Sector explores challenges at SFHA's Governance Conference

Staff and governing body members explored key issues affecting the housing sector as SFHA marked another successful Governance Conference.

The conference in Glasgow featured contributions from a number of housing associations and co-operatives as staff and governing body members shared their own governance challenges as well as best practice.

At the conference's opening plenary, delegates heard from Elderpark Housing Association's Kerry Clayton, Craig Spence from Orkney Housing Association, and Lesley-Anne Junner from Ayrshire Housing on how not one size fits all when it comes to issues such as retention and recruitment of Board members.

There was also hugely informative breakout sessions on issues such as Freedom of Information, Data Protection, ESG, exploring the issue of paying governing body members, debating SFHA's Model Code of Conduct, whilst the Office for the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) explained incoming changes to Scottish charity law.

The conference was closed by a presentation from James Tickell, a consultant from Campbell Tickell, who detailed some of the governance failures in other industries and what the housing sector can learn from them. 

SFHA Policy Lead, Alan Stokes said: "Strong governance has never been more important given the challenges currently facing our sector, so it is always great to meet together to explore these challenges and share best practice.  I was pleased to see how delegates engaged with the sessions and I hope that everyone enjoyed the day.

"As well as the conference, SFHA has a Governance Forum for staff and a Governing Body Members Forum for board and committee members, with regular virtual meetings throughout the year.  If you have an interest in governance, I would encourage you to join one of these forums and please get in touch with me if you would like more information."

Members can sign up to SFHA's governance forum here, with the next meeting due to take place on 3 October.