In late 2010 when the government announced the first round of spending cuts it quickly became clear that the social and affordable housing sector was going to face a massive shake-up. Then, with the publication of the Local Decisions paper, the nature of the forthcoming changes began to take shape. Since then, response from the industry has been mixed. Many of the government’s recommendations have been warmly received (e.g. the proposed £100m funding to refurbish empty properties) while others, particularly reforms around tenure, have been viewed with caution.

Successfully managing change

Of course coping with change is nothing new to the social housing sector, and organisations right across the industry have been efficiently managing change for many years under successive governments. In fact, the sector has established an outstanding track-record of creating innovative solutions to new challenges and finding ways to exploit evolving market conditions. Those organisations that cope best in a changing environment - those that emerge stronger and fitter - are usually the ones that have invested in attracting and retaining the very best people. It’s a pattern that continues today, and that’s why the ability to recruit talented managers and executives has become a critical success factor for all organisations in this sector. And it’s why more and more employers in the sector are turning to specialist recruitment companies like Stone Executive.

Social housing recruitment

Social housing recruitment and affordable housing recruitment requires the services of a true specialist. Stone Executive’s consultants work closely with a broad range of organisations within the sector, including housing associations, developers, local government agencies and a variety of professional bodies. So our consultants have unrivalled knowledge of the social housing jobs market, which gives us a unique ability to identify and recruit professionals, managers and executives with the experience and skill-sets to match your precise requirements. It’s about identifying and attracting the kind of talent that can make a real difference to the success of your organisation.

A time of opportunity?

The social housing sector remains critical to the UK construction industry, and therefore to the health of the entire UK economy. Yet although the economic outlook remains challenging, there are significant opportunities for those organisations with the ability to source funding, to build strategic partnerships, and to find innovative new ways of delivering good value services. These are the organisations that will achieve success in today’s tough climate, and these are the ones that are inevitably led by the right people - talented leaders with the vision, energy and drive to guide their organisations back into growth.

The future of social and affordable housing

The government has been quite open about its intention to invest in community services, which means there is an opportunity for all organisations in the social housing sector to play a greater role in supporting and collaborating with the communities they serve. That doesn’t mean simply taking advantage of new grants and funding opportunities. It also means helping to create a safe, sustainable environment for residents. And if organisations choose to accept the challenge, the social housing sector will have a critical role to play in helping to deliver the government’s "big society" agenda.