Sara Roberts, Chief Services Officer at Kingdom Academy
The government has now published its final direction to the Regulator of Social Housing (30 September 2025), setting out how the Competence and Conduct Standard will be implemented from October 2026. Alongside the direction, government has also released an updated policy statement on qualification requirements, an impact assessment, and its response to last year’s consultation.
For housing providers, this is not the first time the Competence and Conduct Standard has been discussed. The sector has been anticipating its arrival for some time. What’s new in this announcement is the clarity on qualification requirements, compliance timescales, and expectations for service providers and contractors.
With these details finalised, organisations now have the information they need to begin preparing in earnest – and just 12 months before the standard officially comes into force.
What Does The Competence & Conduct Standard Require?
The direction sets out a clear framework of expectations for registered providers and their service partners. These are:
1. Staff competence
All relevant staff must demonstrate the skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours required to deliver good quality housing services. This goes beyond technical training and includes conduct, decision-making, and professional values.
2. Contractor accountability
Providers must ensure their contractors and service providers meet the same competence and conduct requirements as directly employed staff. Procurement, contract management, and monitoring processes will all need to reflect this.
3. Workforce policy
Every organisation will need a written policy that:
supports learning and development opportunities
appraises performance fairly and consistently
sets out how poor performance will be addressed
This will need to be live and embedded, not just a document for the shelf.
4. Code of conduct
Providers must embed a code of conduct for relevant staff, ensuring it is accessible, understood, applied in daily practice, and reviewed regularly.
5. Tenant influence
Tenants must have meaningful opportunities to shape and scrutinise both the competence policy and the code of conduct. These documents must also be accessible, up to date, and fit for purpose.
6. Qualification requirements
Senior housing managers and executives must hold, or be working towards, an approved housing management qualification. Larger providers must also ensure service providers delivering comprehensive management services do the same.
Related: The Competence & Conduct Standard: A Three-Year Transition – or a Three-Year Head Start?
Implementation Timescales For The Competence & Conduct Standard
The Competence and Conduct Standard will formally come into effect in October 2026, but organisations will not be expected to achieve full qualification compliance immediately. Instead, government has confirmed a phased approach:
Large providers (1,000 or more homes): will have three years from October 2026 to ensure senior housing managers and executives are qualified or actively working towards an approved qualification.
Smaller providers (fewer than 1,000 homes): will have four years to meet the same requirement.
While these timeframes might sound generous, the scale of preparation needed is significant. Providers will need to:
Identify which roles fall under the “senior housing manager” and “senior housing executive” definitions
Review existing qualifications held by staff and contractors
Put in place learning and development pathways for those who need to upskill
Budget for qualification costs and study time
Embed the wider competence and conduct framework across policies, performance management, and tenant engagement
In practice, this means that organisations waiting until 2026 to start their planning may find themselves under pressure. For large providers in particular, where hundreds of staff may require qualifications, the three-year window could quickly feel tight once training demand across the sector peaks.
The clear message is: don’t wait until October 2026 to act. The work needs to begin now.
What Housing Providers Need To Focus On Now
This update matters because it gives providers certainty. The principles of competence and conduct have been discussed widely, but organisations can now begin to make specific plans based on finalised requirements.
This brings several implications:
Governance and assurance: Boards will need evidence that compliance plans are in place.
Workforce development: HR and L&D functions must adapt to qualification pathways, competence frameworks, and performance management processes.
Contractor management: Service contracts will need updating to include competence and conduct obligations.
Tenant relationships: Providers must design genuine opportunities for tenant involvement in shaping and reviewing policies.
Culture and reputation: This is about more than compliance – it is about building a culture of professionalism, values, and accountability that improves tenant outcomes
How Kingdom Academy Can Support
At Kingdom Academy, we understand that preparing for the Competence and Conduct Standard is not just about ticking a regulatory box. It requires planning, investment, and cultural change.
To make this manageable, we’ve created a Competence and Conduct Toolkit that helps providers:
Audit current practice: assess workforce skills, policies, and tenant engagement structures.
Identify gaps: benchmark against the requirements to see where urgent action is needed.
Develop a roadmap: create a phased plan to meet qualification, competence, and conduct requirements within the regulatory timeframe.
Strengthen policies: practical templates for competence policies and codes of conduct.
Embed tenant voice: resources to support meaningful involvement and scrutiny.
Plan for qualifications: clear guidance on approved housing management qualifications and how to support senior leaders to achieve them.
Taking The Next Step
The Competence and Conduct Standard represents a pivotal shift in housing regulation. It is not just about compliance – it is about raising professional standards, embedding the right values, and improving outcomes for tenants.
With the government’s direction now finalised, providers have a window of opportunity to prepare. The organisations that start early will not only avoid regulatory risk but also position themselves as sector leaders in professionalism and tenant engagement.
Download the Kingdom Academy Competence and Conduct Toolkit today and take the first step in preparing with confidence.
Want To Discuss The Implications For Your Organisation?
Every provider’s journey towards meeting the Competence and Conduct Standard will look different. The scale of your workforce, the structure of your contracts, and the culture you want to build all influence how you prepare.
If you would like to talk through what the new requirements mean for your organisation – and how Kingdom Academy can support you in turning the standard into a practical plan – our team is here to help.
Get in touch with us to arrange a conversation about your next steps.