You wouldn't purchase a home surveyed by a building surveyor who wasn't a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. You wouldn't take prescriptions from a pharmacist without a General Pharmaceutical Council registration. And you wouldn't let your children be taught by an unqualified teacher. So why should tenants receive housing management services from a housing manager who is not a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing?
Institutes representing professionals provide an assurance on the competence and conduct of members. Gaining chartered membership status demonstrates more than just intellect and ability; it is an appreciation of the wellbeing of the service user, a commitment to behaving ethically and the requirement to maintain standards and respond to change by continuous learning.
Enforcing strict membership criteria maintains the integrity of the institute, which provides assurance to all those involved in the respective industry and the public at large. Perhaps this is why when housing organisations wish to appoint a finance director they insist the applicant is a chartered accountant. Similarly, when appointing a human resources manager, a membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development membership is a prerequisite. So why when housing organisations consider appointing a housing manager or a development manager, membership of the CIH is merely desirable and not essential?
Not so long ago I was talking to a senior manager from a London borough responsible for community capital projects who had never even heard of the CIH. You can understand why: I don't think I've ever stumbled across a housing related pre-qualification questionnaire or tender document where there is a minimum requirement for CIH membership.
But of those who have heard of the organisation and signed up, how many are active participants? Out of 22,000 institute members, only 1,669 voted in the recent vice-presidential elections, a turnout of just 7.5%.
Since the Conservative-led coalition came to power, the housing landscape has changed significantly. Changes of regulation and governance rules, plus ever-decreasing levels of grant funding, require different skills and business plans. Some say that it is because of these changes that housing organisations need to appoint from outside the sector. But those who have acquired chartered status by completing a post-graduate diploma in housing already possess the foundations of these skills because strategic management, marketing and finance are all studied alongside housing policy.
The institute should provide professional development events focusing on new skills, such as assessing risk, innovation and change management to ensure that chartered members have all the necessary skills to help their organisations and remain in demand in the labour market.
The CIH cannot be the world's leading housing professional body if housing organisations routinely employ individuals without CIH chartered status.
Riz Aziz is director at Dina Proj-X
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