CHC Governance Conference 2026 - Meeting the Moment: Leadership fit for a Changing Wales
We are living through a period of profound transformation. Social expectations are shifting, economic pressures are intensifying, and the political environment continues to evolve. For housing associations, these forces are converging in real time—reshaping the way we deliver homes, engage with and support tenants, and plan for resilient, future-focused organisations.
In this moment of change, the role of boards has never been more crucial.
This governance conference invites board members, governance professionals and senior leaders to come together and reflect on what it will take to meet the moment: to understand the scale of the shifts facing our sector, to explore what they mean for strategic leadership, and to ensure that our governance frameworks are fit for the Wales of tomorrow.
Grounded in the sector’s culture of excellence and commitment to communities, this event is designed to help boards not just respond to change, but lead through it—delivering clarity, stability and ambition at a time when these qualities are most needed.
Join us as we equip Wales’ housing sector to meet the moment with confidence, purpose and vision.
Draft programme
8.30am Registration and networking breakfast
10am Introduction and chair's welcome - Alison Thorne
10.10am Opening address | Meeting the moment, homes for every future
Alison Thorne
The upcoming election brings more than just new MPs and redefined boundaries—it brings a pivotal shift in political dynamics. While the landscape is changing, one thing remains constant: the power and influence of robust local relationships rooted in people and place.Your work within communities is the most powerful tool we have to demonstrate the impact of investment and to argue for bold change. Join us for this interactive session to map out what the new electoral map means for your community, and to reflect on how to use your local expertise to navigate the national agenda. Don't watch change happen— drive it.
10.20am Keynote | People, Power and Progress: How to Build the workforce the Future Demands
Maddie Skennerton and Alexa Highfield, PwC UK
Identifying the workforce challenge is easy; responding to it is where the real work begins. In this session, we strip back the corporate jargon to tackle the "how" of workforce transformation. We’ll look at the current trends squeezing the Welsh housing market and ask: what must senior leaders do now to make their organisations a magnet for talent? From cultural shifts to structural redesign, we explore the essential checklist for leadership teams looking to build high-performing, future-proof workforces that can deliver for our communities.
10.50am Panel | The Cultural Blueprint: Aligning Leadership, Diversity, and Psychological Safety
Stuart Ropke (CHC), Maddie Skennerton (PwC UK), Pip Gwynn (Insight HRC) and Beacon Cymru
High-quality services are built on trust, respect, and a commitment to doing the right thing. This session explores how internal workforce culture directly impacts the fairness and dignity residents experience in their homes. We examine how inclusive leadership and Board-level transparency create the environment needed for staff to excel. Learn how to foster a workforce that doesn't just meet standards, but exceeds them—reflecting the communities we serve through a culture of courage, diversity, and excellence.
11.30am Coffee, networking and exhibition viewing.
12pm Keynote | Homes: for every future
Lord Victor Adebowale
By 2026, nearly one-third of the Welsh population will be aged 60 or over. People living in the most deprived communities are nearly four times more likely to die from avoidable causes.
As CHC campaigns for Homes: for every future to be a political priority in May's Senedd election this key note session will take a big picture look at the ingredients needed for big, bold system change.
12.40pm Lunch, networking and exhibition viewing
1.45pm Workshops
1) From insight to action
Jo Valentine, Welsh Government and Nigel Ireland, Barcud Shared Services
Understanding sector wide risk and how it relates to your organisation is a key part of the risk puzzle. This session will set out a sector wide analysis to help build understanding about what to look out for and how to prepare. The big challenge lies in how leadership teams interpret and act upon those threats. This workshop will explore the vital relationship between the Board and the Executive team. We will examine how a shared understanding of risk can move an organisation from passive compliance to proactive, risk-aware decision-making and consider the tools and questions that Board members might ask to ensure that the risk assurance framework drives actions and behaviours across the business.
