Join GRC Housing Network’s Next Webinar
Our next webinar, From Feedback to Action: Building a Governance Improvement Plan for Housing, is on Friday 27 February 2026. This will focus on a simple and practical way to turn board and committee feedback into a focused governance improvement plan with clear priorities, named owners and realistic timelines. Don’t miss out – reserve your spot!
How Great Housing Governance Teams Run Board Evaluations in Weeks
Today, Convene’s GRC Housing Network hosted our webinar on How Great Housing Governance Teams Run Board Evaluations in Week. Thank you to all the attendees and to those who asked insightful questions. We look forward to ongoing conversations with all current and future participants!
Our hosts Arturo Dell, Gemma Walford and Fiona Mercer delved into the contextual landscape of housing in the UK. Housing associations are urged to work on keeping up with data and asset management, safety and compliance oversight, financial risk management and their overall leadership.
Our solution to help housing associations excel is Convene Assure – a future-proof board evaluation platform that delivers actionable improvement.
Context
Governance in Housing Data
- Mission and values
- Strategy and delivery
- Board effectiveness
- Control and assurance
Skills in Housing Data
- Housing sector skills
- Professional skills
- Contemporary skills
2024 Top 5 Contemporary Governance Risks
- Environmental, social & governance
- Director & executive transition
- Stakeholder & community engagement
- Cyber security
- Workforce and culture
Risk 1 Example: Environmental, social & governance
Board Assurance: An average rating of 64%
Director Capabilities: An average rating of 37%
A response to Risk 1
Boards:
- Embed ESG in all that you do, including Strategic Planning, Succession Planning and Recruitment, Policies and Procedures etc.
- Measure and Report key metrics to key stakeholders
Directors:
- ESG Training, Insight and Education
Top Tips from Our Hosts
- Recognise the importance of genuine commitment to an annual Governance Review and Development process.
- Understand the importance of regular trending and benchmarking.
- Plan for Board succession and induction by identifying needs and ensuring Directors take ownership of their Development Plans.
Trending: Comparing current and previous results.
Benchmarking: An annual event or time when the data is examined. What does the gathered information tell you? What risks were identified?
Convene Assure
If you’d like to explore a more efficient method of board evaluation that leads to improved governance, we’re inviting you to join our free Housing Board Association Cohort.
We are recruiting small & medium housing associations wanting to evaluate their main board this year. CEOs, Co-Secs, Chairs & Governance leaders can apply and nominate their main board.
Please note that spots are limited so if you want to stay regulation ready with Convene Assure, book a meeting now!
Skills Assessment and Matrix
Getting an accurate representation of your board’s skills and weaknesses can be difficult.
How do board members or directors accurately score their abilities without underestimating or overestimating their expertise in a particular area?
Unlike other skills matrices, Convene Assure asks groups of questions per skill to get a comprehensive grasp of that specific area. Your understanding of the skill, relevant qualifications and experience in that field are taken into account to give an accurate result.
The final set of data is then objectively mapped which includes skills and gaps that also support succession planning according to the regulatory guidelines and expectations.
Board Governance Questionnaire
Convene Assure enables housing association boards to conduct structured, relevant governance reviews that meet regulatory expectations and organisational best practice. This decreases the need for manual questionnaires and spreadsheets with an automated and evidence-based system.
Action Planning
Accurate data allows for effective learning and improvement. Convene Assure’s aim is to ensure that housing associations can refine their governance practices based on well-founded evidence. That’s why the Action Planning feature was designed. By generating and suggesting actions based on your results, it can assign and monitor progress to ensure improvement. It’s not about data alone but the changes you make with it.
‘By using the platform’s data effectively, we can strengthen board effectiveness and support the development of contemporary governance, aligning with our organisational improvement agenda.’
Justin Bryant, Company Secretary, Community Housing
Ensuring Data Security
Like other organisations, housing associations need to keep their data safe and secure. Convene Assure protects sensitive information from being distributed across inboxes and shared drives. Your data is protected in local enterprise-grade AWS centres, supported by SOC and ISO security certifications.
Convene GRC Network
The Convene GRC Network is a place for:
Knowledge exchange: An opportunity to share with other experts and learn from best practice from the sector and elsewhere.
Questions: Ask questions in our trustworthy environment under the Chatham House Rule.
Unique perspectives: A focused space where board members and officers can gather with mutual understanding.
Community: Meet regularly via online webinars and in between meetings through LinkedIn.
- Connect:
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