CDS is a unique organisation with a special mission – to provide, support and promote co-operative and community-led housing to see more people living and working in co-operative ways. We are a registered provider of social housing, a managing agent for financial and housing management services to small landlords and we are innovating ways to make community-led housing more widespread in England.
This is a great time to join the Board at CDS. We are unique in the housing sector with our mission to provide, support and grow co-op and community-led housing. At the same time our organisation, like so many others, is grappling with a widening gap between income and costs with the pressure of higher building safety, decent homes and environmental standards added to the general economic forecast for high inflation and market volatility. But we’re also changing and growing in exciting ways: we are launching the first technology-driven, Procurement Act-complaint repairs and planned maintenance framework of its kind; we are creating a new impactful investment vehicle to provide private renters fair, resident controlled homes; and we have established the ground-breaking Co-operation in Social Housing Commission, working with the London School of Economics and others to transform the relationship between landlords and local communities. To help us boldly navigate these challenges and opportunities, we are looking for a new board member who will help us hold fast to our mission and our ambition for cooperation and community-led housing whilst being realistic and determined in how we apply our resources to the task.
This board member will also serve on our Finance, Audit & Risk Committee, scrutinising and overseeing our annual budget, thirty-year business plan, internal audit programme, strategic risk register and other vitally important aspects of CDS’s governance and overall management.
We are committed to continuing to improve our practice around Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. We encourage applications from all, but especially from people who identify as Black, Asian or minority ethnic, LGBTQ or disabled, with lived experience of inequality.
Commitment
Our Board has four scheduled board meetings each year. These take place in the evening (currently starting at 5pm) at our offices that are a 10-minute walk from London Bridge station in Central London. We also hold an annual strategy day in person and Finance, Audit & Risk Committee meetings are held online quarterly. Whilst we provide an induction and periodic training to Board members, all Board members are expected to ensure they understand our business and to prepare for these meetings by reading, researching and questioning. There may be other opportunities or needs for additional meetings, joining a task-and-finish group or other board responsibilities that may arise.
The appointment
Board appointments are generally a three-year term that can be renewed for a total maximum of six years.
Closing date: Monday, 28th July 2025 at 8am
Interviews: Wednesday, 13th August 2025 (in person at our Central London offices)