Managing reputations in the housing sector
If your reputation has been undermined or is at risk within or outside of the media our experienced team of reputation management solicitors can help you protect your reputation.
Housing providers are frequently confronted by situations that pose a risk to their reputation. These can range from operational issues, high-profile inquiries, controversial decisions, critical media coverage and covert filming, by the way, of example.
Due to the position of housing providers in our society, it is imperative that housing providers safeguard themselves against risks to their reputation, while taking into consideration steps to be taken to protect and support their staff and retain the confidence of stakeholders and tenants.
The way in which organisations interact with social media is just one way an organisation needs to consider in its approach to reputation management. Within minutes of an incident happening, social media can come to life, portraying its own embellished and distorted view, and an organisation’s failure to act quickly and appropriately can lead to long-term reputational damage that has the potential to spread wide and far.
At Anthony Collins Solicitors, our specialist team of reputation management solicitors work in partnership with our clients to defend against reputational risks and limit the reputational damage they can cause. We also have strong relationships with PR companies with whom we work to help manage the risk to reputation.
Our extensive knowledge and experience in the housing sector ensure that we can advise and inform your response to any challenge facing your organisation. Our knowledge of the sector means that we can identify the risks quickly and help you develop a strategy to respond to and effectively manage a rapidly developing situation.
Our reputation management service
Our experienced reputation management team, work in partnership with our clients to support them through times of reputational risk, including:
- Issues to do with defamation.
- Negative press coverage relating to the standard of housing provision and disgruntled tenants and their families.
- Social media posts from disgruntled employees, former employees or tenants and their families.
- Critical events such as the sudden death of a tenant, service user or individual visiting property owned or managed by a housing provider.
- Liaising with relevant stakeholders such as the Police, Local Authority, MPs and the Homes and Communities Agency following reputation management issues arising.
If your organisation finds that they are the subject of a negative newspaper story, a TV broadcast, online content or critical event, you will need expert and appropriate legal advice on managing the situation, communicating with the media, preventing ongoing or future damage to your reputation and if necessary taking legal or other action.
Provisions within the Housing and Planning Act that remove the need for housing associations (“HAs”) to obtain consent from the Regulator to dispose of social housing (as well as to merge or enter new group structures) come into force on 6 April.
Such freedoms will allow HAs greater flexibility over how they use their assets and, potentially, how they structure their businesses. Our expert panel gathered to discuss the possible opportunities the deregulatory measures offer, together with the likely hurdles. Read the outcome of their discussion here.
