Chartered Institute of Housing validates Anglia Ruskin degree

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) have given their stamp of approval to Anglia Ruskin University's new Foundation Degree in Management of Social and Affordable Housing.

The decision means that Student Membership of CIH is available to anyone on the course, and this can be upgraded to Corporate Membership (MCIH) upon graduation.

The Foundation Degree is ideal for upskilling and providing staff with the knowledge necessary for meeting the challenges presented by the rapidly changing sector. The course is 'blended work-based learning' with one optional workshop per module on Anglia Ruskin's Cambridge campus and tutor-supported online learning.

Roger Keller

Head of Education at the Chartered Institute of Housing

The panel was unanimous in praising the University for the development of a programme which is both flexible and firmly based on the needs of local employers combined with meeting the CIH membership requirements.

Anglia Ruskin's Skills Development Consultant, Tom Taylor, explained that the new Foundation Degree stands out from the crowd because it has been developed in consultation with the sector, in order to develop the key management skills required in a rapidly changing world.

Tom Taylor

Anglia Ruskin's Skills Development Consultant

With this course we took a new approach to developing skills in housing. We consulted with the sector and found a very strong demand for the practical skills that enable people to respond to a rapidly evolving environment - for example change management, leadership, commercial awareness, project management, customer service and multi-agency working.

It struck us that the sector was asking for a course that covered diverse subject areas; perhaps unsurprisingly given the complex nature of housing. We decided that this was a great opportunity to bring together our expertise in Social Policy, Social Work, Business and the Built Environment in order to design a new programme that reflects the needs of the sector.

Tom is also confident that the Foundation Degree's combination of work-based learning and on-campus tutorials will strike the right balance for those within the sector.

He added that they found that many people liked the flexibility that work-based learning can offer. Housing is very people-focused and they wanted to be able to physically meet and interact with their tutors, guest lecturers and fellow students.

The two-year course currently costs £2,500pa and Anglia Ruskin is offering start dates in May and September 2011.

For more information visit our Social Housing pages or contact Higher Skills@Work by emailing higherskills@anglia.ac.uk or phoning 0845 196 5992.