Stewart, Jill ORCID: 0000-0002-3031-8082 , Cole, Linda, Jeavons, Charlotte and Ravindran, Shaiyini (2024) Training the private rented housing sector regulatory workforce: which way now? In: Housing Studies Association Annual Conference 2024 - Healthy Homes, Healthy Lives: Exploring the Intersection of Housing and Health, 15th - 17th April 2024, Sheffield. (In Press)

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Abstract

The private rented housing sector has growing significantly in number and complexity, but the regulatory workforce has faced challenges from austerity, a declining workforce and a lack of suitable training opportunities for new staff and ongoing continuing professional development opportunities to protect and improve conditions and management. Traditional university programmes in Environmental Health have struggled to recruit and there have been few other appropriate and sustained courses training competent and skilled front-line practitioners in private sector housing regulations teams (or equivalent) in local authorities. The University of Greenwich surveyed the nature of this shortfall using Qualtrics in a national workforce survey of England and Wales. This sought to better understand the needs, challenges and barriers involved in developing appropriate training to meet workforce requirements nationally. The results reveal that the situation is acute and unmet: many local authorities have been unable to recruit suitably qualified practitioners and have not been able to identify appropriate training opportunities providing the range of knowledge, competencies and skills required by the complex nature of this regulatory work. There is a need for flexibility in both place (and mode) of delivery and subjects covered according to region, as well as a renewed focus on effective legal process and practice. Based on the findings, the University of Greenwich is now developing a unique, bespoke course focusing on the training needs of private rented sector housing regulators working in local authority and related settings to help support and protect the health and safety of tenants.

Item Type:	Conference or Conference Paper (Paper)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	private rented sector; private rented housing; regulatory workforce; environmental health
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) R Medicine > R Medicine (General) R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development > Centre for Inequalities Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > School of Human Sciences (HUM)
Last Modified:	17 Jan 2024 13:26
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/45363

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