February has been a significant month across the skills landscape. National Apprenticeship Week gave us the opportunity to celebrate the real impact apprenticeships are having across housing and beyond. At the same time, important policy developments including the new apprenticeship clearing system and changes to levy expiry timelines are reshaping how employers think about workforce planning.
Alongside this, we have released new inclusion resources and updated key compliance support materials. It has been a busy month!
Here is what’s inside this month’s update:
- Competence and Conduct Toolkit – Latest Version
- Thought Leadership from Sara: The Apprenticeship Clearing System
- National Apprenticeship Week Highlights
- New Inclusion Toolkit: Learning Without Barriers
- Supporting Conflict Resolution Week 2026
- Apprenticeship Levy Changes – Planning Ahead of April
The Competence and Conduct Toolkit – Updated Version Available
With the Competence and Conduct Standard continuing to shape conversations across the housing sector, we have refreshed our dedicated Toolkit to reflect the latest guidance and practical considerations.
The updated version includes:
- Clear summaries of the standard and expectations
- Guidance on evidencing professional competence
- Employer support resources
- Pathways aligned to CIH accredited qualifications and apprenticeships
As regulatory expectations tighten, confidence and clarity matter. The Toolkit is designed to help employers and learners understand what good looks like in practice, not just on paper.
Thought Leadership From Sara – The New Apprenticeship Clearing System
During National Apprenticeship Week, the Government confirmed that a clearing-style system for apprenticeships will be introduced, with pilots due to roll out later this year. In her latest article, Sara Roberts explores what this means for learners and employers.
The clearing system aims to keep near-miss applicants connected to opportunity rather than disengaging from the system altogether. Alongside this, a new online platform will bring together information on roles, earnings and progression pathways to support informed decision-making.
But as Sara highlights, reform alone does not build capability. Quality, partnership and structured development remain central.
The key question is not simply how learners enter apprenticeships, but how those programmes are delivered in a way that builds skills for life.
National Apprenticeship Week 2026 – Celebrating Skills for Life
This year’s theme, #SkillsForLife, gave us space to reflect on what apprenticeships really achieve in practice. Across the week we:
- Shone a spotlight on employer partnerships, including The Guinness Partnership
- Highlighted apprentices who are progressing with confidence and making a measurable difference in their roles
- Recognised the leadership team safeguarding quality, compliance and learner protection
- Celebrated our frontline tutors and skills coaches who turn frameworks into real development
We were especially proud to celebrate Eve Jakeman, named 2025 Chartered Institute of Housing Apprentice of the Year, whose journey reflects the power of structured development and real workplace learning.
Apprenticeships are not an alternative route. They are a deliberate, professional pathway supporting progression across housing, leadership, coaching and management.
New Resource Launched – Learning Without Barriers
We are pleased to introduce our new Inclusion Toolkit: Learning Without Barriers . This resource has been developed to support inclusive learning, access and belonging across our programmes.
It covers:
- Understanding visible and invisible barriers to learning
- Culture, identity and belonging
- Inclusive communication in practice
- Reasonable adjustments and access routes
- Practical guidance for learners, staff and employers
Inclusion is not about lowering standards. It is about fairness, clarity and creating environments where people can do their best work. This toolkit sits alongside our Mental Health Toolkit and formal ALN support processes, strengthening the support available to learners and employer partners. Access to the kit is protected for our learners, employers and colleagues – to access it, please log in via the secure portal or contact the team if you require support with your login details.
Supporting Conflict Resolution Week 2026
We are proud to be sponsoring the Conflict Resolution Week 2026 Toolkit, supporting practical, sector-led conversations about conflict, professionalism and confidence in housing and public services.
The Toolkit will officially launch at the start of March. As soon as it goes live, we will share full details so housing providers and sector partners can access the resources and explore how to use them within their teams.
For housing professionals, the ability to manage difficult conversations, balance enforcement and empathy, and make defensible decisions under pressure is central to day-to-day practice. As regulatory expectations continue to tighten, confidence in judgement, communication and conduct is not optional.
Conflict Resolution Week Live takes place in Manchester on Thursday 30 April 2026, from 10.00am to 4.30pm.
This conference has been designed with operational reality in mind. It brings together housing leaders, frontline practitioners, mediation specialists and community safety professionals for a focused day of development and honest discussion.
The programme includes:
- Specialist speakers who understand frontline housing pressures
- Expert panels exploring real case scenarios and lived experience
- Practical workshops that strengthen professional judgement and confidence
- Structured networking with peers facing similar regulatory and operational challenges
For housing leaders reviewing team capability, professional standards and organisational resilience, this is a valuable opportunity to invest in development that directly supports service delivery.
Kingdom Academy is proud to offer an exclusive 15 percent discount to our network. Use code KING15 at the checkout.
The Clock Moves Faster from April 2026 – Levy Expiry Changes
From September 2026, apprenticeship levy funds will expire after 12 months instead of 24 For levy-paying housing providers, that is a significant shift.
Right now, organisations still have the benefit of the longer 24-month cycle. That creates space to plan development pathways intentionally rather than reactively.
After April, that longer runway disappears.
Using the current window effectively means thinking beyond a single enrolment. It allows you to:
- Map progression properly across frontline, operational and leadership roles
- Support colleagues at different stages of their housing career
- Strengthen capability ahead of increasing regulatory scrutiny
Our spring programmes are now enrolling across:
- Level 2 Housing / Property Management Assistant
- Level 3 Housing / Property Management Officer
- Level 4 Senior Housing / Property Management
- Level 3 Team Leader or Supervisor
- Level 5 Operations Manager
- Level 5 Coaching Professional
If you are reviewing your levy position ahead of April, now is the time to align funding with the development priorities that matter most for the year ahead.
Strengthening Capability with Clarity
Across everything this month, one theme runs consistently: structured development matters. Whether it is competence standards, inclusion, levy reform or apprenticeship access, the organisations that plan deliberately will be the ones best placed to build confident, capable teams.
If you would like to discuss workforce planning, qualification pathways or levy utilisation ahead of April, our team is ready to support that conversation. Here’s to even more momentum in March!