Study of Housing Professional Education and Training in Wales Welsh Assembly Government – a Study of Housing Professional Education and Training in Wales
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Housing Research Report HRR 07/04 - December 2004 Welsh Assembly Government A Study of Housing Professional Education and Training in Wales Welsh Assembly Government – A Study of Housing Professional Education and Training in Wales Further copies of this document can be obtained free of charge from: Helen Wyatt Research and Information Unit Social Justice and Regeneration Department Welsh Assembly Government Cathays Park Cardiff CF10 3NQ Tel: (02920) 821718 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.wales.gov.uk/ ISBN 0 7504 3661 1 © Crown Copyright 2004 Designed by CartoGraphics Typesetting by Text Processing Services ii Welsh Assembly Government – A Study of Housing Professional Education and Training in Wales Contents 1 Introduction 1 2 Results of the Postal Survey 3 Review of Courses in Wales and UK Postgraduate Course 4 Stakeholder Views and Perspectives 5 Postgraduate Housing Education at Cardiff University 6 Black and Minority Ethnic Groups 7 Conclusions and Policy Options iii Welsh Assembly Government – A Study of Housing Professional Education and Training in Wales Welsh Assembly Government – A Study of Housing Professional Education and Training in Wales 1. Introduction Background to the study sponsor, normally the employer. The “Better Homes for People in Wales: A Assembly is committed to providing about National Housing Strategy for Wales” £94,000 of funding for the 2002-03 and contains the Welsh Assembly Government’s 2003-04 intakes of students. Following the vision for housing in Wales: completion of an initial assessment of the student bursary scheme in 2001, the "We want everyone in Wales to have the Assembly Government concluded that a opportunity to live in good quality, affordable, more wide-ranging assessment of housing housing; to be able to choose where they live professional education and training should and decide whether buying or renting is best be undertaken. for them and their families.” For this reason the Assembly Government High quality housing professional education commissioned ECOTEC Research and and training is vital for all those involved in Consulting in Summer 2003 to undertake a the management and development of review of housing professional education social housing. “Better Homes” makes clear and training in Wales. that the Assembly Government will continue to encourage social housing Aim and purpose of the review landlords, in close partnerships with higher The aim of the project was to evaluate education institutions and the Chartered housing professional education and training Institute of Housing, to enable housing provided across Wales by specifically: professionals to access the education and training they require. Clearly, professional • Identifying local authorities and education and training needs vary across registered social landlords’ (RSLs) need Wales and are best assessed and met by for housing professional education and housing organisations at local level. training; However, the Assembly Government plays a role in ensuring that housing • Assessing the provision of housing organisations have easy access to housing education and training in Wales; training and development facilities of a high standard. Funding from the Social • Identifying the extent to which the Housing Management Grant Programme is provision of services and Assembly used to help carry out this role. funding is meeting the needs of social landlords; Currently the Assembly Government is grant funding Cardiff University to provide • Assessing the opportunities and options student bursaries for its Postgraduate to enable black and minority ethnic Diploma (PGDip)/MSc Housing course. The (BME) students and housing bursary covers 50% of full-time student professionals to undertake housing costs with the remainder met by the education and training; and 1 Welsh Assembly Government – A Study of Housing Professional Education and Training in Wales • Recommending options for future Cymru and the CIH in England), Shelter Assembly Government funding. Cymru, Housing Potential and Peter Williams (the original architect of the Welsh As a part of this process the Assembly Postgraduate Housing Courses at Cardiff Government was concerned to specifically and now Deputy Director of the Council of examine whether: Mortgage Lenders). The study was also concerned to ensure that the needs of • The bursary scheme offers value for Black and Minority Ethnic groups were money and is adequately meeting the taken into account. Lastly, in view of the needs of social landlords outside South current Assembly Government support for Wales; and postgraduate study at Cardiff University, the study took an in-depth look at the • Funding might also be used to support Bursary Scheme. housing students and professionals undertaking courses at Undergraduate, The study provides background material on Higher National Certificate (HNC), Housing Professional Education in Wales Higher Education Diploma and other and establishes the views of those involved, levels. whether as providers or consumers. However, the study did not set out to Methodology assess the detailed demand for housing The methodology specified by the Welsh professional education and training, Assembly Government is summarised whether at postgraduate or other levels. below. This section sets out the reasoning This would need to be the subject of behind the approach taken and some initial further detailed studies in the context of detail on the work performed. The the developing strategy for Housing remaining chapters in this report provide Professional Education and Training. additional material regarding approach, results and conclusions drawn. The various stages of the research and the rationale for each stage are: The methodology employed in the study was directed by a desire to understand Stage 1: In order to gain as comprehensive what various courses are available to view as possible from social landlords, a individuals wishing to pursue studies in postal questionnaire was sent out to all housing in Wales and the extent to which Local Authority Housing Departments and the form and content of the study options the major Housing Associations in Wales are meeting the needs of the Welsh asking for background information on each housing profession. The views of the of them. The questionnaire also asked institutions providing the various study questions on: options as experts in housing professional education in a Welsh context were • Social landlord requirements for the considered to be highly relevant. The study professional education and training of also sought views from other interested their staff; parties, including: the All Wales Chief Housing Officers Panel (AWCHOP), the • The extent to which current courses in Chartered Institute for Housing (CIH Wales address their needs; and 2 Welsh Assembly Government – A Study of Housing Professional Education and Training in Wales • Views on the importance of Welsh based • the All Wales Chief Housing Officers research and postgraduate education. Panel (AWCHOP), Additional questions were asked about • the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH Cardiff University’s Postgraduate courses Cymru) and the CIH in England, and Black and Minority Ethnic issues. • Shelter Cymru, Additional views of social landlords were obtained at stage 2 of the study through • Housing Potential, and the All Wales Chief Housing Officers Panel. • Peter Williams of the Council of Stage 2: The second stage involved the Mortgage lenders (the original architect compilation of a comprehensive description of the Welsh Postgraduate Housing of all housing professional education and Courses at Cardiff). training courses in Wales, as well as taking a wider look at postgraduate courses in the Again a structured approach was taken to UK. This was to set Welsh provision in a eliciting their views on relevant wider context and provide a means of developments in the housing profession, contrasting the availability of different skills that are commonly lacking amongst study options in Wales and the UK. housing professionals and how to better Representatives of the following equip housing professionals with the skills educational establishments were they need. interviewed: Stage 3: The third stage of the report • University of Wales Institute Cardiff involved an in-depth assessment of the (UWIC) Cardiff University student bursary scheme. This part of the study draws on the • North East Wales Institute Wrexham evidence gathered in undertaking stages 1 (NEWI) and 2 as well as two focus groups of students. One group comprised current • Cardiff University students attending the MSc Course at Cardiff, the other former students from this • Coleg Gwent course. Stage 3 also involved detailed interviews and correspondence with Bob The interviews followed a structured Smith, Senior Lecturer in Housing and approach and had the objective of Director of the then Centre for Housing ascertaining the key issues facing housing Management and Development at Cardiff education in Wales, including: structural University. In view of its financial changes, how the sector should be involvement, the Assembly Government responding to a changing environment, specifically required this part of the study. recruitment to courses and the balance of It follows therefore that the research housing educational provision in Wales. focuses more heavily on this course than on others in Wales. It should also be noted Representatives of other relevant that other Welsh institutions have not been institutions