What's on
Thursday 3 July

8.45am Registration, networking and exhibition viewing

9.50am Chair's Welcome - Sian Lloyd, presenter and journalist  
Powys Suite 

10.10am  Keynote: What does a socially cohesive Wales look like?
Emeka Forbes, Head of Cohesion, /together Coalition
Powys Suite

We’ve seen growing pressures on the bonds that hold our society together—from the cost of living crisis, housing insecurity, and widening inequalities, to the impact of polarising debates around migration, identity, and inclusion. And while these challenges are complex, the need for stronger social cohesion has never been clearer.

In this keynote, Emeka Forbes, experienced senior leader with expertise across policy, campaigns, communications and research., will share his perspective on what is needed for a socially cohesive Wales.

10.40am Panel session: How can we drive positive change and resilience in our communities in the face of social cohesion challenges?
Powys Suite

In this session, our panellists will take a more in-depth localised look at what social cohesion currently looks like across Wales. Where and how have challenges around social cohesion been overcome, and what challenges still remain?

In conversation with:

• Gerraint Oakley, Chair, Community Housing Cymru

• Chris Johnes, Building Communities Trust

• Alicja Zalesinska, Tai Pawb

11.50am Workshops

1. Placemaking and Pace – can they go hand in hand?

Garden 1

• Jen Heal, Design Commission for Wales
  
  

In this participatory workshop, the Design Commission for Wales will explore the opportunities, challenges and benefits of a placemaking approach to housing and how this can fit into an accelerated programme of housing delivery. We will cover the importance of building in placemaking considerations from the very beginning of a development to avoid unnecessary delay, build in long lasting value and meet the needs of future residents.

2. The Net Zero Hwb 

Garden 2

• Kate Jenkins, Energy Savings Trust
  
  

This session will provide an update on the Net Zero Hwb and allow you to share your suggestions for improvement. It will reinforce the importance of collaboration and working together across sectors, as well as sharing best (and not so) best practices.

3. Health and housing collaboration

Powys Suite

• Dr Dan Bowers and Dr Nyle Davies, University of South Wales
  
  

In this workshop, the University of South Wales will share the work they did with Linc Cymru (Pobl Group) on the reintegration of extra care tenants post covid and talk through the 5 key priorities for research in health and housing that have emerged from a recent housing focused consensus event:

• Thriving as a function of your community and housing

• Evidencing housing as a precursor to health outcomes

• Technology acceptance in social housing - particularly around retrofit

• Systems thinking, bringing health and housing together e.g. healthy housing alliance in Cwm Taf Morganwg UHB

• Adaptations - physical needs now and in the future
  
  

You will also be hearing about the training they have developed to help housing colleagues and how housing associations can access the research skills available at USW.

4. Talking about homes: helping you become a better communicator

Wedgewood

• Natalie Tate, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
  
  

The way we talk about homes matters if we want people to get behind our solutions.

Most people are concerned about the shortage of decent and affordable homes and support the broad idea that we need to build more homes. Yet we often face opposition when making the case directly to communities for homes to be built in their own locality.

Become a better communicator by joining Natalie Tate to gather practical guidance and tips to help you:

• Establish common ground and give people a reason to care

• Win hearts and minds by showing why new homes are needed

• Share a vision of the benefits of genuinely affordable homes and strong communities

2.00pm Panel: Green skills

Powys Suite

We know that in order to decarbonise at the pace and scale that is needed, we are going to need to increase the number of skilled workers in Wales. Housing associations can’t do that alone - we will need to work in partnership with a number of stakeholders to ensure the right courses and skills are developed.

In conversation with:

• Clare Sain-Ley-Berry, Cynnal Cymru

• Joshua Miles, Learning and Work Institute

• Siôn Hughes, Tŷ Gwyrddfai (Adra)

• Catherine Castillo-Soto, Travis Perkins

2.45pm Workshops

1. Behavioural Change: Transforming procurement practices to deliver procurement reform

Garden 1

• Jackie Leonard (CHIC) and Carl Thomas (Welsh Government)

This workshop aims to shake off the myths and misperceptions around public-sector procurement and reveal its true power as a strategic lever for delivering value and maximizing well-being outcomes for our communities in Wales.

