Time & Location

11 June 2026, 10:00 – 17:00 (Registration starts 9:00)

Holiday Inn Regents Park, Carburton Street, London W1W 5EE

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​​​​​Cost

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• EARLY BIRD (BOOKINGS RECEIVED BY 27 FEBRUARY 2026): £280 + VAT (TOTAL £336)

• STANDARD RATE: £300 + VAT (TOTAL: £360) 

• THIRD AND SUBSEQUENT DELEGATE RATE: £150 + VAT (TOTAL: £180)

​*Third and subsequent delegate rate applies if purchased with 2 STANDARD rate tickets. 

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About this Conference

A must-attend conference for all local authority homelessness and allocations professionals.

 

IN 2018 we saw significant changes in the way Housing Options Services work. This came about with the introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act in 2018. Despite the aim of reducing homelessness we have seen significant increases in homelessness and officer workloads due to a backdrop of rising demand and shortage of affordable housing, bringing huge challenges to every local authority. 

THIS conference has been designed to offer practical advice and solutions in the areas of homeless prevention as well as what the future may hold with the introduction of AI. You will hear from leading national experts in the areas of homelessness, allocations and IT.

 

THIS conference will give delegates:
 

An insight as to whether AI can help reduce homelessness and assess homeless applications 
Best practice on how to use the Renters Rights Act to help prevent homelessness from leading experts
Confidence in how to improve the effectiveness of your housing options service which is based on lessons from several service reviews
Details of recent developments in allocations and homelessness case law in the County Court, High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court
Expertly written one page flowchart detailing what the Housing Act 1996 looks like following changes brought in by the Renters Rights Act
First hand details as to how to learn the lessons from complaints received by the Local Government Ombudsman 
Great guidance on how to develop Local Action Plans to prevent homelessness and end rough sleeping

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Main Speakers

Toby Vanhegan, Barrister at 4-5 Grays Inn Square Chambers

Toby is described by the Chambers and Partners Directory as “a thorn in the side of local authorities”. He is well known for his knowledge and  experience in homelessness law and was a co-author of “Homelessness and Allocations” which is probably the leading practitioners’ book on the subject. He has a particular interest in eligibility and  EU free movement law in the context of the housing law. Toby has appeared in the Court of Justice of the European Union and represents clients in the European Court of Human Rights. He appears regularly in all sorts of courts and tribunals, including the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and the High Court, especially the Administrative Court. He is part of 4-5 Grays Inn Square Chambers whose barristers are noted experts in housing, landlord/tenant and residential & commercial property disputes.  Toby is in Band 1 for Social Housing, and his Chambers are ranked as a Tier 1 Set.
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JOE KANE-SMITH, Associate Director at PPL

Joe leads PPL’s housing and homelessness work; and has extensive experience of reviewing homelessness and allocations services. Joe joined PPL from Crisis, where he developed their consultancy service, managed a GB-wide practice network of 25 local authority homelessness services; and provided homelessness research, policy and subject matter expertise to The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales (now the “Homewards” programme). He is the Independent Chair of Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole’s Homelessness Delivery Board.

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ANDY GALE, Housing Consultant

Andy is one of the best known names in the field of homelessness and lettings. He trains and advises local authorities around the country. He has a wide range of local government experience having worked as Housing Needs Manager for Harrow Council and with the DCLG. He has also become an expert advisor on how to use the private rented sector to prevent homelessness or to discharge. Andy has worked with many local authorities to help them become ready for the Homelessness Reduction Act.

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​MINOS PERDIOS, Reviews Manager at Housing Reviews Ltd

Minos has personally carried out over 5,500 S202 reviews on behalf of local authorities and his work has been commended in both the County Court and Court of Appeal. He also provides one of the most well received training for homelessness officers who find his training not only ‘very practical’ but also ‘entertaining’. He has also carried out audits of local authority homelessness services and knows what makes an outstanding homeless service. Minos has also developed Aplos Housing Resources, a software solution that makes the work of housing options officers simpler. ​

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Workshop Presenters

BEN REEVE-LEWIS, Founder Member & Strategic Case Manager Safer Renting

Over 36 years Ben has worked variously as a homelessness case worker, head of homelessness, s202 reviews officer and Tenancy Relations Officer. He is co-founder of Safer Renting, a non-profit housing advocacy service for 12 London Boroughs and 3 in Suffolk.He has been a trainer of housing law for frontline workers since 2000 and is currently visiting lecturer in housing law at Greenwich University. ​

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JOE KANE-SMITH, Associate Director at PPL

Joe leads PPL’s housing and homelessness work; and has extensive experience of reviewing homelessness and allocations services. Joe joined PPL from Crisis, where he developed their consultancy service, managed a GB-wide practice network of 25 local authority homelessness services; and provided homelessness research, policy and subject matter expertise to The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales (now the “Homewards” programme). He is the Independent Chair of Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole’s Homelessness Delivery Board.
 

​EMMA HENLEY, Director of Services & FADZAI DZIMWASHA, Head of Growth at Greater Change

Emma is the Director of Services at Greater Change. Emma comes from a background in the charity sector where she has worked for the last 15 years. She has previously worked in international development, youth organisations and more recently spent 8 years working frontline in the homelessness sector, managing London's only day centre for young people at risk of or experiencing homelessness. 

 

Fadzai is the Head of Growth at Greater Change, and has over 15 years experience in the fundraising sector. She currently manages our relationships with Local Authorities, and leads Greater Change's public sector developments. 

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ELAINE KERR, Assessment Manager, & MICHAEL VERYARD, Investigator at Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman
Elaine is an Assessment Manager at LGSCO, having been an Investigator for over 5 years prior. As an Investigator, she specialised in housing complaints, including joint investigations with the Housing Ombudsman Service. Before joining LGSCO, Elaine worked at a City Council in various housing roles, including resettlement and housing options.

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Michael is an investigator at LGSCO. Before joining LGSCO he had a career spanning over 35 years working in various local authorities covering all aspects of the housing service including allocations and homelessness.

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Panel Members

HARRY REID, AI Workforce Specialist at Microsoft 
Harry is an AI Workforce Specialist at Microsoft specialising in Local Government & Housing. Harry has spent the last 4 years at Microsoft working closely with customers focussing on Modern Workplace solutions. Prior to Microsoft, Harry worked for a specialist Microsoft Partner leading the Local & Regional Government business. 

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PROFFESOR MICHAEL SANDERS, Director at School of Government, Kings College London
Michael is Director of the School for Government at King’s College London and a Professor of Public Policy at the Policy Institute at King’s. His research has three main strands: the use of causal methods and particularly randomised trials to evaluate policy interventions, the use of behavioural science in policy design, and increasing social mobility and opportunity.

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​DANIEL FERLANCE, Head of Housing Needs and Support at Southwark Council

​Daniel is a longstanding housing professional with deep experience across key elements of housing and homelessness law, including direct involvement in two successful Court of Appeal case wins. Daniel has led multiple local authorities and sub‑regional transformational programmes, driving strategic improvement and system change. He also chairs the London Councils Thematic Prevention Group, shaping pan‑London approaches to early intervention and homelessness prevention. Daniel is currently overseeing Southwark’s trial on the use of AI, helping to modernise service delivery and strengthen decision‑making across Housing Needs.​

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Representative, EY

Details to follow.

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Representative, Barking & Dagenham Council

Details to follow.

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Who Should Attend

• Homelessness/Housing Options Officers and Managers

• Reviews Officers

• Housing Policy Officers and Managers

• In-House Solicitors

• Lettings/Allocations Officers and Managers

• Housing Associations responsible for making homelessness and suitability decisions

 

Programme