What's on
Thursday 3rd October

2.00pm Welcome to the future of Finance
Sophie Wint, Director of Finance and Procurement, Newport City Homes
@SophieWNCH

Powys Suite

2.15pm Workshops 

1. Exploring the social housing insurance market 

Garden 1

• Jill Jones, Gallagher
  
  

The social housing insurance market is currently in a delicate position, with signs that the hard market for property stock may be easing. Historically, there has been a limited pool of insurers providing property insurance for social landlords. However, over the past 24 months, several established providers have withdrawn from the market. This contraction has led many social housing organisations to seek new insurers during a time of reduced market capacity.

We’ll be exploring the latest developments in social housing insurance, focusing on risk management, coverage options, and strategies to ensure comprehensive protection for housing organisations.

2. Procurement reform: Opportunities for HAs and how to maximise them

Powys

• Carl Thomas, Procurement Reform Stakeholder and Policy Lead, Welsh Government

The public procurement landscape in Wales is changing. The legislative reforms being proposed will make Welsh public sector buying simpler, more flexible and transparent, whilst ensuring that contracting authorities to put social, environmental, economic and cultural well-being at the heart of their procurement activity.

This interactive session will encourage attendees to reflect on how they can elevate the profile of procurement within their organisations and embed the behavioural and cultural changes that will be required to ensure they maximise the opportunities associated with the reforms.

3. Strategic Asset Management

Garden 2

• Kieran Colgan, Director, Ark Consultancy
  
  

Gain insights into the strategic management of assets within the housing sector, focusing on optimisation, sustainability, and long-term planning to enhance the value and performance of housing portfolios.

3.20pm Workshops 

1. Exploring the social housing insurance market (Second opportunity)

Garden 1

• Jill Jones, Gallagher
  
  
  

The social housing insurance market is currently in a delicate position, with signs that the hard market for property stock may be easing. Historically, there has been a limited pool of insurers providing property insurance for social landlords. However, over the past 24 months, several established providers have withdrawn from the market. This contraction has led many social housing organisations to seek new insurers during a time of reduced market capacity.

We’ll be exploring the latest developments in social housing insurance, focusing on risk management, coverage options, and strategies to ensure comprehensive protection for housing organisations.

2. A guide through board assurance

Powys

• Ceri Victory-Rowe, Campbell Tickell
  @ceri_vr
  
  Effective board assurance is crucial for governance and risk management in housing organisations. This session, led by Ceri Victory-Rowe from Campbell Tickell, will guide participants through best practices in board assurance, helping them to understand how to provide robust oversight and ensure organisational accountability.

3. Mastering the boardroom - crafting impactful finance papers and enhancing presence 

Garden 2

• Sarah Prescott, Rhedyn Consulting
  
  

In this interactive workshop, you will learn tips on how to effectively communicate complex financial insights, craft persuasive board papers, and develop the effective presence needed to influence decisions at the Board and elsewhere.

4.45pm Keynote — Artificial intelligence: Preparing your organisation for its opportunities and mitigating risks
Dr Paul Dongha, Head of Responsible AI & AI Strategy, Chief Data & Analytics Office, Natwest

Powys Suite

Artificial Intelligence (AI) promises to create a revolution in how we work, interact with each other and potentially how we live our lives. Generative AI will have a significant impact across all industry sectors, incl., financial services, high tech, personalised medicine, healthcare and education.

Therefore, AI has the potential to change the anatomy of work, augmenting the capabilities of individual workers by automating some of their individual activities. In addition to improving productivity, it will require investments to support workers as they shift work activities or change jobs.

To deliver real value, companies must prepare to adopt AI, and this involves changes to IT infrastructure, data landscape, business processes, and most importantly, to how we interact with customers. However, AI also brings with it many safety and ethical risks that must be mitigated.

Gaining significant ROI, whilst benefitting the workforce, and improving lives for customers is not straightforward, and requires careful planning.

What's on
Friday 4th October

8.30am Registration, networking and exhibition viewing

9.15am Welcome to Day 2 - Sophie Wint, Director of Finance and Procurement, Newport City Homes
Powys Suite

9.25am Keynote Speaker - Economic and Political Backdrop: navigating volatile times with Daisy McAndrew
Powys Suite

Daisy McAndrew, a renowned journalist and political commentator, will provide an insightful analysis of the current economic and political landscape. In this keynote, she will explore the challenges and opportunities of working in a volatile environment, offering perspectives on how organisations can navigate uncertainty and prepare for the future.

10.00am Panel session: The benefits of getting you out of your lane

Powys Suite 

This panel will discuss the importance of working across the organisation and outside conventional finance roles. By understanding the bigger picture, we see opportunities to mitigate risks associated with global accounts and economic downturns. The discussion will focus on innovative approaches that have proven successful, drawing on the experiences of key industry leaders. Attendees will gain insights into how flexibility and adaptability can drive success in challenging environments.