We will start by tackling some of the common misconceptions around procurement, including why “procurement” often feels like a blocker rather than an enabler. We will then imagine the chaos of a world without procurement. Finally, we will discuss how socially responsible procurement can unlock value by reducing barriers for SMEs, maximising local job creation, championing sustainability and fair work, and promoting cultural inclusivity.

2. The Net Zero Hwb (2nd opportunity)

Garden 2 

• Kate Jenkins, Energy Savings Trust
  
  

This session will provide an update on the Net Zero Hwb and allow you to share your suggestions for improvement. It will reinforce the importance of collaboration and working together across sectors, as well as sharing best (and not so) best practices.

3. Growth for Good and Blaenau Gwent Flourish and Thrive

Powys Suite

• Claire Snook, SamKat

• Rachel Lovell, Valleys to Coast

• Andrew Myatt, Tai Calon Community Housing 

Hear the latest on these innovative projects about land use, community engagement and sustainability.

4. Collaborating towards a sustainable future: Engaging tenants on retrofit and decarbonisation

Wedgewood

How do you communicate decarbonisation?

From why we need to do it, to what tenants want to know, we'll examine research-based dos and don'ts to help you communicate retrofit works and decarbonisation with your tenants.

• Liz Jones, Cynon Taf Community Housing Group

• Holly Ingram, Blue Stag

4.10pm Keynote: How society is built, the people it leaves behind, and what we can do about it.
Dr Faiza Shaheen, International Inequalities Institute, LSE

Powys Suite

Dr Faiza Shaheen is an economist, writer, and political commentator and activist. With over 15 years of experience, she has produced research into the trends and consequences of inequality, as well as designing policies and campaigns to address the causes of inequality and exclusion.

Her book 'Know Your Place' is a personal and statistical look at how society and the economy are structured, what really defines your life chances and how our current system keeps us locked into an ugly hierarchy.

In this final keynote for the day, Faiza will talk from her own personal experience and expertise into how we can find hope and change in an unequal society. In particular, with Senedd elections on the horizon, what work needs to be done to bring hope back into our politics and local communities.

4.40pm Closing Reflections from Day 1 - Sian Lloyd

What's on
Friday 4 July

8.45am Registration, networking and exhibition viewing

9.30am Welcome and scene setting for day 2  - Sian Lloyd, presenter and journalist (Conference chair)
Powys Suite

9.40am In conversation with Lee Waters: Reflections and takeaways from the Affordable Homes Taskforce

Powys Suite

In November 2024, Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government Jane Bryant MS established the Affordable Homes Taskforce to expedite the delivery of homes within the Government’s current build programme and make recommendations to streamline the delivery of more homes for social rent in the long term.

Lee Waters MS, formerly deputy minister for climate change and lead of the taskforce, will join us to talk through the findings, recommendations and what they mean for housing associations.

10.10am Panel session

In conversation with:

• Caroline O'Flaherty, Hugh James

• Craig Sparrow, ClwydAlyn Housing

• Gemma Clissett, Lovell 

• Councillor Andrea Lewis, WLGA

11.10am Workshops

1. Two Sectors, One Vision: Building Better Together with Scale and Pace

Powys Suite

• Caroline O'Flaherty, Hugh James

• Sian Diaz, Lovell Partnerships
  
  

This session will explore where private and social housing can align for mutual gain and what both can learn from each other. 

Caroline O’Flaherty, Partner and Head of Hugh James Social Housing Team, will bring to life the stories from the front line of development in conversation with Sian Diaz, Regional Development Director at Lovell. Caroline will discuss with Sian her unique perspective from working for housing associations and housebuilders, examining larger sites to achieve scalability and where the challenges are in collaborating on sites in terms of funding and achieving scale.

Where does the focus need to be in order to reach that “sweet spot” that works for both RSLs and housebuilders to achieve what each would term success?

