Get involved in our professionalism project

As your professional body, we know that there is a need to continually equip housing staff to ensure that they have the right knowledge, skills, behaviours and ethical framework to make sure that no tenant receives a service from their landlord that is deemed to be unprofessional.

The CIH member code of conduct and ethical framework sets clear expectations on our members to continually reflect and update the relevant knowledge and skills they need to deliver excellent services. We also expect our members to demonstrate a commitment to equality and diversity and to treat people fairly and with respect. This also involves challenging negative perceptions of social housing and tackling the stigma aimed at those who live there. We employ a process by which individual members can be held to account if they are not adhering to these standards.

However, we know there is more we can do. As such, we want to work with you, our members, to ensure that professionalism is embedded throughout everything we do – training, events, qualifications, and policy work.

Our work on this project is in the initial stages but CIH would welcome your input to explore how we can work together across the sector to:

• raise awareness about what it means to be a housing professional - recognising that decisions we make can significantly affect other peoples' lives and demonstrating the benefit and impact of the work of housing professionals
• create a competency framework so that CIH members can uphold and visibly demonstrate as professionals their relevant knowledge, skills, behaviours and a commitment to ethical practice, on an ongoing basis
• embed the value and importance of professional standards, training and qualifications across the housing sector
• set national expectations to require professional practitioners to be subject to an agreed code and be clear on the consequences for breaches.

We will be organising further discussions for a later date in the summer but in the meantime, we want to hear more about how you and your organisation embeds professionalism in your day to day practice.

Would you like to further professionalism in your organisation or be involved in this initiative?

Contact us