The Social Housing Round Table

In this Social Housing Round Table session, Matt Baird hosts a wide-ranging and reflective discussion with The Social Housing Round Table's Head of Partnerships, Elaine Middleton on the issues shaping social housing as the year draws to a close. The conversation explores what has stood out across recent Round Table discussions, the pressures facing organisations and leaders, and where there is cau...

In this session of the Social Housing Round Table, we welcomed Louise Dawkes and Gregory Robinson from Repair My Home to explore one of the sector’s most persistent questions: should repairs be delivered through large national providers or trusted local contractors? Across a fast-moving conversation, Louise and Greg broke down what actually happens on the ground, why local trades are often under-u...

In this episode of The Social Housing Round Table, Becky Tucker joins Matt Baird to walk us through the latest Social Housing Sector Risk Profile. Becky offers a deep dive into the sector's evolving challenges, from financial viability to tenant safety, and reflects on what housing providers should truly be focused on as we head into 2026. If you’re in leadership, compliance, or governance, this i...

In this episode of The Social Housing Round Table, Matt Baird is joined by Steven Johnson and Stacey Valentine in a Voicescape sponsored session for a powerful conversation on how housing providers can better support vulnerable tenants facing arrears. This session explores how behavioural insights, smarter communication, and data-led interventions can help build trust and achieve sustainable repay...

In this Alertacall-sponsored leadership edition of The Social Housing Round Table, Matt Baird is joined by Steven Peach to explore the looming Digital Switchover. With implications for tenants, compliance, and internal infrastructure, the conversation challenges leaders to stop treating the switchover as a future problem — and start preparing now. This session explores what needs to change, who ne...

In this episode of The Social Housing Round Table, Chris Griffiths of Saint-Gobain joins Matt Baird to discuss the urgent need to build better homes faster and why we’re not doing so already. From outdated myths around insulation to misconceptions about MMC and barriers caused by disconnected service design, this episode uncovers the root of our sector’s slow progress. Chris brings both frustratio...

In this episode of The Social Housing Round Table, host Matt Baird welcomes Claire Blacka from Tentacles and Steve Dungworth from Golden Marzipan to talk about their work together in Game of Homes and to explore how gamification is changing the way we engage residents and stakeholders. The session dives into the impact of meaningful, enjoyable engagement strategies, why tick-box exercises just don...

What does it take to implement Awaab’s Law in practice? In this episode of The Social Housing Round Table, Matt Baird is joined by Robert Gilham, Corporate Director at whg, to share how the organisation is putting new legislation into action just two days after it came into force. From data to decision-making, communication to culture, this conversation offers a raw and honest look at the real cha...

Rooted in Resilience: Rethinking Leadership in Social Housing In this week’s episode of The Social Housing Round Table, we were welcomed by Julie Haydon, the new CIH President for a deeply reflective and future-focused conversation around leadership, wellbeing and workforce culture in the sector. The discussion explored how we can move away from survival-mode mindsets and into more collaborative,...

In this episode of The Social Housing Round Table, Elaine Middleton welcomes Giles Desforges, CEO of Energy Park, to explore the growing conversation around EV (Electric Vehicle) charging in the social housing sector. Giles unpacks why housing providers are hesitant to install EV infrastructure themselves, how Norway’s adoption model sets the benchmark and what funding and policy shifts are needed...

In this episode of The Social Housing Round Table, host Matt Baird is joined by David Stevens from Birmingham City Council and Alastair Thorpe from True Compliance to unpack the role of compliance in social housing - not as a tick-box exercise, but as a critical, service-shaping function. Together, they explore how real transformation happens when we prioritise feedback from the people using the s...

In this Round Table, Elaine leads a powerful discussion on the role of the private rented sector (PRS) in tackling homelessness. The panel explores how stronger partnerships with PRS landlords and agents can create more sustainable housing pathways, reduce reliance on temporary accommodation, and support long-term solutions for people at risk. With practical insights and examples from across the s...

