The company is made up of several different areas of excellence including The Housing Quality Network, eight specialist networks, consultancy services, interim and project management (The Pool), Training and Development Services and our executive recruitment services (The Source).

On this page you will find information about each area of our business. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with us directly via email at hqn@hqnetwork.co.uk or telephone the HQN office on 0845 4747 004.

The Housing Quality Network

A core part of the company is The Housing Quality Network or ‘The Network’, which is a membership organisation, currently with over 700 social housing providers as members. Responding to the latest policy issues from efficiency to inspection, supported housing to anti-social behaviour, The Network is the cost-effective way to ensure your organisation is ahead of the game. An advisory group drawn from among our members helps ensure our services respond to your needs.

Our briefing papers, specially commissioned to reflect the different policy and legal requirements in England, Scotland and Wales, analyse all major government initiatives and consultations affecting housing.

Our self-assessment toolkit, comprising several workbooks on a variety of housing issues, is designed to ensure you are well prepared for inspection and performance improvement.

The Network's famous electronic information bank, accessible 24 hours a day, is constantly updated with policy information, inspection results, and events details. It also includes a members' exchange facility where members can post queries and share good practice.

Events with free places for member organisations (contact the HQN office tel: 0845 4747 004 to check the number of free places your organisation may be entitled to) offer another valuable way to keep up with best practice and policy initiatives. Regional seminars and our annual conference feature top speakers from high-performing organisations plus government departments and agencies including Communities and Local Government (CLG), the Audit Commission and The Scottish Housing Regulator.

In brief, member benefits are:

• A website – with ‘members-only’ areas and 24 hours-a-day access
• Fast, high-quality, topical briefings
• Self–assessment toolkits
• An unrivalled web–based information bank
• Regional seminars
• An annual conference
• Free or subsidised places are available to members at our events
• A questions-and-answers service to keep members up to date on all the latest policy and practice issues
• A free jobs advertising service.

The Network covers a very broad range of housing issues, focusing generally on the area of performance improvement for social housing providers.

Further enquiries, contact:

A number of years ago HQN recognised the need to develop an additional number of individual specialist networks, each having their own password-protected website. These specialist networks offer more detailed briefings, events, best practice and high quality information in each of the specialist areas.

The specialist networks currently available to customers are:

Rent Income Excellence Network (RIEN)

The original specialist network, now offering even better value. From rent collection to managing arrears and former tenant arrears, RIEN has the information and advice you need.

Achieving excellence in rent collection is a difficult task, all the more difficult if you are doing it alone. Membership of RIEN can take some of the strain, by giving you access to the up to date information and contacts you need. Innovation, ideas and best practice come from over 190 members across the UK – you can be sure that what we say has a track record of real success in the real world.

Further enquiries contact:

The Excellence in Asset Management Network (TEAMnet)

The practical no-nonsense specialist network that will develop your skills in all aspects of asset management, especially in delivering high-quality repairs and maintenance services. TEAMnet is run for housing asset management specialists by housing asset management specialists.

Aimed at ALMOs, councils, housing associations, TMOs, contractor partners and suppliers, TEAMnet keeps members abreast of hot topics and emerging issues across all aspects of management and provides an asset management knowledge base that is second to none. TEAMnet already boasts a long list of large and small organisations as members.

Further enquiries contact:

Wayne Hughes
Executive Director for Asset Management and Procurement
Mob: 07796 671378
Or
Alan Hodgkinson
TEAMnet Lead Associate
Mob: 07796 281578
Email: teamnet@hqnetwork.co.uk

The Excellence in Health and Safety Network (SAFETYnet)

SAFETYnet is the first national network devoted to health and safety in housing. Led by a team of founder members from across the country, the network provides best practice, briefings and bulletins, plus a groundbreaking health and safety benchmarking exercise. The focus of the network is to cut through all the chatter and provide health and safety professionals in housing with the precise information they need to protect and communicate effectively with employees and tenants. Featuring an exclusive Ask-the-Lawyer service accessible by a special hotline and an 'info-share' programme that partners similar organisations to share procedures and practices, SAFETYnet is designed for anyone with the responsibility for health and safety in their housing organisation, from human resources and communications departments to DLO, repairs and contractor management.

