Short Course: Embedding human rights legal duties in social housing provision
Course A - Human Rights and Housing for Public Authorities
Starting in February 2026, BIHR is excited to be running a new, 3-part open course focused on understanding The Human Rights Act 1998 and the legal duties it places on public authority staff working in the social housing sector to take a human rights-based approach in their work.
The deadline for applications is 29th January 2026 - click below to send us a booking enquiry.
Reserve your place at the taster session on 20th November Open Course: Housing and Human Rights for Public Bodies
Why is BIHR running this training programme?
The last year has seen important developments in the housing sector, such as the Grenfell Inquiry, Awaab’s law, and reports from the Housing Ombudsman Service about growing mistrust between landlords and tenants due to mishandling of disrepair. All of these developments point to a lack of consideration for the human rights of social housing tenants, from not addressing real health and safety concerns, mould and damp, or complaints procedures. Enjoying the home we are in is an essential component to our human rights.
Not only this, but under the HRA, public authorities, housing associations and those providing social housing are legally required to respect, protect and fulfil human rights across all of their actions, decisions and policies. BIHR would like to use our expertise in human rights to support public authorities in understanding how human rights fits into their work, and how they can take a human rights-based approach to their decision making to provide the best service possible. This 3-part training course will provide foundational knowledge on the HRA, as well as relevant case studies, examples, and practical tools to implementing human rights into your work.
BIHR is a leading provider of human rights capacity-building support in the UK. We have decades of experience training staff to feel confident in their understanding of the Human Rights Act and to increase their ability and accountability to uphold people’s rights in practice.
Who is this course aimed at?
This course is aimed at public bodies working in the social housing sector. This could be those working for a local authority in their housing department, social housing associations, or social housing landlords. We have a separate course for people working in third-sector charities and organisations who support people accessing social housing. You can find out more using the button below.
This is not open to individuals paying for themselves. Bookings must be made by the organisation who can put forward up to 10 suitable candidate(s) – this is because we believe that to achieve meaningful practice change there needs to be a commitment to a human rights-based approach from the wider organisation.
What will the course cover?
This course aims to enhance the knowledge and confidence of public bodies working in the administration and provision of social housing to uphold their legal duties under the Human Rights Act and build a culture of respect for human rights in their service. The ultimate aim of this programme is to ensure that social housing tenants have their human rights respected, protected, and fulfilled.
Over three workshops, participants will:
- Learn about the Human Rights Act, the legal duties it puts on public officials, and how it works alongside social housing legislation.
- Apply key human rights in the provision of social housing, with an exploration of how difficult situations can be navigated by balancing rights.
- Adopt new practical frameworks into the application of policies and processes to guide rights-respecting decision-making across their organisations.
Participants will receive a certificate on completion of this 3-part programme - attendance at all three workshops is required to qualify for this.
BIHR’s expertise is in the Human Rights Act and how it applies in practice, including alongside other relevant legislation.
Workshop 1
18th February 2026
10:00am - 12.30pm
Workshop 2
4th March 2026
10:00am - 12.30pm
Workshop 3
18th March 2026
10:00am - 12.30pm
Course Costs
£430 per person*.
Discounts:
- 10% off for block bookings (book 5 spaces and any additional spaces will get a 10% discount, up to 10 spaces per organisation.)
- 5% off for returning BIHR clients (since 2020).
*No VAT is payable on our fees. As a registered charity, BIHR is an eligible body under the VAT Act 1994, Schedule 9, Group 6 and our provision of education and training is therefore exempt from VAT.
How to apply
Step 1: We encourage organisations to send us a booking enquiry through our online form. To complete this form, you’ll need to be someone within your organisation who has the authority to book a training course for up to 10 people and/or to have support from a relevant senior leader.
Step 2: BIHR will then get in touch with you by email to check suitability and confirm details.
Step 3: If BIHR has confirmed that you can proceed with your booking, we will then ask you to register up to 10 participants online via Ticket Tailor and, when registering, either make payment by card or request an invoice. (Registration and payment will need to be completed no less than 4 weeks before the first workshop.)
We are accepting booking enquiries until [Date and time]. There is a limited number of spaces on the course, and bookings are made on a first-come, first-served basis. If we reach the maximum number of participants we may close bookings early.
Open Course: Housing and Human Rights for Public Bodies Book a place at the taster session on 20th November
If the online application form is not accessible to you, or you would like more information about this programme, please email us at training@bihr.org.uk with the subject line ‘Housing Open Course’.
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