Housing industry awards

Housing industry awards are the subject of regular debate in the sector. This has intensified recently as the cost-of-living crisis deepens, with questions rightly being asked as to whether these events are justifiable in such a context.

At the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), we run several awards ceremonies in our role as the sector’s professional body, and so I wanted to take some time to explain why we do this. I know some people will disagree with our reasoning; however, I hope that I can contribute to an important sector discussion.

At CIH we try hard to challenge ourselves to ensure that what we do directly contributes to our purpose and our charitable objectives. If it doesn’t, we don’t do it. Our Royal Charter says that our purpose is to “promote the art and science of housing” and that we must act not just in the interest of our members, but in the wider public interest. That is the test against which we measure everything we do.

A large part of the work we do at CIH is about identifying, recognising and disseminating knowledge, skills and good practice. Awards are an important part of this. Entries often highlight excellent or innovative practice, which directly impacts the homes and services experienced by tenants, resident and communities. We promote this work, not only to share learning but to highlight and celebrate individuals and organisations who making a positive difference. Awards can also be a strong driver of continuous improvement.

At their best our awards offer an opportunity to identify and share the very best of what the housing profession does, inspiring others to innovate and adopt good practices shared.

What I do want to highlight is this – whilst we may host award ceremonies, this does not mean that we take the view that everything in the housing sector is perfect. Far from it. Even within awards competitions themselves, some entrants fall well short of the mark and are brought face to face with the need to radically improve. 

Good organisations can get things wrong too. They can deliver great services in some areas whilst not meeting the standard in another. I can understand that, if you have received a service which wasn’t of the standard you expect, then it will be frustrating to see that organisation celebrated in other areas. In our policy and good practice work, CIH does not shy away from being clear about where things need to change for the better. That too is part of our purpose.

Since we began hosting awards, we have regularly taken steps to evolve the way in which we run these events, and we will continue to do so in the future. We must move with the times. We know right now there is a lot of scrutiny around how the ceremonies are run, and we will look at how we can adjust things so that we are better aligned to the world we are living in. We take all comments and feedback we receive, whether they are positive or negative very seriously, which is why we’ll continue to engage with and be informed by our members, tenants and residents and the wider sector as our work evolves.

At this point, I must also be honest and recognise that CIH benefits financially from running awards. Running not-for-profit organisations means having to earn income from a variety of sources. Most professional bodies, CIH included, are small organisations that run on tight margins with constrained resources. Some people may not be interested as to whether we exist or not, but it is our role to support the housing sector to create a future in which everyone has a place to call home. To make the case for high standards of professional competence and behaviour. To be a voice for housing, shaping the debate and the future of housing policy. These are all ways in which we try to meet out charitable purpose, but they also need us to earn the resources to support that work.

I understand my reasoning will not resonate with all of you but as the professional body for housing, I want to assure you that I and we are listening. Professionalism in all its forms and how we are perceived as a sector is incredibly important to me. We will continue to reflect on the range of opinions about awards and to change and evolve our approach in response.