The Social Housing Round Table

How do we know whether we're recruiting the right people? In this episode of the Social Housing Round Table, host Matt Baird is joined by Dee Roberts-Molloy, Assistant Director for Strategic HR at Birmingham City Council, for an honest discussion about modern talent acquisition and why traditional recruitment approaches often fall short. Together they explore what competence really looks like, why...

In this Social Housing Roundtable session, Matt Baird is joined by Janine Green, Partner at G&B ASB Associates, and Ben Hunt, Managing Director at CMSG, to explore a key question facing landlords, communities and residents: how easy is it really to report antisocial behaviour in 2026? The discussion looks beyond simply having reporting channels in place and explores what happens after a report...

In this episode of The Social Housing Round Table, Matt Baird is joined by Sheree Brooks, Operations Manager for Older People Services at Gateway Housing, for a conversation exploring "Transforming The Lives of Residents Through Two-Way Contact". Sheree shares her personal journey into housing and her passion for supporting older residents to remain independent, connected and engaged within their...

Efficiency and productivity often get used as interchangeable terms in housing. According to Rob Fletcher, Director of Digital, Data and Technology at Codi Group, Wales' largest housing association, they are not the same thing at all — and understanding the difference matters more than ever, given the financial pressure the sector is currently under. In this episode of the Social Housing Round Tab...

Shared ownership was designed as a stepping stone to full homeownership.  For many people, it has worked exactly as intended. But for a growing number of shared owners, what was sold as a flexible tenure has become something closer to a trap — with no clear or viable way out. In episode 229 of the Social Housing Round Table, part of the Policy and Governance stream, Matt Baird is joined by Sue Phi...

What happens when housing becomes more than just a roof over your head? In this week's Social Housing Round Table, host Elaine Middleton is joined by Charlie Chan, Director of United Communities, for a deeply personal conversation about the power of community and the lasting impact it can have on people's lives. Drawing on their own experiences of homelessness and moving into social housing, Charl...

What if the best way to build trust with your tenants was not a repairs satisfaction survey or a contact centre call - but a seat at a football match? In episode 227 of the Social Housing Round Table, part of the Customer and Community stream, Matt Baird is joined by Kevin Hornsby, Executive Director of Customer and Communities at Ongo, to explore one of the more refreshingly different conversatio...

There is a content warning for this session. The conversation includes discussion of domestic abuse, homelessness and the experiences of families in temporary accommodation. There are 1.4 million fewer social homes in England today than there were in the 1980s. Over 170,000 children are currently living in temporary accommodation. And keeping a single family in that temporary accommodation costs,...

The Competency and Conduct Standard arrives in October 2026, and the sector is paying attention. But there is a question worth asking: is the attention landing in the right place? Much of the conversation around the standard has focused on qualifications — who needs one, by when, and how to get it done. What has received less focus is the broader set of obligations the standard places on registere...

A tenant reports a leak. She uploads photos, explains she has a young child, and flags that she is worried the ceiling might collapse. A week passes. She hears nothing. She chases - online, by phone, in person. The repair team eventually come out, leave her some buckets, and advise her to keep containing the water. More of the ceiling falls. The light fittings fill up with water. She is told the f...

There is a content warning for this session. Some of the material shared is distressing. But it is important and the conversation is worth hearing in full. There are nearly 176,000 children in England living in temporary accommodation right now. That number would fill Wembley Stadium almost twice over. Families are spending an average of four and a half years in these situations. And between 2019...

Most tenancy breakdowns don't start with a tenancy issue. They start with a noise complaint, a parking dispute or a falling out between neighbours - something that, with the right intervention at the right time, might never have escalated at all. In episode 222 of The Social Housing Round Table, Matt Baird is joined by Kim Logan, MD of ADR Mediation and Training CIC, for an honest and practical co...

In this Social Housing Round Table session, hosted by Matt Baird, we were joined by Emma Peniket and Julie Smart from the Birmingham Social Housing Partnership to explore how effective partnership working can support community cohesion. The discussion focused on what true collaboration looks like in practice, particularly within community safety and resident-first decision making. Emma and Julie s...