Further enquiries contact:

Strategic Excellence Network (SEN)

The range of skills and the breadth of knowledge needed to deliver the strategic housing function is growing all the time. In addition to ensuring that you are fully aware of the housing context and strategic links at a national, regional and local level, those involved need to possess an impressive range of skills – analytical, marketing, negotiating, influencing and performance management, to name but a few. It’s also about understanding the connections and directing the cost-effective delivery of services that demonstrates the value of a strategic approach to housing. SEN aims to provide practical and informative advice to help you do this.

SEN is a key resource for anyone working in housing who wants to plan AND deliver more effectively and it aims to support those working to develop and deliver housing plans in the ‘strategic housing function’ – and their partners – to respond to a rapidly and forever-changing agenda.

SEN is managed by a dedicated Strategic Excellence Manager and supported by a network of experienced Associates and practitioners providing you with access to current housing knowledge and practice from across the country.

Benefits of membership include regular strategic housing updates and briefing papers, along with weekly updates, taking the hard work out of translating emerging national and regional policy into local policy and practice; access to our new and improved websites; bi-monthly newsletters; networking opportunities through regional workshops, best practice events and discussion forums; continuous support and information-sharing from key Associates and practitioners, as well as from the other specialist networks.

For further enquiries contact the SEN team on 0845 4747 004 or at sen@hqnetwork.co.uk or:

Carla Leyland
SEN Manager
Mob: 07525 802954
Email: carla@hqnetwork.co.uk

Housing Finance Expert (hf:expert)

Online advice and guidance covering the basics of housing finance in all sectors plus do-it-yourself guides in major initiatives that help you avoid hefty consultancy fees.

From budgets to business planning, risk and asset management to investment appraisal and rent re-structuring, hf:expert allows you to make the most of your own skills in managing the day-to-day business or evaluating big decisions by demystifying many areas of housing finance.

Further enquiries contact:

Successful Neighbourhoods (SUNnet)

SUNnet provides everything you need to introduce or develop a response to more effective neighbourhood working which will transform estates/localities and is appropriate to the needs of YOUR organisation. 

Further enquiries contact:

Ageing Communities Excellence Network (ACEnet)

Changes in the policy environment have posed significant challenges to providers of sheltered housing and other older people’s housing services in recent years. We have therefore extended our services beyond benchmarking in the last couple of years by introducing updates and briefings, and have enlarged our policy range from sheltered housing to older people’s housing services more generally.

We recognise that you also now need to know how to demonstrate efficiency and value for money in the services you provide; some of you want advice on conducting stock options appraisals; and there is a demand for information about new models of provision and changes to staff roles. For all of these reasons, having access to up to date information about what is happening in the sector has never been so important.

Together with robust analysis of trends and new policy initiatives, ACEnet supports providers to help ensure that their older people’s housing services are fit for purpose – and meet, or even exceed, both your own and service users’ objectives and expectations.

Of course, knowing how you compare is also critical in identifying areas for review and delivering service improvements. We already have a solid core of members who have been benchmarking for some time, and we are adding new members to the network all the time; this has the effect of increasing the numbers of organisations you will be benchmarking with – giving even more robust comparison information.


Further enquiries contact:

Paul Stead
ACEnet Manager
Tel: 0845 4747 004
Email: paul@hqnetwork.co.uk

Leasehold Excellence Network (LEN)

The Leasehold Excellence Network is a resource for anyone working with leaseholders in social housing, from dedicated specialist officers to service managers or even departmental heads, who want help and ideas on how to improve service delivery and increase leaseholder satisfaction.

