Professionalism - so much more than a qualification

LiveWest has set some very ambitious goals for itself over the coming years. On top of those driven by the Social Housing White Paper, and now the Levelling Up agenda, everything we aim to do is aligned to our overall vision; trusted by our customers, homes that people love to live in, a growing business that is fit for the future and a culture of being proud to work here. Underpinning all this is the professionalisation agenda and, at LiveWest, we have taken this so much further than just ‘getting qualifications and going on some training’.

As a resident with one housing association, and working at LiveWest, I have a unique insight into what professionalisation really means: for both housing professionals and social housing residents. I am extremely proud to be part of LiveWest, an organisation that wants to understand how professionalisation can make such an important difference to the lives and future outcomes of all their residents.

Qualifications have, and always will, be an important part of professionalisation but we believe it is not just a qualification that turns your job into a profession? At LiveWest, as a corporate partner with the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), we have the ability to ensure regular cohorts of colleagues are able to gain their qualifications each year. Access to qualifications is supported by the CIH Online plus delivery, meaning more colleagues can complete qualifications without the need for travel. Colleagues have the opportunity to meet other housing professionals from across the country to collaborate and network. By having a corporate membership with CIH, we can back up the qualifications with ongoing learning through member events and learning opportunities. All our CIH members are part of an internal community where we can share ideas and thoughts. Our community meets regularly to discuss, explore, problem solve, share and collaborate. Representatives of CIH are always happy to attend and support this learning and sharing experience. We are now taking this partnership approach with other organisations that can support LiveWest to ensure colleagues in all areas of the organisation are qualified for the job they do and supported to practice to professional standards. Professionalism is about the technical skills of the job, and also understanding how they behave and what they do aligns with our organisational values and meets the needs of all our customers.

As part of the LiveWest Learning team, watching my colleagues gain knowledge, skills and build confidence and pride in their roles here is a delight. It is important that this approach to professionalisation is understood and adopted by the whole sector; Professionalism is so much more than a qualification alone. We have a responsibility to ensure that all our customers can access a professional service at all times, from well supported and knowledgeable staff who understand the impact they have on people’s communities, homes and lives.