Electrical safety in social housing has, for a long time, sat in the shadow of gas safety. Everyone knows the annual gas check. Far fewer give the same weight to electrical installations — installations that can harbour serious, hidden faults and show no outward signs of danger whatsoever. That is beginning to change. New regulations are now coming into force that will require all social housing p...

Digital transformation in social housing has been underway for years. New systems, new platforms, new technology landing in homes and housing offices across the country. But there's a question that doesn't get asked often enough: is any of it actually working for the people it's supposed to serve? In episode 219 of The Social Housing Round Table, Matt Baird is joined by Stewart Davison, founder of...

Trigger warning: this session includes detailed personal testimony of domestic abuse and coercive control. What do you do when you can't reach for your phone? When someone has taken it, or when reaching for it would put you in more danger than staying silent? That was the question Katy Longhurst asked herself. Not as a thought experiment — but living through years of coercive control, surveillance...

In this Social Housing Round Table session, hosted by Matt Baird, we were joined by Hayley Gillard, CEO of Compassionate Leaders, to explore a critical question for the sector: is there a management capability gap that housing boards are not talking about? The conversation examined the growing pressure on leaders across housing organisations, the expectations placed on middle and senior management...

In this Social Housing Round Table session, hosted by Matt Baird, we were joined by Dr Eve Blezard from the Chartered Institute of Housing to explore whether the Decent Homes Standard can act as a meaningful framework for healthier homes. The discussion brought together more than 90 people across the sector to consider what “decent” really means in practice and how standards can evolve to better s...

In this Social Housing Round Table session, hosted by Elaine Middleton, we were joined by Elena Boyle from EVMB Consulting Ltd to explore a crucial question for the sector: are we focusing on complaint resolution, or on complaint culture? The discussion looked beyond process and timescales to examine how organisational culture shapes the way complaints are received, investigated and learned from....

In this Social Housing Round Table session, hosted by Elaine Middleton, we were joined by Mags Pearson, Senior Consultant at DTP, to explore what providers need to be doing now in response to STAIRs. The conversation focused on the Social Tenants Access to Information Requirements and what they mean in practice for landlords. Mags provided clear insight into regulatory expectations, the importance...

In this Social Housing Round Table session, hosted by Elaine Middleton, we were joined by Tom O'Leary from Thanet District Council to explore how a person-centred approach led to a reduction in rent arrears of over 50%. Tom shared practical insight into the changes made at Thanet, focusing on shifting conversations with residents, understanding individual circumstances, and moving away from purely...

In this Social Housing Round Table session, hosted by Elaine Middleton, we were joined by Paul Berney from TSA to discuss how landlords and providers can prepare for the UK’s digital switchover. The conversation explored what the switchover means in practice, the risks of inaction, and the potential impact on residents who rely on technology-enabled care and telecare services. Paul shared clear in...

In this Social Housing Round Table session, hosted by Elaine Middleton, we were joined by Jan Taranczuk and Chloe Gallagher for an important discussion on why a person-centred approach to fire safety matters. The conversation explored how fire safety extends beyond compliance and process, focusing instead on people, behaviour and lived experience. Jan and Chloe highlighted the risks of one-size-fi...

In this Social Housing Round Table session, hosted by Elaine Middleton, we were joined by Graham Wellard from CMSG to explore the realities behind anti-social behaviour data. The conversation unpacked how ASB is recorded, interpreted and often misunderstood, highlighting the gaps between reported data, lived experience and frontline practice. Graham challenged assumptions around what the numbers r...

In this Social Housing Round Table session, hosted by Elaine Middleton, we were joined by Kelly Henderson and Deborah Alderson from Addressing DA to explore innovative practices that support victims of domestic abuse. The conversation focused on how housing providers can better recognise abuse, respond safely and consistently, and work in partnership to create meaningful change. Kelly and Deborah...