Housing Management Qualifications

[Paul]

Help!
With the arrival of the legislation around the Social Housing Regulations Bill in 2025, is there anywhere that explains the requirements as they apply to Almshouses? I can understand the expectation that Senior Managers will require a Level4/5 qualification in a housing association with 1000 properties, but in an Almshouse environment how does this translate where you typically have Trustees and a clerk(s)?

[christian.noll]

Hello Paul,
We too are concerned and it is one of the reasons we have not opted into the Ombudsman Scheme. A level 3/4 qualification requires 360 hours of training (45 solid days) according to CIH.

[Tina LL]

Someone in each registered almshouse charity will need to have a miniumum level 4 housing qualification. not sure about level 5 qualification. Just waiting on the results of the level 4 qualification

[christian.noll]

Hello Tina,
This is really interesting. Can you point me to where this is written.

The progression, according to CIH would have to be
Level 4 – same as a first year undergraduate degree – 12 months, with an average of eight hours study a week – £2100
Level 3 – Prerequisite to level 4 – 37-48 weeks, with an average of eight hours study a week. – £1750
Level 2 – Prerequisite to level 3 – 16 weeks, with an average of six-eight hours study a week – £700

https://www.cih.org/housing-academy-qualifications/cih-level-4-certificate-in-housing/

One would need to train at least 2 people in case one leaves / retires etc.

I think this will finish off a number of charities ifit is a mandatory requirement. I hope that this is a horrible mistake or misunderstandiong.

I will be writing to our MP as soon as I discover where it is written that this is mandatory.

What is the view of the Almshouse Association?

regards
Christian

[JacquiLewis]

I am the Clerk, a volunteer post with a small Honorarium, for a Charity with 16 flats on one site. We are registered with the Ombudsman and have discovered we need to jump through some hoops re procedures. Is it now mandatory that I have some
level of formal training? This is has been a steep learn on the job process since taking the role on and I do not have time for mandated training.

I am feeling more than a little concerned, it has taken considerable time to put policies for Fire, Legionella etc in place and upgrade plumbing to the standards seemed necessary for a small landlord.

[Paul]

Yes, I would be interested in the view of the Almshouse Association, I assume they monitor this site??

[Tim Richardson]

My understanding was that this only applies to “Registered Providers” which the majority of smaller Almshouses are not. Many have also de-registered over the years too. If this applied to every Almshouse I guess it would finish off the majority of them.

[christian.noll]

Hello Tim
You are absolutely right – this is for registered providers and I am not sure if it has been implemented yet. The act of parliament (2023) allows the regulator to impose the requirements but does not compel the regulator to do so:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/36/section/21

[Tina LL]

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/social-housing-managers-must-be-qualified-under-new-laws-to-protect-residents

[Tim Richardson]

That’s good then, so the majority of small Almshouses are unaffected and those that are currently Registered Providers should de-register. Simple enough.

[Tim Richardson]

Yes, the bill is wordy but the requirements for qualified staff are only for “Registered providers”.

• This reply was modified 7 months ago by Tim Richardson.

[Tina LL]

I enrolled myslef on the CIH level 4 qualification last year with out doing level 2 and 3 qualifications

[Nick Phillips]

Dear all,

I have been away last week with members so didnt pick up on this until now. If you have a question for the team here do just drop us an email any time.
The qualification is likely – likely to be a requirement for any person acting as clerk for a Regulated Housing Provider. If your charity is not regulated – it will not affect you.
I have been working with MHCLG since the initiative was first introduced and I have a further meeting with the development team advising the regulator next week. We are requesting an exemption for all trustees acting in this role and for a “deminimus” scale of units – under 50 units as being exempt.
I will know more shortly but we are likely to have averted the need for trustees to gain the qualification and are fighting for the latter. To give you an idea of the challenge it was proposed within the Social Housing Bill (later Act) as -“with no exemptions …”
Work in progress. I also understand that the CIH courses are now full but there may be more courses coming online.
As you know we are working hard to provide an alternative for the need for our members to be regulated in the first place but that is a long term challenge.
Do let us know if you need more info.
Regards
Nick

• This reply was modified 6 months, 3 weeks ago by Karen Morris.

[Julie Booth]

Does anyone know if there is an update on this? I am voluntary clerk for a small almshouse charity (7 almshouses) and we are regulated social landlords. If this goes ahead I for one will not be able to undertake this training and as the amount of trustees are falling already it could lead to devistating effects.

[Tim Richardson]

As it stands the policy statement from August 2024 gave registered providers with under 50 units 4 years to comply. This is not an answer by any means but does mean that you should have until August 2028 to decide what to do – de-register or see if another exemption is forthcoming.

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