Shows
The Social Housing Round TableSupporting Vulnerable Tenants Out of Arrears: A New Role for Repayment AgreementsIn this episode of The Social Housing Round Table, Matt Baird is joined by Steven Johnson and Stacey Valentine in a Voicescape sponsored session for a powerful conversation on how housing providers can better support vulnerable tenants facing arrears. This session explores how behavioural insights, smarter communication, and data-led interventions can help build trust and achieve sustainable repayment outcomes—without losing the human touch.
If you’re looking to balance compliance with compassion, this episode is essential listening.
Big thank you to Case Management Solutions Group Ltd and Alertacall Ltd for sponsoring The Social Housing Roun...
2025-11-1859 min
Lumpen StationVenezia Parlata — VOICESCAPEBiosonica — Venezia Parlata, Voicescape
Recorded in Venezia, September 2024 / 00:51:39
Visual by Studio Vanieli
Lumpen Station production
Supported by Swisslos – Culture Canton de Berne
Venezia Parlata was created during Pro Helvetia residency in Palazzo Trevisan in 2024
2025-10-2851 min
The Social Housing PodcastAI and Social Housing: First Steps, Challenges and Opportunities | Episode #028In this episode of the Social Housing Podcast, we're delighted to welcome Hassan Bahrani, Director of IT, Cyber and Data Security at Thirteen Group, and Nick Atkin, CEO at Yorkshire Housing! Our host Gary Haynes explores the relationship between AI and its involvement within social housing and opportunities for the future.
2024-11-1452 minThe Social Housing PodcastUnlocking support and collaboration with Citizens Advice | Episode #027In this episode of the Social Housing Podcast, we're delighted to welcome James Woods, CEO of Citizens Advice Doncaster! Our host Carly Harling explores the different levels of support that Citizens Advice offer and whether housing associations are utilising it enough the way that they should be!
2024-07-1135 minThe Social Housing PodcastDigital transformation - are we doing enough? | Episode #026In this episode of the Social Housing Podcast, we're delighted to welcome Dave Loudon, leading sector consultant and owner of Digital Bark! Our host Peter Hudson dives into the challenges faced by the sector today and why we need to prioritise digital transformation...
2023-11-1334 minThe Social Housing PodcastWhy understanding your tenants is so important | Episode #025In this episode of the Social Housing Podcast, we're delighted to welcome Hannah Harvey, Chief Operating Officer at Saffron Housing! Our host Peter Hudson dives into the challenges faced by housing associations with Saffron, and whether enough is being done to help support tenants.
2023-07-3133 minThe Social Housing PodcastAre we utilising new technology and data enough? | Episode #024In this episode of the Social Housing Podcast, we're delighted to welcome Jonathan Cocker, Chief Information Officer at Platform Housing! Our host Lewis Murray dives into the challenges faced by IT with Jon, as well as the importance of data and whether we're utilising it effectively.Make sure to subscribe and drop a comment with your thoughts!
2023-06-2127 minThe Social Housing PodcastHow important is it to communicate with your residents? | Episode #023In this episode of the Social Housing Podcast, we're delighted to welcome Ian Wright, the CEO of the Disruptive Innovators Network! Our host Peter Hudson explores the importance of communicating effectively with your tenants with Ian, as well as some interesting anecdotes during his time at DIN! Make sure to subscribe and drop a comment with your thoughts!
2023-05-1831 min
The Social Housing PodcastWhy a customer-centric approach is key in the social housing sector | Episode #022In this episode of the Social Housing Podcast, we're delighted to welcome Tom Robins, the CEO at Switchee! Our host John Doyle dives into the importance of customer centricity with Tom, as well as all the fantastic work Switchee are doing with the ongoing issue of damp and mould.Make sure to subscribe and drop a comment with your thoughts!
2023-04-1728 minThe Social Housing PodcastIs there a recruitment issue in the social housing sector? | Episode #021In this episode of the Social Housing Podcast, we're delighted to welcome Matt Baird, owner of the Social Housing Round Table! Matt is a leading recruitment specialist in the social housing sector and we hear his take on all things staffing, recruitment, skills and bringing in new ways of thinking.
2023-03-1543 minThe Social Housing PodcastTackling the no access problem in the social housing sector | Episode #020In this episode of The Social Housing Podcast, Claire Heyes (ex-CEO of Corgi) discusses the issue of no access across the sector.
