SFHA launches ‘Brilliant Scotland’ project in partnership with Dolphin Index

Back in May, SFHA hosted a webinar with Mark Brown from the Dolphin Index titled, ‘Creating a Learning and Innovative Culture’, which can be viewed here. The webinar showcased the importance of creating a supportive, learning and innovative culture in the context of the pandemic alongside a longer-term view of how the housing sector can emerge from the crisis through shared learning about what makes a great housing association. The webinar also presented a new world where all Scottish housing associations can share and amplify the best of their thinking and creativity about opportunities and collaboratively tackle tough problems. 

SFHA is excited to bring you our Innovation and Future Thinking Programme’s next project, ‘Brilliant Scotland’ with Dolphin Index. The project will consist of two parts: part one – ‘The Big Learn’, which is about finding out our members' strengths and related good practices. Part two – ‘The Big Think’ will bring out our creative sides to help us share and solve the numerous tough challenges faced across the sector.

Below, you can watch Mark Brown chat about the project and what it means for you and your organisation.

Part 1 – The Big Learn 

Our goal here is simple: to find out which members currently have one or more strengths and related good/new practices – and, then, share and help embed those strengths and practices in all member organisations taking part in the ‘Brilliant Scotland’ project.  

Every participating member can, therefore, become as good as – or even better than – the best.  

Part 2 – The Big Think 

We don’t need to tell you that the sector is facing numerous challenges. So, as well as sharing and embedding strengths and best and new practices through the ‘Big Learn’, we also want to bring together, and amplify, everyone’s creative minds and thinking through the ‘Big Think’.

The Big Think will help us all to share and solve numerous tough challenges quicker – such as arrears, anti-social behaviour, getting repairs right first time, and renovating and building at net-zero CO2.  

What’s involved? 

The process of the Big Learn: 

• initial interview with the CEO of each participating organisation in order to understand organisational culture from a leadership perspective 
• an invitation for all employees, from across your organisation, will then be sent, inviting them to take part in the Dolphin Index. Staff will be asked to fill in an online questionnaire, used to assess innovation and organisational culture 
• upon completion, each organisation will then receive a tailored diagnostic report, based on employee feedback 
• SFHA will facilitate online group discussions which will allow employees to share their thoughts on innovation and good practice and explore the feedback from the report 
• each CEO will then take part in a follow-up discussion with the Dolphin Index in order to reflect on the strengths that have been identified as well as the opportunities for improvement. 

The outputs of the Big Learn will then be used to produce a final report and practical toolkit which will be disseminated among SFHA members as an opportunity for shared learning across the sector.  

This is an exciting opportunity, and we expect the demand to be high. We are offering a heavily discounted rate for the first 10 housing associations to sign up. To register your interest, or to simply find out more about what the project involves and how you, your colleagues, and your customers can benefit, please contact me by emailing innovation@sfha.co.uk

Get involved now and be a leader in culture change in the housing sector.

Dolphin Index has been praised for its work with other organisations:

“The Dolphin Index is an invaluable tool for helping us to benchmark against other top organisations, providing useful information on how we can keep becoming an even better and more innovative place to work. This insight has helped us deliver sector-leading digital services, make Great Places to Work’s top 10 list, achieve IIP Platinum and build a strong reputation as the home of innovation in the sector, where we constantly punch above our weight. 

“We love working with Mark and the Dolphin Index as a way to keep us on our toes, nourish and cultivate our innovative culture and spot opportunities for unlocking ideas that will lead to future success.”

Amina Graham, Former Executive Director Corporate and Customer Services, rhp

“The Dolphin Index has provided a really valuable insight into the culture of our organisation and its relationship to how people behave and think. We want to empower people to develop new solutions to problems and what we have learned is that we need to work hard to create the right conditions where this can flourish. The Dolphin Index has helped us to do this.”

Matt Cooney, Former Chief Operating Officer, PA Housing, now Group Chief Executive at The Community Housing Group

This is an exciting opportunity, and we expect the demand to be high. We are offering a heavily discounted rate for the first 10 housing associations to sign up. To register your interest, or to simply find out more about what the project involves and how you, your colleagues, and your customers can benefit, please contact me by emailing innovation@sfha.co.uk

The outputs of the Big Learn will then be used to produce a final report and practical toolkit which will then be issued to SFHA members to help facilitate shared learning across the sector. 

Get involved now and be a leader in culture change in the housing sector.