Policy and Governance Update – Qualification for those operating Social Housing
We met with DLUC development team this week who are working on the requirements for qualification of those operating Social Housing following the Social Housing and Regeneration Act 2023.
There are two main areas requiring qualification identified in the Act. Those providing leadership and those providing housing management within an organisation or associated organisation. These are identified within the Act identified as Senior Housing Manager (Level 4) who carries out a series of duties that include: customer service, complaints, lettings, repairs etc and a Senior Housing Executive who has a strategic role (Level 5) more likely to be the CEO or equivalent. Both require a qualification (though this is yet to be defined).
In these discussions we have set out the case that such requirements on trustees would be detrimental to the appointment of and retention of almshouse charity trustees. We have made the case that trustees already have a personal responsibility to the charity and the effective and safe running of the almshouses. We further discussed a typical almshouse structure whereby the “management” may be subcontracted to a part time clerk or firm of surveyors firm and discussed how the requirement for Senior Housing Manager qualifications would work in such circumstances.
It is our view that a requirement for trustees to gain a qualification would be beyond reasonable expectations and that the almshouse model, as a charity structure, should be exempt from this aspect of the legislation.
posted 22 August 2023