Derek Cash

Dereks's biography

Derek's first involvement in housing was as a council tenant’s son and then as a local councillor challenging poor landlord service and campaigning for greater resource. This led to the creation of a local housing association which could offer greater hope, new homes and better tenant services. Subsequently he facilitated it to become the first existing association in the country to complete a stock transfer from an ailing local authority.

He went on to establish from scratch two further associations in England and South Africa and laid the foundations for them to flourish into successful housing providers. He played a key role in overseeing two large scale voluntary transfers and ensuring the successor organisations kept their commitments to tenants.

Operationally he led a major catch-up repair and modernisation programme for 5,400 former council homes on time and within budget and created 1,000 new homes for rent and shared ownership utilising town centre brownfield sites and village communities. After establishing the concept of customer focus, best value and corporate planning into two large rural housing associations, he played a major role in their merger into a formal group structure.

He spent 5 years conducting inspections for the Audit Commission before reviving the fortunes and effectiveness of the National Housing Federation across the South of England and installing a new customer focus to the trade body.

He is now using his wealth of strategic, political and operational experience as a freelance consultant, he is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing and Vice Chair of GreenSquare Housing Group.

Relevant areas of experience

• Preparing organisations for inspection and driving continuous improvement.
• Working with residents, staff and board members to take them through change.
• Interim senior management or strategic performance management.
• Trouble-shooting - governance – communication - establishing customer focus.
• Intimate knowledge of asset management issues and housing services.
• Setting up new organisations and teams and getting the best out of existing ones.