Decision details

Date of Decision:

22 September 2026

Title:

Compliance with the Competence and Conduct Standard: Approval of the Housing Workforce Framework and Housing Code of Practice.

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Ian Spicer, Executive Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health.

John Edwards, Chief Executive

Details of Specific Delegation

or

Delegation contained in the relevant Sub-Scheme of Delegation.

Appendix 9, Section 4C3 of the Council Constitution (Executive Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health – Delegated Executive Functions), authorising the Executive Director to discharge executive functions relating to Housing, including Contract and Service Development and Housing Strategy and Investment.

Decision:

To approve and adopt the Housing Workforce Framework and Housing Code of Practice as the Council's approach to meeting the requirements of the Regulator of Social Housing's Competence and Conduct Standard, which comes into force on 1 October 2026.

Reasons for the Decision:

The Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 introduced powers requiring the Regulator of Social Housing to establish a Competence and Conduct Standard for social housing providers. The Standard comes into force on 1 October 2026 and requires registered providers to have appropriate arrangements in place to ensure that housing staff possess the skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours required for their roles. It also requires the provider to publish an accessible document outlining this approach and to have an appropriate code of conduct in place for relevant housing staff. Tenant involvement in the development and scrutiny of the both documents is also required.

A review of existing Council policies and arrangements identified that whilst a number of corporate policies support elements of the Standard, there is currently no single housing-specific document that brings together the Council's approach to workforce competence, learning and development, performance appraisal and management of poor performance in accordance with the requirements of the Standard.

The Housing Workforce Framework has therefore been developed to establish a clear housing-specific framework for managing and developing the skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours of housing staff, while ensuring the framework is accessible to tenants and subject to tenant influence and scrutiny.

The Housing Code of Practice has been developed to complement the Council's existing Code of Conduct by setting out the professional behaviours and service standards expected of housing staff in the delivery of housing services. The Code supports delivery of a high-quality housing service through clear expectations relating to communication, accountability, professionalism, safeguarding awareness and continuous improvement and has been influenced and scrutinised by tenants.

Approval of both documents will support compliance with the Competence and Conduct Standard and provide a clear framework for workforce competence and professional practice across Housing Services.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

Option 1 – Use Existing Corporate Policies and Arrangements

This option would have relied on existing corporate arrangements including the Council's corporate Code of Conduct, Learning and Development and Performance Development Policies, capability procedures and disciplinary procedures.

This option was rejected because there is no single housing-specific document that brings together the requirements of the Competence and Conduct Standard, including skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours, learning and development, appraisal arrangements, performance management and tenant influence and scrutiny. Existing arrangements therefore do not fully meet the regulatory requirements.

Option 2 – Develop the Housing Code of Practice as an Addendum to the Corporate Code of Official Conduct

This option was considered as a means of linking housing-specific expectations directly to the Council's existing Code of Official Conduct.

This option was rejected because the Housing Code of Practice is intended to operate as a housing practice framework focused on professional behaviours, customer experience and service quality, rather than as an extension of the Council's employee Code of Conduct. A standalone document provides greater clarity for staff, is more accessible to tenants and better supports the objectives of the Competence and Conduct Standard.

Recommended Option

To approve and adopt the Housing Workforce Framework and Housing Code of Practice as standalone housing-specific documents.

Conflicts of interest declared by any Cabinet Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the decision:

None declared

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

None

Conflicts of interest declared by the Decision Maker if they sit as a Cabinet appointed representative to an outside body which relates to the decision:

None declared.

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

None.

Reports or parts of reports considered

Housing Workforce Framework

Housing Code of Practice