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The Innovation and Technology Hub is a safe space for housing professionals to share ideas, best practice, and challenges when it comes to implementing new systems and technology. Collaboration between members and suppliers is actively encouraged to help you decide what's right for your organisation.
About the Innovation and Technology Hub
The Innovation and Technology Hub is designed to bring innovation-savvy, tech-curious and improvement-focused professionals from across and around the social housing sector together to improve ways of working, and apply technology for the good of our colleagues, customers and communities.
Dedicated to developing content and delivering events of essential interest to members, the Hub focuses on the things you need to know more about and answers the questions you’ve been meaning to ask.
Intended to cater for people of all abilities, roles and backgrounds, we want the network to bring keen and experienced technology users together with those who are looking to find new ways to innovate.
One of our key aims is to demonstrate to anyone working directly or indirectly in housing that innovation isn’t rocket science, that tech isn’t scary or always out of financial reach, that they too have a place at the table, and that there are no stupid questions!
Innovation can be found everywhere: from wholesale system changes to the smallest frustrations around the way things are ‘done’. It’s a desire to see things improved.
A lot of things now exist beyond housing that are already implemented across the world. We aim to introduce the housing sector to some of them.
Taiwan-obsessed China has upped the stakes over the island it so covets, after American globetrotter Nancy Pelosi did some up-staking of her own with a visit to the uneasy landmass. And now the UK Parliament has decided to pick up … Read more
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Researchers from the University of Glasgow have developed a new type of heat pump, a flexible heat pump technology, which could help households save on their energy bills and contribute towards net-zero emissions goals. Around the world, about 40% of … Read more
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At our recent I&T Hub event we explored the challenges of using data and implementing technology to create smarter, safer homes. A key theme for the day was the need for accurate record keeping and data management to make sure … Read more
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Bromford has become the latest landlord to be targeted by an attempted cyber-attack. The Midlands-based housing association said it shut down all its technology after hackers had tried to breach its systems. It has shut down some of its services, … Read more
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This week we held our latest Innovation and Technology Hub best practice group. There were some key themes for our conversation which we’ve outlined below. These are really useful and engaging discussions and are free to all of our members. … Read more
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Clarion Housing Group has given an update on the recent cyber security incident, saying that “we are now confident that our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, which is our main store of customer data, was not accessed”. The housing association … Read more
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By Tim Cowland, Senior Consultant, Socitm Advisory The housing sector is used to political turmoil. So as the government wrestles with its future direction, we must continue to focus on the changes and challenges that will impact our tenants and … Read more
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By Tim Cowland, Client Services Director for Housing, Socitm Advisory. The housing sector is used to political turmoil. So as the government wrestles with its future direction, we must continue to focus on the changes and challenges that will impact … Read more
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A housing association says it has created its own standard for newly-built homes that will exceed the Future Homes Standard recently set out by the UK government. Yorkshire Housing plans to see all its new homes go ‘gas free’ from next year, … Read more
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By Dave Loudon, Founder of DtL Creative You’ve bought a new, shiny, all-encompassing, truly amazing housing management system. Or at least, that’s what the supplier said at the conference. It can do this and that, it can change your life … Read more
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By Dave Loudon, founder of DtL Creative. So, there we were, just working through a daily challenge when someone asks if there’s a simple, easy to understand guide to business transformation and innovation: a dummies guide; an A to Z, … Read more
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By Chris Millborrow, DtL Creative Back in 2016 – in his Forbes article titled ‘The Changing Role of IT in the Future of Business’ – Daniel Newman argued that: “The modern IT worker is a tech-savvy innovator who creates change … Read more
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A new report by the Climate Change Committee has found that “current strategy will not deliver Net Zero” and has called for radical changes. The Progress Report by the independent committee has also found major failures in delivery programmes towards the … Read more
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Clarion Housing Group has reported that it is facing ongoing issues to its IT systems after it experienced a cyber security incident recently. In a statement, the organisation said this has led to “some of our emails, IT systems and … Read more
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HQN is pleased to announce a new partnership with Microsoft Gold Partner and integration specialist, Blacklight Software, which will work to support members with their IT and digital transformation journey. The collaboration means Blacklight will offer its leading software solutions … Read more
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Back for its third year, our Housing’s Next Generation competition attracted entries from all over the sector, from housing associations and local authorities to supply chain partners and housing co-operatives. The judges looked at several criteria when shortlisting, including showing … Read more
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A new partnership is delivering a fresh approach to social housing repairs thanks to the UK’s first smart collection points. GreenSquareAccord has partnered with Jewson Partnership Solutions (JPS) to launch its first smart collection point, giving operatives round-the-clock access to … Read more
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Golden Lane Housing (GLH) has become the first stand-alone housing association for people with a learning disability or autism, following a demerger from Mencap. The move will see both organisations entering an exciting new partnership arrangement that supports new housing solutions and … Read more
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Grand Union Housing Group has announced it is to be work with regional public health teams across Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes to “create a blueprint for a new way of working between health and housing”. The approach is … Read more
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Members of the public will be able to use “innovative new technology” to have a greater say in shaping and regenerating their communities, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has said. Over £3.25m from the Proptech Engagement Fund … Read more
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By Yusuf Muhammad, co-founder and chief design officer at Plumis Knowledge of how people live in their homes is crucial to help ensure housing providers choose the right approach to best protect those at greatest risk from fire-related injury or fatality. … Read more
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HQN Associate Emma Lindley teases out some questions for government about its recent announcement of a review, in this article first published in the March 2022 issue of Housing Quality Magazine. The recent announcement by the Department for Housing (I can’t … Read more
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Brendan Sarsfield, former CEO of Peabody housing association and strategic advisor at NEC Software Solutions, explores how it’s not just access to technology that’s the barrier to digital inclusion. Improving digital dialogue Social housing tenants represent a broad spectrum of society and … Read more
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An additional 300 homes across Coventry and Solihull are to be retrofitted with super-efficient insulation and low-carbon heating technology. The move is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) plans to tackle climate change. Homes in Elmdon, Solihull, and … Read more
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By Paul Taylor, Innovation Coach at Bromford We’ve never been under so much pressure to transform, to innovate, to cut costs and create new customer value. The pandemic has been an accelerant of most things. Any trend: social, business, or … Read more
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Giving young diverse housing professionals a voice HQN is delighted to announce the return of Housing’s Next Generation – the annual competition designed to showcase and celebrate the brightest young talent working in housing. Entries for the 2022 competition are open … Read more
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Stuart Andrew has been appointed as Housing Minister by Boris Johnson in the latest reshuffle. It comes as Christopher Pincher looks to take a more senior role in the Prime Minister’s team. Pincher was in the role two years, the … Read more
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More than 60% of social housing residents are in jobs at high risk from automation, a major new report warns. Social Security: Automation and economic security among England’s social renters is authored by the RSA and has been developed in partnership … Read more
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By Kate Lindley, Service Lead for Digital and Data for Socitm Advisory. 2021 was a year of challenge and choices across the sector – from managing the impact of the pandemic, rising costs, and feeling the impacts of ‘the great … Read more
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