Social housing workforce backs Welsh version of competence and conduct standard

More than half of respondents to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Cymru support the introduction of a Welsh version of the competence and conduct standard following its implementation in England last month.

Of the 51 participants, including 69% working for housing associations or registered social landlords (RSLs) and 22% for local authorities, 55% agreed that the Welsh government should mandate qualifications for housing managers above a certain level.

However, all three board member respondents objected to the proposal and 43% of executive directors and senior managers in RSLs or councils also disagreed.

Alongside views on qualifications, respondents were also asked about continuous professional development (CPD), with 69% agreeing that there should be a regulatory requirement for social landlords to offer CPD opportunities to their staff.

Two out of the three board member respondents did not agree with the proposed requirement, which the report said “may reflect concerns regarding flexibility, organisational autonomy, resource implications or the effectiveness of formal regulatory requirements in driving meaningful development”.

Matt Dicks, CIH Cymru national director, said: “CPD is not just about meeting standards or a regulatory commitment. It’s about building stronger organisations and developing our future leaders. It will also help ensure that tenants and residents receive the highest quality services.

“As the challenges facing the sector continue to grow, investment in our housing professionals will remain one of the most important commitments we can make. Organisations have an important role to play in creating the opportunities and culture that enable our housing professionals to access good quality CPD.”

CIH Cymru’s report found that, overall, respondents viewed recruitment, training and development practices positively, particularly opportunities for on‑the‑job learning, values‑based recruitment and access to training.

However, team leaders, supervisors and those in operational roles were more likely to express concerns about career development pathways, opportunities for progression and the effectiveness of recruitment practices.