A major social landlord is using £100,000 from the Apprenticeship Levy to fund a new bespoke qualification in housing, helping experienced staff to back up their on-the-ground experience with a nationally recognised certificate.
The first cohort of students at Sovereign Housing Association will see a lettings officer, housing officer, ASB officer, and a support worker among others line up as the first participants keen to achieve the level III Chartered Institute of Housing/Sovereign Housing Qualification.
Matt Hensby, Head of Tenancy Management, said: “At a time when our teams are faced by increasingly complex scenarios, including ASB, safeguarding vulnerable people, or resolving customer complaints, it’s ever more important to ensure they have the skills and knowledge to understand each situation that they come across.
“That’s why we’re so excited to provide this CIH course, which will help our people to understand the context in which they are working. Having an overview of the political, historical and financial decisions that govern housing associations and seeing how that connects to their own role, will enable them to make informed decisions and deliver the services that our customers need, now and in the future.”
One student Sam Hebbs, an Independent Living Officer for Sovereign, said: “Like many people, I fell into housing by chance. I moved to a new area, saw a temp post, went for it. But what I found after only a short time, was that I loved working in housing. The days fly by, and it’s rewarding because you’re helping people.
“The reason I’m doing this course, though, is because I believe that knowledge is power: I can do even better in assisting residents if I have a good understanding of what other departments do. This qualification will also help me feel confident that I have the skills to move onto different roles within the housing profession.”
Jill Cheshire, CIH Apprenticeship Manager, said: “The Apprenticeship Levy has enabled organisations to invest in their employees in the long term. They can now provide an avenue to increase their knowledge, skills and behaviours using a structured programme of learning and practice application though an apprenticeship.
“We are very excited to be working with and supporting Sovereign right from the beginning, to create a bespoke programme that underpins their values and ways of working. As housing professionals we all want to be able to serve our communities and residents as best we can.”
Sovereign has also used the levy to support employees to gain several construction-based qualifications and will soon fund courses in STEM subjects, support supply chain partners with apprenticeships, and enter into partnerships with schools and other key organisations. The landlord owns and manages 56,000 homes across southern England and was originally the stock transfer association of West Berkshire Council in Newbury. It employs about 1,800 staff.
By Patrick Mooney, editor