View from the governing board: Your January 2026 member update from the chair

As we start out on another busy year for the sector and for CIH, I wanted to share an update from our December governing board meeting, kindly chaired by vice chair Aileen Evans, as I couldn’t attend in person. It was another informative and thoughtful discussion, with plenty of challenge, constructive questioning and a shared commitment to steering CIH through an important period of change.

A moment of reflection

We began by acknowledging the very sad news of Karen Milliner’s recent passing after a period of illness. Karen was a valued CIH colleague who had worked in the Housing Academy for many years. A letter of condolence has been sent to Karen’s family and CIH will also be donating to a charity of their choice.

On behalf of all trustees, I want to express our sincere condolences to everyone who worked with Karen and who will be feeling her loss at this difficult time.

Chief executive’s update

Gavin Smart took the board through his report, covering several key developments across the organisation.

We agreed CIH’s updated mission statement following discussion at the July board: 
“Inspiring, equipping and supporting housing professionals to create a future where everyone has a place to call home.

“We foster a vibrant, inclusive and active community of housing professionals where members can lead, grow and make a lasting impact for the benefit of society and the people we serve. We champion the modern housing professional and promote the art and science of housing. We are the professional body for people who work in housing. We are the independent voice for housing and the home of professional standards.”

Members will see this reflected in CIH communications and marketing. 

Gavin also briefed us on the tragic tower block fire in Hong Kong, in which at least 161 people are known to have died. Several CIH Asia-International members were directly affected, and CIH is maintaining a close watching brief to support colleagues in the region. We have sent condolences to all those affected.

Developing our membership strategy

A significant portion of the meeting focused on our emerging membership strategy, building on the discussion at One CIH and the board strategy day in September. The board considered the insights gathered so far, including the need to rethink how we differentiate the value offered across member grades as part of a clearer value proposition.

Trustees engaged in an in-depth conversation with the executive team about membership growth, retention, the infrastructure required to deliver meaningful change, and the wider context of the Competence and Conduct Standard. We noted the importance of reliable data to guide decisions and explored resource requirements and future investment.

The board recognised that the strategy represents the start of a longer-term roadmap. We also discussed how this work connects to professional standards, learner conversion, and opportunities for collaboration with other professional bodies. We recorded our thanks to all involved in helping to shape the strategy. 

Strengthening our governance

We moved on to governance matters, with a series of decisions approved by the board. These included adopting a hybrid format for the AGM, confirming meeting dates for 2026/27, updating the serious incident reporting process, and agreeing proposed board retirements and reappointments for the 2026 AGM.

We also discussed the role of CIH Futures as part of the ongoing governance review. The research Futures has recently undertaken with Altair was particularly impressive; I recommend giving it a read.

Regulatory compliance and assurance

The board approved the annual regulatory statement of compliance for the CIH Awarding Organisation, with trustees noting the robust checks and oversight in place. This was a welcome opportunity to reflect on how we continue to demonstrate strong governance, transparency and accountability to our regulators.

Professional development and performance

We reviewed the latest update on professional development, noting both strong operational performance and the expansion of skills across the organisation. Trustees asked questions related to capacity, risk, and funding, with reassurance provided on the mechanisms in place to plan and resource the next stages of development.

We also received the latest business performance report, showing encouraging progress on KPIs and continued organisational growth.

Managing risk effectively

The chair of our audit and risk committee (ARC) led a thoughtful discussion about how we continue to mature our approach to risk. We considered proposals to ensure the board concentrates on significant risks, while the audit and risk committee undertakes deeper scrutiny of the full register.

There was broad support for developing clearer risk mapping and reviewing opportunities for external assurance. Trustees also discussed how to balance risk appetite and risk tolerance with further developments planned for the coming year. 

Policy and external affairs

We heard strong updates on CIH’s external influencing and engagement. New appointments across Scotland, England, and Northern Ireland are helping to build capacity and strengthen our UK-wide presence. The board discussed the implications of the Autumn Budget, and ongoing delays to publication of the Long-Term Housing Strategy. We recorded our thanks to the team for maintaining CIH’s authoritative voice and profile across the sector.

Professional Standards Committee

We welcomed the new chair of our professional standards committee and noted recent changes to the committee’s membership and leadership structure. Sixteen complaints have been received so far, with only two progressing to PSC investigation — a sign of a well-functioning triage system.

Trustees noted the committee’s vital role in upholding professional standards, particularly in the context of Grenfell, and reaffirmed our support.

Looking ahead

My thanks to all trustees, colleagues, and volunteers for their continued insight, hard work, and commitment. Our December meeting underscored the depth of expertise across CIH and the collective determination to help our organisation — and our profession — to thrive.

I look forward to sharing further updates as we continue this important work together. For now, I wish you all a very happy and healthy new year.