Scotland Housing Awards 2026
Read all the shortlisted entries into this award category, Excellence in Learning and Development, at the Scotland Housing Awards (SHA) 2026 and find out who won the award on the night.
This award will recognise organisations who are leading the way in driving professionalism, learning and development while delivery a great service for tenants.
Winning project name
"Fit Like?" Wellbeing and resilience programme
Winning organisation
Osprey Housing
Statement of support
"Fit like?" is a traditional Doric greeting meaning "How are you?" It is a common way to check on someone’s wellbeing in the North-East of Scotland and perfectly reflects the ethos behind Osprey’s Fit Like Resilience Programme. This is a continuing learning and development initiative which has strengthened organisational resilience, professional excellence and delivered tangible benefits for tenants and communities across Aberdeenshire.
At Osprey, we firmly believe that creating positive tenant outcomes is everyone's responsibility. By helping staff develop a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by many households, the Fit Like Resilience Programme has empowered colleagues across all roles to contribute meaningfully to tenant support. Delivered organisation-wide, the programme broke down departmental boundaries and created a shared commitment to customer-focused services. This collective understanding has strengthened teamwork, enhanced confidence and ensured that every team member—regardless of role—plays a part in delivering compassionate, responsive and person-centred services that improve the lives of tenants.
Recognising that excellent tenant services begin with empowered, knowledgeable and resilient people, Osprey developed a holistic programme focused on professional standards, wellbeing, personal development and continuous improvement. It has become a cornerstone of our organisational culture, supporting staff at every level to develop their skills, build confidence and deliver outstanding services.
Embedding CIH Professional Standards
Fit Like Resilience has played a key role in embedding the principles and behaviours of the CIH Professional Standards across Osprey. Rather than viewing professional standards as a compliance exercise, we have integrated them into everyday practice through performance conversations, personal development planning and service improvement activities.
A key foundation of the programme was Osprey’s previous investment in Insights Discovery, based on Jung’s typology, which provided every employee with a personal profile to support self-awareness and professional growth. These profiles were revisited throughout Fit Like, helping staff understand their behaviours, communication styles and areas for development. The interactive nature of the programme encouraged colleagues to share experiences, learn from one another and contribute ideas for individual and organisational improvement.
Proactive learning and development
Fit Like represents a significant investment in our people, creating meaningful development opportunities for all staff. The programme was designed to include topics relevant to both personal wellbeing and supporting tenants. Planned sessions delivered by external speakers include:
- Andy’s Man Club – delivered by members of the charity
- Grambling awareness – delivered by an ex-addict
- Neuro-diversity awareness – delivered by Sensationall, a local charity
- Women’s health – to be delivered by a teaching fellow in the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition at the University of Aberdeen
- Surviving challenging times – to be delivered by a polar explorer
- Low carbon living – delivered by Changeworks
- Trauma informed practice – delivered by Addressing Domestic Abuse (CIC)
The programme also incorporates sessions designed and delivered by Osprey team members, providing valuable opportunities to share best practice, draw on lived and professional experience, and develop presentation and facilitation skills. This peer-led approach promotes knowledge-sharing, builds confidence and reinforces a culture of continuous learning across the organisation.
- Grant funding/life cycle costings
- Regulatory update – whistleblowing, notifiable events
- The UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024
- Case study reviews
The programme recognises that resilience is about more than coping with challenges; it is about empowering people to thrive, innovate and continuously improve. By investing in both behavioural and professional development, Osprey has equipped staff with the skills, confidence and support needed to provide high-quality housing services.
Delivering positive tenant outcomes
Through Fit Like, Osprey has both invested in its people and created lasting benefits for tenants. By embedding proactively developing staff and translating that investment into improved customer outcomes, the programme exemplifies how supporting employees ultimately delivers better services for tenants.
Outcomes and achievements
The success of the Fit Like programme is demonstrated through workforce development and positive outcomes achieved for tenants. By building a resilient, skilled and engaged workforce, staff are better equipped to manage complex situations with empathy, professionalism and confidence, resulting in stronger tenant relationships, improved communication and customer-focused services.
Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive, with staff highlighting increased confidence, improved wellbeing and valuable practical learning.
Comments included:
- “Great interaction – met all of my needs.”
- “All aspects aligned with what we needed.”
- “De-escalation techniques will be very useful.”
Staff also valued the opportunity to refresh their understanding of how health conditions and life circumstances can affect tenant behaviour and support needs.
The programme has strengthened collaboration across teams, increasing accountability, improving problem-solving and embedding a culture of continuous improvement. This is reflected in the impact of Osprey’s tenancy support service, which has supported 301 households since April 2025, helping tenants sustain their tenancies and avoid crisis. Tenant feedback is very positive, with 100% satisfaction from completed surveys. 39 tenants reporting improved wellbeing, with an estimated £1.1 million in social value.
