Whether you are a family of two or a family of ten, having access to affordable housing is an important part of finding a forever home for you and your loved ones.
With deep roots in the city of Gloucester going back over 100 years, Gloucester City Homes is an independent housing association that is committed to investing locally.
As a social business, GCH aims to create jobs and opportunities by working with partners and community organisations to support people in the greatest need.
Passionate about helping tackle the housing crisis and bringing affordable new homes in and around Gloucester, GCH not only invests in the community, but in its people too.
A people-centric business
GCH prides itself on being a great place to work and has recently won the Best Place to Work Award at the Gloucestershire Live Business Awards 2023.
The social housing company champions a ‘People Strategy’ that focuses on three key areas: Attract, Enable and Include. Working in the social housing sector can be a rewarding job that you may not have thought about doing, and GCH aims to attract and retain colleagues who want to make a real difference in local communities.
Through building a culture of trust, empowerment and learning from challenges, GCH gives its people the freedom to take forward ideas and continue to help build an inclusive environment where everyone can unlock their potential.
From key housing professionals and tradespeople, to finance professionals and marketing, the social housing sector has a range of roles available that can enable you to start a new career or develop your profession even further, all while giving back to the community of Gloucester.
Through being recognised as a great place to work through independent accreditation from Best Companies, and winning Employer of the Year at the annual Housing Heroes Awards, GCH continues to provide a welcoming and enabling environment for all its colleagues through a range of initiatives, such as:
Employee benefits
Based on colleague feedback, GCH has recently introduced a new benefits package that includes 30 days of leave regardless of your role, two annual volunteering days, a well-being support package and a benefits portal.
Aiming to make working more flexible to help ensure a strong work-life balance for its people, GCH has also moved to hybrid working and has invested in a new collaboration hub. In recognition of the cost of living crisis, the company also offers financial well-being advice sessions, as well as a benefits package for accessing medical costs and shopping discounts.
On top of offering a competitive pay award year on year, GCH also holds companywide events, celebrations and rewards to celebrate its hard-working colleagues.
Development opportunities for staff
With more companywide colleague development ideas in the works, such as the Customer Commitment training programme, employee training and development opportunities are an important part of life at GCH. Currently, 72 colleagues have undertaken formal training over the past year, equivalent to 41% of the organisation.
Of these qualifications, 18 were Level 2, 3 or 4 and a further 14 colleagues have been enrolled on CIH (Chartered Institute of Housing) Level 3, 4 or our ‘Housing Professional Passport’ courses.
One GCH employee who has taken advantage of the training and development opportunities is Emma, she said: “I’m really grateful to have been given the opportunity to undertake an ILM level 5 through GCH. Working towards the qualification has enabled me to learn new skills and further develop existing ones. I will also have a highly recognised qualification that supports my continuous professional development.”
Colleague voice
GCH has a strong commitment to colleagues’ well-being and aims to empower them to do what they believe to be the right thing for all customers.
Two key employee groups, Colleague Voice Forum and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Network, which drive internal communications, provide colleagues with a voice and deliver events and campaigns throughout the year. This can range from discussions around menopause to awareness campaigns for Race Equality Week and volunteering at Pride in Gloucestershire.
A monthly ‘Link Live’ event is also held, where colleagues come together in person and remotely to catch up with the month’s news from across all teams. The annual all-colleague event that also takes place, focuses on key topics arising in the sector, while also celebrating the successes of GCH colleagues that year.
To find out more about the opportunities to become involved in the social housing sector, visit the Gloucester City Homes website here.
