Planning is underway for the 2021 annual Chief Officer
conference (incorporating the ARCH AGM) to be held on 4th and 5th
March 2021.
Unsurprisingly, with Covid restrictions still in place and parts
of the country under local lockdown, the 2021 event is expected to
take on a different format. We are planning on the basis of an
online conference but if circumstances allow will revert to our
normal conference venue and format.
Whether online or in person the annual Chief Officers
Conference, to be held again in collaboration with our colleagues
at the National Federation of ALMOs (NFA), will bring you the
opportunity for discussion, debate and networking and provide
valuable insight from key speakers on a range of topics.
Covid-19 has presented the sector with huge challenges and local
authorities and ALMOs have responded to those challenges to help to
tackle rough sleeping during lockdown, developing new and
innovative means of working to maintain services and help support
their tenants and residents during the crisis.
In the meantime, the Government have pressed ahead with
substantial reforms including the introduction of the Fire Safety
and Building Safety Bills, proposals for significant reform of the
planning system outlined in the Planning White Paper and the launch
of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.
We have seen the Housing Ombudsman introduce significant reforms
to the Ombudsman Scheme and the introduction of a new Complaint
Handling Code.
The Public Inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire continues, and
the Secretary of State has promised to bring forward the
long-awaited Social Housing Green Paper before the end of the year
already indicating that reforms will include further measures to
empower tenants and provide greater redress, better regulation and
improve the quality of social housing.
2021 promises to be a key year for the sector and delegates at
the 2021 Chief Officer Conference can expect key insights from
leaders in the housing world and local and central government as we
examine and address these and other key topics facing the
sector.
We will publish further details of the programme and how to
register for the 2021 Chief Officer Conference in due course, in
the meantime save the dates in your diary: Thursday 4th and Friday
5th March 2021.