Looking back at some of the big discussions from this year's TAI conference which took place in Swansea on 26-27 April 2022, CIH Cymru national director Matt Dicks is joined by CIH Cymru colleagues, policy and public affairs manager, Matthew Kennedy and Tyfu Tai Cymru manager, Catherine May.

If that wasn't enough, Matt also took some time to catch up with two speakers from the event to give you a little insight into their sessions; NHIC chairman, Paul Everall CBE and Streetreads ambassador from Simon Community Scotland, Emma Jardine.

Join our anti-social behaviour (ASB) experts Janine Green, ASB consultant and trainer, and Chris Grose, head of housing advisory services, Capsticks, to explore the elements that help to create a genuinely excellent ASB service.

The session will explore some practical measures to improve services, tenant engagement and satisfaction to deliver the best outcomes for your local communities.

With the Renting Homes (Wales) Act due to be implemented on 15 July 2022, this is your opportunity to get to grips with crucial changes – from the legal aspects of occupation contracts, new procedures for abandonment and joint-contract holders to the operational side of preparing teams for the widespread changes. This masterclass has it all. 

With legal insight from the Welsh Government’s expert team supporting implementation, you’ll learn precisely how new legislation will look in practice and have a chance to discuss this with other colleagues across the sector.

Why watch?

• Provide you with up-to-date knowledge about the Renting Homes (Wales) Act, what it means in practice and how you and your organisation can best prepare for its implementation
• Set you and your teams up to prepare and respond positively, making the changes work for you and your organisation.

Who should watch?

• Housing association tenancy management staff
• Strategy and policy teams
• Legal and governance professionals
• Tenancy engagement staff
• Local authority housing teams
• Private landlords
• Environmental protection staff.

The Government has committed to providing an £8.6 billion funding package to build circa 120,000 new affordable homes in England as part of the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) from 2021-to 2026. The task is tall for Homes England’s strategic partners to get spades on the grounds and create various residential options for people across the country.

Watch the event to:

• Gain insight into how working in partnership can help to deliver housing targets in the South West
• Discuss the key challenges, opportunities, times lines, partnerships and procurement.

In our latest episode of The CIH podcast, James Prestwich, CIH director of policy and external affairs caught up with the five founding members of Social Housing Under Threat (SHOUT). Reflecting on the origin and milestones of SHOUT, Aileen Evans, Alison Inman, Colin Wiles, Tom Murtha and Martin Wheatley come together to explore what the campaign meant for the sector, along with its relevance in today’s society, almost eight years on.

We'll begin the event by exploring some of the main headlines and findings from across the year, taking a deep dive into homelessness, accessing homeownership, investment in affordable housing and changes in the benefits system.

In our first Building Better Boards event of 2022, we’ll be joined by former CIH president 2017-2018, Alison Inman and CIH chief executive Gavin Smart as they explore the major issues across all four UK nations. Against the backdrop of pandemic recovery, Alison and Gavin will share their expert insight on developing good governance, championing professional standards and inspiring positive change.

This event is exclusive to CIH members and will be particularly relevant to chief executives, board chairs, board members, company secretaries, governance officers and managers, and local authority councillors.

Why attend?

• Participate in the conversation with our expert speakers – share your ideas and insight, challenge perceptions and join the debate
• Communicate with fellow governance professionals and board members and discover new innovative ways to guide your organisation
• Network and collaborate in our virtual lounge – a relaxed setting that allows you to move between tables and chat with other delegates.

In this masterclass, you will hear about new research from the Existing Homes Alliance looking at the practicalities of introducing minimum energy efficiency standards to the owner-occupied sector and implications for mixed tenure areas. You’ll also have the opportunity to learn about the Scottish Government’s new Fuel Poverty Strategy.

Why watch?

• Get practical tips to help tenants maximise their income
• Have an insightful discussion with other delegates on the implications of introducing minimum energy efficiency standards
• Join professionals from across the UK to hear about the work in the Scottish housing sector.

However, much of the debate focuses on the challenges and fundamental arguments around taking a human rights approach to housing.

On 1 February, CIH Scotland launched guidance, written by Gillian Young (Newhaven Research), that provides practical insight and advice for landlords on the steps they can take to provide housing as a human right today and crucially recommendations for the Scottish Government on what policy and legislative measures are required to realise housing as an enforceable human right.

Panellists include:

• Gillian Young, Co-Founder and Director, Newhaven Research
• Callum Chomczuk, National Director, CIH Scotland
• Nile Istephan, Chief Executive, Eildon Housing Association
• Alice Simpson, Director of Assets and Governance, Homes for Good
• Michael Cameron, Chief Executive, Scottish Housing Regulator

We discussed the following:

• The value of CIH membership
• An overview of what mentoring is and its benefits to mentors and mentees 
• The importance of mentoring as an integral part of organisational culture
• How championing mentoring can support the Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) plan of an organisation
• How mentoring can add value by investing, and being aligned with, people development strategies
• Insight into the benefits of mentoring to senior, mid and junior employees
• How the positive impact of mentoring can increase employee engagement
• The benefits of reverse mentoring to individuals and the organisation