duration

Location
Virtual

Two years on, what has the sector learnt about self-referrals? Hear directly from the Regulator of Social Housing on their expectations, alongside practitioners and HQN experts sharing their experiences, lessons learned and practical advice.

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    Self-referral is one of the toughest decisions a governing body has to make. 

    Two years ago, the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) made the message clear: “If in doubt, pick up the phone to us.”

    That advice still stands and the stakes are higher than ever.

    With inspections now under way, published consumer gradings in place and the RSH building an increasingly clear evidence base of what non-compliance looks like, providers can expect much closer scrutiny of whether serious issues were identified, escalated and self-referred at the right time.

    In a co-regulatory world, registered providers are expected to understand where they stand against the consumer standards, identify actual or potential non-compliance, spot problems early, act quickly and engage openly with the regulator. At inspection, that judgement will be tested. If the RSH identifies historic non-compliance, one question will be difficult to avoid: why was this not raised sooner?

    Join the RSH, HQN experts and housing providers who have been through the self-referral process for a practical workshop covering every stage of the journey – from recognising the warning signs to rebuilding regulatory confidence.

    You’ll get direct insight into:

    • What ‘good’ looks like before, during and after making a self-referral
    • How to decide whether to self-refer
    • What evidence to prepare and how to present your case to the Regulator
    • How to engage with the Regulator and move back onto a stronger regulatory footing.

    You’ll hear candid lessons from organisations that have self-referred, alongside HQN’s expert guidance on how to manage regulatory risk and build constructive relationships with the Regulator.

    The session will explore how providers can strengthen governance, assurance and early-warning systems so that risks are identified sooner, decisions are properly documented and improvement plans are credible, deliverable and proportionate.

    Don’t leave it until you identify an actual problem. Be clear about how you would handle a self-referral situation now.

    What we’ll cover: 

    • When a self-referral should be considered
    • How to make a self-referral – what evidence and information the Regulator is likely to expect
    • What happens after a referral is made
    • How to recover – including developing and delivering a credible improvement plan
    • How to strengthen governance, assurance and early-warning systems so risks are spotted and mitigated sooner.

    Practitioners will share their experiences of:

    • Making the decision to self-refer
    • Working with the Regulator throughout the process
    • Managing organisational and reputational risk
    • Taking effective action and putting things right.

    You’ll leave with:

    • A clearer understanding of the RSH’s current expectations and emerging regulatory themes
    • Greater confidence in identifying and assessing potential non-compliance
    • Practical tools for handling a self-referral
    • Insights into effective engagement with the Regulator
    • Lessons from recent self-referrals and common pitfalls to avoid
    • Actionable steps to strengthen assurance and reduce regulatory risk.

    Who should attend?

    • Governance and assurance leads
    • Regulatory and compliance leads
    • Chief executives and managing directors
    • Directors of housing, assets and operations
    • Performance and data teams
    • Safety and quality and repairs leads
    • Board members, councillors and senior officers with oversight responsibilities.

    Whether you have responsibility for governance, compliance, assurance or operations this event will help you make timely, proportionate decisions that stand up to regulatory scrutiny.

    Should you tell the Regulator? Hear directly from the RSH. Learn from those who have done it. Get practical advice from HQN’s experts.

  • Our speakers

    Alistair McIntosh, Founder and Chief Executive, 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.

    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.

    Jack Smith, Assistant Director of Assessment and Tenant Engagement, RSH
    Jack is Assistant Director of Assessment and Tenant Engagement at the Regulator of Social Housing, where he is responsible for the Regulator’s approach to tenant engagement. He also leads the teams responsible for handling enquiries and referrals that the Regulator receives.

    Jack has previously worked in regulation in the higher education sector, at a national advocacy charity and in several roles in local government.

    Samantha Grix, Partner, Devonshires
    Samantha is a Partner in the Housing Management and Property Litigation team at Devonshires and has worked in the sector for almost 15 years. She was called to the Bar before cross qualifying as a solicitor and has worked at Devonshires throughout her career.

    Samantha deals with all areas of housing management and specialises in rent regulation and the consumer standards. She regularly advises clients on compliance and forms part of their team when an issue is discovered to the point of resolution.

    Alison Craig, Head of Housing, Bassetlaw District Council
  • Programme

    10:30am Welcome and introductions  

    Alistair McIntosh, Founder and Chief Executive, HQN

    10:40am Self-referral two years on: What RSH expects now 

    Jack Smith, Assistant Director of Assessment and Tenant Engagement, RSH
    • What RSH is seeing through self-referrals and regulatory casework
    • When landlords should engage – and what the Regulator expects to see
    • Lessons for strengthening grip, assurance and openness before issues escalate.

    11:10am When does a problem become a regulatory problem? 

    Samantha Grix, Partner, Devonshires
    • Understand the regulatory considerations behind the decision to self-refer
    • Manage risk while remaining open and transparent with the Regulator
    • Get the evidence, records and governance around the decision right.

    11:40am Break  

    12:00pm Making the call: Thresholds, evidence and assurance 

    Damian Roche, Director, HQN
    • Set clear triggers for escalation and potential self-referral
    • Build an evidence trail that supports timely, defensible decisions
    • Turn identified gaps into clear actions with effective oversight.

    12:30pm After self-referral: From regulatory concern to credible recovery 

    Alison Craig, Head of Housing, Bassetlaw District Council
    • Get to the root cause, not just the presenting problem
    • Build a realistic, properly resourced improvement plan
    • Demonstrate progress through strong governance, milestones and evidence.

    1:00pm Q&A and discussion 

    1:30pm Close 

  • Testimonials
    • As always, Alistair had some very thought-provoking comments.
      Housing Solutions
  • 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

    Tickets

    Ticket Type Price Spaces
    Early bird Member ticket
    Available until 5:00pm on 19 December 2026    		 £160.00
    Early bird Non-member ticket
    Available until 5:00pm on 19 December 2026    		 £210.00
    Member ticket £200.00 N/A
    Non-member ticket £250.00 N/A

    Registration Information

    Booking Summary

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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



26 January 2027
10:30am - 1:30pm
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