BDA - Board Development Agency

We want to take a moment to highlight an important aspect of housing association governance that greatly affects your operations and Board effectiveness, which is minute-taking. Taking effective minutes of key decisions and discussions is essential for clear communication, information sharing, and compliance with regulations. If the role of minute-taking is not well understood, important details may be missed, leading to missed opportunities to showcase your Board's work, possibly resulting in legal issues and inefficiencies within the organisation. We offer tailored services to help Boards and governance teams capture important discussions and decisions effectively through our training: 📝 Introduction to Practical Minute-Taking for new minute-takers and ✍🏻⚖️Advanced Minute Taking perfect for those with some experience. For organisations seeking personalised support, we also offer Board and governance consultancy services to help your team prepare to meet all legal and regulatory requirements.  To learn more and explore our full training visit: https://lnkd.in/gcGtRAmj #Governance #training #HousingAssociation #BoardEffectiveness #SocialHousing

Some great opportunities here for Social Housing Committee members.

In our recent webinar, Bill Gill shared valuable insights into the evolving regulatory landscape for housing associations and councils. Here are some highlights: 🏠 Consumer standards in focus Since April 1st, consumer standards have been formally regulated, marking a significant shift. Many organisations have been receiving C2 or C3 gradings, signalling challenges in meeting these new requirements. As Bill highlighted, health and safety compliance remains a critical area, with Grenfell’s legacy ensuring it stays front and centre. 💡 Learning from regulatory judgments Reviewing regulatory judgements provides invaluable insights. By analysing cases where organisations have faced downgrades or regulatory notices, boards can better anticipate the regulator's focus areas and strategically prioritise compliance and performance improvement. 📊 Viability ratings shift The sector is seeing a move from V1 viability ratings to V2 as the norm. Factors like rent caps, economic volatility, IT investments, and rising mortgage rates have added pressure, with interest cover dropping below 100% for the first time since 2008. 💻 What’s next? Bill emphasised the importance of strategic focus, leveraging board reports, summarising regulatory insights, and investing wisely in IT and artificial intelligence to navigate these challenges. This session underscored that while the landscape is tough, proactive learning and collaboration can help organisations meet evolving expectations. What are your thoughts on the new consumer standards? Are they impacting your organisation’s strategy? Let’s continue the conversation! #HousingAssociations #Regulations #ConsumerStandards #CouncilsCan

📢 Insight into the Regulator of Social Housing's new inspection regime In the wake of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has introduced a proactive inspection process to ensure social housing landlords meet the revised consumer standards. This insightful article by Gráinne Cuffe Inside Housing, the first of a three-part series, explores how inspections are conducted, what landlords need to prepare, and the importance of tenant engagement in the process. 💡 Key highlights: ✔️ Four core standards: neighbourhood and community, safety and quality, tenancy and transparency, influence, and accountability. ✔️ Preparation requires detailed documentation and assurance frameworks. ✔️ Inspectors emphasise strong data governance, tenant involvement, and board-level accountability. As the sector navigates this significant regulatory shift, understanding these requirements is critical to fostering trust and ensuring the safety and well-being of tenants. 📖 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eBkQTSwN #UKhousing #SocialHousing #Regulation #RSH #ConsumerStandards #TenantEngagement #HousingSafety

This morning, our director, Alice Pearce PhD, on her way to The BCI in Bath to discuss all aspects of Business Impact Assessment. As you may already know, we have launched a free Business Continuity Group for social housing providers. This group aims to foster collaboration, share best practices, and gain insights into effective business continuity strategies. We will host regular sessions featuring expert speakers, providing an excellent opportunity to learn from them and your peers about innovative strategies and approaches to enhance organisational resilience. To join, please get in touch with the BDA at [email protected].