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Claire believes the six key factors contributing to no access are:
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👉 Human
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👉 Economic
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👉 Logistical
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👉 Technical
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👉 Political
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👉 Legal
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And during this conversation with our CEO, John Doyle, she talks about each of these factors and how as a sector we can start to improve no access rates.
2022-11-1618 min
Vanguard PodcastS3 E6 - John Doyle states "In control of our destiny"Today’s guest is the founder and CEO of Voicescape, a company on a mission to build sustainable tenancies through more effective customer engagement. With one of their top values being innovation, as a company, they recognise the power of harnessing technology to better the lives of some of society's most socially disadvantaged people and help their customers better connect with their communities.
He is also a graduate of John Moore’s University and the host of his own podcast, ‘the social housing podcast’. A bit of competition for us!
2022-08-1045 minThe Social Housing PodcastHow FLS Are Solving The Scheduling Problem For Social Landlords | Episode #019In this episode, John Doyle (CEO of Voicescape) sits down with Jeremy Squire to discuss how they're helping social landlords solve the scheduling problem for their operatives.
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During the conversation they discussed:
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✅ The challenges FLS are helping social landlords solve.
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✅ Their proposition for social landlords.
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✅ The compliance challenges across the sector.
2022-07-0825 minThe Social Housing PodcastShifting from tenant enforcement to tenant support | Episode #018For many Landlords, the pandemic has shifted the way in which they engage with their residents.
With the courts closed and job loss at an all time high...
The "enforcement" approach became quickly redundant, post March 2020.
Residents were struggling more than they EVER had before.
And Landlords like Bournville Village Trust realised the "collecting with care" approach was exactly what residents required.
A *care approach* that focused on:
✅ Supporting residents to help pay the rent.
NOT...
❌ Enforcing them to pay the rent.
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In this episode of 'The Social Housing Podcast' Stephen Lawrence sat down with Gareth Sinnett to discuss how...
2021-11-1032 minThe Social Housing PodcastDo we have a “Pandemic of Disrepair?” | Episode #017Do we have a “Pandemic of Disrepair?” 🤔
Over the last few months, there have been an increasing number of TV programs criticising the sector on the state of repairs and prevalence of disrepair claims.
But what is the 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 picture?
i.e. not the “mass-media” picture but the picture from those who’re actually on the ground dealing with the reality of the situation.
Well, for this week's episode of The Social Housing Podcast - we’ve brought on someone who knows that ‘reality’ better than anyone else.
Russell Thompson FCIOB, Managing Director of Places Management at Places for People.
During the conversation, Lewis Murray...
2021-11-0331 minThe Social Housing PodcastHow Platform Housing Are Gearing Themselves Up To Provide A Top Tier Service For Their Customers In A Post-Pandemic Era | Episode #016Like every Housing Association over the last 18 months...
Platform have been faced with some monumental challenges.
❌ Backlogs of repairs.
❌ Backlogs of voids.
During this podcast conversation, Lewis Murray is joined by Marc Mayall (Operations Director at Platform Property Care) to discuss Platform's road to recovery post-pandemic.
Discussing areas and topics like:
✅ How Platform are tackling their backlog of repairs/voids.
✅ How Platform developing their apprenticeship program and why Marc believes that will be one of the key's to that road to recovery.
✅ How Platform are gearing themselves up to provide a top-tier service for customers in a post-pandemic era.
2021-09-2733 minThe Social Housing PodcastHow Thirteen Group are changing their operational model to suit the post-pandemic world needs of their staff & residents | Episode #015Transformation, change and continuous improvement are words and phrases that are often over-used in the social housing sector, which to many observers suffers from a high degree of cultural inertia.
And so for this weeks podcast I/we wanted to bring on a guest (Executive Director of Business & Improvement at Thirteen, Heather Ashton) who represents an organisation within the sector - that's truly innovative at its **CORE.**
...and also an organisation that focuses on walking the walk, not talking the talk.
During the conversation, myself/John and Heather discussed the following:
✅ How Thirteen is structured at a senior level to ma...
2021-08-2525 minThe Social Housing PodcastHow Middlesbrough Council were able to use Voicescape’s engagement software to support 1,000s of Council Tax Payers to help pay their Council Tax | Episode #014𝘗𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴...
It’s May 2020, the courts are closed and you’ve got 1,000’s of council tax defaulters.
Where do you even start with trying to recover that debt? 🤯
Tough question, right?
Well, that was exactly what challenge the team at Middlesbrough Council were faced with this time last year.
So… how did they overcome it?
