At this virtual event, we will explore the workforce challenges currently facing the sector and how organisations are responding by building the right culture, establishing links with the local community, joining the dots between departments, investing in staff development, prioritising people’s mental health and wellbeing, and empowering staff at all levels of the business. A must for all HR, learning and organisational specialists, training and development teams as well as operational managers.

The recruitment and retention of staff has become a major issue for social housing providers in recent years.

A highly competitive jobs market combined with the operational and reputational challenges the housing sector is currently facing, has seen some organisations report staff turnover as high as 20% – with the situation especially acute in customer-facing teams.

In its latest Sector Risk Profile, the Regulator of Social Housing identified problems around recruitment and retention as one of the key risks faced by many organisations, highlighting the impact it is having on repairs and maintenance, care and support, contact centres, housing management and income teams.

Leadership teams need to think creatively – taking a look at the long-term, analysing both local and national employment trends, understanding and empathising with existing employees and working collaboratively to identify training needs, career development paths, mental health and wellbeing support. Ensuring remuneration packages are competitive inside and outside the housing sector is also vital.

On top of this, the professionalism agenda and the new Conduct and Competency Standard present both challenges and opportunities. Organisations are expected to be already working on their plans to incorporate the new requirements and qualifications.

What will be covered?

• Recruitment and retention – what are the current trends?
• How the professionalism agenda can help recruit and retain staff – what you need to know
• The role of leadership teams in developing the right culture
• How to get your recruitment right
• How to retain your best employees
• How to make housing a career of choice for young people
• Building a resilient workforce – how to look after and get the best from your employees
• Why investing in customer-facing teams is so important
• How we attract and retain more women into social housing
• An update on employment law – what you need to know.

Confirmed speakers:

• Chair: Jane Atherton, Lead associate for the learning and development hub, HQN
• Sara Devennie, Legal Director, Burnetts Solicitors.

Essential for:

• CEOs
• Board members
• Corporate directors
• HR managers
• Heads of people
• Learning and development managers
• Leadership and organisational development.

10:30am Chair’s welcome and introduction

• Jane Atherton, Associate, HQN

10:40am Can the Competence and Conduct Standard help us retain and recruit the people we need?

• Jane Atherton, Associate, HQN

Jane will update delegates on the most up to date information we have on the forthcoming Competence and Conduct Standard and professionalisation requirements and discuss how these requirements could be used to help us attract new recruits and retain the staff we have in the future.

11:10am Finding diverse talent for the sector

• Craig Pemblington, Head of Development, Charityworks

Craig will introduce delegates to Charityworks, a not-for-profit organisation sector that attracts, grows and retains future leaders and managers for the not-for-profit sector.  He will outline how they work to ensure sector leadership is representative of a wide diversity of characteristics and backgrounds and how they support the development of cross-sector, supportive networks of current and future leaders for not-for-profit organisations including housing associations, councils and ALMOs.

11:40am Break

12:00pm Setting the right culture and retaining our staff – a fireside chat with Eastlight Community Homes

• Jane Atherton, Associate, HQN

• Trevor Chittock, Head of People and Organisational Development, Eastlight Community Homes Limited

Jane and Trevor will discuss how social housing landlords can set the right culture within their organisations, what works and what doesn’t in terms of retaining staff.  Trevor will share what Eastlight Community Homes have been doing recently to support and train staff so that they are able to fulfil their roles and gain job satisfaction.

12:30pm Update on employment law

• Sara Devennie, Legal Director, Burnetts Solicitors

Sara will update delegates on recent changes in employment law, covering recruitment and retention policies as well as new requirements such as the Worker Protection Act update on preventing sexual harassment in the workplace and the new government’s plans for increased employee protection.

1:10pm Chair’s Closing remarks

• Jane Atherton, Associate, HQN

1:15pm Close

Jane Atherton, Lead associate for Leadership and Organisational Development Hub, HQN

Jane’s our go-to expert for the Learning and Organisational Development hub. She’s passionate about building amazing workplaces where colleagues can thrive and reach their full potential, all in service of delivering the best for customers.

Jane is a seasoned People Director with over 25 years of experience in the housing sector. She also serves as a Non-Executive Director with Aspire Housing.

Also, do you have any materials that have already been prepared on the C&C standard and the toolkit? I’m wanting to maintain consistency of message between Debbie and I and from HQN. If you can share anything, that would be very helpful.

Sara Devennie, Legal Director, Burnetts Solicitors

Sara is a Legal Director in the employment team, based in Newcastle.

Sara advises on a range of corporate matters, employment tribunals and is also involved in delivering training courses. She is also skilled in the drafting of contracts, handbooks, policies and procedures, and in undertaking corporate support.

Craig Pemblington, Head of Development, Charityworks

Craig works as Head of Business Development at Koreo, responsible for the strategic development and delivery of national campaigns for their talent programmes, including Charityworks. Craig has a particular passion around social inclusion and is responsible for the programme’s radical inclusion strategy for recruitment. He holds responsibility for the approach to growing partner relationships with charities to access talent on the programme.

Trevor Chittock, Head of People and Organisational Development, Eastlight Community Homes Limited

Trevor Chittock is the Head of People and Organisational Development at Eastlight Community Homes Ltd, bringing extensive experience in the social housing sector. With a solid foundation in HR, L&D, ED&I, and Talent Acquisition, Trevor is dedicated to fostering positive people-centered and organisational evolution.

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.