The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland is calling on the Scottish Government to introduce a new outcome to the Scottish Social Housing Charter that specifically recognises the professional skills and standards within the sector.

The proposal was launched today at Scotland's Housing Festival following new research by Indigo House. The study examined leadership and culture across Scotland's social housing landscape, revealing that while the sector has many strengths, it currently lacks a consistent approach to workforce development and succession planning.

A primary concern highlighted in the findings is the fragmented nature of leadership oversight, which is currently split between Audit Scotland and the Scottish Housing Regulator depending on the type of housing provider. CIH Scotland argues that a new Charter outcome in the upcoming 2026/27 review would create a unified, sector-wide framework to ensure staff are properly equipped, supported, and valued.

Unlike the UK Government's move to mandate specific qualifications for housing executives in England, the research suggests that a more flexible, "proportionate" approach is better suited for Scotland. This would involve a requirement for all providers to implement structured Continuous Professional Development (CPD) that can be tailored to local organisational needs.

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Gillian McLees, national director of CIH Scotland, said: "We know from the responses to this survey that housing professionals are feeling the pressure of underinvestment, conflicting priorities and being asked to do more with less. Our findings highlight the need for a new regulatory approach to ensure more consistency in staff development and succession planning, so that people are equipped to do their jobs and feel valued.

"Regulating professionalism is not about adding more pressure but strengthening and recognising the vital role that housing professionals play in communities throughout Scotland."

The proposed regulatory oversight is intended to improve transparency for tenants and residents regarding the skills of the professionals managing their homes. The research was supported by various stakeholders, including the Tenants Information Service (TIS).

TIS chief executive Kerry Clayton added: "The importance of professionalism when it comes to delivering excellent services to tenants cannot be underestimated. This key piece of research shows areas of good practice but also highlights areas where there is a need for improvement in leadership and culture.

"Taking tenants views into account, it is evident there is a desire for services to be delivered by a highly skilled workforce to ensure consistent approaches and good outcomes within our communities. Having structured CPD requirements in place across the sector will help achieve this."

Anna Evans, co-founder of Indigo House, noted that overcoming the current "critical challenges" in Scottish housing requires transformational leadership. She encouraged the Scottish Government to utilise the Charter review to drive this continuous development for the ultimate benefit of tenants and communities.