Competence and Conduct Standard

From October 2026, the Regulator of Social Housing requires landlords to make sure that:

• Staff have the right skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours
• Senior housing managers and executives are appropriately qualified
• Everyone follows a clear Code of Conduct
• Problems with staff performance or behaviour are dealt with fairly and promptly
• Residents can have confidence in the service they receive

Whether you are dealing with a housing officer, repairs operative, call handler or contractor, you should expect:

• Respect and dignity
• Clear, honest communication
• Updates you can understand - no jargon
• Quick action where there are safety concerns
• Professional behaviour at all times

We expect our staff and contractors to:

• Listen to you and take your concerns seriously
• Act quickly where there are risks (including damp, mould or safety issues)
• Keep accurate records
• Treat everyone fairly, regardless of background or circumstances

We make sure our staff are properly trained by:

• Setting clear skill and training requirements for each role
• Providing regular training and refresher courses
• Monitoring learning so staff stay up to date
• Making sure senior managers hold, or are working towards, recognised housing qualifications

This helps us deliver safe, high‑quality services and meet legal standards.

If there are concerns about a staff member’s behaviour or competence, we will:

• Act early
• Provide support and training where possible
• Take formal action if needed

Our approach is fair, consistent and focused on improving services for residents.

Any contractors or service providers working for us must meet the same standards as our own staff. This includes:

• Appropriate training and competence
• Professional and respectful behaviour
• Following safety and legal requirements

We monitor contractor performance and compliance with these requirements through established procurement processes, contract management arrangements, and regular performance review meetings. Where standards are not met, appropriate action will be taken in line with contractual terms. 

If you have concerns about how you have been treated or the service you have received, you can raise this through our contact us form or complaints process.

Certain senior housing roles are required by law to hold, or be working towards, recognised housing management qualifications. 

For the purposes of these requirements, senior housing executives are our Directors and Heads of Service, and senior housing managers are managers reporting to Heads of Service who are responsible for delivering our frontline housing services to residents.

Residents play an important role in shaping and scrutinising competence and conduct arrangements.

We have co-designed our Competence and Conduct Policy and associated conduct standards with our Customer Involvement Panel, and we will continue to:

• Ensure communications and expectations are accessible and in plain language
• Use customer feedback, complaints learning, and TSMs to inform service improvement
• Enable customer scrutiny of delivery and outcomes

Listening to the customer voice is vital to us, and we fully embrace customer influence. Your experiences and feedback help us improve how we work.

If you have any feedback, observations, and suggestions on competence, conduct, and training, then let us know. You can do this by either using the contact us form or sharing your ideas with a Customer Involvement Panellist.

We regularly review our performance and use feedback from residents, complaints, inspections, and service reviews to help ensure our staff continue to meet the standards expected.

To make sure we meet these standards, we keep evidence such as:

• Training and qualification records
• Performance and supervision records
• Resident feedback and complaints learning
• Contract monitoring information

This allows us to demonstrate compliance to residents, our Board and the Regulator.

Read how we train and develop team members