Sector-leading programme will see more than 250 staff gain professional housing qualification

More than 250 of our staff will gain a respected professional qualification as part of a sector-leading training programme.

The programme will see every member of our Housing and Care and Supported Housing Teams complete a bespoke training programme with the Chartered Institute of Housing – the sector’s professional body.

All staff will study for the CIH’s Level 3 Certificate in Housing Practice which covers eight key areas of essential housing knowledge.

A pilot group of 15 colleagues started their programme in a session at CIH’s office this week.

The rest of the programme will be rolled out over the next four years in cohorts of 60.

We are the first housing provider to commit to putting all housing staff through a professional course with CIH.

Matt Posaner, our Director of People, said: “This is a great opportunity for staff to pick up a highly-respected professional qualification with our sector’s professional body.

“We want to do everything that we can to equip our people with the skills and knowledge they need to be able to do their job to the best of their abilities and this programme will help to achieve this.”

“This is the logical extension of our work on the Knowledge Academy as the bespoke package of training we have developed with CIH means we can focus in on the competencies and skills we identified.”

The Level 3 Certificate in Housing Practice takes a year to achieve and consists of five assignments with a mix of face-to-face study and individual research. Staff get access to ongoing support from a tutor and resources via CIH’s Housing Academy. They also get student membership of the CIH for the duration of their course.

Kate Still, our Chief Operating Officer, adds: “As we move forward with the transformation of our organisation and the services we provide we want to make sure that our teams have the knowledge and skills they need to do a great job. That is why we have embarked on this sector-leading training programme.

“We are committed to investing in our staff and this qualification will equip them with a respected professional qualification which they will have for their whole career.”

“We look forward to seeing colleagues progress through the qualification working with our sector’s professional body.”

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