The network provides advice, updates, benchmarking, networking opportunities, access to specialist advice 'at the end of the phone', and a facility to ask other members for examples of good practice. Useful for local authorities, ALMOs and housing associations, it aims to help providers compare policy and practice, measure and evaluate performance and identify innovations in the sector.

The network runs a major annual benchmarking survey to which all members are able to contribute and receive comparative performance information for benchmarking. This year will see the second annual survey carried out (after an original pilot survey) so there will also be a bank of data on a year-on-year basis available to members. We also facilitate other smaller ad hoc surveys on topical issues for benchmarking such as fees and charges, or operational issues.

This network was newly developed in 2008 and member numbers are growing steadily all the time, giving members the chance to exchange ideas, good practice and performance data and statistics with a wide range of peer organisations, or drill down into sub-groups.

Further enquiries, contact:

Richard Waft
LEN Manager
Tel: 01904 557165
Email: richard.waft@hqnetwork.co.uk

The Pool - interim and project management

The Pool provides interim and project management services for the housing industry.

The Pool offers practical and speedy solutions, short, medium or long-term contracts and full or part-time options from an exceptionally strong database of candidates.

The service is based on high quality customer care and highly competitive fees, giving value for money whilst matching the needs of a wide range of clients within the industry.

The Pool interim and project managers are highly skilled and well qualified with proven track records, and focus on delivering the requirements of the client.

The service covers the whole country and the full range of organisations operating in the housing sector.

Further enquiries contact:

The Source - executive recruitment services

At HQN, we recognise that the most powerful driver of sustainable success is people.

In today's challenging market, finding the right people for your organisation is not always easy - and that's where our professional expertise and knowledge of the sector comes in. Using The Source will save you time, money and effort.

We can help you recruit people who will embrace your organisation’s vision and values, and will have the relevant skills and experience to achieve individual and organisational objectives. By creating strong, long-term business relationships with our clients, we gain a clear understanding of business needs and what makes an organisation both unique and successful.

Based on our understanding of your requirements we are able to create and deliver integrated recruitment solutions that can be tailored to your needs.

If you're looking for professionalism, flexibility, proven best practices and up-to-the-minute ideas in recruitment, interviewing and selection, you will find what you want at The Source at HQN.

Further enquiries contact:

Training and Development Services

Our training and Development Services offer an outstanding team of training professionals to deliver the highest quality in-house events in the key work areas that truly make a difference for individuals, teams, offices, customers and organisations as a whole.

The events are practical and support clients in achieving real and lasting improvements. Each event is tailored to the requirements of every organisation and is delivered by exceptional trainers with proven track records.

The training available covers the full range of housing topics from nuts-and-bolts events such as rent arrears, Housing Benefit, ASB, void management and FTA training, through to soft-skills events such as presentation skills, dealing with difficult customers, interviewing skills and time management.

All of our in-house events can be run at introductory, intermediate and advanced levels to suit your organisation's needs.

Further enquiries contact:

HQN events

Seminars and conferences are held throughout the year on a range of topical subjects. Our presenters from leading organisations in the housing sector and beyond include representatives from organisations such as the Audit Commision, Communities and Local Government, and the Scottish Housing Regulator, plus HQN's own expert consultants; they aim to ensure delegates are equipped with the information they need. Recent events have covered three star maintenance; equality and diversity; leasehold reform; Annual Efficiency Statements; homelessness strategies; Supporting People and governance.

Further enquiries contact:

Fiona Macfarlane
Events Administration Manager
Tel: 0845 4747 004
Email: events@hqnetwork.co.uk

Consultancy services

Our hands-on assistance to housing organisations includes a wide range of specialist expertise. Our 100-plus directly-employed and associate consultants, led by our directors, offer a long track record in social housing and in consultancy. Each consultancy assignment guarantees single point accountability: one director will take the lead responsibility.

