May has brought a real sense that the housing sector is moving from discussion into preparation and implementation when it comes to professionalism, workforce development and organisational readiness when it comes to the increasing level of change that is ahead.
Across recent sector events, employer conversations and ongoing policy developments, the same themes continue to emerge. Organisations are balancing increasing operational pressure whilst also trying to create sustainable, achievable pathways for workforce development, compliance and leadership capability.
This month has also marked some major milestones for Kingdom Academy, including the launch of our new Competence & Conduct Standard Hub and the successful completion of the first fast-track Innovate Level 4 cohort in the country!
Here is what’s inside this month’s update:
- Launch of the Competence & Conduct Standard Hub
- First Cohort Complete the Fast-Track Innovate Level 4 Qualification
- Free Exploratory Session for Housing Providers – The Fast Track Innovate Qualification
- New Programme Launch – CIH Level 4 Housing Maintenance Qualification
- Mental Health Awareness Week and New Wellbeing Resources
- Key Sector Themes from CIH Housing Brighton and Construction Expo
Competence & Conduct Standard Hub Now Live
We are pleased to officially launch our new Competence & Conduct Standard Hub, developed to support housing providers and professionals as the sector continues preparing for the upcoming changes around professionalism, accountability and workforce capability.
The hub has been designed to move beyond simply explaining the standard. It provides practical tools and resources to help organisations assess readiness, understand qualification pathways and begin building realistic workforce development plans.
The hub includes:
- Interactive readiness assessments
- Practical guidance and support resources beyond just qualifications
- Qualification pathway information
- Organisational readiness tools
- Employer guidance and workforce development support
One of the biggest challenges organisations are currently navigating is not whether professionalisation is needed, but how to create the time, structure and capacity to support colleagues through qualification and development requirements alongside significant operational pressures.
The hub has been developed to support exactly those conversations in a practical and accessible way.
First Cohort Successfully Complete Fast-Track Innovate Level 4 Qualification!
This month also marked a hugely important milestone for the housing sector as the first cohort in the country successfully completed the fast-track Innovate Level 4 Certificate in Senior Housing & Property Management!
The qualification has been specifically designed to recognise the knowledge, competence and professional experience already held by experienced housing professionals through a portfolio-driven route, creating a more achievable pathway alongside demanding operational roles.
The feedback from learners and employers has been incredibly positive, with organisations recognising the value of a qualification route that reflects real workplace competence and existing professional capability.
We were also proud to see employer partners celebrating the achievement publicly, recognising both the commitment of learners and the wider importance of investing in workforce development ahead of the Competence & Conduct Standard.
A huge congratulations again to every learner involved in the pilot cohort and thank you to Innovate Awarding for their collaboration and support throughout the development and delivery of the programme.
Free Exploratory Session for Housing Providers - The Fast Track Innovate Qualification
High quality qualification pathways do not always have to mean long qualification routes.
For experienced housing professionals, an accelerated route can provide a more practical and appropriate way to achieve qualification compliance by recognising existing knowledge, experience and professional competence, rather than repeating learning already being applied in practice every day.
Following the success of the first cohort, we have organised a free online exploratory session for housing providers wanting to better understand the qualification pathways available ahead of the Competence & Conduct Standard.
Hosted by our Head of Learning Delivery & Curriculum, Thomas Collins, the session will explore:
- How the fast-track route works
- Who the qualification is designed for
- What the portfolio-based approach involves
- How it compares to traditional qualification pathways
- The options available for organisations and learners
There will also be an extended Q&A session, giving attendees the opportunity to ask direct questions and explore which route may be most suitable for their workforce.
This session is ideal for:
- Housing leaders
- HR and L&D professionals
- Workforce development teams
- Individual housing professionals exploring qualification options
The Details:
24th June 2026 – 12:00pm – 12:45pm. Online via Microsoft Teams.
New Programme Launch – CIH Level 4 Certificate in Managing Housing Maintenance
We are also pleased to officially launch our new CIH Level 4 Certificate in Managing Housing Maintenance.
As housing providers continue balancing resident expectations, compliance responsibilities, repairs performance and long-term asset investment, the need for confident operational leadership within housing maintenance has never been greater.
This programme has been designed for professionals responsible for repairs and maintenance services, supporting organisations to strengthen capability whilst helping individuals build confidence in managing performance, compliance, budgets and service delivery.
The qualification includes units focused on:
- Professionalism in Housing
- Customer Focus in Housing
- Law, Policy and Regulation for Repairs and Maintenance
- Performance Management for Responsive Repairs
- Financial Management for Repairs and Maintenance
- Sustainable Repairs and Maintenance
With increasing focus across the sector on property standards, professionalism and resident experience, structured development within housing maintenance is becoming increasingly important.
Mental Health Awareness Week – Taking Action
May also marked Mental Health Awareness Week, with this year’s theme focused on taking action for mental health.
Throughout the week, we shared practical advice, resources and reflections around proactively managing mental health across housing and construction workplaces, alongside the launch of our new Managing Your Mental Health Checklist as part of our wider Mental Health Toolkit.
Across both sectors, conversations around burnout, resilience and workforce pressure continue to become more visible. Increasingly, organisations are recognising that workforce wellbeing cannot sit separately from service delivery, organisational culture and long-term sustainability.
The reality is that people are managing increasingly complex roles, high emotional pressure and significant operational demand. Supporting wellbeing proactively is therefore becoming an important part of workforce resilience and professional development.
Access to the toolkit is free for all learners and colleagues – check with your mentor or line manager for the password if you are unsure.
Sector Conversations: CIH Housing Brighton & Construction Expo
This month, our Chief Services Officer Sara Roberts CIHM attended both CIH Housing Brighton 2026 and Construction Expo, with several major themes consistently emerging across both events.
Across housing, there continues to be significant discussion around:
- Workforce resilience and staff wellbeing
- Professionalism, accountability and organisational culture
- Recruitment and retention pressures
- Sustainable approaches to anti-social behaviour case management
- Complaint handling and tenant trust
- Qualification pathways and workforce capability
- The Competence & Conduct Standard and wider cultural change
At Construction Expo, similar concerns emerged around workforce capacity, employer engagement with training, ageing workforces and delivery risks linked to growing demand across housing and construction programmes.
There was also significant discussion around the future workforce pipeline, shortages in trainers and assessors, and the pace at which sectors will need to adapt to evolving construction methods and technology.
Across both events, one thing became increasingly clear. Policy ambition and regulatory reform alone are not enough. Organisations also need workforce capability, leadership capacity and long-term development strategies to successfully deliver against those expectations.
These conversations continue to shape how we support employers through practical, scalable workforce development approaches that reflect the operational realities organisations are managing every day.
Supporting Sustainable Workforce Development
Across everything this month, one theme continues to emerge consistently across housing and construction.
Professionalism, compliance and organisational performance cannot be separated from workforce capability, wellbeing and sustainable development.
For many organisations, the challenge is no longer understanding that change is happening. It is creating realistic, achievable ways to support teams through it whilst continuing to deliver services under pressure.
At Kingdom Academy, we remain focused on supporting practical workforce development that reflects the realities organisations are navigating every day.
If you would like to discuss qualification pathways, workforce planning or organisational readiness for any of the upcoming sector changes, then we would be delighted to support.