In conversation with:

• Stuart Ropke, Chief Executive, Community Housing Cymru
  
  

• John Tattersall, Managing Director, Centrus Advisors
  
  

• Jayne Owen, Finance & Resources Director, North Wales Housing

10.35am Panel session: What is value for money? How do financial, social, and environmental factors affect our thinking?

Powys Suite 

This panel session will explore the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors in the housing sector, focusing on how organisations can achieve value for money while balancing financial, social, and environmental objectives.

The session will feature insights from key stakeholders, including housing experts and financial institutions, on best practices and innovative strategies for ESG implementation.

In conversation with:

• Sophie Wint, Director of Finance and Procurement, Newport City Homes
  @NewportCityH
  
  

• Anna Haskins, The Good Economy
  @TheGood_Economy
  
  

• Mike Welford, Quantum Advisory
  
  

• Adam West, Coastal Housing Group

11.30pm Workshops 

1. New and emerging risks and how finance professionals can be better aware of and equipped to deal with them

Powys

• Sion Lloyd-Jones and Tom Dye, KPMG
  @kpmguk
  
  

This session will delve into the latest cyber and resilience risks emerging within the financial business landscape and provide finance professionals with the knowledge and tools needed to identify, understand, and manage these risks effectively. Sion Lloyd- Jones and Tom Dye from KPMG will offer insights into proactive cyber risk management and how to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving and uncertain operating environment.

2. Is your treasury fit for purpose?  

Garden 1

• Aharon Donaghy, Clara Hurst and John Tattersall, Centrus Financial Advisors
  Centrus
  
  

This session will provide a comprehensive review of treasury functions, focusing on how to evaluate their effectiveness, understand external factors that impact treasury, and navigate the current challenges and opportunities. Participants will leave with actionable insights and best practices to ensure their treasury operations are robust and future-proof.

3. Pensions landscape

Garden 2

• Stuart Price and Mike Welford, Quantum Advisory
  @QuantumAdvisory
  
  

Pension actuaries and employee benefit consultancy Quantum Advisory will provide you with an update on all you need to know in relation to pensions for the housing sector. 

They will cover the recent defined benefit valuation results of the Social Housing Pension Scheme (SHPS) and provide their thoughts for the future, including the pending SHPS benefit review.  Changes are being made to the defined contribution section of SHPS next year and they will let you know how this will impact both employees and employers and what it all means.

For those employers that participate in the Local Government Scheme (LGPS) they will provide you with their views and thoughts on the up and coming 2025 valuation and what it could mean for employers in relation to contribution and how they can manage their obligations.

Finally, they will provide an insight in relation to mergers within the housing sector and also comment on potential changes to the UK pension regime and how this could impact employers and their employees.

4. Business Partnering Skills

Wedgewood

• Lloyd Powell
  @ACCANews
  
  

In today’s dynamic business environment, finance professionals need strong business partnering skills to drive strategic decisions. This session will cover the key skills required for effective business partnering, including communication, influence, and collaboration, ensuring finance professionals can add value across their organisation.

1.30pm Workshops 

1. Regulatory Update: The new financial viability assessment model

Garden 1

• Ian Walters, Welsh Government
  
  

2. What does merger mean for us?

Powys

• John Tattersall, Centrus Advisors

• Gerallt Jones, Hugh James

• Gareth Yeoman-Evans, Newport City Homes

• Simon Jones, Coastal Housing Group
  
  

This session will explore the recent trends in mergers within the social housing sector, examining the drivers behind these mergers, the challenges faced, and the opportunities they present. It will provide insights into the strategic considerations and implications of mergers.

3. How to establish a sustainable funding strategy

Garden 2

• Arun Poobalasingam, Director

• Andy Lynch, Credit and Risk Director

• Sharon Woodward, Relationship Manager
  
  

THFC will be talking about creating a sustainable funding strategy, covering how the current financial climate impacts on funding options, how best to build a relationship with your funders and what funders actually do with the information that RSLs provide them. 

2.30pm Funding Green Homes: Solutions for decarbonisation  
Sarah Cole and Carrie Satherley, Welsh Government

Powys Suite 

This session will discuss the financial solutions available to support the ambitious goals of decarbonising homes and delivering 20,000 new homes in Wales. Experts from the Welsh Government, including Sarah Cole and Carrie Satherley, will provide updates on funding mechanisms, investment opportunities, and strategies to meet these critical targets.

3.00pm Keynote speaker: Amar Latif, The Blind Guy who wants to show you the world
Powys Suite

Amar Latif will close the conference sharing the importance of resilience and how with a positive mindset anything is possible. He is really looking forward to his first trip to Llandrindod Wells.