- Conference
- 2024 National Community Conference and Seminar
- Date
- 15 November 2023
- Decision
- Carried
The Social Housing Regulation Act 2023 will require all executives and managers in housing roles to have housing-relevant qualifications: executives at level 5 (equivalent to a foundation degree) and managers at level 4, equivalent to the old higher national certificate, and above A level. The Government estimates that these requirements will cover 25,000 staff across the housing sector.
While recognising that this is motivated by a wish to professionalise and make more consistent standards of housing support for social housing tenants, these requirements are likely to cause many issues. An Inside Housing survey in November 2023 found that most housing associations surveyed did not know how many people would need to be qualified or what it would cost, and the article estimated the cost at between £2,200-£3,300 per person where the apprenticeship levy could not be used. Relevant courses are offered only by a limited number of institutions, whereas housing associations are broadly spread across the whole country so many will struggle to access training near them. Older workers near to retirement may choose to quit rather than go through lengthy training, further exacerbating workforce pressures in the sector.
The UK Government has yet to consult on detailed implementation including any transition period, or how experience and practice can serve as evidence of achievement for this purpose. There is still an opportunity to avoid a cliff-edge where members cannot perform their roles because requirements are brought in too quickly or in an unconsidered way. This would have very bad impacts on the social housing tenants our members serve.
Conference calls upon the Community Service Group Executive to work with the Local Government Service Group Executive to:
a) Promote a sufficient transition period to enable reasonable opportunity for those required to gain qualifications to complete their learning.
b) Promote proper accreditation of learning gained through experience and practice so that those who have all the skills already are not required to do all the theory to prove it.
c) Campaign for all necessary training to be fully funded by employers and to undertaken in work time, as a necessary requirement of the job.
