Shaping the future of social housing through digital

I’ve had a varied career spanning a range of sectors. After starting in HR at Rolls Royce, I transitioned into operations at Sky Media, where I honed my skills in change management and digital transformation. Overseeing teams of engineers, I quickly became interested in the role technology played in shaping operations and customer service. My work at Sky culminated in leading the launch of Sky Q into the Home Service function —a highly complex and transformative project. This experience sparked a deep appreciation for how digital solutions can revolutionise services, something that has guided me in my future roles.

Improving residents’ experience

I then joined the National Trust, overseeing volunteering, community participation and inclusion for a large network of c60,000 volunteers while trying to integrate and get the most out of legacy digital systems. One of the big things this role taught me was how to maximise the potential of outdated technologies while advocating for innovation in resource-constrained environments.  It was during this time that I also first got involved in housing. I became the trustee of a charity connected to housing-related poverty, which drove my passion for the sector and desire to make a difference in people’s lives.

Today, I apply all the lessons and skills I’ve learnt, as well as my passion for housing, as the Strategic Organisational Capability Director at Magna Housing, a provider in the southwest of England. My role covers People and Culture,, IT, digital strategy, and project management, allowing me to focus on driving transformation across the organisation.

One of my main priorities at the moment is improving customer service in the organisation and wider industry. Having worked in the private sector, I’ve seen firsthand how much higher service standards can be. Unfortunately, in social housing, where there’s a range of pressures and resources can be tight, expectations are sometimes lower, and this disparity can affect the impact of our work. I believe we must raise the bar.

Our residents deserve the same level of service and care as any other industry, and this motivates me to drive the change we need. This ambition aligns with our four key strategic priorities at Magna: digital services, data and decision-making, future skills, and collaboration and partnership. These goals shape how we approach transformation, ensuring that our efforts are not only digitally driven but also focused on the long-term needs of our customers, colleagues, communities and the environment.

Overcoming legacy systems

The biggest challenge in achieving these goals is our reliance on legacy digital systems. When I arrived at Magna, I inherited non-integrated technologies that made it difficult to deliver efficient services, and we’ve been working hard to fix that with the support of TPXimpact. Together, we’ve developed a future-proof digital strategy that will allow us to use data better, improve decision-making and deliver better service.

This sort of strategic approach is already significantly impacting our work, especially when it comes to challenges like damp and mould. When cases from other providers began to make headlines, we wanted to make sure our existing processes were equipped to sort out any issues quickly and efficiently. But we initially struggled with the fragmentation of our data, which had led to inefficiencies in identifying the areas and people who needed urgent attention. Working with TPXimpact, we recognised that a standalone approach to damp and mould only created further bottlenecks. Instead, we’ve begun integrating damp and mould management into our overall repairs and maintenance framework, treating it as a core part of our fix service. This holistic approach will allow us to streamline processes, avoid duplications, and ensure that our resources are directed to the most urgent cases

By also improving our service mapping and using data-driven decision-making, we’ve been able to ensure urgent cases receive the immediate attention they need. We’ve also discovered through this work that many of the customers most affected by damp and mould are not reaching out for help. The creation of a psychographic segmentation model has allowed us to identify customer needs and we will seek to implement inclusive design enabled through technology, making sure they get the service they require. It’s through innovations like these that we can better serve our residents and guarantee their homes are safe and healthy.

A collaborative and innovative future

Looking ahead, my hope for the housing sector lies in a future driven by both innovation and collaboration. The challenges we face, from the housing crisis to compliance with new safety regulations, are too vast and complex for any single organisation to take on alone. One of the most critical shifts I’ve observed—and hope to see continue—is the growing willingness within the sector to move beyond individual egos and towards genuine collaboration. Too often, we operate in silos, holding onto our own methods and solutions. But I believe that the real solutions will come from a system-wide approach, where housing associations, government bodies, and external partners work together transparently and share their successes and failures.

Digital transformation in social housing is an ongoing mission, but I’m optimistic about the future. With the right tools, a collaborative approach, and a clear focus on the needs of our customers and colleagues, I believe we can revolutionise housing services, creating homes that are not only safe and efficient but also truly supportive of the people who live in them.

Hear more from Ami and other industry experts at our upcoming Digital Forum on digital strategies in housing design, delivery and management. Register now at: https://pages.tpximpact.com/en-gb/digital-forum