Well, in this week's episode of The Social Housing Podcast - Peter Hudson is going to be exploring that very question with both Mark Symmonds & Janette Savage from Middlesbrough Council.
2021-08-1139 minThe Social Housing PodcastAre RSL's part of the solution to the housing crisis or part of the problem? | Episode #013Are RSL's part of the solution to the housing crisis or part of the problem?
That's the question I wanted to discuss for this weeks episode of The Social Housing Podcast.
And the best person to help me answer that question:
Gerraint Oakley, Executive Director (Growth & Development) at Platform Housing.
During the conversation we discussed:
✅ How the commerciality element within the sector is about being better, more efficient and driving profit so we can build more properties and deliver more services to support people.
✅ How the large surpluses HA's sit on - still requires a different type of skill set to u...
2021-08-0417 minThe Social Housing PodcastThe impact of proactive engagement on income collection & arrears | Episode #012Let's jump back 16 months for a minute.
It's March 2020 and the world is descending into what feels (and is for a lot of people) - a state of chaos.
Virtually overnight...
Unemployment has gone through the roof and claims for Universal Credit are higher than they've ever been.
For HA's and Landlords, like Citizen, this spells out **serious trouble**
"How are we going to service this debt, when so many of our tenants are facing such financial adversity?"
...was the question being asked by many HA's/Landlords up and down the country.
But for Citizen Housing, this created the 'perfect...
2021-07-2831 minThe Social Housing PodcastWhy *Digitisation* Is Now More Important Than Ever For Housing Providers | Episode #011There's an abundance of software/technology available to housing providers nowadays:
✅ Housing management systems.
✅ Debt/rent collection softwares.
✅ Customer experience platforms.
...and while all of this tech is great and very useful.
If you're unable to tie all of these systems together.
And get them to speak to one another 🗣
You're likely:
A) Making the customer journey more complex and difficult than it was before you actually implemented the tech 🤦♂️
B) Not getting a "full picture view" of your tenancies because everything is operating in silos rather than together as a WHOLE.
A.K.A. You're doing digitalisation NOT digitisation.
Easy trap to fall...
2021-05-1919 minThe Social Housing PodcastHow to communicate with tenants like it's 2021 - not 2005 | Episode #010❌ Poor customer communication/service = Poor reputation.
If housing providers have learned anything over the last 12 months...
It's the importance of *quality communication* with tenants.
Communication that's:
✅ Proactive.
❌ Not reactive.
✅ Gentle.
❌ Not forceful.
✅ 24/7.
❌ Not 9-5.
And a shining example of a housing provider with that *quality communication* is Citizen.
Which is why for the upcoming episode of The Social Housing Podcast - we've brought on Steve Hayes...
(Head of Comms at Citizen)
To breakdown how they've proactively engaged with their 30,000 residents over the last year - by thinking more like Amazon rather than a "traditional housing provider"
2021-04-2153 minThe Social Housing PodcastHow Homes In Sedgemoor Have Reduced Rent Arrears To 0.9% | Episode #009The last 12 months have not exactly been *easy* for those working in rent collection.
😣 Pandemic
😣 Job Loss.
😣 Financial Difficulties.
These are ALL things tenants have had to contend with over the last year.
Moving "paying the rent" down the priority list for more than a few people.
Yet...
Housing association - Homes in Sedgemoor - don't seem to have let ANY of that phase them.
With current rent arrears being at just 0.9% 🤯
(No... that's not a typo)
In this episode, John sat down with Ian Richards, who is the income team leader at HIS to breakdown EXACTLY what they've put in place as...
2021-04-1418 minThe Social Housing PodcastBuilding A Thriving Community For Tenant's | Episode 008Question: If the community in which your tenant's live lacks; funding, community organisations/support groups, free access to sports & leisure centres... what impact will that have the long-term sustainability of your tenancies? 🤔
Not great, right?
Look... if there's ever been a more important time to make sure the community in which your tenant's live is supportive & helpful - it's NOW.
But how do you help build a *thriving* community that's setup for long-term success?
Well, in today's episode of The Social Housing Podcast - Matthew Buckham from Sovereign Housing sat down with John Doyle to discuss how Sovereign are improving the...
2021-02-0125 minThe Social Housing PodcastWhy Was Home Ownership In The White Paper? | Episode 007In this episode, John Doyle, sat down with Alistair McIntosh who is the CEO at HQN (Housing Quality Network)
When the Social Housing White Paper was released back in November - eyebrows were once again raised as to why there was such a dominant theme of *home ownership*
...with many in the sector suggesting that including an entire chapter on the theme of home ownership, added more fuel to "stigma fire" for social housing residents.
