Posted 24.03.14
David Ireland has been appointed by housing research charity, the Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF) as the organisation's new Director.
A housing campaigner, voted in 2012 one of the 50 most influential people in housing, David joins BSHF from Empty Homes, where has held the post of Chief Executive since 2007.
On his appointment as BSHF Director David said:
"I am enormously looking forward to working at BSHF. It is an organisation I have known and admired for many years. My work at Empty Homes was all about finding answers to areas of housing that weren't working properly. I see BSHF as an organisation that does the same but over a far wider reach.
"BSHF is truly unique in having a global and UK view on housing. It's a fantastic strength and one that I intend to build on to help the organisation to achieve even greater influence."
Posted 10.03.14
Welfare reform, lack of housing supply and the increasing gap between income and housing costs are having the biggest impact on frontline housing roles according to new research.
Initial findings from the Frontline Futures study reveal that people who live in social housing need increasing levels of support - and in many cases housing professionals are expected to fill the gap left by the withdrawal of other services.
The UK-wide research, commissioned by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and Wheatley Group, found that frontline workers want their employers to provide education and training, but also wellbeing support, to help them cope with fear, distress and suicide threats from tenants under increasing pressure.
De Montfort University's Centre for Comparative Housing Research (CCHR) carried out the study, which saw 1,054 housing professionals and tenants responding to online surveys.
The research found that mobile technology is increasingly freeing housing workers from the office, allowing them to spend more time on their 'patch' and in customers' homes.
The tenants who responded to the survey said they would like to see even more of their housing officers, with some keen for tenants to play a stronger role, using their knowledge of their own neighbourhoods to work alongside housing professionals.
The study also showed the diversity of frontline housing roles and the breadth of services workers are expected to deliver. Although 'housing officer' was the job title cited most often by people who responded to the survey, a huge variety of different job titles were given, with roles encompassing management, rents, repairs, support, neighbourhoods, governance, tenant involvement and organisation leadership.
CIH director of membership and education Judy Waugh said:
"This research shows that frontline housing professionals are providing hugely valuable services - and also demonstrates the pressure they are under from welfare reform and the housing crisis.
"It's clear that the profession is changing, so it's vital that employers invest in training, education and support - to give their staff all the tools they need to do the best job they can.
"Ultimately, ensuring housing professionals have the right skills is crucial if organisations want to continue supporting residents and investing in their communities."