As a woman-owned and majority-women consultancy firm operating within the UK social housing sector who are dedicated to helping providers achieve their goals. It is always extra special to celebrate women who have greatly contributed to raising social housing standards in the UK. Happy birthday, Octavia Hill! https://lnkd.in/gnvYdcjm Alice Pearce PhD Yvonne Atkinson Mandy Arnold CG(Affiliated) Emma Bodiam Deborah Walthorne Sam Linton, PhD Bill Gill https://lnkd.in/g8svB6Tz

Are you a registered social housing provider struggling to find the right Board Members? With increasing regulatory demands and a fast-changing housing landscape, the role of Board Members is more crucial than ever. These positions require a unique blend of expertise and experience, especially when seeking a Board Member who has lived experience of being a tenant of a housing association, as they can provide invaluable insights rooted in real-life interactions with housing services. However, recruiting these individuals is no small task. In this blog, we look into how housing providers can overcome common challenges and succeed in attracting and supporting tenant Board Members.https://https://lnkd.in/exv-epZw 🎯 Demystifying the role is a big part of this endeavour. By breaking down what is expected into simple terms. E.g. show what a typical Board Member's day looks like. List the key skills needed for the role and assure potential candidates of the possibility of training that they will receive. In your communication, provide examples of how Board Members can directly impact housing quality and community well-being. ⚒To support housing associations in onboarding and training new Board and Customer Committee Members, we have developed a structured and comprehensive training program. https://lnkd.in/eaMcNd9V

This article from Scottish Housing News discusses the latest annual assurance statements published by the Scottish Housing Regulator. The statements highlight the significant challenges facing social landlords, including rising costs, the cost-of-living crisis, and uncertainty regarding decarbonisation. These factors are affecting social housing providers' ability to fulfil their responsibilities. Especially concerning are the challenges around homelessness duties and tenant safety issues highlighted by the housing emergency declared in May 2024. At BDA, we understand the complexities of navigating regulatory requirements in this challenging environment. Our governance and compliance reviews help housing associations review their readiness to meet updated standards, including those related to tenant safety and unsatisfactory accommodation obligations.   By working with leadership teams, we focus on: ✅ strengthening governance frameworks to ensure regulatory compliance. ✅ improving knowledge and information management (KIM) practices inline with the latest Housing Ombudsman recommendations. ✅ preparing for audits and assessments through robust assurance processes.   📢 Read the full article from Scottish Housing News here: https://lnkd.in/edbvixMV If you’d like to explore how our tailored governance and compliance support can help your organisation tackle these challenges, get in touch! #SocialHousing #BoardMembers #Governance #Compliance #CouncilsCan

🚨Social housing regulatory inspection can be daunting, especially with the new inspection regime. Our upcoming webinar session offers firsthand insights from two housing associations that have successfully navigated inspections by sharing their strategies and insights to help providers prepare to succeed, and thrive during these inspections. 🎙️📅 Donna Johnson CEO of Willow Tree Housing Partnership will talk about her organisation’s first inspection post-merger and the challenges smaller providers face. Jenny Spoor Director of Operations at Havebury Housing Partnership, will share tips on excelling in inspections under the new standards. 💡 What you will gain Understanding of the inspection process and what the regulator looks for. Practical tips on aligning operations with consumer standards and hearing tenants' voices. Guidance on balancing customer engagement and health & safety compliance. Lessons on using regulatory insights to improve service delivery. Whether you are gearing up for your first inspection or want to refine your approach, this webinar provides practical advice tailored to social housing providers of all sizes. ➡️ Learn more and reserve your spot here: https://lnkd.in/ewnY5MPF  

🌧️ Flooding, especially surface water flooding, is an increasing concern for social housing providers in the UK, putting residential properties at significant risk, and the traditional flood warning systems often leave information gaps. Previsico’s innovative Flood Intel Platform is a game changer as it provides actionable alerts based on local rainfall forecasts, sensor-based water levels, and hydrological data. This allows social housing providers to proactively manage risks, optimise response efforts, and protect properties and residents from flood disruptions.   💡 Here is a scenario of how you could use this platform: 48-hour alerts: refer to business continuity plans for next steps. 24-hour alerts: mobilise emergency response teams. 12 and six-hour alerts: engage residents, implement safety measures, and activate emergency protocols. Previsico's system helps improve resource use efficiency and supports housing providers' business continuity during flood events. 🏢 At the BDA, we offer tailored Business Continuity Plan (BCP) services to support social housing providers in managing flood risks. Join our free Business Continuity Group to collaborate, share best practices, and learn from experts on improving organisational resilience. If you would like to learn more, please contact us at [email protected]. https://lnkd.in/efBJ-WAZ #FloodManagement #BusinessContinuity #SocialHousing #Previsico #FloodRisk #UKHousing #SurfaceWaterFlooding