By embedding resilience, professionalism and person-centred practice, Fit Like is delivering meaningful benefits for both staff and tenants.
Shortlisted entries
Riverside Scotland - Learning That Delivers: Owning It And Embedding Continuous Improvement Across Riverside Scotland
Application entry
- Project name: Learning That Delivers: Owning It And Embedding Continuous Improvement Across Riverside Scotland
- Lead organisation: Riverside Scotland
Statement of support
Riverside Scotland is proud of progress made in embedding a culture of professionalism, learning and continuous improvement that delivers better outcomes for tenants. Continuous improvement is not a standalone initiative; it is a fundamental part of how it develops its people, improves services and embeds professional standards across the organisation.
In 2025, Riverside Scotland established a structured Continuous Improvement Programme supported by a process management framework providing colleagues with consistent tools, methodologies and standards for defining, analysing and improving services. The framework embeds the principles of the CIH Professional Standards by promoting evidence-based decision-making, collaboration, accountability and clear ownership. It reinforces Riverside Scotland’s organisational ethos of OWNIT, Make it Easy and See the Person.
OWNIT underpins everyday behaviours:
- Own it, end to end
- Win at the basics
- No silos, one team
- Insight led, always
- Take action at pace.
The programme develops colleagues through hands-on involvement in improvement projects, customer journey mapping, root cause analysis, process design and performance measurement. Cross-functional workshops create a safe environment where colleagues work together to identify challenges and develop solutions strengthening professional skills, increasing confidence and fostering a culture of continuous learning.
The programme has focused on key customer-facing services including voids, repairs, allocations and adaptations. Colleagues have developed skills in data analysis, performance management, customer insight, process improvement and digital innovation. Riverside Scotland has also invested in technology, including Microsoft 365 automation, Total Mobile and system enhancements, helping colleagues work more effectively while improving customer experience.
The impact has been significant. The voids improvement programme identified 23 improvement actions and transformed ways of working through improved communication, contractor management and operational control. As a result, average relet times reduced from 31.5 days to 17.8 days, substantially exceeding targets. Customers are moving into safe, secure homes quicker while rental loss has reduced and organisational performance improved.
The repairs improvement programme identified 37 actions focused on customer communication, system capability, contractor management and colleague knowledge, creating a clear roadmap for service improvements that are now in progress. Through collaborative analysis and shared learning, colleagues are empowered to take ownership of service delivery and drive continuous improvement.
Most importantly, these improvements are reflected in customer experiences. Following a house fire in Ayrshire, colleagues demonstrated the professionalism, compassion and collaborative behaviours developed through Riverside’s learning culture. Teams worked across service boundaries to provide immediate support, secure financial assistance, coordinate safety measures, arrange a new tenancy and ensure the customer received seamless end-to-end support.
The tenant’s daughter wrote:
“I would like to express my gratitude for the exceptional service, compassion, and professionalism during an extremely difficult time. Cath played a crucial role in helping my mum secure a grant to replace essential items lost in the fire. Her expertise, care and commitment ensured my mum received timely assistance when she needed it most. Sharon also demonstrated outstanding dedication. The level of support she provided—practical, emotional, and administrative—was exceptional. Consistently going above and beyond, showing genuine compassion and making sure mum felt supported and cared for throughout the process. At a time of significant stress and uncertainty, Sharon and Cath’s empathy and willingness to go the extra mile made a profound difference. Their actions reflect the highest standards of service within your organisation.”
This feedback demonstrates the link between learning, professionalism and customer outcomes. By investing in people, embedding a continuous improvement mindset and empowering colleagues to take ownership, Riverside Scotland has created a workforce that is skilled, engaged and committed to delivering exceptional services. The combination of professional development, cultural change and measurable tenant outcomes makes Riverside Scotland a strong candidate for this award.
Outcomes and achievements
Since establishing its Continuous Improvement Programme in 2025, Riverside Scotland has embedded a culture of learning, professionalism and accountability across the organisation through a structured process management framework aligned to its values of OWNIT, Make it Easy and See the Person. Colleagues have developed practical skills in customer journey mapping, root cause analysis, data-led decision making, performance management and collaborative problem solving through cross-functional improvement workshops and projects.
Its Continuous Improvement Programme has delivered measurable service improvements across voids, repairs, allocations and adaptations. A key achievement has been the transformation of its voids process, where a programme of 23 improvement actions reduced average relet times from 31.5 days to 17.8 days, significantly exceeding targets. This allows customers to move into safe, secure homes more quickly, reduces rental loss and improves operational efficiency.
The programme has strengthened collaboration, improved contractor management, enhanced customer communications and introduced new digital solutions, including automation and mobile technology.
Most importantly, learning and development have translated into exceptional customer outcomes. Following a house fire, colleagues worked seamlessly across teams to provide compassionate, end-to-end support. The customer’s family praised their “exceptional service, compassion and professionalism”, demonstrating how investment in colleagues directly improves the lives of tenants.
