duration

Location
Virtual

A practical event for leasehold and homeownership professionals. Including a walk-through of HQN’s section 20 toolkit, case studies on effective preparation for the first-tier tribunal and collaborative working across teams. Leasehold Network members can bring 3 team members for the price of 2!

  • Read more

    Getting Section 20 consultation right is critical because it protects leaseholders from unfair costs and legally allows landlords to recover money for major building works or long-term contracts. If a landlord or management company fails to follow the rules, their ability to charge residents is strictly capped by law.

    The financial consequences of getting it wrong can be severe, including:

    • Strict cost caps
    • Financial shortfalls
    • Tribunal costs.

    But it’s far from simple with strict legal timelines, low financial caps triggering complex rules, zero room for procedural mistakes and managing the involvement from different teams.

    This practical event is designed for leasehold and homeownership teams as well as anyone looking to strengthen their approach to section 20 consultation and major works.

    We will explore some of the key challenges:

    • How to prepare effectively for First-tier Tribunal (FTT) proceedings, including practical tips on presenting robust evidence and reducing the risk of challenge
    • How leasehold and homeownership teams can work more effectively with asset management, and other internal colleagues to improve communication, planning and customer outcomes throughout the consultation process
    • How to design refurbishment projects with leaseholders in mind, highlighting how early planning and clear decision-making can minimise disputes and support successful delivery.

    We will conclude with a walk-through of HQN’s section 20 toolkit. Jackie Dickins, who developed the toolkit, will chair the event and lead a session showcasing its practical resources, guidance and how this can be applied to the day job, to support practitioners.

    Practitioners from Camden and Tower Hamlets will talk about their approaches and the changes they have made.

    Key sessions include:

    • Preparations for a first-tier tribunal
    • Walk through of the HQN Section 20 toolkit
    • Working with internal teams to strengthen the section 20 process.

    Why attend?

    • To hear from sector experts on how to strengthen your section 20 process
    • To see the new section 20 toolkit
    • Hear practical examples from practitioners on how to approach section 20 issues.

    Who should attend?

    • Leasehold teams
    • Homeownership teams
    • Asset management teams
    • Complaints teams.

    *3 for 2 offer applies to all bookings for members of the Leasehold Network.

    If you haven’t received a coupon code, please contact [email protected]

  • Our speakers

    Jackie Dickins, Associate, HQN
    Jackie Dickins has been an HQN Associate since 2001 and is our lead consultant for HQN’s Leasehold Network. Prior to this she held positions at a London borough and two large housing associations based in London, where she was responsible for leasehold management and promoting work in the field of low-cost home ownership initiatives. Jackie undertakes many of HQN’s service reviews and service improvement work on leaseholder and home ownership. She has also worked in interim positions with a number of local authorities, arm’s length management organisations and housing associations as Head of Home Ownership/Home Ownership Manager.

    Jackie also runs pre-exam workshops at associate and member level for the Institute of Residential Property Managers (IRPM) and is delivering training for apprentices seeking associate membership of the IRPM.

    Jackie is responsible for developing and is a lead assessor of HQN’s leasehold accreditation scheme.

    Sean Scott, Head of Leaseholder Services and Housing Income, London Borough of Camden
    With nearly 3 decades of working across Local Authorities, ALMOs and Housing Associations including G15 organisations, Sean has built extensive expertise in Housing and Property management with a strong focus on leasehold services, service charge management and income recovery.

    Sean is particularly focused on modernising services through data, digital innovation and clearer financial frameworks, while maintaining a strong customer focus. He has led a number of large-scale transformation programmes, including organisational restructures, digital system implementation and service redesigns, aimed at improving transparency, efficiency and customer experience.

    His work reflects the wider sector challenge of balancing financial sustainability with fairness and trust in leaseholder relationships.

    Stephen Platt, Director of Housing Property and Assets, Tower Hamlets
    Stephen has been Director of Housing Property and Asset Management at Tower Hamlets Council since June 2025 after being the Assistant Director of Property Services at Islington Council for four years. Prior to his role at Islington where he has been responsible for all planned housing investment in the borough, fire and building safety, communal heating systems and improving the environmental efficiency of social housing stock, Mr Platt spent four and a half years at Hackney Council as Head of Building Maintenance and Estate Environment, having joined from Camden Council after a 17-year spell there where he held a number of roles, including leading on leasehold services and planned housing maintenance work.

    Emma Towler, Head of Ownership and Service Charges, Aster Group
    Emma Towler is a leasehold and service charge professional who has worked in social housing for more than 25 years. She is a specialist in home ownership, service charges and welfare reform and income management who has worked extensively with registered providers, ALMO’s and local authorities undertaking KLOE inspections and critical friend reviews of leasehold management and service charges, providing constructive SMART action plans to improve income recovery and improve processes and customer experiences.

     

    Emma has a proven track record of enabling housing providers to improve income recovery of service charges and improve customer satisfaction amongst homeowners. Emma has been an HQN associate for more than 15 years.
  • Programme

    9:30am Welcome and introductions

    Jackie Dickins, Associate, HQN

    9:40am Preparing for first-tier tribunal and dispensation process

    Emma Towler, Head of Ownership and Service Charges, Aster Group
    • Preparing effectively for the first-tier tribunal process
    • Building and presenting robust evidence
    • Understanding the dispensation process and when it may be needed
    • Practical steps to reduce the risk of challenge.

    10:10am Working with internal teams – asset management perspective

    Stephen Platt, Director of Housing Property and Assets, Tower Hamlets
    • Why Section 20 is not simply a leasehold team process
    • Getting asset, property and leasehold teams working together from the outset
    • Engaging residents early on scope, condition, costs and proposed works
    • Planning ahead to avoid last-minute consultation problems and unnecessary disputes.

    10:40am Break

    11:00am Working with internal teams – leaseholder perspective

    Sean Scott, Head of Leaseholder Services and Housing Income, London Borough of Camden
    • Understanding the Section 20 process
    • Early engagement and planning
    • Building relationships
    • Resident engagement and communications
    • Data quality and information sharing
    • Risk management
    • Breaking down silos
    • Future focus.

    11:30am HQN section 20 toolkit

    Jackie Dickins, HQN Associate
    • A practical walk-through of HQN’s Section 20 toolkit
    • How to use the toolkit to support the consultation process
    • Key resources and guidance for the day job
    • Using the toolkit to strengthen consistency and good practice.

    12:00pm Q&A

    12:30pm Final remarks and close

  • Testimonials

    • Jackie managed the session very well.  Generally, a very very good session.  Thanks.

      Epping Forest District Council
  • 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

    Bookings are closed for this event.

    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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