WHAT DOES ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, GOVERNANCE MEAN TO CGI?

For CGI, as a global business and IT services firm, ESG means being accountable and operating as a responsible and ethical company on behalf of our three stakeholders—clients, consultants, and shareholders. More than ever, ESG initiatives are part of this stakeholder dialogue. For us, this means employing our expertise in collaboration with our clients, educational institutions and local charities to improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of our shared communities.

economical partners. ESG dialogue is vital to building clear and effective engagement that fosters collaboration. Integral to this is continuous feedback from stakeholders that then integrates into the decisions we make demonstrating how feedback influences our strategic direction.

responsibility as a global company to engage in business practices that are ethical and in compliance with the letter and spirit of all applicable laws and regulations.

Being engaged as an ethical and responsible company means we understand the scope of our broad ecosystem which includes many collaborators such as suppliers, local community organisations and industry

So how do we know what it is we want to achieve to meet our ESG goals? Our ESG strategy is clear, Environmental – we aim to accelerate the transition to net zero as a company. Social – we champion digital inclusion for all citizens, taking actions locally to improve access to technology and business education and mentoring to help everyone be successful in a digital society. Governance – we lead with trust and transparency. We recognise and embrace our

At CGI, we strongly believe in conducting our business practices responsibly, and ethically and being accountable to the environment, society and governance while ensuring that everyone can positively benefit from the empowering and innovative impacts that our technology solutions deliver - through our commitment to ESG.

Mashbo Project Aims Drive Up Standards In The Social Housing Sector

Liverpool-based software development consultancy, Mashbo, is calling for professionals in the social housing sector to help it collaboratively develop a new platform that will increase transparency and drive standards up in the sector.

Tenat is an automated and fully integrated system that keeps vital property documentation and information all in one place, making it easier for social landlords to check, ensure compliance and to provide transparency to social housing tenants.

Its aim is to level out the sector by allowing tenants to have simple, stress-free access and clear visibility of their own financial responsibilities, alongside the governance and maintenance responsibilities that their social landlord has to them.

Social housing, lower cost rented housing stock provided by landlords - often local authorities and housing associations – who are registered with the Regulator of Social Housing, is supposed to be the UK’s accessible and affordable solution.

However, recent cases have shown that this is not the case and that growing numbers of those living in social housing are not living in homes that meet expected standards of living, nor are they receiving the service they should from the landlords who are responsible for their properties.

Such examples include the case of Awaab

Ishak, who died in 2020 as a direct result of black mould in the flat he lived in in Rochdale, an issue that had been raised repeatedly by the child’s family with the housing association that owned the property.

As well as maintenance and safety deficiencies, other challenges faced by social housing tenants include poor communication and inadequate procedures, unfair allocation of rented accommodation, unreasonable demand for rent payments and vague, nonspecific, or unclear rental agreements, which leave tenants exposed to additional costs or at risk of exploitation by unscrupulous landlords.

Mashbo MD, Gavin Sherratt said: “Recent cases have starkly highlighted that the social housing sector needs urgent levelling out. As well as better legislation to protect tenants, improvement in how people’s homes are managed to ensure greater compliance and accountability is desperately needed. We believe that automation is the key to levelling out in this sector.”

Through liaison with professionals in the sector, Mashbo has identified an appetite from within the industry for change. While negligence and exploitation play an obvious part in some cases, the housing sector has also faced budget cuts, the impact of the pandemic and staffing issues, with property professionals overworked and overwhelmed by day-to-day administrative tasks, causing tenants who need help sometimes to slip through the net.

Tenat’s transparent and fully auditable system tracks and records the history of each property and all connected communications, providing full transparency and safety for all users and leaving underhand and unscrupulous landlords with nowhere to hide. Mashbo is also working towards the creation of a property audit hub that allows the management of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) requirements, recording and reporting on all these elements of a landlord’s portfolio.

Gavin added: “There are many professionals in the social housing sector that are actively calling for change and the help to implement it. They are committed to their ESG responsibilities and want a fairer system for all.

“These are the people we want to work collaboratively with to develop Tenat. Our business strives to build things people use and the input of sector experts is vital to this. By working together, we can ensure that Tenat resolves the most pertinent challenges they are facing.

“As a platform that is still in development, we want to build this project with the knowledge and understanding of current frustrations, challenges and risks being faced by both tenants and professionals in the sector, so we can help to drive the long-term digital transformation of the sector that will improve transparency, accountability and ultimately improve – and potentially even save - lives.”

If you are a landlord, agent involved in social housing, a social housing tenant, or an investor interested in our mission please contact us via hello@tenat.io.

Find out more at tenat.io