and say, ‘I’d like you to be the person with that strength in this team’, it can help them come into it with a clear sense of purpose in their role. Employees with a strong purpose tend to be great at their jobs. “When you develop something that has not been seen in the sector before, communicating this to staff who are used to more traditional forms of housing can be difficult. Our employees have helped shape and continue to improve the model and have bought into the purpose and intentions of Twenty11. “In a sector where there can be lots of negativity, the ability to develop something new that has not only engaged better with tenants but has lots of strong brand loyalty and positive feedback makes their jobs all the more satisfying. “Standing back and allowing the team to take the shop window, allows them to directly benefit from this better relationship with tenants and allows me to support where it is needed and not get in the way when it is not.” There are challenges on the horizon for the housing provider, the Renters Reform Bill for one. This threatens to change the Twenty11 model in terms of the type of tenancies, undertaking renewals, and use of possession grounds. Alan says: “The unintended consequences of these changes will provide a new challenge to overcome. We have, however, tested this model through a global pandemic and recession. These were not ideal sailing conditions, but having navigated them and come out stronger, we are pretty sure that we can meet anything that comes our way. “We remain positive as we are confident in Twenty11 and its purpose, so we are working with central government and local government leaders to influence these changes so they don’t end up doing more harm than good.” Alan isn’t someone who sits back and puts his feet up, as a digital first organisation, he is always looking at ways to improve Twenty11 and keep up with changes in technology to help improve the experience for tenants. He says: “We have not rested on a finalised model for Twenty11, it has constantly evolved from the feedback we have received and the learning from this drives change. It is a dynamic process that we don't plan to stop. It's one of the benefits that drove the formation of Twenty11 - the ability to enhance and improve the offer over an extended period of time. “Looking back, we faced many hurdles to find a place within the housing sector. In terms of the future challenges that we face, we are sure that we can meet them head on.” So, what does 2024 hold for Alan and his team? He says: “We are drafting our business strategy. It sets out big ambitions for the next five years to help us realise our vision of growth and expansion to further establish our new solution for the housing sector. Who knows maybe we'll become the Amazon for housing!? “First and foremost, our strategy focuses on creating a sustainable organisation with the ability to grow and bring the Twenty11 model to more tenants, across the broad spectrum of needs, from affordable to market rent, with shared ownership and homes to buy, benefitting individuals and in turn the communities in which they live. “Most of all we will continue to develop a model that is flexible to the changing circumstances of families during these economically challenging times.” Contact Details Contact: Alan Keers Company: Twenty11 Web Address: www.twenty11.co.uk
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