Birmingham and Solihull IAG network recently commissioned a piece of research aiming to explore the extent to which the social housing sector delivers IAG services to their clients, their awareness of the wider IAG network and their needs in relation to enhancing their own capacity to deliver IAG.  The report was researched and written by Moriom Kamir.

Data was collected both through questionnaires and through structured interviews / visits.

Key findings included:

• Only 29% of Housing Associations felt their employees had the necessary skills/experience to provide IAG services to their clients
• This is in line with the 31% of associations that held IAG resources, prospectuses etc
• 60% of associations felt that IAG services would be beneficial to their clients

The report concludes with a proposed action plan for the network to engage more effectively with this vital sector. This reflects the desire by housing associations to provide / enhance their IAG services through training offered by the network and the opportunity to access resource funds.