In this article, Pam Bhamra, Director of Resident Services at Origin Housing explains why supporting residents of social housing is so important.

As non-profit social housing providers, our values include being more than just a landlord, and we take a wider holistic view of our customer’s needs. This perspective is part of the rich heritage of our sector. Father Basil Jellicoe, the founder of St Pancras Housing (now Origin Housing where I work), famously said ‘Housing is not enough’. His belief in improving living conditions and empowering people to lead happy lives continues to inspire us today. This ethos resonates across the social housing sector, as we strive to support communities in ways that go beyond simply providing a home.

The challenges our customers face

The societal challenges faced by our customers are not new, and they reflect broader issues. The Housing Ombudsman highlighted in their Spotlight report on ‘Attitudes, rights and respect - a relationship of equals’ that the social rented sector contains a higher proportion of people facing economic, social and health challenges than the private rented and owner occupied sector. The report shares that: 54% of social rented households have at least 1 household member who is disabled and 8% of social renters have experienced homelessness. 43% of new social housing lettings are to households with a long term physical or mental health condition.   

These statistics underscore the need for a deeper understanding of the complex needs of our customers and the importance of providing tailored support to those facing multiple disadvantages in general needs homes.

Supporting customers in crisis

I’m a member of the ‘Supporting Customers’ subgroup of the National Customer Experience & Housing Management Group. In this group, we’ve explored the increasing complex needs of our customers in general needs housing. We’ve recognised the pressures our customers face when accessing statutory services, often compounded by mistrust in these services. This has significant implications for housing staff, who are dedicated to trying to support customers in crisis.

Through our conversations, it became clear that housing providers across the country are grappling with similar challenges. Simply doing nothing was never an option—there are too many consequences, not just for housing management but, more importantly, for the lives of our customers.

Building trust is crucial when customers are struggling or in crisis. Establishing strong, supportive relationships encourages customers to open up, trust their housing association and accept help. However, working with external partners to provide this support is not always easy. Stretched resources and customers falling just short of the eligibility thresholds for care can create barriers to delivering effective support.

Best practice

We reached out to members to ask for case studies and examples of good work and best practice in delivering tenancy sustainment, successful partnership working with other agencies, and the challenges with partnership working or barriers to delivering support.

The case studies are available here and are grouped under 3 themes:

• Tenancy sustainment.
• Strong partnership working.
• Using and responding to data.

They highlight the tremendous impact that we, as housing providers, can have on customers’ lives. From in-house tenancy support teams to collaborative work with external agencies, the case studies emphasise the importance of patience, persistence, and empathy in delivering positive outcomes.

Collaboration and knowledge sharing

I encourage you to read the case studies and share them with your teams. If you’re interested in learning more about how these practices might apply to your organisation, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via the NHF or reach out to the housing providers directly. Together, we can continue to make a real difference in the lives of those who need it most.