This award recognized the contribution of apprentices across the housing sector. It is open to individual apprentices or teams of apprentices (people undertaking an apprenticeship scheme or a traineeship), in any discipline working within the housing sector.

The recruitment and retention of staff is recognized as one of the key issues facing the sector in social landlords’ risk planning. This award will recognise a recruitment campaign or approach that has made a real difference to a landlord’s attempt to attract high quality candidates into the sector. We’re looking for innovative, effective approaches that will be able to evidence clear positive outcomes and be replicable by other landlords. We’re also looking for landlords who are providing clear employment opportunities in the communities they work with.

This award will recognise a team that has made an exceptional contribution to delivering their organisation’s goals over the last year. In a year that has seen many teams transform the way they operate, we’re looking for a team that has driven outstanding performance – either improving results or establishing new ways of working - and will be able to evidence clear positive outcomes. We’re looking for teams that are passionate about their jobs and have made a real difference to their organisations or the communities they work with.

An inspirational colleague can help others to thrive. This award will recognise an individual who goes above and beyond to deliver a high quality of work which goes above and beyond the call of duty. This could be someone who has put innovation or creativity at the heart of what they do or someone who has showed unstoppable determination. We’re looking for someone whose colleagues would all say they are a great person to work with, who sets a great example and makes a real contribution in their part of the organisation.

Most of us have worked with someone who has inspired us and helped us to develop. This award will recognise an individual capable of truly inspiring others through their leadership. We’re looking for someone who leads by example and produces the best results by getting the best out of the people they work with. The person could be a manager, a chief executive or a board chair – it doesn’t matter as long as you can demonstrate they inspired and motivated others by their leadership in a way which has made a real difference over the last year. We’re looking for more than just a figurehead – we want someone who is hands on and involved in running and developing their team and making a contribution to drive their organisation forward.

Housing organisations house millions of inspirational and innovative people. This award will recognise a tenant who has gone the extra mile and demonstrated an innovative approach to helping others, making a particularly significant contribution in the last year. The person may have worked on their own to improve their community or helped to train other residents. Or they may do outstanding work on a tenant board or committee. We’re looking for someone who has thought outside the box and made a big contribution, inspiring others in the process.

We’re looking for someone who has lived and breathed housing during their career – a real ambassador for the sector. This award is open to someone who has demonstrated a passion for housing over a long career in the sector. They will have driven change both in the organisation at which they have worked and in the housing sector as a whole. We’re looking for someone who has helped in their own way to put housing on the map.

In a difficult few years, this award aims to pick up on the employer that has provided an environment in which individuals and teams can succeed and thrive. We’re looking for an organisation invests in staff training and development, that represents the communities it works with and can demonstrate a clear culture of inclusion and innovation. Basically, we’re looking for the best, most inclusive place to work in the housing sector.

Employer of the year is the curtain raiser award, joint with the Women in Housing Awards.

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