quality
        • Resident engagement
        • Resident outcomes
        • Governance and oversight
      • Provide insight into the difference an improvement board can make.

    You’ll also hear directly from practitioners that have recently undertaken their own improvement journeys, offering real-world insights on what works – and what pitfalls to avoid.

    Join us to gain the confidence, tools and knowledge you need to successfully deliver lasting improvements and navigate regulatory requirements.

  • Our speakers
    Damian Roche, Director, HQN
    Damian is one of HQN’s experts on the consumer standards. He has played a key role in our consultancy projects since the new regulatory framework began its journey into law and supported a wide range of organisations (local authorities, housing associations and ALMOs) with their self assessments and improvement plans. His particular areas of expertise are in customer engagement and wider stakeholder engagement as well as governance, complaints management.

    Damian is a regular speaker at HQN events and recently devised and delivered a series of workshops to assist providers with their preparations for the new regulatory framework. He has developed toolkits for use in self-assessments, the latest covering the empty homes and lettings process and our condensed toolkit for the regulation of social housing.

    As well as the learning and insight that Damian has gained through consultancy and project work Damian also has hands-on practical experience of delivering services. He has worked in the housing sector for more than 20 years, much of which has been at a senior/executive level, including eight years as director of customer experience for Accent Housing.
    Suzanne Hemingway, Associate, HQN
    Suzanne has over 30 years’ experience of the social housing sector. She started as a volunteer in a women’s refuge, and a homelessness shelter and went on to manage a variety of services for disadvantaged groups. She has held senior roles in both strategic and operational teams.

    As a consultant, Suzanne provided advice and training to a wide range or national, regional and local organisations from 2008 – 2016, when she returned to a full-time director role, integrating the wider housing brief – strategy, repairs, management and homelessness – with wider community engagement, development, arts and leisure briefs. In returning to consultancy, Suzanne brings experience of supporting boards and elected members to deal with adverse events, and to prepare for new housing regulation, as well as of providing advice and training at a senior level.  Suzanne has been a Fellow of CIH for many years.
    Wayne Cole, Chief Compliance and Sustainability Officer, Magenta Living
    Wayne brings over 25 years of experience in compliance and risk, covering construction, property and housing. Wayne joined the Royal Navy at 16 and travelled the world as a marine engineer aboard the HMS Invincible where he learned the fundamentals of problem solving which he still draws on today.

    Wayne first undertook a role in housing in 2006 and since then has held significant roles with MITIE, Home Group, Portakabin and Places for People where he was group director of compliance responsible for health and safety, building safety, safeguarding, quality assurance and sustainability compliance.

    In November 2024, Wayne joined Magenta Living as chief compliance and sustainability officer. He now leads on safety and compliance, asset management and sustainability, and service quality and safeguarding. His extensive expertise, combined with a deep commitment to fostering a culture of trust, safety and wellbeing, continues to make a meaningful impact on both customers and colleagues. Following Magenta Living’s recent HQN mock inspection, Wayne is looking forward to sharing the organisation’s journey in enhancing safety and quality standards and ensuring robust assurance throughout.
    Sue Edgerley, Resident Involvement Manager, London Borough of Croydon
    Sue brings over 26 years of experience across housing, communications and community engagement, with a career dedicated to strengthening resident voice and improving outcomes in social housing. She has led programmes focused on service transformation, regulatory improvement and tackling stigma – ensuring residents are at the heart of decision-making and delivery.

    Since joining Croydon Council back in June 2024, Sue has driven a significant improvement journey to rebuild trust and embed meaningful engagement across the housing directorate. This includes delivering a new resident engagement strategy, expanding estate-based “roadshows” and piloting a digital leaseholder forum to promote transparency and collaboration.

    Recognised nationally as one of this year’s Top 30 Housing Champions, she is passionate about creating a culture of listening, learning and continuous improvement.
    Emerald McLaughlin, Change and Improvement Officer, London Borough of Croydon
    Emerald has been working in the housing directorate at Croydon Council since April 2024. In her role as change and improvement officer she has supported with the delivery of an ambitious housing transformation plan which contributed to the lifting of the Regulatory Notice on the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard, and the Safety and Quality Standard in April 2025. She has continued to work on further improvements and embedding progress in the directorate through the development and implementation of a new housing improvement programme.

    Emerald began her housing career with the Charityworks graduate scheme at Tower Hamlets Homes/Council in 2023-4, where she worked across the housing management and regulatory assurance teams.

     

  • Programme

    10:30am Welcome and introductions

    Damian Roche, Director, HQN

    10:40am Good practice in improvement planning – what works

    Suzanne Hemingway, Associate, HQN

    • What a robust, effective improvement plan should include
    • Lessons from HQN consultancy work with landlords across the country
    • What to prioritise so your plan delivers real results

    11:10am Our improvement journey on safety and quality and data

    Wayne Cole, Chief Compliance & Sustainability Officer, Magenta Living

    • Magenta Living’s recent improvement journey against the Safety and Quality Standard
    • The key issues identified and the actions taken to turn services around
    • Learning from the process – what worked, what didn’t, and what they’d do differently
    • Practical tips for landlords looking to improve services in challenging circumstances

    11:40am Break 

    12:00pm The improvement plan for resident engagement and tenant outcomes

    Sue Edgerley, Resident Involvement Manager, London Borough of Croydon

    Emerald McLaughlin, Change and Improvement Officer, London Borough of Croydon

    • Croydon’s housing improvement journey on resident engagement and tenant outcomes
    • How residents have been involved in shaping and scrutinising the improvement plan
    • Practical changes to services, communication and support for tenants
    • Early outcomes, learning and next steps in embedding the plan

    12:30pm Lessons from improvement boards

    Damian Roche, Director, HQN

    • How organisations are setting up improvement boards or similar bodies to oversee plans
    • Common challenges in governing and driving improvement work
    • What has worked well in practice – and pitfalls to avoid

    1:00pm Close

  • Testimonials

    • Damian really knew his subject, I got more out of this than any other seminar I’ve been on!

      Yorkshire Housing

    • Damian is very knowledgeable and used lots of relevant examples to support theoretical guidance.

      Hundred Housing Society

    • Very useful and informative, Damian has a lot of knowledge and experience to draw on.

      Cottsway Housing
  • Cancellations and substitutions

    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.

  • Price and booking

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    If you experience any issues when submitting your booking, please email [email protected] with the name and date of the session along with the delegate name(s), email address(es) and job title(s) and we'll process the booking for you.

Dates



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