Strong professional skills are the foundation of effective, ethical and confident practice. This one-day session will help participants reflect on their own behaviours, strengthen their decision-making, and build the confidence to act with integrity and sound judgement in complex situations.

Through practical activities, reflection and discussion, attendees will deepen their understanding of what it means to be a responsible and professional practitioner and how to translate that understanding into everyday action.

Key themes covered:

• Professional curiosity – developing a questioning mindset to see beyond the obvious and make informed, evidence-based decisions
• Professional boundaries – understanding where to draw the line between personal and professional roles, maintaining trust and professionalism
• Resilience – managing stress, adapting to change and sustaining performance under pressure
• Time management – prioritising effectively, balancing competing demands and maintaining focus on what matters most
• Professional judgement – applying knowledge, ethics and critical thinking to make balanced and defensible decisions
• Responsibility, accountability and ownership – taking personal responsibility for actions, being transparent in decision-making and upholding professional standards.

Who should attend:

• All resident-focused staff
• Contractors / sub-contractors.

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. In that time, she developed expertise in in a number of areas including housing and asset management, resident engagement, governance, health and safety. She developed the CIH professional standards and also co-led research into the future of social housing, stigma and stereotyping in housing and the role of the housing professional.