Livv Housing returned to a G1 compliance earlier this year following a G3 downgrade in 2018. Philip Raw, chair of Livv Housing Group’s common purpose board, discusses the opportunities that now lie ahead for the Knowsley-based housing association
In the last four years, Livv Housing Group has been on an incredible journey from a downgrade to G3 all the way back to G1 compliance, a recovery that has taken place at remarkable pace.
Livv has been like a ship in harbour being repaired and repainted and now we’re emerging into the open seas with new engines powering us forwards, but where do we go from here and how do we keep up the momentum that has brought us to this point?
The organisation was downgraded to G3 by the Regulator of Social Housing in August 2018, and we have been on a journey ever since to restore belief and pride, both internally and externally.
Very few organisations like ours actually survive going down to G3, which is testament to the work done at all levels to not only survive but be transformed.
It’s an even greater achievement when you remember that so much of what has happened at Livv has taken place during a global pandemic, with the first lockdown coming into effect just as we were about to internally launch our rebrand at what would have been a pivotal staff conference.
Looking back at what has brought us from G3 all the way back to G1, the three key elements have been to have a clear direction, putting the right culture in place and working at pace through a complete restructure, rebrand, and redesign of the business.
Businesses that succeed are the ones that can maintain momentum, keep innovating and asking themselves the difficult questions, so it’s key that we can achieve this instead of resting on our laurels after achieving the upgrade.
Having that clear direction of travel gave the whole organisation a goal to focus on and now we are free to think much more positively about the future and look towards growth.
“Very few organisations like ours actually survive going down to G3”
This means not just seeking out potential partnerships but also increasing our housing stock through building, buying and converting stock.
It’s not an easy task in the current climate but we have proved we can innovate to solve problems like this.
The housing sector has huge questions to answer over the next few years when it comes to fire safety, net zero and the cost-of-living crisis, but I believe that the processes we have put in place will help us to be well-positioned to address these issues.
Having that foresight and preparation has been key to how Livv has made it through the pandemic, and I will always remember chief executive Léann Hearne reacting to the first COVID cases in the UK by immediately arranging to buy PPE.
That meant we were prepared for what came next as well as being in a position to donate PPE to local voluntary organisations to keep people safe in our community.
That spirit of responsibility and communality isn’t something we are going to lose now, either. We want to be an organisation that is an exemplar for bringing through change, and we’re happy to share our learnings and experiences to help others on that same journey.
Our upgrade has restored the pride of the staff in the organisation, meaning they can hold their heads up high in the knowledge that they’re working somewhere that is as good as the very best in our sector again.
It has been a privilege as well as a lot of hard work to be chair through this process. In July, I was finally able to thank staff in person at the staff conference and tell them what an amazing job they have done, from Léann and the executive team to every single person in the room.
The organisation lacked direction, energy, and clarity and all of that has been brought back in thanks to the refocus on the core tasks, the evolution of policies and procedures, and the positive leadership from the top.
We’re now out in the open seas now, and while there could be choppy waters ahead, Livv Housing Group is once again optimistic and excited about the future.
Image: Philip Raw, chair, Livv Housing Group
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