Acuity Benchmarking Conference – Thursday, 18 April 2024 

Acuity’s Benchmarking Conference 2024 planning is progressing well with securing more speakers and an excellent delegate sign-up so far. 

Taking place on Thursday, 18 April 2024 and at the NCVO (Kings Cross, London), the shared purpose of this year’s conference brings together, thought leaders, to discuss and debate current high priority issues facing the operating and strategic environment of smaller housing providers in 2024.  

Complaints 

We have now secured a speaker for the Making Friends with Complaints session. Verity Richards, Head of Service, will present and cover off critical items such as the newly launched statutory Complaint Handling Code and how the Ombudsman intends to monitor compliance. She will also share how the findings from this work will be used to support landlords to deliver effective complaint handling services and assure themselves (and their residents!) that they are doing this consistently.    

Verity will also introduce the exciting training modules which will result in a certificate on completion. All this will help understand and professionalise the resolution process and enhance the relationship with residents. 

An added bonus is that Verity will be bring along some of her colleagues who will be available during lunch and throughout the day to talk to individuals, who may have a specific challenge, or just generally get to know each other better and develop a partnership approach to complaints resolution.  

It is not often you get to having face-to-face sessions with the Housing Ombudsman so don’t miss out and book your place today. 

Consumer Standards 

From 1 April 2024, the regulator will move from a reactive approach to consumer regulation, where it can only investigate consumer issues if there is ‘a serious detriment’ to tenants, to a proactive approach on the same ‘co-regulatory’ basis as it regulates economic standards.  

The current standards will be replaced by four new standards: 

• the Safety and Quality Standard (replacing the Home Standard); 
• the Tenancy Standard (replacing the old Tenancy Standard); 
• the Neighbourhood and Community Standard (replacing the old Neighbourhood and Community Standard); and 
• the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard (replacing the Tenant Involvement and Empowerment Standard).  
• In addition, there will be two new consumer standards. The first new standard relates to the provision of information to tenants and the second new standard relates to competence and conduct. 

To help you navigate this new environment are Caroline Leviss, Senior Associate and Hugo Stephens, Consultant from Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP, who will guide you through everything you need to know and be prepared for. 

Programme 

We have secured the following speakers: 

• • Keynote Speaker: Peter Apps, author of Show Me the Bodies: How we let Grenfell Happen 
  • Social Housing Regulation Act (professionalising the sector, General Elections and what this means to the housing agenda, 2025 Future Homes Standards and more) – Rachael Williamson, Head of Policy and External Affairs, CIH 
  • Consumer Standards – Caroline Leviss, Senior Associate and Hugo Stephens, Consultant, Penningtons Manches Cooper
  • Complaints – Verity Richards, Head of Services, Housing Ombudsman  
  • Small Housing Development Grant – Anne Taylor CEO Thorngate Churcher Trust, Carolyn Sims, Relationship Director Charity Bank and Alison Schur, Development Consultant 
  • Optimising TSM Satisfaction surveys – Denise Raine, Director, Acuity 
  • IT and system changes – Colin Sales, 3C Consulting 

We are delighted to have Leonard Brown – Director of Housing Services at Westway HA, as this year’s conference chair.

Leonard has over 25 years’ experience in the social housing sector and is the Director of Housing at Westway Housing Association. His career started as a housing officer and has progressed to now being responsible for overseeing the Housing Management and Asset Management functions at Westway Housing Association. He has a deep understanding of managing different housing-related issues such as leasehold, supported accommodation, and temporary housing.

Our keynote, speaker Peter Apps author of ‘Show me the bodies: How we let Grenfell Happen’ will end the conference with his thoughts and reflections, followed by a book signing session (the first 60 delegates to book their place on the conference will receive a book)

Peter is a journalist who primarily writes about building safety and social housing. A career spanning over 10-years at the specialist magazine Inside Housing, he has won numerous awards for his news and analysis of the UK’s affordable housing sector. He was one of the few to raise concerns about dangerous cladding and high rise buildings before the Grenfell Tower fire, and provided revelatory reporting in its aftermath into the causes of the blaze. This reporting culminated in his acclaimed book, Show Me the Bodies, which won the 2023 Orwell Prize for Political Writing.

Who should attend?

This event is targeted at those who lead smaller housing associations: Board members, senior leadership and any colleagues who would benefit from the content and networking opportunity.

Cost

With VFM in mind we’re keeping costs down compared to similar events whilst not compromising on quality:

• Acuity members £295 plus VAT (early bird £245 on bookings received before 10 March 2024)
• Non-members £395 plus VAT (early bird £345 on bookings received before 10 March 2024)
• Additional places from the same organisation £30 discount

Date & time: 9:30 – 16:15, Thursday 18 April 2024

Venue: National Council For Voluntary Organisations, 8 All Saints St, London N1 9RL (Kings Cross)

If you would like to secure your place on the conference, please follow the booking form link below:

Click here to book  >>

Venue: National Council For Voluntary Organisations, 8 All Saints St, London N1 9RL (Kings Cross)