A Higher Standard: Competence, Conduct and Professionalism in Housing
In this new series, Darren Burton, Director of Social Housing Academy, draws on years of sector experience to explore what competence, conduct and professionalisation really mean for housing teams.
I’ve been giving this plenty of thought lately. There is undoubtedly a wealth of talent, expertise and knowledge within the Housing sector so the way in which we frame this key message needs careful attention and it must land correctly.
I for one, have learnt so much from the sector via colleagues and residents alike and this continues on a daily basis.
In short, we want the Housing sector to be held up as a beacon of best practice where communities thrive, tenancies are sustained, people feel safe and satisfaction is high – This all sounds straightforward doesn’t it? A clear and consistent approach or framework will be pivotal to the success of professionalisation, yet we must also acknowledge that positive outcomes can be achieved in many different ways given the uniqueness and diversity of individual neighbourhoods, the challenges they face and the resources that are available.
I used to work with someone years ago who took pride in the phrase his team “stuck to the knitting”. Roughly translated, this meant stick to your perceived role, do a decent job and leave it there. Anyone going beyond allocating houses and dealing with scrap trailers in cul-de-sacs was met with suspicion and deemed to be getting too involved. The world of a Housing practitioner just isn’t like this and personally, I don’t think that it ever has been…. especially not in 2026!
We’ve often had the familiar conversation around Housing Officers wearing multiple hats and this is simply a reality. There are few other industries who will encounter the same complex challenges and are required to keep up to speed with such a range of specialisms, skill sets and policies. Police Officers are Police Officers, Social Workers are Social Workers, Lawyers are Lawyers….and so on but Housing Officers must be a combination of all the above and more.
Whilst not everyone is expected (or wants) to be an expert in each strand of their role, it is vital that we are able to demonstrate an appropriate level of knowledge and also provide evidence of our competence in order to build trust and confidence in what we do – When all this criteria is met, it creates the ideal conditions for satisfaction and high performance to flourish. This is why regular, refreshed, practical and issue-focused training is so important. There are times when we need to be a “Jack of all trades” yet the risk is too great to be a “master of one!”
We can’t underestimate the value of being able to access specialisms from partner agencies outside of your own organisations including direct contacts with decision-makers, those who have “been there” and achieved positive results and those who are credible and respected. All of this is essential if we are to comply and exceed the Competence & Conduct Standard and deliver excellent services amidst a backdrop of mounting pressure on workloads, an awareness of an increasing number of vulnerable customers and greater external scrutiny.
At the Social Housing Academy, we have assembled a team where all these key specialisms are together in one place and ready to support your organisation’s path to professionalisation and enable individual practitioners to develop their careers right across the Housing Sector.
Got questions about Housing Pro? Let’s talk.
If you’d like to find out more about Social Housing Academy and Housing Pro, our Competence & Conduct e-learning programme, please feel free to contact me on housingpro@melearning.co.uk
