Interpreting the CIH professional standards in the day-to-day

The CIH professional standards are relevant to everyone working in housing, no matter what your day job covers. The seven qualities are a brilliant benchmark to aim for so you can be your best self at work and contribute positively to the sector.

Integrity 

Integrity is a great quality to have in general, but it’s especially useful as a housing professional. Delivering on your commitments is a big part of your job — you’ve got people counting on you to get things done! 

As an individual you can demonstrate integrity by managing your time to make sure that you fulfil your professional responsibilities. It’s also important not to overpromise and to ask for help when you need it. Seeking the support of others can make the good work you’ve done even better and shows that you respect your customers enough to get the job done! 

As an organisation, integrity should be a key goal for all your employees. When making decisions, always consider how they will affect the most vulnerable people you support. Working in housing means people rely on your work more than most, and it’s important to recognise the impact of both your successes and errors. If mistakes are made, own up to them and implement a clear strategy on how to do better in future.  

Inclusive 

We know you meet a wide range of people as a housing professional, which is why inclusivity is an integral part of what you do. 

As an individual, it can sometimes be hard to recognise your personal biases and privileges. Being inclusive is about treating others fairly and learning from any mistakes you’ve made. Enter every interaction with the intention of listening to and understanding other perspectives — getting things wrong is okay as long as you do better next time.  

Organisations can make sure they remain inclusive by recognising the diversity of the people they support. It can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking “that’s just the way things are done here”, but it’s important to question whether there are better, more inclusive methods of getting the job done. Having a policy that champions diversity is crucial, as is carefully considering the way your organisation interacts with others. 

Ethical 

We know you make many decisions each day and it can be exhausting having to think through them all. Remembering to make the most ethical choice can help ease this load. 

It’s important to think about the role you play in other people’s lives, whether that’s your colleagues or people in the community you support. There are obvious rules to follow in a professional environment, but you should always know what right and wrong mean to you. When it isn’t clear which path you should take, it’s always useful to seek a second opinion. 

As an organisation, you should let a well-considered ethics policy guide your decisions, you can view the CIH ethical decision making framework or our code of ethics for more information on this. Make sure you receive input from a range of different people and that your choices reflect the values your employees uphold. Evaluating all possible options is important — a well-rounded perspective can only lead to a well-rounded solution. 

Knowledgeable 

The housing sector is a complicated one, and it’s important that you’ve got the expertise to fulfil your responsibilities. With new regulations incoming all the time, keeping up with required knowledge (eg, the competency and conduct requirements) is an essential part of the job.  

As an individual, recognising both your strengths and weaknesses is important. You know which parts of your job you excel at, and you’re also aware of the knowledge you lack. Ask your employer if there are any courses you can take, or if you can be paired with someone who has more expert knowledge. Make sure you immerse yourself in your role — things like keeping up with the latest housing news can contribute to your sector knowledge. 

Organisations have a responsibility to both their employees and the people they support to make sure their workforce has the right knowledge to get the job done. Asking employees to evaluate their skills on a regular basis is a great way to figure out company-wide knowledge gaps. Visit our training page to see our bespoke training offerings for individual organisations, or visit our qualifications page to view our range of courses designed to expand your housing knowledge. 

Skilled 

People working in housing often possess specific skillsets that strengthen their ability to do great work day-to-day. In a constantly changing sector, it’s important that you keep your skills up to date. Whether you take the initiative and build them regularly yourself, or whether your organisation requires you to undertake certain courses or tasks, there are always new ways you can improve yourself professionally. If you’re not sure where to start, you can use our self-assessment tool – you'll receive personalised feedback and insights. 

Shadowing someone with a skillset you lack is a brilliant way to build your skills. You can ask questions, work on tasks with their supervision, and feel confident that you’re learning the right thing. It’s part of your responsibility as a housing professional to make sure you’ve got the right skills to help your customers, so speak up and ask your employer for help when you need! 

As an employer, you must listen to your employees’ concerns about any skill gaps that might impact their job performance. You should be encouraging the best practice all round, so regularly refreshing your team with training courses or qualification requirements is a great way to ensure they’re at their best. 

Advocate 

A big part of working in housing is being proud of what you do.  

Representing yourself positively means that housing, by association, is represented positively. You could contribute meaningfully to the sector by joining our mentoring platform or one of our voluntary groups, sharing your knowledge with others and building your connections. Share your achievements with others and try to inspire interest in the sector where you can. As well as your own wins, sharing your company’s and sector’s successes is a great way to boost your standing in the sector.  

As an organisation, make sure that you treat everyone you work with equally. By sharing diverse stories and accepting a range of viewpoints, you can combat the unfair stereotypes that sometimes tarnish those living in social housing. Speak up when something seems wrong and always put tenants and residents at the heart of what you do.  

Leadership 

Whether you’re in a management position at work or not, there are always opportunities to show yourself as a good leader. 

Bringing others together to work towards a common goal is a major part of being a leader. You might do this by speaking up in team meetings to ensure a practical plan is followed for each project, or even just by offering advice to someone in your organisation who needs it.  

Organisations can lead the way in the sector by demonstrating all the above professional standards. Other organisations and individuals interested in housing will see you as the outstanding force for good that you are, and it’s important to follow best practices and lead by example. Whilst your goals as an organisation are important, looking past these and doing what’s best for the sector is crucial too. 

Most of all, as a member of CIH and a professional in the housing sector, you have a responsibility to ensure you are upholding the sector’s professional standards for good practice. CIH member’s have full access to the wide range of tools and resources on the standards and how to build on improving them.  

To explore each standard in depth, visit our professional standards resources page.