Rising Stars 2015

How to enter

The CIH and Inside Housing are pleased to announce the launch of Rising Stars 2015 - a competition that showcases the talent and commitment of housing professionals across the industry.

Now in its fifth year, Rising Stars has provided a fantastic platform to highlight the talent and commitment of people working in housing. Each year, the winning contestant has enjoyed a unique set of experiences and opportunities, from spending a day with a key housing figure to editing an edition of Inside Housing.

Entering is simple - just follow the steps below and submit your entry by 23 March.

Step 1

Check your CIH membership is up to date - our Rising Star 2015 will be a committed housing professional, so CIH membership is a must!

Step 2

Complete the following task: ‘Describe the housing professional of the future.’

You are given free rein within your submission - your housing professional could be set 10 months into the future, or even 100 years. The only caveat is that you need to get your message across in no more than 1,000 words.

Along with your main submission, we would also like you to summarise the key attributes of the housing professional of the future in only 10 words.

Step 3

Ask your organisation to support you to apply - finalists and the eventual winner are likely to need some time away from the office and may incur some expenses, so you will need to clear this in advance.

Step 4

Submit your article to us by 23 March 2015, using the online entry form at www.cih.org/risingstars.

What happens next?

• Once the closing date passes, Inside Housing and the CIH will collate an initial shortlist
• The shortlisted entries will go to a panel of high-profile sector judges (including last year’s winner of Rising Stars, James Caspell)
• The judges will select three finalists to go forward - if you are successful, you will be notified on 9 April
• The finalists will take part in a range of exciting and interesting tasks between 10 April and 19 June
• During this time, the housing sector will be able to vote online for their favourite finalist
• The winner will be announced at the Housing Heroes dinner and awards ceremony in Manchester on 22 June

Is there a prize for the winner?

The real prize is the accolade of being crowned the Rising Star 2015, but there is a range of other opportunities that will be made available to the winner. These include:

• Coverage in Inside Housing
• A free delegate place at CIH Housing 2016
• A VIP invitation to the CIH Presidential Dinner 2016
• The opportunity to be guest editor for an edition of Inside Housing
• A day shadowing the CIH chief executive
• A senior mentor for the year

Develop yourself - and our sector

In the last year since winning the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and Inside Housing’s Rising Stars competition, I have secured a new role as business innovation manager at Tower Hamlets Homes, engaged with politicians about the Right To Rent campaign and even been interviewed on live TV.

It’s been a real eye-opener to learn about the challenges outside of London, where I had previously spent my entire housing career. I have met colleagues across the UK working at all levels of the housing sector, from directors to caretakers. 

I’ve been invited to speak at events and conferences in Manchester, London, Torquay and Belfast - to name just a few - and have been able to support a range of housing campaigns as we approach the general election.

The Social Housing Under Threat (SHOUT) campaign and others are working hard to get people to recognise social housing as a public good.

If we can help move social housing higher up the political agenda - alongside the NHS and education - then that will be the first step towards addressing the housing crisis.

I’ve been able to work alongside CIH President Steve Stride and other senior housing colleagues to try and tackle barriers, including the under-representation of women, black and minority ethnic and disabled colleagues in senior roles through CIH’s Presidential Commission on Leadership and Diversity, which will hopefully result in improving the reflectiveness of the housing industry in relation to the residents we serve.

Rising Stars really is the housing equivalent of The Apprentice, and one of the most rewarding achievements of my career so far. It has certainly helped me to develop transferable skills that will be needed as the sector changes to respond to the challenges we face in the future.

In this digital age, the modern housing professional will need to be proactive in their professional development, as the sector becomes better at sharing, caring and daring.

Technological advances allow good practice and resources to be shared more quickly than ever between organisations and across traditional geographical boundaries. Demographic changes will mean housing will need to care more about the needs of older and disabled people, both growing segments in the social housing sector. To keep up, innovation and continuous improvement will need to be at the heart of all modern housing organisations - and in the DNA of their staff.

Anyone who wants to take their career to the next level - developing themselves and the sector - should consider entering this year’s Rising Stars. The competition provides an opportunity for housing professionals to stretch themselves and develop the skills needed to further their career.

For the three chosen finalists, the tasks involved in the latter stages are as rewarding as they are challenging. Without doubt, last year’s competition has helped me to identify my strengths and areas for development.

As one of the judges for Rising Stars 2015, I would encourage any housing professional who wants to step out of their comfort zone and push themselves to the next level to enter.

James Caspell, business innovation manager, Tower Hamlets Homes, and winner of the 2014 Rising Stars competition