What Does Good Governance Look – and Feel – Like in Social Housing Today?

By Léann Hearne · 23 October 2025

The landscape for housing providers has shifted dramatically. We can all see, hear and feel it. Boards and executives are navigating tougher regulation, a raft of new rules, economic uncertainty, heightened customer expectations, and sharper scrutiny from the Regulator of Social Housing.  Amid this complexity, one question keeps bubbling to the surface……. What does good social housing governance really look and feel like today?

The Look of Good Governance

When governance is effective, you can see it in the structure, systems and processes. They’re simple and straightforward, for everyone.  Performance is likely to be strong and be known and understood by customers and colleagues.  Themes like these will ring true:

• Clarity: Strategy, culture, and risk are all aligned around a clear business purpose.  Decisions are evidence-led, explored with data, insight and integrity.  Implementation and performance are monitored against agreed timelines and targets.
• Competence: Boards that challenge constructively and keep learning, alongside executives and leaders who provide trusted reports, with clear recommendations against a backdrop of solid facts and evidence.
• Curiosity: Mindset and behaviours that reflect a deep understanding of the ‘what’, ‘why’ and ‘how’, whilst engaging with the world around us to help grow and evolve the business. 
• Regulatory readiness: Compliance is built into all business structures and processes, not bolted on as a separate workstream.
• Transparency and accountability: Clear reporting to customers, regulators, stakeholders and partners.

You can see good social housing governance in the board papers, in the risk registers, and in how issues are escalated and resolved — but that’s only half the story.

The Feel of Good Governance

You can feel good governance in the culture; you can sense it in the building and the people.

• Trust and safety: Challenge is welcomed; speaking up is safe.  Data, evidence and metrics are all trusted, as is the leadership.
• Shared purpose: The business purpose is clear to everyone, from the top to the bottom.  Decisions are judged by the difference they make to customers and communities.
• Leadership tone: Integrity, humility, visibility are all evident, and the behaviours reflect the values and purpose, daily.
• Customer-focussed culture: Real values, lived by colleagues and felt by customers, with a ‘listen to hear and understand’ mindset that improves things, consistently.
• Learning mindset: Early warning systems where insight travels fast, is acted on, and agility is built in.

You feel good governance in the quality of conversation, not the quantity of control; in the aim to do it right, for the right reasons, not just to do it.

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The Gaps We Still See

Many housing providers have strong frameworks but weaker follow-through.
Often, those frameworks have been in place for an age without real review, and the statement of their existence is at odds with the evidence.

Whilst there may be good governance structures and arrangements in place, probing behind the scenes uncovers a lack of triangulation across the board, committees and business operations.  There’s an assumption it’s all ok, but there’s common pitfalls that give it away:

• Governance fatigue – compliance is mistaken for assurance.
• Process over purpose – processes and policies that don’t reflect the business purpose, or shape day-to-day behaviours.
• Disconnected culture – the customer voice is filtered through layers and is not considered or evident; the colleague behaviours don’t reflect the purpose, values or aims of the business.
• Static boards – limited refresh, lack of diversity or behavioural insight, and insufficient consideration of succession planning or skills that mirror the strategy.
• Oversight without insight – risks discussed in isolation, not truly understood or considered alongside the strategy or financial plans.

I know I have presented what seems like a checklist but do remember that governance isn’t and shouldn’t be a checklist –  it’s a living discipline that needs renewal and reflection, regularly.

From Good to Great

I know, I know, it’s a worn out phrase….. but it works.  There are lots of organisations that are getting governance right and many are doing some or all of these:

• Conducting regular governance health checks to assess effectiveness and culture.
• Investing in board development that goes beyond technical training, to explore behaviours, skills and dynamics and align them with business culture and strategic objectives.
• Building real-time assurance – linking customer feedback, staff insight, and performance data.  And then testing it.
• Framing governance as an enabler not a gatekeeper – a way to unlock purpose, impact and trust.

When governance works, it creates confidence. Decisions are quicker. Risks are clearer. Customers and colleagues feel the benefit.

Good governance is both a discipline and a feeling. It shows up in systems, but it’s sustained through culture. And when it’s right, everyone knows it – from the boardroom to the front line.

We have carried out culture reviews with several organisations, including Livv Housing, Falkirk Council, and Walsall Housing Group. Find out more by following the links below…

If your organisation wants to explore what ‘good’ looks like for you – in structure, behaviour, and culture – I’d be delighted to help start that conversation.

Contact us today