In this Round Table, Matt Baird hosts a discussion on the legal challenges shaping the social housing sector today. The panel explores compliance obligations, governance responsibilities, and the importance of embedding good practice to stay ahead of regulatory change. From risk management to resident rights, this conversation offers clear and practical guidance for leaders navigating an increasin...

What do you learn when you sit down with 50 housing leaders across the UK and ask what’s really going on? In this Alertacall-supported episode, technologist and social entrepreneur James Batchelor joins Matt Baird to share five standout themes gathered from dozens of conversations with senior leaders across the sector. The session covers everything from poverty, safeguarding and service erosion to...

Bridging Generations, Building Communities: Lessons from Sweden’s SällBo Project In this powerful international edition of The Social Housing Round Table, Dragana Curovic from Eurhonet (the European Housing Network) joins Matt Baird to share the story behind SällBo – an innovative, multi-generational housing project in Sweden designed to combat loneliness, strengthen community ties, and challenge...

In this episode of The Social Housing Round Table, we were joined by Simon Nunn (NHF) and Alexandra Gibson (CIH) to discuss collaboration, community and the upcoming Housing Community Summit. This conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the Summit was developed, why it’s rooted in sector-wide collaboration and the shared goal of building a stronger, more connected social housing commun...

In this Round Table session, host Matt Baird leads an open discussion on how leaders in social housing are building trust, managing change, and adopting new technologies. The panel shares practical examples of engaging with residents, navigating regulatory expectations, and using innovation to create positive impact. Listeners will come away with actionable insights to strengthen relationships, im...

In this Round Table session, host Matt Baird brings together industry leaders for a candid conversation on the challenges and opportunities shaping today’s landscape. From evolving customer expectations to the future of AI-powered solutions, the discussion explores practical strategies and forward-looking insights. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or actionable takeaways, this session delivers a...

In this episode of The Social Housing Round Table, Janine Green takes a candid look at leadership, not just in the boardroom, but at every level of the housing sector. She explores why inspiring others, challenging poor practice and fostering a culture of growth has never been more critical. With resources stretched, complaints rising and complex cases on the increase, Janine argues that leadershi...

This week’s Social Housing Round Table welcomed Guy Horne, CEO of HSPG, for an in‑depth look at how we can prevent temporary accommodation from bankrupting local authorities. The conversation ranged widely — from the structural causes of the current crisis to new approaches in homelessness prevention, future rent convergence, shared ownership, commercial-social partnerships, acquisitions, and the...

When Jamie Adam of Berneslai Homes stepped in at short notice to lead The Social Housing Round Table, the conversation that followed proved anything but last minute. Exploring the layered reality of “communities within communities within communities,” Jamie unpacked the challenges and opportunities that social landlords face in connecting with – and truly understanding – the people they serve. Fro...

This week’s Round Table tackled a deceptively simple question: what does it really mean to be competent and qualified in social housing? Led by Samantha Whenman, this session sparked honest debate about skills, standards, assumptions and accountability across the sector. With over 60 attendees, the conversation highlighted just how complex and overdue this discussion is. From formal qualifications...

This week’s Round Table focused on a vital question for the future of the sector: how are young people experiencing careers in social housing today? Led by Meghan Rank and members of CIH Futures, this powerful session explored early career journeys, the structural barriers many face and what the sector must do to retain and support younger professionals. You’ll also hear about the CIH Futures surv...

In this special leadership-focused episode of The Social Housing Round Table, sponsored by Alertacall, we were joined by Evie Copeland, Director of Customers and Communities at Berwickshire Housing Association. Evie brought honesty, experience and ambition to a wide-ranging discussion on transformational change through outstanding customer and stakeholder engagement. She shared what’s worked, what...

This week’s Round Table gave space to an important moment in the social housing calendar: the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Vice-Presidential election. Five candidates — Evie Copeland, Thomas Sutton, Katrina Henshaw, Paul Smith and Hony Premlal — joined Matt Baird for an open conversation about their vision, motivations and hopes for the future of the sector. Expect: – Honest reflections on liv...