Caroline and Sian will discuss the challenges faced on schemes such as Plasdwr, a collaboration between Pobl and Edenstone, and explore Lovell’s view on partnership working, the current marketplace, and Welsh Government funding.

2. Harnessing Procurement for Decarbonisation and Social Value in Welsh Social Housing

Garden 2

• Tom Wilkinson and Andrew Thomas, Barcud Shared Services

Procurement is a vital tool for driving forward decarbonisation and delivering social value within the Welsh social housing sector. This session, Barcud Shared Services will explore how housing associations can use procurement strategically to meet Net Zero targets, support local economies and generate wider community benefits. It will also examine how the Procurement Act 2023 supports these ambitions, offering greater flexibility and clearer mandates to prioritise social and environmental outcomes.

3. What’s Strong, not what’s wrong: Trivallis’ journey to working with communities

Wedgewood

• Kieron Montague,  Executive Director of Communities

Join us as we explore how Trivallis is flipping the narrative—building on the skills, passions,and potential already alive in our communities. Discover how Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) is helping us grow lasting change from the ground up.

4. Tai Ffres: An innovative, alternative housing pathway for young people

Garden 1

• Amanda Oliver, United Welsh

• Bill Rowlands, Llamau

Tai Ffres is a youth housing service by United Welsh and Llamau where young people are offered a genuinely affordable home, with support if they want it. This is a bespoke and innovative service for those who do not meet the threshold for homelessness services, or where traditional supported accommodation services would not be appropriate.

In this workshop, you will learn about:

•  The roadmap to ending youth homelessness in Wales and young people’s views on the forthcoming homelessness legislation.

• The origin and operations of Tai Ffres

•  Insights gathered by Cardiff University from young people on the impact Tai Ffres the services have had.

• How insights are being used to develop further and tailor services.

1.10pm Keynote: Breaking Barriers, Building Futures - A Whole System Approach to Ending Homelessness
Amy Varle

Powys Suite

Amy is an incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic advocate for homeless people, having been homeless herself as a teenager.

Following on from her research into alternative housing options and innovative techniques being used in other parts of the world, Amy began passionately advocating for a ‘Housing First’ led approach towards homelessness in Britain. Sponsored by the National Housing Federation, she then published the in-depth strategy document ‘Social Property Investment: Pioneering Strategies for 21st Century Homelessness Prevention and Response’, sharing it with key policy makers including the Prime Minister and receiving positive attention from leading homelessness and social justice advocates such as the Big Issue and Amnesty International.

To date, Amy has directly provided homelessness solutions to over 1,000 individuals and 25 million savings following a 20/21 pilot evaluation.

1.50pm Workshops

1. Prisoners Building Homes

Powys Suite

• Sophie Baker, Prisoners Building Homes

• Jason Bassett, Dragonheart Homes

Prisones Building Homes (PBH) is an award-winning innovative programme which brings together the public and private sector to unlock land to deliver affordable, quality, low carbon, sustainable homes, while also providing job opportunities for prisoners to enable them to turn their lives around and reduce reoffending.

In this workshop, Sophie Baker, PBH Programme Manager, will talk through how it works and how your organisation can get involved, whether you are a public sector landowner looking to deliver housing or a housebuilder interested in working with prisoners.

2. Addressing overcrowding via loft conversion

Garden 1

• Mike Reardon, Loft Pro

• Eli Foxwell, Taff Housing

Recognising overcrowding as a key problem in their homes, Taff Housing recently embarked on a loft conversion program with Loft Pro to not only improve the quality of life for their tenants, but also enable families to remain living locally.

Hear about the experiences of both Taff Housing and Loft Pro on this project, including priorities, outcomes and lessons learned.

3. Culturally Appropriate Accommodation - There and Back Again

Garden 2

• Rhiannon Jones and Sonia Dixon

There and Back Again is a community interest company that holds roles for the Senedd's Cross Party Group for Gypsies and Travellers. This session will provide an open and honest conversation about the needs and experiences of this marginalised group, as well as ongoing work with Tai Pawb to pilot more appropriate accommodation.

15.00pm Closing keynote - Colin Jackson
Powys Suite