The Strategic Excellence Network is a resource for anyone working in housing who wants to plan AND deliver more effectively.

SEN aims to increase your organisational capacity to develop effective plans and enable their delivery. It does this through this website, regular email updates and briefings, and a programme of workshops and seminars. SEN is supported by a network of experienced associates and practitioners through the SEN Advisory Group.

We aim to:

Take the hard work out of translating emerging national and regional policy into local policy and practice through our briefing papers and weekly updates

Provide you with the policy context for you to consider within strategy and plan making, through web links and expert commentary in policy

Enable access to up-to-date intelligence (data and research) on which to base your approach, through our research section

Enhance your knowledge and skills in strategy and plan development and delivery from undertaking research to option appraisal to commissioning through guidance and good practice

Put you in touch with others who are developing a similar approach or have developed best practice through member questions and answers (Q&A)

Improve performance and value for money You can learn from others through inspection reports and our work on efficiency

Provide tailored consultancy support when you require independent and specialist input to complete an area of work. You can find out more about our services in in-house support.

Many people and partners are involved in the process of developing housing strategies. The website is designed for easy access for those who have a specific interest, for example homelessness or private sector housing, while those with responsibility for the strategic process will recognise the common themes.

Information within each section of our website can be found under the headings:

Access and Choice: The role of housing services to increase access and choice not only to housing (for example through choice-based lettings), but to other services that will contribute to a person's health and wellbeing, eg, health, education and employment.

Enabling New Housing: Enabling new open market and low-cost home ownership and affordable homes to rent

Private Sector Housing: Maximising the contribution private sector housing makes to a balanced housing market, from intervention and investment to developing relationships

Regeneration and Renewal: Approaches to intervention in the housing market at all levels from sub-region to neighbourhood

Social Housing: Enabling the best use of existing affordable housing to rent through investment and management

Strategic approach: The process of strategy and plan development

Housing Support: Enabling people to live independently: support can play a different role for different people

Homelessness: Preventing homelessness and providing high quality services in the event of homelessness

If you are interested in becoming involved in the SEN Advisory Group please contact us at sen@hqnetwork.co.uk or 0845 4747 004.