Particular highlights were Unison Housing’s sophisticated approach to wellbeing and their ’empowerment at the heart’ philosophy. The entry included many inspirational descriptions of how a not-for-profit can challenge resource constraints to provide elite-level support, such as the ‘Thriving Leadership Community’ and the innovative use of on-site private psychology sessions. This is particularly inspirational given the challenging nature of the homelessness sector, where staff are daily exposed to crisis and systemic housing shortages.

This is a genuinely moving entry, and one that carries a weight of purpose that few organisations in any sector can match. Unison operates in some of the most emotionally demanding conditions imaginable: supporting people experiencing homelessness and housing crisis. The decision to make “people” a named strategic objective for the first time signals a maturity of leadership thinking that is both timely and impressive. That this work is happening in a not-for-profit community housing context, where resource constraints are real, makes it all the more commendable.