Level 4 Certificate in Housing

The CIH Awarding Organisation does not set entry requirements for its qualification. It stipulates that it may be beneficial for a learner to have:
• Experience working in the housing or a housing-related industry, preferably at a supervisory or management level.
• Achieved a level 3 qualification previously.
• Completed a management qualification.
Completed a housing qualification or a qualification from a related sector.

A blended delivery model combining remote learning with six full day face-face teaching sessions delivered locally in HICSA and/or in local housing provider offices in the North-East of England.

There will be one face-to-face teaching session for each of the six units supplemented by webinars delivered to a group of students. Recordings of the webinars to be available in Microsoft Teams. Teaching staff to facilitate online one-to-one meetings every four to six weeks to discuss the course content, progress with assessments and any required additional support and guidance. Site visits relevant to the course content arranged in consultation with SHINE (Social Housing Innovation North-East) housing providers and facilitated by the college to enable practical work-based research.

Progress review meetings held with housing providers every quarter to review learner performance and discuss any issues or concerns. A blended assessment approach will be adopted using a range of methods approved by the CIH AO and include academic posters, presentations, professional practice portfolios, professional discussions, and research reports. Research reports will have practical work-based themes and word count limits restricted to 1,000 to 3,000 words dependent upon the range of the learning outcomes and assessment criteria. Learners will work collaboratively to conduct research tasks and submit their own work within Microsoft Teams for assessment.

The expectation is that learners will have Level 2 Mathematics and English. The CIH Awarding Organisation does not set entry requirements for its qualification.

We are working in partnership with SHINE – Social Housing Innovation North-East to deliver housing qualifications. SHINE is a working group comprising the following local housing providers:

· Believe Housing
· Beyond Housing
· Bernicia
· Gentoo
· Karbon Homes

We are working with SHINE to deliver CIH Level 4 Certificate in Housing and CIH Level 5 Diploma in Housing. We anticipate to support one annual cohort of learners for each qualification over the next three to four years.

Learners must achieve six units (36 credits) in total, consisting of four mandatory units (24 credits) and two optional units (12 credits), to be awarded the qualification. The recommended guided learning hours for the qualification are 90 hours. The total qualification time is expected to be 360 hours.

Housing providers have requested a daytime delivery starting in February. The course is expected to start in February 2026 and be complete within a 12-month period. Employers have requested a blended delivery model to include six face-to-face all-day teaching sessions supplemented by remote learning and assessment.

Our housing programme caters for housing professionals who are in or are aspiring to a supervisory or management role and are working in housing or a housing related industry. We work in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Housing and local housing providers to deliver housing qualifications aligned to the achievement of regulatory standards and facilitate practical assessment by combining student study with their ongoing work activities.

The qualification is a level 4 vocationally related qualification for the housing sector, regulated by Ofqual. The objective of the qualification is to provide learners with the knowledge and understanding of housing practice required to deliver effective housing services at a management level. It may support entry and progression into senior housing management roles. Learners who successfully complete the qualification will become eligible for ‘certified practitioner’ membership of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). The qualification is suitable for learners who:

· Are in or aspiring to a supervisory or management role in housing.
· Already have a level 3 qualification and/or experience of working in housing or a related sector, preferably at a supervisory/management level.

Mandatory units:

· Housing law and regulation – Unit reference M/651/3053
· Housing policy – Unit reference R/651/3054
· Customer focus in housing – Unit reference T/651/3055
· Professionalism in housing – Unit reference Y/651/3056

Optional units:
· Delivering services to support health and wellbeing in housing – Unit reference A/651/3057
· Housing management – Unit reference K/651/3060