London Housing Foundation sponsors the Post Graduate Certificate in Housing and Homelessness: Leadership and Management run by London South Bank University. Cohort 8 have just started their course, and cohort 9, which is already full, starts in January 2022.
We asked Lyron Johnson, who graduated from cohort 7 in June 2021, what his views were on the course.
It is a great course. Although mentally challenging, we received a lot of support from the lecturers and other students. I am very glad I did it.
I was a new Locality Manager when I applied and now, I am a Regional Housing Manager so all of the elements were useful for me. I was always quite confident in my soft skills, but the course really helped me develop my harder skills: analysing my organisation not just my department; having difficult conversations with senior staff; learning to present effectively.
For example, previously I would have perhaps been overly focussed on my own team. I now have a more confident and outward looking approach as a manager and leader as I have a better understanding of how I need to work and influence outside of my department across the organisation. We need others and they need us. And understanding organisational culture is crucial in this.
My confidence has increased significantly. I now do not shy away from difficult conversations and feel more comfortable talking with senior members of staff. I also now see myself as a leader – which I don’t think was always the case. I can see the change that I can make and discuss initiatives in a constructive way. I did the presentation course as well and this has massively improved my presenting skills – no longer death by PowerPoint!
I’d recommend this course to any manager in housing. The fact that people at different levels and different organisations all take part adds to the value. It is not just housing associations but local government, central government and charities and providers. I now have an excellent network and we keep in touch.
