Clerk’s personal experience of the new Housing Qualification

A clerk of a registered almshouse charity with 16 properties is nearing the completion of her Level 4 Housing Course with the CIH and thought other members may find it useful to hear about her experience of the course so far. Note, the qualification is only applicable to Registered Providers.

She writes:

About the Course

  • The basic year-long level 4 Housing Course with the CIH comprises 6 modules on various aspects of housing management and is delivered through ‘Moodle’ (an online training package).  
  • Around 8-9 weeks is allowed to complete each module with no breaks in study unless modules are completed before the due dates.
  • There is limited online contact with the other course attendees via online forum- based activities.
  • Completion of each module comprises a written assignment of around 2-3000 words plus quick online activities to submit via Moodle.  
  • Provisional pass or fail results (not grades) are released around a month after the closing date of each assignment, with three attempts allowed to complete each stage.   
  • The course guidance suggests that 8 hours a week study is needed to get through each of the modules that comprise the course, but this may not be enough.  

Costs

  • The basic package which currently costs £2410 (costed £2250 in September 2023) includes limited contact with a tutor via Moodle messaging.*
  • The deluxe package with 6 online study days with a tutor costs £2930. *

*Note, prices vary from approved centre to approved centre

Clerk’s Personal comments

It has been hard to complete the course whilst still working and at times the charity’s work has suffered. My trustees have been extremely supportive through this process increasing my hours to cover the extra work.

Whilst I have cursed a lot at the volume of reports and housing law to read, the course has been interesting and I feel more confident about my responsibilities and can see where the Charity needs to make changes for the future.    

Thank you Tina, for sharing your experience.

Note: The Almshouse Association has argued hard for longer periods for clerks to qualify and an exemption for trustees, proposing that our members have 4 years from April 2024 to start the qualification and 4 years to complete the course.

The consultation with Government is still not confirmed. We will update you as soon as we hear.

posted 20 June 2024