The homes we build tomorrow must be matched by the workforce we develop today

The housing sector is poised for transformation. 

The government’s commitment to building 180,000 new social homes over the next decade, announced at the start of July, is both welcome and overdue. But no matter how many homes we build, they will not serve their purpose without the right people to manage them.

Simply put, housing without housing professionals is a hollow promise.

That is why confirmation of a timeline for the Competence and Conduct Standard (which will come into force next year, the government announced earlier this month) marks a key turning point. Almost a decade after the Grenfell Tower fire exposed the need for change in the sector, we are finally seeing some long-awaited reform.

“The reality is stark: the journey towards professionalisation must begin now, or risk falling behind”

In the 24 months since the Social Housing (Regulation) Act became law, the industry has remained in relative limbo to see how the law will impact the industry, due to the change in government, consultations on timelines and other delays.

The new timeline sets out a three-year transition period for large social landlords (those with more than 1,000 units of social housing) and four years for smaller social landlords to meet the standard, once it comes into force in October 2026. While that might seem distant, the reality is stark: the journey towards professionalisation must begin now, or risk falling behind.

Now that the sector has a timeline, we also have a responsibility. The standard is not just about compliance; it is a blueprint for rebuilding trust between landlords and tenants, ensuring consistent, high-quality service, and embedding respect, accountability and competence into the fabric of housing management.

With the standard already expected to require around 25,000 staff to work towards a Level 4 or 5 housing management qualification, the target of 180,000 more social homes will mean professionalisation is an even bigger undertaking. It requires strategic planning, cultural change and genuine investment in both tenants and staff.

For housing providers, the first step is to take stock. This means reviewing the requirements and assessing the current state of play in their workforce. Who already holds the right skills and qualifications, and who needs to upskill? And, just as crucially, does the organisational culture reflect the professional behaviours and values the standard will demand?

“The standard is not just about compliance; it is a blueprint for rebuilding trust between landlords and tenants”

Once everything is reviewed, a clear and clearly resourced action plan must be developed. This will include budgeting for training, as well as managing workloads to accommodate study time, and putting governance structures in place to track and evidence progress. 

Professionalisation isn’t simply a box-ticking exercise. By putting together an action plan, providers will get much more out of the new standard that they might originally think. Linking with wider cultural ambitions and goals will see providers reap the benefits of the standard.

Leadership buy-in is crucial over the coming five years. Boards and executive teams must understand not just what’s required to meet the standards, but also how they can use them to their advantage. The standard represents an opportunity to connect work and upskilling with your organisational vision. Where do you want your organisation to be in 10 years? 

Undoubtedly, the housing sector is running on a substantial skills gap, so the drive to support staff with future training opportunities might just be the answer to this problem.

At the heart of leaders’ action plans must be tenants and staff, and how the changes to social housing can truly improve their lives. Opportunities abound for providers to shape their policies using input from tenants and staff alike – doing so can create a shared accountability and build trust. 

“Professionalisation isn’t simply a box-ticking exercise”

For staff, who will be the ones undertaking the training alongside their work and home life, they could be feeling uncertain about their future in the industry. To retain and recruit staff, which is crucial to the 180,000-home goal, the right training and development partner is key.

The sector should be starting to have conversations with accredited providers that understand the specific challenges of social housing. Many offer flexible and bespoke learning models that can be tailored to the specific needs of the organisation and the learner – ensuring both are happy with what they are about to embark on. 

As well as this, the best providers are those that go beyond the syllabus and offer coaching, mentoring and truly support the learner to realise their own potential.

With the timeline now in place, housing providers know what their end goal is. But with a crucial need for further housebuilding, providers can’t afford to be complacent. The homes we build tomorrow must be matched by the workforce we develop today.

Done well, professionalisation won’t just prepare us for regulation, but it will transform housing management for the better, creating a sector that truly serves tenants and communities with the dignity they deserve.

Sara Roberts, chief operating officer, Kingdom Academy