The first in our new See Media Masterclass series covered ‘Getting Crisis Comms Right in Social Housing’. Our expert panellists led a fantastic session, with diverse perspectives on managing communications during challenging times, including splashes in The Sun and rescuing migrants in the English Channel.
It was great to see so many housing comms professionals join us from all over the UK for the discussion and share your questions and views. The session revealed several crucial insights for PR professionals working in the UK social housing sector and we’ve pulled some together here (with a little help from our Otter.ai assistant, which was also on the call 😊).
For a full recording and transcript of the See Media Masterclass ‘Getting Crisis Comms Right in Social Housing’, please click on the button at the bottom of the page.
Crisis comms preparation is everything
One consistent theme across all panellists was the critical importance of preparation. Mike Carhart-Harris, Senior Communications Manager at Magna Housing, shared insights from his experience managing a small comms team:
“The importance of clear internal processes, good relationships with operational teams and senior management is essential,” Mike explained. He recounted dealing with media enquiries about disrepair, damp, mould and heating failures, emphasising that “if you’ve done something wrong, admit it and say what you’re going to do to put it right”.
External agency crisis comms support
A significant focus of our discussion was how external PR agencies can provide vital support to social landlords during crises. Sarah Thomas, Senior Director and crisis comms lead at See Media, highlighted how agency partnerships deliver far more than just additional resource:
“External PR services provide additional capacity and a critical friend perspective,” Sarah noted. “Having a sounding board for scenario planning and media enquiries is invaluable when facing challenging situations.”
For social landlords with limited in-house comms resources, external agencies can provide immediate crisis response capabilities, media monitoring and strategic guidance. Sarah emphasised that agencies can “provide positive challenge and improve press statements,” helping housing associations maintain perspective when under pressure.
Award-winning former journalist and crisis comms adviser, Graham Isdale, added that external support helps organisations “slow down the story” and maintain emotional resilience for the team involved during intense media scrutiny – particularly important for social landlords when resident welfare is at stake.
Media training: more than just interview practice
Graham stressed the importance of media training as an integral part of crisis preparedness:
“In the heat of battle, it’s about keeping cool, working through the crisis plan, staying together as a team, and with your eye always on the outcome that you’ve set at the very beginning of your crisis planning.” His experience managing high-stakes situations showed how thorough preparation pays dividends when real crises emerge.
Control vs. influence
An important distinction emerged around narrative control. As Mike cautioned: “I’m always a little bit cautious about using the phrase ‘control the narrative’ because I think it’s increasingly difficult in our world to control a narrative. You can certainly influence the way that people perceive the story.”
This realistic approach acknowledges the challenges of modern communications while emphasising that proactive engagement still matters significantly. The panel discussed how social media has fundamentally shifted the landscape, with Sarah noting the need to “moderate comments and protect the vulnerability of residents” while considering the general public’s perception and the stigma sometimes associated with social housing.
Transparency builds trust
When addressing negative situations, transparency emerged as a critical factor. All panellists agreed that owning issues proactively rather than reactively puts organisations in a stronger position, even with difficult news.
As I noted during the session, while building relationships with journalists can be valuable, we must remember that “ultimately the journalist’s loyalty is not to you as an organisation, it is to their readers, to their publication”.
Looking forward on crisis comms in social housing
The increased public scrutiny on housing providers following high-profile tragedies such as the Grenfell Tower fire and recent cases of disrepair makes crisis communications expertise more essential than ever for our sector.
By incorporating these insights—preparing thoroughly, engaging appropriate external support when needed, investing in media training, focusing on influence rather than control, and maintaining transparency—housing providers can better navigate crises while protecting their reputation and, most importantly, continuing to serve residents effectively.
Catch up on the other See Media Masterclasses in this series using the links below:
April 2025 – Harnessing AI in Social Housing Comms
May 2025 – Transforming Resident Communications
Stuart Macdonald is Managing Director of See Media
