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Mandatory qualifications will not restrict entry to housing profession, says CIH chief executive
Mandatory qualifications for social housing managers will not restrict entry to the housing profession, the chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has said.
Gavin Smart reflected on the new requirements, introduced to the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill in February, in his speech opening the Housing 2023 conference in Manchester this morning.
The introduction of the qualifications, which the government estimates will affect around 25,000 social housing managers, “has generated some significant debate in the sector”, he said, “and I think that’s understandable”.
However, he added: “There’s more here to celebrate than to worry about.
“It’s an opportunity to drive recognition and respect for the work that we do… It’s a move towards parity and esteem with the other professions that we work with.”
The CIH is a training provider, and also offers accreditation to other bodies which provide training.
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Mr Smart said the qualifications would support housing becoming “a career of ambition as well as what we are at the moment, which is often a career of destination”.
“We’re not proposing to send thousands of you back to school for years,” he said. Rather, “the aim is to come up with a framework where you can assess and understand where you will be allowed some exemptions and where you will need to continue to study”.
He touched on the question of whether or not the qualifications would restrict entry to the profession for people from excluded backgrounds, which he called “a reasonable criticism”.
“That is the polar opposite of our intention,” he said. “We want to encourage diversity in the sector, to be a welcome place to all… But being open does not mean being unprofessional.
“Quality and standards are non-negotiable, but we’re working to develop a clear and flexible way in which you can meet those standards.”
Lara Oyedele, president of the CIH, launched a campaign in September 2022 called In My Shoes, which argues for increased diversity in the leadership of the housing sector.
Over the weekend, Ms Oyedele made the case for In My Shoes in an interview with Housing Today.
When the piece was shared on Twitter, it attracted the attention of reactionary accounts, which subjected Ms Oyedele and the author to sexist and racist abuse, as well as personal insults.
Addressing the abuse in his speech, Mr Smart said: “From social media, she received, from at least some voices, some overtly sexist and racist comments.
“We stand four-square behind Lara as our president and what she said about our needs to improve as a sector, and her campaign to encourage greater diversity and professionalism… and we never will accept the level of abuse that Lara was subject to.”
His comments received warm applause from the audience.
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