Raising the Standard: Why Housing Qualifications Matter Now More Than Ever
The government recently announced that the new Competence and Conduct Standard will come into force in October 2026, with a three-year transition period for large providers.
We’re here to help you navigate this change and meet the new requirements.
What Is the Competence and Conduct Standard?
The Competence and Conduct Standard sets out the knowledge, skills, and behaviours every housing professional should demonstrate. Changes to this standard affects how we support, train, and recognise those working in housing roles.
It applies to everyone, from customer-facing roles to strategic leadership, ensuring tenants and communities are supported by trained, capable teams.
What do the changes mean?
The standard will help ensure that housing professionals have the qualifications, skills, and behaviours needed to deliver high-quality services to tenants and residents, with the extended timeframe giving landlords, study centres, and the wider sector the capacity to prepare and implement the change effectively.
At The Learning Foundry, we do not just see this change as a compliance requirement, but as a chance to uplift professionals, embed quality across services, and drive real, lasting change.
For training providers like us, this guidance brings consistency and direction. With a three-year transition period in place, providers have time to reflect, assess and act. And for employers, it opens the door to meaningful workforce development.
Steve Blackburn, Operations Director at The Learning Foundry, says:
“This announcement is some much-needed clarity and certainty for our housing colleagues - and it enables us, as a provider, to plan more effectively to support our partners.”
Change doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
The Learning Foundry supports over 75 housing organisations across the UK, providing:
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Flexible qualifications at Levels 2, 3, 4 and 5
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Skills audits aligned to the Competence and Conduct Standard
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Workforce development plans tailored to your goals and capacity
Qualifications by the sector, for the sector
As part of The Regenda Group, The Learning Foundry understands the pressure that the housing sector is under to ensure that staff have the right skills, experience and knowledge to deliver high quality services for residents.
Our housing qualifications (Levels 2 to 5) are Ofqual-approved and Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) accredited and are delivered by the sector, for the sector, aligned to your workforce development plans, supporting your employees to meet the amendments to the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill.
Level 4
For senior housing professionals in the social or private housing sector who are responsible for the delivery and management of housing or property related services.
For added value, we can combine this with our Senior Housing and Property Management (level 4) apprenticeship standard to support the development of practical knowledge, skills and behaviours required for a housing management role.
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Delivered in 18 months
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Delivered by blended learning
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Delivered nationally
Level 5
Our bespoke Level 5 leadership and management programme has the Level 5 CIH qualification integrated to support the development of practical knowledge, skills and behaviours required for a senior housing management role.
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Delivered in 22 months
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Delivered by blended learning
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Delivered nationally
Our experts
Our expert team is here to support you through the entire process to find tailored commercial solutions that work for you. We’re here to help you get ahead and get your staff ready for the changes.
We believe qualifications should empower people, not overwhelm them. With flexible delivery and wraparound support, we help learners and leaders grow - personally and professionally. Our learners tell us that studying with TLF does more than meet a standard, it boosts confidence, career progression and real-world impact.
We are proud to support the sector to navigate the new requirements and to ensure that you comply with the new laws when they come in.