NFA Annual Conference 2026
Thursday 4 June 2026
Renewing council housing: Fit for the future
Programme:
09.15
Registration, refreshments and networking
09.45
Conference Chair’s welcome
Eamon McGoldrick, NFA Managing Director
09.55
Opening remarks from the NFA Board Chair
Paul Stephenson, NFA Board Chair
10.00
Opening keynote address
Building a sector that is fit for the future
Chair: Paul Stephenson, NFA Board Chair
Speaker: Gavin Smart, Chief Executive, Chartered Insitute of Housing
We work in an environment which is always constantly changing, but the pace of change over the last few years has been swift. From the macro-economic crises driving increased inflation and a cost-of-living crisis, to the ongoing legacy of Covid-19; from the new regulatory framework and consumer standards to the updated framework for decency and quality of the homes; the renewed focus and funding for new-build council housing versus the ever-increasing challenges of existing homes; the increasing complexity of the day job versus the opportunities of AI and technology.
In this session, Gavin Smart, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, will set out the context for the day, reflecting on how ALMOs and their partner local authorities can contribute to building a sector that is fit for the future.
10.30
Panel session:
Exploring the current challenges for council housing; how local authorities with ALMOs remain fit for the future
Chair: Eamon McGoldrick, NFA Managing Director
Panellists:
Susan Curran, Head of Strategic Housing, Barnet Council
Chris Hall, Executive Director – Community, Place and Economy, Somerset Council
Somerset Council has recently announced the expansion of its ALMO, Homes in Somerset, to deliver the housing management services across all its council housing stock following local government reorganisation. Barnet Council was recently awarded a C1 by the Regulator of Social Housing and delegates a whole suite of services to its ALMO, Barnet Homes.
In this session we will hear from two local authorities with ALMOs, looking at how they can remain fit for the future, and where the ALMO model can help meet the challenges facing council housing. The session will look at lessons for others, including those with local authority housing governance and assurance boards.
11.15
Refreshments and networking
11.30-12.50
Parallel Breakout Session – this session is split into 2 parts
1) Operational focus: Spotlight on…
11.30 – 12.10 – Data and AI in practice
Chair: Su Spence, Managing Director, Cornwall Housing
Speaker/s: Ian Cresswell, Director of Technology, Magenta Living
We are pleased to have Ian Cresswell, Director of Technology at Magenta Living to provide a case study of their data and AI transformation journey, talking about the practical learning points that ALMOs can take away for their own organisations.
2) Operational focus: Spotlight on…
12.10 – 12.50 – Delivering better services with fewer resources and rising expectations
Speaker/s: Tracey McEachran, Campbell Tickell
This session will look at how we deliver better services with fewer resources and rising expectations. We will explore the behavioural patterns shaping frontline housing services, and how stronger structure can support and facilitate better delivery for tenants, staff and stakeholders.
11.30-12.50
Parallel Breakout Sessions – this session is split into 2 parts
1) Strategic focus: Spotlight on…
11.30 – 12.10 – AI, Governance and housing – the questions Boards should be asking
Chair: Eamon McGoldrick, NFA Managing Director
Speaker: Guy Marshall, Director Fuza Ltd
In this session, we welcome Guy Marshall, an expert in AI, governance and the housing sector. Guy will look at the key areas that boards and involved tenants should know about AI, governance and social housing. Where are the risks and the opportunities? Where is the good practice? How can organisations, boards and involved tenants keep up-to-date in a really fast moving area?
2) Strategic focus: Spotlight on…
12.10 – 12.50 – Best practice in seeking assurance
Facilitators: Eamon McGoldrick and Paul Stephenson
This session provides an opportunity for board members and involved tenants to discuss best practice in board governance, assurance and regulation.
12.50
Lunch, socialising and networking
13.45
Council Housing: Lessons from the road
Chair: Paul Stephenson, NFA Board Chair
Speaker: Alistair McIntosh, HQN Chief Executive
Alistair will provide his perspective on the key learning emerging from regulatory interventions and inspections, and the HQN consultancy casebook. Where is the council housing sector now? Where do ALMOs fit into the picture? What are the opportunities for local government reform or struggling local authority services? How do ALMOs stay relevant and survive in a constantly changing environment?
14.15
In converstion with tenants
Chair: Caritas Charles, Head of Policy, Tpas
Speaker/s: Tatiana Jose, Resident Board and Group Board member, the Barnet Group
Nicky Richardson, STAR Housing Scrutiny Panel Chair
Nicola Davey, Colchester Borough Homes, Tenant Board member and Chair of the Resident Voice Group
This session will draw on the experience and insights from two tenant board members and a scrutiny panel chair from Barnet, Shropshire and Colchester. They will share their involvement in supporting their landlord to make sure the tenant voice is at the heart of decision-making, and that tenants are listened to; how their ALMOs have refreshed their structures and processes to improve the influence of the tenant voice; and their experiences as tenants on boards, looking at how organisations can make it easier for tenants to sit on boards, scrutiny panels and other governance structures.
15.00
Refreshments and networking
15.15
Plenary session – Making best use of stock
Chair: Lisa Birchall, NFA Head of Policy
Speakers:
David Firth, Head of Social Housing Allocations and Tenancies, Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Vikki Piper, Blackpool Coastal Housing
Karen Pimlott and Jax Hurst, Stockport Homes
In this session, we will explore the recently announced MHCLG review into the best use of stock in the social rented sector. We will hear from the policy lead from MHCLG on the review, before opening up to two ALMO case studies – Blackpool Coastal Housing and Stockport Homes – to share their reflections, experience and good practice.
16.00
Closing keynote session
Cutting through the noise: making sense of a rapidly changing world
Chair: Eamon McGoldrick, NFA Managing Director
Speaker: Mark Easton, Senior fellow at NatCen and former BBC Home editor
We are pleased to welcome the journalist, broadcaster and author, Mark Easton, back to our annual conference. Recently appointed as a Senior Fellow at the National Centre for Social Research, Mark will provide his expert analysis and insight into the rapid demographic, economic and social changes underway in the world. He will seek to support our audience to make sense of what is going on in the world, and what the trends in public attitudes mean for our members and the public sector more generally.
16.30
NFA Chair’s highlights of the day and concluding remarks
Paul Stephenson, NFA Board Chair
16.45
Conference close
*Programme subject to change.