Echelon Conference – from decision-making under pressure to data standards
Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, a leading voice on decision-making in high-pressure environments opened the 2025 Echelon Conference.
She talked about her journey from a homeless teenager to becoming one of the UK’s most senior fire officers, earning a First-Class Honours degree in Psychology, a Master’s in International Fire Service Development, and a PhD in Behavioural Neuroscience along the way.
Decision-making under pressure
Sabrina, who is recognised internationally for her research into decision-making under pressure and serves as an Honorary Research Fellow and Professor at Cardiff University covered themes including resilience, seeing challenges as opportunities and using psychology to change perceptions.
Delegates were then able to choose from the three morning innovariums: Who Will Build Tomorrow, Clause and effect: The Procurement Act in Action and Behind the numbers: data driving better repairs.
Who Will Build Tomorrow?
Elly Hoult, President of the Chartered Institute of Housing and Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive of Peabody chaired Who Will Build Tomorrow? which focused on the role of apprenticeship in encouraging more people into the social housing sector.
She outlined some of the stats behind the critical labour and skills shortage facing the sector and the consequences of not taking action to plug the shortfall, before introducing Tracy Brescia, Chief of Staff and Lewis McLean, Trainee Surveyor, Bell.
Tracy talked about the value of apprentices, outlining Bell’s approach to apprenticeships and shining a light on some success stories, including that of Lewis, who began his apprenticeship in the inaugural year of the Bell Modern Apprenticeship at its Training Centre in Airdrie.
Lewis talked about his journey from apprentice to Trainee QS and participated in an interview with Tracy about his chosen path.
Finally, Joey Barron, Procurement and Project Manager, Echelon Consultancy, talked about starting a procurement apprenticeship after completing A Levels, his route from apprentice to procurement and project manager, and why an apprenticeship was the best decision for him.
Elly then led a Q&A with the panel, taking questions from the floor and further discussing her CHOOSE HOUSING presidential campaign, which aims to increase awareness of these opportunities, promote diversity, and inspire more people to choose housing as a career.
New procurement landscape
The new procurement landscape was the focus of Clause and effect: The Procurement Act in Action, chaired by Director of Pretium Frameworks Jessica John.
John Wallace, Director of Procurement, Clarion Housing Group, opened by discussing what the procurement landscape looks like eight months down the road from the introduction of the Procurement Act 2023.
Dr Rebecca Rees, Partner and Head of Public Procurement, Trowers & Hamlins covered social value, contract management (including KPIs) and suppliers, and Dr Steven Brunning, Legal Director, Public Procurement, Addleshaw Goddard, gave a step-by-step run through of the Competitive Flexible Procedure, as well as talking about the new exclusions and debarment regime and outlining some of the trends that are being seen in terms of notices.
Setting standards for data
Echelon Consultancy Managing Director Aaron John, chaired Behind the numbers: data driving better repairs which focused on why effective data management, record keeping, and information management are crucial to ensuring accountability and transparency, as well as improving services
Matthew Grenier, Business Development Director, HACT, focused on the UK Housing Data Standards and Awaab’s Law, asking how we can make Awaab’s Law data model – and the UK Housing Data Standards – fit for purpose.
He also discussed how to ensure that the UK Housing Data Standards are relevant, sustainable and adopted and realising the benefits of big data and of AI for the benefit of residents.
John Brett, Operations Director, Nexus Open Systems, spoke about why data matters in the context of safety, compliance, finance efficiency and tenant experience, outlining the pillars of good data, while Ryan Dempsey, CEO, The Compliance Workbook, focused on data integrity and the lifecycle of data.
Richard Libby, Director, Exactly, focused on eliminating fragmentation and friction of data, with examples of best practice, covering process-first design, designing out failure and system alignment & reconciliation.
Read more about the afternoon keynote here and innovariums here.
