A group of people sit around a table with lots of paper and worksheets for a client voice workshop. They are all talking to each other.

Listening And Learning From Our Clients And Tenants

Listening to our clients and tenants and creating opportunities for them to share their opinions and influence how we do things is important to us. So much so, it is one of our four strategic business priorities. Across Southdown, there are lots of great client involvement activities happening – within our support services across Sussex […]

Fatboy Slim is in the foreground. Behind him is a red Shaun the Sheep sculpture and people with smiley face sheep masks

Ewe OK Joins Fatboy Slim on Fundraiser!

Clients from our UOK Brighton & Hove mental health service, the Wellbeing Hub at Preston Park, joined Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim, on his half-marathon walk across Brighton and Hove in aid of local hospice, Martlets. This month, residents and visitors to the city will have noticed some very colourful and unique Shaun the Sheep […]

A white woman with auburn hair and wearing a pink t-shirt smiles broadly

One Year On – Reflections from the Chair of our Board

When I took over as Chair in September 2022, it was all change! I was the longest standing Board member with three years’ experience; one third of the Board had only joined that month. In addition, there were two new subcommittee chairs – Helen Tuddenham (People, Pay and Culture Committee) and Simon Nunan (Audit and […]

Image is of a white box on a purple background with the white Southdown logo. Inside the box it says, "2023 Top 30 Employer for Working Families"

Southdown Named Top 30 Family-Friendly Employer in UK

We are delighted to announce that the national charity for working parents and carers, Working Families, has announced, for the eleventh year running, that Southdown has been awarded a place on its prestigious and competitive list of top family-friendly employers in the UK. Employers large and small from across the public, private, and third sectors […]

Red and white and black logo with letters O and M and words Oliver's Campaign

Government seeks views on learning disability and autism training

In the media, you may have seen news on a Government consultation, launched today, on new learning disability and autism training being developed for health and care staff nationally. The training is named after Oliver McGowan, a young autistic teenager with a mild learning disability who sadly died after having a severe reaction to medication […]

An image of Brighton Palace Pier with blue skies and big white clouds in the background, and pebble beach in the foreground.

Supporting the Care, Support and Social Housing sectors as a local Councillor

Southdown’s Chief Executive, Neil Blanchard, publishes an open letter he sent to recently elected councillors in Brighton and Hove.

Together with Tenants is written in black and there is a blue infinity sign logo

Southdown Sign Up To Together With Tenants

Southdown signs up to the National Housing Federation’s initiative called Together with Tenants to improve and strengthen the relationship between residents and housing associations.

A white man is holding adapted bathroom equipment whilst a white client in a wheelchair watches him. The lighting is low and atmospheric.

Southdown Responds To Decrease In Social Care Funding

In a white paper on adult social care reform published in December 2021, ministers pledged to invest “at least £500m over the next three years to begin to transform the way we support the social care workforce”. However, the Department of Health and Social Care said on Tuesday that plans for a “new care workforce […]

an animated image with a blue loud speaker and the words 'Speak Up' in white.

Freedom To Speak Up Guardian Appointed

Southdown Board Member, Tara Osbourne-Wallace, has been appointed as Freedom To Speak Up Guardian as part of our commitment to a ‘speak up’ culture in the organisation. Tara tells us why speaking up is important and how employees, tenants, clients, family members and carers can raise any concerns they have through an independent channel: Southdown […]

Funding Awarded To Upgrade The Energy Efficiency Of Homes Across The Country

As part of a consortium of social housing providers, led by the UK’s largest housing association, Clarion Housing Group, we have been awarded funding to upgrade the energy efficiency of our supported housing across Sussex. In total, the consortium was granted £48.9million as part of the Government’s £3.8bn Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF). The grant […]

A beautiful old courtyard with some plants and shrubs

Board Members Visit Learning Disability Support Service

A few weeks ago, two Board members accompanied Southdown’s CEO, Neil Blanchard, to one of our Learning Disability Support services in West Sussex. Our Board comprises 12 people with many years of collective experience in strategic management, housing, health, and social care. They meet regularly to ensure that Southdown continues to run well, delivers on […]

A man wearing a checked shirt holds hands of a woman dressed in a bright pink dress

Southdown Increases Base Pay Above Real Living Wage

Southdown increases base pay above Real Living Wage.