So then... why would the Government include it? 🤔
Well in this episode of the social housing podcast, John Doyle asked that very question to Alistair McI...
2021-01-2722 minThe Social Housing PodcastThe Tenant's Trust Problem | Episode 006In this episode, John Doyle, sat down with Matthew Gardiner who is the ex CEO at Trafford Housing Trust.
Why... despite high landlord satisfaction scores is there still a trust problem for tenants? 🤔
It's a tough question, right?
Surely if the "satisfaction scores" are positive... there's nothing to worry about?
Yeah... well not quite according to Matthew Gardiner.
Over the course of this conversation, John & Matthew discussed:
✅ Why there is a trust problem/the root causes
✅ Why "making mistakes" & being "transparent" can help rebuild that trust factor
✅ Sustainability within the sector & why it's in the best interest of both Landlords & Tenants.
...
2021-01-1842 minThe Social Housing PodcastJourney To Becoming A Champion For Tenant's Rights | Episode 005For our first guest of 2021, we've got someone who has dedicated her entire career to helping give Tenant's a voice.
From Grenfell's impact on the Green paper to the value for money impact of Resident involvement...
Leslie Channon describes her journey through the housing sector & how events like Grenfell impacted the direction of her own career, as well as how it ultimately raised the voice of the Tenant.
2021-01-1137 minThe Social Housing PodcastSupporting Tenant's Mental Health Through COVID | Episode 004Jayne Adamson a.k.a "the tenant support superhero" 🦸♀️
Is our guest for this episode of The Social Housing Podcast.
Here are some of the topics discussed in the podcast:
✅ Her journey through the housing sector from the age of 16.
✅ How herself & believe housing have built a 16 person team of volunteers to help deal with incoming suicide calls, since the beginning of the pandemic.
✅ Her thoughts going into 2021 & the challenges that she expects housing associations to face next year.
2020-12-1422 minThe Social Housing PodcastNick Atkin's Unique Views On Social Housing | Episode 003Nick Atkin, CEO of Yorkshire Housing, is widely considered as one of the sectors most innovative thinkers.
And living through a time like we are now - innovative thinkers like Nick - are the ones that will help pave the way post pandemic.
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The conversation touched on lot's of different topics within the sector, including the following:
✅ How the pandemic has caused major shake-ups in how Housing Associations operate & what that means going forward.
✅ How retail & office space could be part of the key to building more social housing + the problem that also presents.
✅ Nick's views on the classic "9-5 wor...
2020-12-0741 minThe Social Housing PodcastFrom Being Homeless To Helping The Homeless | Episode 002From being homeless herself to now helping the homeless.
Lara Oyedele is an example of someone who deeply understands the social housing sector.
As a board trustee at Hope Housing in Bradford - she helps people dealing with homelessness get off the streets and start their journey to finding a safe place to call home.
Her conversation with John Doyle, CEO of Voicescape, was a deep dive into how she got into the social housing sector as well as learning about her creative approach to providing affordable homes in the Bradford region.
2020-11-3045 minThe Social Housing PodcastAndy Burnham's Approach To Social Housing | Episode 001In this episode of The Social Housing Podcast, CEO of Voicescape, John Doyle sat down with the Mayor of Greater Manchester - Andy Burnham.
Their discussion touched on lot's of different subjects across the sector, including the following:
✅ Andy’s mission as Greater Manchester Mayor & what he’d like to see happen in the North.
✅ What Andy would like to see from the newly-released Social Housing White Paper.
✅ Andy’s thought’s around GMSF.
✅ How Andy’s “A Bed Every Night” scheme has HALVED the numbers in rough sleeping.
If you enjoy the episode, we would really appreciate if you could leave a review b...
2020-11-2327 min
The Secret Diary of Marie Jenkins 47+November Housing Week interview with Innovation in Housing expert Chris Lunt from Voicescape.In this month's Housing Week episode we got to interview Chris Lunt from Voicescape. They build relationships with their customers & unlock capacity in Housing professionals frontline teams. It's an innovative approach using technology and customer behaviour data.
2020-11-1732 minThe Social Housing PodcastAbout the podcastWhat is the social housing podcast about?
The Social Housing Podcast will be a series of interviews with thought leaders in the Social Housing industry, providing them an exclusive platform to speak about topics important to them, while shaping the conversation around landlords and tenants.
2020-11-0500 min