Performance improvement and inspection support

Our work in this area includes:

• Mock inspections
• Short notice inspection
• Housing Benefit
• Service review
• Health check
• Performance management
• Mystery shopping/reality checking
• Self-assessment and peer review
• Governance and board support
• Financial inclusion
• Leaseholder services
• Equality and diversity.

For further information please contact Anna Pattison via email at anna@hqnetwork.co.uk or telephone the HQN office on 0845 4747 004.

Or alternatively use our consultancy enquiry form.

Financial support

Our work in this area includes:

• Business planning
• Business planning through the BRIXX system
• New build
• Stock transfer support and lead adviser
• Future options and option appraisal
• HRA and self-financing
• Finance strategy and financial modelling
• Service reviews and service charges
• Value for money
• Housing finance training
• Housing finance research.

For further information please contact Richard Waft via email at richard.waft@hqnetwork.co.uk or telephone the HQN office on 0845 4747 004.

Or alternatively use our consultancy enquiry form.

Asset management

Our work in this area includes:

• Strategic and operational maintenance service reviews
• Asset management and procurement strategy development
• Appointment and mobile working solution implementation
• Value for money assessments in repairs and maintenance
• Procurement advice and training
• DLO health checks and accreditation
• Reality and sense checks to assure quality
• Fleet management reviews
• Grounds maintenance reviews
• Contractor performance reviews
• Vehicle fleet reviews
• Performance surgeries
• Partnering and open book reviews
• Performance validation
• Organisational development
• Stock condition validation
• Contract management training
• Quality assurance and quality control appraisals
• Training, mentoring and coaching
• Board member training
• Tenant/leaseholder involvement in monitoring technical services.

For further information please contact Linda Spindley via email at linda@hqnetwork.co.uk or telephone the HQN office on 0845 4747 004.

Or alternatively use our consultancy enquiry form.

Strategic housing services

Our work in this area includes:

• Enabling affordable housing supply
• Homelessness (prevention and response)
• Housing options (information, advice, access and assessment)
• Private sector (enforcement, assistance, investment in housing
• Housing support for a wide range of households including children and young people, older people, families and households traditionally excluded by service provision
• Specialist housing
• Strategic approach/housing strategy health checks (PDF)
• Assessing value for money in strategic and retained housing services (PDF).

For further information please contact Russell Helms via email at russell@hqnetwork.co.uk or telephone the HQN office on 0845 4747 004.

Or alternatively use our consultancy enquiry form.

ALMO consultancy

HQN has a particular expertise in assisting ALMOs, having worked with ALMOs from the very first round.

We have close ties with the National Federation of ALMOs, and keep abreast of all the policy, strategic and financial issues following the set up of Tenant Services Authority (TSA) and Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

We can assist ALMOs to:

• Gain stars during inspections
• Prepare for short notice inspections (SNI)
• Assist with finance issues including HRA
• Help boards with governance matters including excellence tests recently developed in the HQN Governance Toolkit.

We will help you to figure out how you can improve, whilst still meeting efficiency targets. Our advice is strictly impartial we have no links to any suppliers or purchasing organisations.

Our ALMO work is led by our Chief Executive, Alistair McIntosh.

For further information please contact the Business Management Team via email at hqn@hqnetwork.co.uk or telephone the HQN office on 0845 4747 004.

Or alternatively use our consultancy enquiry form.

Large-scale research projects

HQN has been commissioned to undertake prestigious research on a range of subjects including:

• Assessment of all local authority homelessness strategies for CLG
• Development of housing management specifications for the Housing Corporation
• Analysis of why social housing providers improve and toolkits to stimulate improvement for CLG
• Inspection of MoD residential holdings overseas for the National Audit Office.

For further information please contact the Business Management Team via email at hqn@hqnetwork.co.uk or telephone the HQN office on 0845 4747 004.

Or alternatively use our consultancy enquiry form.