2) Homes for every future: harnessing the political will to end the housing emergency
Clarissa Corbisiero, CHC
The upcoming election brings more than just new MSs and redrawn boundaries—it brings a high-stakes shift in political dynamics. While the landscape is changing, one thing remains constant: the power and influence of strong local relationships rooted in people and place.
Your work in communities is the most powerful tool we have to evidence the impact of investment and make the case for bold change. Join us for this interactive session to map out what the new electoral map means for your community and reflect on how to leverage your local expertise to shape the national agenda. Don't just watch the change happen—drive it.
3) Briefing zone: Legislative changes - what you need to know
Elly Lock, CHC, and Gemma Bell, Devonshires
With the legislative landscape in Wales moving at a rapid pace, staying compliant requires more than just a quick scan of the news. This essential briefing, led by Elly Lock and the legal experts at Devonshires, provides a definitive roadmap of the changes affecting social housing in 2026.
4) From Values to Practice: Building Board Cultures That Deliver Change
Afshan Iqbal, CCHA
This interactive workshop will explore how boards and senior leaders can turn values into action and create organisational cultures where diversity, equity and lived experience genuinely shape decision-making.
Drawing on learning from the GIH and Pathway to Board diversity projects and recent HACT results, the session will examine signals of change, including workforce culture, creating safe spaces for challenge, and how values filter through organisations from board to frontline.
Designed for senior leaders and board members, the session will provide practical insight into what works, what happens next, and how to sustain progress, with clear, actionable takeaways for board practice.
2.30pm Coffee, networking and exhibition viewing
2.55pm Keynote | Shifting power, stronger voice: Leading through the 2026 transition
Will Hayward
With the 2026 Senedd Elections approaching on 7 May, the Welsh housing sector must find its collective voice to ensure that ‘Homes for every future’ isn't just a slogan, but a reality.
Join us for this essential session to navigate the most significant shift in Welsh politics for 25 years. With the Senedd expanding to 96 Members, new boundaries and a new voting system, the rules of engagement have changed. This session will provide the latest intelligence on the movements, manifestos, and mandates that will define the next decade of Welsh housing.
3.25pm From manifesto to mission
In conversation with Will Hayward and Fiona Meldrum
3.45pm Closing address
Gerraint Oakley, CHC Chair
4.10pm Workshops
1) The regulatory evolution
Sandy Murray, Cris McGuiness (ClwydAlyn)
What can we learn from new regulatory approaches. Join this session to hear from two evolving models including feedback from the regulatory pilots in Wales and a view from England.
2) AI and rising expectations - Ethics and governance
Guy Marshall
Ethics in AI is not about stopping innovation; it is about building a foundation of trust that allows innovation to scale safely. But we face a critical question: How do we innovate without eroding trust? This session moves beyond the "hype" to provide a practical framework for ethical AI adoption that protects vulnerable tenants and aligns with Welsh social values.
3) Decarbonising our homes
Iwan Trefor Jones (Adra) and Owain Israel (Codi)
We know what we need to do to reach Net Zero, but how do we pay for it without leaving our tenants behind? This session moves past the technical blueprints to tackle the difficult questions of equity and cost. During this session, we will debate the tension between rent levels, investment in stock, and fuel poverty. Featuring unique insights into embedding the tenant voice from day one, we ask: Is a "just transition" truly possible when budgets are squeezed? Join us for a candid discussion on how to balance the books while ensuring every tenant has a voice in the green revolution.
4) Navigating the New Welsh Language Standards: Governance, Risk and Opportunity
Rhys Evans, Ateb Cymru
Join Ateb for an insightful look at the new Welsh language regulations. Rhys from Ateb will guide you through the next steps in implementing the new standards, highlighting both compliance risks and the opportunities to strengthen connections with tenants and communities.
The session will explore what effective governance looks like in practice, outline key next steps for Boards, and share best practice approaches to organisational adoption.
Attendees will gain practical insights to help their organisations embrace these changes with confidence and clarity.
4.55pm Conference close